September 2025 News

It's our birthday and we want to party with you...

View this email in your browser Friends of Woodfords Corner News September 2025   FWC news It's our 10th birthday! Come join us at Cornerfest for a party! SAVE THE NEW DATE! Saturday, October 4, 2-6pm   We changed the date so that we can party in October! Over the past 10 years, dozens – if not hundreds – of people have helped in FWC's work to enhance and showcase Woodfords Corner as the wonderful place it is.    THANK YOU for the thousands of hours spent volunteering, the generous donations and sponsorships, the expertise lent, the connections made, and the investment of all our local businesses who have made Woodfords Corner their home. Now, let's celebrate!! Saturday, October 4, 2-6pm (rain date Sunday, October 5) Grace Street, Portland Join us at a festive neighborhood block party with games, music, food, and friends. Area restaurants and eateries will sell food and drinks, the VFW will host an outdoor beer garden, and local organizations and businesses will have activities for all to enjoy. We’ll have musical acts and a dance party! This event is FREE and open to the public!  SAVE THE DATE: Saturday, October 4!   Back by popular demand our bi-annual Yard Sale Trail! Clean out your closets, cupboards, basements and garages and participate in this neighborhood-wide yard sale. Focus on turning your pre-loved items into someone else's treasure, and leave the promotion/advertising to us!    Register Your Sale Today! >>> Learn more about Yard Sale Trail >>> Shop at Shaws and support FWC   Shaw's, 1364 Congress St, Portland FWC will receive a $1 donation for every $3.00 Reusable Bag sold during September 2025 through the GIVE BACK WHERE IT COUNTS  program. You can grocery shop, save a paper bag, and support FWC all at the same time!   Thank you to our watering volunteers!   Thank you to our wonderful neighbor Denis for rescuing our planters during this drought. And to all our volunteers who have been showing up three times a week to water the planters while we wait for the rain to arrive.  Now that is dedication to the neighborhood! We are so grateful to all of you!     corner news New Fusion Taco Restaurant on Forest Ave 849 Forest Ave, Portland We have another new restaurant in the neighborhood! Head on over to Loco Taco to try some traditional Mexican fare with flavors inspired from around the world. They are open daily from 9am-9pm and offer a large and varied menu.  YUM! Check out the menu and order here >>> New Italian Restaurant and Wine Bar Coming Soon Abbiocco 634 Forest Ave, Portland Abbiocco will be housed in the former Sissle and Daughters space and will offer fresh pasta and wine in a warm, family-friendly environment.  Abbiocco means the "the contented drowsiness that follows a hearty meal". Don't sleep on this new restaurant and follow on Instagram  for more information on when you can enjoy your first meal there. Check out their website >>> New Grace St. Mural! Thank you to our friends at Coveside Coffee for sponsoring this beautiful new street art to enjoy in the corner! The installation involved re-striping the completely faded crosswalk and adding a new temporary art design directly onto the street. The project is intended to calm traffic, add a splash of color to the area, and serve as a demonstration of the potential for our neighborhood streets to be used for people and vehicles. A huge thank you to everyone involved in making this happen. Special thank you to artist Ann Simpson for the design! See more pictures here >>> New Speed bumps on Vannah St. The City of Portland installed some new speed bumps on Vannah St.  Don't expect a bumpy ride though--just a slower stroll down the street making it safer and more pleasant for all of us. Click here for more info about other paving projects throughout the city in September.   Maine Downtowns are Having a Moment Small downtowns like Woodfords Corner make this state a wonderful place to live, work and visit.  But you knew that already! Since 2019, FWC has been an Affiliate of Main Street America program.  Woodfords Corner is the ONLY neighborhood in the State of Maine revitalizing its downtown! All the others are actual towns. Take a look at this great piece from News Center Maine about how the Maine Downtown Center  is working to support downtowns across the state.    Rumery Lofts Convert Former Offices to Housing Before becoming 38 new apartments, 509 Forest Avenue was a car dealership (a legacy that lives on in the massive first-floor windows used to display automobiles). During and after the Great Depression, people gathered on the second floor at Ricker Gardens Dance Hall, which hosted American greats like Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, and Frank Sinatra. In more recent history, the building housed various offices of Maine Health. And now, thanks to recent work by Developers Collaborative, it houses people. The space has been converted into Rumery Lofts, a mix of market rate and workforce housing, with studio, 1-bedroom, and 2-bedroom units available to lease. Read more about the Rumery Lofts here >>>   corner events There are myriad events, classes, and happenings in Woodfords Corner every week – check out our Community Calendar to view all that's going on! SEPTEMBER 7: Deering Center Porchfest Sunday, September 7, 12-5pm Deering Center, Portland Enjoy music and community with over 75 performances in the Deering Neighborhood. What a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon! More info here>>> SEPTEMBER 14: Portland Ukulele Social Club Sunday, September 14, 5-7pm Trinity Episcopal Church,  Lincoln Hall, 580 Forest Avenue, Portland The Portland Ukulele Social Club is a loosely organized group of ukulele enthusiasts who come together once a month to play music and socialize. Players with all levels of experience are welcome and encouraged to strum and sing with us. We collect $4.00 a piece to pay for the space rental. But other than that, there are no commitments. So, bring your uke and a smile, and join us for a couple of hours of pure fun. More info here>>> SEPTEMBER 18: Age-Friendy Portland event Thursday, September 18, 10-2pm  Jewish Community Alliance, 1342 Congress St, Portland The purpose of this event is to bring critical safety and emergency preparedness information to older Portland residents and local provider agencies that serve older adults.  Experts from the American Red Cross, the Cumberland County Emergency Preparedness Agency, the National Weather Service, the Portland Fire Department, and other City staff will be on hand to teach us how to stay informed, be prepared, build a kit, and get involved in keeping ourselves and our community safe in the event of an emergency. The summit is FREE to attend and will include lunch. Pre-registration is required. Register here >>> SEPTEMBER 26 and 27: FriendCon Fall 2025 Friday, Sept 26 and Saturday, Sept 27 10am-10pm Woodfords Club, 179 Woodfords St, Portland $10 per day per person donation suggested. (No one turned away). All ages and abilities welcome. Boardgames, Card games, community gathering and competitions! Join us for an hour or all day long! More info here >>> SEPTEMBER 27: Bakery Photographic Collective Saturday, September 27, 1-5pm Bakery Photographic Collective 630 Forest Avenue, Portland This introductory course for black and white film photography is designed to provide participants with an understanding of 35mm (or medium format) photography and the foundations for darkroom usage. Topics covered include but are not limited to: camera operation (aperture, ISO, shutter speed, light meter interpretation), film processing, darkroom setup, and darkroom printing. Sign up here >>> about fwc Support Friends of Woodfords Corner! For 10 years Friends of Woodfords Corner has served as a voice for the Woodfords area and a catalyst for building a sustainable, diverse community. And we're just getting started – we have big plans for the coming years! Make a donation in honor of 10 years of Friends of Woodfords Corner, and help us be successful for many years to come! Donate Today! Join Our Team: Volunteer for Friends of Woodfords Corner! Join us in our efforts to foster a thriving, welcoming, and sustainable village hub in Woodfords Corner, and make an impact on your community! We're always looking for more volunteers for our committees and folks who want to serve as board members. Complete one of the forms, linked below, to inquire and learn more! Volunteer with FWC Inquire About Board Membership FWC & Main Street America In 2019 (a mere 6 years ago) Friends of Woodfords Corner became a Main Street Affiliate, and we thought it might be time to explain what this means for our organization and our community, and how how this makes us unique among many varied community groups in the Portland area! Learn more>> Friends of Woodfords Corner is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization that works to preserve the diversity and unique history of Woodfords Corner and foster a thriving, welcoming, and sustainable village hub.  Copyright © 2025 Friends of Woodfords Corner, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. Our mailing address is: Friends of Woodfords Corner 651 Forest Avenue #2 Portland, Maine 04101 Add us to your address book Call us! 207-805-1151 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.