Portland Maine Parks, Recreation & Facilities Department

09/09/2026

A piano is hidden in one of our open spaces. Can you find it?

Here are your clues:
1. I stand where the city’s business is done, facing a busy street under the sun.

2. Home to massive organ pipes and grand musical shows, I sit near the hall where the melody flows.

3. Look beneath the grand clock tower reaching up high, where the sound of black and white ivories fly.

Follow Portland Parks and Recreation on Instagram and Facebook for updates.

09/09/2026

Traffic Alert in Payson Park: This Thursday, September 10th and Friday September 11th, a crew will restripe Arboretum Road and Catafalque Drive to add bicycle lanes.

This work will require temporarily closing Arboretum Road for part of the day. Please follow detour signs and seek an alternative route during the road closure in Payson Park.

The Parks, Recreation and Facilities Department appreciates your understanding while we make these improvements in the park.

Visit PortlandMaine.Gov/VisionZero to learn more

Visit PortlandMaine.Gov/VisionZero to learn more

09/08/2026

Grab your wheels and roll through local geology with Park Ranger Eli! Join us for a casual group skate along the scenic Eastern Prom Trail to learn about Portland's natural surroundings.

Event Details:
When: September 18 at 6:00 PM
Where: Meet and finish at the Sail Maine Parking Lot (65 Thames St, Portland, ME)
Cost: Free and open to all (Drop-in activity, no registration required!)
Who: All wheels welcome! (Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult)

Good to Know:
Distance/Time: 1–3 miles (up to 2 hours)
Facilities: Restrooms available at East End Beach
Safety: Skate at your own risk; protective gear is strongly recommended!

Questions? Email [email protected].
Program link: https://portlandme.myrec.com/info/activities/program_details.aspx?ProgramID=30520

City of Portland, Maine

09/03/2026

Exciting progress at First Light Commons! MacKay Construction has completed widening the Eastern Trail along Thames Street (India St to Hancock St), and work is underway on the new 20-foot waterfront promenade featuring upgraded guardrails.

This project is made possible through fundraising by the Portland Parks Conservancy and the vision and generosity of Richard Barringer; a Congressionally Directed Spending grant sponsored by Senator Angus King; City of Portland Capital Improvement funding; support from David E. Shaw, Maine Community Bank, and many others; and an Urban and Community Forestry grant from Project Canopy.
Visit PortlandMaine.Gov/FirstLight for updates on the progress of this project.

09/03/2026

The Evergreen Cemetery expansion project reached a key milestone at the end of August.

With road construction complete and landscaping underway, final layout plans for 650 new gravesites will roll out in spring 2027, followed by future columbarium additions.

08/31/2026

25 YEARS, NEVER FORGOTTEN
September 11, 2001 — September 11, 2026

AN INVITATION TO OUR FIRE & POLICE BROTHERS AND SISTERS

The Portland Fire Department invites Fire & Police personnel from departments and agencies throughout Maine and beyond to stand with us as we honor and remember the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks on our nation.

Event Details:
* Date: Friday, September 11, 2026
* Location: Fort Allen Park, Eastern Promenade - Portland, Maine
* Fire & Police Personnel Line-up: 8:30 AM

COMMUNITY INVITATION

Members of the public are warmly invited to attend this solemn ceremony as we come together to remember the lives lost, honor those who responded, and recognize the lasting impact of September 11, 2001.

WE REMEMBER. WE HONOR. WE WILL NEVER FORGET.

08/31/2026

The Annual Maine Arborist Association State Climbing Competition is BACK!

Join us on Sunday, September 27 at Deering Oaks Park as Maine’s top arborists return to the trees after a long hiatus. Whether you're looking to showcase your skills, learn from the best in the state, or cheer on the action, you won't want to miss it!

Big Stakes: The winner of the Masters Challenge will earn an all-expenses-paid spot to represent Maine at the 2027 New England ISA Climbing Competition!


Friends of Deering Oaks

The Annual Maine Climbing Competition returns after a very long hiatus! Come compete and learn new skills from some of the best climbers in Maine! Winner of the Masters Challenge will receive an all expenses paid slot in the New England ISA climbing competition for 2027!

08/28/2026

Do you love working with kids? Portland
Recreation has immediate openings for our after-school
program. Great benefits, meaningful work, and
community building.
Come join the team!





If interested email Amelia Clause at
[email protected]

08/24/2026

Our Public Works team installed FIVE speed humps along Ocean Avenue last week as part of our ongoing Vision Zero initiative! These traffic calming installations will help moderate vehicle speeds along the Ocean Avenue Elementary School walking route.

THREE speed humps were also installed in Payson Park, in partnership with Portland Maine Parks, Recreation & Facilities Department, as part of the Payson Park Traffic Calming Project.

Visit PortlandMaine.Gov/VisionZero to read all the recent Vision Zero updates in .

08/21/2026

A piano is hidden in one of our parks. Can you find it?

Here are your clues:
1. Completed in 1917 as part of Mayor Baxter’s "emerald necklace" vision. Stand where you can look straight across the tidal basin to see the Portland city skyline in the distance.

2. I border the water and stretch in a ring, where runners take off, and the shorebirds all sing. Look near the edge where the park meets the bay.

3. Sometimes I’m full of water, sometimes I’m full of mud, changing twice a day with the ocean's rising flood.

Follow Portland Parks and Recreation on Instagram and Facebook for updates.