BROOKLIN, Maine — Friend Memorial Public Library invites the public to Celebrate Brooklin: Where our past and future meet, a free community event on Friday, August 7, 7:00 p.m. at Brooklin Boat Yard, 44 Center Harbor Road. Docks and doors open at 6:30 p.m., with films beginning at 7:30 p.m.

The evening will feature the premiere screening of two newly completed short films: CIRRUS: A Wooden Boat Story and steward•ship: a love letter to the maine coast. Filmmakers Ken Murphy, Durier Ryan, and Luc Milam will be in attendance to meet guests and share more about the stories behind the films.

CIRRUS: A Wooden Boat Story tells the story of Cirrus, a 1930 Fishers Island 31 designed by Sidney Herreshoff, and the enduring care required to preserve a wooden boat with history, beauty, and meaning. steward•ship: a love letter to the maine coast follows the restoration of an H-28 through the eyes of its young owner, exploring craftsmanship, mentorship, and the relationships between generations.

Guests will also see familiar Brooklin residents on screen, including Maynard Bray, Jon Wilson, Steve White, and others whose lives and work reflect the town’s deep maritime heritage and enduring community spirit.

While the films are rooted in maritime heritage, the event is designed as a larger celebration of Brooklin itself. The evening invites year-round residents, seasonal residents, newcomers, Library supporters, and friends of Brooklin to gather, meet one another, and celebrate the people, traditions, and shared sense of stewardship that help define the community.

“Our Celebrate Brooklin event is about bringing people together around the things we value and want to carry forward,” said Robert A. Baird, Chair of the Friend Memorial Public Library Capital Campaign. “The films give us a beautiful starting point, but the evening is really about Brooklin—its people, its traditions, its generosity, and its future. We are grateful to the filmmakers for helping create an event that welcomes the whole community while supporting the Library’s next chapter.”

The evening will also include live music, light refreshments, boat viewing, exhibits, and a live and silent auction.

The event is presented by Friend Memorial Public Library in support of its Capital Campaign, which will preserve and expand the historic Library building and help establish the future Anne and Maynard Bray Maritime Research Center. The Center will house one of the nation’s most important private collections of materials and photographs documenting wooden boat and ship design, construction, operation, and history. To date, the campaign has raised $3.1M of its $4.4M goal.

Celebrate Brooklin is free and open to all, with no RSVP required. The event will be held rain or shine.