Portland Downtown/Old Port Working Water, Photo Credits: Serena Folding. Image used by courtesy of Visit Portland. (c) 2024 Visit Portland. All Rights Reserved.

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GATHERING 2024

​​​Portland, Maine - September 23-27, 2024

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United Way NEXT is excited to invite you to join us for a gathering of friends and former colleagues. Connecting and reconnecting is what brings such value to our community, and we hope you will consider joining us.

New England in the fall, the Maine seacoast, lighthouses, lobster, and a downtown Portland rich in history, art, food, and breweries…Have you always wanted to visit? Now is your chance.

​Join hosts Meg Baxter, Barbara Edmond, and Diane Lebson as we share the delights and treasures of our beloved Maine. Check out Portland, Maine, by visiting www.visitportland.com

​PLEASE NOTE: We have amended the original schedule of events based on survey input; the most notable change is that we will not be offering a shorter event experience and apologize for any inconvenience. 

CLICK HERE to download the Gathering Schedule of Events

Register here

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Image used by courtesy of Visit Portland. (c) 2024 Visit Portland. All Rights Reserved.

Hotel Registration Information
Guest rooms are available at the Hampton Inn Portland Downtown – Waterfront with a special rate of $279 per night (plus applicable fees; two-night minimum) for UW NEXT members. The hotel is within a short walk of the Waterfront, historic Old Port district, and Casco Bay Line Ferry Terminal. The Portland International Jetport is a 15-minute drive away.

​Enjoy the fitness center and indoor pool. WiFi and daily hot breakfast are on us. Our hospitality suite at the hotel (location to be announced upon your arrival) will serve as an afternoon gathering point for networking with old and new friends over drinks, confirming dinner plans, and previewing the next day’s activities. 

Hotel reservations can be made by clicking HERE:
 

• Select:   Check in and check out dates
• Click:     Special Rates
• Enter:    UWN in “Group Code” section
• Select:   Check Rooms & Rates

Alternatively, you can contact Kayla Geary, Hampton Inn’s Director of Sales, at (207) 541-9756 or [email protected]. 

​We look forward to seeing you in Portland, Maine.

Excursion Information

The following six activities require pre-registration if you wish to participate. This is needed to reserve our spot and/or provide us with a needed head count. Register HERE. (Other optional activities can be viewed HERE)
Click on the + to the right to expand the table below to browse excursions. ​

TUESDAY September 24

Discovery Trolley - Portland City and Lighthouse Tour   
Tuesday  9:30am        $45 per person
Enjoy a fully-narrated trolley tour of scenic and historic Portland and visit Maine’s oldest lighthouse, Portland Head Light, for a 30-minute stop. The childhood home of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the Victoria Mansion, and the bustling Old Port are just a few of the landmarks you will see as we travel from city streets to rocky coast! (Estimated duration: 2 hours, 15 minutes)

The Wadsworth-Longfellow House
Tuesday  2:00pm – Group Guided Tour     $15 per person
Part of the Maine Historical Society, this historic home is where famed 19th-century poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow lived as a boy. The site also features the Longfellow Garden, a quiet oasis in the City of Portland. (Estimated duration: 1-2 hours)​​

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 25

Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center – A United Way-supported program
Wednesday  10:00am      No Charge
Immigrants make up close to 1 in every 10 of greater Portland’s residents. The Immigrant Welcome Center serves as a hub of collaboration that strengthens the immigrant community through language acquisition, economic integration, and civic engagement. Programs include: Business Hub, Community Integration, Food Security and Nutrition, Women Lead, and an online English learning program. United Way NEXT participants will learn how the Greater Portland community aspires to welcome and grow belonging among our newest residents.

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 26

Morning Small Group Optional Tour A: Winslow Homer Studio Tour
Thursday 10:30 am - 1:00pm          $70 per person
This is an immersive small-group experience in the spot which inspired many of Homer’s seascape paintings. You will experience the stunning landscape of Prouts Neck and Homer’s artistic practice. This tour includes admission to the Portland Museum of Art as well as transportation to Homer’s seascape spot in a luxury van.

Morning Small Group Optional Tour B: Visit Kennebunk/Kennebunkport
Thursday 9:00am – 2:00pm             Cost based on personal expenditures during tour
This small group trip will be led by a local United Way colleague. See Walker's Point (which was also known as George H.W. Bush’s “Summer White House”) and the Wedding Cake House. You will also visit Dock Square which features local shops, the St. Anthony Franciscan Friary, and Kennebunk Beach. Lunch will be available for purchase in Kennebunkport.

Maine Lobster Bake on Peaks Island                     $100 per person
Thursday, estimated 4:30pm Ferry Departure; Return Ferry estimated 7:45PM
Peaks Island was a vacation destination in the 19th century and was known as the “Coney Island of Maine.” Today, one of the Island’s features is Battery Steele, a military fort dating back to WWII. We will ride the Casco Bay Ferry to get there and back (transportation costs included in registration; it’s approximately 17 minutes from Portland Harbor to the Island). Registration includes Maine lobster (chicken also available), steamer clams, corn on the cob, potatoes, whoopie pies, and soft drinks (a cash bar will be available).

Excursion Registration