Things to Do in Biddeford

Inside a mint-green Victorian Home, the experienced artists at Artascope Studios share their expertise in various mediums with adults and teenagers of all skill levels. Throughout a schedule of workshops, instructors provide all the necessary supplies as they teach groups how to craft jewelry out of wire, beads, or metal, arrange glass bits into colorful mosaics, and use paint to expressively capture a mountain landscape's majesty or a urban wilderness's hidden Waldos. They also lead three-hour intensive Art Night Out sessions that focus on specific projects such as crocheting wire or setting a resin pendant. Through reservation, Artascope's experts can host private parties and one-on-one lessons.

Throughout the skating season from July to April, more than 60,000 people visit Portland Ice Arena for open-skate sessions, to play hockey, or watch an event. Public sessions during those months send skaters of all ages gliding across the rink. The arena also plays host to a number of other icy scenes, including learn-to-skate classes and practices for the AHL's Portland Pirates. Away from the 750-seat arena, the facility provides sharpening services, rentals, and a concession area.

Merriland Farm's par 3 course winds through fields of blueberry and raspberry, adding color and character to the 200-year-old working farm. At just 841 yards, the short course presents holes that range in distance from the 63-yard seventh up to the 119-yard third. Farm owner and course designer Jim Morrison makes up for the lack of overall distance by punishing errant shots with such hidden hazards as a brush-filled gully on hole two and a pond on hole eight, which players must avoid by selecting the right club or waiting for the next drought. The bucolic landscape also features a driving range with flagstick markers for golfers to warm up at.

Lauded by Yankee Magazine and featured on the Food Network, the on-site café got its start as a roadside stand from which Julie Morrison sold her delicious pies and jams. Visitors relax amid the comfy environs of the dining room or breathe in the fresh farm air on the outdoor patio.

Course at a Glance:

• Nine-hole, par 27 course
• Total length of 841 yards
• One tee box per hole