DAMARISCOTTA — As the coronavirus pandemic limits typical holiday gatherings, people have to find other ways of celebrating the season. One new tradition launched Nov. 20 involves a series of video conferences.  The first in the series was a lesson on pie baking shared from the kitchen of Damariscotta’s own Barn Door Baking Company. Annie Leck, Barn Door’s co-owner, walked viewers through an original recipe for North Georgia Candy Crunch Squash Pie with homemade marshmallow topping, according to a news release from Barbara Burt of Boothbay Harbor.

The program was initiated by Jenna Burt-Weeks, formerly of Newcastle, who is a financial advisor with Raymond James in Athens, Georgia. Wanting to share the talents of her home state, she enlisted Leck, a Culinary Institute graduate and “Cupcake Wars” winner, to bring a bit of Maine to anyone who was interested. In the end, viewers in 10 states and Canada tuned in, from Texas to Ontario. Leck walked viewers through the making of a pâte brisée (pie dough), demonstrated how to handle the squash (using a locally grown organic squash), and showed how to create the festive marshmallow topping.

Burt-Weeks continues the series with another program the Sunday after Thanksgiving, Nov. 29. It will feature Sarah Lutte, another Maine businesswoman, who co-owns Lazy Acres Farm in Farmingdale. During the growing season, Lutte creates beautiful bouquets from her farm-grown flowers. During the fall, she turns to wreaths and holiday greens. In this video conference, Lutte will show how to make a special wreath, as well as give viewers around the country a glimpse of her farm. Virtual Wreath Making at Lazy Acres Farm will begin at 11 a.m. EST.

The third in the series of holiday-themed presentations is scheduled for Dec. 28 and will feature Cocktail Concoctions at The National, an Athens, Georgia, restaurant with a wide following. This will be the setting for a workshop exploring different beverages to serve to celebrate the end of 2020 and the beginning of a new year. Cocktail Concoctions at The National will begin at 5 p.m. EST.

Both the Nov. 29 wreath-making and Dec. 28 cocktail-creating programs are free and open to the public. For more information and links to the programs, interested people can contact Burt-Weeks at [email protected].