Peaks Island cafe will host ‘Widow’s Bay’ watch parties

Baba’s Cafe Invites Residents and Tourists to “Widow’s Bay” Watch Parties in October

Peaks Island, Maine – Every Thursday night in October, the intimate café on Peaks Island will turn into a communal screen‑watching venue for Apple TV+ fans of the Emmy‑winning drama Widow’s Bay. The series, set in a town cursed for centuries, will be shown in two‑episode blocks each week, with the final episode airing just in time for Halloween weekend.

“Widow’s Bay is a really fun show, and it’s been striking a chord with a lot of people in Maine seeking togetherness, community and a little bit of spookiness in October,” said Millie Hillman, the cafe’s winter manager and director of community engagement. Hillman chose the show because she sees parallels between the fictional town and Peaks Island itself. Both places have a “quaint, island‑quirk” feel, a history of abandoned fortifications – Peaks Island’s own Battery Steele Fort – and, according to local lore, a handful of ghosts.

The watch parties will run from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m., beginning at 79 Island Ave. in Peaks Island’s harbor‑side community. Visitors are encouraged to catch the 5:35 p.m. Casco Bay Ferry for the ride to the island. Attendance is free, though the cafe’s seating capacity is about 40 people. “Anyone is welcome to join the party,” Hillman said, adding that she has mild concerns about the limited space but remains open to community turnout.

This initiative is part of a broader effort to keep Peaks Island vibrant outside the typical summer season. The café, which has been open year‑round for the first time since Labor Day, plans to operate from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. each Thursday through Sunday. In addition to the Thursday screenings, the cafe hosts acoustic music sessions on Sunday afternoons and a Spanish conversation group on Friday afternoons.

“We want to show people that Peaks and the Casco Bay islands don’t just need to be a summer activity,” Hillman added. “There’s something really magical about coming out here in the fall and the winter, and experiencing all that Maine has to offer.”

The Widow’s Bay watch parties are intended to draw new visitors and encourage longer stays, with the hope that guests will linger beyond a single night. The series’ themes of mystery, community, and the supernatural dovetail nicely with the island’s own storied past, making the events a natural fit for October’s seasonal spirit.