Soup and The Future of Food
The Future of Food begins with hot soup and good company. Or, at least, the movie will, Friday, March 18, at 7 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Hall off Elm Street on the Common. The Future of Food takes a close look at the health effects and business of genetically modified foods. Bring a mug for tea. All ages are welcome—a $5 donation is suggested for adults, to help cover expenses. The Food Film Series is a collaborative project of the UU Green Sanctuary Committee, the Harvard Farmers’ Market, Harvard Local, and the Congregational Church of Harvard.
Harvard Community Talent Show
Harvard Friends of the Arts will present the third annual Harvard Community Talent Show Saturday, March 19, in Volunteers Hall at the public library. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; show starts at 7 p.m. Admission is free but donations are gratefully accepted.
Fort Devens Museum
The Fort Devens Museum will open to the public Saturday, March 19, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 94 Jackson Road, Suite 305, in Devens, and will continue to open the third Saturday of every month to accommodate area people not able to visit during the regular weekday hours. Newly added to the collection is an Army nurse dress uniform worn by World War II combat nurse Phyllis (Wollenberg) Mirfield, who completed her nurse training at Fort Devens in 1944. Regular weekday hours of operation are Tuesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call the museum at 978-772-1286 for directions or visit www.fortdevensmuseum.org.
Artist of the Month
This month Bob Hubert’s black-and-white photographs are featured on the For Art’s Sake website and in the Live Gallery upstairs at the Harvard General Store. The photographs are from his series, Boys Will Be Scouts, from his 10 years as a scoutmaster in town and from Walks in a Small Town, which explores little-known paths and hidden places in Harvard. Visit the artist-of-the-month page at www.forartssake-harvard.org to learn more about his work, including details about his newest project Creative Contact, a free website designed to make networking and entrepreneurship easy for artists.
Harvard Lions Club Annual Fruit Sale
The Harvard Lions Club’s 20th annual Citrus Fruit Sale continues this week, offering royal ruby-red grapefruit and Valencia oranges from Florida. The fruit will be available on a cash-and-carry basis in 20-pound boxes for $25 and 40-pound boxes for $35. Fruit sale stations will be set up at Harvard Town Center Saturday, March 19, and Sunday, March 20; and at the Boxborough Transfer Station Saturday, March 19. During the sale period, fruit will be safely stored and refrigerated at Carlson Orchards to maintain its freshness. Anyone not available on the sale dates may order ahead by contacting Rick Veltri at rickv@charter.net or call 978 456-8795.
Harvard Historical Society Discovery Days
The Harvard Historical Society will host a series of Discovery Days the third Sunday of the month from 3 to 5 p.m. Each Discovery Day will feature a different aspect of the Society’s collection, and an expert will be on hand to give a brief presentation and to answer questions. Visitors are welcome to browse the rest of the collection as well.
The topic of the first Discovery Day, Sunday, March 20, is Thingamajigs and Whatchamacallits. Visitors will be encouraged to guess the past uses of unusual oddities on display before learning their true identities. Beforehand, the first person to guess the true identity of one of the items on display at www.harvardhistory.org will win a prize T-shirt. There is no admission to Discovery Days, but donations are appreciated.
Art Soup
Celebrate the creative arts in Harvard Saturday, March 26, from noon to 3 p.m. at the old library. Experience performances in the movement studio, explore the fiber arts, meet local artists demonstrating their craft, and preview upcoming classes in the area. Event schedule and details will be online at www.artsoupharvard.com. For more information or to participate as a creator at this event contact artsoupharvard@gmail.com. Brought to you by MOSAIC, a creative community.
Sustainable Landscaping Workshop
The Healing Garden will host a Sustainable Landscaping workshop Saturday, March 26, from 9:30 a.m. to noon at 145 Bolton Road. The workshop, led by Ed Coykendall of Landscape Artisans, will give homeowners environmentally sensible and cost-effective solutions for creating and maintaining home landscapes. Topics to be discussed range from the logistics of the modern landscape to water and habitat creation. The program fee is $20 for Healing Garden members and $25 for nonmembers. (All active clients at the Healing Garden are considered members.) Call 978-456-3532 to register. For more information visit www.HealingGarden.net.
African Rhythms
The Build a School in Africa project will sponsor its 10th annual African Rhythms benefit, a performance of high-energy dance and music of West Africa, Saturday, March 26, at 7:30 p.m. in Cronin Auditorium and Sunday, March 27, at 5 p.m. at King Open School, 850 Cambridge St. in Cambridge.
Performers this year will include the Teriya Dance Company, Troupe Teranga, the “Hip-Hop Mamas” from Sudbury, Khary Green and the KaGe Dance Group, and the young dancers of Joyful Movement KidzDance, plus a contemporary piece choreographed to kora music by Kara Fili. Malian Master Drummer Moussa Traore will lead a talented group of drummers. For more information contact Judy Lorimer at jmlorimer@verizon.net or call 978-433-2384.
Family Movie Night
The Harvard Public Library will host a Family Movie Night for all ages Friday, April 1, at 6:30 p.m. with popcorn and water provided. Preregistration is requested.
Harvard Schools Trust Annual Spring Gala
The Harvard Schools Trust will host its 22nd annual Spring Dinner-Theater Gala Saturday, April 9. The Gala will begin in Cronin Auditorium at 6 p.m. with The Yellow Boat by David Saar, the Bromfield Drama Society’s entry in this year’s Massachusetts High School Drama Festival. The play will be followed by dinner, dessert, and a silent auction at 7:15 p.m. at the Fellowship Building at 7 Elm St. Tickets are a $50 donation per person payable by check to the Harvard Schools Trust and mailed to P.O. Box 450, Harvard, MA 01451; or via PayPal by visiting www.harvardschoolstrust.org/hst_gala.htm. Half of the cost of each Gala ticket is tax-deductible. All proceeds from the Spring Dinner-Theater Gala and Silent Auction will be used to fund grant requests for educational enrichment programs at Hildreth Elementary School and the Bromfield School. For a list of grants the Trust has awarded since 1990, visit the Grants History page at www.harvardschoolstrust.org. For more information contact Harvard Schools Trust at 978-456-5085 or e-mail galainfo@harvardschoolstrust.org.
OUT OF TOWN
Neil Simon Play in Westford
The Nashoba Players will present Laughter on the 23rd Floor, a comedy by Neil Simon set in the “golden age of television,” at the Parish Center for the Arts in Westford March 18 and 19 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $18 for general admission and $15 for students and seniors. Harvard resident Steve Hayward performs in the play. For tickets and more information visit www.nashobaplayers.org or call 978-692-9911.
Irish Music in Ayer
Irish musicians, singers, and listeners are invited to join the Groton Irish Session musicians at the Billiards Cafe in Ayer every Wednesday, from 7 to 11 p.m. For more information contact Aisling at aisling44@verizon.net.
Indian Hill Music School Performathon
Indian Hill Music School students and faculty offer two days of free recitals in all musical styles, from jazz to classical, Friday, March 18, in the evening and Saturday, March 19, all day at 36 King St. in Littleton. Contributions will be accepted to benefit the Indian Hill Music School Scholarship Fund, which awards more than $37,000 in need-based scholarships annually. Learn more at 978-486-9524 or www.indianhillmusic.org.
Sarah Whitney and Sybarite5 Concert
Former Harvard resident Sarah Whitney will perform with New York-based string quintet Sybarite5 Saturday, March 19, at 7:30 p.m. at First Parish Church in Concord. During the concert, Mozart vs. Radiohead and the Shuffle Effect, an on-stage iPod will determine each successive program selection. Neither the musicians nor the audience will know what to expect next. Tickets are $23 general admission and $17 for seniors and students with IDs and can be ordered at 800-838-3006 or brownpapertickets.com/event/155569.
Piano Concert with Pavel Nersessian
The Museum of Russian Icons will host a piano concert with Pavel Nersessian Saturday, March 19, at the museum in Clinton. For ticket prices, reservations, and directions visit www.museumofrussianicons.org.
Oak Meadow Montessori School Open House
Oak Meadow Montessori School invites prospective families for the 2011-2012 school year to an Admission Open House Sunday, March 20, from 1 to 3 p.m. at 2 Old Pickard Lane in Littleton. All families are welcome to attend and visit classrooms and tour the facilities. For more information visit www.oakmeadow.org, contact the admission office at 978-486-9874, ext. 226, or e-mail admissions@oakmeadow.org.
Monty Tech Open House and Antique Car Show
Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School will hold its annual Open House Wednesday, March 23, from 6 to 8 p.m. at 1050 Westminster St., Route. 2A, at the Fitchburg-Westminster line. The snow date is Thursday, March 24. The general public and prospective students and their families are invited to tour the school and see students and teachers working on projects in the school’s 20 career programs. A spaghetti and meatball supper will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 in the cafeteria. The supper is $3 and children under 5 are free. The 15th annual Monty Tech Antique Car Show will be held the same evening.
Museum of Russian Icons
The Golosá Choir from the University of Chicago will perform Russian folk songs Thursday, March 24, at 7 p.m. at the Museum of Russian Icons in Clinton. Tickets are $12 for museum members and $15 for nonmembers. For more information visit www.museumofrussianicons.org.
Indian Hill Voice Soirée
Indian Hill Music School Voice Department students will perform songs about memories Friday, March 25, at 7:30 p.m. at 36 King St. in Littleton. Light refreshments will be served. Admission is a suggested $5 donation at the door. Call 978-486-9524 or visit www.indianhillmusic.org.
Stars Gala Benefit for Village Nursery School
A Stars Gala benefit for the Village Nursery School (VNS) will be held Saturday, March 26, from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Holiday Inn in Boxborough. Guest Doug Meehan, former Fox 25 Morning News reporter, will rub elbows with star impersonators Marilyn Monroe and Austin Powers. Tickets are $50 each and can be bought at five retail locations or by calling VNS at 978-456-3993. Through support from businesses throughout the Middlesex area there are seven Gold Sponsors, nine Silver Sponsors, more than 100 silent auction items, and live auction items including: a Jim Rice “Hall of Fame” signed baseball, Red Sox tickets, round-trip limousine service to Boston for up to eight people, vacation time at a Cape Cod beach house, a foursome at the International Golf Club, a family VIP Package to Disney’s Imagination Movers Concert, and Boston restaurant and hotel packages.
Borromeo String Quartet
Indian Hill Music presents the acclaimed Borromeo String Quartet performing works of Bach, Beethoven, and Auerbach Saturday, March 26, 8 p.m. at The Kalliroscope Gallery, 264 Main St. in Groton. Tickets, which include a post-concert wine-and-cheese reception with the artists, are $25 for adults and $15 for students. Call 978-486-9524, ext. 116, or visit www.indianhillmusic.org.
Enchanted April
Theatre III will present Matthew Barber’s Enchanted April March 25 and 26, and April 1, 2, and 8, at 8 p.m. at the historic theatre at 250 Central St. in Acton. Enchanted April, based upon the novel by Elizabeth von Arnim, follows four British women who rent a villa in Italy. The play is humorous and touching, and celebrates the ever-present chance to begin life and relationships anew. Tickets, which are $18 for adults and $15 for seniors and students, can be ordered by calling the ticket hotline at 978-263-9070 or online, for an additional surcharge, at www.Theatre3.org.
Agricultural Legal Issues Forum
The Groton Agricultural Commission and Groton Grange will sponsor a forum on legal issues concerning agriculture Tuesday, March 29, at 7 p.m. at historic Grange Hall, 80 Champney Street in Groton. Frank DiLuna, attorney for the Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation, will discuss a wide-range of topics, including noise associated with farming to odors, working on Sundays or holidays, use of water on restricted days, use of chemicals, and more. For further information, contact George Moore, 978-448-3715, or Sally Smith, 978-448-3418.
Ragtime: The Musical in Concord
Emerson Umbrella Center for the Arts in Concord will present the Tony award-winning show Ragtime: The Musical April 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, and 16 at 8 p.m. and April 9 and 16 at 2 p.m. Ragtime: The Musical is based on the 1975 novel by E.L. Doctorow about the social upheaval and change in early 20th-century American society resulting from immigration, racism, industrialization, and political anarchy. Historical figures such as Henry Ford, Harry Houdini, and Booker T. Washington intermingle with fictional characters from three families, whose intersecting lives are influenced by the Ragtime era’s social challenges.
The production features a diverse cast of more than 40 talented actors from all over the MetroWest area and a 20-member live orchestra. Tickets are $20, discounted to $15 for students and seniors. To purchase tickets visit www.emersonumbrella.org or call the Emerson Umbrella office at 978-371-0820.
Steep Canyon Rangers Concert to Benefit NRWA
The Steep Canyon Rangers will perform a benefit concert for Nashua River Watershed Association (NRWA) Saturday, April 2, at 8 p.m. at Lawrence Academy in Groton. The Rangers are a young but seasoned band from North Carolina, with multiple awards and four albums. Tickets purchased in advance are $25 for adults and $10 for children age 12 and under; tickets purchased at the door will be $30 for adults and $10 for children age 12 and under. Proceeds benefit the NRWA. To purchase tickets online, go to www.MKTix.com/nrwa. Tickets can also be purchased by calling NRWA at 978- 448-0299. Advance ticket sales end Saturday, April 2, at 11 a.m.
Icon Workshop
Bolton resident and icon artist Chelsea Monroe-Cassel will hold a four-session introduction to iconography at the First Parish of Bolton, April 4, 6, 11, and 13. The workshop, which is open to the public, will provide participants with an opportunity during Lent to step outside daily activities and focus on a unique spiritual discipline. Students will learn about early icons and their images, while completing an icon of Archangel Gabriel and acquiring the basic knowledge to write other icons. Monroe-Cassel who works at the Museum of Russian Icons in Clinton and also creates her own icons on natural rock and driftwood. The $150 class fee includes four sessions and admission to the Museum of Russian Icons. Registration is online at www.terramareicons.com or by calling 617-435-4765.
Once On This Island
Open Door Theater will present Once On This Island April 1, 8, and 9 at 7:30 p.m. and April 2, 3, 9, and 10 at 2:30 p.m. at the Dragonfly Theater at R. J. Grey Junior High, 16 Charter Road in Acton. Harvard residents taking part in the production include Sabrina Hildreth and Rachel Makosky acting on stage and Rachel Leicher backstage as the lighting designer. The musical is a tale of romance between a peasant girl and a rich city boy from the other side of the island whom she rescues from a terrible storm. Tickets are available online at www.MKTix.com and through cast members. Individual tickets are $10 each; group rates and back-stage tours are available for youth organizations. For more information e-mail tickets@opendoortheater.org or check the Open Door website at www.opendoortheater.org.
Applewild Open House
Applewild School, an independent school for grades K through 8, will host a Take-a-Look Morning open house the first Thursday of each month. Prospective parents are invited to meet at 9 a.m. at the Crocker Building, 120 Prospect St. in Fitchburg to tour the school and see teachers and students in action. No RSVP is necessary. For more information call the Admission Office, 978-342-6053, ext. 110 or visit www.applewild.org.
Fostering Environmental Stewardship
Applewild School, will host “A Belief in the Future: Fostering Environmental Stewardship and Civic Engagement in the Next Generation” Thursday, April 7 at Applewild School Center for the Performing Arts, 90 Prospect St. in Fitchburg. The program will include The Work of 1000, a documentary film featuring Marion Stoddart and the cleanup of the Nashua River. Events will start with community sharing and refreshments at 5:15 p.m., followed by the film at 6 p.m., and at 6:30 a panel discussion with Marion Stoddart, Mayor Lisa Wong, Applewild science teacher Dr. Julia Miles, and moderator by Maura Lyons. The public, including families with children in fourth grade and higher, is invited to the free event. For more information call 978-342-6053, ext. 215.
