Warner Free Lecture—Snakes of New England and the World
The Cape Ann Vernal Pond Team will return to Harvard with some slinky reptile friends in tow for a hands-on show-and-tell about snakes from the backyard and around the world. The program will take place at Volunteers Hall in the Harvard Public Library, Saturday, May 14, at 7:30 p.m. For more information on upcoming programs, contact WFL Chairman Tom Aciukewicz at 978-456-6880.
Annual Library Book Sale
Friends of the Harvard Public Library (FOHPL) will continue its annual Book Sale Saturday, May 14, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the old library. Free admission.
Artist of the Month
Bromfield junior Nick Kronauer is featured as the For Art’s Sake Artist of the Month. Kronauer’s photography will be on display throughout May in the Live Gallery upstairs at the Harvard General Store. Examples of his ceramics and additional photos can be found on the For Art’s Sake website at www.forartssake-harvard.org.
Celebration 2011
The community is invited to an open house hosted by the Celebration committee at the Bromfield School Friday, May 13, from 9 to 10 p.m. Celebration is the annual all-night, alcohol-free party held after the prom from 11 p.m. to 5:30 the next morning. Bromfield is transformed according to a new and exciting, but secret, theme every year. This year Celebration is requesting a small donation for admission to the open house to support future Celebrations. A suggested donation is $5 per family. The public is invited to see the amazing transformation, try out the games, and see what Bromfield’s juniors and seniors will be doing all night.
Bird Walk at Fruitlands
Fruitlands Museum and Brookline Bird Club will sponsor a morning bird walk Saturday, May 14, at 6:30 a.m., led by local birder Pat White. Many beautiful singers will just have arrived: Baltimore Oriole, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, veery, Wood Thrush. Early migrants will be building nests: Pine Warbler, Blue-headed Vireo. For more information call Pat at 978-456-8127.
Oxbow NWR Walk
Friends of the Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge and Pat Huckery of MassWildlife will lead an exploration of wetlands on the refuge Saturday, May 14, at 1 p.m. starting from the refuge parking lot at the end of Still River Depot Road. The two-hour walk will include a focus on wetland wildlife such as the Blanding’s turtle, wildlife habitats, and what people can do to help conserve them. Preregistration is preferred. Call Rona Balco at 978-779-2259.
ParkerStock Music Event
The Parker Essential Fund, a nonprofit organization that raises funds to provide grants to the Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School, will sponsor ParkerStock, a talent-and-music event, Saturday, May 14, from 4 to 9 p.m. at 49 Antietam St. at Devens. The music festival will showcase five local bands—Deadfish, Would, Expecto, Hudlin, and The Lew Sheen Project—in an all-out battle of the bands. Tickets are $8 per person before May 13 and $12 at the door. Prepurchased tickets will be available for pickup at the venue the night of the event. Tickets can also be purchased from any of the bands participating in the battle. For more information and ticket sales, send e-mail to turnbull.mj@gmail.com or phone 781-258-6453. Visit the Facebook page “ParkerStock 2011.”
Garden Club Plant Sale
The 56th annual Garden Club of Harvard plant sale will be held Saturday, May 14, 9 a.m. to noon on the Harvard Common, rain or shine. Proceeds from the sale support the Garden Club’s many local projects, including landscape projects and seasonal plantings in town, a weekly flower arrangement for the library, book donations to the library, and service programs such as garden therapy and floral arrangements for Bromfield’s graduation ceremony.
Intimate Afternoon of Jazz
Fanfare!, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the support of music education in the Harvard public schools, will host an afternoon of jazz Sunday, May 15, at 3:30 p.m. at the home of pianist John Chapman, 42 Willow Road. Bassist and composer Dave Clark, a faculty member at the Berklee School of Music, and Tim Ray, best known as the pianist for singer Lyle Lovett, will play and talk about their creative process—a rare opportunity to see how they do what they do in an intimate setting. Ticket prices are $40 per person. For more information, contact John Chapman, jpnchapman@yahoo.com or Stephanie Opalka, skopalka@aol.com. For ticket order forms visit http://home.earthlink.net/~fanfare/id14.html.
Historical Society Discovery Day
The Harvard Historical Society will hold a Discovery Day Sunday, May 15, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Still River Meetinghouse. The Historical Society will feature Harvard farms and orchards with Denis Wagner, orchardist and gardener, who will be on hand to interpret some of the agricultural items in the collection. Once a town growing milk, apples, chickens, and produce, Harvard has views and barns no longer apparent. Discover how Harvard’s landscape was formed and how it has changed. Visitors can enjoy the collection and discover Harvard’s past. Admission is free; a donation is suggested. (5/13)
Well Adult Clinic
Nashoba Associated Boards of Health, in conjunction with the Harvard Board of Health, will hold a Well Adult Clinic Tuesday, May 17, from 1 to 2 p.m. at the Hildreth House. Drop in for blood pressure, pulse screening, and diet instruction. No appointment is necessary. For more information contact Nashoba Associated Boards of Health at 978-772-3335 or 800-427-9762, ext 333, or visit www.nashoba.org.
Birds of Prey
The Friends of the Harvard Public Library and the Harvard Conservation Trust will offer an opportunity to observe birds of prey up close in two sessions of the Audubon Ark outreach program Birds of Prey Wednesday, May 18, at 1:30 p.m. and 2:15 p.m. at the library. Because of the nature of the program, enrollment in each half-hour session is strictly limited to 30 child participants with accompanying adults. The library asks participants to preregister, for one session only, in the Children’s Room.
Jessie Peterson Memorial Bench Dedication
The public is invited to a dedication ceremony for a memorial bench donated to the Harvard Public Library to honor the life and legacy of Jessie Peterson Saturday, May 21, 8 a.m. at the Harvard Public Library, before the Have A Jessie Day 5K race. The bench, a gift of the Peterson family, was created by David Brooks of New Hampshire with Chelmsford granite that exactly matches an existing bench. Jessie was a frequent and enthusiastic after-school visitor to the library, who participated in the Teen Advisory Board and other library activities.
Have a Jessie Day 5K
The Bromfield School Class of 2012 will honor their late classmate Jessie Peterson Saturday, May 21, at 9 a.m. with the second annual Have a Jessie Day road race. Online signup for the 5K run/walk is at www.haveajessieday.com. This year the proceeds of the event will be split between the Jessie Peterson scholarship fund and a donation to the Harvard Schools Trust to sponsor art-related programs in the Harvard Schools.
Armed Forces Day Open House
In honor of Armed Forces Day, the Fort Devens Museum will hold an open house Saturday, May 21, with events throughout the day. A panel of World War II veterans will share their stories at 11 a.m. Groton musician Aurelia Perry will perform a selection of songs popular during the wars at 1 p.m., and Public Affairs Officer Jeff Keane will discuss current military initiatives at Devens at 2 p.m. at the museum, which is located at 94 Jackson Road, Suite 305, in Devens. More information is available by calling 978-772-1286 or visiting www.fortdevensmuseum.org.
For Art’s Sake Photography Exhibit
For Art’s Sake is sponsoring Hidden Harvard, a juried photography exhibition of local photographers’ work, through June 3 in the old library. A reception to be held Saturday, May 21, from 4 to 6 p.m. will provide an opportunity to meet the photographers. Jurors for the show were Bromfield seniors Erica Marksteiner and Aly Marteney, along with local photographers Ellen Harasimowicz, Kent Boynton, and Bob Hubert.
Fruitlands Annual Benefit Auction
Fruitlands Museum will hold its annual benefit auction Saturday, June 18, from 6:30 to 10 p.m. under the tent at Alcott’s Restaurant and Tea Room. This year’s event includes items in both live and silent auctions, hors d’oeuvres, a plated dinner by Fireside Catering, desserts, cash bar, live band, and dancing. For more information or to become a sponsor of this event, call 978-456-3924, ext. 289, or e-mail Kerry Castorano at kcastorano@fruitlands.org.
OUT OF TOWN
Foreign Film Series
The Acton-Boxborough Cultural Council’s Our World Foreign Film Series will feature Milos Forman’s Loves of a Blonde Friday, May 13, followed by King of Hearts Friday, May 20, at Acton Town Hall on Main St., Route 27, in Acton. Admission is free. The classic films are unrated, but are not suitable for young children. It is recommended that teens be accompanied by an adult.
Bolton Townwide Yard Sale
Where can you find 43 yard sales in the same town on the same day? The answer is in Bolton, Saturday, May 14, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Billed as “the ultimate recycling event,” this will be the second annual townwide sale by Bolton Local, the not-for-profit sponsoring organization. A few days before the event, a map that marks all sale locations will be available in Bolton at Great Brook Farms (356 Great Road, Route 117); the Country Cupboard (off I-495); Bolton Orchards (jct. routes 110 and 117); and at www.boltonlocal.org (at the bottom of the home page). Nearly 30 of the 43 participants have agreed to donate 10 percent or more of their profits to a local charity. A light drizzle will not postpone the event, but heavy rain will move the date to Sunday, May 15.
Voice Soirée at Indian Hill
Indian Hill Music School voice students will perform songs about food Friday, May 13, at 7:30 p.m. at 36 King St. in Littleton. Light refreshments will be served. A $5 donation at the door is suggested. For more information call 978-486-9524 or visit www.indianhillmusic.org.
Holy Trinity Monastery Choir
The Holy Trinity Seminary Choir will perform selections of ancient and traditional melodies from the yearly cycle of Great Feasts of the Russian Orthodox Church, as sung in the Holy Trinity Monastery in Russia, Saturday, May 14, at 4 p.m. at the Museum of Russian Icons in Clinton. Tickets are $12 for members and $15 for nonmembers. Call 978-598-5000 to buy tickets.
International Migratory Bird Day
Brooks Matthewson will host Spring Songbird Migration at Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) and a bird walk in celebration of International Migratory Bird Day Saturday, May 14, 10 a.m. at 680 Hudson Road in Sudbury. The program will discuss the wintering, migration, breeding ecology, and conservation status of flycatchers, vireos, thrushes, wood-warblers, tanagers, and sparrows. Participants will go for a hike in search of the songbirds. The program is free for members of the Friends of Assabet River NWR and $5.00 for nonmembers. Call 978-562-3527, ext. 116, or e-mail Susan_J_Russo@fws.gov for more information and to preregister.
Nashoba Youth Orchestra Spring Concert
Nashoba Youth Orchestra (NYO) will have its final performance this season Monday, May 16, at 7 p.m. at Chelmsford High School Performing Arts Center. The concert program includes works by Bach, Britten, Vivaldi, Mozart, Vaughn Williams, and others. Acton resident Julia Pai, the winner of this year’s NYO Concerto Competition, will be the featured flute soloist. Tickets are $15, general seating, and can be purchased online at www.mktix.com/nyo or at the door starting at 6:30 p.m.
Fred Buda Quintet CD Release Party
Indian Hill Music will host a CD release party for the Fred Buda Quintet’s It’s About Time Monday, May 16, at 7:30 p.m. at 36 King St. in Littleton. The CD will be available for purchase at this event. Tickets are $15. Call 978-486-9524 or visit www.indianhillmusic.org.
Bach’s Lunch Concert
Indian Hill Music School’s free monthly faculty series will present classical guitarist Berit Strong in two shows Thursday, May 19, at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. at 36 King St. in Littleton. Coffee, tea, and cookies will be served; bring a lunch. To reserve a table call 978-486-9524, ext. 116. Learn more at www.indianhillmusic.org.
Bolton Local presents Transition Town Speaker
Following its April film on the Transition Town movement, Bolton Local will continue its film/lecture series at the Bolton Public Library Thursday, May 19, with a presentation by Tina Clarke, a community organizer in the Transition Town movement in Massachusetts. Clarke, who has worked for 27 years in organizational development, has helped 60 towns with the transition process. In seven months, 23 towns in western Mass. have taken on the challenge. Refreshments will be available at 6:30 p.m.; the presentation will start at 7 p.m.
The transition town movement in the U.S. is part of a global conversation ignited in the U.K. about creative actions to build community resilience in the face of economic instability, energy cost increases, worsening social inequity, and environmental crisis. Clarke is a trainer in the Training for Transition program, which explores ways of increasing community resilience; provides tools for community outreach, education, and shared vision; teaches people to work with obstacles that have prevented communities from responding to the challenges; and teaches how to facilitate community collaboration.
Jazz Jam
Amateur jazz instrumentalists and vocalists are invited to an open jam session led by Indian Hill Music School faculty Friday, May 20, from 7 to 10 p.m. at Indian Hill Music School, 36 King St. in Littleton. Bring music and play in a relaxed atmosphere. Admission is $5 per person. Call 978-486-9524 or visit www.indianhillmusic.org for more information.
Leave It to Beavers
Nashua River Watershed Association (NRWA) naturalists will lead a behind-the-scenes tour of a local beaver community during NRWA’s free family workshop “Leave It to Beavers! Master Builders of Our Wetlands” Sunday, May 22, from 1 to 3 p.m. in Groton. The workshop will offer a better understanding of beavers and their important role in the environment. Beaver games and a woody snack will end the events. The program is open to children age 5 and older. Space is limited and preregistration is required. Specific directions will be provided upon registration. Participants should dress for the weather and wear footwear for walking. To register or for more information, contact Lauren Noone, NRWA Eco-Adventures coordinator, at 978 448-0299 or e-mail LaurenP@NashuaRiverWatershed.org.
Stow Run for the Woods
The Stow Run for the Woods 5K will take place Sunday, May 22, in Stow. The race will include four events in one: a 1-mile fun for kids age 12 and under, a 5K running road race, a 5K race/walk, and a 5K recreational walk. All 5K finishers will receive a cast medal and kids will earn an athlete’s ribbon. Visit StowConservationTrust.org for three ways to preregister. For more information contact race director Aims Coney at StowRunForTheWoods@gmail.com or 978-562-2805.
