Harvard Pro Musica and Choral Masterworks
Harvard Pro Musica, joined by the Bromfield School Chorus and accompanied by the Orchestra of Indian Hill under the direction of Dr. Mark S. Bennett and featuring Susan Minor on piano, will present an evening of Beethoven’s “Choral Fantasia” and Mozart’s “Requiem” Saturday, May 7, at 7:30 p.m. in Cronin Auditorium at the Bromfield School. Tickets are $30 in advance or $35 at the door. Children age 12 and younger are admitted free. Doors will open at 6:45 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at www.harvardpromusica.org or in person at the Harvard General Store or Indian Hill box office. A portion of all proceeds will benefit the Bromfield choral program.
Annual Library Book Sale
Friends of the Harvard Public Library (FOHPL) will hold its annual Book Sale this weekend and next at the old library. Book sale dates:
- Friday, May 6: Preview sale for Friends of the Library only, 6 to 8 p.m.
- Saturday, May 7: Early bird admission 8 to 9 a.m., $10 per person. Free admission from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Sunday, May 8: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free admission
- Saturday, May 14: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free admission
To help with the collection or sale, contact Chris at wildiris1@verizon.net.
Family Movie Night
The Harvard Public Library will sponsor a Family Movie Night, rated G for all ages, Friday, May 6, at 6:30 p.m. at the library. Popcorn and water will be served. Preregister to ensure enough popcorn is on hand.
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.
Apple Blossom Festivities
The 59th annual Apple Blossom Festival, the Rotary Club’s biggest annual charity fundraiser, will enliven the Harvard Common Saturday, May 7, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with live music, food, children’s games, fire truck rides, craft vendors, and now wild animals. Animal Adventures of Bolton will stage three exotic animal shows at 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 3 p.m. at Fellowship Hall and will host a petting zoo on the Common. The festival is free and open to the public. Tickets to the Animal Adventure shows are $3 in advance at www.AyerRotary.com or $5 the day of the shows.
The festival will be followed by the 21st annual Ducky Wucky River Race at 4:30 p.m. on the nearby Nashua River. The holder of the winning duck ticket wins dinner for two anywhere in the world. The public is invited to watch the race and cheer the ducks on to the finish line. Tickets are available from club members or at the Apple Blossom Festival. For more information visit www.AyerRotary.com.
In the event of rain, the festival and exotic animal show will move indoors to the Bromfield School. Vendors interested in attending can visit www.AyerRotary.com for information on reserving booth space.
Beginner Birding at Oxbow
Dick and Peg Knowlton will lead a Beginner Birding walk Saturday, May 7, at 7:30 a.m., beginning from the Still River Depot Road parking lot. At the Friends of the Oxbow-sponsored event, participants will look for passing migrants and learn about the local birds found at Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge. To preregister call 978-779-2259.
Camp Green Eyrie Open House
The Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts will host an open house at Camp Green Eyrie Saturday, May 7, from noon to 3 p.m. at the camp on Still River Road. Prospective campers are invited to see the sights, meet the camp directors and camp counselors, view a slide show, and ask questions about the camp. Tours will start every half hour. Fun and games, arts and crafts, snacks, and songs will be available for kids and adults. For a list of other open houses throughout the region visit www.gscwm.org.
Harvard’s Trail Cleanup Day
Families and friends are invited to have fun cleaning up any trail in Harvard for two hours or more Sunday, May 8, Harvard’s Trail Cleanup Day. Let the Trust know who participated and where you worked by contacting Marylynn Gentry through the Harvard Conservation Trust’s website, www.harvardconservationtrust.org. You will be publicly recognized and thanked for your efforts. The event is cohosted by the Harvard Conservation Trust, a nonprofit land trust, and the town’s Conservation Commission.
Republican Town Committee Meeting
The Harvard Republican Town Committee will meet Wednesday, May 11, at 7:30 p.m. at the Hildreth House. This is a change in date and venue. All are invited for dessert and a planning discussion.
Women’s Business Network Meeting
The Women’s Business Network (WBN) will present “A Head for Business, a Heart for Nutrition,” with Debra Stark of Debra’s Natural Gourmet at its next meeting, Thursday, May 12, at 7:15 p.m. at Holy Trinity Parish, formerly St. Theresa’s Church. Stark will relate the trail-blazing story behind her business, which was named Best of Boston 2010 and one of the country’s top 100 natural product stores. She will show how energy, savvy instincts, and generosity can result in living one’s passion and changing lives. She will offer tips for healthy eating. Members and guests are asked to bring business cards to all events. For more information, visit the web at www.wbn-ma.org, Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/Womens-Business-network/113362665356632, or call Renee W. Senes at 978-456-9600.
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. at the Bromfield School. 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 questions, 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 you 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.
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.
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 in a concert 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.
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 Libhrary 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.
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.
For Art’s Sake Photography Exhibit
For Art’s Sake is sponsoring Hidden Harvard, a juried photography exhibition of local photographers’ work, May 3 through June 3 in the old library. A reception Saturday, May 21, from 4 to 6 p.m., will provide an opportunity to meet the photographers featured in the show. 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 the live and silent auctions, hors d’oeuvres, plated dinner by Fireside Catering, and 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
Museum of Russian Icons Exhibit: Women Saints
The Museum of Russian Icons will host a reception for the opening of a new exhibit highlighting Women Saints Saturday, May 7, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the museum in Clinton. The exhibition will showcase 24 icons from the museum’s collection that illustrate the journeys of ordinary people to religious sanctity and will explore the role of women in the early Orthodox Church. An RSVP to lgarrity@museumofrussianicons.org is requested.
Mother’s Day Family Barn Dance
Groton Grange No. 7 will present a Mother’s Day barn dance Saturday, May 7, from 7:30 to 10 p.m. at Groton Grange Hall, 80 Champney St. in Groton. The evening will feature live music and dancing with Groton’s own Contra Bandidtos and caller Tim Van Egmond, who will teach traditional New England contra dances along with square and circle dances to the beat of old-time fiddle tunes. Donation at the door is $5 for adults and $3 for children under age 10 and seniors, with a family maximum of $15. Refreshments will be provided. The dance is sponsored in part by a grant from Groton Trust Funds’ Lecture Fund. For more information, contact Brad at 978-448-3418.
Foreign Film Series
The Acton-Boxborough Cultural Council will hold its third annual Our World Foreign Film Series, featuring three classic films from different eras and different countries. The films will be shown on successive Friday nights at 7 p.m. in Room 204 of the Acton Town Hall on Main St., Route 27, in Acton. The films are unrated, but are not suitable for children; adults are recommended to accompany teens. Admission is free. The next film in the series will be shown on
- Friday, May 6—Battleship Potemkin, a 1925 Russian classic that depicts the events surrounding the mutiny on the battleship in 1905. (5/13)
- Friday, May 13: Loves of a Blonde, a classic Czech film that tells the story of a young woman who works in a small Czech factory town where women outnumber men by 16:1.
- Friday, May 20: King of Hearts, a French/British anti-war film that has been one of the most popular foreign films in the U.S. It is recommended that teens be accompanied by an adult.
Requiem Concert
The Nashaway Philharmonic’s Spring Concert will feature Durufle’s Requiem Sunday, May 8, at 7:30 p.m. at First Parish of Bolton, 673 Main St. in Bolton. The concert will include the Philharmonic Chorus and Chamber Ensemble with organist William Ness under the direction of Artistic Director Kristjon Imperio, as well as Paul Creston’s “Gregorian Chant for String Orchestra” and Paul Hindemith’s “Trauermusik.” Admission is free; donations are welcome. This program will also be featured in its entirety as a musical vespers service Friday, May 6, at 7:30 p.m. at the College Church of Seventh-day Adventists, 337 Main St. in South Lancaster.
Caleb Butler Lodge Meeting
Caleb Butler Masonic Lodge will hold its monthly meeting Monday, May 9, at 11 Sculley Road in Ayer. Dinner will be served at 6 p.m. for a donation of $10. Reservations are a must and should be made with the junior warden at 978-772-5055. The Lodge will open at 7 p.m. and all Master Masons are invited to attend.
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 nonprofit 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); Bolton Orchards, at the intersection of routes 110 and 117; and at www.boltonlocal.org. 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.
NRWA Summer Eco-Adventures
Summer is just around the corner, and the Nashua River Watershed Association (NRWA) is offering its outdoor Summer Eco-Adventures with NRWA naturalists for children ages 6 to 14. Choose from:
- July 6 and 7: How Do They Build That?!—for ages 9 to 12.
- July 13 and 14: It’s a Bug’s Life—for ages 9 to 12.
- July 19 to 22: Wilderness Survival Week—for ages 11 to 14.
- July 25 to 28: Wild World of Water Week—for ages 6 to 8.
To register, or for more information, contact Lauren Noone, NRWA Eco-Adventures coordinator, at 978-448-0299, or e-mail LaurenP@NashuaRiverWatershed.org.
Voice Soirée at Indian Hill
Indian Hill Music School Voice Department 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.
Smarter Building Workshop
The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources will sponsor a Smarter Building Workshop Friday, May 13, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Advanced Technology and Manufacturing Center, 151 Martine St. in Fall River. The workshop will describe smart building techniques, from the foundation to the roof, using case studies, exercises, and discussion. The workshop is primarily addressed to building professionals, contractors, remodelers, designers, architects, appraisers, home inspectors, and building code officials. Registration is $25 and registrants can receive CEUs from AIA, BPI or BBRS for attendance. Seating is limited. Register at www.123signup.com/register?id=vpjdj. For more information call Lisa Karlin at 413-586-7350, ext. 240, or training@cetonline.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.
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. s116. Learn more at www.indianhillmusic.org.
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.
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 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.
CPR Course
Always On Call Health Services Inc., a private home health-care staffing agency, will offer the American Heart Association Basic Life Support Health Care Provider CPR course Thursday, May 26, from 1 to 5 p.m. at 285 Central St., Suite 214, in Leominster. The course is geared for people who work within the health care field, day care providers, and nursing school students, and will include CPR for infants, children, adults, and automated external defibrillator, AED, training. Registration is required in advance. The course fee is $65. To register or for more information, call Brandon at 978-537-9900, ext. 114.
