Indoor Yard Sale
The Harvard Unitarian Universalist Church will hold its Indoor Yard Sale Saturday, Jan. 26, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (early birds admitted at 9:30 for $5) in the Fellowship Building on Elm Street. Snow date is Saturday, Feb. 2. Many vendors will participate.
Winterfest Weekends at Fruitlands
Winterfest Weekends at Fruitlands continue each Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. until Feb. 24. Explore Fruitlands’ hills and trails with your own sleds, cross-country skis, or snowshoes, and then enjoy food from the Harvard Lions Club. $5 per person; Fruitlands members buy one, get one free. To check possible cancellations, call 978-456-3924, ext. 280 or visit www.fruitlands.org.
Orienteering Cancelled
New England Orienteering Club has cancelled the cross-country ski and snowshoe orienteering event that was scheduled for this weekend. The group may reschedule at a future date. More information: www.neoc.org or 978-456-3670.
Evergreen Garden and Oxbow Schoolhouse Open Houses
Evergreen Garden Playschool and Oxbow Schoolhouse will hold Open Houses Sunday, Jan. 27: Evergreen Garden from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and Oxbow Schoolhouse from 1 to 4 p.m. at 270 Barnum Road in Devens. Evergreen Garden, a Waldorf School, offers parent/child, preschool, and kindergarten classes. The Oxbow Schoolhouse offers grades 1 through 6. More information is available at www.evergreengardenplayschool.org, 978-772-9595, www.oxbowschoolhouse.org, and 978-772-9500.
Snowshoeing and Cross-Country Skiing in Oxbow NWR
Friends of the Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge will sponsor a snowshoeing and cross-country skiing tour Sunday, Jan. 27, at 1 p.m. at the Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge. The tour will begin at the main entrance to the refuge at the end of Still River Depot Road. Bring water. In case of lack of a good snow cover, the group will hike instead. Families are welcome. The event is free, but donations are appreciated. For more information and to indicate your intention to participate, call 978-779-2259 or email ada@friendsoftheoxbownwr.org.
Garden Club Speaker
The Garden Club of Harvard will hold its monthly meeting Monday, Jan. 28, with guest speaker Julie McIntosh Shapiro, a horticulturalist at the Arnold Arboretum, Harvard University. The meeting will begin at 11:15 a.m. at St. Theresa’s church and is open to the public. Lunch and a business meeting will precede the speaker.
Bromfield Early Release Movie
The Harvard Public Library will host a PG-13 movie for Bromfield students Wednesday, Jan. 30, at 12:30 p.m.
Bromfield Ludo Festival
The Bromfield Middle School Ludo Festival will welcome all middle schoolers Thursday, Jan. 31, from 6 to 8 p.m. for an evening of international music, food, and fun. Among the offerings will be Chinese yo-yo, hacky sack, jianzi, British cricket, temporary henna tattoos, origami, Sumo wrestling, and a Japanese tea ceremony, many international foods, and an International Raffle. Tickets are $5 and include four raffle tickets if purchased early or two raffle tickets if purchased at the door. High schoolers are welcome for community service hours. The snow date will be Feb. 7 at the same time.
Healing Garden Programs
The Virginia Thurston Healing Garden offers a variety of programs and classes to the community, including Healthy Steps movement, Morning Yoga, Restorative Yoga, Candlelight Yoga, Healing Through Art, Journaling, and support groups. For more information visit www.healinggarden.net, or call 978-456-3532.
Family Movie Night
The Harvard Public Library will host a Family Movie Night for all ages—the animated Disney classic in which a young woman with an evil stepmother and two unpleasant stepsisters meets a handsome prince and drops a glass slipper—Friday, Feb. 1, at 6:30 p.m. Please register to ensure adequate amounts of popcorn.
HPL Jazz and Blues Concert
Acoustic vintage jazz and blues trio Outrageous Fortune will perform Saturday, Feb. 2, at 7:30 p.m. at the Harvard Public Library. Seating is limited. To reserve seats call 978-456-4114. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated. www.harvardpubliclibrary.org, www.outrageousfortune.org.
Eleanor Willard Merrifield, Harvard Woman of Note
Eleanor Willard Merrifield, 1864-1948, was a talented artist and photographer and a member of the locally prominent Willard family. Her legacy to Harvard is a series of hand-colored pictures that document the rapidly disappearing Shaker community of the 1930s.
Harvard resident, researcher, and Harvard Historical Society board member Tammy Alfano will speak at the Harvard Woman’s Club Monday, Feb. 4, at St. Theresa’s Church about her efforts to publish Merrifield’s photos as part of a book that highlights Merrifield’s life, her legacy, and the state of the Shaker sites today. The talk at 12:15 p.m. will follow lunch at 11:30 a.m. All are welcome. Contact Sue Guswa 978-456-8580 for membership information.
Bargains Half-price Sale
The Bargains in the Belfry consignment shop will have a half-price sale Tuesday, Feb. 5, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 3, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the belfry of the Harvard Unitarian Universalist Church. On Tuesday, Feb. 12, shoppers may fill a shopping bag for $5. All winter clothing left after the sale will go to Loaves and Fishes, and Bargains will accept lightly used summer and spring clothes for men, women, and children. Consignees earn 60 percent of the selling price.
Create a Valentine
The Harvard Public Library will have an assortment of supplies available for children of all ages to create valentines Wednesday, Feb. 6, from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. at the library. Register by calling the Children’s Room, 978-456-2381.
It’s Not About the Hike…
Warner Free Lecture presents “It’s Not About the Hike” on Friday, Feb. 8 in Volunteers Hall. The program highlights the journey of two 50-plus-year-old nonhikers who climbed the 67 New England mountains over 4,000 feet. The hour-long presentation includes movies, music, and photographs that use the metaphor of hiking to bring you into your heart, lift your spirits, and inspire you to climb the next mountain in your life.
OUT OF TOWN
Concert Series at the Bull Run
Upcoming concerts at the Bull Run Restaurant in Shirley:
• Friday, Jan. 25 Chris Smither
• Friday, Feb. 1 The Band
• Saturday Feb. 2 The Fools
• Wednesday Feb. 6 Heather Maloney
• Saturday, Feb. 9 Peter Yarrow
Tickets and information at bullrunrestaurant.com.
Indian Hill Music School
The Indian Hill Music School spring term will begin Monday, Feb. 4. Registration is now open. www.indianhillmusic.org
Flyleaf Theater Company
Flyleaf Theater Company will present the comedy “Circle Mirror Transformation,” featuring Harvard resident Mary Helan Turner Friday and Saturday, Jan. 25 and 26, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Jan. 27, at 2 p.m. at the Berlin Town Hall, 12 Woodward Ave. in Berlin. Tickets are $15 general admission, $12 for students and seniors. See www.flyleaftheater.com.
Free Admission at Old Sturbridge Village
Through January, Old Sturbridge Village will offer free admission to children under 17. Upcoming events include Fire & Ice Days, Saturday, Jan. 26, and Sunday, Jan. 27. www.osv.org
Applewild School Open House
Applewild School in Fitchburg will hold an Open House Saturday, Jan. 26, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 120 Prospect St. in the Crocker House. Students entering kindergarten through grade 8 and their families are encouraged to come meet teachers and students and learn about the curriculum. Information will be available on financial aid and on AppleCore scholarships for fifth- and sixth-graders. More information is available at www.applewild.org or at 978-342-6053, ext. 110.
Youth Registration for “The Hobbit”
3Rivers Youth Theatre Senior Company invites youth ages 11 to 14 to register to perform in its April production of “The Hobbit.” For more information visit www.3riversarts.com.
FAFSA Application Help
Mount Wachusett Community College will provide free assistance to students and families completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid Sunday, Jan. 27, at 1 p.m. at 444 Green St. in Gardner. Students and parents should each bring: a FAFSA Personal Identification Number (www.pin.ed.gov); Social Security number; driver’s license number; most recent federal tax return; most recent W-2 form or year-end pay stub; untaxed income records; bank statement(s); business and investment records; and an alien registration card for non-US citizens. To register: www.fafsaday.org or call 978-630-9169.
Mostly Mozart
The Orchestra of Indian Hill will perform a “Mostly Mozart” concert Sunday, Jan. 27, 3 p.m. at the Littleton High School. New this season will be a Prelude Luncheon at 1 p.m. at Indian Hill Music. Know the Score at 2:15 p.m. with Maestro Bruce Hangen will precede the concert, and Stage Talk, a Q&A with Hangen and guests, will follow it. www.indianhillmusic.org
Ashley Jordan at Club Passim
Singer-songwriter Ashley Jordan from Harvard will perform at the legendary Club Passim in Cambridge Sunday, Jan 27, at 8 p.m. www.clubpassim.com
“Forks Over Knives” at NRWA
Nashua River Watershed Association River Resource Center will offer a free screening of “Forks Over Knives,” which explores the relationships between diet and disease, Wednesday, Jan. 30, at 7 p.m. 592 Main St. in Groton. Registration is recommended: 978-448-0299 or PamG@NashuaRiverWatershed.org.
Family Pajama Jam
Indian Hill Music School will host a free Family Pajama Jam, a musical story hour for young families, Friday, Feb. 1, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 6 King St. in Littleton. Participants are invited to come dressed in their pajamas to sing, dance, play instruments, and hear stories. www.indianhillmusic.org.
Animal Tracking for Families
The Nashua River Watershed Association will lead “Who Goes There?,” an introduction to animal tracking for families with young children, Saturday, Feb. 2, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Shepley Hills Conservation Area in Groton. The activity will be light to moderate, with some off-trail walking. Please dress with multiple layers, winter boots, water resistant outer gear—snow pants or gators—and pack a water bottle and energy snack. The fees are $8/person or $24/family for NRWA members and $10/person or $30/family for nonmembers. Space is limited and preregistration is required by contacting Stacey Chilcoat at 978-448-0299 or StaceyC@NashuaRiverWatershed.org. The meeting location will be provided upon registration.
Habitat for Humanity Global Village Work Trip
The local North Central Massachusetts affiliate of Habitat for Humanity will begin planning for a 2014 Global Village trip Saturday, Feb. 2, at 11 a.m. at the Thayer Memorial Library in Lancaster. The purpose of Global Village trips is to introduce people to the extreme problems of poverty housing, while also interesting them in the local work of Habitat for Humanity. More information about the program is available at www.habitat.org/gv and at 978-348-2749, ext. 206 or maggie@ncmhabitat.org. Volunteers to work on Habitat houses throughout north central Massachusetts or to fill behind-the-scenes needs can sign up at www.ncmhabitat.org or by calling 978-348-2749.
Masonic Breakfast
The Ayer Masonic Association will hold its monthly fundraising breakfast Sunday, Feb. 3, from 7:30 to 10 a.m. at the Ayer Masonic Center, 11 Sculley Road in Ayer. The menu includes eggs cooked to order or pancakes, with bacon or sausage, potatoes, toast, juice, and coffee.
Cindy Harris Exhibit
The Parish Center for the Arts in Westford will exhibit paintings by Hildreth Elementary School art teacher Cindy Harris and photographs by her daughter Bailey Whitehill through February with an opening reception Sunday, Feb. 3, from 1 to 4 p.m. www.westford.com/pca.
Fast Tracks, Slow Tracks
The Nashua River Watershed Association (NRWA) will lead “Fast Tracks, Slow Tracks: Searching for Clues to Winter Wildlife in our Forests, Fields, and Streams,” an intermediate-level tracking workshop, Sunday, Feb. 3, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Williams Barn Conservation Property and the Chestnut Hills trail area in Groton. The three-hour workshop, designed for adults and children ages 12 and older, will focus on three distinct winter habitats and the animals that thrive during the harshest months. The activity level will be moderate hiking or snowshoeing, mostly off-trail. Dress with multiple layers, winter boots, water resistant outer gear—snow pants or gators, and pack a water bottle and energy snack. The fee is $20/person for NRWA members and $25/person for nonmembers. Space is limited and preregistration is required at 978-448-0299 or StaceyC@NashuaRiverWatershed.org. The meeting location will be provided upon registration.
“The Jungle Book”
The Groton Elementary Theater will present “The Jungle Book” Friday and Saturday, Feb. 8 and 9, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 10, at 2 p.m. at the Groton-Dunstable Performing Arts Center. Tickets, available at the door, are $12 general admission and $8 for students and seniors. Information: Wendy Flaherty at wflahertybsp@yahoo.com.
“Seussical”
The Monty Tech Drama Club will presente “Seussical,” a musical based on the books of Dr. Seuss, Friday and Saturday, Feb. 8 and 9, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 10, at 2 p.m. in Monty Tech’s Performing Arts Center. Tickets, which are $10 for adults and $8 for students with IDs, can be obtained from any cast member or at 978-345-9200, ext. 4242, or bozicas_john@montytech.net.
NRWA Vacation Program
The Nashua River Watershed Association will offer “Winter Explorations,” a program for 6- to 9-year-olds, Tuesday, Feb. 19 and Wednesday, Feb. 20, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the NRWA River Resource Center, 592 Main Street (Rt. 119) in Groton. The fee is $45/day for NRWA members or $55/day for nonmembers. Registration is required: 978-448-0299 or MaryM@NashuaRiverWatershed.org.
