Free Fun Day at Fruitlands
Fruitlands Museum will host a day of free fun, courtesy of the Highland Street Foundation, Friday, July 11, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The day of free admission will feature trail tours, gallery talks, hands-on activities, and live music. Go to www.fruitlands.org for details.
Grill Night
The Harvard General Store will host its outdoor Grill Night Friday, July 11, starting at 5:30 p.m. Go to www.harvardgeneralstore.com for details.
Birding at Fruitlands
Fruitlands Museum and Brookline Bird Club will host a free bird walk Saturday, July 12, at 6:30 a.m., led by local birder Pat White. Participants can expect to see and hear young birds out of the nest, including Baltimore oriole, indigo bunting, wood thrush, bobolink, and warblers. Meet at the museum parking lot, 102 Prospect Hill Road. For questions, call 978-456-8127.
Owl Walk at Oxbow
The Friends of the Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge will host a nighttime walk, in the light of a full moon, Saturday, July 12, at 8 p.m. at the refuge. Participants will meet at the end of Still River Depot Road and should bring a flashlight outfitted with a red light or covered with a piece of red cellophane. Older children are welcome; bug spray, if used, must be applied in the parking lot or beforehand. RSVP at 978-779-2259 or ada.friendsoftheoxbownwr@gmail.com.
Concert at the Healing Garden
The Virginia Thurston Healing Garden’s next “Concert at the Garden” is Sunday, July 13, at 3 p.m. at 145 Bolton Road. Solo guitarist Bill Harriman from Indian Hill Music will perform. Admission is $10 for Garden members, $15 for nonmembers. (www.healinggarden.net)
Paws and Read
The Harvard Public Library will offer appointments to read with Winston the Therapy Dog Wednesdays, July 16 and 23, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Reading to Winston is a fantastic way to bolster a child’s reading confidence. Registration is required: call 978-456-2381 to make an appointment.
Drop-in Story Time
The Harvard Public Library will offer an early literacy program for infants through age 2—siblings welcome—Thursday mornings through Aug. 7 at 10:30 a.m. at the library. Registration is not required for this program.
Historical Sword Demonstration
Learn about swords through the ages with Jeff Lord and Jeff Goodhind of the Association for Renaissance and Medieval Swordsmanship Thursday, July 17, at 3 p.m. at the library. The presentation is suitable for ages 8 and older. Register early at 978-456-2381.
Music at Fruitlands
Fruitlands Museum will present family concerts on Thursday evenings through Aug. 7 at the museum. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. for picnics; concerts begin at 7:15 p.m. On July 17, the Concord Band will perform “Flying High,” in celebration of the 1969 moon landing, and will wrap up its concert series on July 24 with “Summer Retrospective.” July 31 will bring The Love Dogs to the museum grounds, where they will play their brand of “jazz and jive.” The final concert on Aug. 7 will feature the folk band Black Marmot. Admission is $15 per carload, $10 members. Event hotline: 978-456-3924, ext. 280.
Upstairs @ The General: Chris McDermott
The Harvard General Store will host a performance by guitarist and vocalist Chris McDermott Friday evening, July 18, on the second floor. See www.harvardgeneralstore.com for more information.
Magic of Bonaparte
The Harvard Public Library Trust will host an interactive magic show for all ages Tuesday, July 22, at 3 p.m. at the library. Bonaparte’s dazzling style of magic has captured the hearts and provoked the laughter of children and adults around the world. Seats are limited: register at 978-456-2381.
Family Movie Night
The Harvard Public Library will show a recent, animated film set in the time of the dinosaurs Thursday, July 24, at 6:30 p.m. at the library. To ensure adequate popcorn, participants should register at 978-456-2381.
Beach Bonfire
The annual bonfire at the town beach will take place Friday, July 25, at 7:30 p.m. S’mores, music, and fun will be the order of the night.
Second Annual Bravehearts Bike Ride
The second annual Bravehearts Bike Ride in memory of Dylan Connelly, to benefit the National Brain Tumor Society and families affected by brain tumors, will be held Saturday, July 26, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., beginning and ending at Fruitlands Museum, 102 Prospect Hill Road. The course will include a 2-mile loop for kids, a 25-mile loop, and a 50-mile loop (twice around the 25-mile course). Following the ride, participants are invited to enjoy food and drink, a wheelie contest, lawn games, face-painting, and other activities on the grounds of Fruitlands. Same-day registration is from 8 to 9 a.m., $35 for adults; kids free. Or, participants can register and donate in advance at http://bit.ly/1l63J5L.
Turnpike Trail Walk
The Friends of the Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge, Freedom’s Way Heritage Association, and the Fort Devens Museum will host a one-and-a-half-hour walk to an old turnpike that runs through the refuge. Participants should meet Saturday, July 26, at 9 a.m. at the refuge parking lot, at the end of Still River Depot Road. Participants will learn about the history of both the turnpike and the refuge. Families are welcome. Register at freedomsway.org.
Basket Weekend
Fruitlands Museum will offer an opportunity to explore the museum’s extensive basket collection Saturday, July 26, and Sunday, July 27. There will be tours in the galleries and lectures, including a presentation on the unique collection of local basket maker Sally Gardner. Area basket makers will sell their wares and do hands-on demonstrations. Children’s crafts and basket bombing workshops will also be offered.
Super-Cold Science
The Harvard Public Library will host a science workshop for children ages 5 and older Wednesday, July 30, at 3 p.m. at the library. With the help of an educator from the Museum of Science and an intensely cold liquid, participants experience the remarkable changes in size, form, and behavior that occur when a variety of objects and substances are super-cooled. Seats are limited: register at 978-456-2381.
Spike Fest at Beach
The town beach staff will host a Volleyball Spike Fest at the beach Saturday, Aug. 2, and Sunday, Aug. 3. Cash prizes and other awards will be given in a variety of categories, including best-costumed team, youngest participants, etc. Participants should register in teams of four or five with Jack Landry at the beach house. Fee is $5 per person. For more information, drop by the beach and talk to Jack or any of the beach staff.
Wolf Talk
The Harvard Public Library Trust will sponsor Wolf Talk, for all ages, Tuesday, Aug. 5, at 3 p.m. at the library. Michael LeBlanc will conduct a one-hour live animal presentation—complete with a wolf—in which he teaches the audience about wolf behavior in captivity and in the wild. Any wolves brought to program sites have been raised by Michael and Amy LeBlanc personally; Wolf Talk is state and federally licensed for education. Seats are limited: register at 978-456-2381 or 456-4114.
Hike at Great Elms
The Harvard Conservation Trust and Harvard Conservation Commission will host a hike for women Tuesday, Aug. 12, at 9 a.m. Hikers will meet at the beginning of Murray Lane for a hike along the Great Elms and Williams trails. For more details email lallard@harvard.ma.us or mgentry@harvardconservationtrust.org.
Longboard Festival
The Central Mass. Longboard Festival will be held Friday through Sunday, Aug. 15-17. The festival begins Friday at 1 p.m. at the General Store with rider check-in, a barbecue, and a halfpipe jam in the parking lot. Saturday’s program runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with downhill races on Old Littleton Road between Pinnacle Road and town center, and a Saturday evening party to be held at the Billiard Cafe in Ayer from 8 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Sunday brings the slide jam competition on Old Schoolhouse Road, from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and awards at the General Store from 6 to 7 p.m. Information: www.skatecentralMA.com
Harvard Farmers’ Market
The Harvard Farmers’ Market will open for the season Saturday, Aug. 16, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Hildreth Elementary School and will run through Saturday, Oct. 24. Vendors can direct questions to the market manager at lisa.frack@gmail.com. Stay tuned to harvardfarmersmarket.org for details.
Peach Festival
Carlson Orchards will host its 12th annual Peach Festival Saturday, Aug. 16, and Sunday, Aug. 17, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the orchard, 115 Oak Hill Road. Participants can enjoy hayrides, music, peach-picking, and tastings offered by the Mass. Specialty Food Association. The Harvard Lions Club will provide food and beverages.
In-Town Courses
- Harvard Hoops: Grade 5 to 8. One-week session from July 14 to 18, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Led by Coach Tom Hill. Register at 978-456-4118 or jcavanaugh@psharvard.org. $210 for the week.
- Sailing Lessons at Bare Hill Pond: For adults. Classes start Tuesday, July 15, and run Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5 to 7 p.m. Register at www.HarvardParkandRec.org.
- Ice Skating at Nashoba Valley Olympia: Wednesdays July 30 and August 6, 13, 20, and 27. 4 to 5 p.m. or 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. Register at 978-456-4118 or jcavanaugh@psharvard.org. $105.
- Creative Sundays at Old Frog Pond Farm & Studio: July 13, reflective writing with Linda Hoffman; July 27, collage with Lynn Horsky; Aug. 10, sculpting with Linda Hoffman and Margot Stage; Aug. 24, crafts with Paige O’Brien. 38 Eldridge Road. (www.oldfrogpondfarm.com)
- Paint Rhythm at Center on the Common: Music and art for ages 7 to 14. One-week sessions, 1 to 4 p.m. Led by Rachel Manly and Mike Geezil. Register at paintrhythm.com.
- Jump Start Field Hockey at Bromfield: Aug. 18–20. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 978-456-4118.
OUT OF TOWN
Concerts at the Bull Run
- July 11: Zach Deputy
- July 12: Jim Thackery and the Drivers
- July 16: David Lowery and Johnny Hickman
- July 17: Bob Marley comedy
Tickets available at www.bull-runrestaurant.com.
‘Into the Woods Jr.’
The Indian Hill Music School and ArtsNashoba will present four fully-staged performances of “Into the Woods Jr” at 36 King St., Littleton. Shows: Friday, July 18 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, July 19 at 2 and 7 p.m.; Sunday, July 20, at 2 p.m. Tickets at 978-486-9524 ext. 116 or www.indianhillmusic.org.
African Music
The Gallery of African Art and Coffeelands Cafe will offer a program of African music Thursday, July 31. The evening begins at 6 p.m. at the Gallery of African Art, 62 High St., Clinton. The music begins at 7 p.m., one block away, at Coffeelands Cafe, 50 High St., with a performance by Trinidad2Timbuktu.
Free Friday at Acton’s
Discovery Museums
The Highland Street Foundation will sponsor a free day of fun and exploration at the Discovery Museums in Acton Friday, August 1, from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. The Science Discovery and Children’s Discovery museums offer hands-on exhibits developed by professional educators to inspire curiosity, exploration, experimentation and imagination. (www.discoverymuseums.org)
