Erin Harpe Duo plays acoustic blues
Fivesparks, 7 Fairbank Street, will host an evening of acoustic blues with the Erin Harpe Duo Thursday, Sept. 17, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Nominated for 2026 Blues Music Awards’ acoustic blues album of the year, and called “today’s country blues at its very best” by Living Blues magazine, the pair’s foot-stomping back-porch blues transports audiences to the delta, with catchy and danceable vintage classics. Tickets $25 in advance, $30 at the door. (Fivesparks.org/event/erin-harpe-duo).
At the library
The Harvard Public Library is at 4 Pond Road. For the full calendar of events and to register for events, visit HarvardPublicL ibrary.org/services/events.
Children’s programs
- Saturday toddler story time, ages 1 to 3. Saturday, Sept. 19, 10:30 a.m.
- Tote bag crafts, grades K-6, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 12:30 p.m. and 1:45 p.m.
Teen programs
- Teen treat workshop, grades 6-12, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2:45 p.m.
- Teen half day movie and treat workshop, grades 6-12, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 11:30 a.m. Rated PG-13.
Adult programs
- Brown Bag Book Club, Wednesday, Sept. 16, noon. Book is “The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny” by Kiran Desai.
- Children’s literature book discussion group for grown-ups, Thursday, Sept. 17, 7 p.m. Book is “The Strange Disappearance of Imogen Good” by Kirsty Applebaum.
- Cookbook Club, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 6:30 p.m. Browse a cookbook and bring a dish to share.
At Fivesparks
Fivesparks is at 7 Fairbank Street. Visit fivesparks.org for the complete schedule, hours, and more information.
- Exhibit, “Marks of Distinction” juried show by the Central Massachusetts Pastel Society. On view to Sept. 25.
- Music is Meditation, Fridays to Dec. 18, 9 to 9:50 a.m.
- Bounce and Burn fitness, level 1. Saturdays, 9 a.m., and Tuesdays, 9:30 a.m., to Sept. 29.
- Bounce and Burn fitness for beginners, Saturdays to Sept. 26, 10 a.m.
- “Marks of Distinction” reception and awards ceremony, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2 to 4 p.m.
- Community Meditation with Shaileen, Sunday, Sept. 20, 10 to 10:45 a.m.
- Snapology: fidget spinners, ages 5-12. Wednesday, Sept. 23, 12:30 to 4 p.m.
- Panel discussion, artists from Greenhut Artist Residency, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 6:30 to 8 p.m. Registration required.
Herb workshop
Old Frog Pond Farm and Studio, 38 Eldridge Road, will hold an herb workshop Saturday, Sept. 12, 10 a.m. to noon. Farm manager and herbalist Isa Budnik will address how to harvest, dry, and prepare teas, oils, and salves from nettles, calendula, different mints, thyme, and lemon balm. Cost $30, register in advance. In Spanish with English interpretation. (OldFrogPondFarm.com/marketplace/p/herb-workshop-on-the-farm).
Sculpture at the orchard
The exhibit “The Art of Noticing” is open for self-guided tours Wednesdays through Sundays to Oct. 12, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Old Frog Pond Farm and Studio, 38 Eldridge Road. The exhibit includes over 50 sculptures plus a collection of plein air poems scattered along trails around the pond and through the woods. Admission $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, and $5 for children. (OldFrogPondFarm.com/sculpture-walk-2026).
Thursdays on the Common
The Harvard General Store and the Harvard Family Association will host an evening of lawn games, local farmers and artisans, live music, food, and fun for all ages Thursday, Sept. 17, 5 to 8 p.m., on the Common and on the patio next to the General Store. Everybody is welcome!
Classes at Goose and Hen Farm
The Goose and Hen Farm, 85 Old Littleton Road, offers classes in raising and preparing nutritious, sustainable food. (TheGooseAndHen.com/classes).
- Edible wild plants, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2 to 3:30 p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 20, 2 to 3:30 p.m. $35 per person.
- Introduction to poultry processing, Saturday, Sept. 19, 1 to 4 p.m. Fees vary.
Stargazing at Fruitlands
The Aldrich Astronomical Society will hold evening stargazing Thursday, Sept. 17, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., at Fruitlands Museum, 102 Prospect Hill Road. Scopes will be available for visitor use, and there will be a hands-on table full of astronomical artifacts including meteorites. Society members will demonstrate how to use binoculars in stargazing for visitors who bring them. Members $9 adult and $6 child; nonmembers $15 adult and $10 child. (TheTrustees.org/event/449277).
‘The Plight of Loyalists’
The Fort Devens Museum, 94 Jackson Road, Devens, will present a lecture on the experiences of British loyalists during the American Revolution Saturday, Sept. 19, 1 p.m. In his lecture “‘I Have Scarcely a Mouthful of Bread for Myself or My Children’: The Plight of Loyalists on the Eve of Independence,” historian Alexander Cain will examine how unwavering loyalty to the Crown led to the loss of homes, freedom, and security for numerous families, and led many to seek refuge with the British army in Canada. Free and open to the public, wheelchair accessible. (FortDevensMuseum.org/events).
Fruitlands craft festival
Fruitlands Museum, 102 Prospect Hill Road, will hold its 14th annual craft festival Saturday, Sept. 19, and Sunday, Sept. 20, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine. Browse the works of 58 specially selected New England artisans. Admission $10 for members, $15 for nonmembers, children, free; includes entry to all museum galleries and exhibitions. (TheTrustees.org/program/fruitlands-craft-festival).
Open house at Harvard Media Cooperative
The Harvard Media Cooperative (formerly Harvard Cable TV) will hold an open house in its studio in the lower level of the Bromfield School Saturday, Sept. 19, 3 to 6 p.m. Visitors may see the facilities recently renovated following water damage, as well as meet the staff and learn about production capabilities available to residents.
Lions Fall Fest
The Harvard Lions Club will host its annual Fall Fest Saturday, Sept. 19, from 3 to 8 p.m., on the field at the Harvard Public Library, 4 Pond Road. Enjoy live music, food and drinks, yard games, a kids’ area, human foosball, exhibitor booths, and a beer garden. Admission is free. (e-club house.org/sites/harvardma/page-6.php).
Registration is open for the Fall Fest 5K fun run, starting at the Bromfield School at 2:30 p.m. and finishing at the festival. $25 advance registration, $30 day-of-race, racers will receive a $5 coupon toward Fall Fest food or beverage purchases. (runsignup.com/Race/MA/Harvard/HarvardLionsFallFest5K).
PTO pickleball tournament
The Harvard PTO will host its fourth annual pickleball tournament Sunday, Sept. 20, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Bromfield tennis courts. Grab a partner and register now for this round robin into elimination tournament open to all ages and skill levels. Victors will be awarded pickleball gear and merchandise from the Marcus Lewis Racquet Club. (sites.google.com/site/harvardpto/pickleball-tournament).
Square dancing with Phil Jamison
The Warner Free Lecture will present banjo player and square dance caller Phil Jamison Friday, Sept. 25, 7 p.m., upstairs at Town Hall. Jamison and Still River resident and fiddler Jon Anderson will present and perform tunes from Northern and Southern square dancing traditions, comparing tunes and calling styles from the two regions. The program will conclude with an easy square dance for everyone, with no dance experience required. Free. (WarnerFreeLecture.org).
Devens farmers market
The next Devens farmers market will be held Tuesday, Sept. 22, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and will continue every other Tuesday through Oct. 20. The market offers locally grown fruits and vegetables and is at the corner of Elm Street and Jackson Road, across from the Devens Fire Department. (DevensCommunity.com/meetings-and-events).
Chamber music at Unitarian Church
The Worcester Chamber Music Society will present a concert “Autumn Winds,” Friday, Sept. 25, 7:30 p.m., at the Harvard Unitarian Universalist Church, 9 Ayer Road; preconcert talk at 7 p.m. The program features works by Mozart, Brahms, and Dohnányi, three pieces written in three centuries. A reception follows the performance. (WorcesterChamberMusic.org/autumn-winds, or 508-926-8624).
Save the date
Saturday, Sept. 26: library workshop, “Skills for Disagreeing Better”
Saturday, Oct. 10: 54th annual Harvard Flea Market.
Out of town
Manufacturing in zero gravity
The astrophysics speaker series at the EcoTarium, 222 Harrington Way, Worcester, will present a lecture on materials properties in microgravity Saturday, Sept. 12, 5 to 5:45 p.m. Jason Lee, associate professor-in-residence at the University of Connecticut, will discuss how experiments on the International Space Station may lead to manufacturing processes not possible on Earth, and the potential role of commercial partners after the ISS is decommissioned in 2030. Cost $6 for members, $7 for nonmembers. Recommended for ages 15 and older. (ecotarium.org/event/speaker-series-astrophysics.)
Independent author book fair
The Beals Memorial Library, 50 Pleasant St., Winchendon, will feature self-published, independent authors at a book fair Saturday, Sept. 19, 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The fair will include conversations and readings by authors, panel discussions, and workshops on independent publishing, along with options for lunch and activities for children. (BealsLibrary.org/bookfair).
Natural world ‘Curiosity Club’
Education staff of the Nashua River Watershed Association will host “Curiosity Club” Saturday, Sept. 19, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at the Thayer Memorial Library, 717 Main St., Lancaster. Ideal for children in grades K-5 and their caregivers, the program offers an hour of exploration with nature specimens, magnifiers, microscopes and plenty of time to investigate and find answers. Spaces are limited and advance registration is required. (NashuaRiverWatershed.org/nrwa-curiosity-club).
