Wednesday, December 10

Annual Sock Drive has begun. Please bring your new socks to the Center during business hours. In December, we will distribute them to area shelters. If you wish to bring in hats, mittens, and scarves we will be pleased to add them to the sock drive. Rutland Senior Center.

11 am: Lifeline Information Session. During this informative session we will discuss what is a medical alert device? How does it work? What can I use it for? How can I get one? How much does one cost? This event is free and open to all residents, family, and friends. Rutland Senior Center.

6-7:30 pm: Backyard Habitat Chat with Breeka Li, sponsored by Worcester County Conservation District. Discover how to transform your outdoor space into a thriving haven for local wildlife and resilient native plants in this online interactive one-hour workshop. Explore practical, sustainable ways to attract birds, pollinators, and beneficial insects while enhancing the ecological health of your yard. Participants will learn how to select native species, design wildlife-friendly gardens, and support biodiversity in the face of climate change and other environmental stressors. Whether you have a small balcony, a suburban yard, or several acres, this session will offer tips and local resources to help you create a beautiful, climate-smart habitat that supports both people and nature. Register on the WCCD website at worcesterconservation.org/events/

Thursday, December 11

Through Tuesday, Dec. 16: Letters for Santa. Place your letter to Santa in our special outdoor mailbox by December 16. Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope and you’ll receive a reply! Richards Memorial Library. 

10 am: 4th Annual Indoor Plant Sale Fundraiser. The Paxton Garden Club has pot cozies, macrame, and hundreds of houseplants for sale at Paxton Marketplace, 707 Pleasant Street, until Dec. 21 (or item are all sold).

12:30 pm: Tommy Rull Holiday Show: All the season’s favorites performed by this acclaimed entertainer. Noon lunch option. Paxton Senior Center. Call the center to RSVP. 

1:30 pm: Snowman painting on canvas or wood. No painting experience required. Registration began Nov. 20 until full. Each participant must register themself in person with $10 cash. Holden Senior Center.

4:20 pm: Beeswax Candle. Create a beautiful centerpiece or gift out of all-natural beeswax sheets. Teens program registration opened Dec. 4. Gale Free Library.

6 pm: Rutland’s Festival of Trees: Family game night with holiday trivia and more at Rutland Free Library. 

6:30-8 pm: Pendant Workshop with Klassic Kreations for ages 12 to adult. Make a funky multimedia pendant necklace. Beginner friendly, all materials and instructions provided. Registration required https://tinyurl.com/RMLPendant. Sponsored by Barre Savings Bank Charitable Foundation. Richards Memorial Library.

Friday, December 12

10 am-4 pm: Rutland’s Festival of Trees: stroll through the festival to enjoy decorated trees, wreaths, and gingerbreads.

1 pm: Felted snowman ornament workshop. All materials provided. Registration begins Nov. 17 until full. Each participant must register with $20 cash. Holden Senior Center.

2:30-4:30 pm Library Book Donation Day. Friends of Richards Memorial Library will accept book donations only during scheduled dates and times. They accept gently used hardcovers, paperbacks, DVDs, CDs, and video games. They do not accept textbooks, magazines, encyclopedias, VHS tapes, or bootleg CDS/DVDs.) Please drop off donations only during these hours. Donations are also accepted on Saturday, Dec. 13 from 10:30 am-1:30 pm.

6:30-8:30 pm: Rutland’s Festival of Trees Concert at Lilac Hedge Farm, music by Stomp n’ Holler, food by Fired Up Pizza and Savage Wraps. $5 per person for concert entry.

Saturday December 13

Taylor Swift Scavenger Hunt. Celebrate Taylor Swift’s birthday by challenging yourself to a Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce scavenger hunt in the J/Y room. Find all 22 letter clues to solve the riddle and earn a small prize. Richards Memorial Library. Through Saturday January 10, 2026

Sunday, December 14

4-7 pm: Toy and gift card drive for the Devereaux School. Please bring your unwrapped gift or gift card to the Wong Dynasty, 176 Reservoir St., Holden. For more information, call Devereaux’s Executive Director Nadia Abbas at 774-239-2453.

Monday, December 15

9:30 am: Friends of the Rutland COA will hold elections for the 2026 year. Open positions are for president, vice president, and treasurer. If you are interested in a position or know of someone who would be perfect for one, please contact the Friends via email ([email protected]). We are also happy to provide more information about each position. Refreshments and a Yankee Swap will follow the meeting. All are welcome. If you want to participate in the gift swap, please bring a wrapped gift (maximum $15 value).

Tuesday, December 16

3:30-5:30 pm: Dungeons and Dragons One-Shot. Grades 6+. Join the party for a second-level adventure, ideal for both new and experienced players. Registration opened Dec. 9. Gale Free Library.

7-8 pm: The Fright Before Christmas with Jeff Belanger. Remember the Christmas song, “There’ll be scary ghost stories and tales of the glories of Christmases long, long ago”? Belanger brings the spooky to life with an eerie multimedia journey of this haunting holiday. This program is not suitable for young children. Richards Memorial Library. Registration: Tinyurl.com/RMLFright

Wednesday, December 17

1 pm: Holiday Gift Grab. Join us for a gift grab and snacks. Please bring a $10 wrapped gift. Registration is required to know how many people will be participating, Please register at the Holden Senior Center office or call them.

Thursday, December 18

Happiest December Birthday. If your birthday is in December, please stop by today and enjoy a piece of birthday cake. Have a wonder-filled day. Rutland Senior Center.

4:20 pm: Graphic Novel Book Club. Grades 4+. Come read and discuss Anzu and the Realm of Darkness. We will also discuss art and how graphic novels are made. Registration opened 12/4. Once you register, visit the reference desk to borrow your copy of the book. Gale Free Library. 

Thursday, December 18

11:30 am: Out to Lunch Bunch. Eat lunch out with a group of fun seniors. This month they are going to the Wong Dynasty in Holden. Meet at the restaurant at 11:30. Call or text Dale at 774-364-1474 to sign up or ask questions. Holden Senior Center.

Friday, December 19

8:30-10 am: Annual Holiday Celebration at the Morning Glory Cafe. Come with your friends. Bring things to decorate your table to win prizes. Be festive in your outfits! Hope to see you there. Holden Senior Center.

Tuesday, December 23

11 am: Annual Holiday Celebration. Music of the season by Denis followed by a luncheon at noon. Please RSVP by December 18 by calling the Paxton Senior Center. 

11:30 am: Holiday Meal. Stuffed chicken with gravy, cranberry stuffing, buttered carrots, carrot cake, dinner roll Please call or visit the Rutland Senior Center by Thursday, Dec. 18 to RSVP. A $3 suggested donation is due at sign-up.

Wednesday, December 24

9am -1pm: Jolabokaflod (“yo-la-boke-uh-flowed”). The Icelandic “Book Flood” is the tradition of exchanging books on Christmas Eve and then reading for the rest of the day while eating chocolate. Doesn’t that sound like the perfect day? We invite you to slow down on December 24, peruse our latest books, check some out, and read at the library or home. We have chocolate! Richards Memorial Library.

4-7 pm: Christmas Eve Open House. The holidays can be lonely, and the Holden Senior Center doesn’t want anyone to be sad. This year they are planning an open house and a fun evening of food, music, and friends. All are invited. Please register at the office so they can order enough food.

Monday, December 29

1 pm: Movie Monday with popcorn and beverage. Please register at the office or call the Holden Senior Center.

Monday, January 5

6:30 pm: Rutland Special Town Meeting. Called by a citizens’ petition from registered voters to consider street acceptance requests for Woodside Ave., Pioneer Cir., and Arrowhead Way. Naquag Elementary School, 285 Main Street, 

Friday, January 9

2:30-4:30pm Library Book Donation Day. Friends of Richards Memorial Library will accept book donations only during scheduled dates and times. They accept gently used hardcovers, paperbacks, DVDs, CDs, and video games. They do not accept textbooks, magazines, encyclopedias, VHS tapes, or bootleg CDS/DVDs.) Please drop off donations only during these hours. Donations are also accepted on Saturday, Jan. 10 from 10:30 am-1:30 pm.

Tuesday, January 13

6 pm: Winter Business Meeting for members of the Paxton MA Garden Club at the Paxton COA Community Room. Will Zoom if inclement weather. Agenda and past minutes on Club’s website.

Wednesday, January 14

8:30 pm: The Future of Beech Trees with Dr. Beth Brantley. Garden Club Federation of Mass. Free Zoom Webinar. This presentation covers key threats to beech trees, including phytophthora, beech bark disease, wood decay pathogens, foliar-feeding arthropods, and beech leaf disease. It will outline the history, life cycle, and symptoms of the nematode causing beech leaf disease, its effects on tree health, current management strategies, recent research, and potential replacement species. Advanced registration is required to obtain the Zoom Link https://www.gcfm.org/events-1/the-future-of-beech-trees-with-dr-beth-brantley

Friday, January 16

1 pm: Felted penguin workshop. All materials will be provided. Registration begins at 10 AM on Friday, Jan 2 through Jan 12 or until full. Each participant must register themself in person with $20 cash. If you cancel after 3:30 PM on Jan 12, you will not be refunded. Holden Senior Center.

Saturday, January 17

10-11 am: DIY Pollinator Hotel Mug workshop. Enjoy this family friendly make and take a pollinator hotel workshop sponsored by Paxton Garden Club. Free for members; $5 nonmembers. You need to bring a coffee mug for each hotel you want to make. All other supplies will be provided. Sign up on the club’s website. Workshop at Paxton COA Activities Room. Class is limited to 20. Signup and payment due by 1/10/26

6:30-9:30 pm: Line Dancing with Lou Ann and Friends. Paxton Recreation invites you to dust off your boots and hat and come dance the night away at the Paxton American Legion Post 306! Cash bar with light refreshments. $10 per person.