Monday, January 12

All Month: Drop-in Crafts for Youth: Mouse House! Mice have moved into Richards Memorial Library! Use crafting supplies and an eyeglass case to create a cozy home for a fuzzy, toy mouse. Plus coloring sheets. Ask at the front desk.

All Month: Roaring ‘20s Book Club: In honor of Richards Memorial Library’s 100th birthday, they will be reading books from the 1920s throughout the year. Their first book, The Great Gatsby, is available for check out and their first meeting will be Thursday February 5, 6:30-7:30pm. For adults.

9:30 am: Muffin Monday All are welcome to come enjoy pastry, coffee, and tea. This is a wonderful time to sit and visit with people you know and to meet people who are new. If you have been curious about the Rutland Senior Center, this is a perfect time to drop by.

1:30 pm: Music Through The Decades concert with Arizona Doug. Enjoy a concert with local musician and singer Doug Urquhart. Please register at the office or call the Holden Senior Center.

2:30 pm: Veterans and American Legion meeting at Holden Senior Center. If you have questions, call Doug Harvey, Commander of Post 42, at 508-450-9965 or email him at [email protected].

Tuesday, January 13

9:30 am: Friends of the Council on Aging monthly board meeting. At the Paxton Senior Center. All are welcome to learn about the Friends of the Council.

10 am-1 pm: Art Exhibit: What Makes Me Happy opens at the Café Art Gallery, Paxton Senior Center. Fifth and sixth graders from Paxton Center School answer that question with art work they recently created. The show will run through the end of April. The gallery is open to the public from 10 am - 1 pm Mon through Fri. All are welcome to enjoy this show of student talent. It may even help us remember what made us happy when we were 10 to 12 years old.

6 pm: Winter business meeting for Paxton MA Garden Club members. At the Paxton Senior Center Community Room. Will Zoom if inclement weather. Agenda and past minutes on Club’s website.

Wednesday, January 14

10:30 am: Veterans and Friends Meeting. The Paxton town assessor will join the meeting to talk about tax breaks, the town’s Tax Workoff Program, the Circuit Breaker Program, and veterans’ issues. Paxton Senior Center.

12 pm: Make Beaded Snowflakes. No experience needed to make beautiful, beaded art. You will make a small and a large snowflake. To reserve your spot, call or RSVP at the Rutland Senior Center. The cost, due at registration, is $15 for non-Friends or $13 and includes all materials.

1:30 pm: High Hawk Farm Presentation. Meghan Peddle will be give an informative presentation on cannabis. Please register in person at the office or call the Holden Senior Center.

8:30 pm: The Future of Beech Trees with Dr. Beth Brantley. Garden Club Federation of Mass. Free Zoom webinar that 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, 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

Thursday, January 15

11:30 am: Tatnuck Park Drumming Circle free at Rutland Senior Center. Lunch will be provided, limited to 18 participants. Drumming Circle combines cardio exercise and drumming to the rhythm of music. Experience is not needed and all fitness levels are welcome. Drumming Circles have become increasingly popular as they reduce stress, boost your energy and immune system, provide cardio exercise – and they’re fun. Call or RSVP at the Center.

1-8 pm: 100th Birthday Kick-off!: Paxton’s Richards Memorial Library turns 100 in 2026. Kick off this year-long celebration by dropping in anytime between 1-8pm for kids’ activities, library history trivia for adults, the launch of the 100 Book Challenge (all ages) and the Roaring 20s Book Club (adults), plus celebratory cookies thanks to Fidelity Bank. Larry the Librarian will be here to “o-pun” the festivities! Snow date: 1/22.

Friday, January 16

9-11 am: Wachusett Food Pantry for Seniors (65+). General public is invited on Sat. Jan. 17 from 9-11 am. (978) 563-1064

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

9-10:30 am: Art reception at the Paxton Senior Center for the fifth and sixth grade students (and their families) from Paxton Center School whose artwork is on display at the Center.  

10-11 am: DIY Pollinator Hotel Mug workshop. Paxton MA Garden Club workshop at Paxton Senior Center Activities Room. Free for members; $5 nonmembers. Sign up on the Club’s website.

5-8 pm: Family Snowball Dance at Rutland Library. Music, dancing, snacks, face painting, crafts, family photo opportunity. All are welcome. Lower level, library. 

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. 

Monday, January 19

Martin Luther King Day. Town departments and offices will be closed.

Tuesday January 20 

Brighten up your world at Richards Memorial Library until Thursday, Feb. 12: Find all the colorful paint tubes hidden in the J/Y room to fill up your palette and earn a small prize.

Friday, January 23

10-11 am: Books and Blankies with Community Connections at Richards Memorial Library. For babies birth to 24 months and their caregivers. Thank you to Wachusett Community Connections for providing this program.

Saturday, January 24

9-10:30 am: Rutland Food Pantry is open and welcomes all. For more information, call 774-696-3008.

Wednesday, January 28

12 pm: Tastings Lunch Series begins. A special series of luncheons catered by area food businesses Come for a special treat on the last Wednesday of the month. $3. Seating is limited. Please call the Paxton Senior Center by January 26 to RSVP. Paxton seniors are given priority.

1:30 pm: A Glimpse of France. Ron Rosenstock will give a travelogue slide presentation of this country. Please register at the office or call the Holden Senior Center.

Friday January 30

10-11am: Wiggle Waggle Music and Movement with Community Connections at Richards Memorial Library. Young children and their caregivers are invited to move and groove with Community Connections. Registration required. Please email [email protected] to reserve a spot.

Wednesday, February 4

10 am: Schoolhouse Café resumes the first Wednesday of the month. Come for coffee, pastries, and conversations with old and new friends. Paxton Senior Center.

4-4:40 pm: Graphic Novel Club for ages 8-12 at Richards Memorial Library. Visit the library at the beginning of each month to pick up a featured graphic novel, along with an activity or small treat. Read and enjoy! If you can, join other graphic novel fans the first Wednesday of each month for discussion and fun activities related to the book. The Club’s next optional, in-person meeting is Feb. 4. Register here: RMLPaxton.org/tweens.

Thursday, February 5

1:30 pm: Valentine Art. Create a Valentine-themed shadow box at the Holden Senior Center. No experience necessary. Registration begins 10 am Fri, January 16 through January 30 or until full. Each participant must register themself in person with $20. If you cancel after 3:30 pm on January 30, you will not receive a refund.

6:30-7:30 pm: Roaring 20s Book Club: In honor of Richards Memorial Library’s 100th birthday, the monthly book club will be reading books from the 1920s throughout the year. Tonight the book club discusses The Great Gatsby. For adults.

Wednesday, February 11

2 pm: First meeting of a support group for families affected by a loved one’s mental illness. Mental illness - including substance use disorders - knows no boundaries and affects individuals and families of every background. If someone you love is struggling, please know that you’re not alone. We are forming a new peer-to-peer family support group designed to provide understanding, shared experiences, education, and hope. This group offers a safe and confidential space to talk openly, ask questions, and learn about resources that may help you and your family navigate this journey. Join us at our first meeting at the Ruland Senior Center.

Thursday, February 12

12 pm: Annual Valentine’s Luncheon featuring the Blackstone Valley Strummers. Please RSVP to the Paxton Senior Center for this popular annual event.