Wednesday, July 8

Massachusetts Emancipation Day. See this month’s WFP cover story by Barre resident and historian Lucy Allen. She explains how the roots of this state holiday – and the start of the abolition of slavery in Massachusetts - began with an enslaved man who lived in Barre.

Through July

Massasoit Art Guild Show at Paxton Senior Center. Five members of the Massasoit Art Guild of Spencer will display their creations at an art show in the Paxton Senior Center, 17 West St. The show will run through August from 10 am to 1 pm on weekdays. Enjoy the colorful exhibit and cast your vote for the Best in Show. All are welcome.

Thursday July 9

11 am-12 pm: Special Storytime Show on the lawn at the Gale Free Library. Get ready for a story-time double feature For one morning only, Mr. Kevin and Miss Rachel, your two favorite librarians, will perform a special story-time show with stories, singing, dancing, and more.

12-1 pm: The Greatest Generation Still Speaking at the Rutland Senior Center. This compelling, multi-format presentation by John Mollica captures the strength behind and beyond that era’s wartime valor. 

3:30-6:30 pm: Paxton Garden Club's farmers market. Enjoy fresh, local farm products and handmade goods. Behind the Senior Center, 17 West St.

6:30-8:30 pm: Paxton’s Summer music series kicks off with The Vig. At the Paxton bandstand. facebook.com/thevigband Sponsor: Mass Cultural Council. Seven Saws will provide adult beverages, and the snack shack will be open.

Friday, July 10

2:30-4:30 pm: Library Book Sale and Donation Days sponsored by Friends of Richards Memorial Library. Donate books. Shop for books. All on the same day! Proceeds benefit library programs. The Friends accept donations only during scheduled dates and times: gently used books, DVDs, CDs, and video games. They do not accept textbooks, magazines, encyclopedias, VHS tapes, or bootleg CDS/DVDs. Do not leave books when the library is not open. The book sale continues tomorrow, the 11th, from 10 am-2 pm. There will be no book sale in August.

6-9 pm: Summer Concerts in Rutland featuring The Army Band for the 250th on the Common. For more information, see the town website rutlandma.gov.

Fridays, July 10 & July 24

2-3:30 pm: Free Play Fridays at the Gale Free Library. Cool off on a hot Friday with some gaming in the Program Room. Board games and a Nintendo Switch will be available! Children aged 6 and under must be accompanied by an adult.

Saturday, July 11

10 am-1 pm: Rutland’s Maker’s Market on the Town Common. Local creators, small business owners, handmade goods, and artisan products. Food vendors will be there offering delicious bites to enjoy while you shop. To become a vendor, see the town’s website rutlandma.gov

Sunday, July 12

6-8 pm: The Holden Bandstand Summer Concert Series features Rick Barron & The Quavers (Country music). Attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs or blankets.

Monday, July 13

1:30 pm: Galileo Galilei: The Starry Messenger by Mike Francis at the Holden Senior Center. This is a dramatic, fun-filled adaptation of Galileo’s short treatise Siderius Nuncius. Galileo, dressed in costume, will give a lecture on his most recent discoveries made with his newly invented spyglass. Please sign up in person or call the Center.

Tuesday, July 14

2:30 pm: Veterans and American Legion Meeting at the Holden Senior Center. For more info, contact Doug Harvey, Commander of Post 42 at 508-450-9965 or email [email protected].

3-4 pm: Bead Axolotls At the Gale Free Library for ages 7+. It’s everyone’s favorite Central American amphibian! Make your own axolotl out of beads to carry with you! Summer crafts are available while space and supplies last.  

6:30 pm: Cooking Club at Gale Free Library. Let’s Make A “Food Rainbow!” Registration required. You’ve probably heard that it’s smart to “eat the rainbow.” Colorful foods tend to be packed with nutrients, and eating a wide variety of colors is even better. Let’s dig into these vibrant, healthy, everyday recipes we love using in our own kitchens. Bring your creation and the recipe to share.

6:30-7:30 pm: Terrariums for Teens for ages 12-18 at Richards Memorial Library. Learn about succulent care and then create a terrarium with live plants, rocks, accessories, and more. Thanks to the Paxton Garden Club for collaborating with the library to make this program possible. To ensure there are enough supplies, RSVP at the library or go here:  https://bit.ly/4uMAPT2

Wednesday, July 15 

4-5 pm: Wingmasters: Birds of Prey at the Holden Senior Center. Learn about some of the birds of prey native to the Holden area, Birds of prey, also known as raptors, are hunting birds that boast the best eyesight and sharpest hearing in the animal kingdom. This presentation will include five live birds. Thank you to the Holden Cultural Council for sponsoring this event.

Thursday, July 16

Blackston River tour bus trip sponsored by the Friends of Paxton Council on Aging. Enjoy a river tour, lunch at Davenport’s Restaurant in Providence, and a stop at Wright’s Farm Bakery. For info & details contact Deb Grensavitch at 508-245-4952 or email her at [email protected]

10:30 am-noon: The Craft of Writing Workshop at the Gale Free Library. “Politics and Polemics.” Online via Zoom. Registration required. Participants will look at examples of writers responding to current events and discuss what makes some responses “political” and others “polemical.”

1 pm: Felted Bluebird workshop at the Holden Senior Center. All materials will be provided. Register in person with $20 fee.

6:30-8:30 pm: Paxton’s Summer Music Series continues with This Guy That Guy at the Paxton bandstand. facebook.com/SKMnCo. Seven Saws will provide adult beverages, and the snack shack will be open.

Thursdays, July 16, 23, & 30

10-10:30 am: Lap-sit Story Times at the Gale Free Library for ages 2 and under. Join Miss Rachel for songs, short picture-book stories, and more. If there is rain or extreme heat, story times will be in the Program Room on the second floor; otherwise, they will be on the lawn.

11-11:30 am: Pre-K Story Times at the Gale Free Library for ages 3-6. Join Mr. Kevin for lots of laughs and fun stories! If there is rain or extreme heat, story times will be in the Program Room on the second floor; otherwise, they will be on the lawn.

Friday, July 17

10-11 am: Read to Shamrock the Reading Dog at Richards Memorial Library. Bring or borrow a book to read to Shamrock in a relaxed, outdoor setting. Shamrock is a miniature labradoodle certified through TDI (Therapy Dogs International). Please check website for updates in the event of inclement weather or schedule changes.

6-9 pm: The Rutland Summer Concert series featuring Wonderland Mafia on the Common. 

Fridays, July 17 & July 31

3-4:30 pm: LEGO Club at the Gale Free Library for ages 4+. Come join the summer LEGO Club! They will build pieces for an end-of-summer Big G Amusement Park. Come with your family, grab a bin of LEGOS, and build with us. No registration necessary.

Saturday, July 18

7 pm: Dance at Finn Park, Rutland with music by Dan Mackowiak. The park’s 100th anniversary continues. $10 per person. Questions/advance ticket sales, call 508-723-0447. 

Sunday, July 19

6-8 pm: The Holden Bandstand Summer Concert Series features Rick Barron & The Quavers (Country music). Attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs or blankets.

Monday, July 20

1 pm: Heat and Tick awareness presentation at the Holden Senior Center by the Leicester Regional Public Health Coalition. Heat safety and education and tick awareness and prevention strategies. Register in person or call the office.

Tuesday, July 21

10-11 am: Dino Scavenger Hunt at the Gale Free Library for ages 2-5. Join Community Connections for a roaring good time finding dinosaurs on the lawn! This program helps increase social, fine and gross motor and problem-solving skills, and is a fun way to build vocabulary.

6:30-7:30 pm: Kim the LEGO Lady for ages 5-11 at Richards Memorial Library. Take your LEGO building to a whole new level. Explore new ideas and create your own masterpiece in this encore LEGO workshop. All skill levels welcome. RSVP at the library or here: https://bit.ly/4w61kE4

Wednesday, July 22

11 am: Summer Music Comedy Show at the Paxton Senior Center. Luncheon at noon. Denis Cormier hits all the right notes with this entertaining mix of music and comedy. Take a stress break and enjoy! After the show there’s a special lunch prepared and sponsored by Ten West. RSVP by July 17. 

1:30 pm: America the Beautiful in Song by David Polansky at the Holden Senior Center. Patriotic songs from various eras in American history.

Thursday, July 23

1-2 pm: Henry the Juggler on the lawn at the Gale Free Library. Henry the Juggler is considered armed (and legged) and dangerous. He is known to cause spontaneous outbursts of laughter. Witness his juggling show to see for yourself. Thank you to the Holden Cultural Council for sponsoring this event.

5-6 pm: Read to Shamrock the Reading Dog at Richards Memorial Library. Bring or borrow a book to read to Shamrock in a relaxed, outdoor setting. Shamrock is a miniature labradoodle certified through TDI (Therapy Dogs International). Please check website for updates in the event of inclement weather or schedule changes.

6:30-8:30 pm: Paxton’s Summer Music Series The Otters at the Paxton bandstand. facebook.com/funlovingmammals/ Sponsor: Mass Cultural Council. Seven Saws will provide adult beverages, and the snack shack will be open.

Friday, July 24

10:30-11:15 am: Music and Movement Storytimes with Julie Stepanek Murray at Richards Memorial Library. March, stomp, sing and stretch in this interactive story time for young children and their families. Thank you to the Paxton Cultural Council, a local agency funded by Mass Cultural Council, for funding this program.

6-9 pm: The Rutland Summer Concert series featuring Island Castaways on the Common. 

Sunday, July 26 

12:30 pm: 55th Annual Chicken Barbeque at Finn Park, Rutland, as the park’s 100th anniversary continues. Raffle prizes and presentation of scholarships. $18 per person, chicken dinner, beverage and dessert. Advanced ticket sales: 508-723-0447.

6-8 pm: The Holden Bandstand Summer Concert Series features Wachusett Community Band (Show tunes). Attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs or blankets.

Tuesday, July 28

10:30 am: Laughter Yoga at the Paxton Senior Center. An important dimension in Yoga is … laughter! Join registered instructor Terri Gerhardt in a complimentary session of gentle stretching, breathing, and laughter exercises involving clapping, small movements or dance, and a laughter meditation. RSVP to the Center.

4-5 pm: Mike Bent’s Abrakidabra! at the Holden Senior Center. This magic show from the Nickelodeon award-winning entertainer Mike Bent is sure to captivate and entertain all ages. You may even end up on stage as part of the magic! Thank you to the Holden Cultural Council for sponsoring this event.

6-7 pm: Poetry Reading & Open Microphone at the Gale Free Library. One of the exhibiting artists, John Zywar, will read several poems related to his asylum photography project and other poems that have been published. He will discuss his approach to publishing both poetry and photo art in literary magazines. Attendees are welcome to read their own poems. Zywar is a member of the Worcester County Poetry Association and the Poetry Society of New Hampshire. 

6:30-7:30 pm: Protect our Pollinators with naturalist Jerry Schneider at Richards Memorial Library. Target audience is ages 5-11 but all are welcome to this fun, educational conservation and art program. Learn about local pollinators, including bees, bats, hummingbirds, beetles, dragonflies, and butterflies. Then learn how to build and maintain habitat to help them. Then make a pollinator-themed stenciled t-shirts to take home. Thanks to the Paxton Cultural Council, a local agency funded by Mass Cultural Council, for funding this program!

Wednesday, July 29

1:30 pm: Phil Andrew’s Steel Accent Steelband Trio in concert at the Holden Senior Center. Join this lively concert of island music funded by the Holden Friends Council on Aging. Register in person or call the office.

6-7:30 pm: Art Club at the Gale Free Library. Ages 16+. Registration required. Join the monthly art club and bring your own supplies or use theirs: watercolor paints and paper, brushes, pastels, colored pencils, graphite, pens, collage materials, and more. While there is no specific project, there is a quotation, book or image to inspire a(n optional) response. This program is intended for patrons of all abilities.

Thursday, July 30

4-5 pm: Sew an Emotional Support Chicken at Richards Memorial Library. Create your own stuffie to guide you through times of stress. For children, tweens, and teens. No prior sewing experience needed. Register at the library.

6:30-8:30 pm: Paxton’s Summer Music Series The Illusions Band at the Paxton bandstand. Seven Saws will provide adult beverages, and the snack shack will be open.

Friday, July 31

6-9 pm: The Rutland Summer Concert series featuring Hip Swayers on the Common. 

Saturday, August 1

10 am-1 pm: Rutland’s Maker’s Market on the Town Common. Local creators, small business owners, handmade goods, and artisan products. Food vendors will offer delicious bites to enjoy while you shop. To become a vendor, see the town’s website rutlandma.gov

Sunday, August 2

6-8 pm: The Holden Bandstand Summer Concert Series features Elvis (Las Vegas Show). Attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs or blankets.

Tuesday, August 4

3:30-5 pm: We all scream for ice cream at Richards Memorial Library. Drop in anytime between the hours and enjoy a sweet treat. It is also the last day to turn in summer reading logs for prizes.

Thursday, August 6

6:30-8:30 pm: Paxton’s Summer Music Series Paul Courchaine at the Paxton bandstand. facebook.com/paulcourchainemusic. Sponsor: Mass Cultural Council. Seven Saws will provide adult beverages, and the snack shack will be open.

Friday, August 7

6-9 pm: The Rutland Summer Concert series featuring Donnelly Road on the Common. 

Sunday, August 9

6-8 pm: The Holden Bandstand Summer Concert Series features Holding Back (60s music). Attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs or blankets.

Monday, August 10

10 am-8 pm: The town’s Special Election will be held at Paxton Center School. 

Thursday, August 13

6:30-8:30 pm: Paxton’s Summer Music Series The Valley Cats (Paxton Center School’s music teacher Josh Sabourin’s band) at the Paxton bandstand. Sponsor: Paxton Woman’s Club. Seven Saws will provide adult beverages, and the snack shack will be open.