Below is a list of what is going on in Johnny Appleseed Country during the month of April.
1 Monday 6:30pm. National Poetry Month Kickoff: Fitchburg Public
Library, 610 Main St.; free. Charles Coe will share poems from his latest book.
For information call 978-829-1780.
2-7 Tues & Wed
6pm (preview), Thurs-Sat 7:30pm, Sunday 2pm.
(Sacco-Vanzetti) Vince, Al & Teddy at McKay Theater, Fitchburg State
University. The Theater Department’s spring production is a world premiere by
New York playwright Bruce J. Robinson. Set in a small Massachusetts town in the
1920s, it is a time when Italians were still deported because of their beliefs.
It’s about Al and Teddy Capuzzi and their father, Vince—unassimilated and
dedicated to Sacco and Vanzetti. Using Sacco and Vanzetti as its
backdrop, this play dramatizes “otherness” in America and the eternal clash
between fathers and sons. Call the box office, 978-665-3347.
3 Wednesday. Westminster Farmers' Market Vendor Registration,
Training, and Update. For more information, email hertel@mapleheightsfarm.com.
3 Wednesday
10am-1pm. Job Fair 2013: Mount Wachusett
Community College, 444 Green St., Gardner; 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for students and
from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the general public; free. Event will feature more
than two dozen companies and organizations. For information call
1-508-713-3802.
3 Wednesday 6pm. Scholar Talk at McKay Theater, Fitchburg State
University. The reverberations from world-wide protests and cultural upheaval
surrounding the 1927 execution of two laborers, provoking anti-Italian,
anti-immigrant, and anti-anarchist sentiment still resonate today. Scholar
Michael Topp shares insights pre- and post-performance of Vince, Al & Teddy
(see April 2-7 listing). Free admission.
4 Thursday
9:30am-noon. Sogetsu Ikebana with Kaye
Vosburg at Tower Hill. Classroom A--Stoddard Center - Non-members $35.,
Members $32. Sogetsu Ikebana is an internationally recognized school of
Japanese flower arranging. In these classes, you will learn the essentials
of this venerable art from veteran exhibitor and instructor Kaye Vosburgh. Kaye
provides the flowers for each class and will have supplies and equipment
for purchase by students who wish them. Sign up for one or all four
classes. For more information, e-mail registrar@towerhillbg.org
or call 508-869-6111x124.
4 Thursday 5:30pm. The NCCES Foundation is holding its 2nd Annual
Auction at 171 South Street, Fitchburg, MA 01420. Monies raised for the NCCES
Foundation go toward additional programming and ensuring equitable
participation in field trips, sports, and after school activities for all NCCES
students. There are many ways individuals and corporations can contribute to
this worthy cause. For more information please contact Emily Austin-Bruns at
(978) 343-2174 / austinbrunse@ncces.org.
4 Thursday 6pm. Screening of the Documentary Including Samuel (a film on
inclusion) Sheraton Four Points/Leominster no RSVP necessary. Parents,
providers, teachers, friends and families are invited to come grab a bag
of popcorn and enjoy a free screening of a film about inclusion—Including
Samuel. Running time is 55 minutes. For more information please contact
Noreen Alves at 978.602.8679 or strengthfam@gmail.com.
4 Thursday 6pm. History of Mount Wachusett Community College with
Vincent Ialenti, Dean of Technology, at The Gardner Museum, 28 Pearl St.,
Gardner. This is a fast-moving visual tribute to MWCC celebrating its 50th
anniversary. Wine and cheese reception from 6-7 pm. Program from 7-8 pm.
Admission $3. Call 978-632-3277.
4 Thursday 8pm. Sonny Landreth. Bull Run
Restaurant Shirley, MA.
5 Friday. Eagle and other wildlife enthusiasts are asked to save
April 5, 2013 to participate in a new statewide spring eagle count for Mass
Wildlife. This effort will include a concentrated survey of the major rivers,
lakes, and reservoirs across the Commonwealth. Organized by the Division of
Fisheries and Wildlife (DFW) the survey will be conducted by agency staff and
volunteers. Teams will be checking known eagle territories and exploring
areas with potential eagle habitat to try to locate “new” eagle nests. If
inclement weather prevents the survey on April 5, the backup date is April 12,
2013. Additionally, the Division encourages anyone to submit eagle
sightings throughout the year by email to natural.heritage@state.ma.usor
by postal service to “Eagle Survey”, MassWildlife, Natural Heritage &
Endangered Species Program, 100 Hartwell Street, Suite 230, West Boylston, MA
01583.
5 Friday 11am-2pm. Take it to the Curator at the Museum of Russian Icons,
203 Union St., Clinton. Icon specialist Frank Ford will provide visitors with
information about the region, date and subject matter of their icons. Monetary
evaluations will not be given. Visit www.museumofrussianicons.org.
5 Friday 5pm-9pm. Cruise Night at Kimball Farm, 1543 Lunenburg Rd.,
Lancaster. Oldies music by DJ Kev, music trivia with the famous Ricky, cash
prizes, great food and ice cream. Free admission. Call 978-534-9800.
5 Friday
6:30pm-7:30pm. Come hear
SteveSongs in Concert! Featuring Mr. Steve from PBS Kids and The Sillies at The
Mary Rowlandson Elementary School in Lancaster. With his quirky lyrics and
acoustic instrumentals, Mr. Steve - winner of two Parent's Choice GOLD Awards -
is sure to entertain listeners of all ages. At the end of the show, get your
chance to meet Steve in person! Bring the kids and enjoy a fun-filled hour of
song and dance. This concert is brought to you by The Imago School (www.imagoschool.org)
Tickets are $12.00 in advance and $15.00 at the door (children under 2 are
free). Tickets may be purchased in advance at The Imago School or online at www.brownpapertickets.com.
6 Saturday. Wachusett Mountain's Pond Skim. Pull out
your favorite costume, find your widest skis and test your balance as you
cascade across the man-made pond to cheers from eager on-lookers, waiting
patiently for the next big wipe out!
6 Saturday. Wachusett Mountain's Closing Day
Celebration. Nobody ever likes to see the end of ski season, but go out in
style with a big celebration on the back deck with the Chris Fitz Band! Enjoy
great food and beer and lively music all afternoon long.
6 Saturday 2pm. The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley at Theater at the
Mount. Stanley Lambchop is your ordinary, everyday, normal 10-year-old, with a
normal mom, normal dad, and a normal little brother. For Stanley, this is a
problem; life is too normal! He wants to travel the world, do something
amazing, something no one's ever seen before. One night, the bulletin board on
the wall above Stanley's bed comes loose and falls. Right on top of Stanley!
And the next morning, Stanley wakes up flat. Not just a little flat- really,
REALLY flat! In hopes that he will become a 3D boy again, Stanley puts himself
in a big envelope and travels the world, as a human letter. And the adventure
begins!" For more information, visit mwcc.edu/tam/shows.
6 Saturday 3pm-5pm. Concert: Zolotoj Plyos. This concert will take
place at the Clinton High School Auditorium at 200 West Boylston Street in
Clinton. Advance purchase recommended at (978) 598-5000. Tickets: $15 for
Museum members, $18 for nonmembers. $1 off for WOO Card holders. Alexander
Solovov, Elena Sadina, and Sergei Grachev make up the folk ensemble “Zolotoj
Plyos,” which was founded in 1994 in the city of Saratov, Russia. While
students in Russia, the musicians collected old Russian folk songs and bell
music in rural villages and towns. The group’s repertoire includes folk songs
and instrumental pieces from various parts of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus,
Moldova, Georgia, and other areas, and also features Gypsy music, Russian
popular music, and Jewish music. The members of the ensemble play more than
thirty Russian folk instruments, including the bayan, chromatic and diatonic
accordions, the balalaika, domra, guitar, zhaleika, clarinet, saxophone,
various percussion instruments , and Russian bells. For more information, click
here.
6 Saturday 6:30pm. Quabbin’s Got Talent coffee house series at First
Congregational Parish, Petersham. The talent contest is open to all ages, both
individuals and groups. Throughout the series, the competition will be open to
the first 10 individuals or groups that sign up. Free admission (donations
accepted). Call 978-544-1872.
6 Saturday 8pm. Marty Nestor. Bull Run
Restaurant Shirley, MA.
7 Sunday. Wachusett Mountain's 3rd Annual Up, Down & Around
Challenge. Join us for our annual adventure challenge which takes
competitors on a run, bike, hike and ski all around the mountain. Stay tuned
for further updates as the winter progresses! For more information,
visit www.wachusett.com.
7 Sunday. Wachusett Mountain's Closing Day Celebration.
Nobody ever likes to see the end of ski season, but we'll go out in style
with a big celebration on the back deck with the Chris Fitz Band! Enjoy great
food and beer and lively music all afternoon long. For more
information, visit www.wachusett.com.
7 Sunday 10am–4pm. Railfair 2013 model railroad at two locations: The
Shirley Middle School, 1 Hospital Rd., will have exhibitors showing various
model train exhibits and working model railroads, as well as many dealers
selling all types of model train gear of all scales and actual railroad
memorabilia; and the Nashua Valley Railroad Association Quarters, 2 Shaker Rd
Suite E205, will display a 2,000 sq ft HO scale model railroad layout which
depicts the Boston and Maine Railroad running from Portland, Maine to
Mechanicville, NY. Admission to both locations): $5 adults, $3 Senior Citizens
and Teens, Children under 12 Free.
7 Sunday 2pm. Real Townies are Always Home presented by Sally Cragin
at the Winchendon Historical Society, 151 Front St., Winchendon. Sally Cragin,
a storyteller, presents an entertaining exploration of aspects of New England
seldom considered: boisterous visiting geese, town pounds, the winter beater,
the dreaded-but-welcome plowman, the pink plastic flamingo, (a local
invention), canoeing by moonlight, the awesome snapping turtle and the
soul-reviving qualities of a pond. Call 978-297-2142.
10 Wednesday 3:30pm. Fitchburg Art Museum Director Nick Capasso will discuss
contemporary art on Wednesday, April 10, as part of Fitchburg State
University’s Humanities Visiting Speaker Series at Ellis White Lecture
Hall in Hammond Hall. His remarks will explain art history and major aesthetic
themes in American earthworks and site-specific sculpture from the late 1960s
to the present.
12-14 Friday
7pm–9pm; Saturday, 12pm–5pm; Sunday, 12pm–4pm.
Spring Art Show and Sale sponsored by the Greater Gardner Artists Association.
Exhibition of fine art by members and other area artists. Visit www.gardner-ggaaart.org.
Free admission.
12-14 Friday &
Saturday 8pm; Sunday 2pm.
Harvey, presented by The New Players Theater Guild at the Center for Performing
Arts, 15 Rollstone St., Fitchburg. Elwood P. Dowd is an affable man who claims
to have an unseen (and presumably imaginary) friend Harvey — whom Elwood describes
as a six-foot, one-and-one-half-inch tall pooka resembling an anthropomorphic
rabbit. For ticket information, visit www.nptg.org.
12 Friday 8pm. Siobhan Mangus. Bull Run
Restaurant Shirley, MA. Also playing, Aztec Two-Step.
13 Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
– Thayer Symphony Orchestra presents Classics
in the Movies. This concert will feature famous works by classical masters that have been used
in the soundtracks of equally famous Hollywood films. Among the familiar pieces
you'll hear are "The Blue Danube Waltz" by Strauss, the very familiar
"Wedding March" from "Midsummer Night's Dream" by
Mendelssohn, the Leopold Stokowsky orchestration of Bach's "Toccata and
Fugue in D minor," and other such familiar favorites.
The complete program can be viewed here. The
concert will be held at the Stratos Dukakis Performing Arts Center at the
Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School ("Monty Tech") on
Route 2A in Fitchburg. More details about the program appear on the TSO Web
site at this link. Individual
ticket prices are as follows:
13 Saturday. New Comedy Shorts at the Fay Club, 620 Main St.,
Fitchburg, a benefit for Stratton Players. Original short comedies by Sally
Cragin and Jeff Van Amburgh. Dinner and a Show, and show-only tickets available.
Time to be announced. Call 978-345-4537.
13 Saturday
7am–11am. Fishing Derby at Barrett Park Pond,
40 Barrett Parkway, Leominster, for ages 14 and younger, sponsored by the
Leominster Recreation Department.
13 Saturday
8:30am–2pm. Spring Town-wide Yard Sale in Ayer.
Downtown flea market at Depot Square includes vendors. Free to vendors and free
to public. For details, call 978-772-8206 weekdays.
13 Saturday
10am-2pm. In celebration of its 50th
anniversary, Mount Wachusett Community College is hosting Free College Day, an event on Saturday, April 13
featuring more than 50 free workshops and classes, 50 door prizes, career and
academic resources, tours and other activities. 10 am to 2 pm, with fitness
classes also offered from 8 a.m. to 12:30.
13 Saturday 1pm. 50th Annual River Rat Race on the Millers River between
Athol and Orange, starting at the South Main Street bridge in downtown Athol.
Hundreds of hardy paddlers take to the often-icy waters of the Millers River to
win fame and a little bit of fortune on this six-mile race. Registration fee
for paddlers, no charge to watch the race and cheer them on. The town
celebrates with a parade starting at 10 am, a pancake breakfast, road race and
other events. Visit www.riverratrace.com or call David flint at
978-249-9038. The excitement continues on Sunday with pro-am kayak races.
13 Saturday 7:30pm. Orchestra of Indian Hill Concert. Maestro Bruce Hangen
and the Orchestra offer two symphonic masterpieces: Rachmaninoff’s “Piano
Concerto No. 3” with Russian pianist Maxim Mogilevsky, plus Beethoven’s
“Symphony No. 2” at Littleton HS Performing Arts Center, 56 King Street (Rte.
495/Exit 30), Littleton. Tickets: $20-48. Call 978-486-9524 x116 or visit www.indianhillmusic.org.
14 Sunday 10am. River Rat Pro Race on the Millers River, from Orange to
Athol, followed by kayak races. On this second day of the annual River Rat
canoe race extravaganza, men and women paddlers compete for prize money. Visit www.riverratrace.com
or call David Flint 978-249-9038 days.
14 Sunday 8pm. Dala. Bull Run
Restaurant Shirley, MA. Doors open at 5 pm for dinner and
seating. Tickets, $20 (show only). Duo members Sheila and Amanda make use of
their considerable talents on guitar and piano to create a unique brand of
acoustic pop.
16 Tuesday. Westminster Farmers' Market presents Backyard Growing
Series: Growing Fruits and Berries. For more information, email hertel@mapleheightsfarm.com.
18 Thursday 6pm. Science Magic, a Boston Museum of Science presentation,
at The Gardner Museum, 28 Pearl St., Gardner. Ever wonder how magic tricks
really work? This program investigates the science behind the “magic” of
several classic magic tricks. Wine and cheese reception from 6-7 pm. Program
from 7-8 pm.
18 Thursday 7pm. Spring Dance Club Shows at Weston Auditorium, Fitchburg
State University, Pearl Street, Fitchburg. Admission: $5. The Dance Club —
brings a dynamic and diverse show featuring selections from tap, jazz, lyrical,
hip hop and advanced hip hop, modern, contemporary, theatrical/Broadway,
street/urban, contemporary ballet, jazz funk, Irish step, video pop, reggae,
techno, African and Latin. Repeats April 20. Box office: 978-665-3347.
18 Thursday 7pm. Fitchburg Public Library. Joana Dos Santos, Director
of the Cleghorn Neighborhood Center, will introduce and lead the discussion on Papers:
Stories of Undocumented Youth (2009). "Papers" is the story of
undocumented youth and the challenges they face as they turn 18 without legal
status. Approx. 2 million undocumented children were born outside the U.S. and
raised in this country. These are young people who were educated in American
schools, hold American values, know only the U.S. as home and who, upon high
school graduation, find the door to their future slammed shut. 65,000
undocumented students graduate every year from high school without
"papers." It is against the law to work or drive. It is difficult, if
not impossible in some states, to attend college. They live at risk of arrest,
detention and deportation to countries they may not even remember. Currently,
there is no path to citizenship for these young people. Get that group
experience and a great discussion. You don't have to talk. You can just watch,
listen and learn.
18 Thursday 8pm. Jon Vezner. Bull Run
Restaurant Shirley, MA.
19-21 Friday &
Saturday 8pm; Sunday 2pm.
Harvey, presented by The New Players Theater Guild at the Center for Performing
Arts, 15 Rollstone St., Fitchburg. Elwood P. Dowd is an affable man who claims
to have an unseen (and presumably imaginary) friend Harvey — whom Elwood
describes as a six-foot, one-and-one-half-inch tall pooka resembling an
anthropomorphic rabbit. For ticket information, visit www.nptg.org.
19 Friday 7pm. Survivor, the Musical at Theater at the
Mount. Twenty contestants, two tribes, but only one
"Survivor!" Watch your favorite Theatre at the Mount performers
compete in this take-off on the popular TV reality show as they try to
"out sing, out perform, and out shine" in musical theatre challenges.
Singing, dancing, acting, puzzles, trivia, and of course the dreaded
"tribal council" will provide a full evening of non-stop fun. Who
will be the sole Survivor? Get your tickets now to find out. (Please note 7PM
start time for this event).
19 Friday 8pm. Livingston Taylor performs at the Bull Run Restaurant,
215 Great Road (Route 2A), Shirley. Doors open at 6 pm for dinner and seating.
Tickets, $35. He toured with major artists such as Linda Ronstadt, Jimmy Buffet
and Jethro Tull, and he maintains a busy concert schedule of over eighty shows
a year. Visit www.bullrunrestaurant.com.
20 Saturday
8am-noon. Leominster City Wide Clean Up. Meet
at City Hall – contact Mayor’s office for more info 978-534-7500.
20 Saturday
11am-noon. Museum of Russian Icons
presents Stories from Siberia: Storytelling Performance with Bonnie
Marshall and Kira Van Deusen. Free with Museum admission. No
pre-registration required. Storytellers Bonnie Marshall and Kira Van
Deusen will present a performance of Siberian stories from their book Far
North Tales: Stories from the Peoples of the Arctic Circle. For more information,
click here.
20 Saturday
2pm-4:30pm. Second Annual Charity Concert. NEW
ENGLAND BRASS, plus
SONS OF BLARNEY & INTERNATIONAL VETERANS CHORUS. 3
GROUPS, ONE BIG SHOW. “A SALUTE TO OUR TROOPS”. Dukakis Theater, Monty-Tech,
Fitchburg Route 2A. TICKETS - ADULTS - $25, CHILDREN –12 & UNDER FREE,
SENIORS - $20, ACTIVE MILITARY - FREE. FOR TICKETS- 978-202-5396 ANYTIME. OR
text 978-827-5944. To benefit the Bresnahan Scouting and Community Center,
Ashburnham.
20 Saturday 3pm. Museum of Russian Icons presents Russian Vodka Gone
Global. Tickets: $7 for members, $10 for non-members. $1 off for WOO Card
holders. Advance registration is recommended at (978)
598-5000. Vodka has been the staple drink in Russia for at least six
hundred years and some would claim inextricably bound to its culture. This
clear but powerful distilled beverage supplied an alcoholic drink not only for
celebrations, but also fueled the Russian and Soviet economy. These days, vodka
is blamed for Russia’s soaring death rates. So why has North America embraced
this fascinating and versatile drink? How did it happen that vodka has overtaken
America’s own native drink, bourbon? Why has vodka gone global? The ways in
which vodka distillers have packaged and pitched their product, and the
corresponding ways by which consumers have come to define themselves through
their choice of brands, reveal as much about vodka as it does our own world.
However vodka is drunk, whether straight, infused, flavored or mixed, the
history of vodka is a story of an old spirit that has become the perfect
postmodern drink. Mysterious in its origin, beguiling in its allure, vodka is a
rising star. For more information, click here.
20 Saturday 4pm. Spring Dance Club Shows at Weston Auditorium, Fitchburg
State University, 160 Pearl Street, Fitchburg. Admission: $5 general public
& students.
20 Saturday 7pm. The Fitchburg Armory goes Hawaiian for Joey and Maria’s
Hawaiian honeymoon at the beach in a night of murder, mayhem, and madness! It’s
a unique night of whodunit fun, partying, and audience participation, Italian
style! Tickets at the Fitchburg senior center, 14 Wallace Ave, Fitchburg, or
the mayor’s office in City Hall. Cost: $50. Benefits senior programs. Call
978-829-1790.
20 Saturday 8pm. Anna Popovic Band. Bull Run
Restaurant Shirley, MA.
23 Tuesday 4pm. OLEANNA by David Mamet. Percival Auditorium Fitchburg
State University
$7 General Admission. A special one-day event! This April,
come see Central Connecticut State University's traveling production of David
Mamet's terrifying exploration of gender and power in the modern classroom. All
proceeds go to support Fitchburg Theater Company. For more information, visit www.fitchburgtheatercompany.org.
26 Friday 8pm. JAY UNGER & MOLLY MASON. Bull Run
Restaurant Shirley, MA.
27 Saturday
8am-10:30am. Breakfast at the Finnish
Center at Saima Park, 61 Scott Rd., Fitchburg. Finnish oven pancake, bacon,
sausage, fruit, juice, coffee, Finnish coffee bread. $6. For more information
call Maija 978-582-7717 or email ldsulin@verizon.net.
27 Saturday 9:30am. Barry Van Dusen Workshop at Fruitlands. This
two class workshop is taught by former Artist-in-Residence, Barry Van Dusen.
Second class is Saturday, May 4 - 9:30AM - 1PM. Over the last thirty
years, nature artist Barry Van Dusen has filled more than seventy field
sketchbooks with thousands of drawings of birds, plants, mammals,
landscapes and other nature subjects. Field sketching is Barry’s way of
exploring the natural world, and his primary tool for developing his skills as
a naturalist and an artist. In this two-part workshop, Barry will discuss
the basic tools for field sketching, including drawing and color mediums
as well as optical aids. We’ll explore various drawing approaches – schematic,
contour, gesture and tonal drawing. You’ll learn how written notes are
best for exploring certain types of information, and how your sketchbooks
can become a personal nature diary, useful for future reference. You’ll see how
your sketchbooks can function as “science lab” – enhancing your knowledge
of botany, comparative zoology and more. We’ll also delve into artistic
concerns such as developing “touch” and a personal visual vocabulary. You’ll
learn how the sketchbook is the perfect place for artistic experimentation
and invention, and a great place to learn about pictorial editing
and design. A good portion of the workshop will be indoors, but
hopefully the weather will allow us to put our skills to work outdoors as
well! For more information, visit fruitlands.org.
27 Saturday
10am–3pm. Earth Day celebration on the town
common, Routes 110 and 13, Townsend. Rain date, Sunday, April 28, noon –
4 pm. Music, crafts, environmental organizations, food and fun as the Townsend
Recreation Department and Recycling Committee feature “The B’s: Bats, Bees,
Birds and Butterflies.” Visit www.townsend.ma.us.
27 Saturday
11am-12:30pm. Ready, Set Russian! at the Museum
of Russian Icons, 203 Union St., Clinton. Join us for a 90-minute workshop with
instructor Larissa Dyan that focuses on Russian language basics and
conversation. This drop-in class will introduce students to the Russian
alphabet, some conversation starters, icon-related terms and useful phrases.
Space is limited on a first-come, first-served basis. No advance reservation is
required.
27 Saturday
7:30pm–10pm. Contra Dance at the Unitarian
Universalist Society of Gardner, 66 Elm St., Gardner. Contra dances are
traditional social dances where people dance in long lines. Partners are
encouraged to switch throughout the evening, and you will dance with everyone
in the line (and probably everyone attending the dance) before the night is
over. Live music by The No Name Band. Fiddles, flutes, piano, guitar, mandolin
are some of the beautiful instruments used in contra. Contra dance lesson
offered at 7:15 pm. Suggested donation $7 adults; $5 students; under 12 free.
27 Saturday 8pm. Centerstage at Fitchburg State University Preents
AMERICAN IDOL STARS IN CONCERT CELEBRATE BROADWAY!. Broadway presented as
only American Idol can! Will it be Frenchie from Season 2 or Matt Giraud from
Season 8? Four stars from the past seasons of American Idol will take the
Weston stage—accompanied by a live band—belt out solos, duets and ensemble
numbers from Mamma Mia!, Wicked, Jersey Boys and more. Broadway never sounded
so good! Leading up to the performance is a talent shows for Fitchburg State
students. Check out the winners as they perform with American Idol
stars! TICKETS: $30/$30/$15 For more information, click here.