Labor Day Weekend, 2016

September 1-5

1-5, Thursday-Sunday, Peterborough Players Present, God of Carnage - A comedy by Yasmina Reza - A playground altercation between eleven-year-old boys brings together two sets of Brooklyn parents for a meeting to resolve the matter. At first, diplomatic niceties are observed, but as the meeting progresses, and the rum flows, tensions emerge and the gloves come off. Winner of the 2009 Tony Award for best play. Thurs. and Fri., 7:30, Saturday, 8:00, Sunday, 4:00. Tickets $39.00.  603-924-7585, 55 Hadley Rd., Peterborough, NH www.peterboroughplayers.org.

1-5, Thursday-Monday - The Spencer - Visit traditional agricultural exhibits; see the Great Pumpkin Contest, demolition derby, truck and tractor pulls, pig races, stage shows and more. Enjoy food and games. Call 508-885-5814 or visit spencerfair.com for event times. Admission $10 adults, $7 seniors and kids. Free parking. 48 Smithville Rd., Spencer MA

2-5, Friday-Monday - 24th Annual Labor Day Sale at Wachusett Mountain Ski Area, Over 350 pairs of skis, 150 snowboards, 450 pair of ski and snowboard boots! The largest Labor Day sale in Southern New England and the best time to grab big saving on everything winter!

Family Fun Days - Saturday, Sunday & Monday
12pm-4pm

Come shop our sale and enjoy a family-friendly outing all at the same time! We'll have plenty of activities, including a swing set, moonwalk, face painters, volleyball, field games and more!

LIVE MUSIC! 12:30-3:30pm Saturday, Sunday & Monday

Take a ride on our famous Scenic Summit SkyRide* and enjoy a delicious BBQ lunch*! 

Still Want More? 

First 100 people to show their Labor Day Postcard Mailing receive a FREE Early Season Lift Ticket**

Any purchase over $100 all weekend receives a FREE Early Season Lift Ticket**    

*Additional fees do apply.

**Good through December 24, 2016

www.wachusett.com

2-5, Friday-Monday, Golf Specials at the Woods of Westminster, Friday and Monday, before noon, $39.00 for 18 holes, cart, and lunch; Saturday and Sunday, $45.00 for 18 holes and cart (lunch is not included) 978-874-0500 or 9780874-0278. www.woodsofwestminster.com

3-5, Saturday-Monday, Appleseed Country Fair at Red Apple Farm – Saturday, 10-6; Sunday, 10-5; Monday, 10-4, Live music, great food, local brewers, vendors/artisans, Fiddle Fest Sunday at noon. Free Admission, 455 Highland Ave., Phillipston, MA www.appleseed.org

3-5, Saturday, Sunday, Monday – Family Fun Days at Old Sturbridge Village - Bring the whole family and celebrate Labor Day Weekend with games and excitement for everyone! Spend your weekend having fun as you play baseball the way early New Englanders did, make a craft, join a game of French & English (tug of war), meet the oxen in training, try your hand at marbling paper, see a puppet show, watch a toy fire-balloon flight, visit the Freeman Farm, stop and see craftsmen at work, and much more. Special performances will include a 19th-century magic show with Bob Olson, a performance by the Old Sturbridge Village Singers, and learn a dance with the Old Sturbridge Village Dancers. General admission prices are $28 for Adults, $26 for Seniors (55+), $14 for Youths (3-17), and Children 2 and under are FREE. 1 Old Sturbridge Village Rd., Sturbridge MA., www.osv.org

3,4, Saturday and Sunday – Art in the Park Annual Labor Day Event, Keene NH – 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Over 80 artists at Ashuelot River Park, West St., Keene, NH. Music provided by Keene Music Festival. The wide variety of artists will have arrangements of original artwork, paintings, photographs, prints, sculptures, cards, mugs, tiles, calendars, etc. For the first time ever, MAAA will have organic cotton tees for sale that say, " I support local arts" - $15, www.monadnockartists.org.

4, Sunday – Guilford Festival Orchestra on the Lawn, Guilford VT, 2:00 p.m. -4:00 p.m. Friends of Music at Guilford’s 51st Labor Day Weekend Festival continues on Sunday afternoon, September 4, at 2:00, when Ken Olsson conducts the Guilford Festival Orchestra on the lawn outside the Organ Barn. The program features Mozart’s Overture to “The Marriage of Figaro,” Mendelssohn’s Symphony for Strings #2 in D and Reinecke’s Octet for Winds in B-flat. Soprano Julie Olsson is featured in Puccini arias from “La Bohème” and “Tosca,” then Haydn’s Symphony #99 leads to the event’s traditional finale, a sing-in of Randall Thompson’s Alleluia. The Organ Barn is at Tree Frog Farm off Packer Corners Rd. in rural Guilford. Grounds open on Sunday at 12 noon for picnicking and lunch sales. In case of rain, the lunch and lawn concert are moved to the Broad Brook Grange on the Guilford Center Rd., 4 mi. from the Guilford Store on Rt. 5. Festival events are admission-free with donations welcome. For further information and a 2016-17 Season Calendar, contact the Friends of Music office at (802) 254-3600 or office@fomag.org. Visit online at www.fomag.org.

August 26, 27, 28, 2016

What’s Happening”

August 26, 27, 28, 2016

26, Friday - Farm to Table Beer & Dinner at Wachusett Mountain Ski Area – 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Wachusett Mountain is kicking off Farm Fresh Fest with a Farm to Table Beer Dinner featuring brews from our friends at Wachusett Brewing Company! Upon arrival, guests will enjoy a glass of a special cask brew of Black Shack Porter with cocoa nibs, then settle in for a 5-course dinner prepared by Wachusett Executive Chef Anthony Celli, paired with other select beers from Wachusett Brewing Co. The dinner runs from 7-9pm and includes a brief presentation at the start of each course explaining the beer being served and why it pairs well with the specific food course. After the dinner, enjoy some live music to finish off the night. Each guest will also receive a commemorative beer upon exit. www.wachusett.com

27, 28 Saturday & Sunday- 2nd Annual Farm Fresh Festival at Wachusett Mountain Ski Area, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. This two-day festival will feature a Farmers’ Market, Craft Fair, Cooking Demos, Local Wine Growers, Agricultural Demonstrations, Workshops, Contests, Live Music and much more! More than 70 Vendors on display featuring produce, baked goods, specialty foods, crafts, soaps/oils; knits/wools; plants/herbs and more. Plus Family Entertainment:

Baby and Miniature Animal Petting Zoos - Pony Rides - Moonbounces – SkyRide, 499 Mouuntain Rd., Princeton MA www.wachusett.com

27, Saturday – Yankee Street Fair at the Congregational Church, 138 Main St., Westminster, MA. www.westcong.org.

27, 28, Saturday and Sunday – Opening Weekend at Sholan Farms, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Entertainment, apple picking, hayrides, hiking, and good old-fashioned fun! 1123 Pleasant St., Leominster, MA www.sholanfarms.com

27 Saturday, Pig Roast at the Royalston Fish & Game Club, 1:00 p.m. Enjoy a good pig roast? Never gone to one? Now’s your chance! 50 Main Road, Phillipston. Limited tickets: call 978-249-3004 or check the face book page.

28, Sunday – Car Show and New England BBQ Society Cook-off at the Otter River Sportsman’s Club, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Antique cars on display. BBQ ribs and chicken wing contests. Public can participate in a People’s Choice category for a fee. Lord Rd., Templeton - www.otteriversportsmanclub.org. Or call 978-248-5060.

26, 27, 28– Peterborough Players present, The Ladies Man, A farce by Charles Morey, The Ladies’ Man was written by former Peterborough Players’Artistic Director, Charles Morey. It was adapted from Tailleur pour Dames by Georges Feydeau, the “professor of French farce”. A hilariously zany ride of mistaken identities, near misses and wild coincidences. This fast paced comedy takes place in Belle Époque Paris where the recently married Dr. Hercule Molineaux tells “one, tiny, little, hardly noticeable lie” to cover an innocent but embarrassing indiscretion. Friday, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, 8:00 p.m., Sunday, 4:00 p.m. 55 Hadley Rd., Peterborough NH. Tickets $39.00 each. 603-924-7585 www.peterboroughplayers.org.

28, Sunday – Sweet Tea Picnic – Benefit for Sumner Knight Chapel, 12:00-4:00 p.m., Sumner Knight Chapel, Chapel Dr., Keene NH - On Sunday, August 28th from noon to 4:00 p.m. there will be a benefit music event, ‘Sweet Tea Picnic,’ for Sumner Knight Chapel. Come see six musical acts perform, and tour the impressive Tudor Gothic Chapel in Woodland Cemetery. The music line-up includes the Chamber Singers of Keene (2015 Ewing Arts Award Winners), Song of the Lark (a musical world journey), Hug the Dog (Indie Rock/Reggae), Keene Vocal Consort (Keene State College early music ensemble), Monadnock Chorus Chamber Singers (Peterborough choral ensemble), Decatur Creek (Americana/Folk). The event will take place at the Chapel, which is located at 0 Chapel Drive in Woodland Cemetery off N Lincoln Street, Keene. For schedule, map or to donate visit: keenemusicfestival.org. suggested donation of $15. This event is sponsored by the City of Keene Heritage Commission, Keene Music Festival, and the Keene Parks and Recreation Department. 603-352-5474

What's Happening August 19, 20, 21, 2016

Scene from The Ladies' Man at Peterborough Players

“What’s Happening”

August 18, 19, 20, 21

18, Thursday – Ladies Night Out 5-9 p.m. Leominster City Hall Ladies are invited to visit participating businesses and take advantage of exclusive offers and enjoy a fashion show at City Hall at 8 pm. Contact the Mayor’s office at 978-534-7500.

19, 20, 21, - Friday, Saturday, Sunday – Peterborough Players present The Ladies’ Man, a farce by Charles Morey - The Ladies’ Man was written by former Peterborough Players’ Artistic Director, Charles Morey. It was adapted from Tailleur pour Dames by Georges Feydeau, the “professor of French farce”. A hilariously zany ride of mistaken identities, near misses and wild coincidences. This fast paced comedy takes place in Belle Époque Paris where the recently married Dr. Hercule Molineaux tells “one, tiny, little, hardly noticeable lie” to cover an innocent but embarrassing indiscretion. Friday, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, 8:00 p.m., Sunday, 4:00 p.m. Price: $37.00 each. *Guests of the B&B receive discounted tickets at $25.00 each.

19, Friday – Healing with Nature:  Forest Bathing – 9:30 a.m.–12:30, Tower Hill Botanic Garden, Immerse yourself in "forest bathing" -- a well-known Japanese practice for managing stress and connecting to nature -- during this half-day retreat with Certified Forest Therapy Guide Nadine Mazola. This retreat is offered on three separate dates. 11 French Dr., Boylston MA, 774-230-7153 towerhillbg.org

19, 20, 21, Friday, Saturday, Sunday – Hairspray, Friday & Saturday, 8 pm; Sunday, 2 pm.- Theatre at the Mount, (Due to ongoing construction at Theatre at the Mount, all performances of Hairspray will be held at Oakmont Regional High School in Ashburnham – 9 Oakmont Dr.) You can’t stop the beat! Baltimore’s Tracy Turnblad, a big girl with big hair and an even bigger heart, has only one passion - to dance. She wins a spot on the local TV dance program, The Corny Collins Show and, overnight, is transformed from outsider to irrepressible teen celebrity. But can a plus-size trendsetter in dance and fashion vanquish the program’s reigning princess, win the heart of heartthrob Link Larkin, and integrate a television show without denting her ‘do? Only in Hairspray. mwcc.edu/tam for tickets

20, Saturday-Festival of Fireworks, Jaffrey Airfield, Jaffrey NH - Rain or Shine, Rte. 124, 190 Turnpike Road, Jaffrey- The fireworks are a family event, the best fireworks show in New England!!! Live entertainment, skydivers, and vendors. This year’s theme: Rock’n the Stars! It’s worth the drive from anywhere! Gates open at 4:00 p.m. – plan to be in your seats by 8:30 pm. No pets or animals of any kind – no bicycles, no grills, no alcohol, no personal fireworks - Handicap parking - is available on a first come, first serve basis. Handicapped patrons should plan to be in park by 6:30 – 7:00 as it always fills up. WHAT TO BRING? – Blankets, chairs, (outside food is allowed, no alcohol.) Tents no larger than 10’ x 10’ and umbrellas may be temporarily used but all must be taken down no later than 7:00 pm.

Contact Jaffrey Chamber 603-532-4549, www.jaffreychamber.com - for ticket information

20, Saturday, Historic Shirley Pub Crawl – 4:00 p.m. We will start at the Bull Run Restaurant with an overview of our historic taverns. Then we will board the bus for a guided tour of 22 sites of Shirley taverns, bars, and nightclubs.  Ticket price for the tour bus plus one libation is $20 per person.

20, Saturday, Tropical Sensations perform on Templeton Common, Routes 2A and 101. This steel drum band brings the sounds of the tropics to the bandstand on this iconic New England town common. 10:00 a.m.-noon.  

20, 21 Saturday and Sunday, Templeton Arts & Crafts Festival, 10 am–5 pm Saturday & Sunday, 10 am–4 pm.  Templeton Common, Routes 2A and 101. Over 100 vendors with handcrafted items, live entertainment both days, food tent, raffles and more. All proceeds go to scholarship awards. Contact Darlene LaClair, 978-731-8567

20, 21, Saturday and Sunday, Peach Festival at Carlson Orchard, Enjoy luscious peaches fresh from the tree, live music, cookout, vendors sampling and selling their products, hayrides into the orchard, peach crisp, pies and more. 115 Oak Hill Road, Harvard -Visit carlsonorchards.com.

20, 21 Saturday and Sunday, New England Jet Rally- 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Gardner Municipal Airport, Route 2A, Gardner. A radio-controlled aircraft event featuring dozens of model aircraft in a high-tech jet air show. Bring the family and enjoy watching the planes fly!

20, 21, Saturday and Sunday, Living History Event, Historic Hillsborough NH

Join us for our Eighth Annual Living History Event. Visit with Abigail Adams, wife of President John Adams, Molly Pitcher, who carried water to soldiers, and Annie Oakley, famous sharpshooter portrayed by Kim Hanley. Listen to Rob Vellela reading in the persona of Nathaniel Hawthorne or Alan Hoffman talking about Marquis de Lafayette at the President Franklin Pierce Homestead. Laura Ingalls Wilder, (Melanie Stringer) will be on hand to talk about her life and Robert Olson will return as Mr. Bayly our 18th Century Magician, and the popular, Tom Hanford telling his Chimney-side Tales. Interact with period artisans and the music of the 2nd South Carolina String Band, or follow a battle through the woods. Enjoy the Cavalry. Hear the cannons roar. Suttlers, crafters and the blacksmith will be selling their wares.

Birds of prey will be on display. Sew a flag with Betsy Ross, and many other children’s activities. Try your hand at panning for real gold, soap making, candle dipping, and so much more. Make butter, ice cream, press cider, and sample maple syrup. Feast on mouth-watering traditional foods, Grilled Chicken, Pulled Pork, Plowman’s Lunch and delicious home baked pastries. Join us for a delightful, interactive living history experience and take part in the unique history of the New England area. Venture on a fantastic trip throughout Hillsborough and discover the historic villages, Hillsborough Heritage Museum, including the Manahan-Phelps-McCulloch Photos and DAR Collection. Take a tour of the Center Cemetery and see where President Pierce’s parents are buried on 2nd NH Turnpike. View scenic drives.

Take a horse-drawn wagon ride, or a self-guided stroll around the Old Historic Center.  Also offered are trolley tours of the wonderful stone arch bridges that make Hillsborough an historical treasure. Hosted by the Hillsborough Historical Society and the Living History Event Committee. Ticket Information: Tickets are available online through August 18. Tickets will be available the day of the event at all locations. Cash only at all locations.  No Credit Cards or debit Cards. You can begin your day at any location. Adults (18+) $10, Seniors (62+) $8, 6 – 17 years $5, 5 and under FREE. FREE admission for all Hillsborough, Henniker, Deering, Windsor, and Washington public, private and home-schooled students with school or parent id. Tickets are good for both Saturday and Sunday and get you into absolutely everything! (except the gold panning - we will be charging $5 per person which will help cover the high cost of the gold.)

Hours: Saturday 9-5, Sunday 9-4 - http://livinghistoryeventnh.com

21, Sunday - Open Days Program Garden Tour - Monadnock Region in Walpole, 10 a.m. -4:00 p.m. Explore four private gardens in Acworth, Walpole, and Westmoreland, NH and Westminster West, VT. Open to the public for self-guided tours to benefit the Garden Conservancy. No reservations required; rain or shine. Featuring New England vernacular gardens, water features, and pop-up sales with plants and garden-related items. Begin at Distant Hill Gardens, or see website for additional locations; hours vary. Admission is $7 per private garden, children 12 & under free. See www.opendaysprogram.org or call The Garden Conservancy toll-free weekdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST, 1-888-842-2442.

What's Happening August 5, 6, 7, 2016

There are a lot of fun events happening in our area this weekend, including the 77th Annual Festival and Sidewalk Sale in Gardner.

August 4, 5, 6, 7, 2016

4-14 – Pygmalion at Peterborough Players A comedy by George Bernard Shaw

First presented on stage to the public in 1913, Pygmalion is the story of Professor of phonetics Henry Higgins who makes a bet that he can train a bedraggled Cockney flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, to pass for a duchess at an ambassador’s garden party. Shaw’s play has been adapted numerous times, most notably as the musical My Fair Lady and the film of the same name. Contact peterboroughplayers.org for prices and information

5, 6, Friday, Saturday - Experience Gardner Friday, 9 am–6 pm & Saturday, 9 am–4 pm. The 77^th annual Experience Gardner Festival & Sidewalk Sale is one of Gardner’s biggest events. For two days, during the specified hours, the downtown area is converted to a family-oriented street fair featuring community exhibits and demonstrations, performing artists, parades, Kids’ Zone, and more. Local retail shops, businesses, organizations, and outside vendors feature their merchandise out on the streets.  www.gardnersquaretwo.com

5, 6, Friday, Saturday, St. Anthony’s Parish Bazaar, 12 Phoenix St., Shirley. Friday’s menu includes lobster; Saturday’s is barbecued chicken. And don’t forget the hot dogs, hamburgers, sausage and other taste treats both evenings. Games of chance, mid-way games and a giant raffle. Contact Charles Waite days, 978-425-5082.

6, Saturday, Bertozzi Wildlife Management Area Paddling Tour at Nashoba Paddler, 398 W. Main St., Groton. Enjoy the adventure of paddling a narrow, meandering section of the Squannacook River ending just below a small set of rapids. Registration required. Visit www.nashobapaddler.com.

6, Saturday – Tower Hill Botanical Garden - WILD HERBS: GUIDED WALK WITH GUIDO MASE, 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Explore the outdoor spaces of Tower Hill Botanic Gardens with an eye to the medicinal value of the plants, both cultivated and weedy, that we find there. Led by Guido Mase, Registered Herbalist, American Herbal Guild, We will discuss folklore and history, chemistry and preparation, as well as safe application tips for using these herbs in everyday life. Rain or Shine so prepare for both. 11 French Drive, Boylston, MA  towerhillbg.org

6, Saturday – Johnny Appleseed Craft Beer Festival, 4-8 p.m. The Johnny Appleseed Craft Beer Festival will take place Saturday, August 6, 2016, from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm, in downtown Leominster, Massachusetts. The Festival is held outdoors, with all brewers under multiple tents and food vendors on the Common. Your admission fee provides you with a 4 oz. souvenir tasting glass, which you get to keep, to commemorate your attendance at this great craft beer event, and to use at home for your own personal tasting sessions with friends! 43 breweries and cideries; Food from local restaurants; music and more. 21+ www.johhnyappleseedbeerfest.com

6, Saturday, Mass State Chili Cook-off and Family Fun Day, 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. at American Legion Post 193, 295 School St. Winchendon, sponsored by the Winchendon Kiwanis Club. Cooks compete in chili and salsa categories, and visitors can taste their creations. Enjoy live music, petting zoo, touch-a-truck event, crafters, more. Admission $8 adults, children 12 and under, free. Contact Bruce Cloutier, 978-297-1815.

7, Sunday – Polish Picnic – 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at the Otter River Sportsman’s Club, Lord Road, Otter River. Polish food, Polish music and dancing to a Polish band. Food tickets available at the door. Free admission.  Visit otteriversportsmanclub.org.