November
11 Veterans Day: Townsend: VFW Park Monument, West Townsend, at 11 a.m. Flag retirement ceremony at 2 p.m., VFW Post Home, 491 Main St.
Shirley: Shirley Veterans Events Committee, assisted by American Legion Post 183, will present a Veterans Day Program at Whiteley Park at 11 a.m. In case of inclement weather, the event will be held indoors at the War Memorial Building on Church Street, where a reception will be held after the ceremony.
Groton: 11 a.m. at the Groton Fire Station on Farmers Row. Come and honor those brave men and women who have served and sacrificed.
Pepperell: Enjoy a fabulous breakfast organized by the Pepperell Army Community Covenant. The breakfast is held at the VFW Post 3291 at 55 Leighton St. on Friday from 8-10 a.m. This is no ordinary breakfast! The spread is spectacular! The buffet contains scrambled eggs, pancakes, French toast, sausage, bacon, home fries, fresh cut fruit salad, toast and English muffins. The chefs are eager to make eggs to order and an omelet of your choice including ingredients such as cheese, ham, peppers, mushrooms and onions. There is plenty of coffee, tea, hot chocolate, juice and water. This month’s breakfast is sponsored by Pepperell Family Pharmacy, Lyons & Tzanoudakis, LLP and 1A Auto. This breakfast is free to all veterans and military families.
12 Veterans Day Open House: Fort Devens Museum, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Guest speakers will present three programs throughout the day: The history of African American soldiers and integration within the Army; Lowell-area Armenian-American oral history project; and personal memories of growing up in Germany during WWII, marrying an American soldier and moving to the U.S.
Super Moon Night Walk and Owl Prowl: Farandnear, 156 Center Road, Shirley, 6:30-8:45 p.m. Enjoy a rare SUPER LARGE FULL MOON night walk along the trails, where we may not need a flashlight! Together, we’ll enjoy the serenity of the quiet trails and we’ll try to call in a Barred Owl. The program will conclude by learning how to call in the owls! All ages welcome. Dress warmly, in layers, hats, gloves, warm boots. Bring water and a light snack, especially for children. Member: $5; nonmember: $10, KIDS FREE.
13 Dance for Kindness: Main Street, Ayer, 1 p.m. Join a freeze mob/flash mob, the first in eastern Massachusetts. For additional information, contact Fred Deppe, 978-772-8600 ext. 1401 or fdeppe@asrsd.org.
Talk on Clocks: The Townsend Historical Society will hold its annual meeting at the Congregational Church Hall, 2 p.m., featuring “Timekeeping in Early New England,” an illustrated program by expert restorer of antique clocks, Bob Frishman of Bell-Time Clocks. The program is free and open to the public, and attendees are welcome to bring an antique watch or clock for a free appraisal.
Middlesex GWOT fundraiser: 4-8 p.m. at the Bull Run, Shirley; $65 per person, 3- course dinner includes salad, choice of prime rib or BBQ chicken, served with mashed potato, vegetable medley, dessert and coffee. Cash bar. All ages. Music by the Southern City Band. All ticket sales are through the Bull Run.
15 An Evening with Chronicle’s Ted Reinstein: Groton Public Library, 7-8:30 p.m. New England’s feuds have peppered the region’s life for centuries. Ted Reinstein, a native New Englander and writer, offers us fascinating stories, some known, others not so much, from the history of New England in this fun, accessible book. Bringing to life many of the fights, spats and arguments that have, in many ways, shaped the area itself, Reinstein demonstrates what it really means to be “Wicked Pissed.”
Open House: Nashua Catholic Regional Jr. High School, 6 Bartlett Avenue, Nashua, N.H., Fall Open House, 6:30-8 p.m. NOW offer busing from Lowell, Dunstable, Chelmsford, Tyngsboro, Pepperell, Groton, Townsend, Pelham, and Dracut. Learn more at www.ncrjhs.org or call Mary Kirkwood at 603-882- 7011 for information.
17 Antique Appraisal: 2 to 4 p.m. at RiverCourt Residences, 8 West Main St., Groton. Peter Yvanovich, founder of New England Inventory and Appraisal Services will appraise items, one per person, no appointment necessary. Jewelry, stamps, coins and firearms will NOT be appraised.
18 Paint Night: A fundraiser for NM Choir Boosters, 6:30 to 10 p.m. at the VFW in Pepperell, 55 Leighton St. Cost is $45 per person, all supplies are included to create a 12×16 painting. Guided by a professional artist. Contact Michele Higginson at nmchoirboosters@gmail.com or call 978-870-9255 or Jenn Connelly at 978-621-8752.
Groton Woman’s Club: Groton Woman’s Club will be having a special program about two of the service projects that the club has been involved in for several years. The first project is Blankets of Hope sponsored by Soldiers’ Angels. Club members have made over 450 patriotic quilts to be mailed to wounded service men and women who have been sent to the U.S. Military Hospital in Germany. The second project is the Williams Barn Educational Program that all third-graders in the Groton-Dunstable School System enjoy each June, a hands-on experience of what life was like in Groton in the 1800s and takes place at the Williams Barn. Hostess chairmen for the luncheon, which begins at 11:30 a.m. at the Union Congregational Church, are Ingrid Belitsky and Marie Melican. For more information about the Groton Woman’s Club, visit grotonwomansclub.org or call president Marie Melican at 978-448-8224.
Nashoba Valley Chorale: Performs Bach’s “Jesu, meine Freude” at 8 p.m. at Littleton High School Performing Arts Center. In addition to Bach, the chorale performs Ola Gjielo’s “Sunrise Mass,” and instrumentalists from the Orchestra at Indian Hill present “Shawkemo Dreaming,” a piece connected to Nantucket. Tickets are $25 adults, $20 seniors/students, $10 children. Visit nashobavalleychorale.org for more information.
19 Groton Community Home Tour: Groton Community School will host the 12th annual Groton Community Home Tour from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Doors open at the school for program guide pick-up, coffee and refreshments and vendor shopping at 9 a.m. Tickets are available at select Groton retailers and online at www.grotoncommunityschool.org/home-tour/tickets/.
Turkeys on the Trail: At Farandnear, 156 Center Road, Shirley, 1-2:30 p.m. Join us for “Green Friday” as you walk off all that Thanksgiving turkey! Learn from a naturalist about how turkeys thrive in our suburban forests. Member: $5; nonmember: $10, KIDS FREE.
Holiday Fair and Tours: Townsend United Methodist Church, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Coffee and donut time is at 9 a.m. Mid-morning and throughout the day, a full lunch will be served with beef stew, hot dogs, corn chowder and desserts. There is also a silent auction, baked goods and a tour of the historic building, built in 1770 and moved twice.
Friends of Nashoba’s Fifth Annual Craft Fair: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Nashoba Valley Technical High School, 100 Littleton Road (Route 110), in Westford. Kick off your holiday shopping in one spot, with more than 85 vendors participating. There will be something for everyone, and you’ll be supporting the students of Nashoba Tech.
Open House: The Groton Garden Club and Groton Fire Department invites parents and children to an Open House from 10 a.m. to noon. Come on down to the Center Fire Station, 45 Farmers Row, Groton for a tour and to meet a special guest who traveled to Groton to talk to everyone about preventing forest fires. Children in Grades 1-5 are encouraged to enter the Smokey Bear and Woodsy Owl national poster contest. All materials for creating a poster will be provided. The national poster contest is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service and the National Garden Club, Inc. Additional information may be found at www.grotongardenclub.org
Holiday Fair: St. Andrew’s Church in Ayer, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the church parish hall. Admission is free and all are welcome. The highlights of this year’s fair include scrumptious home baked holiday pies, beautifully handcrafted holiday decorations and gift items, delicious cookies-by-the-pound, locally designed and crafted jewelry, hand knit and hand sewn American Girl Doll clothes, fresh balsam wreaths handmade in Maine, hard to resist raffle baskets (including a Gift Card Tree with more than $200 worth of gift cards), a silent auction of antiques and collectibles, a wonderful selection of gift baskets and a used book sale.
Greens Fair: Townsend Congregational, 3 Brookline St., Townsend, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The fair will have several professional crafters. Also, the church will provide baskets with interesting contents for raffle, home-baked goods including fresh baked apple pies, fresh greens arrangements for the holiday, crafts and activities for children, a visit with Santa, and a bistro for lunch. Visit for your Christmas shopping and for a fun day.
20 Woodland Creature Crafting Workshop: The Nashua River Watershed Association is offering this free hands-on program for families with children ages 6 years and up, from 1:30 to 4 p.m., at the NRWA River Resource Center, 592 Main Street (Rt. 119) in Groton Join naturalists Gaynor Bigelbach and Stacey Chilcoat for a creative afternoon making your favorite woodland animals out of local seeds, pods, cones, and other fall forest finds. After a short nature hike to gather materials, we will return to the River Resource center to craft our creatures while getting inspiration from our animal mounts and photographs. We will round out the afternoon with hot chocolate and a story circle. Registration is required by Nov. 16. To register, please email GaynorB@NashuaRiverWatershed.org.
22 Fresh Baked Pie Sale: Friends of Shirley Seniors, St. Anthony’s Hall in Shirley. The sale will be from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. or while supply lasts.
26 Third Annual Authors’ Fair: Groton Public Library, 10 a.m. to noon. Local authors work with local readers and meet other authors. Contact Lauren Sanchez, 978- 448-1168 ext. 1319.
Christmas Craft Fair: St. Anthony of Padua Parish Hall, 14 Phoenix St., Shirley, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. This year we have a wonderful selection of juried crafters offering a wide variety of handmade items such as jewelry, Christmas decorations, candles, soap, wooden toys, mittens, quilted items and much more. We have expanded the number of crafters for a much greater variety of beautiful gifts. We also have new games, books, dolls, trucks and other toys for children of all ages. We will have our Annual Cookie Walk along with a theme basket raffle and the ever popular grab bags. Lunch will be available that includes homemade turkey soup, sandwiches and yummy desserts.
December
3 Craft & Bake Sale: Senior Center in Shirley, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Greens Sale: Sponsored by the Groton Woman’s Club, the sale is at Williams Barn from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The sale will also feature boxwood trees, swags, centerpieces, kissing balls, ornaments, holiday cookies, and a raffle for a decorated antique sled along with very special handmade Quilt Raffle. This is an extremely popular event and the variety of decorations is amazing. Be sure to come early for the best selection. Proceeds from the Greens Sale go toward scholarship for students at Groton-Dunstable Regional High School and Groton students from Nashoba Technical High School and the Parker Charter School.
12th annual Lip Sync: Ayer Shirley Regional High School Auditorium on Washington Street, in Ayer, starting at 6 p.m. Tickets $5 available at the door. Come and be entertained and support the Ayer Shirley Education Foundation a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to enriching the educational experience for students in the Ayer Shirley Regional School District.
4 Festival of Lights: 3 to 5 p.m., Farandnear Reservation; 156 Center Rd., Shirley. Make seasonal decorations from nature, enjoy a performance of holiday music, a warm fire and light refreshments. Members: FREE. NM $5. Pre-registration strongly encouraged: http://www.thetrustees.org/things-to-do/events.html. For further information, please contact CShortliffe@TheTrustees.org or LNehring@TheTrustees.org.
Candlelight Vespers: Shirley Meeting House, 6 p.m.
8 Spaghetti Supper: Come join NOLA Service Learning at North Middlesex Regional High school for their annual Spaghetti Supper! It is taking place on Thursday, December 8th from 5:30-8:00 in both cafeterias! Tickets are $5 at the door and we will also be hosting a Silent Auction along with the food! The address is 19 Main Street in Townsend.
Community Forum: The Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts is hosting a community forum in Ayer, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., at North Middlesex Savings Bank, Main Street. It is free to attend and interested parties can reserve a seat by emailing Sue Cordio at scordio@cfncm.org.
11 Homemade Christmas Cookie Walk: St. John the Evangelist, Daughter’s of Isabella are holding their Annual Christmas Cookie Walk. Purchase as many or as few beautifully decorated homemade Christmas Cookies as you would like. Priced at $10 per pound. Also pies, breads, candies and homemade organic dog treats. St. John’s Father Mealey Hall, 1 School St. Townsend, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
18 Community Christmas Concert: ShirleyArts! sponsors a concert to benefit Loaves and Fishes. 2 p.m., Ayer Shirley Middle School.
