Children’s Halloween Party PAXTON — For the 37th year, the Paxton Lions Club, with help from the town and several local businesses, will sponsor the children’s Halloween party at Illig’s Pond, beyond Paxton Center School’s playground, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 31, from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
The Lions Club invites families to enjoy a hayride, a huge bonfire supervised by the Paxton Fire Department, and refreshments of warm apple cider, doughnuts, and popcorn. The members will also pass out bags of candy donated by Worcester Memorial Park.
Prizes for best costumes will be awarded.
The Lions are grateful for assistance from the Paxton Recreation Department, Paxton Fire Department, Police Department and Paxton DPW. Without these fine town departments, this event could not happen.
Come and bring the family. The event has been held in the snow and on the coldest night in late October.
For more information, call Lion Bob Wilby at 508-792-4662.
Ghost Walk RUTLAND — The Ghost Walk at the Old Burial Ground, Route 122A, will be held from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30. The walk was postponed from Oct. 23 due to inclement weather. Members and friends of the Rutland Historical Society will portray some of the inhabitants of this special cemetery and talk about the lives in Rutland. The cemetery was used from 1717 until 1842. The program is free. Families are encouraged to attend and discover what life was like in the 1700s and 1800s as they move around at their own pace. The spirits arrive at 3:30 p.m.; meet them at the gate. For more information, call the Historical Society at 50-886-4893.
Pitch Party HOLDEN — A public pitch party sponsored by Holden Grange will be held at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, at the Holden Senior Center, 1130 Main St. Admission is $4. Attendance prizes and a penny table of produce and home-baked goods will be available. For more information, email holdengrange78@gmail.com or call 508-886-2341. Wild About Wildflowers talk PAXTON — The Paxton Garden Club is sponsoring the talk Wild About Wildflowers with Eric Howe, Paxton resident, author and naturalist, at Richards Memorial Library, 44 Richards Ave., from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 3.
The event will be a brief presentation with samples, followed by a Q&A. The club will be serving light refreshments and selling its fundraiser notecards (https:// www.paxtongardenclub.com/ notecards-fall-fundraiser). Ham and Baked Potato Supper STERLING — The Hiram O. Taylor American Legion Post 189 will hold a ham and baked potato and vegetable supper at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5, at the First Church in Sterling hall. Takeout available will be available; $12 donation requested. For tickets, call Bob Temple at 978-294-4985, Joe Chiaravalloti at 978-870-0575, or Jerry Boynton at 978-870-3005.
American Legion meeting STERLING — The regular meeting of the Hiram O. Taylor Post 189 of the American Legion will be held Monday, Nov. 7, at 7:30 p.m. at the post hall, 32 School St. Beef stew at 7 p.m., E-Board at 6:30 p.m. All veterans welcome.
Chamber Salute Breakfast The Wachusett Area Chamber of Commerce will host its annual Salute Breakfast on Wednesday, Nov. 16, from 7:30 to 9 a.m. at the West Boylston Senior Center, 120 Prescott St., West Boylston. This year’s honorees are Chris’s Collections, Paxton; the Holden Woman’s Club; and Richard Traina of Sterling. In addition, the Chamber will present its Public Safety Person of the Year award to Officer Holly Doyle of the Princeton Police Department.
The breakfast buffet is sponsored by Christopher House of Worcester, Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing.
The cost is $25 for chamber members, $30 for non-chamber members.
Each year the Wachusett Area Chamber salutes businesses, individuals and organizations that have made their community a better place in which to live.
To register, visit www.wachusettareachamber. org. The deadline to register is Wednesday, Nov. 9. Historical Society Open House RUTLAND — The Rutland Historical Society is holding two open houses in November: 7-9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11, and 1-4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12.
The society is located at 232 Main St.
COA annual Craft Fair RUTLAND — The Friends of the Council on Aging will holding its annual Holiday Craft Fair from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 18, at the Senior/Community Center, 53 Glenwood Road.
The event will offer great holiday shopping, with lots of local artists and crafters. Baked goods and lunch will be available, as well as raffles, 50/50, and gift baskets. Admission is free. Children’s events at Gale Free Library HOLDEN — The children’s area at the Gale Free Library has a lot of events scheduled for this month, leading up to the townwide Holden Halloween event.
Regular storytimes are every Thursday morning.
Thursday, Oct. 27, 10-10:30 a.m.: (birth to 2.5 years). Lapsit storytime. Join Miss Rachel for a weekly storytime for babies and toddlers. Songs, movement and stories all with a fall/ Halloween theme. Group play time afterward. No registration necessary. Wear your costumes Oct. 27 for the Halloween storytime.
The Witch’s Cottage. Oct. 1729.Sign up for one of our many spooky events. Go to galefreelibrary. org for more information and signups.
Oct. 19-Nov. 1, visit the Boats of Doom, the library’s Halloween Lego display with working train. Pieces designed by the library’s own Lego Club kids. In the Children’s Room.
Thursday, Oct. 27, 1111:30am. (2.5 to 5 years): Preschool Story Club. Mr. Kevin leads this wacky half hour storytime, with Halloween stories, songs and lots of silliness. No registration necessary. On Oct. 27, it’s Halloween! Mr. Kevin reads his favorite not-sospooky stories this week. Wear your costumes.
Friday, Oct. 28, 10 a.m. (ages 2-6): Monster Music and Me. Get those little ones moving, dancing and singing to the monster beat. Registration required, go to galefreelibrary.org.
Saturday, Oct. 29, 11 a.m.4 p.m.: Halloween in Holden Trick or Treat. Stop in with your costumes for three floors of candy. Halloween Fun at the Red Barn HOLDEN — The Friends of the Red Barn will host a festive finale for the town’s Halloween in Holden events on Saturday, Oct. 29. Families are invited to end the day’s activities at the Red Barn, 52 Shrewsbury St., from 3 to 5 p.m. for fun, prizes, food and music.
Children wearing costumes are encouraged to join the costume parade around the grounds at 3:30 p.m. At the end of the parade, prizes will be awarded for the best costumes.
From 3 to 4:30 p.m., make your own scarecrow. Bring your own scarecrow clothes or use clothing provided. Frames and stuffing will be set up, and markers, string and stuffing with be available. Plan to get an early start, since there is a limited number of scarecrow frames.
Bring your homemade jacko- lantern for display in front of the barn. Jack-o-lanterns will be lighted at dusk (about 5 p.m.). Prizes for the best scarecrows and best jack-o-lanterns will be awarded at 4:30 p.m.
Scarecrows and jack-o-lanterns will remain on display on the barn grounds through Halloween.
Historical Commission 2023 Calendar PAXTON — The Paxton Historical Commission will again be offering its annual calendar containing many archival photos of the town’s past. The cost will still be only $10, and profits will be used to benefit the town.
Calendars will be on sale starting the end of October at the Senior Center, 10 West Marketplace and Richards Memorial Library. Friends of Conant Library Arts & Crafts Show STERLING — The annual Friends of the Conant Public Library Arts & Crafts Show will be held the Saturday before Thanksgiving, Nov. 19, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the First Church, 6 Meetinghouse Hill Road.
Holiday and gift items will fill the main hall of the First Church and two additional rooms. The fair will also feature a raffle, bake sale, and lunch café.
All the items at this juried fair are handmade by local craftspeople and artists. Offerings include dish gardens and planters, photography, soaps, hand-painted wine bottles with lights, jewelry, caned chairs, wooden signs, wool felted trees, wind chimes, hand-painted glass ornaments, pottery, crocheted beanies and scarves, alpaca clothing, knitted accessories and teddy bears, aromatherapy pillows, candles, wood turnings, jams and jellies, homemade dog cookies, self-published children’s books, and hand-knotted blankets, pet beds and baskets.
The fair will also feature a raffle and lunch café. Wrapped cheese will be offered for sale, and a bake sale will feature cookies, bars, and tea breads.
Signup sheets are available at the library’s front desk for those who would like to volunteer their time or contribute to the bake sale.
Leominster Credit Union is a co-sponsor of this year’s fair.
The $2 admission supports programs at the Conant Public Library. For more information, search Facebook for Friends of the Conant Public Library Arts & Crafts Show, send an email to ster-lingcraftfair@ gmail.org, or visit sterlinglibrary.org, click on About, then Friends of the Library.
Conant Library STERLING — Conant Public Library, 4 Meetinghouse Hill Road, is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Registration for the following programs (if required) can be done at sterlinglibrary.org or by calling 978-422-6409.
StoryWalk. Take a walk with a good book and enjoy the beautiful fall weather. A StoryWalk featuring “The Leaf Thief” by Alice Hemming is now on display. The StoryWalk is located on the lawn next to the library.
Pokémon Card Painting for Teens. Thursday, Oct. 27, at 6:30 p.m. What beautiful art can you create within the bounds of a Pokémon card? Can you paint a brand-new environment for a favorite Pokémon? Teens and tweens ages 10 and older are invited to come to the library for a night of miniature painting fun. Bring your favorite cards (that you wouldn’t mind painting on), or choose from some of the library’s. Art supplies provided; registration required. Bonus: Suggest some songs to help us build our teen program music playlist. bit.ly/3PtT0cn.
Dinovember at the Conant Library. What is Dinovember? Parents and co-authors Refe & Susan Tuma began Dinovember, capturing the antics of dinosaurs who got into all kinds of mischief overnight. It took off in a big way, and now it’s a monthly celebration every November. There’s even a picture book, What the Dinosaurs Did! To celebrate, people capture photographs and videos of dinosaurs in funny situations, and this November, the library will be participating. All month long the library will have dinosaur activities, crafts and special programs.
Yoga for Adults Wind down at the end of the day with a relaxing yoga class. Instructor Sharyn Hocurscak will lead yoga classes Tuesdays at 7 p.m. at the 1835 Town Hall in Sterling, Nov. 1 through Dec. 6. Registration required. Sponsored by the Friends of the Library.
Picture Book Club: Curious George Rides a Bike. 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 2. This month the club will read H.A. Rey’s classic Curious George Rides a Bike. Join your book-loving friends to talk about that book and enjoy a few more. We will also try making boats just like George does in the book. Books can be checked out at the library (participants do not need to bring their copy to the meeting). Registration required. Open to children in grades K-2.
Teen Volunteer Time. Volunteer in your community. On Wednesday, Nov. 2, from 6-8 p.m., teens can help with program preparation and keeping library materials in shipshape. Registration required. Open to ages 12-18.
Holiday Harvest with Kim Larkin. 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 2, at the Sterling Senior Center. Want to up your holiday- hosting game? Want to get a head start on tasting delightful foods? Kim Larkin will guide participants through constructing a fun, colorful buffet, as well as teach tablescaping techniques, healthful recipes, and easy wine and spirit batch recommendations. Get “board certified” with a cheeseboard primer and easy entertaining ideas. Taste samples of chocolate, Klassic Harvest Bark, a festive mocktail beverage and more. Test your new knowledge with a fun trivia quiz. Registration required.
¡Hola, Amigos! Bilingual Storytime. ¡Es la hora de cuentos! Come to a special bilingual storytime on Thursday, Nov. 3, at 11:15 a.m. Readead and sing in English and en español to let children get a glimpse of the wide world of language around them. Registration required. For children ages 2-6 with caregivers.
Folded Book Turkey Craft for Adults. Learn how to make a stunning turkey out of an old book. Thursday, Nov. 3, at 1 and 6:30 p.m.; choose whichever time works best for you. All supplies provided. Registration required.
Holiday Photos. Say cheese! On Saturdays, Nov. 5 and 12, the library is offering photo sessions for all groups: families, couples, individuals, and friends. Sessions are 15 minutes long, and photos are delivered digitally for your use in cards or as a keepsake. Backdrop and photographer provided, you just bring your holiday spirit. Registration required.
Bullet Journaling. 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 7. Bullet journals can be calendars, to-do lists, journals, memory keepers, and more. Shannon from Casual Study will be here to show how bullet journals organize all the bits of information you are constantly trying to remember. There will be plenty of materials for everyone to get started on their journals during the second half of the class. Everyone leaves with their own journal. Registration required.
Keva Build Time. Build with friends after school. The library will have a drop-in KEVA event for children of all ages at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 9. No registration required.
Family Paint Night: Dinovember Come to the library on Wednesday, Nov. 9, at 6:30 p.m. and follow a step-bystep plan to create a dinosaur scene on a canvas. Ages 5 and older; under 10 must have a supervising caregiver, who is encouraged to paint along. Registration required.
DinosaurStorytime Celebrate Dinovember with a special storytime all about these ancient reptiles on Thursday, Nov. 10, at 10:30 a.m. Registration required. For children 18 months and older with caregivers.
Preschool Storytime Enjoy stories, songs, and crafts with friends. Mondays at 10:30 a.m.; 5-week session begins Nov. 14. For children ages 3-6 (siblings of other ages welcome but must be registered) and caregivers. Registration required.
Toddler Storytime Enjoy stories, songs, and crafts with friends. Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m.; 5-week session begins Nov. 15. For children 18 months-3 (siblings of other ages welcome but must be registered) and their caregivers. Registration required.
Keeper of the Lost Cities Series Celebration Elves, spies, and unicorns, oh my! Come to the library at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 16, and celebrate November’s release of the final Keeper of the Lost Cities book. This is a special book club session perfect for fans of Shannon Messenger and for those who want to see what the series is all about. Share your opinions, make a nexus, taste some delectable mallowmelt, and more. Participants should read at least one of the books before the meeting, but do not need to bring it with them. Books will be available for checkout at the library. For children in grades 3-8; registration required.
