The Natick Center Cultural District

Meet the Artist - Rebecca McGee Tuck
2024-04-30 17:00 - 18:30 (America/New_York) | Bacon Free Library – 58 Eliot Street Natick, MA 01760 United States
Drop in at the Bacon Free Library to meet sculptor and social activist, Rebecca McGee Tuck, and enjoy a viewing of her display “Along the Wrack Line.”
Rebecca is a sculptor and an ocean activist. Her current display, “Along the Wrack Line,” deals with the overwhelming amount of debris and plastic trash that contaminate our local New England beaches. Rebecca’s unique, thought-provoking work will be on display at the Bacon Free Library from March 28th to May 15th.

Zentangle
2024-05-07 17:00 - 18:30, 2024-07-02 17:15 - 18:30
The Zentangle® Method is an easy-to-learn, relaxing, and fun way to create beautiful images by drawing structured patterns (called tangles). In this workshop at the Bacon Free Library, learn the history of Zentangle, the basic steps of the method, and the tools used. Through step-by-step instructions, you will be immersed in creating an original Zentangle tile.

No artistic talent or experience is required. All supplies will be provided.

Rachel Slate-Ziman is a Certified Zentangle Teacher (CZT), educated by the creators of Zentangle, Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas. She has been learning and practicing the Zentangle Method for many years.

Registration is required.

Slow Stitching
2024-05-21 17:00 - 18:30
Fabric artist Helen Bellomo is back by popular demand for another Slow Stitching class at the Bacon Free Library.
In a busy and chaotic world, sometimes we just need to slow down and not worry about creating a product; instead we can enjoy the process. Slow stitching is a mindful needlework process that focuses on intention and the joy of being in the present moment. Join us to learn about slow stitching. A kit (includes base fabric, patchwork fabric pieces, lace, trims, buttons, needle, and thread) will be provided to all registered participants.
This program is geared towards all ages. Children under 10 must be accompanied by a caregiver.
This workshop is limited to 10 participants. Registration is required.

Decoding the Mysteries of Cats
2024-05-22 18:00 - 19:00
The Bacon Free Library is happy to host Certified Feline Training and Behavior Specialist Stephen Quandt for a virtual discussion of cat behavior. Why does your kitty launch drive-by ankle biting attacks? Does she really have to wake you up so early for food? And what is with the overly aggressive play-fighting between the two tabbies?
Stephen Quandt, behavior expert who has worked with the Animal Care Centers of NYC and the ASPCA, will explain these common cat behaviors from the perspective of the evolutionary and adaptive forces that help shape their furry lives. For example, he’ll explain the influence of the mother/kitten relationship on the kittens’ innate needs for food, attention, and comfort.
This discussion will include a Q& A portion where you can seek guidance for your feline friends.

This program will be held over Zoom. Please register to receive the program link.

Great Blue Herons: A Study of Patience and Grace
2024-05-23 08:00 - 17:00
Visit the Bacon Free Library from May 21st to June 3rd to enjoy Babsje’s stunning photography collection, Great Blue Herons: A Study of Patience and Grace.
Babsje was a local photographer who focused her lens on the Great Blue Herons in and around Lake Cochituate and on the Charles, including at the dam in South Natick. She spent many very happy days floating in her kayak, and the herons became so accustomed to her quiet presence that she was able to beautifully document their private grandeur for all to experience.
“Alas, my days of photographing the magnificent Great Blue Herons from the cockpit of my kayak floating on the lake have come to an end.” – Posted by Babsje on December 20, 2023, shortly before her death in January. babsjeheron.wordpress.com.
She is greatly missed.

Photographs are available for purchase upon request. All proceeds from sales will be donated to Massachusetts Audubon Society.

Native American Reflections: We Are Still Here -- Community Gathering
2024-06-08 11:00 - 12:30
The art exhibit entitled Native American Reflections: We Are Still Here will be on display at the Bacon Free Library from June 4th-26th. Artists include members of the Natick Nipmuc tribe, Abenaki Nation, Algonquin, Inuk and Wampanoag tribe. Paintings, poetry, baskets and other works of art will be on display throughout the month.
On June 8th the Native American artists will gather on the grounds of the BFL to share the stories that have inspired their artwork.

The Dogs of Chernobyl, a Story of Hope and Resilience
2024-06-13 18:00 - 19:00
Animal welfare expert Stephen Quandt was part of a group that traveled to Chernobyl, 35 years after the nuclear accident, to participate in a spay/neuter and research campaign for the dogs that were descended from the pets left behind after the nuclear plant disaster of 1986.
In this presentation, Stephen chronicles his experiences in the Exclusion Zone around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Through photos and videos, Stephen tells his story of meeting the inhabitants of the mostly abandoned town of Chernobyl City (you will meet 2 squatters, one a hero of the disaster), the totally abandoned city of Pripyat, and the dogs (and some cats!) that his group encountered. He will discuss the presence of radiation in this environment as well as its effects on the dogs’ lives. You will also meet some inhabitants of the town of Slavutych, which was built in the year following the accident to house the inhabitants of Pripyat after they were belatedly evacuated.
The Dogs of Chernobyl is a story of resilience, hope, life, and even heroism. Stephen will answer your questions at the end of the presentation.
Stephen Quandt, Feline Behaviorist, FFCP, most recently with the Animal Care Centers of NYC (nycacc.org) and also of the ASPCA.org, has worked in animal welfare for more than 20 years.

This virtual program is hosted by the Bacon Free Library. It will be held over Zoom. Please register to receive the program link.

Baby Sign Language
2024-06-14 10:30 - 11:30
Sheryl White of Baby Kneads will introduce caregivers and babies to sign language at the Bacon Free Library. Learn how sign language can reduce frustration and help give your baby the ability to communicate before being able to speak! Participants will learn and practice several signs during the class.
This program is geared toward pre-verbal babies with an adult caregiver. Registration is required.

Big Bubbles with Mr. Vinny the Bubble Guy
2024-06-25 16:00 - 16:45
Kick off Summer Reading at the Bacon Free Library with some running, jumping, and bubble-popping fun! With his giant, homemade bubble wands, Mr. Vinny gets kids and adults involved in bubble chasing games. Silly, interactive entertainment for all ages!
This program will be held outdoors. If it rains, the fun will move inside and Mr. Vinny will share his shadow puppet show instead.
Sponsored by the Charles River School

Instrument Petting Zoo
2024-06-26 15:00 - 16:00
The Bacon Free Library is partnering with Bach to Rock in Wellesley to bring you this instrument petting zoo. B2R will be bringing a variety of musical instruments to the BFL for 60 minutes of instrument exploration to give people of all ages a chance to learn about instruments and experience playing them.
Please stop by to try out an instrument, or two, that you’re curious about. No registration required.

Scratch Art Animal Masks
2024-06-28 15:30 - 16:30
Come to the Bacon Free Library to make a colorful animal mask and let your imagination run wild!
Recommended for ages 3 and up.
Registration is required, as supplies are limited. Please register separately for each child attending.

Image is from iREAD

Author Dawn Tripp Discusses “Jackie: a Novel” (virtual event)
2024-07-09 19:00 - 20:00
The Bacon Free Library is partnering with the Tewksbury Public Library to bring you bestselling author Dawn Tripp. Dawn will discuss her new novel, Jackie, about Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Jackie is the story of a woman—deeply private with a nuanced, formidable intellect—who forged a legacy out of grief and shaped history even as she was living it. It is the story of a love affair, a complicated marriage, and the fracturing of identity that comes in the wake of unthinkable violence.
Tripp is also the author of the novel Georgia, which was a national bestseller, a finalist for the New England Book Award, and the winner of the Mary Lynn Kotz Award for Art in Literature. She is the author of three previous novels: Game of Secrets, Moon Tide, and The Season of Open Water, which won the Massachusetts Book Award for Fiction. Her poems and essays have appeared in the Virginia Quarterly Review, Harvard Review, AGNI, Conjunctions, and NPR, among others.
This program will be held over Zoom; please register for the Zoom link.
RECORDING NOTE: This program will be recorded. All registrants will receive the recording via email within 48 hours of the program.

Kids’ Poetry Workshop
2024-07-10 15:30 - 17:00
Come to the Bacon Free Library to use your imagination and express yourself in some fun and creative activities with local author and educator Marcie Schwartz. In each session (July 10th, 17th, and 24th), participants will create poems and craft projects to bring home.
Geared toward children entering grades 1-5. Registration is required. If you would like to attend all three sessions, please sign up for each session individually.

THIS WEEK: Heart Mapping. What’s inside your heart? Heart maps help us discover who and what we love. We will create beautiful heart maps and write poems from what we discover inside.

Read to a Dog
2024-07-12 15:00 - 16:15
Build confidence and practice your reading skills by reading out loud to a registered therapy dog at the Bacon Free Library!
Children ages 5 and up can sign up for a 15-minute reading session with Sophie, a gentle golden retriever who loves belly rubs, stories, and cuddles.
Registration is required for each child attending.

From Just a Snapshot to Art – Creating Beautiful Photographs (virtual program)
2024-07-15 18:00 - 19:00
In this virtual program hosted by the Bacon Free Library, landscape photographer Joanne Pearson will guide you through the art of seeing as a professional photographer does. You will learn about framing and creating dramatic compositions; balance and movement; leading lines and paths; depth of field; and the nuances of natural light. This program teaches you about what the pros call “getting it right in-camera”.
Joanne Pearson of Fair Haven Photographs has been a professional photographer for over 25 years. Prior to her career in photography, she was a registered landscape architect in the state of Massachusetts where she practiced for 12 years. Her photographs of gardens and landscapes have been featured in magazines and calendars that have included Yankee, Northshore Magazine, Vermont Life, Offshore, BrownTrout Publishers Inc. and Willow Creek Press. She is the solo photographer for four calendars produced by Mahoney Publishing including Flowers and Gardens of New England.

This program will be held over Zoom. Please register to receive the Zoom link over email.

Hula Hooping with Wildkat Hoops
2024-07-16 14:00 - 15:00
It’s time to put on your dancing shoes and grab those dazzling hoops for an unforgettable workshop of hula hoop magic with Wildkat Hoops. Hooping promotes exercise, exploration, expression, movement, dance, and FUN!
This intergenerational workshop, hosted by the Bacon Free Library, is geared toward kids ages 5+ and adults. Hoops are provided.

Pure and Simple Flower Design
2024-07-16 17:00 - 18:00
For adults who want to learn about floral design, this class at the Bacon Free Library will cover the basics of design as well as sustainable mechanics and floral conditioning. We will provide you with a supermarket bouquet and mason jar vase. Then, you can select and share items from the flower table for greens, filler flowers, focal flowers, and branches. Feel free to bring favorite flowers or greens from your garden if you want to include them in your design (this is optional as there will be enough flowers for the class.) You will take home your finished arrangement in a box.

We will have a variety of scissors and hand clippers for your use. If you have a favorite pair of floral scissors please bring them.

The instructor, Monica Foley, has been learning and practicing floral design for the past 10 years through classes, lectures, and local Art in Bloom events.

This is event is geared towards ages 16 years and up.
Please register in advance

Author James L. Parr Discusses “World War II Massachusetts” (virtual event)
2024-07-16 19:00 - 20:00
The Bacon Free Library is partnering with the Tewksbury Public Library to bring you author James L. Parr, who will discuss his new book, World War II Massachusetts.
Over 500,000 Massachusetts residents answered the call to military duty in the Second World War, while the rest of the state’s citizens fought the war on the home front. Everyone in the family, including pets, found creative and essential ways to contribute. Thousands worked in factories, volunteered for Civil Defense, watched for enemy aircraft, and took part in salvage collections and bond drives, all while dealing with rationing, blackouts, rumors, and a host of other wartime inconveniences. And while thousands of service members left to fight overseas, the Bay State also welcomed thousands more to serve on its military bases that were such an important part of our nation’s defense. Learn some of the stories of these brave and dedicated citizens — from the famous to the ordinary — as they faced wartime challenges.
James L. Parr taught elementary school for 34 years before retiring in 2022. A longtime volunteer at several local historical organizations, Parr is the author of three additional books for The History Press.
This program will be held over Zoom; please register for the Zoom link.
RECORDING NOTE: This program will be recorded. All registrants will receive the recording via email within 48 hours of the program.

Kids’ Poetry Workshop
2024-07-17 15:30 - 17:00
Come to the Bacon Free Library to use your imagination and express yourself in some fun and creative activities with local author and educator Marcie Schwartz. In each session (July 10th, 17th, and 24th), participants will create poems and craft projects to bring home.
Geared toward children entering grades 1-5. Registration is required. If you would like to attend all three sessions, please sign up for each session individually.

THIS WEEK: My Earth–Myself. Create a nature collage and experience the fun of Word Bowl Poems. Using all our senses, we will explore how you fit into this great planet earth. We will explore our imaginations of what the future world will look like.

Science Story Time: Story Splash!
2024-07-19 10:30 - 11:30
Cool off on the Bacon Free Library lawn with this special story time all about water!

This program is geared toward ages 3-6 and will include stories, songs, and hands-on science activities like a sink/float station.
Meet us outdoors behind the library and be sure to wear clothes and shoes that can get wet.

Kids’ Poetry Workshop
2024-07-24 15:30 - 17:00
Come to the Bacon Free Library to use your imagination and express yourself in some fun and creative activities with local author and educator Marcie Schwartz. In each session (July 10th, 17th, and 24th), participants will create poems and craft projects to bring home.
Geared toward children entering grades 1-5. Registration is required. If you would like to attend all three sessions, please sign up for each session individually.

THIS WEEK: I Am Poems & Kaleidoscopes. There are lots of things that make up the one special you. Just like a kaleidoscope, you are always changing, growing, and becoming something new.

Music & Movement with Julie Stepanek
2024-07-26 10:30 - 11:30
Dance and sing along at the Bacon Free Library with Julie Stepanek as she plays her ukulele and leads us in some favorite tunes!
Geared toward ages 0-5. This program will take place outdoors, so bring a blanket or chairs for sitting on the grass. If it rains, we’ll move indoors and space will be available on a first come, first served basis.

Tell Me Again! with Diane Edgecomb
2024-07-30 17:30 - 18:30
Celebrate the world’s most magical tales, the favorites you always want to hear again and again, exuberantly brought to life by Library favorite and Parent’s Choice award-winner Diane Edgecomb.
This storytelling program will take place on the Bacon Free Library lawn, so bring a blanket or chairs for sitting on the grass. If it rains, we’ll move indoors and space will be available on a first come, first served basis.

This program is supported in part by a grant from the Natick Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

Goats and Giggles
2024-08-02 14:00 - 15:00
Play and cuddle with some curious and friendly baby goats outside on the Bacon Free Library lawn! The Farmer’s Helpers program from Chip-in Farm will be bringing their goats to the BFL for a visit.
All ages are welcome.
Please note that participants may be required to wait in line, as the number of people interacting with the goats at a time will be limited for the animals’ comfort and safety. We’ll provide coloring pages and some farm-themed books to browse while waiting.

Garden Travel – England: The Cotswolds, Cornwall, and Devon (virtual)
2024-08-06 18:00 - 19:00
Landscape photographer Joanne Pearson will be our guide through this armchair tour of 11 gardens in southwestern England. Among the highlights are the much revered Arts and Crafts style garden at Hidcote; the last surviving rococo garden in England at Painswick; the inspiring gardens at Drogo Castle, the last castle ever built in England; and the remarkable Eden Project. The Eden Project is the radical and inspirational transformation of an abandoned clay pit to outdoor gardens and multiple biomes housing rainforest, temperate, and arid plant species.
Joanne Pearson has been a professional photographer for more than 25 years. Prior to her career in photography, she was a registered landscape architect in the state of Massachusetts where she practiced for 12 years. Her photographs of gardens and landscapes have been featured in magazines and calendars that have included Yankee, Northshore Magazine, Vermont Life, Offshore, BrownTrout Publishers Inc. and Willow Creek Press. She is the solo photographer for four calendars produced by Mahoney Publishing including Flowers and Gardens of New England. In addition to her garden photography, Joanne photographs architecture, landscapes, lifestyle, and food for the hospitality industry, architects and builders throughout the northeast.
This program will be held over Zoom. Please register to receive the meeting link.

Professor Bugman’s Insect Safari
2024-08-07 14:30 - 15:30
Come explore the arthropod biodiversity outside in your own community with a real entomologist! Professor Bugman will bring the equipment and expertise; you bring the curiosity!
This program will take place on the Bacon Free Library lawn and is geared toward ages 4-12.
Registration is required.

Buildwave Workshop
2024-08-12 14:00 - 15:00
Come to the Bacon Free Library to build and have fun in this creative, hands-on workshop that encourages play and collaboration. Participants will be given wave after wave of kits filled with different building materials to explore. Watch this video to learn more!
Geared toward kids entering grades K to 6.
Registration is required.

PJ Story Time
2024-08-13 18:00 - 18:30
Put on your jammies, grab a favorite stuffed animal, and join us at the Bacon Free Library for a cozy evening story time!
All ages are welcome.

Button Making
2024-08-14 14:00 - 16:00
Stop by the Bacon Free Library anytime between 2:00 and 4:00 to create your own cool button using our button maker!
You can draw your own design or use a page from a discarded book or magazine.
All ages are welcome.
