Friends of the Morse Institute Library May 2025 Book Sale
2025-05-18 12:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Morse Institute Library
It’s time for the Friends’ spring Book, Music, and Bake Sale! Join us on Saturday, May 17 (8:30-4:30) and Sunday, May 18 (12:00-3:00) and browse a wide selection of 25,000+ gently used books, CDs, and vinyl, and choose from an assortment of tantalizing treats from our bake sale in the library lobby. Proceeds from our donation jars at the sale will go to support library programs and activities. You’ll find most books and DVDs on the lower level. Books for children and tweens and our CD and vinyl sale are in the Morse Room on the first floor. Adult books are $1, and books for children and tweens are $0.50. We’ll be restocking throughout the book sale.
Your support makes a difference. The Friends are a nonprofit membership organization and dues are an important part of our fundraising. Pick up a membership form at the book sale or join online at www.morsefriends.org.

MetroWest Student Film Festival 2025
2025-05-18 13:00 - 15:00 | The Center for Arts in Natick (TCAN), 14 Summer Street, Natick, MA, 01760, United States
Launched by TCAN in 2018, The MetroWest Student Film Festival is dedicated to showcasing the talents and creativity of the region’s youth ages 14-19, by providing an opportunity for young filmmakers and production teams to explore and create stories through motion pictures.
This special event recognizes the work of young filmmakers recognized as finalists in MetroWest Student Film Festival 2025. The entries of these finalists will be shared with friends, families and the community at-large in TCAN’s state-of-the-art screening room. Category winners will be be awarded festival prizes in three categories: Outstanding Live Action Short Film, Outstanding Documentary Short Film, and Outstanding Animated Short Film.

Walnut Hill Spring Musical: Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
2025-05-18 14:00 - 16:00 | Walnut Hill School for the Arts, Keiter Center, 146 Bacon St, Natick, MA, 01760, United States
Join us in the Keiter Center for our Spring Musical: Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, presented by the Walnut Hill Theater Department. Tickets go on sale in April at walnuthillschool.ludus.com.
From the celebrated and award-winning composer Dave Malloy comes Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, an electropop opera based on a scandalous slice of Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace. Young and impulsive, Natasha Rostova arrives in Moscow to await the return of her fiancé from the front lines. When she falls under the spell of the roguish Anatole, it is up to Pierre, a family friend in the middle of an existential crisis, to pick up the pieces of her shattered reputation. Following a critically exalted premiere at Ars Nova in New York City, a subsequent off-Broadway transfer and an acclaimed run on Broadway, this award-winning musical expands the possibilities for the genre with its daring score and bold storytelling.

Paula Cole
2025-05-18 19:30 - 21:00 | The Center for Arts in Natick (TCAN), 14 Summer Street, Natick, MA, 01760, United States
Paula Cole has been a truth-teller, a provocateur, a feminist, a rebel, and a brilliant autobiographical writer who has pushed for personal honesty and social change. An artful weaver of genre, she is difficult to categorize – she is simply Paula Cole.
After gaining attention for her performances as a vocalist on Peter Gabriel’s 1993–1994 Secret World Tour, her second album This Fire (1996) brought her worldwide acclaim, peaking at number 20 on the Billboard 200 album chart and producing two hit singles, the triple-Grammy nominated “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?”, which reached the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 in 1997, and “I Don’t Want to Wait”, which was used as the theme song of the television show Dawson’s Creek.
Paula Cole’s eleventh studio album, “Lo” is devastatingly personal and utterly gorgeous. Her first album of original compositions in five years, “Lo”’s eleven songs, written entirely by Cole, navigate her opening to trust again after indelible blows of life. As the first woman to ever be nominated for the Best Producer Grammy in her own right, Paula Cole returns to the helm of recording as sole producer.

Walnut Hill Jazz Concert
2025-05-19 19:00 - 20:00 | Walnut Hill School for the Arts, Delbridge Center
Join us in the Delbridge Center for the Music Department’s Spring Jazz Concert! Enjoy the jazz stylings of our talented students. Admission is free and no tickets are required, but space is limited.

VIRTUAL: Q&A with Romance and Mystery Writer Olivia Waite
2025-05-19 19:00 - 20:00
Listen in — or bring questions and join in — to this fun conversation with romance author, Olivia Waite. Olivia has brought her blend of heart and humor to historical romance, fantasy, science fiction, and essays, so who knows where the conversation might lead! You can be sure we’ll delve into her newest book, Murder by Memory, the first in the Dorothy Gentleman sci-fi mystery series. Bring your questions as this is going to be a rapid fire, AMA (ask me anything) Q&A!
This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Ashland Public Library and is held in collaboration with the Bacon Free Library and the Ashland Public Library.
Please register here for the Zoom link.
For more information on Olivia and this program, click here.

How to Create a Homegrown National Park
2025-05-20 17:30 - 18:30 | Bacon Free Library – 58 Eliot Street Natick, MA 01760 United States
Join us for a fun and informative stroll around the lovely grounds of the Bacon Free Library. Our gardening guru Monica Foley will point out and discuss the native plants in our gardens. She will offer many practical ideas to help you encourage birds and other pollinators to your yard and to increase the biodiversity in your property. You will learn how the BFL became a Certified Wildlife Habitat, as well as the requirements to acquire a Homegrown National Park sign for your yard. There will be time for questions.
No registration necessary.
In case of rain, this event will be rescheduled to Tuesday, May 27th at 5:30pm.

Black Bag (2025)
2025-05-20 19:30 - 2025-05-22 19:30 | The Center for Arts in Natick (TCAN), 14 Summer Street, Natick, MA, 01760, United States
A gripping espionage thriller by Stephen Soderbergh.
From Director Steven Soderbergh (Erin Brockovich, Ocean’s Eleven), Black Bag is a gripping espionage thriller film about legendary intelligence agents George Woodhouse and his beloved wife Kathryn. When she is suspected of betraying the nation, George faces the ultimate test – loyalty to his marriage or his country.
Featuring Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs, Prometheus) and Academy-award winner Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine, Lord of the Rings, Tár).
Audiences who loved thrillers like Bridge of Spies (2015), The Conversation (1974), and Casino Royale (2006) will appreciate Soderbergh’s style in this stylish, sexy, and smart spy thriller.
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Cast: Cate Blanchett, Marisa Abela, Gustaf Skarsgård, Michael Fassbender
Rating: R
Runtime: 1 hour 35 mins
Released: April 14 2025
Format: DCP
Audio: 7.1 Surround
Accessibility: Z-Screen subtitles, Audio Description (headphones), Assisted Listening (headphones)
SCREENINGS
Tuesday, May 20, 2025 | 7:30pm
Wednesday, May 21, 2025 | 7:30pm
Thursday, May 22, 2025 | 7:30pm

Natick Farmers Market
2025-05-24 09:00 - 13:00, 2025-05-31 09:00 - 13:00, 2025-06-07 09:00 - 13:00 | Natick Common
The Natick Farmers Market is a year-round program of the Natick Center Cultural District and is open every Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm.

Visit natickfarmersmarket.org for current location and vendors.
Spring and Summer
Natick Town Common
The intersection of Routes 27 and 135
Natick

Fall and Winter
Common Street Spiritual Center
13 Common Street
Natick

Instrument Petting Zoo
2025-05-24 11:00 - 12:00 | Bacon Free Library – 58 Eliot Street Natick, MA 01760 United States
The Bacon Free Library is partnering with Bach to Rock in Wellesley to bring you this instrument petting zoo. B2R will bring a variety of musical instruments to the Bacon for 60 minutes of instrument exploration to give people of all ages a chance to learn about instruments and experience playing them. This event will be held outdoors at our picnic table.
Please stop by to try out an instrument, or two, that you’re curious about. No registration required.

Go West (1925)
2025-05-25 16:00 - 17:30 | The Center for Arts in Natick (TCAN), 14 Summer Street, Natick, MA, 01760, United States
Silent film with live musical accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis.
Go West is a 1925 American silent Western comedy film directed by and starring Buster Keaton. Buster’s ranch comedy about the stone-faced comedian and his enduring romance with—a cow! Rustle up some belly laughs as Buster proves himself worthy once again.
Keaton portrays Friendless, who travels west to try to make his fortune. Once there, he tries his hand at bronco-busting, cattle wrangling and dairy farming, eventually forming a bond with a cow named “Brown Eyes.” Eventually he finds himself leading a herd of cattle through Los Angeles.
Director: Buster Keaton
Cast: Buster Keaton, Lex Neal, Raymond Cannon
Rating: N/R
Runtime: 1 hour 9 mins
Released: 1925
Format: DVD
Audio: Mono
Accessibility: Assisted Listening (headphones)

VIRTUAL: Q&A with Romance Author Nalini Singh on “Archangel’s Ascension”
2025-05-28 19:00 - 20:00
Join us for a lively conversation with blockbuster romance author, Nalini Singh. We’ll definitely chat about her most recent Guild Hunter Series book Archangel’s Ascension, and there will be spoilers — you have been warned!! Be prepared for a rapid fire Q&A about all things SparkleBell — we’ll have our own questions but we know that Nalini fans are endlessly curious and enthusiastic so we expect this will be a wonderfully raucous discussion.
This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Ashland Public Library and is held in partnership with the Bacon Free Library and a multitude of MA Libraries.

Register directly on Zoom HERE. This program is at 7pm ET (Boston Time). If you know you cannot make it live please do not register with zoom (so we have plenty of space for those who can attend) but fill out THIS FORM to receive the video link.
For more information about Nalini and this program, click here.

Walnut Hill Visual Art Show
2025-05-29 08:00 - 17:00 | Walnut Hill School for the Arts, 12 Highland St., Natick, MA
Stroll through the Dartley Visual Art Center, inside Highland Hall, and enjoy art by our talented Visual Art majors. No tickets required—just drop in between 5pm and 7pm! There will be a fashion show at 6pm, but the rest of the exhibit can be explored on your own time.

Walnut Hill WFMA Presents Script to Screen
2025-05-29 19:00 - 20:00 | Walnut Hill School for the Arts, Delbridge Center
Join us in the Delbridge Center for a screening of new short films written, shot, and edited by Writing, Film & Media Arts students! Admission is free and no ticket is required, but space is limited.
Writing, Film & Media Arts at Walnut Hill provides a solid artistic foundation that prepares students for film school, art school, or a liberal arts college. The program builds confidence and supports the growth of teens as collaborators and critical thinkers. The skills gained here serves students in any number of future endeavors, and as a result, readies them to be poised for success.

Boston Ballet School's Professional Division at Walnut Hill Presents: Next Generation
2025-05-30 19:00 - 20:30, 2025-05-31 14:00 - 15:30, 2025-05-31 19:00 - 20:30 | Walnut Hill School for the Arts, Keiter Center, 146 Bacon St, Natick, MA, 01760, United States
Next Generation is the annual performance that empowers talented young dancers to reach for the stars. Featuring students of Boston Ballet School’s Professional Division at Walnut Hill School for the Arts, this is a performance of exceptional dance, showcasing rising talent in the dance world. These young dancers represent the next generation of talent, as they aspire to careers in professional dance companies.
Tickets will go on sale later this spring, and will be available at walnuthillschool.ludus.com.

Eric Hutchinson
2025-05-31 20:00 - 22:00 | The Center for Arts in Natick (TCAN), 14 Summer Street, Natick, MA, 01760, United States
For the past decade, Eric Hutchinson has been mastering the art of his unique, personal songwriting while exploring diverse musical genres like pop, soul, Americana, folk, alt-rock, and jazz. Now, the platinum-selling singer-songwriter is releasing CLIFF NOTES – The Best of 2014-2024 – an essential collection of Hutchinson’s ever-evolving discography. Pulling from fan-favorite albums including Pure Fiction, Easy Street, and Sing Along!, the new double-disc vinyl release showcases all the varied and dynamic music Eric has spent the past ten years exploring.
To celebrate his new Best Of release, Eric is hitting the road in 2024 to perform all his most popular songs from the past ten years – pop anthems like Tell The World, A Little More, and Dear Me, as well as cult-classics like Forget About Joni. In addition to playing his more recent hits, Eric will also be sprinkling in songs from his landmark album Sounds Like This, including his instant-classics Ok, It’s Alright with Me and Rock & Roll.
Visit: erichutchinson.com

Natick Garden Club Plant Sale 2025
2025-06-01 10:00 - 14:00 | Natick Community – Senior Center
The Natick Garden Club invites all interested parties to our annual PLANT SALE. Doors open 10 am – 2 pm, Sunday, June 1, 2025. Rain or shine, as the event is held indoors at the Natick Community-Senior Center, 117 East Central St., Natick, MA. The sale is our major fundraiser for the year. We offer a variety of plants that have been proven to grow successfully in our sometimes challenging weather conditions. Most of the plants are perennials from members’ gardens, and are labeled for bloom time and season, height, spacing needed, and sun and moisture requirements. We promote native plants as well, meaning they are native to our area, and tolerant of drought conditions and excellent at providing habitat for good insects and birds. There will be a sizable houseplant section this year, thanks in part to an in-kind estate gift. As always raffle tickets for a variety of items will be available and you need not be present to win. All proceeds from the sale fund the Natick Garden Club, a group devoted to civic beautification and service in the Natick community. Cash, check and credit card accepted. For more information please visit us at http://www.natickgardenclub.org/ or find us on Facebook or Instagram.
Info on our club:
Our mission is to promote a positive educational environment for sharing gardening, horticultural, and conservation information and to encourage civic planting, beautification, and service in the Natick community. Organized in 1998 by three women, the Natick Garden Club currently has over 100 members. Members represent a range of ages, genders, and gardening acumen. All have a passion to learn, share, and volunteer in service to their garden club. The NGC has evening meetings September through May at Morse Library featuring a keynote speaker, with time for socialization and NGC business at the start. We have deep roots in Natick although draw members from several communities, and can be found around town in a variety of capacities throughout the year. The plant sale is our main fundraiser.

Virtual: Death in the National Parks with Author Randi Minetor
2025-06-02 19:00 - 20:00
Why do some people lose their lives in America’s national parks? Randi Minetor, author of seven books in the nonfiction Death in the National Parks series, will explore the fatal mistakes people make when they venture into unfamiliar wilderness. Some forget critical steps in their preparation, forging off into wild lands far too challenging for their level of experience. Some refuse advice, ignoring warnings from rangers and more seasoned adventurers. Others are simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, becoming victims of a lightning strike or a falling rock—or ravenous grizzly bears. And some fall prey to human predators.
Randi will share highlights of her in-depth research and what it reveals about the people who perish in the parks. Most importantly, she will provide tips on how to avoid your own disaster in a national park. Be ready for your summer vacation plans with this pertinent and, probably, humorous presentation!
This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Ashland Public Library and is in collaboration with the Bacon Free Library and the Chelmsford, Groton, and Tewksbury Libraries and is in partnership with a multitude of MA & NH libraries.
Please register here for the Zoom link.

About the Author
Born and raised in Rochester, NY, Randi Minetor discovered the backcountry wonders of America’s national parks in 1992 with her husband, photographer/lighting designer Nic Minetor. That first trip changed her life, and by 2000, the Minetors had pledged to see all 391 (now 429) national parks in their lifetimes. They found a way to subsidize this passion in 2006, when they began writing and photographing books on the parks for The Globe Pequot Press (now Rowman & Littlefield). Today Randi has written more than 90 books, including seven books in the nonfiction Death in the National Parks series, ten hiking guides in New York State, several bird-finding guides, and even reference books on health topics. To date, they have visited 354 national parks. In addition, Nic’s photography appears in eight Quick Reference Guides to the Birds, Trees, and Wildflowers of New York City and New York State, and The Trees and Wildflowers of the Mid-Atlantic States. The Minetors live in Rochester, NY.

Note: This program will be recorded and a link will be sent to all registrants soon after the program. It will be available on YouTube for one month.

Art Exhibit: Maps of Natick
2025-06-04 08:00 - 17:00 | Bacon Free Library – 58 Eliot Street Natick, MA 01760 United States
Stop by the Bacon Free Library to view a selection of Natick Historical Society’s maps of Natick, on display May 21st to June 30th. These fascinating reproductions show the streets, properties, and bodies of water of Natick, while some also display sketches of trees & buildings, and in one case, the handwritten names of property owners. Among the historic gems are:

an 1830 land survey of Bigelow Mills
an 1887 map of Cochituate
an 1887 rendering of South Natick including sketches of noteworthy buildings
a map of Felchville, circa 1908
an illustrated map reproduced in 1976 by Natick Five Cents Savings Bank for the Town of Natick Bicentennial Committee

These maps are available for viewing and for sale year round in the Natick History Museum. For more information, visit www.natickhistoricalsociety.org

Walnut Hill Freshman/Sophomore Theater Revue
2025-06-04 20:00 - 21:00 | Walnut Hill School for the Arts, Keiter Center, 146 Bacon St, Natick, MA, 01760, United States
Join us in the Keiter Center and support our Theater Department Freshmen and Sophomores as they perform a delightful revue! Admission is free and no tickets are required.
The Theater Department at Walnut Hill offers a comprehensive program designed to engage passionate, dedicated, and curious young artists. Our approach is Stanislavsky-based and actor-centric. This intensive training of the mind, body, and voice develops an actor who communicates an honest, compelling story through the use of text, movement, and song. Through studio work, performance opportunities, and one-on-one coaching, student artists develop the professional skills and attitudes needed to excel in university or conservatory training.

TCAN Players: And Then There Were None
2025-06-06 19:30 - 2025-06-15 14:00 | The Center for Arts in Natick (TCAN), 14 Summer Street, Natick, MA, 01760, United States
The TCAN Players return with Agatha Christie’s masterwork of suspense, And Then There Were None – where ten strangers are summoned to a remote island—and justice waits in the shadows.
Ten strangers, each harboring a dark secret, are lured to a secluded island estate under false pretenses. Their mysterious hosts are nowhere to be found—only a chilling recording accuses each guest of a terrible crime. Then, one by one, the guests begin to die, their fates eerily mirroring the verses of a sinister nursery rhyme displayed in the house.
With the island cut off by a storm, suspicion grows as the survivors struggle to understand the method behind the madness. Is the killer among them? Or is there someone—or something—else pulling the strings?
Christie’s most celebrated and harrowing whodunit is the world’s best-selling mystery and one of the best-selling books of all time. The plot unfolds with taut pacing, sharp dialogue, and an atmosphere thick with dread, exploring themes of morality, retribution, and the human psyche under pressure. Its surprise ending, considered one of the greatest in crime fiction, will leave audiences breathless.
Prepare for a night of riveting theatre that proves no sin goes unpunished… and no one is beyond suspicion.
Directed by Paul Dixon
Produced by Jeannie Baycroft and Richard Mandel
CAST
Mr. Rogers – Lou Fuoco (Cambridge)
Mrs. Rogers – Susan Diller (Brookline)
Vera Claythorne – Laura DeCesare (Arlington)
Philip Lombard – Eric Cheung (Boston)
Anthony Marston – Sam Deans (Marlborough)
William Blore – Dan Henderson (Needham)
General MacKenzie – Mark Adams (Norwood)
Emily Brent – Pamela Schweppe (Maynard)
Justice Wargrave – Julian Willard (Marlborough)
Dr. Armstrong – Bill Novakowski (Ashland)
PERFORMANCES
Friday, June 6, 2025 | 7:30pm
Saturday, June 7, 2025 | 7:30pm
Sunday, June 8, 2025 | 2:00pm
Thursday, June 12, 2025 | 7:30pm
Friday, June 13, 2025 | 7:30pm
Saturday, June 14, 2025 | 7:30pm
Sunday, June 15, 2025 | 2:00pm

Circus Tots Class
2025-06-09 11:00 - 11:30 | Bacon Free Library – 58 Eliot Street Natick, MA 01760 United States
Kids can take their first steps into the magical world of circus with this class from our neighbors at Eastern Acrobatics! Kids ages 3-6 will learn some simple and fun circus skills outdoors on the BFL lawn.
Registration is required for each child attending.

Juggling Class for Kids
2025-06-10 16:30 - 17:30 | Bacon Free Library – 58 Eliot Street Natick, MA 01760 United States
Kids will learn some basic juggling skills in this fun outdoor class from our neighbors at Eastern Acrobatics!
Geared toward kids ages 7 and up.
Registration is required.

Juggling Class for Adults
2025-06-10 17:30 - 18:30 | Bacon Free Library – 58 Eliot Street Natick, MA 01760 United States
Learn some basic juggling skills in this fun outdoor class from our neighbors at Eastern Acrobatics!
This session is for adults.
Registration is required.

Sip & Paint @Planted Collective
2025-06-11 18:30 - 20:30 | The Planted Collective, 37 S Main Street, Natick, 01760, United States
🌿 Paint Your Own Planter Night – Pride Edition! 🎨🌈
Celebrate creativity and community with us at our Paint Your Own Planter Night—a colorful evening of art, laughter, and good vibes in honor of Pride Month!
Here’s what’s included:

🎨 Two (2) 5-inch round planters to paint your way—go minimal, go maximal, go YOU
🖌️ All painting and decorating materials
🍷 Wine, beer, and non-alcoholic drinks
🍿 Light snacks
🌟 A safe, welcoming space to relax, connect, and express yourself

📅 Date: Wednesday , June 11
⏰ Time: 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
📍 Location: Planted Collective, 37 S Main St, Natick, 01760
🎟️ Tickets: $40 per person
👥 Who: Any and everyone!
Bring your creative spirit and your Pride energy. Whether you’re new to painting or a seasoned pro, there’s room for everyone at the table.
🎟️ Limited spots available—reserve your spot now!

VANISH: Disappearing Icons of a Rural America – streaming documentary film
2025-06-13 08:00 - 2025-06-27 17:00
VANISH chronicles the “visual preservation” adventures of fine art photographer, Jim Westphalen, as he travels across the country seeking out and creating stunning imagery of America’s disappearing rural structures. Equal parts art, history, and storm chasing, this film takes you on a road-trip with Westphalen as he races against time and the unrelenting elements to capture the extraordinary beauty of aging barns, one-room schoolhouses, grain elevators, prairie churches, and other classic structures that our country’s rural heritage was built upon. Vanish also features deep-dive interviews with preservation experts as well as the passionate people who strive and struggle to save these fading treasures, sharing their intimate stories of dreams, loss, and triumphs.
Please register to view the film. You will receive the link to screen the film on June 13th. The link will be good through June 27th.
The streaming link may not be shared with anyone outside of your class, campus event or community event, or posted on any website or social media page that is accessible to the public. Do not post this on Youtube, Facebook or any public platform. GOOD DOCS film and video content is protected by United States copyright law. Duplication, reproduction, alteration, television broadcast or cablecast, (except for on- campus closed circuit), loaning for a fee, leasing, sublicensing to others or use for any commercial purposes (i.e. charging admission) is strictly prohibited without express written permission from GOOD DOCS.
