March 2010 - Events Calendar

Below is a list of what is going on in Johnny Appleseed Country during the month of March. If you are aware of an event that is going on in our region that is not listed here, email it to us, we will be glad to put it on for all our visitors to see!

5-7 Friday & Saturday, 8 pm ; Sunday, 2 pm. “Curtains” at Theatre at the Mount, 444 Green St., Gardner. It’s the brassy, bright, and promising year of 1959. Boston’s Colonial Theatre is host to the opening night performance of a new musical. When the leading lady mysteriously dies on stage the entire cast and crew are suspects. Enter a local detective, who just happens to be a musical theatre fan! Call 978-632-2403. 

5-7 Friday & Saturday, 7 pm; Sunday 2 pm. “True West” at Cornerstone Performing Arts Center, 454 Main St., Fitchburg. Recommended for mature audiences due to adult themes and language, this play battles with the American myths on life and culture, a common theme in Sam Shepard’s works. Call 978-345-2915 or visit www.cpacfitchburg.org. 

6 Saturday, 5 pm. Church Dinner at the Orange United Methodist Church, 104 S. Main St., Orange. For details, call 978-544-3086. 

7 Sunday, 11 am. 31st Annual Stu's 30k Road and Relay Race, starting at Clinton Middle School, 100 West Boylston St. Registration: 9:00 am. Relay race of two to four legs: $20/person. Limited to 50 teams; no day of race relay team registration. Contact: Evelyn Dolan 978-342-4080 or visit www.cmsrun.org. 

7 Sunday, 2 pm. Guided Garden Tour at Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French Dr., Boylston. Enjoy a guided tour of this magnificent garden, with seasonal highlights. Call 508-869-6111. 

12-13 Friday & Saturday, 8 pm, “1984” at Stratton Playhouse, 60 Wallace Avenue, Fitchburg. Based on George Orwell’s classic cautionary tale, surprisingly relevant today, performed in the intimate theater in downtown Fitchburg. Admission $12 (reservations preferred; call 978-345-6066 or strattonplayers@hotmail.com). Repeats March 19-20 and 26-28. 

12-14 Friday, 6-9 pm; Saturday, 1 - 9 pm; Sunday, noon -4 pm. Spring Art Show and Sale at the Polish
American Citizens Club, 171 Kendall Pond Rd. Presented by the Gardner Area League of Artists (GALA). Showcases artists in a variety of media, along with live musical performances all weekend. Call 978-630-2340 or visit www.galagardner.org. 

13 Saturday, 9 am – 1 pm. Pancakes at the Farm at Heifer Learning Center at Overlook Farm, 216 Wachusett Street, Rutland. During Heifer International's Pancakes at the Farm, enjoy a hearty pancake breakfast with maple syrup and pork sausage and tour the farm to see the newborn goat kids. Reservations are required. Admission: Adults: $10, children (3-10): $5, children age two and under are free. Call 508-886-2221. 

13 Saturday, noon. Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in the greenest of area towns — Clinton — where leprechauns
gather and Irish music fills the air. 

13 Saturday, 1-3 PM. Visit to Bob Mason's sugar shack to watch maple syrup being made! Fun for the whole family, sponsored by the Westminster Historical Society. Meet at Bob Mason's, 201 West Princeton Road, Westminster. Open to the public; refreshments will be served. Call 978-874-5569. 

13 Saturday, 7:30 pm. Bartok’s “Concerto for Orchestra” at Littleton High School, 56 King St., Littleton. Pre-concert talk at 6:45 pm with Indian Hill’s Maestro Bruce Hangen. Tickets: $48, $35, $22 and $15/students. Call 978-486-9524 or visit www.indianhillmusic.org. 

13 Saturday, 6 pm. St. Urho’s Day Celebration at Saima Park, Scott Road, Fitchburg. The legend of St. Urho says he
chased the grasshoppers out of ancient Finland, saving the grape crop and the jobs of Finnish vineyard workers.
Americans of Finnish descent across North America celebrate the day with a smile. Call 978-582-7717. 

13 Saturday, 8 pm. The Occidental Gypsy Jazz Quartet at Bull Run Restaurant, Route 2A, Shirley. The band presents a refreshing extension of European cafe music, better known as Jazz Manouche, or gypsy swing. Call 978-425-4311 or visit www.bullrunrestaurant.com. 

13-14 Saturday & Sunday, 8 am. Special Olympics at Wachusett Mountain Ski Area, Mountain Road, Princeton. Special Olympics of Massachusetts brings their best athletes to compete in a Slalom Race. Cheer on your favorite competitor. 

14 Sunday, 1 pm. Free Poetry Readings at Rabbit Hole Bookstore, 805 Main Street, Fitchburg, for kids age 12 and under. Bring a poem or select one to read. Call 978-345-0040 or therabbitholeusa.com. 

14 Sunday, 2 pm. Concord Xpress Barbershop Quartet at Leominster Public Library. This award-winning quartet sings old and new songs in the traditional barbershop style. Free. No registration required. 

18 Thursday, 6-8 p.m. Wine & Cheese Reception, Slide Show for Scouting exhibition at Gardner Museum, 28 Pearl St., Gardner. See Exhibition listing for details. Call 978-632-3277. 

19-21 Friday & Saturday, 8 pm, Sunday, 2 pm. “1984” at Stratton Playhouse, 60 Wallace Avenue, Fitchburg. Admission $12 (reservations preferred; call 978-345-6066 or strattonplayers@hotmail.com.) Repeats March 26-28. 

19-21 Friday & Saturday, 8 pm; Sunday, 2 pm. “Spitfire Grill” at Barre Players Theatre, 64 Commons St.,
Barre. A feisty parolee follows her dreams, based on a page from an old travel book, to a small town in Maine and finds a place for herself working at Hannah’s Spitfire Grill. It is for sale but there are no takers for the only eatery in the depressed town, so newcomer Percy suggests a raffle. Repeats 

March 26–28. Tickets: $14 adults; $12 seniors; $10 students, $7 for 12 and under. Call 978-355-2096 . 

19 Friday, 9 am. Mountainside Women's Fest at Wachusett Mountain Ski Area, Mountain Road, Princeton. The best time for women to get skiing tips, demo new gear, and enjoy a great day out on the slopes! The Wachusett Village Inn will be here providing massages during your lunch break, and special prizes will be handed out during the day.Call 978-464-2300. 

20 Saturday, 9 am - 1 pm. Annual Flea Market and Bake Sale at First Congregational Church, 132 Main St., Ashburnham. An indoor flea market with tables for rent, coffee shop, lunchroom and home-baked goods. Call 978-874-5790. 

20 Saturday. North Quabbin Home Show at Athol High School, 2363 Main Street, Athol. 

20 Saturday, 9 am – 1 pm. Pancakes at the Farm at Heifer Learning Center at Overlook Farm, 216 Wachusett St., Rutland. During Heifer International's Pancakes at the Farm, enjoy a hearty pancake breakfast with maple syrup and pork sausage and tour the farm to see the newborn goat kids. Reservations are required. Admission: adults $10, children (3-10) $5, children age two and under are free. Call 508-886-2221. 

21 Sunday, 10 am – noon. Family Hike at Barrett Park, 40 Barrett Parkway, Leominster. Meet at Barrett Park parking lot. For details call Leominster Recreation at 978-534-7529. 

21 Sunday, 1 – 3 pm. Springtime Meander at Doyle Reservation, 464 Abbott Avenue, Leominster. Come enjoy a
walkabout to search for the first signs of Spring. Call 978-840-4446 X1900. Free admission. 

21 Sunday, 10 am – 3pm. North Quabbin Outdoor Experience at the Elks hall, 92 New Athol Road, Orange, sponsored by Trail Head. Free seminars, recreation gear for sale, and information resources, offered by local vendors, recreation providers, and conservation groups. Free admission. 

21 Sunday, 1 pm. Kenro Izu – Bhutan: Sacred Within at the Fitchburg Art Museum, 25 Merriam Parkway, Fitchburg. Photographer Kenro Izu will discuss his artistic process and travels in the little-known country Bhutan. Free with paid museum admission. Call 978-345-4207. 

21 Sunday, 2 pm. “Bessie Coleman” at Top Fun Aviation Toy Museum, 21 Prichard Street, Fitchburg. Determined to fly, Bessie traveled to France for the necessary instruction. No one in the US would teach a black woman to fly! Let her story of determination, grit, and plain stubbornness inspire you to follow your dreams, wherever they may take you. Museum admission ($5 adults) includes program. Call 978-342-2809 weekends. 

23 Tuesday, 7 pm. Meet Mystery Writer Emily Arsenault at Thayer Memorial Library, 717 Main St., Lancaster. Emily wrote The Broken Teaglass to pass the long, quiet evenings in her mud brick house while living in rural South Africa.
Visit www.thayermemoriallibrary.org. 

24 Wednesday, 3:30 pm. Venice, Verona and Urbino: Visual History through Architecture at Kent Recital Hall, Fitchburg State College. Why is the architecture of Venice so fascinating to tourists; and what does it reveal about the time in which it was built? Other Italian towns and cities—like Urbino and Verona—have entirely different architectural forms that reveal different developmental stories: from the perfection of Renaissance form in the hill town of Urbino to the Mannerist forms of Verona. Free admission. Call (978) 665-4694. 

25 Thursday, 7 pm. Girl Power: the Supremes as Cultural Icons at Leominster Public Library, 25 West St. Celebrate Women’s History Month with this multimedia presentation that explores the social and culturalimpact of the most successful female group in music history. Free admission. 

26 Friday, 8 pm. Wishbone Ash at the Bull Run Restaurant, Route 2A, Shirley. From their meteoric rise to stardom in the early '70s as "Best New Band in the UK", through 36 years and 40 albums, this band still knows how to rock. Call 978-425-4311 or visit www.bullrunrestaurant.com. 

26-28 Friday & Saturday, 8 pm; Sunday, 2 pm. “1984” at Stratton Playhouse, 60 Wallace Avenue, Fitchburg. Admission $12 (reservations preferred; call 978-345-6066 or strattonplayers@hotmail.com.) 

26-28 Friday & Saturday, 8 pm; Sunday 2 pm. “Spitfire Grill”, a musical by James Valcq and Fred Alley at Barre Players Theater, 64 Common Street, Barre. See March 19 for details. Call 978-355-2096 or 800-733-2096. 

27 Saturday, 9 am. Northeast Meltdown at Wachusett Mountain Ski Area, Mountain Road, Princeton. The end of season freeride competition that will leave spectators in awe and competitors sorry the season is ending! Cash, gear, t-shirts, and more for prizes! Pro and Am divisions, Ski and Board categories. Call 978-464-2300. 

27 Saturday, 9 am–2 pm. Spring Craft Fair at Narragansett Middle School, 460 Baldwinville Rd., Baldwinville. Wide variety of crafters, refreshments, lunch served 11:30 – 1:30, raffles and a Chinese Auction. Free parking! Small donation requested at the door. Contact Laura Green, 978-939-1528. 

27 Saturday, 9 am–2 pm. Spring Artisan/Craft Fair at the Union Congregational Church, 218 Main Street, Groton. 

27 Saturday, 10 am–1:30 pm. Easter Egg Hunt at Barrett Park, 40 Barrett Parkway, Leominster. The Easter Bunny invites all children, ages 2-6 to celebrate springtime and join the annual search for eggs hidden at Barrett Park. The Easter Bunny will make a special appearance during the hunt. Hunts last about 1 hour Hunt begins at 10:00 a.m. for 2-4 year olds Hunt begins at 12:30 p.m. for 5-6 year olds. Free admission; Chinese auction will help defray costs. Call Leominster Recreation at 978-534-7529. 

27 Saturday. Easter Egg Hunt at Butterfield Park, corner of East River and Hayden Street, Orange. 

27 Saturday, noon. Easter Egg Hunt on the Town Field, Pepperell center. Thousands of eggs, pictures with the Bunny. 

28 Sunday, 2 pm. Rory Raven, Mentalist and Mindbender at Leominster Public Library, 25 West St. This amazing show explores the hidden powers of the mind, including mind-reading, spoon bending and more! Suitable for older teens and adults. Free. No registration required. 

28 Sunday, 3 pm. The White Blackberries of Luther Burbank at the Fifth Meetinghouse (First Church), on the
Common, Lancaster. When Luther Burbank came of age in Lancaster he was torn among the Unitarianism of his father,
the Primitive Baptist faith of his mother, the beliefs of Adventists who were moving into town, and the Transcen-dentalism emanating from nearby Concord. Dillon Bustin, author of “Luther Burbank and the Hunger for Perfect Food” will explain how Burbank's personal synthesis of religion and science inspired him to become the most inventive horticulurist of the nineteenth century. Call 978-772-5812. 

29 Women’s Livestock Birthing Program through April 1 at Heifer Learning Center at Overlook Farm, 216 Wachusett Street, Rutland. Cost: $325 includes all meals & lodging. Immerse yourself in the daily rhythms of a working farm
while learning basic animal husbandry skills with specific focus on the birthing process of goats, sheep, swine, cattle, rabbits and the hatching of chicks. Learn more about how animals can help lift families out of poverty. Experience hands-on learning activities and the camaraderie of living and learning with a diverse group of women. Call 508-886-2221.