Natick arts roundup , October 2026 edition

Natick is fortunate to have a lively arts scene, with various opportunities to engage with or make art at any given time. Check out a concert, theater performance, art gallery opening this month. Here are just a few events happening soon.

Don’t see your free or low-cost Natick cultural event listed? Contact natickreport@gmail.com for inclusion.

Natick Open Studios

DATES/TIME: Saturday, Oct. 17 & Sunday, Oct.  18, 11am-5pm
LOCATION: All Around Natick—participants and locations here.
DESCRIPTION: Formed under the auspices of the non-profit Natick Center Cultural District, the Natick Art Association is currently comprised of over 100 artists and artisans. This year’s open studios participants will include painters, printmakers, sculptors, potters, jewelry makers, fiber artists, photographers, and artists working in mixed media. Attendees will be able to explore and learn about art at exhibiting sites all across town.

Locations in Natick Center will include group sites at The Studios at 3 Adams Street, 43 Main Street, and the Congregational Church at 2 E. Central St. This year’s Open Studios will include multiple locations in South Natick. They include painter Ryan Black’s studio at 203 Union Street, painter Julianne Strom Brill’s studio at 199 Union Street, ceramic artist Suzanne Stumpf’s Barn Showroom at 62 Farwell Street, painter Barbara Levine’s show space at 30 South Street, and the Page-Waterman Gallery at 57 Eliot Street. In conjunction with open studios, the annual Old Time Calendar photography competition will take place at the Eliot Church at 45 Eliot Street in South Natick on Sunday from 11am-3pm.

Wellesley Theatre Project presents “Peter and the Starcatcher”

Art exhibit at Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary

ARTIST: Natasha Broude
ON DISPLAY: through Oct. 31
LOCATION: Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary, 280 Eliot St., Natick, MA
DESCRIPTION: Natasha’s work includes watercolor paintings, as well as graphite and charcoal drawings. Natasha’s preferred subject is landscape. She expresses all the variations of light and shadow using the unique palette, texture, and transparency of the watercolor medium.

Wellesley Symphony Orchestra, presents “The British Have Come!”

DATE/TIME: Sunday, November 8, 2026 @2pm
LOCATION: MassBay Community College Auditorium, 50 Oakland St, Wellesley, MA
TICKET INFO here
DESCRIPTION: William Boyce, Symphony No. 4; Benjamin Britten,Four Sea Interludes; Ralph Vaughan Williams, Symphony No. 5. Please join the WSO for a reception after the concert. MassBay is minutes from Rt 95, easy to get to with free parking. Great dining and shopping is minutes away in nearby Wellesley Square. Tickets are pay-what-you-can.

Thoughtful Animals by David Parish

ON DISPLAY: through Oct. 21
LOCATION: Bacon Free Library through Oct. 21
DESCRIPTION: David Parish is a photographer and a long-term resident of Natick. He has been involved with several organizations in the town, including as Chair of the Broadmoor Advisory Board and, most recently, as Chair of the Bacon Free Library. David began his travels as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Turkey and, when possible, has continued to travel with his wife, Shirley, hoping to observe animals in their natural settings.  His wish is that the photos on display will appeal to children, and perhaps even some adults.

Will cross street for art—Page Waterman Gallery

While you’re at the Bacon Free Library South Natick, checking out the David Parish exhibit, stop by Page Waterman Gallery, just across the street. The South Natick dam may be gone, but the gallery has an excellent inventory of dam paintings, and art is forever.

Beyond Wellesley

Boston Book Festival

DATE/TIME: Saturday, Oct. 17, 10am-5pm
LOCATION: Copley Square, Boylston St. @ Dartmouth St. in Boston’s Back Bay
COST: Free
DESCRIPTION: New England’s largest literary event brings 25,000 people from across the region to Copley Square for an outdoor marketplace of ideas, great stories, author visits and much more. This annual event culminates a year-round celebration of writers and the written word.

Vivo Performing Arts presents “Gravity & Other Myths”

DATES/TIMES: Friday, Oct. 23, 8pm; Saturday, Oct. 24, 2pm & 8pm
LOCATION: Boston Arts Academy, 174 Ipswich St., in Boston’s Fenway neighborhood
COST: $44-$98 including fees
DESCRIPTION: The old saw that one must spend 10,000 hours to achieve greatness in a particular gets put to the test when Australian contemporary circus group GRAVITY & OTHER MYTHS brings its jaw-dropping human agility into a tale of impassioned dedication. Eight acrobats and one musician investigate physical skill—how it’s obtained and perfected, and how it transforms lives. Set to a driving musical score using live percussion/drums, Ten Thousand Hours is a love letter to human bodies and the amazing things they do.

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These events have passed:

Danforth Art Museum and School at Framingham State University

EVENT: Drop Into Art
DATE/TIME: Sunday, Oct. 11, 1pm-4pm
LOCATION: 14 Vernon Place on the Framingham Town Common
COST: Free
DESCRIPTION: This popular, ongoing event encourages creativity for adults and kids alike. A variety of materials are provided. It’s free and no pre-registration is required. Just drop in!

Saturdays at 4 Series: Children’s Concert: Peter & the Wolf!

DATE/TIME: October 10, 4pm-5:30pm
LOCATION: Wellesley Hills Congregational Church, 207 Washington St.
DESCRIPTION: Join us for this free Children’s Concert featuring Prokofiev’s beloved Peter & the Wolf! With the professional Puppeteering Group, “Really Inventive Stuff” and Woodwind Quintet, this promises to be fun for the whole family.
REGISTRATION here

Boston Lyric Opera, outdoors

EVENT: Street Stage at Titus Sparrow Park
DATE/TIME: Saturday, October 3, 4pm-5pm
LOCATION: Titus Sparrow Park, 75 West Rutland Square Boston, MA 02118
COST: Free
DESCRIPTION: BLO’s Street Stage rolls into Boston’s South End. This delightful concert program showcases everything from opera classics to musical theatre, all performed by extraordinary professional musicians. Enjoy gorgeous views of Boston from the scenic amphitheater lawn, explore the newly renovated playgrounds and basketball courts, and admire the historic architecture and gardens surrounding this treasured urban green space. In partnership with The Friends of Titus Sparrow Park and The Southwest Corridor Park Conservancy

Flamenco Performance

DATE/TIME: Thursday, October 1, 7pm-8:15pm
LOCATION: Morse Institute Library, 14 E Central St, Natick
REGISTRATION for this event is suggested, but not required. Patrons who register will receive an event reminder and any updates about the event. Registration also helps us know how many chairs we need.
DESCRIPTION: Combining dynamic footwork, intricate guitar playing, and powerful emotional singing, flamenco brings together music, dance, and storytelling in a uniquely captivating way.
SPONSOR: This program is possible due to a grant from the Natick Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency and the Friends of the Library.

Wellesley Symphony Orchestra, season opener, “Musical Tales”

DATE/TIME: Sunday, Sept. 27, 2pm
LOCATION: MassBay Community College Auditorium, 50 Oakland St, Wellesley, MA
TICKET INFO here
DESCRIPTION: The concert begins with Elisabetta Brusa’s symphonic poem, Merlin, for orchestra, Op.20. Written in 2004, this describes one of history’s best loved legendary figures. Giovanni Bottesini’s Gran Duo Concertante, is dedicated to long-time WSO cellist and WSO board vice president Jan Schwaner, who passed away on July 22. Jan joined the WSO in 1994, and joined our board in 2006. A joyful presence in the orchestra, Jan was an important part of our outreach program as part of the WSO String quartet. You’ll find more about Jan here.

ON DISPLAY: through September

LOCATION: Gallery 01760, Adams St., Natick Center
DESCRIPTION: Nathalie Garfinkle’s miniature watercolor paintings of cloudscapes. Nathalie says, “Local Clouds is a collection of watercolor cloudscapes focusing on the magic of our everyday places.” The Gallery is devoted entirely to presenting small and beautiful gallery quality miniature art. The art space typically hosts shows lasting one month each. For all submission and show inquiries, email executivedirector@natickcenter.org