Natick Report

More than you really want to know about Natick, Mass.

Natick weekend roundup—Trails Day, Riverbend Fall Festival, Art in the Park, Oldtown Photo Competition

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If you’re looking for something to do this weekend, Natick has a few fun events going on:

Natick Fall Trails Day

The Natick Trails and Forest Stewardship Committee invites the public to Natick Fall Trails Day on Saturday, Oct. 16, 9am-noon. The goal is to tidy up the trails at Hunnewell Town Forest for all to enjoy.

hunnewell town forest sign oak st

 

Pre-register for Natick Fall Trails Day.

Fall Festival, Riverbend School

Riverbend, Natick

LOCATION: 33 Eliot School, South Natick

Art in the Park

The Natick Artists’ Association will host Art in the Park at Shaw Park, (that nice green space across the street from the Bacon Free library) on Sunday, October 17, 10am – 3pm.

Shaw Park, South Natick
Shaw Park, South Natick

There will be over 2 dozen local artists enjoying the fresh air and offering up their art for your enjoyment and for purchase.

EVENT: Art in the Park
LOCATION: Shaw Park, Eliot Street, South Natick
DATE: Sunday, October 17
TIME: 10am-3pm

Oldtown Photo Calendar Competition

The 16th annual Oldtown Photo Calendar Competition will feature the work of over forty local photographers. Show visitors vote for their favorites, and winning images will be published in the Oldtown Calendar, a fundraiser for local nonprofit groups. All photographs were taken in “Oldtown” which includes parts of Natick, Dover, Sherborn, Wellesley and Needham. Come vote for your favorites, and check out the just-published 2022 Calendar, featuring the winners from last year’s competition.
oldtown calendar cover
The Oldtown Calendar is just one of many community building efforts organized by the Eliot Church. www.oldtowncalendar.org
DATE: October 17, 2021
TIME: 11am – 3pm
LOCATION: Eliot Church, 45 Eliot Street (Route 16), Natick, MA
Email us at jotthird@gmail.com
 

Natick Porchfest brings the music outside

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We had a busy Saturday but wanted to be sure to fit Natick Porchfest, a free grassroots community music festival featuring local and guest performers right on Natick porches, lawns, and driveways. We should have plotted out a course ahead of time, but wound up just parking near the library and letting our ears guide us to the tunes. Turns out going with the flow was perfectly in keeping with the event’s mojo. Over 2 dozen musical acts, all of whom gave freely of their time and talents, were on tap during the event. Here are a few we checked out:

First stop was at the Baby Safe Haven stage in front of the Natick Police station. At first we thought Baby Safe Haven was the name of the performer, but it turned out to be Arthur Cole, who had a strong fan base clapping and dancing along as he sang with the chillest of vibes. After Cole completed his set he walked among his admirers, giving high fives and hugs. “That was awesome,” said one fan wearing a Red Sox shirt. “You were wonderful,” chimed in a couple of the town’s senior citizens.

Natick Porchfest
Natick Porchfest, Arthur Cole

From there we headed across the street to a cluster of acts on Lincoln, Sherman, and Wilson Streets, running into numerous friends along the way. Crowds gathered, some plunked down in portable chairs, some standing, and others staying on the bikes they rode there.

porchfest
Miguel Melendez parked himself next to a classic pickup truck and strummed some classic tunes on the guitar.

 

Natick Porchfest
Scott Matsumoto played acoustic guitar among the expansive perennial gardens at this Natick home. Although Matsumoto was self-deprecating about his taste in music, we were all in on his cover of Close to You, by The Carpenters.

 

Natick Porchfest
Ken Bach serenaded an appreciative crowd but admitted, “It’s hard to reach some of the high notes these days, ya know?” To which his daughter shouted out, “You sound great, dad.” She later joined him in vocals and on the flute for California Dreamin.

 

porchfest
Kenny Selcer & Steve Gilligan played their version of Let’s Get Together. After the song was finished, Gilligan informed the crowd with delight, “The Guinness god has visited.” We actually witnessed the Guinness god work his miracle of stout delivery, and indeed it was a sight to behold.

 

porchfest
Friendly neighbors supplied those of us doing the exhausting Porchfest rounds with a selection of snacks

We circled back to the police station location before heading home, catching a bit of music from some young performer who looked as though they weren’t going to stop anytime soon.

porchfest

Piano Recital at Natick’s Eliot Church on Sunday, Sept. 26

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Pianist Stephen James will present a lyrical program of classical, romantic and impressionistic works, including:
  • the Mozart Sonata in C minor
  • a selection of the Lyric Pieces by Edvard Grieg, including Wedding Day at Troldhaugen, and
  • Le Tombeau de Couperin, by Maurice Ravel

The concert will be given at the Eliot Church in South Natick at 4pm on Sunday, Sept. 26.

Suggested donation: $15, a benefit for the church.

 

Steve James 3
Pianist Stephen James

Please send tips, photos, ideas to natickreport@gmail.com

Natick Cooperative Playgroup was once our lifeline

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We absolutely loved  our years as members of Natick Cooperative Playgroup (NCP), a weekly lifeline and safe space where nobody judged us for the behavior of our semi-feral toddlers, or for our unwashed hair. The fact is, we forged lifelong friendships with other NCP parents as we swapped child-rearing tips and watched our kids thrive as they played alongside their peers.

To this day we still play a monthly Bunco game with a core group of moms we met there. Every month at Bunco we catch up with each other and get teary over how our little NCP graduates grew up into not-so-little high school seniors. The last of those NCP babies have just gone off to college. So if you’re on the fence about adding NCP to your busy life, I’d say go for it. Your busy life is about to get incredibly enriched.

Registration for the 2021-22 year of the Natick Cooperative Playgroup (NCP) is open. Playgroups are forming now for a September 8th kickoff.

Join the NCP at this link.

Natick Cooperative Playgroup

More about NCP

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