NOTE: Community bulletin board-type items are welcome for inclusion in the Happenings! section of the Xpress newspapers. Please allow enough lead time for publication. Email your calendar or event notice to [email protected].

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21

•St. Patrick’s Church Recycling Event, 7 East St. Whitinsville from  8 a.m. – 1 p.m. 

Accepting gently used books (no encyclopedias); gently used textiles/clothing; electronics for a fee ( no propane, batteries or lightbulbs); rinsed bottles/cans returnable in Massachusetts (no glass); gently used media (video games, dvd’s, cd’s, etc.). Paper shredding at $8 a box, 9 – 11 a.m. only.

Please keep items for each station separate. For more information and pricing, email [email protected] or call 508-234-5656.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22;  

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27

• Book signing with Thomas D’Agostino, author of “A Guide to Haunted New England” from 5:50 – 8 p.m. at Miner Grant Store, Sturbridge Village. You must have ticket to Phantoms by Firelight at Sturbridge Village to access the bookstore.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18

•The Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce will host Ignite Success: A Professional Development Conference from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. at the Community Harvest Project Barn, 37 Wheeler Road, North Grafton. This one-day workshop will give you the tools to help drive your interactions with co-workers, your decision-making and add to your success. For school administrators, business leaders, C-Suite, small businesses, non-profits and sole proprietors. Members $200, future members $275.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19

•The Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce will host Business After Hours from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Spicy Water Distillery, Millbury. Join BVCC Food, Beverage and Hospitality Network and Business Network for a business after hours networking event hosted by Spicy Water Distillery, 108 Elm Street. Enjoy a cocktail and a few bites while engaging, meeting and forging new business relationships with other local area business professionals. 

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21

•St. Patrick’s Church Recycling Event, 7 East St. Whitinsville from  8 a.m. – 1 p.m. 

Accepting gently used books (no encyclopedias); gently used textiles/clothing; electronics for a fee ( no propane, batteries or lightbulbs); rinsed bottles/cans returnable in Massachusetts (no glass); gently used media (video games, dvd’s, cd’s, etc.). Paper shredding at $8 a box, 9 – 11 a.m. only.

Please keep items for each station separate. For more information and pricing, email [email protected] or call 508-234-5656.

• Local 4 Life, a Dudley-based non-profit organization, invites the general public to its Fall Festival, a fun event for the whole family. The festival takes place on Saturday, Oct. 21 from 2 to 6 p.m. at Andy’s Neighborhood Canteen, 9 Frederick Street, Webster. 

The event features activities for all ages, including music, games, face painting, local artisans, vendors, and lots more. 

Additionally, there will be a Chili Cook-off Contest; the contest runs from 3 to 5 pm. Entry fee is $20, which helps to support the community’s access to local food. To enter, email [email protected]

Visit the organization’s website at local4life.org to learn more about the non-profit or call (508) 341-5347. 

Thursday, October 26

• Local historians John Mrazik and Curtis Cleaves will look at the brief but exciting existence of the Worcester & Webster Street Railway on Thursday, October 26, at 6:30 p.m. at the Samuel Slater Experience museum in Webster.

This free program is sponsored in part by the Webster Cultural Council. To register, go to samuelslaterexperience.org.

A piece of the trolley track, recently dug up from the original trolley barn, will be exhibited at the museum.

Samuel Slater Experience is at 31 Ray Street, Webster.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28 

• Historic Cemetery Tour at Sutton Center Town Cemetery, 4 Uxbridge Rd. at 7 p.m. Ree-enactors will tell the tale of early settlers buried in the cemetery.

• Join the “Witches of Sutton” on Saturday, October 28, 2023 for the 3rd Annual “Oh My Gourd Event” hosted by the Sutton Fourth Committee, a local 501(c)3 responsible for the Sutton Fourth of July parade.  Information can be found at thesuttonfourth.org.  This community event includes:

4- 10 p.m. Oh My Gourd Pumpkin and Scarecrow Display (Sutton Common). Display will remain on Common until 

November 2nd

4- 6 p.m. Boo Bash (Sutton Library)

5 – 8 p.m. Historic Graveyard Tours (Cemetery behind Town Hall)

5- 8 p.m. Halloween Display (Rufus Putnam Museum located next to Fire Station)

5 p.m. Murphy Academy of Irish Dance (Common)

5:30 p.m. Witches of Sutton (Common) 

The Sutton Lions Club will be serving food on the Common starting at 5 p.m. on the common. 

Wednesday, November 1

• Booklovers’ Gourmet in Webster is hosting a book release party for “Every Shade of Me,” a novel by Alec John Belle, on Wednesday, Nov. 1 , from 5-7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Signed copies of the book will be available for purchase.

Booklovers’ Gourmet is located at 72 East Main Street in Webster, MA. For more information, call 508-949-6232 or email [email protected].

Thursday, November 2

• 8,000 DAYS: Retirement Discussion

We could be facing 20 or more years in retirement, which is approximately 8,000 days; Retirement is not an end, but rather a new, complex, and unknown phase of life waiting to be invented; What will you do on Day One of your retirement and each day thereafter? Getting started on the right foot can be crucial.

Hosted By: Dennis Antonopoulos, Financial Advisor for Edward Jones (Auburn, MA) with guest speaker Curtis Ranta from the Hartford Funds

 6:00-7:00PM at Brookdale Eddy Pond – West, 669 Washington St, Auburn MA

To Register: Call Karen Rieser At 508-832-5385 Or Email [email protected] By November 1st. Refreshments will be served. Although this seminar is free, reservations are required. Guests are welcome.

Saturday, November 11 -

Sunday, November 12

• The 16th Annual Natural Living Expo, New England’s largest holistic health and wellness event will return on Nov. 11 – 12 to the Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel and Trade Center, 181 Boston Post Road  (Route 20), Marlborough. Get the best of holistic and alternative health care information. Sponsored by Uxbridge-based 

SpiritofChange.org. Admission is $25 with a $4 discount for ordering online in advance.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15

• The Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce’s 45th Annual Meeting & Awards Ceremony will be held at Pleasant Valley Country Club on Armsby Road in Sutton from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. Do you know a business or individual deserving of recognition, or a business that is celebrating a milestone anniversary? Submit your nomination to Liz O’Neil at [email protected].

Friday, November 17

• Millbury First Congregational Church will be holding their Annual Turkey Raffle on Friday, Nov. 17 at 6:30 p.m. at the Charles F. Minney VFW Post, 16 South Main St. Millbury. The top four prizes are: First Prize: $500 in cash; Second Prize: $250 Amazon Gift Card; Third Prize: Case of Assorted Wines; Fourth Prize: Thanksgiving Dinner Basket with Turkey. Raffle Tickets on sale outside Goretti’s Supermarket, 1 Providence Street on Oct. 14; 17; 24; and Nov. 4. Refreshments will be sold during the drawing, including hot dogs and other delicious surprises. 

Friday, November 24 – Sunday, November 26

• The Douglas Scouting Association will host a Hometown Holiday Hall at the Scott Hall Building, 22 Church Street, Douglas on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 24-26. The hours are 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Sunday. Free admission and free refreshments. All items are homemade. Holiday store atmosphere – one stop check-out. Cash, check major credit cards accepted. All proceeds to benefit the Douglas Scouting Association.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2

• Chain of Lights, Sutton’s annual town-wide Christmas event. Free trolley rides from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. to participating locations. Food, children’s activities, shopping and lots of holiday cheer. Tree lighting with Santa and the Sutton High School Band at 5 p.m. on the Town Common. 

• St. Denis Church Holiday Fair, Douglas will be held Saturday, Dec. 2, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Purchase crafts, enjoy baked goods or try our raffles. Have lots of fun at the Kids’ Table. Luncheon served from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Visit SaintDenisChurch.com for more info and updates

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5 

•Christmas Potluck at 6:30 p.m. First Congregational Church, 307 Boston Road, Sutton.

Saturday, December 9

• Auburn Recreation and Culture is hosting its 10th Annual Holiday Craft Fair from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9 (snow date Dec. 10)  at Auburn High School, 99 Auburn Street, Auburn.  150+ Craft Vendors will help you get into the spirit of the holiday season. Santa will be making an appearance from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., so bring the kids. There will be activities, food, drawing, face painting and much more. For more information please Contact the Recreation & Culture Division or call 508-832-7736.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31

•Midnight, Last Night Cannon firing, M.M. Sherman Blacksmith Shop, 6 Singletary Ave., Sutton.

SATURDAY, MARCH 16, 2024

• The Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Home & Community Expo will be held at the Northbridge High School Field House on Linwood Avenue in Whitinsville from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Registration will occur late summer, early fall.