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, APRIL 13

• St. Peter Parish in Northbridge is having a Ham Dinner on Saturday, April 13 th starting at 5:30 pm in the Parish Hall. Bring you family and friends for a wonderful meal and meet some new friends. Tickets are $17 per dinner and include salad and dessert. To go meals will be available for pick up at 5:00pm and all orders must be purchased in advance. “Pay It Forward” purchase an extra dinner and we will deliver it to someone in need in our local community. Please call the parish office at 508-234-2156 or email [email protected] to purchase tickets or if you have any questions.

• Meet author Ann Watt, whose debut book is a nursing memoir titled, “When Being a Nurse Was Fun: Tales From My Life as a Nurse”, on Saturday, April 13, 1-2:30 p.m. at Booklovers’ Gourmet, 72 East Main Street, Webster. This book signing and presentation is free to attend and signed books will be available for purchase. For more information or to RSVP, call 508-949-6232 or email [email protected]. Ann lived in Worcester for a few years and was employed by UMass/Memorial at the University campus. The book starts with a few stories about her nursing training and employment at UMass.

• The First Congregational Church of Dudley (aka Dudley Hill Church, 135 Center Road) will host a turkey supper on Saturday, April 13, 2024. There are 2 seatings, one at 5 pm and the other at 6:15 pm. The meal is served family style with a menu which includes turkey, stuffing, mashed potato, turnip, squash, gravy, cranberry sauce, bread & butter, and golden gingerbread with homemade whipped cream. The price is $18 for ages 13 and up, $10 for children ages 6 - 13, and free for those ages 5 and under. Reservations are RECOMMENDED as there is limited seating. To make a reservation, please call 508-943-7320. Leave your name, telephone number, time of seating (5 or 6:15), and the number of adults/children you are reserving for.

THURSDAY, APRIL 18

• At 7 pm at Vaillancourt Folk Art, 9 Main Street, Manchaug Village, Sutton. Christine Watkins, Sutton Historical Society, will tell the story of the devastating 1924 Manchaug Village fire on its 100th anniversary which burned over 10 acres, left 25 percent of the Village population homeless, destroyed the retail section of the village, and made national news.  This presentation will include photos, newspaper summaries, and eyewitness accounts.  Come hear how a small community, with the help of generous neighbors, persevered over a tragedy. 

•Learn everything about growing “Daylilies in the Garden” at the Sutton Garden Club meeting at 7 p.m. at the A.L. Gendron Post 414, 156 Boston Post Road, Sutton. Adel Keohan will be presenter.

• Sutton Historical Society’s first speaker presentation at 7 pm at Vaillancourt Folk Art, 9 Main Street, Manchaug Village, Sutton. Christine Watkins, Sutton Historical Society, will tell the story of the devastating 1924 Manchaug Village fire on its 100th anniversary which burned over 10 acres, left 25percent of the Village population homeless, destroyed the retail section of the village, and made national news.  This presentation will include photos, newspaper summaries, and eyewitness accounts.  Come hear how a small community, with the help of generous neighbors, persevered over a tragedy. 

SATURDAY, APRIL 20

• Home Baked Ham & Bean Supper, April 20, 2024 at 5:00 pm in the Community House, 8 Court St, Uxbridge located behind the Uxbridge Town Common. Sponsored by the Uxbridge Congregational Church. Menu includes baked ham, home baked beans, potato salad, coleslaw, brown bread, beverages & dessert. Donation of $13.00 per adult, children under 6 free. Raffles will also be available. For reservations call 508.244.7849 Limited tickets will be sold at door. Come enjoy great food and fellowship.

SATURDAY, MAY 4

• The Millbury Nature Trails Committee will host an Arbor Day Tree Planting Event at 9 a.m. at the Brierly Conservation Area. Help plant trees and mark a new trail. Rain date is May 11. To register, visit the Nature Trails Facebook page.

• 9th Annual Family Fun Fishing Day  - Open Sky Community Services and the Blackstone River Watershed Association are excited to co-host the 9th Annual Family Fun Fishing Day at Riverbend Farm in Uxbridge along with our partner organizations, the Blackstone River National Heritage Corridor Volunteers-in-Parks Program, Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife. This year’s event will be held on Saturday May 4 from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. with a rain date of Sunday, May 5. Prizes offered in four different age groups will be awarded at 1:15 p.m. There will be activities for the whole family, as well as food and ice cream for purchase, free face painting and raffles. All ages and ability levels are welcome.  Fishing poles, bait and instruction will be available with pre-registration and participants are welcome to bring their own. This is a catch and release event for everyone from first time fishers to experienced anglers. Adults must accompany children under 12. Volunteer opportunities are available at openskycs.org/fishingvolunteers. Pre-registration will open starting April 5 at thebrwa.org/familyfishing2024. This is a FREE event, but pre-registration is required. Please contact Joanne Holahan at 508-278-5200 with any questions.

• At 7 pm at Vaillancourt Folk Art, 9 Main Street, Manchaug Village, Sutton. Christine Watkins, Sutton Historical Society, will tell the story of the devastating 1924 Manchaug Village fire on its 100th anniversary which burned over 10 acres, left 25 percent of the Village population homeless, destroyed the retail section of the village, and made national news.  This presentation will include photos, newspaper summaries, and eyewitness accounts.  Come hear how a small community, with the help of generous neighbors, persevered over a tragedy. 

• Sutton Historical Society’s first speaker presentation at 7 pm at Vaillancourt Folk Art, 9 Main Street, Manchaug Village, Sutton. Christine Watkins, Sutton Historical Society, will tell the story of the devastating 1924 Manchaug Village fire on its 100th anniversary which burned over 10 acres, left 25percent of the Village population homeless, destroyed the retail section of the village, and made national news.  This presentation will include photos, newspaper summaries, and eyewitness accounts.  Come hear how a small community, with the help of generous neighbors, persevered over a tragedy. 

SATURDAY, MAY 11

• Rough Seas, Safe Harbor: Wings of Song

Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish Church 16 East Main Street, Webster, 7:30 p.m.

Admission to concerts is free, with a freewill offering collected at intermission.

“Rough Seas, Safe Harbor” will take audiences on a huge sea voyage, much of it aboard a whaling ship that might have left New Bedford, Mass. in, say, the 1850s, and sailed practically around the world, separating crew members from their families for as long as four years.

These concerts are sponsored in part by the Monson and Sturbridge Cultural Councils, local agencies supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. Wings of Song is grateful for this support—and for the continued support of their many faithful audience regulars, supplemented by first-timers whom we’re always glad to see!

Anyone needing more information is encouraged to email Music Director Cooke at [email protected] or Wings of Song President Carol Curtin at [email protected].

Saturday, MAY 18

• 4:00pm Bethel Lutheran Church/Grace Ministries of Auburn will be performing music concert "Peace & Praise" as they

continue to celebrate their Centennial Anniversary.  The program will include present as well as many past organists/music directors, choir members & musicians including hymns/anthems/contemporary music by choir embers, bell choir and children's performances.  A reception will follow. All are welcome to either attend or participate in this festive, free-will offering event. For more information contact Adam Hanks at [email protected].

saturday, june 1

• Saint Peter’s Parish in Northbridge will be holding a Yard Sale on Saturday, June 1st , 7:30am to 3:00pm in the parish hall. If you are moving, spring cleaning or just have too much clutter, bring us your gently used items for our yard sale. You may drop-off your donations every Saturday from 10:00-1:00pm April through May, starting on Saturday, April 6th at the parish garage. We are accepting kitchen items, home goods, toys, sporting goods, books, small furniture

items, clothing for donation and much more. Please see our website for a

complete list of what we are accepting. You may also call or email the parish

office, if you have any questions: 508-234-2156 or email: [email protected].

Saturday, June 8

• Please join us for our Annual Community Yard And Plant Sale! As we’ve done in the past, we will rent spaces and tables, plus we’ll do all the advertising and remember, our prime location can’t be beat! Spaces Are $25 For Non-Members. Tables Are Available To Rent For $5 Each. Last year our Community Yard Sale and Plant Sale was so successful that we had to implement a wait list! We anticipate the same level of interest again this year, so don’t delay in reserving your spot. We are very excited at the thought of gathering, again, with our church family and our neighbors on the church’s front lawn. Call the church office, 508-832-2845, to reserve your spot! All are welcome! First Congregational Church of Auburn, 128 Central Street, Auburn.

HIKES WITH BLACKSTONE VALLEY HERITAGE CORRIDER HIKES

The following is a list of hikes in Massachusetts being led by volunteer Trail Ambassador Phil. Phil’s hikes begin at 10 a.m. 

Saturday, April 20: Castle Hill Farm Hike, Whitinsville

Saturday, May 4: Mendon Town Forest Hike, Mendon

Saturday, May 18: Wallis Pond Loop Hike, Douglas

Saturday, June 15: Douglas State Forest Hike, Douglas