Auburn Historical Society & Museum, 41 South St. [email protected]. Auburnhistoricalmuseum.org

Auburn Public Library, 369 Southbridge St. 508.832.7790. auburnlibrary.org

Auburn Recreation, Kristen Pappas, 508.832.7736. [email protected]
Auburn Senior Center, 4 Goddard Dr. 508.832.7799. auburnguide.com/seniorcenter

Oxford Community Center, 4 Maple Rd. 508.987.6002. oxfordma.us/234/Community-Center

Oxford Free Public Library, 339 Main St. 508.987.6003. oxfordmapubliclibrary.org

Oxford Senior Center, 323 Main St. 508.987.6000. oxfordma.us/246/Senior-Center

November 3

State Election Day. See page 7 in this issue for a review of the nine ballot questions.

Wednesday, November 11

Veterans Day recognizes all American military veterans who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Federal offices, the U.S. Postal Service, most banks, and many state offices and public schools are closed today. Originally named Armistice Day to mark the end of World War I, it was renamed Veterans Day in 1954

AUBURN

Saturday, October 24

9 am-3 pm: Fall Festival Homecoming at Auburn High School. Pumpkin decorating! Family-friendly community booths and activities. Food, craft vendors and more! 

Sunday, October 25

2-6 pm: Trunk or Treat at the Chester P. Tuttle Post 279, 88 Bancroft St.

Monday, October 26

5:30-6:30 pm: The Friends of Auburn Public Library meeting in the Merriam Room. Check the library’s calendar in case of a change. New volunteers are welcome. Become a volunteer - because you can never have too many Friends! Questions? Email [email protected].

Thursday, October 29

5:30-7:30 pm: Trick or treating at the Auburn Public Library

Tuesday, November 3

2-3 pm: Virtual Author Talks: Reclaiming Your Inner Wisdom: Sacred Indigenous Teachings with Asha Frost. In a fast-paced world that can leave us feeling overwhelmed and disconnected, true healing begins within. This transformative virtual conversation with Indigenous Medicine Woman Asha Frost will explore her book, You Are the Medicine: 13 Indigenous Teachings to Connect to Your Inner Wisdom, Reclaim Your Power, and Heal. Register at the library’s website.

Tuesday, November 3-December 8

11 am-1 pm: Creative Writing Course. Wonder what a quatrain is? How about a sonnet? Want to dig deep into analyzing, reading and creating poetry? RSVP to the Auburn Senior Center for this free course.

Monday, November 9

12 pm: Free Thanksgiving Luncheon hosted by Sen. Michael Moore and Rep. Paul Frost. Join them for a delicious meal, great company, and celebrate the Thanksgiving season together. Space is limited. Dine-in only. RSVP required by calling the senior center.

Tuesday, November 10

2-3 pm: Virtual Author Talks: A City on Mars: The Science and Absurdities of Space Settlement with Kelly and Zach Weinersmith. Join this out-of-this-world conversation with New York Times bestselling authors as they dive into their book, A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through? Register at the library’s website.

Monday, November 16

6:30-7:30 pm: First-time homebuyers’ presentation for ages 18+ with Tania Thomas in the Merriam Room at the Auburn Public Library. Learn about navigating the process of buying your very first home. Registration required, on the library’s website.

Thursday, November 19

6:30 -8 pm: Auburn’s veterans with exhibits and stories at the Auburn Historical Museum. The museum will be open to feature exhibits and stories about Auburn’s veterans. Guided tours will be offered where you can hear stories from almost every war and branch of service. Free and open to the public. Do you have a story to share about an Auburn veteran? Stop in during regular hours on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and tell them.

Sunday, November 22

2 pm: Rachael’s Memorial Run, a 5k run and walk that begins and ends at the Auburn Elks. Walkers will begin 15 minutes ahead of the runners. Established in memory of Rachel Johnson who battled an aggressive form of leukemia, the run supports Auburn Youth and Family Services while raising awareness for speech pathology. As written by her parents on the race’s website: “Witnessing the challenges faced by children with developmental disabilities, Rachael chose to devote herself to bring care, understanding, and hope to those who needed it most.” For race details and to register, scan this code: 

Friday, December 4

6 pm: Holiday Tree Lighting Featuring a sing-along and caroling with the Auburn High School Marching Band and Chorus. Hot cocoa, coffee and cookies baked by Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical High School Culinary Arts students! Cookie sponsor Southbridge Credit Union. Invocation by Pastor Matthew Geeze. Special guest appearance by Santa Claus! Next to Fire Station Headquarters, 47 Auburn St.

Saturday, December 5

9 am-4 pm: Holiday Craft Fair. 13th annual fair. 175 craft vendors will help you get into the holiday spirit! Santa will make an appearance from 10 am-2 pm so bring the kiddies. Activities, food, drawing, facepainting and much more. More info on auburnma.gov. 

OXFORD

Saturday, October 24

11 am-3 pm: Scarecrows on the Common: Join the Oxford community for its 77th annual family-fun festival. Celebrate the Fall season and help fill the Common with handcrafted scarecrows for everyone to enjoy. The community votes for their favorites and prizes are awarded to the top three scarecrows in each category: Funniest, Best Town Spirit, and Most Creative. There is also a vendor fair, kids arts and crafts, family lawn games, food vendors, and live music by DW and the Shakemakers. Sutton’s Dancing Witches are scheduled to perform at 1 p.m. 

Tuesday, October 27

5-8 pm: Howl at the Moon: Something spooky is coming to Oxford’s Community Center. Trick or treating, pumpkin chuckin’, a haunted maze, and plenty of Halloween fun for the whole family. Free admission. Costumes encouraged!

Friday, October 30

2-3 pm: Oxford Public Schools Halloween Parade at the Oxford Public Schools Central Office, 4 Maple Rd.

6-8 pm: Punk Concert. Oxford’s own Acid Crash along with LongShot and XBubbyHouseX will be live in the Meeting Room (Basement) of the Oxford Free Public Library for an all-ages punk show. The library will be closed for regular use, but open for all to enjoy the show. Costumes are encouraged, so if you don’t really have Halloween plans, now you do. No registration needed - bring your friends. No substances.

Wednesday, November 4

4:30-5:30 pm: Hands on Nature -a beginning birding program for kids ages 3-12. This fun and informative program will be in the Meeting Room (Basement) of the Oxford Free Public Library.

Saturday, November 7

1-3 pm: Capybara Building Block Contest in the Teen Room at the Oxford Free Public Library. Who is the Master Builder? This teen challenge is to see who can put this potty-ing Capybara together first. It might not be as easy as you think; these pieces are TINY. There are a limited number of these little guys, so registration is required and space is limited.

Sunday, December 6

5 pm: Holiday Tree Lighting & Light Parade. Parade kicks off at 5; check in/line up at North Fire Station begins at 3:30 pm. Oxford Community Center partners with many town departments and organizations to plan and execute the annual holiday parade and tree lighting event, to bring yuletide joy to all. The Oxford Fire Department, Police Department, and DPW organize the parade. DPW is also responsible for the beautiful light display across the Town Common. Float registrations are now available on the OCC web page.

REGIONAL

Wednesday, November 4

2 pm: Remarkable Women of the American Renaissance, a lecture by Ellen Duzak at the Joshua Hyde Public Library, 396 Main St., Sturbridge. Free and open to the public. This, the second of two illustrated lectures, will focus on two amazing women who lived at different times in the Old Manse in Concord. Mary Moody Emerson and Sarah Alden Bradford Ripley each had a powerful influence on the Transcendental philosophy of Ralph Waldo Emerson and a generation of women and men. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Sturbridge Cultural Council. Duzak is a retired professor of psychology at Becker College who has also taught courses for the Worcester Institute for Senior Education (WISE) at Assumption University.