Wacky Wednesday: Visit the Concord Cheese Shop!

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Did you know about their Cheese & Charcuterie Club?

Every month changes with new selections of cheese charcuterie. Available for pick up second Wednesday of every month. Subscriptions available for 3-months, 6-months, and 12-months.

House Made Quiches

If you haven’t tried our house made quiches, well…you need to. Come in and say hello to Meg, our self proclaimed quiche queen. Fresh made every Tuesday and Thursday. Always a meat and vegetarian option. We also take orders. And yes, we can make gluten free quiches too.

House-Made Meals

From our lunch and dinner specials, to our custom sandwiches and platters, we’re ready to serve you delicious feasts for 1-100 people.

 

Every Day Lunch and Catering

…served con mucho gusto. Due to seasonal availability, we reserve the right to make product substitutions. The utmost care will be taken to ensure that any substitutions made are for products of equal or greater value and quality. We would appreciate orders of 12 or more to be called or faxed in anytime by 5:30 pm on the previous day.

Stay Informed

To stay up to date with happenings at The Cheese Shop of Concord, please join our email list!

KICKS for CANCER & MIGHTY MOOSE 2021

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“Bringing the Community Together for a Great Cause”—Coach Wells

Kicks for Cancer Weekend 2021
Saturday, September 25, 2021
-Kicks for Cancer 
Sunday, September 26, 2021
-The Mighty Moose 5k

        

 

In late September, Kicks for Cancer brings together soccer players and fans at Concord-Carlisle High School in Concord, MA, to support local high school teams and to rally to advance ovarian cancer prevention. Players take to the fields wearing jerseys with the name of a loved one who has battled cancer displayed on their backs. This year, the fields will once again be filled with men’s and women’s soccer games starting early in the day and stretching into the evening.

 

 

Kicks for Cancer Weekend 2021
​save the dates for
Saturday, September 25, 2021
-Kicks for Cancer 
Sunday, September 26, 2021

 

 
About Lois Wells
To say that my mom was a wonderful person would be an understatement.  She was a truly remarkable person: an amazing and devoted mother, a caring friend, a woman of strong faith, who lived a healthy life.  When some abdominal discomfort eventually led her to a diagnosis of Stage Four Ovarian Cancer in 2006, our family was shocked given what a healthy person she was.  We were even more shocked when, after a successful surgery to remove much of the cancer at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and seemingly successful chemotherapy treatments at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, she was unable to overcome her battle with cancer and passed away in March of 2007, less than a year after her initial diagnosis, at the age of 67.  Throughout everything, she remained faith-filled, positive, upbeat, and optimistic, even when her prognosis became bleak.

Kicks for Cancer originated in 2007 as an idea – a way to honor the life and spirit of Lois Wells, the mother of Concord-Carlisle High School (CCHS) varsity soccer alums (1996-1998) Steve Wells and Dan Wells (1989-1990).  After playing soccer for Connecticut College (1999-2002), Steve returned to CCHS as an assistant coach for the men’s soccer team in 2003.  In 2009, Steve joined the CCHS Special Education department as tutor and has been a Special Education teacher since 2012.  We asked Steve to share his thoughts on the history of Kicks for Cancer and its impact:

The First Kicks for Cancer Event–2007
​The first Kicks for Cancer event was played at Memorial Stadium at CCHS in October 2007–a single game against Boston Latin High School.  The idea of the game originated from the brilliance of CCHS coach Ray Pavlik who had rallied the team to do something to support me during a very difficult time for me after our mother’s death.  Initially, CCHS staff had looked into doing a charity walk/run in memory of my mother, but when fundraising minimums made this impossible for a team of 20-plus players and coaches, Coach Pavlik came up with the idea of playing a benefit game where all of the CCHS players wore pink jerseys with ‘WELLS’ on the back to honor my mother.  The first event was very successful and featured the singing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” by members of the choir from my mother’s church, Grace Chapel in Lexington, MA, a ceremonial “first kick” done by my nephew Wells Ipema to the team captains, and many alumni in attendance.  I was blown away by the $8,000 that we raised and donated in support of women’s cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.  Little did I know that this was only the beginning and would be much more than a one-time event.​

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Kicks for Cancer Expanded
I had assumed that the first Kicks for Cancer was just a one-time event, so when Coach Pavlik approached me the next season and said that the plan was to do it again, I was shocked–a great surprise!  The event took off, eventually expanding into two games side-by-side in 2010, six games in 2011 and sixteen soccer games in 2019. The Concord-Carlisle and Lincoln-Sudbury women’s teams first joined the Kicks lineup in 2013 to the delight of soccer fans.  The most amazing thing was that each year we raised more money for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute than the previous year.  Every time I was told how much money was raised, I was more and more blown away!  The generosity of the CCHS community and now that of many other towns is indescribable.  The time, effort, and energy that is put into Kicks for Cancer by Coach Pavlik and so many parent volunteers (as the event has grown, a committee had to be formed to handle all the various aspects of the event) is unbelievable.
Kicks for Cancer Today
Now, including the partnership with CCHS Field Hockey’s Sticks for Cancer, the CCHS Cross Country teams’ K(ilometer)s for Cancer, the CCHS Pink Dance, and The Mighty Moose 5k Run/Walk, Kicks for Cancer is the cornerstone of an incredible weekend which is so much more than just soccer.  It truly brings the community together for a great cause, and I am beyond humbled and awed by the magnitude of the event.  That, combined with the specific donation to Dr. Elias’s lab at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to fund ovarian cancer early detection and treatment efforts, makes me and so many others in the community proud to be a part of this event each year.  Our commitment to cancer research and to the patients and families impacted by cancer is unwavering.  Thank you to everyone involved–the players, the volunteers, and the community!

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Events and towns supporting Kicks for Cancer!

Kicks for Cancer Weekend 2021
​save the dates for
Friday, September 24, 2021
​-Pink Dance (will be canceled this year due to Covid concerns)
Saturday, September 25, 2021
-Kicks for Cancer 
Sunday, September 26, 2021
-The Mighty Moose 5k

Soccer Teams
Acton-Boxborough
Bedford
Boston Latin
Brookline
Burlington
Cambridge
Concord-Carlisle*
Holliston* (Field Hockey only)
Lincoln-Sudbury
Milton
Needham
Newton North
Newton South
Reading
​Wakefield
Waltham
Wayland
Westford
Weston
Woburn* Soccer and Field Hockey teams

PictureThe Mighty Moose Fun Run/Walk is held in memory of Jenna Swaim, a loving mother and wife who lost her courageous four year battle to ovarian cancer on July 3, 2018. She was 43 years old. The name of the event is inspired by Jenna’s Alaskan roots, love for fun, and strength! The event is part of the Kicks for Cancer weekend, which is the very successful fundraiser that the Concord Carlisle High School soccer team and coaches Ray Pavlik & Steve Wells started in 2007.

Together, we will continue Jenna‘s legacy and vision to raise crucial funding for this cause. All funds raised will support the ovarian cancer research of Dr. Kevin Elias of Brigham & Women’s Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Together we are making a difference!

Jenna Hoge Swaim, age 43, of Concord, Massachusetts, died peacefully at home on July 3, 2018, after a four-year battle with ovarian cancer.

Born in Anchorage, Alaska, Jenna grew up enjoying the majestic views and pristine landscapes of Alaska. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Yale University in 1996, where she played varsity soccer, earned multiple league honors, and served as the team captain her senior year. Upon graduation, she worked in investment banking at Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley and received a Master of Business Administration from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College in 2001. She transitioned from finance to human resources and worked at OneBeacon Insurance and PeopleFluent, all while raising her young family. Jenna thrived in and loved her career.

Jenna met Derek Swaim the first weekend at graduate school. They shared passions for sports, the outdoors, and traveling and after getting married settled in Concord, Massachusetts. She cherished nothing more than Derek and their three beautiful children Luke, Jason, and Nora, and she put all of her incredible spirit, talent, and energy into her family. They brought smiles and laughter to her heart every day. Jenna was active in her community and tirelessly supported her children’s schools, clubs, and abundant activities, always cheering for, and often coaching, them and their teams. With her family, she enjoyed hiking, biking, running, golfing, skiing, and the outdoors, and together they traveled extensively.

Her extended family and friends were also very important to her. Jenna possessed a gift for forming lasting friendships wherever she went. She loved getting family and friends together. She was tremendously thankful for all the support that her sister, family, friends, neighbors, and children’s teachers provided to her family and her.

Her positive and kind attitude was infectious. She will be remembered by the many lives she touched for her bright smile, humility, thoughtfulness, strength of character, and dedication to every endeavor. Jenna loved life, cherished it, and lived it to the fullest. She was extremely grateful and felt lucky to have had such a full life in a short period of time.

-The Mighty Moose 5k

   

 

THE UMBRELLA WELCOMES AUDIENCES BACK!

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The Umbrella Stage Company returns in its 2021/2022 season with six fresh,
varied productions, including an original world premiere, staged in-person in its two recently constructed theaters at 40 Stow Street.

Halted by COVID-19 midway through its inaugural season as a professional company, the award-winning team led by Producing Artistic Director Brian Boruta has taken time this year to construct a thoughtful, balanced season to ease stage-starved audiences back into a theater experience for a tentative time.
Planning for limited capacity seating and Covid safety protocols, the season begins with an intimate staging of Audrey Cefaly’s romantic comedy, The Last Wide Open (Sep 24-Oct 10), and builds modestly from there – forgoing the large  casts of originally planned musical spectacles such as War Paint in favor of smaller, diverse and lesser known productions.

The lineup also includes: the music-rich and imaginative sea-faring epic The Old Man and The Old Moon; an updated, relevant new presentation of the satirical The Colored Museum; and the joyous musical comedy Head Over Heels, from the visionaries behind Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Avenue Q, fueled by music from the Go-Gos. Balancing out the season is an expanded
family friendly concert, Holidays Under The Umbrella, and an original play commission created by Hortense Gerardo and directed by Michelle Aguillon, who have partnered with The Umbrella on multiple pandemic projects.

NEW APPROACHES FOR A DIFFERENT KIND OF SEASON
With one exception, productions will be in The Umbrella’s new 344-seat proscenium-style mainstage at roughly half capacity to allow for optimal audience distancing from the cast and each other. The Umbrella joins a cohort of peer theaters in implementing heightened cleaning, mask mandates, fully vaccinated workplaces, and required proof of full vaccination or negative Covid test for adult attendees to protect community members.

Boruta cast the widest possible net to engage a diverse panel of Umbrella community members – performers, directors, designers, as well as board and staff members of all ages and backgrounds – to review, discuss and consult on selections that would feel meaningful, accessible and exciting to all its constituents just easing out of the pandemic.

THE UMBRELLA STAGE COMPANY PERFORMANCES

THE LAST WIDE OPEN – Sep. 24 – Oct. 10, 2021

Play by Audrey Cefaly, Music by Matthew M. Nielson , Directed by Nancy Curran Willis

Fate plays its hand in this romantic comedy that features original songs and live music. Lina, a young waitress, and Roberto, an Italian immigrant,  have been working together for years but rarely talk. If they
do, it’s from a distance or gets lost in translation. But when a late-  finds them alone in the restaurant at closing time, they find their lives intersecting in surprising and mystical ways. Over wine and conversation, they test the waters of happiness and intimacy. A love song in three movements, The Last  Wide Open imagines how the universe conspires to bring us together.

THE OLD MAN AND THE OLD MOON – Nov. 12 – Dec. 5, 2021

Play by PigPen Theater, Directed by Julia Deter
The Old Man has kept his post as the sole caretaker of the moon for as long as he (or his wife, the Old Woman) can remember. When she is drawn away by a mysterious melody sparking memories of their shared past, the Old Man must decide between duty (and routine) and love (and adventure). Luckily for audiences everywhere, he chooses the latter, and what follows is an imaginative sea-faring epic, encompassing apocalyptic storms, civil wars, leviathans of the deep, and cantankerous ghosts, as well as the fiercest obstacle of all: change.

HOLIDAYS UNDER THE UMBRELLA – Dec. 17 – 19, 2021

Directed by Sarajane Morse Mullins
The Umbrella’s beloved holiday concert returns the mainstage after last season’s virtual presentation. Familiar faces and Umbrella Stage favorites will return to sing seasonal songs and share their own holiday memories in a family friendly concert to put everyone in the spirit of the season!

THE COLORED MUSEUM – Jan. 28 – Feb. 20, 2022

By George C. Wolfe, Directed by Pascale Florestal
Serving as an elaborate satire of the prominent themes and identities of African American culture, the play is set in a fictional museum where iconic African American figures are kept for public consumption.
Told in a series of eleven sketches, each segment centers on a different “exhibit” in the museum, and serves as a small one-person play or monologue. Exploring themes of racism, stereotypes, intracommunity conflicts in black culture, and the ongoing legacy of slavery and segregation, The Colored Museum received overwhelming critical praise for its provocative subject matter and in-depth
exploration of the African American theatrical and cultural past.

A WORLD PREMIERE – Mar. 18 – Apr. 10, 2022

By Hortense Gerardo, Commissioned by The Umbrella, Directed by Michelle Aguillon
Local playwright Hortense Gerardo (Incantation) will create a brand new play specifically for The Umbrella Stage Company season. Stay tuned throughout the year for more information, sneak peeks, and special events leading up to this world premiere event

HEAD OVER HEELS – May 13 – Jun. 6, 2022

Adapted by James Magruder, Concept and Original Book by James Whitty, Music by The Go-Go’s,
Directed by Brian Boruta
Head Over Heels is the bold new musical comedy from the visionaries that rocked Broadway with Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Avenue Q and Spring Awakening. This laugh-out-loud love story is set to the
music of the iconic 1980’s all-female rock band The Go-Go’s, including the hit songs, “We Got the Beat,” “Our Lips Are Sealed,” “Vacation,” Belinda Carlisle’s “Heaven is a Place on Earth” and “Mad About You.”
A hilarious, exuberant celebration of love, it follows the escapades of a royal family on an outrageous journey to save their beloved kingdom from extinction—only to discover the key to their realm’s  within each of their own hearts.

40 STOW STREET, CONCORD MA 01742
978.37 1.0820
TheUmbrellaStage.org

Celebrate Concord’s 386th Birthday and all-new Concord Museum Celebration

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WE’RE MAKING HISTORY (Literally)!

CONCORD’S BIRTHDAY AND THE ALL-NEW CONCORD MUSEUM!

In celebration of Concord’s 386th Birthday and the opening of the Concord Museum’s 16 new permanent galleries, the public is invited to a week of activities including Forums, Gallery Talks, Encampments, and Family events starting Labor Day, September 6 through Sunday, September 12, 2021.

The week-long celebration includes free Museum admission for all Concord residents and the opportunity to see the newly renovated Museum first-hand on Saturday, September 11 and Sunday, September 12, 2021.

 

On Tuesday, September 7, 2021 the public is invited to a panel discussion “Concord Farms: Resilience, Revolutionaries, and Renegades” on the history of agriculture in Concord that is both informative and celebratory as we help spread the word about the resilience of the Concord farmer. On Wednesday, September 8 join Jacqueline Jones, the president of the American Historical Association and Concord resident, in a conversation about her prize-winning books including: Labor of Love, Labor of Sorrow: Black Women, Work and the Family from Slavery to the Present.

 

Drop by the Museum to experience the history of Concord’s incorporation as a town! Families can participate in activities that explore life and craft in the era of the 1600’s Concord from Friday, September 10 through Sunday, September 12.

Free outdoor community activities are scheduled on the weekend! Meet baby lambs and a fluffy angora rabbit outside the Museum. Watch as their wool and fur are carded and spun into fine yarn with a master weaver at work at a loom. On Sunday, visit an encampment with the Acton Minutemen for cooking, music, crafts, and musket drills as the men and women prepare for battle.

 

The final phase of Concord Museum’s decade-long $16 million renovation project is culminating with the opening of renovated and interactive galleries and celebration starting on Labor Day, September 6, 2021. The ten newest galleries include a renewed focus on Concord’s famous Transcendentalists Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, Louisa May Alcott, the women who led the effort to abolish slavery, and African Americans who lived in Concord before and after the Civil War.

Friday, 9/10:

11am: Henry David Thoreau Gallery Talk

2pm: Farming in Concord: History Learning Center Program

 

Saturday, 9/11:

10am Celebrate Concord Community Day

11am Mill Brook Walking Tour 

2pm Getting a Living Gallery Talk

 

Sunday, 9/12:

10am Celebrate Concord Community Day

11am Incorporating Concord Gallery Talk

2pm History Learning Center Program

For a full program listing of Family Activities visit www.concordmuseum.org

Sponsors: WBUR, Gourmet Catering and Middlesex Savings Bank.

 

 

CELEBRATE CONCORD’S 386th BIRTHDAY AND THE ALL-NEW CONCORD MUSEUM

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In celebration of Concord’s 386th Birthday and the opening of the Concord Museum’s 16 new permanent galleries, the public is invited to a week of activities including Forums, Gallery Talks, Encampments, and Family events starting Labor Day, September 6 through Sunday, September 12, 2021.

The week-long celebration includes free Museum admission for all Concord residents and the opportunity to see the newly renovated Museum first-hand on Saturday, September 11 and Sunday, September 12, 2021.

 

On Tuesday, September 7, 2021 the public is invited to a panel discussion “Concord Farms: Resilience, Revolutionaries, and Renegades” on the history of agriculture in Concord that is both informative and celebratory as we help spread the word about the resilience of the Concord farmer. On Wednesday, September 8 join Jacqueline Jones, the president of the American Historical Association and Concord resident, in a conversation about her prize-winning books including: Labor of Love, Labor of Sorrow: Black Women, Work and the Family from Slavery to the Present.

 

Drop by the Museum to experience the history of Concord’s incorporation as a town! Families can participate in activities that explore life and craft in the era of the 1600’s Concord from Friday, September 10 through Sunday, September 12.

 

Free outdoor community activities are scheduled on the weekend! Meet baby lambs and a fluffy angora rabbit outside the Museum. Watch as their wool and fur are carded and spun into fine yarn with a master weaver at work at a loom. On Sunday, visit an encampment with the Acton Minutemen for cooking, music, crafts, and musket drills as the men and women prepare for battle.

 

The final phase of Concord Museum’s decade-long $16 million renovation project is culminating with the opening of renovated and interactive galleries and celebration starting on Labor Day, September 6, 2021. The ten newest galleries include a renewed focus on Concord’s famous Transcendentalists Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, Louisa May Alcott, the women who led the effort to abolish slavery, and African Americans who lived in Concord before and after the Civil War.

For a full program listing of Family Activities visit www.concordmuseum.org

 

Sponsors: WBUR, Gourmet Catering and Middlesex Savings Bank.