Holiday Happenings at the Concord Museum!

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 A CELEBRATION OF CHILDREN’S LITERATURE

Concord Museum’s 26th Annual Family Trees

Join the Concord Museum to celebrate the 26th Annual Family Trees: A Celebration of Children’s Literature opening to the public on Wednesday, November 24, 2021 through Sunday, January 2, 2022.  Admire 32 fancifully decorated holiday trees and wreaths inspired by acclaimed works of children’s literature.

“Family Trees was started at the Concord Museum 26 years ago to give a creative twist to Concord’s esteemed literary history and to share one of life’s greatest pleasures- reading to a child. Since then, we have brought over 800 children’s book titles to life using trees and wreaths of all shapes and sizes as the canvas,” explained Carol Haines, Manager of Exhibitions and Design at the Concord Museum. “Such an endeavor is made possible by the talented and dedicated volunteers who organize the event and design and decorate the trees, and by our many generous sponsors, including Barefoot Books. “

This year’s Honorary Chair of Family Trees is award-winning author and illustrator Grace Lin. whose work has been named by a Caldecott Honor and a Newbery Honor among others. Grace Lin explained, “Family Trees is such a joyous celebration of the holidays, and books. It’s so much fun to see your book come to life on a tree.” Past Honorary Chairs of Family Trees have included Tomie dePaola, Gregory Maguire, Peter Reynolds, Jane Yolen and her daughter Heidi Stemple, Cokie Roberts, Jerry Pinkney, D.B. Johnson, Melissa Sweet, Pamela Zagarenski and Nicole Tadgell.

 

Admission: During this benefit event, Concord Museum admission is $18 adults, $15 seniors & students; $8 Youth (6-17); Children $5 (3 to 5); Children (2 and under) free. Members Free. The Museum is open  Tuesday through Sunday, 10:00am to 4:00pm. (Also open Monday, December 27; Closed November 25,December 24 and December 25). Walk-ins welcome. Go to www.concordmuseum.org for more information and this year’s Family Tree’s Booklist. For questions 978-369-9763 x222

 

Family Trees is organized by the Concord Museum’s Guild of Volunteers as a benefit for the Museum’s education initiatives.

A special thank you to our lead sponsor Barefoot Books and to our media sponsor Boston Parents.

 

Family Trees Programs

Page to Stage Puppet Show

Saturday, December 4 | 11:00 – 11:45 am

Free with Museum admission

Colorful and beloved characters from stories around the world come alive on the puppet stage. Some stories are interactive, some hilarious, all have positive messages!

 

Constellation Craft

Sunday, December 5 |10:00 – 12:00 pm

Free with Museum admission

During Family Trees, families can drop in to read Ada and the Galaxies and imagine the universe we live in. Design your own constellation of stars while exploring the galaxy.

 

An Afternoon with Authors & Illustrators

Sunday, December 5 | 1:00 – 3:00 pm

Free with Museum Admission

Meet some of the accomplished authors and illustrators who books are featured in Family Trees: A Celebration of Children’s Literature. Explore the decorated forest of trees throughout the Museum and visit with authors and illustrators as they sign your books. In partnership with the Concord Bookshop.

 

Reach for the Stars Stargazing Event

Sunday, December 5 | 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Free with Museum Admission

Explore the galaxies without having to leave Earth! Join Jim Zebrowski of the Aldrich Astronomical Society for a demonstration of how telescopes help us see far, far away, all in honor of the new picture book, Ada and the Galaxies.

11th Annual Holiday House Tour- Inside Out!
Saturday, December 11, 2021

Join the Guild of Volunteers for the 11th Annual Holiday House Tour on Saturday, December 11!  We are thrilled to return this year’s event to an in-person format, with the exciting twist of featuring a variety of beautifully decorated outdoor spaces sure to delight and inspire.  Hidden and often overlooked spaces, like patios, porches, doorways, barns, and gazebos, will take center stage for this showcase of outdoor winter wonderlands.  Concord’s holiday charm will be on full display in these unique settings, with the magic of twinkling lights and richness of abundant greens enhanced by the seasonal atmosphere.  Gather your friends and bundle up to enjoy this one-of-a-kind holiday tour!

Tickets: $30 Museum Members/$35 General Public

Inclement weather date: Sunday, December 12

Please note: Attendees will not have access to home interiors.  The event will take place entirely outdoors.

For more information and tickets click here.

Drop-In Flower Design

Saturday, December 11 and Sunday, December 12 | 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

Free with Museum Admission

Families can design their own flowers while reading Have You Ever See a Flower? And Welcome Flower Child: The Magic of Your Birth Flower. Learn about the different types of flowers and the symbolism behind them.

 

Holiday Members Night

Tuesday, December 14 | 4:30 pm – 7:30 pm

Free and Exclusive to Concord Museum Members

Celebrate the winter season with an evening of viewing Family Trees and enjoying festive treats. Stop by pop-up shops throughout the Museum to find unique gifts and take advantage of discounted holiday shopping. This event is open to all members of the Concord Museum.

 

 

 

True Stories Told Live from the Classroom at Concord Art!

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In collaboration with Fugitive Productions, Concord Art presents edition of True Stories Told Live. This time, our stories are From the Classroom! Join us for an evening of storytelling, where we will hear from our community members about teaching, learning, and more. We will be joined by the tellers of Fugitive Productions.

This is a hybrid event. Tickets are available for both online viewing and in person attendance. Please do be advised that our in person tickets are limited, so purchase yours early! Online tickets will join us over Zoom. A zoom link will be sent automatically with an online ticket purchase.

From the Classroom Storytellers Include:

Alyssa Bigay, Teacher at Concord Middle School
Tete Cobblah, Former Director of Diversity, Fine Arts Coordinator, a seventh grade advisor, and a soccer coach at the Fenn School
Kemp Harris, Former Kindergarten teacher of 38 years, plus singer-songwriter, activist, actor, author, and storyteller
Rob Munro, Dean of Academic Program and Equity at Concord Academy
Aaron Wolfe, Moth GrandSLAM winner, Featured on the Moth RadioHour, Teaches Storytelling at the PRX Podcast Garage

More Storytellers to be announced!

Buy tickets here.

Middle School Building News & Important Dates

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Greetings from the Middle School Building Committee,

Here’s an email jam packed with event information as we quickly approach our January 20th special Town Meeting.  We would love to share it all with your members because if anyone is looking to join Middle School Building Committee members for coffee and conversation about the proposed schematic design for a new Concord Middle School building, we have what seems like a million opportunities over the next few weeks, and we wouldn’t want your members to miss out.

The Building Committee is hosting a series of coffees, where Building Committee representatives will address the proposed building design, educational strategy, community use features, sustainability, and timelines. These coffees are more casual, with opportunity to engage and ask questions.

Here’s what’s coming up.  Get out your calendars!

Wednesday, November 10 at 9:15 am at Willard 
Join us at the Willard School for this event coordinated with the Willard PTG.  Come for the talk about the middle school, stay to see how the schools have been mitigating COVID: by bringing everything from classrooms to lunch outdoors in tents!.  Our coffee will be in Willard’s tent, so dress warmly.

Wednesday, November 10 at 7:30 p.m. on Zoom for Pre-School Night
Join us virtually on Zoom! Anyone is welcome, but we’re lucky enough to have Concord Children’s Center director and CMSBC co-chair, Pat Nelson, to lead our conversation about the middle school with parents of children attending our many area preschools.  This event was coordinated with the Integrated Preschool.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://concordps.zoom.us/j/94009511339?pwd=SElCWVM1YktRclJoMEo4ODVWUUlXUT09 

Meeting ID: 940 0951 1339
Passcode: 682196

Friday, November 12 at 1 p.m. at Ripley, Conference Room 4
This is an open discussion, sponsored by the CMSBC and open to all.

Tuesday, November 16 at 12 p.m. at Ripley, Conference Room 4
This is an open discussion, sponsored by the CMSBC and open to all.

Thursday, November 18 at 7 p.m. at Sanborn
Come join us in the Sanborn Library. This is an open discussion, sponsored by the CMSBC and open to all.  Come see the site itself.  It could be your last chance to see and experience Sanborn if the new building passes at Town Meeting on January 20th and the subsequent election on February 3rd. Remember that because this is an indoor event, a face mask is required.

Friday, November 19th at 9 a.m. at Thoreau’s ‘Wedding Tent’
Join us at the Thoreau School in what has become affectionately named the Wedding Tent.  Dress code is not black tie, it’s more like hats and mittens. But the tent is heated so if you don’t like the cold, this one’s for you.

Wednesday, December 1st at 7 p.m. on Zoom for Community Forum 7
A full forum, open to all, and sponsored by the CMSBC.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://concordps.zoom.us/j/97545700844?pwd=T3FPS3FtWFlOWTk4c05UZ0htYkVKdz09
Meeting ID: 975 4570 0844
Passcode: 141014

Friday, December 3rd at 9:30 a.m. on Zoom
Join us at the League of Women Voters First Friday Series.  As always, we’re thrilled to join the League for what is always a lively and informed discussion.  Zoom link forthcoming closer to the event itself. Stay tuned!

Wednesday, December 8th at 7 p.m. for our Sustainability Panel Discussion 
We’re excited to launch a new format: panel discussions with experts and specialists! The first in this series will be a panel discussion on Sustainability as it relates to the proposed Middle School Building.  Zoom link forthcoming closer to the event itself. Stay tuned!

*Finally, as we did with Listening Sessions last winter and spring, Building Committee members are also happy to join any of you at one of your existing meetings.  If you would be interested in this, please email Heather Bout at hbout.sc@gmail.com.

We appreciate so very much your engagement and attention to this extremely important town project.

– CMSBC Communications Committee

Umbrella Presents “The Old Man and The Old Moon”

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Epic Sea-Faring Musical Continues Umbrella Stage Season
Spectacular Stagecraft, Musical Storytelling, Makes for a Rousing Adventure

 

Adventure lovers of all ages are invited to set sail on a high-energy, family friendly epic that combines live, narrative folk music, puppetry, and theatrical effects for a unique, fantastical theater experience as The Umbrella Stage Company continues its 2021/2022 season with the The Old Man and The Old Moon, Nov. 12 – Dec. 5!

 

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. Hailed by The New York Times as “a story of time and tides and quests, the sort of fable on which mythologies and religions are founded,” The Old Man and The Old Moon is a fantastical tale with rollicking folk music by the innovative PigPen Theatre Co., and “asks us to appreciate the finer arts of wild storytelling, while speaking to the childish mind in all of us.”

“We are thrilled to bring The Old Man and The Old Moon to The Umbrella this season,” said Producing Artistic Director Brian Boruta. “As we planned our return to the stage, I wanted to find stories that were uniquely theatrical. The beautiful, yet simple stagecraft and the way the story is told harkens back to the very beginnings of theater itself – how do we create something out of nothing? Audiences of all ages will be left feeling that this story was meant to be seen in
a theater, and experienced live and in person.”

 

Directed by the award-winning Julia Deter, it stars Jonathan von Mering*, Gregory Boover*, Emily Serdahl*, Jennie McGuinness, Jay McCarthy, Kayla Shimizu, Lily Steven, Griffin Ostrowski and Erica Risti, each of whom also play instruments, and features dazzling sets, lighting, and stagecraft to tell an unforgettable story of love and devotion.

 

ABOUT THE SEASON
The Old Man and The Old Moon will be presented at The Umbrella Arts Center’s MainstageTheater144, 40 Stow Street, Concord, with limited seating capacity to allow for optimal social distancing. Facemasks are mandatory, and proof of full vaccination or negative Covid test is required for attendance.

The 2021-2022 season lineup also includes: an updated, relevant new presentation of the satirical The Colored Museum; an original world premiere play commission created by Hortense Gerardo; 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.

Buy tickets today!

$10 off tix to The Old Man and The Old Moon Nov 12-14 shows booked online – Use Code MOON10

Let’s Talk Turkey!

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Thanksgiving is around the corner and you know what that means…

Lots of Turkey Talk!

Do you know about Concord Recreation’s Turkey Hunt?

Once a week, turkey photos will be hidden around town. Find one? Call the Rec Dept. 978-287-1050 and receive a free, fresh turkey! Look for hints on social media every Monday in November!

 

Time to plan your Thanksgiving Supper!

Concord Cheese Shop is offering a Thanksgiving Menu

See their selection of cheese boards, soups, sides & desserts!

Please place your orders by Friday, November 19, 2021.

Items may be picked up Tuesday the 23rd or Wednesday the 24th

Concord Market has you covered from Thanksgiving breakfast to the turkey, sides and  don’t forget, pies! Order by and pick up November 20th and pick up November 24rd and 24th.

Concord Teacakes has you covered whether it’s Thanksgiving morning scones or bundt cake to adorable turkey cookies for the table and Thanksgiving pies & cakes.

 

Farfalle Italian Market  has full menu – from chestnut soup to sage roasted turkey and traditional pies! to Pick up is Wednesday November 24th from 12pm – 3pm.

Debra’s Natural Gourmet has a holiday menu that covers appetizers, sides, sauces, quiche, desserts and more!

 

Saltbox Kitchen is offering hors d’oeuvres to sides to desserts… along with growlers & cocktails to go! Order by 11/18, 6pm; Pick-up is Wednesday, 11/24.

Verrill Farm  can take care of all your Thanksgiving needs from Fresh Stonewood Farm Turkeys to our famous Kentucky Bourbon Pecan Pie! Order by 11/18! This year all orders must be placed ONLINE and will be for CURBSIDE pickup only on 11/23 & 11/24.

Concord Colonial Inn is open for the Annual Thanksgiving Dinner!

Concord’s Colonial Inn will be serving up a three-course meal for the whole family featuring our Traditional Turkey Dinner, and other seasonal favorites like our Pumpkin Ravioli and Carrot & Butternut Squash Soup. Reservations are required, and demand is high, so we recommend booking your time slot with us today by calling Anthony Scott, our Director of Food and Beverage at (978)-341-8202.

 

Sign up with Concord-Carlisle Adult & Community Ed and Make your own from-scratch apple and blueberry pies (BONUS: make a third – pumpkin pie too!). Adrienne will teach you how to make a superb pie dough! You will also make the filling to your own individual taste, ready to pop in the oven for Thanksgiving or freeze to use at a later date! An ingredient and basic kitchen tool list will be provided.

Thanksgiving Day CCHS Home Football Game!

November 25 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

CCHS Patriots take on Lexington!

Bring the whole family and enjoy cheering on the Patriots before your Thanksgiving meal!