Ring in the New Year this weekend at one of the best annual holiday celebrations in all of Metrowest Boston…..New Year’s Needham 2017. Head down to Needham this Saturday and Sunday for the ultimate celebration. Enjoy family-fun events all day long at locations throughout the city. And, many of these events are free to the community! Needham is truly “Where the New Year Begins” this Saturday, December 31st! Here is all the information you need to make the most of your time this weekend at New Year’s Needham 2017:

Full Schedule and Map of Venues

Live Entertainment and Performances!

With the first event beginning at 9:30 am and the last one starting at 10:00 pm, it is impossible for you to not find something to keep you and your family entertained all day long. With story time for the little ones, dance performances, local singers and bands, puppet shows, theatrical performances, and more, there is something for everyone to enjoy this New Year in Needham.

Magic Show! http://www.newyearsneedham.org/comedy-show/

Don't miss the day's headlining performance by comedian and magician Steve Kradolfer. You will spend the evening mesmerized by his amazing magic tricks and mind reading abilities. The show begins at 7:00 pm at Needham Town Hall.

Countdown Party!  

The countdown festivities will start at 9:30 pm on Saturday at the beautiful Powers Hall. Dance the night away to Boston's favorite blues band The Love Dogs. There will be a cash bar and light refreshments served throughout the evening. The party will bring you right into the New Year until 12:30 am. Attendees must be 21 and older. Tickets are $30 per person. Purchase tickets HERE.

New Year’s Day 5K Run!

Start working towards your New Year's resolutions by participating in the Needham Running Club's 9th Annual New Year's Day 5K run. The race begins at 11:00 am on Sunday, January 1st, at the Needham YMCA Pool Building (863 Great Plain Avenue). Prizes will be awarded to the top runners. Enjoy food, beverages, and raffle prizes after the race. The cost of the race is $20 per person in advance and $25 per person on race day. Register in advance HERE.

We can't wait to celebrate the New Year with you in Needham!!!

It is that spook-tacular time of here! Halloween is just around the corner! Get in the spirit of the season at some of the amazing events planned in the Wellesley & Metrowest Boston area. Whether you are looking for the ultimate scare or want some tame family friendly fun, check out these great activities going on all month long!  

Bates Elementary School Pumpkin Fair

Date: Saturday, October 15th

Time: 10:00 am - 2:00 pm

Location: Bates Elementary School (116 Elmwood Road, Wellesley)

Cost: FREE!

The Bates Elementary School Pumpkin Fair is a favorite fall tradition for families in Wellesley. This event is open to everyone in the community. Your family will enjoy delicious food, live entertainment, children’s games and activities, and a haunted house! Plus, enjoy the great pumpkin smash!

Edgar Allen Poe Visit to Weston Public Library

Date: Tuesday, October 11th

Time: 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Location: Weston Public Library (87 School Street, Weston)

Cost: FREE!

The works of Edgar Allan Poe are some of the most haunting. Listen to dramatic performances of The Tell-Tale Heart and The Raven. Performed by Mr. Campbell Harmon, there will also be interesting information provided regarding the author’s life, death, and his impact on literature in the United States.

11th Annual Weston High School Pumpkin Festival

Date: Saturday, October 15th

Time: 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Location: Town Green (11 Town House Road, Weston)

Cost: FREE!

Weston High School once again presents their annual Pumpkin Festival. This great fundraising event features everything you could want at a great family Halloween event. Enjoy cider, home baked goods, and traditional fair food. Listen to great live music. Decorate and carve a pumpkin. Plus, there are more activities for the kids to love, such as balloon animals, a magician, and face painting! All proceeds from the event benefit Camp Sunshine, a camp in Maine that helps families of children with life-threatening illnesses.

Halloween Happening

Date: Friday, October 28th

Time: 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm

Location: Wellesley Free Library (530 Washington Street, Wellesley)

Cost: FREE!

Bring your children down to the library for an afternoon of Halloween fun. Dress them in their scariest or prettiest Halloween costumes. There will be a costume parade at 4:30 pm. Prior to the parade, enjoy a spooky story time as well as arts and crafts!

Halloween Open Tower

Date: Monday, October 31st

Time: 1:00 pm

Location: Galen Stone Tower (Wellesley College)

Cost: FREE!

Come in costume to the Galen Stone Tower on Wellesley’s campus. The carillon (“bells”) in the tower will be performing spooky theme music for Halloween! Marvel at the talent of the Wellesley students who are playing the bells and at the beauty of the historic college.

Fall in the Northeast is spectacular! There is nothing quite like watching the leaves change to brilliant shades of red, purple, orange, and brown as the weather begins to cool. Celebrate the beauty of the season in Wellesley by hiking one of the many trails located throughout the city. The Wellesley Trails Committee will be hosting four guided trail walks this fall! No registration is required for these hikes. Put on your sturdiest footwear and head out for a 1.5 to 2 mile hike as you watch the landscape of Wellesley change before your eyes!

Boulder Brook Reservation Hike

Date: Sunday, September 25th

Time: 10:00 am - 11:00 am

Meeting Location: Kelly Memorial Park parking lot (68 Elmwood Road)

Enjoy a peaceful hike through Kelly Memorial Park and Boulder Brook Reservation. This hike will have you exploring woodlands and meadows. Marvel at how the surrounding landscape was transformed by the glaciers and witness a beautiful view from the top of Rockey Ledges.

North 40 Walk

Date: Saturday, October 15th

Time: 9:00 am - 10:00 am

Meeting Location: Town Beach gate (Turner Road)

Explore the area around Morses Pond, which was recently purchased by the town. You and the other hikers will walk along the Cochituate Aqueduct. This hike will take you on a scenic route through a pine forest and woodlands before finishing up in the community gardens and near a vernal pool.

Kids’ Trails Day

Date: Sunday, October 23rd

Time: 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm

Meeting Location: Longfellow Pond parking lot (Oakland Street)

Your kids can get in on the fun too with a trail walk designed specifically for them! They will love exploring nature as they look for treasure boxes using clues. Children must be accompanied by an adult during the hike.

Town Forest Walk

Date: Saturday, November 5th

Time: 9:00 am - 10:00 am

Meeting Location: Longfellow Pond parking lot (Oakland Street)

The final hike of the season will take hikers near Longfellow Pond. This fun hike will have you exploring landscapes deposited by the glaciers. Witness the end of the fall season as you walk through a tree tunnel in the woodlands.

Just because the work week started doesn't mean that the fun stops in Wellesley!! There are events occurring all week long! Enjoy the summer weather and time with family and friends at one of these awesome events.

July 26th

Navy Band Northeast Woodwind Quartet Concert: 2:00 pm at Waterstone at Wellesley (27 Washington Street). Celebrate the brave men and women that serve in our armed forces by attending a concert by the Navy Band Northeast Woodwind Quartet. This is one of the 11 official U.S. Navy bands and is based onboard NAVSTA Newport. The concert is FREE but an RSVP is requested at (781) 235-1614.

July 27th

BaHa Brothers Concert: 7:00 pm at the Wellesley Town Hall Green (525 Washington Street). This week’s Summer Concerts on the Green features Massachusetts band the BaHa Brothers. Dance the night away to the perfect summertime music. Concessions will be available from the Rotary Club of Wellesley.

July 28th

Raiders of the Lost Ark Screening: 7:00 pm at Davis Square (106 Central Street) at Wellesley College. Bring your blanket and enjoy this 1981 classic film under the stars. Arts and crafts projects start at 7:00 pm and the film will be shown at 8:15 pm. This event is FREE and popcorn and beer are also complimentary!

Arts on the Green: 5:30 to 8:00 pm at Elm Bank Horticulture Center (900 Washington Street). Spend a beautiful evening in the gardens while enjoying live music and admiring the work of local artists. This great family event will also feature hands-on activities. Bring your own picnic dinner with beverages available for purchase. Admission is $8. Children 12 and under, as well as Massachusetts Horticultural Society members, are FREE. 

July 29^th & 30^th

Annie Jr.: Performances at 7:00 pm (Friday) and 2:00 pm or 5:00 pm (Saturday) at Wellesley High School (50 Rice Street). See the beloved musical presented by the Wellesley Theatre Project, a local nonprofit organization that grants our community’s youth access to acting and theatrical productions. Tickets can be purchased in advance HERE or at the door prior to the performances.  

Looking for something fun to do in Wellesley and Metrowest Boston? There are several family fun events coming up through the next week. Whether it’s a movie, concert or outdoor activity, these summertime events offer something for everyone!

Wellesley

Saturday, July 16th

July Jubilation Sidewalk Sale: 9:30 am to 4:30 pm at Wellesley Square. Come for amazing deals from over 60 merchants located throughout Wellesley Square but stay all day for the family fun! Enjoy music, performers, food, kids activities, and so much more!

Thursday, July 21st

Pumpernickel Puppets: 2:30 to 3:30 pm at the Wellesley Free Library (530 Washington Street). Bring the family down to the library to see performances of  “The Three Billy Goats Gruff” and “The Lion and the Mouse”. This entertaining show will include colorful puppets, sound effects, and audience participation.

Friday, July 22nd

Summer Family Flix: 1:30 to 5:00 pm at the Wellesley Free Library (530 Washington Street). Watch the hilarious family animated films Ice Age and Ice Age 4: Continental Drift. Popcorn will be provided! First screening is at 1:30 pm and the second movie will start at 3:15 pm.

Natick

Saturday, July 16th

Natick Farmer's Market: 9:00 am to 1:00 pm at Natick Common (Intersection of Routes 27 and 135). Stock up on some delicious food and beverages from local vendors and farmers.

Fun with Butterflies and Dragonflies: 1:00 to 2:15 pm at the Mass Audubon’s Broodmoor Wildlife Sanctuary (280 Eliot Street). Learn more about the magnificent butterflies and dragonflies that call the Broodmoor Wildlife Sanctuary home.

Summer Morning Canoe on the Charles: 6:00 to 9:00 am at the Mass Audubon’s Broodmoor Wildlife Sanctuary (280 Eliot Street). Enjoy the great outdoors on the beautiful Charles river. Admire at the local wildlife as you canoe.

Needham

Friday, July 15th

On Your Mark, Get Set - Read! Summer Film Festival: 3:00 pm at the Needham Free Public Library (1139 Highland Avenue). Bring the kids to the library for a screening of the Disney film Cloud 9.

Weston

Friday, July 15th

Olympics Celebration:  9:00 am to 5:00 pm at Spellman Museum (241 Wellesley Street). Celebrate the upcoming Olympic Games by viewing an exhibit of stamps that feature past Olympians, participate in many hands on activities, and potentially meet some past Olympians! Make your own Olympic stamps that you can bring home with you. Admission is FREE!

Friday Night Flicks: 8:00 to 11:00 pm at Town Green. This week’s Friday Night Flicks is the beloved 1980’s classic John Hughes film Ferris Bueller’s Day Off! Bring a blanket and watch the film on the big screen outside. Free popcorn will be available for the first 100 people!  

Sunday, July 17th

Caribbean Cruise Day: 1:00 to 3:30 pm at Memorial Pool (Alphabet Lane). Head down to the pool for a fun Caribbean themed day. Enjoy a sundae buffet, games led by cruise directors, and listen to some great music. Event is free with regular pool admission.

Tuesday, July 20th

Concert on the Green: 7:00 pm at Town Green. Swing the night away with the Tom Nutile Big Band! This great regional band features 15 musicians. Enjoy past swing classics as well as contemporary favorites.