This Week in the Cultural District and Beyond

December 2023, Third Annual Art Gift-Away begins ...

in Franklin's Cultural District.

Greetings art lovers!

Art gifts beginning on December 10 to 31, on deck! 

For the next 4 weeks, I will leave a piece of art at an undisclosed location for the Franklin community members to find. 

This collection is called "Finding the Light" and it is the third annual gift away for Franklin inspired by the loss of my father. Imagining how many others are coping through pain and loss around the holiday season, sparked my need to share a little "light". 

In that same spirit, I mean for it to be uplifting, bring hope, joy and giving around the holidays. 

I share clues each week by Wednesday, simple enough for all to join in. 

I then drop off a gift wrapped piece of art at the location the following Sunday morning. 

All I ask, is that the finder share a photo of the painting they’ve found. 

Amy Adams, Franklin Artist, "Finding the Light"

Clues for week 1:

*I am just off center 

*Missing all of the laughter and play

*I sit near the eldest building for enriching young minds

*Find the red haired maiden, she keeps me guarded.

Wednesday, December 6 at the Senior Center

10:00am Veterans Coffee Social

1:00pm Senior Writing Group, meeting at Franklin Senior Center. Select Senior for information about this and other programs. Senior Center is located at 10 Daniel McCahill St.

Wednesday, December 6, 6:00pm Horace Mann Middle School Concert, in the auditorium. Located at 224 Oak Street.

Lifelong Community Learning's Winter and Spring Registration is now open! January 2024 is packed with a wide variety of classes, such as Watercolor Plus (Jan. 8), American Sign Language (Jan. 8), Kids’ Cooking (Jan. 10), Acrylic Painting (Jan. 10), Yoga for Anyone (Jan. 10), Kids’ Spanish (Jan. 11), Sound Bath Meditation (Jan. 29) and many more. Select Lifelong Community for information and to register. Lifelong Community Learning is located at Franklin High School, 218 Oak Street.

Thursday, December 7, 2023

Thursday, December 7, 6:00 pm LGBTQ Alliance Monthly Meeting at Franklin Public Library. Join in a holiday art project. Select LGBTQ for more information. The library is located at 118 Main Street.

Thursday, December 7, at 67 Degrees Brewing.

• FW Webb EVENT
• 5:30pm Open Mic, hosted by David Penza
• 6:30pm DIY Craft Event with Lil Bit of Heart, ticketed event.

Select 67 Degrees for more information and ticketing. 158 Grove St.

Thursday, December 7, 7:00pm Franklin High School Chorus & Orchestra Concert, FHS Auditorium. Located at 218 Oak Street.

Thursday, December 7, 7:30pm, Faculty Dance Works, Dean College. Join us for two energetic and exciting evenings of dance, featuring outstanding works conceived by the Joan Phelps Palladino School of Dance faculty and renowned guest artists. Dean College Dance students will perform in a diverse variety of dance styles, from modern dance to ballet to tap and more. Select Dean for ticket purchase and performance information.

Friday, December 8, 2023

Friday, December 8, 1:00pm to 5:00 pm Franklin Library Book Sale. All books are just one dollar! Select Library for more information. Located at 118 Main Street.

Friday, December 8, 4:00pm to 8:00pm Jack Frost Jubilee sponsored by Safe Coalition. Celebrate the season with SAFE: Unwrap the magic of Christmas with Santa, Reindeer, Stories, and Sweet Treats! Ticketed event. $20 per adult, kids FREE. Select Safe Coalition for ticket purchase and information. Jubilee happens at Proctor Mansion, 36 Common Street, Wrentham.

Friday, December 8, 4:00pm to 7:00pm at Fairmount Fruit Farm, Orchard Sl "hay" Ride. Ticketed event.

Select Fairmount for ticketing and information. Fairmount Fruit Farm is located at 887 Lincoln Street.

Friday, December 8, 6:00pm to 8:30pm, Matt Zajac, Live Music on the patio, in the heated tent at La Cantina Winery. Select La Cantina for information. Located at 357 Union Street.

Friday, December 8, 9:00pm, Kymberlee O'Brien, Live Music, in the bar/lounge 3 Restaurant. Select 3 for more information. Located at 461 West Central Street.

Saturday, December 9, 2023

Saturday, December 9 at Franklin Public Library

• 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 Noon. All books are just one dollar!
• 1:00-4:00 p.m. Bag Sale - $5 A Bag. Come fill a brown bag with all the books you can! Select Library for more information. Located at 118 Main Street.

Saturday, December 9, 10:00am to 1:00pm A Cookie Walk at the First Universalist Society in Franklin. Come and Stroll through the festively decorated Meetinghouse. Select from a delicious assortment of homemade treats provided by more than 30 bakers. Cookies will be available for $10 per pound. Containers, decorated with your choice of holiday sticker, will be provided. Cash, check, or electronic payments accepted. Make this event part of your holiday fun! Select FUSF for more information. Located at 262 Chestnut Street.

Saturday, December 9, 10:00am to 1:00 pm Franklin Historical Museum. Revisit Downtown Franklin circa 1932 Railroad exhibit again this December at the Franklin Historical Museum. Visit the Museum gift shop for Franklin-infused gifts. Select Museum for more information. FREE. Museum is located at 80 West Central Street.

Saturday, December 9, 10:00am, RISE Up, monthly meeting at Franklin TV and Radio. This meeting is intended to be a safe space for individuals navigating life with disability to meet others with whom they can relate. For additional information about this group, select Rise. Franklin TV is located at 23 Hutchinson St.

Saturday, December 9, 10:30am to 11:00am Story Time at Escape into Fiction Bookstore. Select Bookstore for information about this an other events. Located at 12 Main Street.

Saturday, December 9, 4:00pm to 7:00pm at Fairmount Fruit Farm, Orchard Sl "hay" Ride. Ticketed event. Select Fairmount for ticketing and information. Fairmount Fruit Farm is located at 887 Lincoln Street.

Saturday, December 9, 6:00pm, Yatra Band, Live Music in the taproom at 67 Degrees Brewing. Select Brewing for more information. 67 Degrees Brewing is located at 158 Grove Street.

Saturday, December 9, 8:00pm The Rescignos: Franklincense at THE BLACKBOX. Starring Paul Rescigno & Robbie Rescigno. Ticketed event. Select TBB for ticket purchase and information. THE BLACK BOX is located at 15 West Central Street.

Sunday, December 10, 2023

Sunday, December 10, 1:15 pm. Museum open 1:00pm to 4:00pm Franklin Historical Museum. Second Sunday Speaker: Scott Mason.

Toy Trains and Christmas: From Lionel to Thomas the Tank Engine. Scott Mason will discuss this phenomenon in a presentation that will focus on how and why this came to be. Select Museum for more information. Located at 80 West Central Street. Admission is always free. Please consider donating a nonperishable item when visiting the Museum this season.

Sunday, December 10, 3:00pm. Festival of Lessons and Carols at St. Mary Church. St. Mary Parish Choir will present their 9th Annual Festival of Lessons and Carols. Join our magnificent Choir as they perform a concert of Scripture Reading. Select Carols for more information. St. Mary Parish is located at One Church Square.

Monday, December 11, 2023

Monday December 11, 7:00pm to 8:00pm, in person at Franklin Public Library and through Hybrid Program. When you think of Austrian painter Gustav Klimt you may think of Art Nouveau or Symbolism, or Gold! Join Jane Oneail of Culturally Curious for an introduction to this idiosyncratic artist while we review Klimt’s famous gold paintings and his lesser known works. Brought to you by Ashland Public Library, Belmont Public Library, and Franklin Public Library. Register Here for Virtual option and program information. Library located at 118 Main Street.

Tuesday, December 12, 2023

Tuesday, December 12, 7:00pm, Franklin Bellingham Rail Trail Committee Monthly Meeting at 67 Degrees Brewing. Select Rail for more information about this organization. 67 Degrees Brewing is located at 158 Grove Street.

Opportunities ...

MCC FUNDING. Applications due December 12. The Franklin Cultural District Committee (FCDC) has received a Cultural District Investment Grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council for fiscal year 2024. The FCDC is reaching out to FCD Partners for funding proposals for cultural initiatives planned in the District. Please select the following links for additional information: FY24 FCD Funding Request Form, MCC Credit & Publicity Requirements and Reimbursement Request Form. Grant applications due December 12. Email Bryan Taberner, AICP, for more information. Mr. Taberner’s email address is: [email protected] Thank you to MCC for this generous funding.

Wednesday, December 13, 7:00pm to 8:30pm Franklin Newcomers and Friends, Monthly Meeting at Escape into Fiction Bookstore. The night will include our Holiday themed trivia contest and our Yankee Swap. Bring a wrapped gift ($20 limit) and get one in return. Prizes are awarded to trivia winners and we’ll be serving refreshments from Birchwood, a lovely cafe/bakeshop located in Franklin. Come early and check out the bookstore to get a jump on Holiday shopping. There is always a wonderful selection for all ages. Escape into Fiction Bookstore is located 10 Main St.

Thursday, December 14, 4:30pm to 7:00 pm Winter Wonderland Community Event at Franklin Senior Center. Come out for an evening of holiday cheer. Select Holiday for more event information. Senior Center is located at 10 Daniel McCahill Street.

Thursday, December 14, 7:00pm, Franklin Cultural District Committee monthly meeting. Campanella Board Room located in Dr. Paula M. Rooney Student Center on the Dean College Campus. All welcome. Select Cultural for more information.

Saturday, December 16, 6:30pm, Special Holiday Dinner and Concert performance by Martin & Kelly at GlenPharma Distillery. Get in into the Holiday spirit with a 90-minute holiday concert by acclaimed artists Martin & Kelly with a 4-course prix fixe dinner by Chef Kevin and his team.  Ticketed event. Select GlenPharmer for more information about this distillery. Select tickets for ticketing information. GlenPharma Distillery is located at 850 West Central Street.

Saturday, December 16 and Sunday, December 17, Humbug! staged at Franklin High School. A family favorite since debuting as part of FPAC’s 2008 season, Humbug! is an original musical retelling of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, starring the script’s writer, Nick Paone, as Ebenezer Scrooge. With musical hits of every genre and live accompaniment by a 10-piece band of professional musicians, Humbug! transports audiences from Dickensian England to contemporary America as the novel’s iconic characters and storyline are cleverly reimagined with modern setting and dialogue. Humbug! delivers a holiday gift of hilarity with a timely – and timeless – message! Select Humbug for ticketing. Franklin High School is located at 218 Oak Street.

Partnering with Franklin Matters @https://www.franklinmatters.org sharing information about arts and culture. Visit Franklin Matters for Franklin information.

Franklin Cultural District Committee

Amy Adams, Katherine Botelho,

Pandora Carlucci, Sue Cass, Patrick Conlan,

John LoPresti, Roberta Trahan

Next meeting 7:00pm. December 14 at Dean College. Select FCD for more information.