Wednesday, May 11 | 7pm

(Zoom)

This event is rescheduled from 3/24. In partnership with Lexington Living Landscapes.

Every house in America should be fronted with a non-native monoculture with the maintenance requirements of a golf course and the ecological value of a strip mine; a place where all flowers are called weeds and signs essentially saying “keep off” are the norm. Does that idea seem a bit odd to you? It’s time to take a second look at this idea we call lawn. Join Dan Jaffe Wilder, co-author of Native Plants for New England Gardens and Director of Applied Ecology at Norcross Wildlife Foundation, to learn about the various options available to us, from whole lawn replacement to strategies for managing existing lawn in more ecologically beneficial ways. From well-known plants to brand new introductions, we will discuss various options that fit the needs of various lawn spaces.

Monday, May 16 | 7pm

(Zoom)

During this presentation, speakers with lived experience of a mental health condition will share their experiences and how they have found pathways to hope and healing. Audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions, learn more about mental health conditions, and challenge misconceptions.

In partnership with the Town of Lexington Human Services Department.

Tuesday, May 17 | 7pm

(Zoom)

This program is rescheduled from 4/12.

Millions of people cross the bridges over the Cape Cod Canal each year. But how many know what this engineering marvel is all about? Samantha Gray, an US Army Corps of Engineers Park Ranger, will present a heavily visual program that offers excellent insight into the rich history, fascinating features, and vigilant operation of the Cape Cod Canal.

Monday, May 23 | 7pm

(Large Meeting Room)

Join poet/teacher Jessie Brown for a fun and interactive workshop focused on writing haiku to explore and celebrate life in Lexington. Think about the places we connect — on a walk through town center or exploring green spaces. Around a table or at the playground. What makes you laugh? Frown? Feel lonely or full? Who are the people — or animals — that touch your day? This summer, your finished haiku may be painted in a storefront window in Lexington Center as part of Neighborhood Haiku, a public art project organized by the Lexington Cultural Council.

Thursday, May 26 | 1pm

(Virtual)

Long before the British Invasion, the cash-strapped lords, viscounts, and dukes of Great Britain shifted their focus from hunting foxes and pheasants to more lucrative targets: cash-flush Gilded Age American socialites who were willing to trade their family’s money for an ancient title and often a chilly reception in the British aristocracy. Fans of “Downton Abbey” and “The Gilded Age” on television and film will delight as Anglophile and former U.K. resident Claire Evans recounts the tales of some of the famously loaded young Americans who infused bank accounts of many stately homes, including close relatives of Winston Churchill and Princess Diana. She’ll also give travel tips if you’d like to create a Gilded Age tour for yourself.

Tuesday, May 31 | 7pm

(Virtual)

In the pre-talkie early years of Hollywood, two of the biggest silent movie stars, Sessue Hayakawa and Anna May Wong were Asian. Portrayed as exotic and inscrutable, these stars graced the silver screen with great success. But suddenly and within a short period of time, all the major Hollywood movie studios began hiring white actors instead of actual Asians and gave them the “yellowface” treatment with taped-back eyes and makeup. Fast-forward to today, and Asians have attained an amazing level of stardom and success both on TV and the big screen. How, when and why did all those cultural shifts come about? This presentation covers more than a century of how Asians have been portrayed in Hollywood, on commercials, and on stage.

Saturday, May 7| 2pm

(Elm Bank, 900 Washington St., Wellesley, MA)

Monday, May 16 | 7pm

(Zoom)

Weekly on Wednesdays | 6:30pm

(Zoom)

Saturday, May 14| 10:30am

(Large Meeting Room)

"Short, sharp, witty — the words in haiku are like candy,” says writer Jessie Brown. Come join this fun, interactive workshop designed for people of all ages. Bring a grandparent, child, sibling or friend! Make your own haiku or work together. Create a poem inspired by nature, a neighborhood, a favorite food or animal and give it to someone you love . And look for this summer's call for "Neighborhood Haiku" — your poem may be painted in a storefront in Lexington Center as part of a public art project organized by the Lexington Cultural Council.

Tuesday, May 17 | 7pm

(Zoom)

Join Cary Library and Younhee Shin, Member of the Korean Spirit and Culture Promotion Project for a fun activity to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month. Learn how to create beautiful Lotus Flower Lanterns using colored paper and wire frames. Please register for a kit and the Zoom link to follow along at home. The kit includes: frame, petals & leaves and glue.

Supplies are limited. Only one lantern per family please. Registration is required for this virtual event.

Thursday, May 19 | 7pm

(Large Meeting Room)

Join Cary Library and Judy Bloomberg for a unique arm chair adventure. Judy is a local author who has been an intrepid traveler for over 50 years. She has visited about 115 countries on all seven continents, including some of the most remote and least-visited places in the world. During COVID, she was inspired to create a book, titled Always a Traveler, Never a Tourist: In Search of People and Places on the Road Less Traveled. During her presentation, Judy will share her collection of about 300 color photos from places like Papua New Guinea, Ethiopia, Bhutan, Mongolia, Antarctica, and more, along with anecdotes about her travels off the beaten path.

Wednesday, May 25 | 7pm

(Virtual)

From the author of Swimming to Antarctica and Grayson —the moving, inspiring story of Al, the ungainly, unruly, irresistible Newfoundland puppy who grows up to become a daring rescue dog—part of Italy’s elite, highly specialized corps of water rescue dogs who swoop out of helicopters and save lives. Lynne Cox, internationally famous for swimming the world’s most difficult waterways without a wet suit, and able to endure water temperatures so cold that they would kill anyone else, recognizes and celebrates all forms of athleticism in others, human or otherwise. And when she saw a video of a Newfoundland dog leaping from an airborne helicopter into Italian waters to save someone from drowning, Cox was transfixed by the rescue, and captivated by the magnificence, physicality, and daring of the dog.

In partnership with Lexington Human Services.

Thursday, May 26 | 7pm

(Large Meeting Room)

From the large Eastern tiger swallowtail and colorful monarch to the tiny spring azure, there is a huge range of size, color and patterns in New England butterfly species. What makes a good butterfly habitat? How do you attract more of these beautiful animals? Find out more about our local butterflies and what brings them to our neighborhoods. Experience the sights of some of our most beautiful seasonal creatures!

Monday, May 9| 12:30pm

(Zoom)

Monday, May 23| 12:30pm

(Zoom)

Wednesday, May 4 | 7pm

This month we will be discussing The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones.

Monday, May 16 | 7pm

This month we are discussing The Book That Matters Most by Ann Hood