Wellesley Halloween happenings, 2022

October 6, 2022 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Wellesley’s many Halloween-time traditions are gearing up, so be sure not to miss a single opportunity to dress up in costume for visits to pumpkin patches, a fun fair, the annual stroll, and more.

Here’s our roundup of Wellesley Halloween Happenings, which we’ll be updating as activities get our attention.

Don’t see your free or low-cost Halloween-time community event here? Email us at deborahcb100@gmail.com for inclusion.

Wellesley Hills Congregational Church pumpkin patch—Oct. 14-Oct. 31

The Wellesley Hills Congregational Church Pumpkin Patch will be open for sales October 14-31, 10am-6pm, on the front grounds of the 207 Washington St., church. The Pumpkin Patch will be filled with pumpkins of all shapes, sizes, and fall colors. A portion of this annual fundraiser’s proceeds will go toward reducing the cost of the church’s reforestation service trip with Led2Serve in Costa Rica. Additional proceeds will go back to the indigenous people in New Mexico who grew the pumpkins. The Pumpkin Patch volunteers hope you’ll stop by to say hello, support a great cause, and have fun picking out a couple of pumpkins.

wellesley hlls church pumpkins — Wellesley Hills Congregational Church pumpkin display, 2019. Just look for the striking display on the front grounds of the 207 Washington Street church.

Bates Elementary School Pumpkin Fair—Oct. 5

The Bates Pumpkin Fair will take place on Saturday, October 15, noon-4pm on school grounds at 116 Elmwood Road.

wellesley bates pumpkin fair inflate — Bates Pumpkin Fair, 2018

Come in costume for an afternoon of games, prizes, a haunted house, sweet treats, pumpkins, face painting, food for purchase, bouncy houses, live entertainment, and more at the fundraising event.

Poets Neighborhood Haunted House—Oct. 22

Schofield 5th graders, along with their parents and siblings, are rolling up their sleeves to help build and set up the Poets Neighborhood Haunted House that will take place on Saturday, October 22, 5:30-8:30pm, at 67 Whittier Road.

Families will also work the fundraising event, so those clowns you see during the tour of the “Creepy Carnival” themed event just might be your neighbors getting in touch with their scary side.

The long-standing neighborhood tradition has been hosted by the same community-minded family since 2012 (with a couple off years due to the pandemic).

DATE: Saturday, October 22
TIME: 5:30pm-8:30pm
LOCATION: 67 Whittier Road
COST: Optional donations. Funds will benefit the Schofield 5th grade class for things things like class t-shirts, yearbooks (one for each student), a class gift, a staff appreciation luncheon in the spring, an end-of-the-year class field trip and the Moving Up Ceremony.

Halloween fun at Linden Square Pumpkin Patch—Oct. 22

Stop by the Linden Square Pumpkin Patch for Halloween fun, Saturday, Oct. 22, 10am-noon. There will be FREE pumpkin decorating, trick-or-treating (Bach to Rock, Momentum Dance, Kenzie & Hope, Magic Beans, StretchLab), and a visit from Peppa Pig for kids ages 3-12. Costumes are optional. A $5 Starbucks gift card will be given to the 10 best costumes—only kids are eligible.

Linden Square, Wellesley — Linden Square Pumpkin Patch

Stop by anytime before Halloween and snap a photo in front of the Pumpkin Patch and post on social with #LindenPumpkinPatch for a chance to win a $50 Linden gift card to the store or restaurant of your choice. One random winner will be selected by November 1. Events made possible through a partnership with Wellesley Recreation Department and Roche Bros.

Eyes on Owls—Oct. 27

Join Marcia and Mark Wilson and SIX live owls for an exciting evening. Learn owl field markings and skills you can use to find owls in the wild. Participate in a hooting lesson, and see owls up close and personal. For all ages.

Owls, Wellesley Free Library — Marcia and Mark Wilson, Eyes on Owls

Halloween costumes and masks are optional. Come one and all—it will be a hoooot!

This is a Wellesley Conservation Land Trust Educational Series event, co-sponsored with the Wellesley Free Library

DATE: Thursday, October 27, 2022 – 6:30pm
LOCATION: Wellesley Free Library, 530 Washington St.

Halloween Stroll—Oct. 29

Kids and adults can get dressed up in their costumes for the annual Halloween Stroll on Saturday, October 29, 11am-1pm, starting at Clock Tower Park in Wellesley Hill, across from Green’s Hardware. Organized by the Wellesley Hill Merchants and the Wellesley Recreation Department, the free event will include trick or treating at the businesses of Wellesley Hills (remember to bring your own trick or treat bag), games, and fun for the whole family.

Wellesley ghost stories

Listen to Wellesley’s Liz Sowers’ spooky “Ghosts in the Burbs” podcast.

Our biggest fear…

Here at The Swellesley Report, we’re terrified that you haven’t signed up for all our things. Allow us to treat you to “more than you really need to know about Wellesley, Massachusetts” in the following non-scary ways:

Wellesley Business Buzz: Go pink for Ellie Fund; Stretch Lab cuts ribbon; Wellesley Books author visits are back; Real estate renaissance; Soccer signups

September 26, 2022 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

The latest Wellesley, Mass., business news:

Wellesley goes pink for the Ellie Fund

Be on the lookout for Wellesley retailers who are honoring National Breast Cancer Awareness Month by turning the town pink with decorated storefronts, and pink-themed events in support of the Ellie Fund.

The support of the Ellie Fund takes place across Wellesley for the entire week of October 1-8. As part of the Wonderful Wellesley campaign to invigorate shopping in town, shops and restaurants will be stepping up and stepping out to turn Wellesley pink for Ellie Fund. Starting October 1 and throughout the month, stores like Natureworks, Isabel Harvey, Sara Campbell, Kenzie & Hope, and more will be decked with pink window displays and balloons. Look for employees at Roosters and The Cottage wearing Ellie t-shirts donated by Custom Ink. Others will be donating a portion of sales on a specific day(s) to Ellie Fund. Some businesses will be rounding up each sale and donating to the charity. More information here on Wellesley Square participants and Linden Square doings.

The Ellie Fund’s mission is to provide essential support services for breast cancer patients to ease the stresses of everyday life, allowing the focus to be on family, recovery and healing. The foundation provides transportation to medical appointments, light housekeeping, nutritional and grocery assistance, childcare reimbursement, nutritious prepared/delivered meals and integrative therapy services free of charge. No proof of financial need, residency, or citizenship is required. To donate to the Ellie Fund, click here .

“Ellie Fund is near and dear to Wellesley businesses and our customers. We are looking forward to Wellesley Goes Pink to raise the awareness and funds needed,” said Demian Wendrow on behalf of the Wonderful Wellesley campaign. Wendrow is the President, Wellesley Square Merchants’ Association and Owner of London Harness and TUMI Wellesley.

StretchLab in Linden Square under new ownership

It’s not a stretch to say that Dr. Jamie Snead is qualified to assess the safety and efficacy of a studio that offers one-on-one stretching as a way for clients to stay limber and prevent injuries. Jamie (as he prefers to go by in the studio) is not only chief of orthopedics at Sturdy Memorial Hospital in Attleboro, he’s also gone through the StretchLab training program, which he proclaimed, “pretty intense.”

StretchLab Wellesley — StretchLab owners Dr. Jamie Snead (wearing hat) and Kelly Snead (wielding scissors) at the grand opening. Local luminaries attended including Select Board member Beth Sullivan Woods (far left, in bright blue) and Lise Elcock from the Charles River Regional Chamber.

The idea behind the one-on-one stretching is that certified “flexologists” work with clients individually to identify tightness and body imbalances, and customize a stretch routine. The goal is to experience the freedom that comes with having a wider range of motion and flexibility.

Jamie, along with his spouse and business partner Kelly, came across a StretchLab franchise when they were on vacation in Arizona a couple of years ago. They tried out a sample stretch and were impressed. “When we got back here we looked into it, and ended up buying the existing Wellesley Linden square franchise,” she said.

One of the flexologists gave my twitchy hip flexors a 30-minute workover while I was there for the studio’s grand opening. Although I still need a hip replacement (they’re flexologists, not miracle workers), I came away feeling that my joints benefited from the attention. Most importantly, the young woman working with me listened. As she stretched me out, there was no pressure to endure any pain, and she made no sudden movements during the session.

Business: StretchLab
Location: Linden Square, Wellesley (across from the CVS drive-in)
Phone: 339-217-0217

Sign up now for Wellesley Youth Soccer

Registration is still open for Wellesley Youth Soccer’s pre-K through third grade in-town programs and for the additional professionally led development program for grades pre-K through fifth grade.

Wellesley Books author visit

In-person author visits are back at Wellesley Books, so I stopped in to see best-selling dynamic author duo Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone on their tour to promote their joint effort, A Merry Little Meet Cute. With frank scenes about mental health struggles, the progressiveness of sex work, queer self-acceptance, and more, the holiday-themed novel isn’t your average rom-com romp. What it does have in common with that genre is romantic fiction fun, hi-jinks, and hilarity.

Julie Murphy (left) and Sierra Simone (right) spoke about their holiday rom-com, A Merry Little Meet Cute, at Wellesley Books — Julie Murphy (left) and Sierra Simone (right) spoke about their holiday rom-com, *A Merry Little Meet Cute*, at Wellesley Books

Julie is the author of the Y/A book Dumplin’ (and its Netflix adaptation starring Jennifer Aniston), about a self-proclaimed fat girl who takes on her small Texas town’s annual beauty pageant. Sierra, as she delicately put it at the reading, writes “a little on the spicier side. I tend to write a little more of the forbidden stuff.” Medieval bodice rippers that include ancient and sexy secrets are right in her wheelhouse.

It all started in the back of a van

Julie and Sierra were a kick at the sold-out reading, treating the audience to the story of their own best-friends origin story. Like so many meet-cute tales, theirs started in the back of a van at the start of an authors’ tour. Julie had agreed to go on tour, but had a laundry list of misgivings. “I’m not very good with strangers. And I’m not very good at sharing a room with people I don’t know. I like my privacy,” she revealed to the audience.

Prepared to hate Sierra, her tour roomie, Julie had her lead all prepared. “Hi, I’m Julie Murphy, and sometimes I snore,” she said by way of self-introduction.

“That’s ok,” Sierra said. “I have narcolepsy, and I can sleep through anything.”

That was eight years ago, and they’ve been best friends ever since. A Merry Little Meet Cute got its start when the pair retreated to a little cabin in the middle of nowhere in Oklahoma, right before Christmas. It was a place where Julie and Sierra found they could let themselves work in their own rhythm. “These little cabins were always decorated for Christmas, and it really set a mood,” Julie said.

And out of that mood came A Merry Little Meet Cute, which Sierra said is a plus-size rom-com about “an adult content creator who has partnered with an adult entertainment producer with a heart of gold. His work producing adult films isn’t as lucrative as he needs right now. So he figures what if to make a quick buck he breaks into the holiday movie business?”

Of course, the star of the squeaky-clean Hallmark-type movie has to keep her regular gig in adult film-making a secret. Of course, someone on the set knows her secret. Things just might get so steamy in the town of Christmas Notch that snow begins to melt.

Note: Sierra’s Y/A chops notwithstanding, this is not a book for your young adult reader. A Merry Little Meet Cute is strictly for the 18+ year old crowd.

BOOK: A Merry Little Meet Cute
AUTHORS: Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone
PUBLISHER: HarperCollins

What’s behind Wellesley’s ‘Real Estate Renaissance’?

The Charles River Regional Chamber on Oct. 6 (12-1pm) presents an online panel discussion on Wellesley’s “Real Estate Renaissance,” the topic of a recent Boston Globe article written by a reporter who interviewed non other than Mr. Swellesley among other locals. The online session is free for members, $20 for non-members.

Wellesley’s real estate action has included new restaurants and retailers, new multi-family developments, plus the early stages of bio labs.

Presenters

Scott Faber, senior VP of investments, Lincoln Property
Amy Frigulietti, assistant executive director, Town of Wellesley
Elizabeth Holmes, director of corporate services, R.W. Holmes Realty
Joel Kadis, co-CEO & partner, Linear Retail Properties

MORE: Wellesley’s amped-up restaurants scene

Family fun times from one end of Wellesley to the next

September 20, 2022 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Wellesley last weekend was taken over by families in search of bouncy houses and other rides, craft tables, face painting stations, and more. Their quest for fun took them from Fiske Elementary School‘s annual Western Round-Up, to the Wellesley Mothers Forum’s Fall Carnival in Wellesley Square. Here are a few pics:

Fiske School Western Round-Up is still wild

We don’t care how much rebranding the PTO engages in. The Fiske Western Round-Up (the fundraiser’s official name as of this year), also known under the alias “Wild West Round-Up,” is still a wild time. At the fair with a western flair, attendees swaggered about wearing cowboy hats while they enjoyed rides, games, and lunch at the Chuckwagon. The strains of country music could be heard as kids played the annual cowboy strut game for treasure jar prizes.

Fiske Western Round-Up, Wellesley — Fiske Western Round-Up

Fiske Western Round-Up — Fiske moms and honorary sheriffs Laura Smith (left) and Teresa Peters sold tickets and kept general law and order in Round-Up Town.

Wellesley Mothers Forum

The Wellesley Mothers Forum set up bouncy houses and games, and scooped ice cream for a couple hours of family fun at the Wellesley Town Green, all for free as their gift to the community.

Here’s what the Wellesley Town Green looked like before the Mother’s Forum took over for the day. Peaceful. Calm. Serene.

Who needs peaceful, calm, serene when it’s the weekend, baby? Here’s what happens when Mothers Forum members bring to life their vision of what could be on a nice stretch of lawn in the shadow of Town Hall.

The Wellesley Mothers Forum provides mothers of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with an opportunity to gather once a month to enjoy interesting speakers, share parenting information, and form new friendships. Membership information here.

Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

Beyond Wellesley—we visit the beautiful Cornell University area

September 16, 2022 by Deborah Brown 2 Comments

Ithaca, N.Y., is the kind of destination where the usual summer fun is on tap—there are plenty of spots to hike, bike, swim, shop, and dine—yet the two-college city (Cornell University and Ithaca College) feels homey, a place where its 30k+ full-time residents and the student population work, play, and live side-by-side. Fortunately for the 1.6 million visitors between May 2019 and 2020 to the Commons, the area’s busiest shopping and dining district, the locals like to share their secrets.

We booked an Airbnb for a few nights in early September and drove the 5.5 hours from Wellesley. Our goals: to see Ithaca’s famous gorges, enjoy some good meals, bike the safe and scenic Rail Trail up to Taughannock Falls (the tallest waterfall on the East Coast), hike the beautiful Robert H. Treman State Park, visit the Johnson Museum of Art on the Cornell University campus, and more. You don’t go to Ithaca to experience the fall “shoulder season,” that period of time after the crush of tourists has gone home and you can finally get into all the cool restaurants and attractions. You just go to visit Ithaca. If you want a party scene, it’s there for you, somewhere. Certainly the red solo cups littered around student rental houses after a Saturday night debauch attest to that. It’s just not in your face, demanding your attention and participation. (We’re still kinda exhausted from last year’s adventure to Block Island, a rock-on place if ever there was one.)

Working out the kinks

After being in the car for so long, we were eager to stretch our legs. We went straight to the Fall Creek Gorge suspension bridge, a part of the Cornell campus, where we walked 140 feet over the rushing water, alongside students on their way to class. There’s a small parking area at 310 Fall Creek Dr. After walking over the bridge, there are plenty of paths along the water for additional exploration.

We were told ahead of time that the beauty of the bridges was marred by fencing and safety netting that was put in place in 2010 after a long history of people jumping from the Fall Creek Gorge and other nearby bridges. We found that the unobtrusive netting couldn’t grab attention from the roar of the water and the natural beauty of the scene. When you consider that before safety measures were installed, 27 people died by suicide between 1990 and 2010 (including 15 students) by jumping from the five area bridges, the protective measures seem a small price to pay.

The Commons, dining and shopping

Ithaca Commons is the area’s hot hangout scene, a place to catch a movie at the Cinemapolis Art House Theater, or visit Buffalo Street Books to browse volumes on two floors, and their basement collection of vinyl. We peeked into the iconic Chanticleer, but the landmark corner dive-bar looked too cool for the likes of us. We didn’t want to go in and risk altering the vibe. Lots of indie shops and restaurants gave the two-block pedestrian mall an authentic feel. You couldn’t just as well have been in Faneuil Hall. The Commons is all Ithaca, from the head shops to the outdoors store to upscale artisans shops and restaurants. Not much in the way of chains here.

Down the street a couple of blocks from The Commons is the famous Moosewood Restaurant, which we tried out our first night in town. The vegetarian eatery is under new ownership since earlier this year. Danica Wilcox and her husband Nicholas, after living in Spain for many years, came home to take over the restaurant where Danica long ago was hired for her first job in the Moosewood kitchen. We sat outside on the lovely brick patio and watched the street scene go by. Our servers, both local students— one experienced and one in-training acolyte—were attentive and able to answer our questions about the dishes on the curated, seasonal menu. The choices included five apps, a few salads, several mains, and three side dishes, all vegetarian, with vegan and gluten-free options. I tried out the strozzapreti pasta (similar to penne) with shiitake and oyster mushrooms, baby spinach, sherry cream, gremolata, and parmesan. The dish, unfortunately, was bland and barely sauced. Moosewood is the kind of place where there are no salt and pepper shakers on the table, and I was determined to eat dinner as it was served for the purposes of this story. I doggy-bagged most of the meal and doctored it the next day on my Airbnb’s hotplate. A dash of seasoning and a little cream brought the strozzapreti to life, making it what it surely would have been if the chef’s final tasting hadn’t somehow been missed. Mr. Swellesley dared try his historic first black bean burger, and lived to tell about it. Who knows what the future could bring for his limited palate.

The lemon tahini broccoli and the spicy coconut curry we’re told are two must-try items. Homemade desserts include their famous fudge brownie. Wines and beers, some local, as well as a selection of creative non-alcoholic drinks such as ginger tea and fresh-squeezed lemonade, are available in this restaurant, which offers nice ambience in a convivial downtown location.

It’s all uphill from here

We made a quest out of our desire to see Taughannock Falls, a 215-foot waterfall billed as the highest vertical drop waterfall in the northeastern United States. Ithaca Bike Rental, located in view of the 45k-acre Cayuga Lake, outfitted us in good-quality bikes up to the task of taking us along a scenic paved

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Free craft-making for kids all around Wonderful Wellesley

September 3, 2022 by admin Leave a Comment

Families are back from far-flung vacations destination, and the kids are back in school. It’s something to celebrate, so get out there in Wellesley on Saturday, September 10, 11am-2pm for the FREE Wonderful Wellesley Crafts for Kids event.

From rock and bird-house painting to making noodle monstahs, kids can be kids and create their own mini-masterpieces with paste, paint, felt, and pom-poms. Qualified teachers and artists will be helping kids ages 3-12 at each craft station.

Crafts in Wellesley Square

Central Street Parklet: Paper butterflies and flowers, sun prints, and more.
Church Square: Potting with seedlings at NatureWorks (577 Washington St)

Crafts in Linden Square

Rock and bird-house painting, stamp making, tie dye, noodle monstahs, and pottery.
Wellesley Free Library will be at Linden so kids can sign up for their own library card.

About Wonderful Wellesley

Wonderful Wellesley—a multi-partner collaboration between the Wellesley Square Merchants’ Association; Linden Square Wellesley; Church Square Wellesley; the Town of Wellesley; and the Charles River Regional Chamber—is all about renewing a sense of community. And it’s been working. Whether it’s to check out the amped-up restaurant scene in town, participate in community events like last spring’s Family Fun & Games Day, or just to enjoy all that the town has to offer, people have been getting back out into Wellesley again. Join in the fun, won’t you?

Save the date: Wellesley Mothers Forum Fall Carnival is Sept. 17

September 2, 2022 by admin Leave a Comment

Wellesley Mothers Forum will hold its Fall Carnival on Saturday, September 17, 10am-12pm, on the Wellesley Town Green (between Town Hall and the Post Office in Wellesley Square). Join the community organization for a day of family fun including bouncy houses, performances from Walnut Hill, music with Bach to Rock, face painting, fall crafts, magic and more. Don’t forget to wish Wellesley Police community service dog Winnie a very happy birthday.

Wellesley Recreation fall brochure offers plenty of fun and educational opportunities

August 25, 2022 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

8/29/22 UPDATE FROM WELLESLEY REC: “Fall registration has been postponed until Tuesday, August 30, 10am. This is due to the website being down.”

The Wellesley Recreation fall 2022 brochure has dropped, and registration for its many programs starts for Wellesley residents on ~~Monday, August 29~~ Tuesday, August 30, at 10am. Non-residents may register on September 6.

For questions, please call the office at – 781-235-2370

Clocktower Park, Wellesley, fall 2020 — Autumnal shot of Clocktower Park in Wellesley Hills, fall 2020, just to get you in the spirit of signing up for Wellesley Rec’s fall programs.

Fun and affordable programs include sports and movement classes for all ages; arts and crafts; music; drama workshops; cooking classes for kids and adults; and first aid and CPR certification courses. There are even two full pages devoted to pickleball, with all you need to know about taking up “the fastest-growing sport on two feet.”