Wellesley’s Wonderful Weekend—2022 schedule

May 19, 2022 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Wellesley’s Wonderful Weekend, organized and funded by the Wellesley Celebrations Committee, is ready to bring the excitement with loads of events from Thursday, May 19 – Sunday, May 22. The weekend will kick off with an outdoor movie at the Tailby Parking lot (register through the Wellesley Recreation site) and end on Sunday, May 22 with a fabulous fireworks display at Hunnewell Field.

Don’t miss the fun with activities like the Hunnewell Fun Fair; the Pancake Festival at Wellesley High School put on by the Kiwanis; the Touch-a -Truck event/DPW Open House (bring some non-perishable grocery items to fill up a truck for delivery to the Wellesley Food Pantry); the Rotary Club-sponsored Pooch Parade at Hunnewell Field; and so much more.

With a favorable extended weather report, looks like it’s going to be a very Wonderful Weekend!

Wellesley’s Wonderful Weekend schedule

Wellesley's Wonderful Weekend

*Please note, asterisk indicates a small fee may be charged.

Follow the yellow brick road to Wellesley Theatre Project’s production of The Wizard Of Oz

May 18, 2022 by admin Leave a Comment

SPONSORED CONTENT: Follow the yellow brick road for Wellesley Theatre Project’s (WTP) presentation of The Wizard of Oz: Young Performers’ Edition, on Thursday, May 19 and Friday, May 20, at 5pm and 8pm, and Saturday, May 21, at 2pm and 6pm.

All performances will take place at the Sorenson Center at Babson College, located at 19 Babson College Drive, Wellesley, MA 02482. Tickets are priced $18 for adults and $10 for students and seniors, and may be purchased online at http://wellesleytheatreproject.org in advance, or at the door for $20 for adults and $12 for students and seniors. Masking and up-to-date proof of vaccination are required for admission to performances, or—for attendees unable to be vaccinated—proof of negative test within 72 hours will be required. The performance will run for 90 minutes with intermission.

Wellesley Theatre Project, the Wizard of Oz — The Scarecrow (Liam Turner)), Tin Man (Adlai Elmore), Dorothy (Meghan Schott), and the Cowardly Lion (Oscar Allan) are off to see the Wizard!

The Wizard of Oz: Young Performers Edition follows all of your favorite characters in this classic story based on L. Frank Baum’s book The Wizard of Oz, the 1939 film of the same name, and the original Tony-award winning Broadway musical. This is the familiar tale of Dorothy’s tornado-driven adventure in Oz, and the wonderful characters who befriend and protect her: the Tin Man, the Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion. This show includes the toe-tapping favorites, “Over the Rainbow,” “If I Only Had A Brain,” “Merry Old Land of Oz,” and “Ding, Dong the Witch is Dead.” As part of WTP’s 10th anniversary season, all productions are revivals of community favorites from the first nine years. The Wizard of Oz was first produced by WTP in April 2014.

SHOW DATES AND TIMES:
Thur., May 19 & Fri., May 20 at 5pm & 8pm
Sat., May 21 at 2pm & 6pm
LOCATION: The Babson College Sorenson Center, 19 Babson College Drive, Wellesley, MA 02482
BUY TICKETS HERE

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It was a Wonderful Wellesley weekend

May 11, 2022 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Between fundraising events for The Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club and the Wellesley House & Garden Club, and the Wonderful Wellesley kick-off event designed by community partners to encourage everybody to rediscover what the town has to offer, it was a busy weekend.

We ran ourselves ragged (in a fun way), hitting event after event, as eager to come out of winter hibernation as everyone else. Here are some pics:

Wellesley Hills Junior Women's Club, Kitchen Tour — Members of the the Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club welcomed all—whether design and architecture enthusiasts or just the curious—to the 21st annual Wellesley Kitchen and Home Tour. The tour showcased seven homes, and proceeds from the $65/pop tickets go to fund the Club’s various generous grants and scholarship programs.

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, held its Color Wellesley Wonderful kick-off event last weekend. From Wellesley Hills to Wellesley Square, talented sidewalk chalk artists interpreted the Wonderful Wellesley theme as live bands filled the air with music.

Color Wellesley Wonderful, chalk drawings — In Wellesley Hills, across from the Sprague Clock Tower, from left: Wellesley High School senior Sejin Choi; Wellesley College student Clara Tessier; and Wellesley resident Laure Lehman

Central Park Wellesley, band — Central Park, Wellesley Square

Church Square, Wellesley, music — Ken DoRosario, known as Kendo, in Church Square.

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Wellesley House & Garden Club members work their annual Geranium Sale fundraiser in front of Captain Marden’s on Linden Street. From left: Susan Miao, Carrie Benet, Regina Bibb. Proceeds go to helping maintain the butterfly gardens the Club planted years ago at several of Wellesley’s elementary schools. Information here on how you can join the Club.

Bargains galore

UU Wellesley Rummage Sale — A crowd lines up to score bargains at the annual UU Wellesley Hills Rummage sale.

Wellesley Square. The party’s over, and the streets of Wellesley are quiet after a long day of activity.

Please send tips, photos, ideas to [email protected]m

Save the date: Wonderful Wellesley launches on May 7th to celebrate a renewed sense of community

May 6, 2022 by admin Leave a Comment

SPONSORED POST: Have you given Wellesley a really good look lately? If not, take a gander. From one end of town to the other, there’s not only plenty to see right now, but with a roster of upcoming special events there’s plenty to do, too. It’s all part of the brand-new Wonderful Wellesley initiative, 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.

The kick-off event is Color Wellesley Wonderful. On Saturday, May 7, noon-3pm, stroll along Wellesley’s streets from Central to Church to Lower Washington to Wellesley Hills and over to Linden Square where you’ll discover talented sidewalk chalk artists interpreting the Wonderful Wellesley theme as live bands fill the air with music. Look for designated sidewalk areas for kids to join in the fun and create their own chalk drawings.

In short, Wonderful Wellesley celebrates the fresh breeze that’s blowing through town and opening up doors. One new restaurant already is serving customers (La Toscana in Wellesley Square), and seven more new eateries are under renovation: (Jejes Coffeehouse; Karma; Laughing Monk; Oath Pizza; Lockheart; along with two bakery/cafes— Tatte and Asaro). The few empty storefronts that are left are being snapped up by small businesses eager to take advantage of the town’s commitment to driving traffic to the area through recently eased licensing and permitting processes.

The long story goes deeper. The long story is about renewing a sense of community. It’s no secret that the past couple of years have been hard for everyone. Yes, Wonderful Wellesley is all about celebrations and fun and shopping and live music and eating. But there’s more to it that that. Organizers recognize that it’s not enough to hope that everyone gets out there and supports new businesses. It’s not enough to hope that those long-time, much-loved local businesses that form the very core of what makes Wellesley special will somehow manage to be OK. It can’t be emphasized enough—the long story is about renewing a sense of community through doing.

Come see what’s new, and be part of Wonderful Wellesley. Be sure to keep an eye on Wonderful Wellesley for the inside scoop about upcoming events. There’s going to be a lot going on.

Learn more about the Wonderful Wellesley Sweepstakes…

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Wellesley charity news: Library Foundation Gala raises $300K-plus; Rockin’ the Firehouse for Education Foundation; ex-Raiders pitcher’s college team at Fenway for ALS fundraiser

April 19, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Our roundup of the latest Wellesley, Mass., charity and fundraising news:

Library Foundation Gala raises $300K

The Wellesley Free Library Foundation Gala held on April 7 at Wellesley Country Club raised more than $300,000, funds that support library programs, technology, and collections. A $600K grant from The Wellesley Free Library Foundation enabled the recent Wellesley Free Library renovation.

This year’s Gala, emceed by local news anchor Lisa Hughes, sold out in record time, according to Kara Reinhardt Block, president of The Library Foundation. Special guest Jeremy Sewall, a Wellesley resident and successful restauranteur, shared stories and the results of his recipes with guests.

Here are some photos of the action, courtesy of Maura Wayman Photography.

WFLgala2022004 — Lisa Sewall, Lynne Smith, Jeremy Sewall

WFLgala2022060 — Larry Lucchino, Cynthia Strauss, and Darcey Bartel

WFLgala2022091 — Lisa Richardson, Mona Marimow, Chrissie Lawrence

Wellesley Education Foundation’s Rockin’ the Firehouse set for May 20

Wellesley Education Foundation kicks off Wellesley’s Wonderful Weekend with a fundraiser concert by Friday, May 20 at 7:30pm at TCAN in Natick (14 Summer St.). Performing will be UMAMI, which now features members of The Meanees.

Early bird tickets are $20 through April 30 (tickets cost $30 after that).

TCAN

Ex-Raiders pitcher’s college team at Fenway for ALS fundraiser

Former Wellesley High School baseball player Henry Weycker, now a pitcher at Virginia Tech, will be visiting Fenway Park this coming Saturday night for the ALS Awareness Game vs. Boston College. General admission tickets cost $10 apiece.

Go Hokies! (says the BU grad).

If you like what we do and want to help, please consider making a completely non-deductible contribution

Wellesley arts news: Kubitz paintings on display at library; The Moors livestreaming from college; Piano concert on April 10

April 8, 2022 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Our roundup of the latest Wellesley, MA arts news:

Fritz Kubitz paintings on display at Wellesley Free Library

Frederick “Fritz” Kubitz’s solo show, “Untold Stories,” is at the Wellesley Free Library in the James E. Mahoney Foyer and the Wakelin Room for the month of April. Kubitz is best known for his marine paintings, cityscapes, and New England scenes. Working in both watercolor and oil, Kubitz combines his training and precision as an architect with his artistic sensibilities. Inspired as a young serviceman in Europe, he felt compelled to visually record all that he saw. That desire to draw and paint continued even as he established himself as an architect contributing his design talents to the Logan, JFK and Dulles airports, and the American Embassy in London to name a few. Later in his professional career, Kubitz began painting full time and has never stopped. Kubitz has been a member of the Wellesley Society of Artists for 50-plus years and was made its first Honorary Lifetime Member last year.

Livestream Wellesley College Theatre’s The Moors

Wellesley College Theatre presents its Spring 2022 Mainstage Production April 29 – May 1 in the Ruth Nagel Jones Theatre at Wellesley College for the campus community, and will stream an edited multi-camera recording of the show for a wider public twice on May 7. The show features an all-student cast and design team, and is directed by Marta Rainer.

About the show:

Two sisters and a dog live out their lives on the bleak English moors, dreaming of love and power. The arrival of a hapless governess and a moor-hen set all three on a strange and dangerous path. The Moors is a dark comedy about love, desperation, and visibility.

Free livestream tickets

Information: [email protected] or 781-283-2000

Wellesley Chamber Players piano recital on April 10

The Wellesley Chamber Players will perform a piano concert on Sunday, April 10 at 3pm at Beveridge Hall at Dana Hall School.

Program:

Debussy Preludes Book II

– La puerta del vino

– Les fées sont d’exquises danseuses

– General Lavine – eccentric

– La terrasse des audiences du clair de lune

– Ondine

Schumann Kreisleriana, Op. 16

Evren Ozel, piano

Free for students, suggested $20 for seniors, $25 for others.

Save the date: Wellesley Historical Society Spring Gala is May 12

April 4, 2022 by admin Leave a Comment

Tickets are on sale now for the Wellesley Historical Society’s History in Bloom: A Spring Gala, taking place on Thursday, May 12, 6:30-9:30pm in the Wellesley Country Club Ballroom.

Wellesley Country Club building — The Wellesley Country Club will be the site of the Wellesley Historical Society’s fundraiser, *History in Bloom: A Spring Gala.*

History in Bloom: A Spring Gala is one of the Wellesley Historical Society’s largest fundraisers and is essential to the Society’s ability to continue to serve the Wellesley community. The Society is an independent 501(c)(3) organization which does not receive any regular funding from the Town of Wellesley. Funds raised will contribute to the General Operating Fund to:

Collect, preserve, and share Wellesley’s historical records and artifacts
Teach and share our history through tours, lectures, and exhibits
Employ professional staff to care for the collections and provide research support
Maintain the Society’s historic buildings
Create community partnerships with Wellesley’s educational and service organizations, as well as with local businesses
Host social events which combine food, drink, and a side of history

In addition to conducting the drawings for the winners of the accompanying raffles, the event will feature a wide variety of items from the collections for all to peruse, including paintings from well-known Wellesley artist, Mary Brewster Hazelton, plans by noted landscape architect, Charles P. Gorley, Jr., a hand-made engagement outfit showcasing needlework by the Wellesley bride-to-be and her mother, and much more. In addition, attendees will have an opportunity to play for many prizes through fun, trivia-style games while learning more about the collections and Wellesley history. Heavy hors d’oeuvres and drinks will be served.

EVENT: History in Bloom: A Spring Gala
DATE: Thursday, May 12, 2022
TIME: 6:30-9:30pm
LOCATION: Wellesley Country Club Ballroom