The Umbrella Arts: "The Counter"
2025-10-19 15:00 - 17:00, 2025-10-23 19:30 - 21:30, 2025-10-26 15:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Umbrella Arts, 40 Stow Street, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
Black Box Theater
Playing: Fri, September 26 – November 9, 2025
Previews: Fri, September 26 & Sat, September 27, 2025 | Press opening: Sun, September 28
Sundays at 3:00 PM, Thursday – Friday at 7:30 PM, Saturday at 8:00 PM (with exceptions for two-performance days on October 12 & 26)
VIEW PERFORMANCE CALENDAR
By Meghan Kennedy
Directed by Alex Lonati
This heartwarming play follows the unlikely connection between Paul, a retired firefighter who goes every morning to the same small town diner, and Katie, who’s always there to pour the coffee. After many months of small talk across the counter, the sharing of one secret grows into a deeply meaningful, life-affirming friendship—shocking both Paul and Katie into embracing the hopes and joys born of basic human connection. This award-winning play is a surprising and moving meditation on the everyday connections that can change our lives.
“The subtle beauty of The Counter lies in watching these two burrowing creatures develop the kind of bond that means they’re pulling each other back up towards the light.” — New York Magazine
“Kennedy deals in secrets and grief and escape, in running away and starting again, and most crucially in standing in front of a suddenly opened door: You either stay inside, crushed by your habitual fear and unhappiness, or bravely walk through.” — New York Stage Review

Additional Programming:
KidCare Performance: Sunday, October 5 at 3:00 PM
The Umbrella is pleased to offer our Kid-Care Show Program, giving parents and caregivers an opportunity to attend select performances while their child(ren) engage in art activities inspired by the production. This program aims to provide better access to arts and culture events and create a shared experience opportunity for families.
Post-show Talkback: Sunday, October 19
Dinner And A Show Thursday Night Out Packages: October 2, October 9, October 23, October 30
Thursdays in Concord are now a fun and easy entertainment Date Night thanks to optional pre-show dinners here at The Umbrella! Coming straight from work? Park free at The Umbrella, then take a load off and enjoy a delicious catered dinner, pick up beverage at concessions, and explore our free art galleries at your ease until it’s time for curtain!
Dinner boxes prepared by Nosh and Concord Market. All boxes come with a sandwich or bowl, Deep River chips, fruit, and a small sweet from Concord Market ($25).
Bowl 1
Cobb Salad: Spring Mix, Avocado, Bacon, Bleu Cheese, Hard-Boiled Eggs, Haricots Verts, Tomato, and Red Onion (GF)
Bowl 2
Mediterranean: Mixed Greens, Feta, Olives, Cucumber, Green Peppers, Oregano, and Pita Crisps (Vegetarian)
Sandwich 1
Roast Beef, Provolone, Caramelized Onions, Tomato, and Horseradish Aioli
Sandwich 2
Caprese Tomato, Mozzarella, Basil, and Balsamic Glaze (Vegetarian)

Kiss the Future - Feature Film Presentation
2025-10-19 18:30 - 20:30 | Harvey Wheeler Community Center, 1276 Main St, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
This powerful documentary is a remarkable and uplifting look at the Bosnian War, focusing on the resilience of the citizens of Sarajevo and the efforts of an aid worker—Bill Carter—who recruited the band U2 to shine a global spotlight on the conflict. Kiss the Future delivers themes highly relevant to our current moment. By reminding us of the human cost when populist narratives divide neighbors, the film underscores the critical need to protect shared values of freedom and democracy. It’s a stirring message of hope, demonstrating how music and art can fuel reconciliation. Bill Carter visits Concord and hosts a discussion following the film.
IMAGE: U2’s Edge, Bill Carter, and UW frontman Bono

Tactile Tuesday Playgroup at Nashoba Brooks School
2025-10-21 09:15 - 10:00 | Nashoba Brooks School, 200 Strawberry Hill Rd, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
Join us for one date or all dates in the Fall Series of the Tactile Tuesday Playgroup at Nashoba Brooks School. Aimed at children ages 1+ and a caregiver, but all are welcome for engagement with peers and school-readiness sensory activities. The Tactile Tuesday Playgroup is FREE and open to all. Feel free to share the information with a friend or neighbor! Register by emailing admission@nashobabrooks.org for attendance in this joyful start to Tuesdays!

Designing With Texture
2025-10-21 18:00 - 19:30 | Copper Penny Flowers, 9 Independence Ct, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
Pumpkins and gourds and grasses, oh my! Embrace awesome Autumn with a design class featuring fall’s harvest and your own arrangement to take home and enjoy.

2025 Taste of Concord!
2025-10-21 18:00 - 20:00 | Nashawtuc Country Club, 1861 Sudbury Rd, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
Join us at the Nashawtuc Country Club this year to experience the best flavors from our local Concord restaurants, including Bandoleros, Concord’s Colonial Inn, Concord Teacakes, Debra’s Natural Gourmet, Fiorella’s Cucina, Gräem Nuts and Chocolate, Main St. Cafe, Nashawtuc Country Club, Nashoba Brook Bakery, New England Olive Oil Company, The Cheese Shop, Twin Seafood, Verrill Farm, West Village Tavern, and Woods Hill Table.
The event also features a guided tasting experience with over 50 selections of wines from around the world, including California, Italy, and Spain, craft beers, mocktails, and a wide range of artisanal spirits curated and poured by West Concord Wine and Spirits. This is a large-scale tasting event where you can explore rare finds, small-batch favorites, and a variety of high-quality beverages, perfect for anyone who enjoys wine, spirits, and craft drinks.
**VIP option – Join us for an exclusive VIP Hour at this year’s Taste of Concord. From 5–6 PM, enjoy early admission, light bites, and the chance to get yourself a seat for the night.
Your VIP ticket includes a rare bourbon tasting led by a Sazerac Ambassador featuring EH Taylor Small Batch, Weller 12 Year, Stagg, Thomas H. Handy, and Pappy Van Winkle 10 Year. This intimate session provides an opportunity to taste, learn, and ask questions about some of the most sought-after spirits.
Purchase tickets here or stop by in person and buy your tickets at:
West Concord Wine & Spirits – 1216 Main St. Concord, MA
You must be 21 years and older to purchase tickets & enter the event.

Concord Museum: Haunted Fables from the Haunted Gables
2025-10-21 19:00 - 20:00 | The Concord Museum, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
Join Salem’s master storyteller, Nathaniel Hawthorne, for a frightful evening of thrills and chills in the gloomy shadow of his Concord haunts! The famous author performs his most frightening tales, as well as the terrifying works of fellow writer, Edgar Allan Poe. Stories include “The House of the Seven Gables,” “The Cask of Amontillado,” “Annabel Lee,” “Young Goodman Brown,” “The Raven,” and more. Experience the greatest Gothic horror stories ever written, brought to life by one of the authors himself! Oct 21, 7-8 p.m. at the Concord Museum

Richard Higgins: "Thoreau's God"
2025-10-22 18:00 - 20:00 | MA
In partnership with the Concord Festival of Authors, Richard Higgins will discuss his new book, “Thoreau’s God”, which recovers a central thread in Thoreau’s life and work that has been ignored or dismissed—his personal religiosity and iconoclastic theological vision. Both are woven through Thoreau’s work as a naturalist and his philosophical thought and ethical commitments. Thoreau’s eclectic, experiential spirituality is resonating with spiritual seekers in America today. More information about Mr. Higgins and this event can be found at: https://www.walden.org/events/richard-higgins-thoreaus-god/
The Walden Woods Project is hosting this event. There will be a wine and cheese reception from 6:15 to 7 pm, and Richard Higgins’ presentation will take place from 7 to 8 pm. Registration is required, please register at https://walden.dm.networkforgood.com/forms/richard-higgins-thoreau-s-god

Oktoberfest
2025-10-22 18:00 - 20:00 | Household Goods, 530 Main Street, Acton, MA, 01720, United States
Household Goods, Inc., has furnished homes for people in need, free of charge, for 35 years. On October 22, they are holding a community fundraiser to celebrate this milestone anniversary and kick off its Furnish the Future campaign to sustain Household Goods’ work well into the future. Household Goods warmly invites its community of new and long-time supporters to gather for a fun and informative evening at its center.

Co-Crafting Morning
2025-10-23 10:00 - 12:00 | Art for All
Co- Crafting
Thursday Mornings – October 2,9,16,23
10am-12pm
Art for All – 152 Commonwealth Ave, Studio 16, Concord MA 01742
Join other creatives using our studio. Work on your own project or co-craft. Materials cost for some activities.

Understanding Type 2 Diabetes and the Newest Treatments Thursday, October 23rd at 2:00 PM
2025-10-23 14:00 - 15:00 | Harvey Wheeler Community Center, 1276 Main St, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
Join Krystalee Fernandez, a graduate intern from Framingham State University, and Suzanne Reasenberg, a dietitian at Emerson Health, for an informative presentation tailored to those living with, or at risk for, Type 2 Diabetes. They will cover diabetes basics, tips for everyday nutrition, and current treatments, including the latestGLP-1 therapies such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Victoza. Whether you’re newly diagnosed or supporting someone who is, this talk will provide helpful guidance and resources. Call the COA to sign up at 978-318-3020. Space is limited.

Art with a Purpose
2025-10-23 15:00 - 17:00 | Art for All
Art with a Purpose
Thursday Afternoons- October 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23th and 30th.
3pm-5pm
Art for All – 152 Commonwealth Ave, Studio 16, Concord MA 01742

Art for All’s handmade greeting cards are sold by local businesses through our Greetings for All program. Participation in other public art projects will be available on an as needed basis during these Thursday afternoon sessions. FREE, but please register to help with planning. Familiarity with arts and crafts materials is needed. CCHS and AB students can earn community service hours!

Please register at Eventbrite.

Inspire: An Evening of Connection and Impact, The Nature Connection
2025-10-23 17:30 - 20:00 | Concord Scout House, 74 Walden St., Concord, MA, 01742, United States
Join us for Inspire, our annual fundraiser celebrating the transformative power of nature connection and the community that makes it all possible. This special evening brings together friends, supporters, and changemakers for a night of inspiration, reflection, and impact.
Enjoy a delicious dinner accompanied by live music, followed by an engaging keynote from acclaimed author, physicist, and humanist Dr. Alan Lightman, whose work explores the intersection of science, spirituality, and what it means to be fully human.
Throughout the evening, hear firsthand from community impact speakers—participants, volunteers, and partners—whose stories bring to life the deep and lasting difference your support makes. Browse and bid in our online auction, featuring unique experiences, handcrafted items, and local treasures, all supporting our mission to bring the healing power of nature to those who need it most.
Whether you’re a long-time supporter or a new friend, Inspire is an invitation to connect, celebrate, and help us grow our impact in the year ahead.

The Umbrella Arts: "The Counter" Dinner before Show
2025-10-23 18:00 - 19:30 | Umbrella Arts, 40 Stow Street, Concord, MA, 01742, United States

Concord Festival of Authors: The Robbins House Presents Tara Roberts, author of Written in the Waters
2025-10-23 18:00 - 19:30 | Concord Free Public Library, 129 Main Street, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
The Robbins House presents Tara Roberts, author of Written in the Waters: A Memoir of History, Home and Belonging.
When Tara Roberts first caught sight of a photograph at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History depicting the scuba and underwater archaeology group Diving With a Purpose, it called out to her. Here were Black women and men strapping on masks, fins, and tanks to explore Atlantic Ocean waters along the coastlines of Africa, North America, and Central America, seeking the wrecks of slave ships long lost in time. Inspired, Roberts joined them—and started on a path of discovery more challenging and personal than she could ever have imagined.
In this lush and lyrical memoir, she tells a story of exploration and reckoning that takes her from her home in Washington, D.C., to an exotic array of locales: Thailand and Sri Lanka, Mozambique, South Africa, Senegal, Benin, Costa Rica, and St. Croix. The journey connects her with other divers, scholars, and archaeologists, offering a unique way of understanding the 12.5 million souls carried away from their African homeland to enslavement on other continents. But for Roberts, the journey is also intensely personal. Inspired by the descendants of those who lost their lives during the Middle Passage, she decides to plumb her own family history and life as a Black woman to help make sense of her own identity.
Complex and unflinchingly authentic, this deeply moving narrative heralds an important new voice in literature that will open minds and hearts everywhere.
Tara Roberts spent the last six years following, diving with, and telling stories about Black scuba divers as they searched for and helped document slave shipwrecks around the world. Her journey was turned into an award-winning National Geographic-produced podcast called “Into the Depths” and featured in the March issue of National Geographic Magazine. Tara became the first Black female explorer ever to be featured on the cover of Nat Geo. In 2022, Tara was named the Rolex National Geographic Explorer of the Year. Currently, she is an Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society. And her book Written in the Waters: A Memoir of History, Home and Belonging hits stands in January 2025.
Tara also worked as an editor for magazines like CosmoGirl, Essence, EBONY and Heart & Soul and edited several books for girls. She was a Fellow at the MIT Open Documentary Lab. She founded her own magazine for women who are ‘too bold for boundaries..’ And Tara spent an amazing year backpacking around the world to find and tell stories about young women change agents. The journey led to the creation of a nonprofit that supported and funded their big ideas.
This event is sponsored by The Robbins House, with support from the Friends of the Concord Free Public Library.

Charm Bar Workshop
2025-10-23 19:00 - 20:00 | Concord-Carlisle High School, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
Come join the fun and get charmed with CCACE and Concord local Emily Law! Whether you’re crafting a gift or designing a piece for yourself, you’ll learn how to assemble your own custom bracelet or necklace using a curated selection of charms, beads, and chain styles. We’ll go over basic jewelry-making techniques, including how to attach charms, sizing jewelry, and use jump rings. Bring your creativity and leave with a beautiful, personalized piece of jewelry you’ll love to wear! Great for all ages! (Children under 16 need an adult registered with them.) A materials fee of $30 for necklaces or $20 for bracelets is due to Emily at class.
Thursday, October 23rd from 7-8 pm at CCHS, $35 tuition
Register in advance: www.concordcarlisleace.org.

Spirits of the Old Manse
2025-10-24 | The Old Manse, Monument Street, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
Step inside the Old Manse after dark, Friday, Oct. 24, 2025, with timed tickets. It’s a rare, intimate experience through the rooms where history was lived – and still lingers. This is not a haunted house. This is something older, quieter, and more unsettling. Guided by candlelight, you’ll move room by room through the 18th-century home once occupied by Revolutionaries, philosophers, and writers like Nathaniel and Sophia Hawthorne. Along the way, you’ll hear true stories pulled from letters, journals, and the etched words left behind – literally – on the windows and walls

Yelena Beriyeva, Piano Inspirations
2025-10-24 19:30 - 20:30 | Concord Conservatory of Music, 1317 Main St, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
Described as “a paragon of the concert pianist” by the LA Examiner and “a standout performer” by The Boston Musical Intelligencer, Georgian-born American pianist Yelena Beriyeva is recognized as a talented artist of her generation. Her powerful yet graceful performances have been showcased on radio and television both nationally and internationally.
Award winning pianist and CCM faculty member Yelena Beriyeva will perform Brahms’ introspective and penultimate piano work Klavierstücke, dedicated to Clara Schumann, followed by Debussy’s Estampes (“Prints”) inspired by sounds of the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
The program will conclude with Mussorgsky’s iconic Pictures at an Exhibition, a musical narration of the composer’s visit to an exhibit of artist Viktor Hartmann and depictions of his paintings.

Wright Tavern Beer Garden
2025-10-25 11:00 - 18:00 | MA
Bring your kids in costume or wear your own costume!
Join us for another wonderful day at Wright Tavern Beer Garden,

Concord Festival of Authors: Debut Authors Panel
2025-10-25 14:00 - 16:00 | Fowler Library, 1322 Main Street, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
The Friends of the Concord Free Public Library present The Debut Authors Panel 2025 moderated by Steve Edwards, Writer-In-Residence at CFPL.
Debut Author Panelists
Nicky Gonzalez is a writer from Hialeah, Florida. Her fiction has appeared in McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern, BOMB, The Kenyon Review, Taco Bell Quarterly, and other publications. She has received support from the Elizabeth George Foundation, the Granum Foundation, Millay Arts, Lighthouse Works, and the Hambidge Center. Mayra, a literary Gothic novel set in the Everglades, is her first book.
Courtney Gustafson is a cat rescuer, community organizer, and creator of Poets Square Cats on TikTok and Instagram. Originally from Massachusetts, and an alum of both Fitchburg State University and UMass Amherst, she now lives and works in Tucson, Arizona. Her first book, Poets Square: a Memoir in Thirty Cats, debuted on the New York Times Bestsellers list.
Christine Murphy has lived, worked, and traveled in more than a hundred countries, including living for eleven months in a tent across the African continent and a year as a resident in a Buddhist nunnery in the Himalayas. A trained Buddhologist, Murphy has a Ph.D. in religious studies. Notes on Surviving the Fire is her first novel.
Blue Nguyen is a Vietnamese non-binary lesbian poet, artist, and organizer. Inspired by cartography and traditional symbolism in Viet architecture and culture–they research the architecture of grief, giving thanks, and livelihood. They work with poetic syntax, oral history, Vietnamese traditional woodworking, textile, and fiber techniques using organic materials. Their artistic journey began with poetry as a translation on grief, an act of prayer. Now as they research using materials off the page, their work questions what can a poem be made of– prayer as poetics, poetics as prayer. Material as an altar. In their free time they enjoy creating mixed media art using anything they can find in their apartment, weaving with yarn and fibers, learning how to woodwork, making sweet and slow breakfast in the morning with their girlfriend/người yêu, and singing bird songs to the moon. Blue’s poems explore translation as an act of weaving time and grief, as prayer, as apology. much of blue’s work is an ode to their ancestors, their family (chosen and not chosen), their lesbian (t4t) love, and queer viet grief and joy. Their art is most recently featured at 50 Arrow Gallery in a duo-collab exhibit with their người yêu titled, What the River Sees. Their poetry can be found at Palette Poetry, Glass: A Journal of Poetry, Peach Mag, and more. Nominated for Best of the Net Anthology and Best New Poets Anthology, their debut book Hey Siri, What Time is it in Vietnam? is out now with GameOverBooks.
Moderator
Steve Edwards is the author of the memoir Breaking into the Backcountry, the story of the seven months he spent as the lone caretaker of a remote homestead along the federally designated “Wild and Scenic” Rogue River in Oregon. He is also the recipient of a Massachusetts Cultural Council Fellowship in Fiction/Nonfiction, and the author of essays that have appeared in The Sun, Orion, Literary Hub, and Longreads, including works dedicated to Henry David Thoreau and the natural and literary spaces of Concord and beyond. His latest work, an essay about the intersection of writing, mental health, and neurodiversity, was one of The Yale Review’s most-read articles in 2024. Steve Edwards is the 2025 Writer-in-Residence at the Concord Free Public Library.
For more information on the Concord Festival of Authors, please visit www.concordfestivalofauthors.org.

Concord Band Fall Concert Premieres “POEtic Justice”
2025-10-25 19:00 - 21:00 | 51 Walden
The Concord Band will perform its Fall Concert on Saturday, October 25, 2025, at 7pm, at the 51 Walden Performing Arts Center in Concord MA. The Fall program features the world premiere of POEtic Justice by noted composer Roger Cichy, inspired by the dark, sinister tales of Boston-born author Edgar Allan Poe.
The composition was recently commissioned by one of the Band’s French horn players, Jean Patterson, along with her daughter, Alexandra Mattor. Both worked closely with Cichy, pitching their ideas for subtle, and not so subtle, musical themes for three of Poe’s classic short stories, “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Cask of Amontillado,” and “The Masque of the Red Death.” On listening, one can “hear” and actually visualize the servant who is haunted by the incriminating heartbeat of his murdered master buried under the floorboards, or a drunken Fortunado wandering from the carnival down to the crypt only to be walled in brick by brick, or the chimes that ring out during a masked ball as Prince Prospero is pursued and hunted throughout the castle, room by room, by the Red Death.
To round out its seasonal program of eerie and beguiling musical themes, the Concord Band will perform several additional works. Dance of the Witches, a piece John Williams wrote for the 1987 film “The Witches of Eastwick,” involves three women who unintentionally form a coven and conjure a dashingly handsome man, whom they must then inescapably deal with. In composer John Barnes Chance’s Incantation and Dance, low and muted incanted rituals of magic bring forth wild and frenzied dancing, while Unquiet Spirits by John Mackey evokes unsettled and unsettling moods from the restless, to an ominous off-kilter, waltz-like dance, to a fiendish yet sparkling “moto perpetuo” (perpetual motion) finish. The Concord Band will perform two timeless masterpieces, Charles Gounod’s witty and ironically humorous Funeral March of a Marionette, and Johann Sebastian Bach’s powerfully majestic and rhythmically driven Toccata and Fugue in D Minor. The Fall concert program will close with Halloween by composer Morton Gould, which summons all the creatures and objects of darkness – ghosts, goblins, pumpkins and brooms – to spring to life to celebrate an unholy sabbath.
Admission is free and open to the public. A $20 per person donation is requested. Complimentary light refreshments will be served at a reception following the concert.

Umbrella Arts: "Tick Tick...Boom!"
2025-10-25 20:00 - 22:00, 2025-10-26 14:00 - 16:00 | The Umbrella Arts Center, 40 Stow St., Concord, MA, 01742, United States
Tick, Tick…Boom!

Playing: Fri, October 10 – Sun, November 23, 2025
Previews: Fri, October 10 & Sat, October 11 | Press opening: Sun, October 12
Main Stage Theater 144
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Jonathan Larson
David Auburn, Script Consultant
Vocal Arrangements and Orchestrations by Stephen Oremus
Directed by Ilyse Robbins*
Before Rent, there was Tick, Tick… Boom!. This autobiographical musical by Jonathan Larson, the Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning composer of Rent, is the story of a composer and the sacrifices that he made to achieve his big break in theater. Tick, Tick… Boom! takes you on the playwright/composer’s journey through his quarter-life crisis that led to a Broadway blockbuster.
His girlfriend wants to get married and move out of the city, his best friend is making big bucks on Madison Avenue, and yet Jon is still waiting on tables and trying to write the great American musical. Set in 1990, this compelling story of personal discovery is presented as a rock musical filled with instantly appealing melodies and a unique blend of musical theater styles.

Nashoba Brooks School Admission Open House
2025-10-26 10:30 - 12:00 | Nashoba Brooks School, 200 Strawberry Hill Rd, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
Come tour the Nashoba Brooks School campus to learn more about the programs and the school, which serves coed students in the Lower School from age 3 in Preschool through Grade 3 and girls in the Middle School, Grades 4-8. The whole family is welcome to explore the campus and to meet with many Nashoba Brooks School employees, students and families as you learn about the school. The event runs from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Register for the Open House at the website below. Email admission@nashobabrooks.org with any questions. We hope to see you there!

Trunk or Treat
2025-10-26 14:00 - 15:30 | Beede Parking Lot, Walden Street, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
Join Concord Recreation and the Beede Swim and Fitness Center for our 6th annual Trunk or Treat! This free event welcomes participants to decorate their vehicle/tailgate and pass out candy to kids walking with family from car to car. Truck or Treat allows kids to have all the fun of trick-or-treating in a safe, controlled environment. Register to host a car.
We provide the candy, you provide the spooky!

Sleep Hollow-een Tour
2025-10-26 15:30 - 17:00 | sleepy Hollow cemetery, Concord, 01742, United States
Special Halloween event! Take a tour through historic Sleepy Hollow Cemetery with a Concord Museum guide, Oct. 26, 3:30-5 p.m. Learn about the lives and deaths of past Concordians through stories passed down through the generations. 1 mile walk, rain or shine
Learn more.

Carlisle's Oktoberfest & Haunted House Bash
2025-10-26 16:00 - 19:00 | Carlisle First Religious Society, 27 School Street, Carlisle, MA, 01741, United States
Live Music • Bavarian Feast • Games for All Ages • Brews for Adults • Desserts
•Bobbing for Apples • Photo Booth •Local Craft Vendors • Haunted House
ADMISSION:
Admission by donation to benefit CITY REACH.
Food, drinks, and desserts available for sale.
27 School Street – First Religious Society
JOIN THE FUN!
Bring your family, your friends, and your love for fall! Celebrate the season with an afternoon full of festive fun, delicious treats, and spooky surprises.

Annual Flu & Covid-19 Vaccine Clinic for Concord Senior Residents
2025-10-27 12:30 - 14:30 | Harvey Wheeler Community Center, 1276 Main St, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
Annual Influenza (Flu) and COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic
Monday, October 27th 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM in the COA Auditorium
👩‍🔬 🧑‍🔬 👨‍🔬 👩‍🔬 🧑‍🔬 👨‍🔬 👩‍🔬 🧑‍🔬 👩‍🔬 👨‍🔬 👩‍🔬
Flu and COVID-19 vaccines will be available to Concord residents 60+ years of age on Monday, October 27th. Please remember to bring your health insurance cards! Regular and high dose flu vaccine will be available (the high dose flu vaccine is approved and CDC recommended for people aged 65+ or for people taking immunosuppressive medications following solid organ transplant). To ensure we have ample supply, we ask you to register in advance and specify which vaccine you would like. Please arrive between 12:30 PM and 1:30 PM if your last name begins with A-L; and between 1:30 PM and 2:30 PM if your last name begins with M-Z. Call the Concord COA to register at 978-318-3020.

Concord Festival of Authors: Mystery Night 2025
2025-10-27 18:00 - 19:30 | Concord Free Public Library, 129 Main Street, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
The Friends of the Concord Free Public Library present CFA Mystery Night 2025, moderated by Kate Flora! This year’s event features authors Nicole Asselin, Richard Cass, and Kim Herdman Shapiro.
Kate Flora’s fascination with people’s criminal tendencies began in the Maine attorney general’s office. Deadbeat dads, child abusers, and employment discrimination aroused her curiosity about human behavior. The author of twenty-four books spanning genres including crime fiction, true crime, memoir, nonfiction, and short stories, Flora’s been a finalist for the Edgar, Agatha, Anthony, and Derringer awards and twice won the Maine Literary Award for crime fiction. She’s a former international president of Sisters in Crime, and a founder of the New England Crime Bake and Maine Crime Wave mystery conferences. She blogs with the Maine Crime Writers. When not conducting research for her novels and nonfiction, Kate can often be found in her garden, waging war against the woodchucks and her husband’s lawnmower. She divides her time between Maine and Massachusetts. The CFA Team thanks Kate for her many years leading Mystery Night! For more info, visit kateclarkflora.com.
Nicole Asselin graduated from Curry College in Milton Mass with a degree in English/Creative Writing, minoring in Dance in 2004. She also attended George Mason University and received a Master’s in Arts Management. She worked in the Government sector for over ten years before transitioning to Healthcare as a Technical Writer. She lives on the South Shore of Massachusetts with her three cats Madeline, Fern, and Captain. The Ballpark Mystery series is her first published work. www.nicoleasselinwriter.com
Richard Cass is the author of the Elder Darrow jazz mystery books, an amateur sleuth series set in his native Boston. The first book, In Solo Time, won the 2018 Maine Literary Award for Crime Fiction. The fifth, Sweetie Bogan’s Sorrow, won the Nancy Pearl Librarians’ Prize for Genre Fiction. The seventh and last book in the series, Closing Time, was published in 2024. The Last Altruist, a Maine-based crime novel, is the prequel to his latest book, Hard as a Headstone, which will be published by Islandport Press in September 2026. He holds a graduate degree in writing from the University of New Hampshire, where he studied with Thomas Willams, Jr., Charles Simic, and Joseph Monninger. His short fiction and nonfiction have appeared in Gray’s Sporting Journal, ZZYZVA, Tough, Shotgun Honey and Best Short Stores of the American West. He lives in Cape Elizabeth, Maine with his wife Anne.
Kim Herdman Shapiro worked as a journalist in Canada for many years, with experience in both print and broadcast journalism. Her book, Gelato with the Pope, highlights her time as a syndicated travel columnist in the Nineties. In addition to her syndicated travel column, she has written feature articles for various publications, edited a monthly children’s publication in British Columbia, and had her poetry published. She won a Microsoft web design award for Footloose, one of the first digital e-zines on the internet. Her mystery series, The Wynter Island Mysteries, was a semi-finalist for the Chanticleer book award. The series also received numerous positive reviews from such publications as Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews. IndieReader marked it a 4.7 stars out of 5. Kirkus Reviews listed it as “An indie worth looking for”. Book one, The Raven’s Cry, and Book two, The Loon’s Song, have both been released by Level Best Books. The third, The Killdeer’s Call, will be out in early ’26. Kim is a board member of Sisters in Crime New England. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband, two sons, and two dogs.
For more information on CFA events, please visit www.concordfestivalofauthors.org.
