What's happening in Franklin, MA: Sunday, May 11, 2025 ???

Sunday, May 11 =  Mother's Day

9:00am Fallen Hero: Charles Christakes (Veterans Walkway, Franklin Town Common)

11:00am Sunday Brunch (Teddy Gallagher's Irish Pub)

1:00pm Franklin Historical Museum (always free)

1:15pm "The Pioneering Women of Franklin" (Franklin Historical Museum)

4:00pm Electric Youth (with Future Shock) (THE BLACK BOX)

7:00pm Rehearsal for Distinguished Young Women (Patti Eisenhauer Dance Center)

**  NO Town Meetings today   **

 

-------------

What's happening today in Franklin? 

Find the full Community event calendar  https://bit.ly/FranklinCommunityCalendar

If you have an event to add to the calendar, you can use the form to submit it for publication:  https://bit.ly/Submit2Calendar

The Town meeting calendar is found  https://www.franklinma.gov/Calendar.aspx
The School district calendar is found  https://franklinpublicschooldistrictma.sites.thrillshare.com/o/fpsd/page/school-calendar

Historical Museum Weekend: Cinema 80 film Saturday; "The Pioneering Women of Franklin" Sunday

Saturday, May 10

CINEMA 80, the Museum’s film program is back with an Itallian Film Festival

In cooperation with the Franklin Senior Center and the Sons and Daughters of Italy in America Lodge, the museum will be hosting several free Italian-themed films, shown on Saturday at 6:30 PM unless otherwise noted:

• May 10 - Luca ( at 1:00 in the afternoon) (Italian-themed 2021 Pixar animated film) 

Sunday, May 11

Second Sunday Speaker Series: For Mother’s Day, “The Pioneering Women of Franklin”

A group of very influential and accomplished women emerged in Franklin in the late 19th and early 20th century, heralding a new egalitarian era and (eventually) suffrage for women.  

Historical Commission Chair Alan Earls will relate the stories of a literary lioness, a missionary, an artist and educator who was torn between her native Germany and Franklin, and a woman who pioneered the dystopian novel.

There may also be mention of some important 20th century Franklin women.

  

The slide show and talk starts at 1:15.  

The museum is open from 1-4 and admission is free.

Historical Museum Weekend: Cinema 80 film Saturday;
"The Pioneering Women of Franklin" Sunday

What's happening in Franklin, MA: Sunday, April 13, 2025 ???

Sunday, April 13

** Franklin Art Association Art Show and Sale Exhibit (Norfolk Public Library)

11:00am Sunday Brunch (Teddy Gallagher's Irish Pub)
1:00pm Franklin Historical Museum (always free)
1:00pm Second Sunday Speaker Series: History in Our Backyard (Franklin Historical Museum)

2:30pm Chess Group (Franklin Public Library)

7:00pm Rehearsal for Distinguished Young Women (Patti Eisenhauer Dance Center)

 

 

For additional details on Library & Senior Center events ->  

https://www.franklinma.gov/calendar.aspx?CID=37,24&showPastEvents=false

 

 

** NO Town Meetings today   **

-------------

What's happening today in Franklin? 

Find the full Community event calendar  https://bit.ly/FranklinCommunityCalendar

If you have an event to add to the calendar, you can use the form to submit it for publication:  https://bit.ly/Submit2Calendar

The Town meeting calendar is found  https://www.franklinma.gov/Calendar.aspx
The School district calendar is found  https://franklinpublicschooldistrictma.sites.thrillshare.com/o/fpsd/page/school-calendars

 

 

 

Historic Happenings at the Franklin Historical Museum for April 2025

Sun. April 13 --Second Sunday Speaker Series: History in Our Backyard!

Tip O’Neill is remembered as saying all politics is local. All history is local too. In this interactive presentation, Dr. Rob Lawson of Dean College will share a variety of examples where “big” history (national/global) meets local history stories. Wars, pandemics, and natural disasters are painful reminders of how big events can affect local communities, and Franklin is no exception. 

Together, we’ll encounter a couple of Franklin history “puzzles” and explore some of the film and digital history initiatives that are making our local history accessible and relevant right now. Bring your curiosity and put on your thinking cap as we explore the history in our backyard!  

Museum is open from 1-4, program starts at 1:15. FREE

Sat. April 26 – Franklin’s Ladybugs and the Ladybug Trail

Ever wonder what all the fuss is about ladybugs in Franklin? We’ve got the answers with historic memorabilia and a continuously running slide show that tells about our intrepid elementary school ‘Lobbyists” who convinced the state government and governor to make the ladybug the state insect back in 1974. 

AND, of course, the annual Ladybug Trail Kickoff Walk begins at the museum with free water (and restrooms), maps, plus a fun visual cue or two. 

The museum is at 80 West Central Street will be open from 9-3.

Sun. April 27 --Second Annual “Friends of the Museum” Appraisal Day!

Your Appraiser is James C. "Jim" Johnston

Antique Appraisal Day is back Sunday afternoon from 1-5 at 80 West Central Street.  What to expect? Good humor, great information, and highly cost-effective oral evaluation of your treasured items.   Satisfy your curiosity, mark something as special for your family members, or venture out to an auction or eBay with confidence. 

Oral appraisals are just $10 for the first item or up to three items for $25.  

Your Appraiser is James C. "Jim" Johnston, in the Appraisal and Antique business for more than six decades, a retired educator, historian, author. Sponsored by the Friends of the Franklin Historical Museum.

What's happening in Franklin, MA: Sunday, March 9, 2025 ???

Sunday, March 9 = Daylight Saving Time starts

"Look Up" Gallery (Franklin Public Library - Community Room during open hours)

11:00am Sunday Brunch (Teddy Gallagher's Irish Pub)

1:00pm Franklin Historical Museum (always free)

1:15pm Second Sunday Speaker (Franklin Historical Museum)

7:00pm Rehearsal for Distinguished Young Women (Patti Eisenhauer Dance Center)

** NO  Town Meetings today   **

--------------

Why are there multiple calendars?

What's happening today in Franklin? 

Respectfully, the Library and Senior Center calendars are too full of events to include all their events so we tend to focus on the major events. Town and School meetings are also kept separate. Links for all the calendars are shared here:

Find the full Community event calendar  https://bit.ly/FranklinCommunityCalendar

If you have an event to add to the calendar, you can use the form to submit it for publication:  https://bit.ly/Submit2Calendar

The Library calendar of events ->    calendar link

The Senior Center calendar of events ->   https://www.franklinma.gov/calendar.aspx?CID=37&showPastEvents=false

The Town meeting calendar is found  https://www.franklinma.gov/Calendar.aspx
The School district calendar is found  https://franklinpublicschooldistrictma.sites.thrillshare.com/o/fpsd/page/school-calendars

Historic Happenings at the Franklin Historical Museum for March 2025

Sunday, March 9 -- Second Sunday Speaker Series:  

Historical Commission Chair, Alan Earls, will lead a presentation and discussion about the 100+ year story of Clark Cutler, McDermott, the very successful local maker of (mostly) non-woven textiles at the Franklin Historical Museum. Originally founded in 1911 to manufacture horse blankets, Clark Cutler became a pioneering supplier of “grass” for the newly popular amusement, Miniature Golf, developed patented vibration reduction material still used in industrial processes today, and became a key supplier to the global auto industry. If you or a family member worked at the company, please bring your stories! Museum is open from1-4, program starts at 1:15. FREE

Sunday, March 16 -- “Third Sunday” Music at the Museum program => POSTPONED   to SUN MAR. 30

Franklin Historical Museum

Our March Third Sunday "Music at the Museum" program has been POSTPONED to March 30. The program offers a deep (but accessible!) dive into 12-tone or serial composition -- a very influential aspect of "modern" music that emerged in Vienna about a century ago and was widely championed by composer Arnold Schoenberg.  Over time, the technique increased greatly in popularity and eventually became widely influential on Mid 20th-century and later composers. Many important composers who had originally actively opposed the technique, such as Aaron Copland and Igor Stravinsky, eventually adopted it in their music and its influence even appears at times in popular music. Historical Commission Member and Music Educator Randy LaRosa will lead the discussion of the mysteries and pleasures of this musical philosophy that continues to challenge and inspire creatives. Museum open 1-4, program starts at 1:15. FREE

The Franklin Historical Museum is located at 80 West Central Street, Franklin. The museum is open Saturday mornings from 10AM-1PM (except as noted above) and Sunday afternoons from 1:00PM-4:00PM. 

When visiting the museum, please consider donating a non-perishable item for the Franklin Food Pantry.    Questions? Contact Alan Earls at 508 560 3786.    

Visit us online at https://www.franklinmuseum1778.com

Second Sunday Speaker: “History in Our Backyard!”

Dean College Professor. Dr. Rob Lawson, presents “History in Our Backyard!” Congressman Tip O’Neill is remembered as saying all politics is local. All history is local too. 

In this interactive presentation, Dr. Lawson will share a variety of examples where “big” history (national/global) meets local history stories. Wars, pandemics, and natural disasters are painful reminders of how big events can affect local communities, and Franklin is no exception. 

Together, we’ll encounter a couple of Franklin history “puzzles” and explore some of the film and digital history initiatives that are making our local history accessible and relevant right now. 

Bring your curiosity and put on your thinking cap as we explore the history in our backyard! at the Franklin Historical Museum. 

Museum open 1-4, program starts at 1:15. FREE

Second Sunday Speaker: “History in Our Backyard!”

What's happening in Franklin, MA: Sunday, January 12, 2025 ???

Sunday, January 12

1:00pm Franklin Historical Museum (always free)

1:15pm Second Sunday Speaker (Franklin Historical Museum) 

2:00pm FPAC: To Tell a Story About the Earth (THE BLACK BOX)

2:30pm Chess Group (Franklin Public Library)

**  NO  Town Meetings today   **

--------------

Why are there multiple calendars?

What's happening today in Franklin? 

Respectfully, the Library and Senior Center calendars are too full of events to include all their events so we tend to focus on the major events. Town and School meetings are also kept separate. Links for all the calendars are shared here:

Find the full Community event calendar  https://bit.ly/FranklinCommunityCalendar

If you have an event to add to the calendar, you can use the form to submit it for publication:  https://bit.ly/Submit2Calendar

The Library calendar of events ->    calendar link

The Senior Center calendar of events ->   https://www.franklinma.gov/node/39/events/upcoming

The Town meeting calendar is found  https://www.franklinma.gov/calendar
The School district calendar is found  https://franklinpublicschooldistrictma.sites.thrillshare.com/o/fpsd/page/school-calendars

What's happening in Franklin, MA: Sunday, December 8, 2024 ???

Sunday, December 8

• Winter Coat Drive (4 drop off locations)
• Franklin Art Association, Art Show & Sale (Norfolk Public Library)

MBTA shuttle bus on Franklin Line

10:00am Breakfast Buffet with Santa Claus (Teddy Gallagher's Irish Pub)

11:00am Winter Wreath Design Class (Fiori and Fern)

1:00pm Franklin Historical Museum (always free)

1:15pm Second Sunday Speaker Series: WCVB Chronicle's Ted Reinstein (Franklin Historical Museum)

2:00pm Franklin Performing Arts Company presents The Nutcracker (Franklin High School)

**   NO  Town Meetings today   **

What's happening today in Franklin? 

---------------

Why are there multiple calendars?

Respectfully, the Library and Senior Center calendars are too full of events to include all their events so we tend to focus on the major events. Town and School meetings are also kept separate. Links for all the calendars are shared here:

Find the full Community event calendar  https://bit.ly/FranklinCommunityCalendar

If you have an event to add to the calendar, you can use the form to submit it for publication:  https://bit.ly/Submit2Calendar

The Library calendar of events ->    calendar link

The Senior Center calendar of events ->   https://www.franklinma.gov/node/39/events/upcoming

The Town meeting calendar is found  https://www.franklinma.gov/calendar
The School district calendar is found  https://franklinpublicschooldistrictma.sites.thrillshare.com/o/fpsd/page/school-calendars

Second Sunday Speaker Series: The Story of the Boston Floating Hospital - Nov 10

Franklin’s own John Kulig, MD MPH, Professor of Pediatrics Emeritus at Tufts University School of Medicine, will share the remarkable story of the “Boston Floating Hospital,” which literally took its first trip around the harbor back in 1894, providing fresh air and medical care to poor, sick children. That beginning eventually led to an on shore hospital and remarkable research, including the development of life-saving ‘formula’ for children unable to get mother’s milk. 

Through research, ingenuity, and attention to the needs of ailing children and their families, the hospital grew into a scientific leader, pioneering pediatric medicine.

Kulig not only practiced at “Floating” he also was involved in the effort to write the history of the institution, which benefited not only Boston but many, many Franklin area children, over the years.

By Internet Archive Book Images - https://www.flickr.com/photos/internetarchivebookimages/14777891004/Source book page: https://archive.org/stream/harvardmedicalsc00parkuoft/harvardmedicalsc00parkuoft#page/n63/mode/1up, No restrictions, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=43695820

The Franklin Historical Museum is located at 80 West Central Street, Franklin. The museum is open Saturday mornings from 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM and Sunday afternoons from 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM. 

When visiting the museum, please consider donating a non-perishable item for the Franklin Food Pantry.    Questions? Contact Alan Earls at 508 560 3786. 

  

Visit us online at https://www.franklinmuseum1778.com

Historic Happenings at the Franklin Historical Museum for November 2024

Sun.  Nov. 3 – As Goes Franklin...a look at Franklin’s voting habits over the last 140 years…

Keyed up about the election? Learn about how and why Franklin has voted for presidents going back to the time of the Civil War!  Local history educator, Jayson Joyce, has been delving into archives and histories to learn about Franklin’s voting habits going back to the 1860 election of Abraham Lincoln (yes, he carried Franklin), with lots of other interesting bits about how the town has voted right up to the 2020 election. Also look for some other bits of museum ephemera and visuals relating to our political past, on exhibit until Thanksgiving...Museum is open 1-4 with the presentation starting at 1:15.  The event is Free.

Sat. Nov 9 and Sun. Nov 10 – Recycle Your Political Signs!

With the election over, unclutter your property and your town and bring your corrugated plastic signs to the museum for recycling. Neither the town’s transfer station nor the curbside recycling program can take the type of plastic used in these signs. But our volunteers will! Just stop by the museum during open hours, Sat 10-1 (with coffee and cookies while they last) and Sunday 1-4, and stack you signs neatly on our front steps. Please, if possible, separate metal legs and pile them separately!  There is no fee for this service. AND while you are at the museum, consider taking a look at some of the displays showing how Franklin has voted over the last 150 years in its presidential elections. Questions? Call Historical Commission Chair Alan Earls 508 560 3786 or email alan.r.earls@gmail.com.

Historic Happenings at the Franklin Historical Museum for November 2024

Sun. Nov 10--Second Sunday Speaker Series: The Story of the Boston Floating Hospital

Franklin’s own John Kulig, MD MPH, Professor of Pediatrics Emeritus at Tufts University School of Medicine, will share the remarkable story of the “Boston Floating Hospital,” which literally took its first trip around the harbor back in 1894, providing fresh air and medical care to poor, sick children. That beginning eventually led to an on shore hospital and remarkable research, including the development of life-saving ‘formula’ for children unable to get mother’s milk. Through research, ingenuity, and attention to the needs of ailing children and their families, the hospital grew into a scientific leader, pioneering pediatric medicine. Kulig not only practiced at “Floating” he also was involved in the effort to write the history of the institution, which benefited not only Boston but many, many Franklin area children, over the years.

Sun. Nov. 17  “Third Sunday” Music at the Museum program features Greenwich Bay Brass

The Greenwich Bay Brass has been together since 2006. It is an all- volunteer, British style brass ensemble with unique instrumentation.  Based in Rhode Island, the GBB has made numerous appearances around the state including concerts at First Lutheran Church in East Greenwich, the Barrington Congregational Church, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church Providence, and outdoor appearances at Hearthside House in Lincoln, and Wilcox Park in Westerly. Additionally, the ensemble has traveled to Massachusetts and Maine, with a concert at the historic Union Church in South Carver, MA and a joint concert together with the Salvation Army Brass Band in Old Orchard Beach, ME. The museum opens at 1 and the program will start at about 1:15. The event is FREE, but donations are always welcomed.

`CINEMA 80’

After a well-received experimental run from January to May at the Franklin Historical Museum, Cinema 80, captained by videographer and cinephile Chris Leverone, is back for another season of amazing free `Silent Saturday’ silent film entertainment on Saturdays at 6pm. The program is free but donations are encouraged.  The lineup for October includes:

• 11/2, City Lights – The often-comic misadventures of Chaplin's Tramp as he falls in love with a blind girl. Considered by many to be Chaplin’s greatest film.

• 11/9, The Big Parade – With a showing timed for proximity to Veteran’s Day, The Big Parade a 1925 American drama has been praised as one of the best and most realistic films about World War I. 

The Franklin Historical Museum is located at 80 West Central Street, Franklin. The museum is open Saturday mornings from 10AM-1PM and Sunday afternoons from 1:00PM-4:00PM. 

When visiting the museum, please consider donating a non-perishable item for the Franklin Food Pantry.    Questions? Contact Alan Earls at 508 560 3786.   

Visit us online at https://www.franklinmuseum1778.com

Historic Happenings at the Franklin Historical Museum for September 2024

Sept 8 -- Second Sunday Speaker Series: As American as The Blues

A large and important part of the American experience is captured in the origin story of Blues music in the African American community. And the music itself has become embedded in musical artforms nationally and globally. Dean College History Professor, Dr. Rob Lawson will share his insights on this topic on Sunday, Sept. 8 at the Franklin Historical Museum, 80 West Central St., Franklin. 

Dr. Rob Lawson

Doors open at 1 and the presentation begins at 1:15. Presentations typically include audience questions and run about an hour in length. Lawson is the author of Jim Crow's Counterculture: The Blues and Black Southerners, 1890-1945. The event is FREE, but donations always welcomed.

Sept 15 - - will inaugurate the first “Third Sunday” Music at the Museum program.

Commission member and multi-instrumentalist Randy LaRosa will provide an inaugural demonstration and performance of our newly repaired and tuned, 120-year-old, Franklin-made Trowbridge piano. Expect a lively and informative afternoon, spanning multiple genres.

Sept. 28 - - In Conjunction with Franklin Harvest Fest – We Recap and Remember the Popular, Local St Rocco’s Festival

Join us during the Franklin Harvest Festival on Sept. 28 (rain date Sept 29) from 1-5 for a Celebration of the Long-running Saint Rocco’s Festival with special guest, PBS Great American Recipe contestant and Franklin resident, Marcella ‘Marcie’ DiChiara.  In addition to Marcie we will be sharing images, news clips, and memories of the St. Rocco’s festival as well as celebrating Franklin’s Italian roots 

(Look for signs at the museum marking well-known family names where kinfolk are encouraged to reconnect.) And, of course, it wouldn’t be St. Rocco’s without food, so The Rome Restaurant will be selling pizza slices in front of the museum! The event is FREE, but donations always welcomed.

'CINEMA 80'

After a well-received experimental run from January to May at the Franklin Historical Museum, Cinema 80, captained by videographer and cinephile Chris Leverone, is coming back for another season of amazing free `Silent Saturday’ silent film entertainment on Saturdays at 6pm. The program is free but donations are encouraged.  

'CINEMA 80'

The lineup for September includes:

9/7, Modern Times (comedy) – created by and starring Charlie Chaplin

9/14, Shorts by the tremendously innovative film maker D.W. Griffith

9/21, Orochi – a 1925 Japanese film that tells the story of a troubled samurai.

9/28, Man with a Movie Camera – a 1929 mesmerizing showcase of communist life by the Ukrainian Photo Cinema Administration.

The Franklin Historical Museum is located at 80 West Central Street, Franklin. The museum is open Saturday mornings from 10AM - 1PM and Sunday afternoons from 1:00PM - 4:00PM. 

When visiting the museum, please consider donating a non-perishable item for the Franklin Food Pantry.    Questions? Contact Alan Earls at 508 560 3786.   

Visit us online at https://www.franklinmuseum1778.com

Second Sunday Speaker at Franklin Historical Museum to Talk About the (mostly) Happy Days at the Town Pool

the (mostly) Happy Days at the Town Pool

The Second Sunday Speaker Series at the museum continues on August 11, 2024 with perennially popular local historian, Joe Landry. 

Splish, Splash – A Seasonal Second Sunday Speaker Presentation on The Town Pool!

The Town Pool, now the location of the Sculpture Park off of Panther Way, was a fixture in Town Life from the 1930s to the 1980s.  Yet another gift to the town from the Ray family, its swimming program was overseen for many years by Lorraine Metcalf, scion of another “old” Franklin family. Joe will also share images and film clips from a not-so-distant past. 

Doors open at 1 and the presentation begins at 1:15 PM.

The Franklin Historical Museum is located at 80 West Central Street, Franklin. The museum is open Saturday mornings from 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM and Sunday afternoons from 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM. 

When visiting the museum, please consider donating a non-perishable item for the Franklin Food Pantry.  

Questions? Contact Alan Earls at 508 560 3786.   

Visit us online at https://www.franklinmuseum1778.com

Second Sunday Speaker at Franklin Historical Museum to Talk Bridal Fashion - Karen “Ren” Antonowicz - July 14

Karen “Ren” Antonowicz

Sunday, July 14, the Franklin Historical Museum will be offering a conversation on bridal fashion with Karen “Ren” Antonowicz, a popular speaker and fashion expert who has presented at the museum before. Much of her presentation will refer to the large collection of bridal gowns on display at the museum through Aug. 4. 

Antonowicz received her Master’s Degree in Textiles, Fashion Merchandising, and Design, with a concentration in Historic Costume & Textiles from the University of RI.  She then taught History of Fashion and other courses full time at the college level for 13 years, and taught part time in the CE Program at the RI School of Design.

In the meantime, Ren and her husband, Mike, opened Nostalgia Antiques & Collectibles, a 3-floor co-op located on historic Wickenden St. in Providence, RI and ran the business for five years.

Doors open at 1:00 PM and the presentation begins at 1:15 at Franklin Historical Museum, 80 West Central Street, Franklin, MA. FREE

 

The gift shop is open during regular museum hours, Saturday mornings 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM and Sunday afternoons 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM. Come in and find your history.

Summer Sunday Worship Series starts with "Equity's Call" scheduled for June 30, 2024

First Universalist Society in Franklin (FUSF) is pleased to announce our Summer Sunday Worship Series for June 30, 2024 through July, 2024.  

Please join us each Sunday as we explore the Unitarian Universalist (UU) values of Equity, Transformation, Generosity, Interdependence, Justice, Pluralism and Love.

All services start at 10:00 AM.

Afterwards, please plan to stay for coffee, cookies and conversation.

UU Value of Equity: Equity’s Call

June 30, 2024 

Lay Leader: Marggi

Summer Sunday Worship Series starts with "Equity's Call" scheduled for June 30, 2024