The Acton Exchange

Danny's Place School Days Off
2026-05-27 09:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | Danny’s Place, 543 Mass Ave., Acton, MA, 01720
Join the School Days Off at Danny’s Place! Kids in grades K–5 can attend from 9 AM–12 PM and enjoy a day of themed activities, games, and creative fun. Whether the day’s focus is tied to a holiday or simply a special seasonal activity, it’s always a great time to connect, learn, and play.
School Days Off are offered individually (or as a membership).
$75.00 per kid per session.

Library: Yarn & Needle Club
2026-05-26 15:00 - 16:00, 2026-05-12 15:00 - 16:00 | Acton Memorial Library Meeting Room (1st floor), 486 Main Street, Acton, MA, 01720, United States
Knitters, crocheters, embroiderers, and sewers, join the library to work on your project and socialize! We meet every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month.

Library: Virtual – Inclusive and Diverse Book Recs with Bookstagrammer @sometimesleelynnreads
2026-05-21 19:30 - 20:00 | Zoom
Sign up here for the Zoom link!
Looking for the best books with BIPOC/LGBTQ+/Neurodivergent/Disabled etc. characters or by representative authors but not sure what to read next? Join bookstagrammer, Leelynn Brady (aka @sometimesleelynnreads), quarterly for 30 minutes of pure book recommendations – any genre as well as YA and Middle Grade books, as long as they are by diverse authors or have inclusive storylines! We’re sure you’ll find something to like from Leelyn’s many enthusiastic reviews.
This program is in partnership with the Ashland Public Library.

Acton COA Invites You to Comedy Scene Study with Poornima Kirby
2026-05-20 10:00 - 11:15, 2026-05-13 10:00 - 11:15, 2026-05-06 10:00 - 11:15 | Acton Senior Center, 30 Sudbury Road Rear, Acton, MA, 01720
Open to out-of-towners 60+ starting April 6th for $20/series
Come tickle your funny bone through an exploration of the art, science and silliness of comedy! Whether you are the class clown or worry you haven’t a funny bone in your body, this class is a perfect place to express (or discover) your inner comedian. In early weeks, we’ll learn the principles of comedy scenes through improvisational games. After the first week, students will each be assigned a comedic monologue and scene from a classic comedic writer from Shakespeare to Moliere to Noel Coward to Neil Simon and more. Over the remaining classes, students will rehearse and explore their scenes, adding staging and character details. In the final class, we will share our scenes and celebrate! Memorization and theatrical experience are not necessary; this class will be tailored to the interests and requests of participating students. Poornima Kirby is an experienced Shakespearean actress, with numerous credits in film and theatre. She has performed at the Senior Center in King Lear, A Christmas Carol, and a compilation of Shakespeare scenes. She teaches public speaking, poetry, and theatre to students of all ages. She holds a Master’s degree in Arts and a B.A. in Drama and trained at Shakespeare & Co, and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts.
Registration Required. Please call the COA at 978-929-6652 to register.

Library: AML Book Discussion Group
2026-05-19 18:30 - 20:00 | Acton Memorial Library Meeting Room (1st floor), 486 Main Street, Acton, MA, 01720, United States
Acton Memorial Library Book Discussion Group. Check this link to see this month’s and upcoming month’s books:
https://www.actonmemoriallibrary.org/kids-teens-and-adults/just-for-adults/book-groups/
Reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities are available upon request by emailing library@actonma.gov.

Library: Virtual - "Banning Books in America: Not a How To" with Author Samuel Cohen
2026-05-18 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom
We all have thoughts and feelings about the rise of book bannings in America so this is a great opportunity to have a discussion about it!
Sign up for the Zoom link here!

Acton COA Presents The Poetry & Stories of Langston Hughes Seminar with Stephen Collins
2026-05-18 11:30 - 12:30, 2026-05-11 11:30 - 12:30 | Acton Senior Center, 30 Sudbury Road Rear, Acton, MA, 01720
Open to out-of-towners age 60+ starting April 6th for $20/series
Langston Hughes (1901-1967) was a Harlem poet, playwright, novelist and short story writer. He was a leading member of The Harlem Renaissance and was greatly influenced by the poetry of Walt Whitman. His poems continually ask the question: What does it mean to be an American? We will study many of his iconic poems and read three of his short stories. Students should purchase Vintage Hughes, published by Vintage Books in paperback that retails for $14.
Preregistration is required. Please call 978-929-6652 to register.

Theatre III: Nice Work If You Can Get It
2026-05-16 19:30 - 22:00, 2026-05-15 19:30 - 22:00, 2026-05-10 14:00 - 16:30, 2026-05-09 19:30 - 22:00, 2026-05-08 19:30 - 22:00 | Theatre III, 250 Central St., Acton, 01720
A fun and joyous comedy musical, Nice Work If You Can Get It thrusts us into a light-hearted version of the Prohibition era, complete with bootleggers, socialites, chorus girls, and a vice squad, all set to the amazing songs of George and Ira Gershwin. Highlights from the score include “Fascinating Rhythm,” “Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off,” “Someone To Watch Over Me,” “Sweet and Low Down,” “Delishious,” and the title song.

Discovery Museum: Special Saturday evenings
2026-05-16 17:00 - 20:00 | Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton, MA, 01720, United States
The Especially for Me series offers dedicated hours and free admission for families with disabilities. During these events, we offer accommodations that increase access to exhibits and provide an opportunity for families to network with one another in an understanding, ADA-compliant environment.
While the event titles indicate the focus for certain program accommodations, any family that would benefit from a sensory friendly visit is welcome at any time. A medical diagnosis is not required.
All Especially for Me events are free to attend, but preregistration is required. More information, dates and registration links can be found online at http://bit.ly/EspeciallyforMe.
For these events, the museum is closed to the public. Dinner, including a gluten-free option, is provided at no cost.

Autism-Friendly Evening – January 10
Evening for Deaf, Blind, or DeafBlind – January 31
Inclusive Evenings – February 28, March 21, May 16, June 27
Mask On, Play On! – April 11
Morning for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and KODA visitors – date tba

Acton DPW polystyrene (styrofoam) collection
2026-05-16 10:00 - 13:00 | DPW, 14 Forest Rd, Acton, MA, 01720, United States
On the third Saturday of every month (except June, which is 2nd Saturday), you can recycle your clean styrofoam containers.
For details about the 2025 schedule, and what you can recycle, see https://actonma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/10278/Polystyrene-collection-days-and-guide-2025.

Acton Garden Club annual plant sale
2026-05-16 09:00 - 13:00 | The Red House, 468 Main Street, Acton, MA, 01720
The Acton Garden Club will hold its Annual Plant Sale on Saturday, May 16th.

Come early for the best selections of Annuals, Perennials, Native Plants, House Plants and locally grown herbs, vegetables, shrubs, and trees. Take advantage of our Master Gardeners for answers to all your gardening questions. Visit our Resource Table for information on topics ranging from Ticks, Garlic Mustard and Managing Invasive to Natives, Gardening Tips and Membership.

Proceeds of the Annual Garden Sale support our community, through scholarships for graduating ABRHS seniors, maintaining town gardens and planters, and educational programs for the community and club members.

Friends of Pine Hawk: Tahattawan's World
2026-05-14 19:00 - 20:30 | Acton Memorial Library Meeting Room (1st floor), 486 Main Street, Acton, MA, 01720, United States
Who were the Indians who lived in the Acton area before the English arrived? It is widely understood that this band, led by their sachem Tahattawan, transferred Musketaquid/Concord to the English in the 1630s, adopted Christianity, settled down nearby at Nashobah/Littleton, endured rough handling during King Philip’s War in the 1670s, and then merged into the general diaspora of Christian Indians in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
Local historian Brent Ranalli has undertaken a fresh, close reading of the source documents from the seventeenth century for a new book project. This talk presents some of his findings, enhancing our understanding of the band and their story.
Please register at https://tinyurl.com/Ranalli-May14
Presented by the Friends of Pine Hawk with support from Acton Library and in partnership
with Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area during the Hidden Treasures Festival of Nature, Culture
& History.

Library: Author Talk Series - "Tahattawan’s World" by Brent Ranalli
2026-05-14 19:00 - 20:30 | Acton Memorial Library Meeting Room (1st floor), 486 Main Street, Acton, MA, 01720, United States
Sign up here!

Join us at Acton Memorial Library for a discussion and questions from Brent Ranalli about his book Tahattawan’s World.

You do not need to read the book ahead of time to attend.

This program is presented in partnership with the Friends of Pine Hawk.

Reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities are available upon request by emailing reference@acton-ma.gov.

Acton Exchange All-Hands Meeting
2026-05-13 19:00 - 20:30 | ActonTV offices, 16a Craig Road, Acton, MA, 01720, United States
The Acton Exchange team holds monthly meetings that are open to our active volunteers and anyone who might want to become a volunteer. If you have an Acton connection and want to contribute to independent community journalism in our town, it is likely that the AE has a role for you, whatever your skill sets and interests might be. Each meeting begins with an opportunity to learn what has been going on at the Acton Exchange, followed by an opportunity to improve our journalism skills. Meetings are either hybrid (in-person or zoom) or zoom-only. For this month’s venue and topic, email info@actonexchange.org.
Use this link to join by Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86431644688?pwd=[REDACTED]
The password, if needed, is newspaper.

Green Acton monthly meeting
2026-05-12 19:00 - 20:45 | Zoom
Green Acton works to protect and enhance Acton’s natural environment and resources for present and future generations, and to help resolve the urgent environmental issues that transcend Acton’s boundaries. The group meets monthly (except for August) on the second Tuesday of the month, usually by zoom but occasionally in person. To learn more about Green Acton’s mission, accomplishments, and ongoing work, visit https://greenacton.org/
To get the agenda and zoom link for the upcoming monthly meeting, email info@greenacton.org
In addition to the all-topics monthly meeting, the individual committees hold more specialized meetings; topical committees are Biodiversity, Energy, Materials (e.g plastics, toxics, recycling), Land Use (e.g. zoning), and Water. To find the dates for committee meetings visit the Green Acton Upcoming Events page at: https://greenacton.org/calendar/

Housing Legal Clinics
2026-05-12 16:00 - 18:00 | Acton Community Services office, 30 Sudbury Road Rear, Acton, MA, 01720
The Acton Community Services Office within the Department of Health and Human Services, in partnership with MetroWest Legal Services, will host a monthly housing legal clinic beginning in January.
Housing Legal Clinic appointments will begin on Jan. 14 and will be held on the second Tuesday of each month from 4-6 p.m. at the Human Service and Senior Center, 30 Sudbury Road Rear.
Before you attend a session, you must complete the following registration form, which can be found here.
The program, which is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, will run until Dec. 31, 2026.

Library: Great Decisions Group Discussion
2026-05-11 18:30 - 19:45 | Acton Memorial Library Conference Room (2nd floor), 486 Main Street, Acton, MA, 01720, United States
To see this month’s topic and more check out the program page on our website!

Boxborough Museum open house
2026-05-10 14:00 - 16:00 | Boxborough Museum, 575 Middle Road, Boxborough, MA, 01719
The Boxborough Museum at 575 Middle Road is open on second Sundays from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Come see Boxborough’s historic treasures including the 1850’s scale which is sensitive enough to weigh a penny and strong enough to calibrate a 50 pound weight, the “new” hearse built in 1881, and the “old” hearse (come and see how old is old).
Admission is free and all are welcome. For more information or to arrange a private tour for a small group, please contact John Fallon through the Boxborough Historical Society.

Concord Players: Brigadoon
2026-05-09 20:00 - 22:30, 2026-05-08 20:00 - 22:30 | 51 Walden, 51 Walden Street, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
The Concord Players present Lerner & Loewe’s classic musical Brigadoon April 24 – May 9
New Yorker Tommy Albright stumbles upon the village of Brigadoon and falls in love with the beautiful las, Fiona, but they only appear once every 100 years for a single day.

Acton residents Samantha Casale and Ben Hardt are in the cast.

Will Tommy return to his modern life or vanish into the mist with Fiona and the village?

Friends of Pine Hawk: Guided walk to Acton' oldest archeological site
2026-05-09 09:00 - 11:00 | Provided after registration
Join local archaeologist Kimberley Connors and Town of Acton
Conservation Staff Ian Bergemann on a guided walk along the
Assabet River Blue & Green Trail focusing on why people have
lived here for over 7,000 years and the wildlife that call this place
home. This path is adjacent to the Pink Hawk site which is the
oldest known archeological site in Acton.
The trail is 1.0 mile long out-and-back starting from Old High
Street navigating marsh habitat, streams, and forests. The trail
will be muddy and slippery so please be prepared with proper
footwear and additional hiking tools like trekking poles.
There is a limit of 20 people, all ages are
welcome but the path is not stroller friendly.
Registration required at https://tinyurl.com/pinehawk-may9.

Carlisle Potluck and Contradance
2026-05-08 18:30 - 22:00 | First Religious Society of Carlisle, 27 School Street, Carlisle, 10741
The Carlisle Dance, with its accompanying potluck dinner, is known as the most sociable dance in the area. Arrive at 6:30 for dinner and conversation, and then dance from 8 until 10. Live music by the Carlisle Band, who bring an eclectic collection of instruments. Outstanding local callers call mostly contradances, plus occasional square and circle dances.
Admission is just $6-10 (self-determined sliding scale) for all ages, along with your tasty and creative contribution for the meal.
You’ll find us at the lovely Unitarian Church in Carlisle Center on the Common. Navigate to 27 School St, Carlisle MA and look for a classic New England church with the town clock in the steeple.
