Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, and exactly one week later the jack-o'-lanterns on Medfield's front steps have somewhere to go. On Saturday, November 7, Bellforge Arts Center will take them for compost, provided they have no wax or paint on them. The same day it will also take the coat that no longer fits and the extra jar of peanut butter in the pantry.
That collection day, called Do Good Day, starts the month. The rest of November follows its lead. Most dated events on the town's calendar between now and the first week of December are held indoors and ask you to bring something, make something or learn a craft. Very few ask you to stand on a curb and watch.
Fall's two big outdoor Saturdays came out one for two
The fall calendar was built around two large outdoor days, and only one of them happened. Discover Medfield Day was set for Saturday, September 26, and was planned as the 46th edition. MEMO cancelled it two days ahead, citing a forecast of heavy, driving rain and wind gusts that could reach 50 mph. MEMO's event page still lists it as cancelled, with no new date.
Three weeks later, the 375th anniversary got its day. Boston 25 News reported that thousands of residents lined a two-mile parade route on October 17. The parade had bands, historic re-enactments, antique cars, food trucks and marching groups, and afterward came live music on the lawn at Party in the Park.
That was the season's last big outdoor spectacle. The town's November calendar has no anniversary event on it. The big gatherings now happen in smaller rooms, and the first one is on the former Medfield State Hospital grounds.
November 7 at Bellforge: what to load in the car
Do Good Day is free and starts at 11 a.m. Bellforge's events listing gives the hours as 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. It's run with Bellforge's Young Families Advisory Council, a group of parents and caregivers who help shape the family programs on campus. Admission costs nothing, but Bellforge asks people to register so it can plan the space.
The donation list is specific, and sorting your bags before you arrive helps everyone.
- Coats and cold-weather gear. Coats, ideally adult XL through XXXL. Gloves, mittens and hats.
- Clothing. Clean, gently used or like-new clothing for youth and adults, plus bags and purses. Fold everything and sort it by size and category if you can.
- New and gently used basics. New underwear with tags or in its original packaging. New and gently used bras.
- Dancewear. Clean tights, leotards, skirts, recital costumes and dance shoes in good condition.
- Comfort items. Stuffed animals, new or gently used and cleaned.
- For compost. Pumpkins and mums. The pumpkins can't have wax or paint on them.
- Toiletries, unopened, any size. Lip balm, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion, hand soap, hand sanitizer, sunscreen, deodorant, toothbrushes and toothpaste.
- Hygiene and baby care. Sanitary pads, tampons, incontinence underwear, baby wipes and diapers, with sizes 5, 6 and 7 preferred.
- Household paper goods. Toilet paper, tissues and paper towels.
- Food. Shelf-stable, unopened and unexpired, and not jumbo size. The most-needed items are individual snacks, Ensure, Progresso or chunky soup, solid white tuna in water, creamy Skippy or JIF peanut butter, rice, pasta, mac and cheese, cereal, coffee, tea and hot cocoa, baking mixes, jarred pasta sauce, mayonnaise, ketchup and relish.
- Books and gift cards. Books to swap or donate, and food gift cards in any amount for Dunkin', McDonald's, Shaw's or Boston-area grocers.
Do Good Day is also a making event. A Youth Vendor Fair will feature young makers and entrepreneurs, and a card-making table will collect handmade notes that Bellforge and its local partners will give to community members who could use some extra care. One of the sponsors is Park Street Books, Medfield's own bookstore, which Bellforge describes as New England's largest independent bookstore for children and young adults. That partnership fits a day where books can be swapped as well as donated.
Then the month moves to the worktable
The hands-on theme of November 7 continues for the rest of the month. Three local institutions, Bellforge, Zullo Gallery at 456A Main Street and the Medfield Public Library at 468 Main Street, have scheduled workshops that often fall on the same days. Some of those days line up neatly for a family, and on others you'll have to pick one.
| Date | One option | Another option |
|---|---|---|
| Thu., Nov. 5 | Bellforge Makerspace candle making, 7 to 9 p.m. | Zullo Gallery, "A Taste of France" wine and cheese pairing, 7 p.m. |
| Thu., Nov. 12 | Library, "The Ultimate Presentation for Red Sox Nation," 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. | Zullo Gallery, Art of Clay Mosaics with Art & Soul Clinic, 7 p.m. |
| Sat., Nov. 14 | Bellforge Lippan Art clay and mirror mosaic workshop, 10 to 11:30 a.m. | Library, Lino Block Printing for Ages 11-111, 2:30 to 4 p.m. |
| Sun., Nov. 22 | Library, Paint Like Van Gogh for ages 13 to 18, 12:30 to 2 p.m. | Library, Fall Foliage Paint Along for adults, 2:45 to 4:15 p.m. |
Two Thursdays put you in front of a choice. On November 5, Bellforge's candle-making night includes custom fragrance blending and invites you to bring your own drinks. It starts at the same hour as Zullo's wine and cheese evening. On November 12, the library's Red Sox talk ends at 7:30, half an hour after Zullo's clay mosaic session begins. Zullo requires pre-registration for its Culture Club evenings. Depending on the event, admission is either free with an optional suggested donation or charged per ticket.
The two weekend days work better together. On Saturday, November 14, you can make a Lippan piece at Bellforge in the morning. That's a craft based on the traditional clay-and-mirror work of India. In the afternoon, carve a linoleum block at the library. Both events involve clay, mirrors or ink, and the library's lino class is open to ages 11 to 111. On Sunday, November 22, the library runs two painting classes back to back, with only 45 minutes between them. A teenager and a parent could each take one without making two trips. Both require registration.
The library's other November programs are also hands-on, and most require registration:
- Diwali & Bollywood Dancing for Everyone!, Sunday, Nov. 8, 3 to 4 p.m., Dailey Room. Registration is appreciated but not required.
- Young Chef's Workshop, Monday, Nov. 9, 4 to 5 p.m., Meeting Room.
- Beginner Sewing Class for Kids and Their Caregiver, Thursday, Nov. 19, at 4:15 and 6:15 p.m. Each session runs 90 minutes and needs its own registration.
- Teen Pie Tasting for grades 6 to 12, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 6 to 7 p.m., two days before Thanksgiving.
- Big Feelings, Big Moves, Saturday, Nov. 28, 10:15 to 10:45 a.m., Children's Program Room, a short program for the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
The evenings at 1 Ice House Road lean toward history
The talks belong to the same pattern. Fittingly for the 375th year, the evening programs tilt toward the past, and The Center at 1 Ice House Road hosts most of them.
On Wednesday, November 4, at 5:30 p.m., Dennis J. Curran presents "On The Trial of Lizzie Borden: Whacks and Hacks" at The Center. The Medfield Historical Society is co-sponsoring it with the library and the Council on Aging, and admission is free. The following Tuesday, November 10, at 7 p.m., the Society holds its 2026 Annual Meeting at the Medfield TV studio at 18 N Meadows Road. The agenda includes a review of the year, elections and a presentation on Robert "Bubblegum Bob" Kennefic, a Medfield figure.
Later in the month, two library-sponsored writing programs also meet at The Center. Both require registration and approach the past from the writer's side. Judah Leblang leads "Memoir Writing From Real Life" on Monday, November 16, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Janis Robinson Daly presents "Exploring Historical Fiction: Inspiration & Education" on Wednesday, November 18, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Bellforge is running all this from a campus still under construction
Bellforge's November lineup is ambitious because its main buildings aren't finished. Its August 21 construction update reported that work was continuing on the Infirmary roof and that crews were preparing the ground for a connector between the Infirmary and the Chapel. The $30 million historic preservation project is expected to finish the Chapel and Infirmary in 2027, when they'll become a year-round arts venue with learning space.
That puts this November in an interesting spot. The workshops, the collection day and the youth vendor fair are already filling the old hospital campus before it has its permanent indoor home. Going to the Lippan workshop or dropping off a bag of coats this month means you're using a place that's still being rebuilt.
Where the month hands off to December
The calendar heads into the holidays the same way. On Friday, December 4, the library hosts Holiday Stroll Kids' Drop-In Activities from 4 to 6:30 p.m., with no registration needed. Sign-ups for the library's two-session Babysitters' Training course for ages 11 and up close November 29. The course meets Sundays, December 6 and 13. Before then, the earliest date to put on the fridge is November 7. Sort the coats by size, check the pumpkin for paint, and register on Bellforge's site so it knows how many people to expect.
Our team works in this community all year, and we're happy to help however we can. If you're making room this November, whether that means clearing out a closet before Do Good Day or thinking about bigger changes at home, The Walsh Team Partners would love to talk. Request a complimentary consultation, and we'll start with what's useful to you.
