Join Vocal Revolution for its fall show, set for 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, at First Parish Unitarian Universalist, 630 Mass. Ave.

The evening of world-class vocal music ranges from choral to classic barbershop, plus such recognizable favorites as "Here Comes the Sun" and "Fly Me to the Moon."

The show, with something for everyone, also features fan-favorite quartet Daily Special (2019 Northeastern District Barbershop champion).

The Jason Russell House, the site of brutal fighting on April 19, 1775, is now open on weekends only. This started May 28 and is scheduled to continue through Oct. 30. 

Visitors can also view a new exhibit at the house, called “Menotomy--Road to Revolution,” to learn the stories of Menotomy residents who mobilized to defend their homes and their village -- which later became the town of Arlington -- from retreating British troops.

The house is open Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m.  Masks are required for admission. 

UPDATED Sept. 18: Cantilena Chorale, a contemporary classical-music women’s chorus, began hearing SSAA singers on Aug 22, for in-person fall rehearsals in advance of a Sunday, Dec. 11, concert titled "Comfort & Joy."

The SSAA sought all treble voice parts at First Parish Unitarian Universalist of Arlington, 630 Mass. Ave., for in-person auditions by appointment only Aug. 22 and will do so again following the 7:30 p.m. open rehearsals on Sept. 19 and Sept. 26. All auditionees must have proof of full vaccination to attend in-person audition or rehearsal. 

Auditions by Director Elinor Armsby consist of vocalization, pitch-matching and sight-reading exercises. Potential singers are asked to choose a simple short song to demonstrate vocal quality, technique and musicality. 

Page leads a recent rehearsal. / Mystic Chorale photo

UPDATED Sept. 14: After 33 years of service, founder and Artistic Director Nick Page will lead a final season of preparation for his final concert with Mystic Chorale, titled “The Heart Dances, the Soul Sings.”

This project will be his last involvement with the Arlington-based musical group before his long-planned relocation to Missouri.

The season is to start with 11 weeks of rehearsals that began at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 13, at First Parish Unitarian Church, 630 Mass. Ave., with the concert in December

Organizers say they hope that this season and its concert will pack an emotional punch, balancing explosive energy and tenderness.

Page has been known over the decades for his enthusiastic direction and award-winning musical arrangements. This upcoming Mystic Chorale season, as in the past, will feature pieces old and new.

The season theme comes from a new piece composed by Page called "Halev Roked," with the words “The heart dances, the soul sings.” More songs than ever will feature the chorus as a whole, including Ysaye Barnwell’s arrangement of "I Am Determined (To Walk in Freedom)" and the anthem "The Storm is Passing Over (Courage My Soul)."

Arlington-based CMK Homecare offers free monthly virtual Lunch & Learns for family caregivers.

Free Zoom Lunch & Learn on Wednesday. Sept. 28, at noon.

Topic: Retirement planning (nonfinancial)

What planning resources have you done for your retirement thus far? What friends/relationships will you have when you step out of your job? How will you see your identity when you no longer have a business card? What values and purpose will you pursue in retirement?

Because we are living longer, retirement can now have a longevity of 25 to 30 years. It is a transition into our third stage of life, no longer just a destination. Planning for our spiritual, emotional, physical and social needs takes time and effort to bring us to a happy and purposeful retirement. Sign up today to learn how this can be done.

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The Arlington Farmers' Market, managed by Patsy Kraemer, in its 25th year at 29 Mystic St., Russell Common lot, is scheduled to continue Wednesday, Sept. 28, from 2 to 6:30 p.m.

Just five more market Wednesdays after today, organizers say.

It's high harvest this fall season: Grab those fall apples, squashes, pumpkins, late-season vegetables.

The Menotomy Grill & Tavern, which opened in 2013 in East Arlington, brews live music Thursday nights.

See who's performing Thursday night at 9 here >> 

The owners state that there there is plenty of room for parking available and that there is never a cover charge.

Muse Stew will perform at the Arlington Center for the Arts on Friday, Sept. 30, from 8 to 10 p.m. The performance takes place in the ACA’s Shaira Ali Gallery on the third floor of the newly renovated community center at 20 Academy St. 

Muse Stew will be joined by special guest vocalist Evelyn Rosenthal to present an evening of Brazilian music.   The performance will include compositions by Ivan Lins, A. C. Jobim, Sérgio Mendes, Baden Powell, Mauricio Einhorn/Durval Ferraira, Vinícius & Toquinho and Wayne Shorter.

The show is dedicated to the memory of David Rumpler, with whom we shared a passion for Brazilian music and jazz in general – as a performer and a teacher. Most recently, he had taught Brazilian music at Morningside Studios in Arlington. He died in May. 

Wright Locke Farm, just over the Arlington border in Winchester, near St. Eulalia, dates from the 17th century and is preserved to be a fun nonprofit to visit and get involved. 

Check out the latest updates from the Rainbow Commission:

A community picnic is set for Saturday, Oct. 1, from noon to 2 p.m., at Robbins Farm Park. Meet by the dog statue near the top of the steep hill up from the play area.

In an email, the commission wrote: "It was wonderful to see so many visitors to our booth at Town Day. There were rainbow beads everywhere you looked.

"For those 60-plus people who joined our mailing list, thanks so much for taking an interest.

"We've heard from a number of people that they'd like more opportunities to meet others in the community. We thought a picnic would be a nice way to mix and mingle.

"Bring your own food and blanket, and meet your LGBTQIA+ neighbors and allies."

No RSVP necessary.  

Aardvark Jazz Orchestra, with Mark Harvey, first row center.

The Aardvark Jazz Orchestra, led by Mark Harvey of Arlington, opens its 50th season Saturday, Oct. 1, with music on themes of social consciousness, spirituality, and Boston cultural history – topics that have long been central to Aardvark concerts.

The concert, which is free and open to the public, is at MIT's mainstage Kresge Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. 

Among the selections will be Harvey’s Faces of Souls and Ellington’s It’s Freedom. A highlight will be the premiere of Harvey’s latest work, American Agonistes, channeling the moods of sorrow and outrage so characteristic of our times.

To register, sign up here >>

UPDATED, Sept. 22: "Art & Music at the Mill" continues ...

Oktoberfest, a traditional German festival, is set to take place at the Old Schwamb Mill from noon to 4 p.m. on Oct. 1. 

This family-friendly public event honors the Schwamb family’s German heritage. Music, beer, hard seltzer, apple cider, water, bratwurst, soup, pastries and more are provided for the occasion. 

Seating are available under a tent with tables and chairs.

UPDATED Aug. 24: Arlington Friends of the Drama (www.afdtheatre.org), at 22 Academy St., has announced that the fall 2022 production will be "Iolanthe," a comic opera by Gilbert and Sullivan. It is set to run for nine performances between Sept. 16 and Oct. 2.

Ticket policies can be obtained via this link. More information on dates and prices will be made available later.

Directed by J. Deschene, musical direction by Div Slomin and choreography by Rebecca Graber.

Tickets are $25; buy them here >>

Proof of vaccination and masks required.

Find out what's showing at the Capitol Theatre, in East Arlington. 

LexFarm, near the Arlington Reservoir, at 52 Lowell St., Lexington, next to the Arlington Reservoir, has reported the following:  

True Story Theater, based in Arlington, presents issues to the public by involving the audience through "playback" -- by drawing stories from them and having actor present the stories that arise. 

UPDATED Aug. 15: The Cutter Gallery Arlington has mounted a new exhibition, this one with an artist who is new to the gallery.

"Beauty from Ashes," by Isabella Rose, opened Aug. 7, and it has a closing reception from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday Sept. 4. Gallery representatives hope the public will come by to suppport the gallery's efforts and to welcome this artist.  

Now you can hear the Mystic River as you walk along it for two miles in Arlington and Medford.

"Sound on Mystic" is an outdoor audio installation combining sound art, music, spoken word and ambience into an immersive experience.

Listen through Echoes, a free mobile app that uses GPS data to cue different sounds at various sites. The Mystic River Watershed Association provides it.

After downloading the app, put on a pair of headphones, take a walk within the installation’s extensive boundaries and hear a diverse set of sound works that are all united by the river itself, and its complex legacy as a place of history and nature, community and conflict, labor and recreation.

How do I listen? 

Until the pandemic shut it down March 15, 2020, Fugitive Productions brought Moth and Massmouth winners, along with others from the local arts community, to share noncompetitive, five- to six-minute, true-life "Fugitive Stories" at Kickstand Cafe. 

In 2015, the effort began producing events in West Acton. The response surpassed expectations. It has been the host for 200-plus shows and sold nearly 14,000 tickets to a wide variety of music, comedy, and storytelling events in Acton, Concord, Arlington, Sudbury, Maynard, Framingham, Stow and Lincoln — and then virtually.

That is ending. The effort has been booking for the past couple of weeks  — music and comedy at Sanctuary in Maynard and a story-telling series at Old Frog Pond Farm in Harvard.

Fugitive won’t be booking smaller rooms just yet, including Kickstand Cafe.

Cooped up? The Arlington Land Trust suggests some walking trails in and around Arlington.

Those at the nonprofit hope you and your family are staying safe and healthy during these difficult times. While social-distancing guidelines remain in place to protect us all from exposure to Covid-19, we also know how important it is to be outdoors and enjoy the bounties of spring in New England.

The land trust offers the following suggestions for safe walking around Arlington and in other nearby communities where conservation lands and parks are open.

Please check the websites of places you wish to visit ahead of time since many are still closed.

Registration opens to current families, new families

Registration for Kid Care Afterschool Program 2020-21 opened to new families on Wednesday, April 15. It opened for current families April 8.

"Current family" is defined as having a child registered for the Kid Care Preschool or Afterschool program during April 2020.

The enrollment fee of $50 per child. It is due at the time of registration and may be paid before that.

UPDATED, March 11: A high-quality eight-minute video documentary viewable online, just updated, called“Mill Brook Rediscovered,” is part of an adapted version of a 2019 Old Schwamb Mill exhibit scheduled to be shown in Town Hall from March 2 to April 30. A reception was set for Sunday, March 22, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the second-floor gallery, but that has been postponed in view of the coranvirus. 

“Mill Brook Rediscovered” was produced and directed by Arlington resident Glenn Litton under the auspices of the Schwamb Mill Preservation Trust. Litton is a former producer and executive producer for WGBH-TV, associated with Emmy-winning programs, including “The Advocates, “ “The Living Planet” and “Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale.” His own production company, DocuThis, based in  Arlington. 

More than 9,000 children and young adults are in state custody in Massachusetts under the Department of Children and Family Services. These young people have experienced abuse and/or neglect and are living in temporary situations.

The Foster Care Review Unit makes decisions regarding children who have been in foster care for six months or longer, assessing how well their needs are being met and what progress has been made toward establishing them in a permanent living situation. A volunteer from the Community is one member of the three -person panels that make these decisions.

The Meals on Wheels program of Minuteman Senior Services provides a hot lunch to homebound seniors.

Meals are delivered five days a week, 52 weeks a year, excluding holidays.  These meals assist the older adult who is not capable of preparing at least one hot nutritious meal a day.

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