Happenings

Old Rochester students set to attend Boys and Girls State

MATTAPOISETT - Eight students at Old Rochester Regional High School are slated to attend the Massachusetts Boys and Girls State conventions at Stonehill College in June. At the convention, students attending Boys and Girls State study state and...

Brush up on your landscape drawing and plant identification skills

MARION — Learn to identify and draw botany and landscapes at the Marion Natural History Museum on Saturday, June 13 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Tricia Cassady, a wetland scientist and artist who leads The Art & Nature Studio, will teach the group...

50 ramps later, Habitat for Humanity seeks to replenish inventory

The ramp program benefits people with existing accessibility issues, temporary injuries or received recent rehabilitation. Photo source: Buzzards Bay Area Habitat for Humanity

Buzzards Bay Area Habitat for Humanity is looking for donations of metal wheelchair ramps for its Ramp Donation Program. The program began in 2024 to give low-income homeowners wheelchair access to their living spaces. Since then, the group has...

Memorial Day Events across the Tri-Town

The Tri-Towns will gather to celebrate Memorial Day in various celebrations this weekend and Monday. Rochester. Rochester will host a revitalized Memorial Day Ceremony on Sunday, May 24 at 12 p.m. at the Rochester Town Hall located at 1 Constitution...

Ticket sales open for Tri-County Symphonic Band June concert

MARION — Ticket sales have begun for the upcoming Annual Benefit Pops Concert for the Tri-County Symphonic Band. The theme for this year is “Flag Day: 250 Years of Independence.” The concert will be held on the waterfront in a grand tent on the...

Upcoming events at the Elizabeth Taber Library

MARION — The Elizabeth Taber Library has multiple events coming this spring. Readers Advisory Group. The Reader’s Advisory Group will meet every 4th Wednesday at 11 a.m. This group is ideal for adults who enjoy reading, discussing and sharing ideas...

Late May Children's Department Events at the Mattapoisett Free Public Library

MATTAPOISETT — The Mattapoisett Library is offering multiple children’s events this May. Summer Storytime Sessions will start with Family Storytime on Thursday, June 18 at 10:30 a.m. Baby Storytime will begin on Friday, June 19 at 10:30 a.m. Our...

Mattapoisett Museum to unveil new Swordfish Weathervane exhibit

MATTAPOISETT — The Mattapoisett Museum, housed in the historic 1821 Meeting House, announced the upcoming opening of its Swordfish Weathervane Exhibit, set to debut in late May 2026. The exhibit will celebrate one of Mattapoisett's symbols and...

Dig in at Rochester Boat Race Ham and Bean Supper

ROCHESTER — The Rochester Memorial Day Boat Race Ham and Bean Supper will be held Saturday, May 23 at the Rochester Senior Center located at 65 Dexter Lane. The supper will be served from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and tickets can be purchased at the door....

Two Mattapoisett high school graduates receive Lions Club scholarship

MATTAPOISETT — The Mattapoisett Lions Club announced that Leah Hollenbeck a senior at Old Colony Regional Technical High School and Caitlyn Lund, a senior at Old Rochester Regional High School, are the recipients of the 2026 Mattapoisett Lion’s Club...

Birds of a Feather and Other Friends ceramic exhibit at the Mattapoisett Library

MATTAPOISETT — The Mattapoisett Free Public Library will be hosting a ceramic exhibit created by local artist Wendy Goldsmith from June 2 to June 30. Goldsmith went to art school and majored in printmaking and also studied ceramics. A few years...

Registration opens for Summer Discovery program at Old Colony

ROCHESTER — Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School recently opened registration for its 9th annual Summer Discovery Experience program. This summer programming runs from July 13 to July 24. Registration is open now on Eventbrite...

Mattapoisett Woman’s Club announces high school graduate scholarship winners

MATTAPOISETT — The Mattapoisett Woman’s Club has announced its scholarship awards for recent high school graduates pursuing a four-year degree. Maeve Bradshaw is a graduating senior at Fairhaven High School who is planning to study nursing at...

Mattapoisett Woman’s Club offers continuing education scholarship

MATTAPOISETT — The Mattapoisett Woman’s Club is pleased to offer a continuing education scholarship of $1,500 to a Mattapoisett resident. This scholarship is for residents who are reentering the academic world after graduation and are in pursuit of...

Red, white and blue bake sale for the Rochester Historical Society

ROCHESTER — The Rochester Historical Society is having a Red, White and Blue Bake Sale on May 30 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Rochester Land Trust Pony Pasture on Mattapoisett Road. The Historical Society is hosting the bake sale to raise funds...

Auditions for the “The Constant Wife” at the Marion Art Center

MARION — The Marion Art Center Theater will be conducting auditions for “The Constant Wife” by Somerset Maugham, and adapted and directed by Kate Fishman. This classic play is reimagined for the late 1960s, when women’s liberation was rising, social...

League of Women Voters to Host Rochester Candidates’ Forum

ROCHESTER — The League of Women Voters of SouthCoast will host a Rochester Candidates’ Forum on May 19 at 6:30 p.m. at Rochester Memorial School located at 16 Pine Street. The event is free and open to the public. The forum will feature candidates...

New England rodeo returns for the season on May 16

ROCHESTER — The New England Rodeo returns to the Rochester Fairgrounds on Saturday, May 16 for a season of bull riding, barrel racing and other events. Fourteen years ago, owner Elias DaSilva, a former bull rider from Brazil, brought the rodeo to...

Marion to celebrate 101-year-old resident

MARION — The Town of Marion announced a special "Boston Post Cane" presentation ceremony honoring its eldest resident. The event will take place on Wednesday, May 27 at 10:30 a.m. at the Benjamin D. Cushing Community Center. This longstanding New...

Youth soccer honors avalanche victim with preseason event

FAIRHAVEN— In honor of the 11-year-old Rochester girl who died in an avalanche last year, Mariner Youth Soccer is dedicating its preseason jamboree to its former player. The soccer club has renamed the annual event to the Forever 11 Preseason...

Ready, set, paddle at the Rochester Memorial Day boat and kayak race

ROCHESTER —The annual Rochester Memorial Day race will return Monday, May 25 at 8:30 a.m. Racers will begin at Grandma Hartley’s Reservoir and end at the Mattapoisett Herring Weir. Contestants can either race in a boat of their making or in a...

Go fish: Learn about Atlantic white sharks

MARION — The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy is visiting the Marion Council on Aging for a fin-tastic presentation. Representatives from the organization will talk about ongoing research projects, and conservation and public safety efforts, at the...

Playwrights incubator concludes with performance

MARION – The Marion Art Center’s year-long Marion Art Center Theater Playwrights Incubator will conclude with a performance of the Attorney-in-Fact, a new play by Philip Ardell. The play was honed over the course of the 2025-2026 season with the...

Fireworks beach celebration to honor 250th anniversary

MARION — The Town of Marion is celebrating America’s 250th anniversary with fireworks for the 4th of July weekend. Kick off the weekend with fireworks at Silvershell Beach at dusk on Friday, July 3. The Independence Day Parade rolls out on...

Learn to play Mah Jongg at the Sippican Woman’s Club

MARION — Starting Tuesday, May 19, the Sippican Woman’s Club will offer free Mah Jongg lessons from 10 a.m. to noon at Handy’s Tavern located at 150 Front Street, for three consecutive weeks. Pre-registration is required for the first eight women...

Understanding salt marsh ecology with the Marion Natural History Museum

MARION — The Marion Natural History Museum will be welcoming Callista Macpherson, Research Assistant with the Buzzards Bay Coalition to speak about her work monitoring saltmarshes. The event is on May 15 from 5 to 6 p.m. The event is free to attend....

Understanding the Eastern Coyote with the Mattapoisett Land Trust

MATTAPOISETT — The Mattapoisett Land Trust is hosting an afternoon with Peter Trull to learn more about the eastern coyote. This free event will be held Saturday, May 16 at 1 p.m. at the Mattapoisett Friends Meeting House located at 103 Marion Road...

Marion Garden Group’s plant sale sprouts soon

MARION — Bicentennial Park will get a little greener for the Marion Garden Group’ plant sale Saturday, May 9. From 9 a.m. to noon, shoppers can choose from a variety of perennials, herbs and shrubs grown in local gardens. There will also be a...

Jump right into author reading event at Elizabeth Taber Library

MARION — Author Linda Booth Sweeney will make a splash at the Elizabeth Taber Library as she shares her book, “The Noisy Puddle.” The Wednesday, May 27 event will begin at 1 p.m. with Sweeney reading from her book, which won a Massachusetts Book...

Mattapoisett Town Meeting and election information

MATTAPOSETT — The Annual Town Meeting is scheduled for Monday, May 11 at 6:30 p.m. at the Old Rochester Regional High School Auditorium. The Annual Town Election will be held Tuesday, May 19 at Old Hammondtown School. Polls will be open from 8...

Get revved up for Rochester Council on Aging car show

ROCHESTER — A monthly car show is racing into Rochester on the second Thursday of the month from May to September. Each show will run from 4-7 p.m. at 67 Dexter Lane, when visitors can showcase their vehicle, photos and memories. Food will be...

Read between the lines of new Mattapoisett-themed coloring book

Old Rochester students designed coloring pages inspired by Mattapoisett landmarks. Source: Mattapoisett Museum

MATTAPOISETT — A colorful collaboration between the Mattapoisett Museum and area high schoolers brought about a new publication. The museum is launching “Mattapoisett Then and Now: A Coloring Book” during a Thursday, May 14 celebration at 5 Church...

Diane Tomasetti returns to Jack Conway’s Mattapoisett team

MATTAPOISETT — Jack Conway welcomes Diane Tomassetti back to its team of Mattapoisett real estate agents. With 27 years of real estate experience across the country, she welcomes the opportunity to work with buyers and sellers throughout the South...

Book it to library fundraiser sale

MARION — Page through bookish deals at the Friends of the Elizabeth Taber Library’s spring book sale. The group will hold a three-day sale at the library Thursday, May 7 from 2 to 7 p.m., Friday, May 8 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, May 9...

Old Rochester to host Mamma Mia!

MATTAPOISETT — Old Rochester Regional High School’s drama program will be putting on “Mamma Mia!” from May 7 to 9 at 7 p.m. and May 10 at 2 p.m. Old Rochester Regional High School Auditorium located at 135 Marion Road. Tickets for students and...

Marion hydrant flushing to take place from April to June

MARION — The Marion Water Division will begin unidirectional hydrant flushing on April 28. Flushing will take several weeks and will continue until the entire system is complete or the start of annual water restrictions on June 15. Flushing will...

Early riser afterschool program at the Marion Natural History Museum

MARION — The Marion Natural History Museum will be hosting an afterschool program on May 6 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Attendees will examine different types of flowers and butterflies that wake up at different times of the year. Attendees will look at...

Mattapoisett Community Tennis Association seeks new members

The Mattapoisett Community Tennis Association, which serves the towns of Mattapoisett, Fairhaven, Marion, Rochester and Wareham, is seeking adult men and women to join its summer tennis drop-in league. There are currently about 24 active...

Marion Board of Health to hold rabies prevention talk

MARION — Learn about rabies prevention with the Marion Board of Health on Thursday, April 30 at 5:30 p.m. at the Benjamin D. Cushing Community Center. The Cape Cod and Southeast Massachusetts Rabies Task Force is actively involved in rabies...

Buzzards Bay Musicfest returns in July

Antony Walker conducts the Buzzards Bay Musicfest Orchestra. Photo source: Phil Sanborn

MARION — World-class musicians will grace the stage at this year’s Buzzards Bay Musicfest. The five-concert series will be held July 15-19 in the Fireman Performing Arts Center in Hoyt Hall on the Tabor Academy campus. Before the concerts begin,...

Mattapoisett Republican Town Committee to hold Community Candidates’ Night

MATTAPOISETT — The Mattapoisett Republican Town Committee is hosting an evening of dialogue with local and state candidates Thursday, May 7. The event will be held at the Niemad Facility at 57 Fairhaven Road from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Speakers will begin...

Coastal Explorations with the Marion Natural History Museum

MARION — This summer, the Marion Natural History Museum is hosting two week-long programs for elementary schoolers to explore nature in town. From 9 a.m. to noon on July 6-10 and August 3-7, children will explore, experiment, craft and journal...

Marion water regulations up for discussion

MARION — Join the Sewer Regulations Review Committee and town officials for an informational session Thursday, April 30. The committee will discuss proposed edits to the current water regulations during the session, held at the Marion Music Hall...

Meet the Mattapoisett candidates

MATTAPOISETT — Get to know Mattapoisett candidates for office at an informal meet and greet. Candidates, community members and current officials are welcome to the Wednesday, May 6 event. It will be held at the Knights of Columbus Hall, at 57...

Sippican Choral Society to host “Glory of Spring” concert

MARION — Join the Sippican Choral Society in celebration of “The Glory of Spring” on Sunday, May 3 at 4 p.m., at Wickenden Chapel at Tabor Academy. The featured work of this annual concert will be Antonio Vivaldi’s “Gloria,” with solos by local...

Special dates and announcements from the Marion Town Clerk

MARION — The Marion Town Clerk wants to remind residents of important dates coming up. Ballot Machine Testing will occur in the Town Clerk’s Office at 10 a.m. on April 29. The Warrant Review will be held at the Marion Music Hall Located at 164 Front...

Amphibian and vernal pool walk with the Mattapoisett Land Trust

MATTAPOISETT — Join the Mattapoisett Land Trust during School Vacation on Saturday April 25 at 1 p.m. at the Woodcock Preserve to learn more about vernal pools. Vernal pools are a vital breeding habitat for resident amphibians and invertebrates...

Mattapoisett Congregational Church offers two scholarships

MATTAPOISETT — The Mattapoisett Congregational Church is offering the Mattapoisett Congregational Church Scholarship and the Coquillette Scholarship which offers $1,000 and $2,500 to graduating seniors. These scholarships are open to graduating...

Buzzards Bay Sail and Power Squadron to host boating safety course

The Buzzards Bay Sail and Power Squadron will host boating safety courses in person and online. The group will present the USPS America's Boating Class which is NASBLA approved and Massachusetts approved. Attendees can take the class and complete...

All levels watercolor lessons in May

MARION — The Marion Art Center’s Watercolor with Jay Ryan Spring Session 2 starts on May 7 and runs through June 26. The sessions are a great option for those with a little painting experience and are also a perfect “next step” for those who would...