Sunday, September 25th Events

1. Walk for Animals

Time: 11:00 AM-3:00 PM

Place: Modnanock Humane Society, 101 West Swanzey Road, Swanzey, NH (2.38 miles from Keene)

Price: Free admission

A fun-filled family event that includes dog demos, animal communicators, midway fun including pony rides and face painting, and yummy food. As in previous years, the Swanzey oxen will lead the walk at the end of the day.

Fetch your sneakers animal lovers and help raise money for the more than 2,000 homeless animals who find their way to our door each year!

The Walk for the Animals will be a fun and entertaining day for people and canines. The 1/2 mile walk includes a parade through the grounds and walking trails of the Monadnock Humane Society. The day's events will feature canine agility demonstrations, children’s activities, miniature horses, face painting, pony rides, food, and the Mutt Minster Dog Show. 

2. Contra Dancing in Brattleboro

Time: The dance starts at 7:15 with a workshop for beginners, and continues with dancing for all from 7:30 to 10:30 PM.
Place: The Stone Church at the corner of Main and Grove Streets, just north of the post office in downtown Brattleboro, VT.(18.66 miles from Keene)
Price: $10 ($7 students/seniors/low income).

The Brattleboro contra dance is a dance party featuring fantastic live music, excellent calling, and a lively group of friendly dancers. We feature talented performers from Brattleboro and the surrounding areas, where we are fortunate to live amongst some of the best dance musicians and callers in the country. We welcome new and experienced dancers and dancers of all ages. No experience is necessary, all dances are taught and called, and you don’t need to come with a partner. We hope to see you there!

3. SchnitzelFest

Time: 12:30 PM-4:00 PM

Place: Butler Park in downtown Hillsborough, NH (about 30 miles from Keene)

Price: Free

Enjoy the most authentic German food you'll experience outside Germany: Schnitzel (breaded or grilled), bratwurst, wieners, homemade German potato salad, rotkohl and sauerkraut, breads, desserts, beer, and wine.

Live Um-Pah music, crafters, souvenirs...fun for the entire family!

Saturday, September 24th Events

1. Marlborough Madness

Time: 10:00 AM-4:00 PM

Place: Downtown Marlborough, NH (4.85 miles from Keene)

Price: Free

Sample the sights, sounds, and flavors of Marlborough in this one-day, one-street festival extraordinaire!

• Sidewalk Sales
• Yard Sales
• Food for all tastes & appetites
• Musical, Dance, & Theater Performances
• Art Show
• Bounce House
• Health & Wellness Information & Screenings

2. Wellness Festival & Pet Fest/Parade

Time: 9:00 AM-2:00 PM
Place: Peterborough, NH (20.30 miles from Keene)
Price: Free

Presented by the Monadnock Rotary Club, September 24, 2011 marks the Sixth Annual Wellness Festival in Peterborough, New Hampshire. This event is designed for young and old alike to promote wellness to all.

New this year is the Pet Fest. There will be a pet parade, dog demonstrations, visiting with pets and free product samples. 

Join us and 40 organizations to celebrate healthy living. Exhibits and Screenings.This year's theme is "Wellness is Your Best Friend" and we invite you to take this great opportunity to get helpful tips on eating better, staying fit, and getting the most out of life. In additon to free health screenings and exhibitors there will be live entertainment, healthy food, and demonstrations all capped by the fun and delicious Souper SoupFest behind Historical Society building.

Bring the whole family for a day of fun and festivities that's all about living well and feeling great! 

3. Educational Movie at the Library

Time: 3:00-4:30 PM
Place: Keene Public Library, 60 Winter st., Keene, NH
Price: Free

A Convenient Truth: Urban Solutions from Curitiba, Brazil is an informative, inspirational documentary aimed at sharing ideas to provoke environment-friendly and cost-effective changes in cities worldwide. The documentary focuses on innovations in transportation, recycling, social benefits including affordable housing, seasonal parks, and the processes that transformed Curitiba into one of the most livable cities in the world.

This documentary includes exclusive interviews from Curitiba's world renowned mayors Jaime Lerner and Cassio Tanigushi, as well as other brilliant minds who made Curitiba a world class model.

Studio: Maria Vaz Photography, Del Bello Pictures
DVD Release Date: March 21, 2007
Run Time: 52 minutes

4. Fall Music Festival

Time: 12 Noon-6:30 PM
Place: South Acworth Village Store (24.49 miles from Keene)
Price: Free

Music by: Doug Farrell and Steve Dionne, Gabriel Mireles, Bill Symonds and Friends, The Actones, Victor Brandt and Laura Leblanc, Mike and Lillie Leblanc, Will Turner and Company, When We Were Kings, Dethavesk. Rain or shine. Food by the South Acworth Store. Barbecue and desserts.

Friday, September 23rd Events

Thursday, September 22nd Events

1. Painting Group at the Library

Time: 10:00 AM-12:00 PM

Place: Keene Public Library, 60 Winter st., Keene, NH

Price: Free

For many decades, artists living in New England have come together in small social groups to paint and enjoy the art world. The level of ability is wide ranging and includes virtually all media, oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastels and more. The painting groups generally paint together in church basements, Town Halls, and lodge halls throughout the rural communities. The groups vary in size and an average group size might be about twenty artists with seven to twelve artists painting together on a given day. Some group members are just starting out but others have been painting for decades. Some are self-taught and some have a formal art education.

There is no formal instruction at group meetings. Artists simply learn from one another by observing and asking questions when they see something that interests them.

The Keene Public Library along with the Monadnock Area Artists Association has a painting group meeting every Thursday morning from 10:00 to noon. The program is open to the public with no fees or admission. One simply needs to provide ones own art materials. The group meets in Heberton Hall next to the Library and is a wonderful place to paint. No advance notice is required. Just show up, meet some fellow artists, new friends, and enjoy yourself.

2. Games at the Library

Time: 3:00 PM-6:30 PM
Place: Keene Public Library, 60 Winter st., Keene, NH
Price: Free

It is all gaming!  And, gaming of any kind; whether it is board games, card games, video games, big games, role-playing games, or any other kind of game you can imagine, we'll play it.  Each week, we'll provide a different variety of games for you to play; we welcome you to bring in your own games to share with the group.  Throughout the series, we will have a number of gaming tournaments, so keep your eyes peeled and your ears open, because you might be our next grand champion gamer!

3. Horatio Colony Fall Quest

Time: 9:00 AM-6:30 PM
Place: Horatio Colony Nature Preserve
Price: Free

Treat the family to a day on the trail and explore the fall colors and wildlife on this exciting and thought-provoking Fall Quest! Enjoy this self-guided hike at your leisure and take the time to absorb the sights and sounds of Autumn in New England as you search for the coveted price at the end of the Quest. Hurry before winter sets in! The Fall Quest closes on December 21st.

Park your vehicle at the Horatio Colony Preserve parking area off of Daniels Hill Rd., in Keene (off Route 9). Information and Fall Quest guides can be found at the trailhead past the gate near the Horatio Colony cabin. Remember to bring sturdy walking footwear, water/snack, bugsrpray, hat and binoculars. For more information, call Horatio Project assistant Youn Han (770) 846-1157.

4. Play Time & Social Fun

Time: 1:00 PM-3:00 PM
Place: Wadleigh Memorial Library Key Room, Milford, NH (about 39 miles from Keene)
Price: Free 

Ages 5 - 10. Join us for fun games, activities and free play time! Please bring a board game, toy(s) or indoor activity to share. A parent or caregiver is required to stay with children. If younger siblings will be joining us, please remember to bring along a few activities they can do as well. Kindly remember, no food or drink other than only capped water bottles are allowed in the library.

5. Homeschool Day at the Montshire Science Museum

Time: 10:30 AM-3:00 PM

Place: Montshire Museum, 1 Montshire Rd., Norwich, VT (65.20 miles from Keene)
Price: Free with museum admission

Join other homeschoolers and their families for a day of science as we explore motion through hands-on activities and investigations.

From marble shoots to engineering with lego® blocks, this day provides a great way to delve into science while meeting your home schooled peers from Vermont and New Hampshire.

see more details here

get free tickets to the montshire

Wednesday, September 21st Events

1. Homeschool PE

Time: 10-11 AM (in session)
Place: Keene YMCA 
Price: Free with membership

Ages 6-12. A popular homeschool class at the YMCA in Keene. Not only is it a chance for the kids to exercise and partake in group sports, but it also a social time.

2. Nature Journaling Workshop

Time: 4-5 PM

Place: Horatio Colony Museum. Main st, Keene.
Price: Free

With author of The Nature Connection, Clare Walker. 

Reservations required here. 

3. Civil War Project Presentation

Time: 7:00 PM

Place: Brooks Memorial Library, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT (18.56 miles from Keene)
Price: Free

American Civil War enthusiast Charles Marchant will discuss his "works in progress" research project to locate 100 burial locations of all the Civil War volunteers who enlisted from the Town of Townshend. 100 diferent soldiers signed up with some having multiple enlistments. This has been a quest to find the burial location of all 100. Two are buried in Brattleboro. This research has taken him from Seattle, WA. to Washington DC and many states in between. Part of the research has been to see that each soldier is properly recognized. The research has also included searching National Archive, probate, county court, and family records.

Charlie Marchant is a retired social studies teacher. He spent 36 years at Leland and Gray in Townshend. He is Secretary of the Vermont Old Cemetery Association and a trustee of the Townshend Historical Society and the Association of Gravestone Studies. In his spare time he fixes broken gravestones all over New England and works with the Photo Committee of the Wardsboro History Group.

4.  Homeschool Playtime & Social Fun

Time: 10:00 AM-12:00 PM
Place: Townsend Public Library, Townsend, MA (about 39 miles from Keene)
Price: Free

Ages 5 - 10. Join us for fun games, activities and free play time! Please bring a board game, toy(s) or indoor activity to share. A parent or caregiver is required to stay with children. If younger siblings will be joining us, please remember to bring along a few activities they can do as well. Kindly remember, no food or drink other than only capped water bottles are allowed in the library. Townsend library requires registration through their event keeper. Please RSVP at their website: here.

5.  The Actors' Tools

Time: 10:00 AM-11:00 AM
Place: Keene Public Library, 60 Winter st., Keene, NH
Price: Free

Ages 9-11. The basic tools of the actor’s trade—observation, memorization, concentration, and imagination—are presented and explored in an entertaining manner.  Students ages nine through eleven will participate in a variety of fun exercises, learning to apply the actor’s tools to performing and to everyday life.

For questions and reservations, please call Vicky at The Colonial: 603/357-1233 ext 109 or Gail Zachariah at the Keene Public Library: 603/352-0157.

Tuesday, September 20th Events

1. Puppet Storytime

Time: 10-10:30 AM

Place: Keene Public Library, 60 Winter st., Keene, NH

Price: Free

Ages 2-3. This special puppet, story, and craft time is designed for older toddlers who are 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 years of age.

2. Wyman Tavern Lecture Series

Time: E-mail for the time.

Place: Wyman Tavern Museum, 339 Main Street in Keene.

Price: Free

The Ninth annual Wyman Tavern Lecture Series on Early American Life in Cheshire County will examine the evolution of the textile industry with a series of programs entitled "Coming Full Circle: Producing Textiles in Cheshire County." The first of three presentations will be by Tom Haynes, HSCC's Director of Education, and will focus on the early history of producing cloth in New England and Cheshire County before the development of the factory system.

The series "Coming Full Circle" will be an opportunity to learn about the long history of producing textiles in Cheshire County, which began with families spinning and weaving local fibers and returning to this tradition after the decline of the factory system. The programs are free and open to the public with reservations encouraged due to limited seating. For Further information, please contact HSCC at 352-1895 or hscc@hsccnh.org.

3. Scrapbooking With Lisa

Time: 6:00 PM

Frost Free Library, 28 Jaffery Rd., Marlborough, NH (about 4.85 miles away from Keene)

Price: Free

Join Lisa to learn scrapbooking and make a beautiful scrapbooking page to keep. Registration recommended. Call 876-4479.

4. Creative Dramatics for Young Children

Time: 10:00 AM- 11:00 AM

Place: Keene Public Library, 60 Winter st., Keene, NH

Price: Free

Ages 6-9. This workshop for kids ages six through nine allows young students to use their imagination to transform a story into a play, learning the importance of focus, the development of character and the use of pantomime.

For questions and reservations, please call Vicky at The Colonial: 603/357-1233 ext 109 or Gail Zachariah at the Keene Public Library: 603/352-0157.

Monday, September 19th Events

1. Nelson Contra Dancing

Time: 8:00 PM-10:30 PM

Place: Nelson Town Hall, 7 Nelson Common rd., Nelson, NH (11.78 miles from Keene)
(repeats every Monday)
Price: $3 donation

The Nelson Monday Night Dance is an informal dance featuring a variety of callers and musicians, from local regulars to visiting dignitaries. An effort is made to identify and welcome beginners, and several of our regular dancers are always willing to offer a few tips. But if you arrive at the dance and feel lost, don’t hesitate to speak to the caller or someone else that looks like they know what they are doing. If you are musician and would like to play for a dance or two during the evening, speak to Roger Treat (or the caller if need help identifying Roger) – he is the official coordinator, and he will work you into the program (such as it is). If you’d like to sit in as a backup musician, you should ask whoever is playing at the time; some players are more receptive than others, and some may have tune sets that are more difficult to follow.

List of Ideas for EARTH Members

Need help thinking of something to offer the group? Here is a list of ideas!
Get creative, anything goes!

List of ideas for gatherings:

Hikes
Swimming
Crafts
Social/casual play
Volunteer work
Tours
Parties
Festivals
Walks
Sports
Library gathering
Projects
Science fair
Board games
Active games
Planting
Gardening
Charity
Chorus
Art show
Talent show
Oral Presentation
Reading
Show and Tell
Writing
Activities
Art (drawing, painting, sculpting, coloring)
Scrapbooking
Winter activities (sledding, skating, skiing, igloo building)
Field trips
Geography/spelling bee
Book sale
Out to eat
Computer time
Clubs
Children selling their crafts
Service projects
Farm visits
Museum visits
Casual gathering at member's home
Picnic
Park day
Building project
Season or holiday related (making valentines, pumpkin carving, etc.)
Tea party
Camping
Legos
Etc.

List of ideas for classes:
Can you, your family, someone you know, or someone you can contact, teach a class (it can be hands-on and casual, or not)? We don't expect perfection or master adeptness! Let's just have fun and do the best we can.

Foreign language
Drawing
Woodworking
Dance
Computer
Baking
Music
Art
Geography
Writing
Language
Math
Chess
Mechanics
Engineering
Computers
Sprouting
Gardening
Vocabulary
Science
Nature
Animals
Cooking
Selling online
Entrepreneurship
Sport
Theater
Records
Flowers
Interior designing
Building
Culture
Chemistry
Anatomy
Poetry
Jewelry
Photography 
Creative writing
Government
Medical
Natural healing
Religion
Critical thinking
Piano
Accounting
Doll Making
Drama
Embroidery
First Aid
Great composers
Survival skills
Puppets
Self Defense
Sign Language
Painting
Sewing
US Presidents
Grammar
Literature
States and capitals
Famous authors
Acting
Shakespeare
Finances
Soap making
Herbs
Felt-making
Basic horse care
People in your neighborhood
Native Americans
War
Colonial America
Papier mache making
Candle dipping
Newsletter production
Animal tracking
Basket Weaving
Origami
Architecture
Raising chickens
Composting
Energy
Yoga
Papermaking
African American study
Pioneer home crafts
Juggling
Magician skills
Drumming
Fairy Tales
Peace leaders
Voluntaryism/anarchy
Zumba
Exercise
Solar system
Alternative education
Nutrition
Zines
Foraging
Mushorooms
Massage
Airplanes
Aromatherapy
Movie making
Etc.

Places to have these gatherings:

Keene Public Library, Kay Fox Room - can be reserved for free on the weekdays
Churches
Personal home
Parks
Rec Center
YMCA
Community Centers
Schools
Any others?

How to obtain teachers/classes:

Teach a class yourself
Find a family member, friend, etc. who will teach for free
Pay the teacher out of your pocket
Charge a small fee or suggested donation to each member who comes to the class
Barter
Find a business/individual that will come teach for free just to advertise their business