Needham Local

2024-2025 Needham Bank Great Hall Concert Series
2025-03-08 20:00 - 22:00 (America/New_York) | Powers Hall at Needham Town Hall, 1471 Highland Ave., Needham, MA, 02492, United States
World-Class Talent Comes to Needham: Announcing the 2024-2025 Needham Bank Great Hall Concert Series
Music Lovers Encouraged to Subscribe Early and Enjoy No-Fee Prices
Building on its reputation as a leading, convenient and great-value venue for world-class musical performances, the Needham Bank Great Hall Concert Series announces the lineup for an exciting 11th season.
Once again, luminaries and emerging stars from the pop, folk, jazz and classical worlds will take to the stage at the beautifully restored Powers Hall in the Needham Town Hall—joining a roster of previous performers like Tom Rush, Livingston Taylor, Grace Kelly, Canadian Brass, Sons of Serendip, and the Boston Symphony Chamber Players.
“We are thrilled to offer these outstanding and memorable concerts in our own backyard, without the hassles of city parking and plenty of excellent dining nearby,” said Michael Greis, Co-President of the nonprofit Great Hall Performance Foundation. “The fact that a portion of the proceeds go to support the Needham Public Schools’ Fine and Performing Arts program is especially important to us and to our loyal audience members.”
The 2024-2025 Great Hall lineup is:
John Pizzarelli and Catherine Russell, September 21, 2024–With “a voice that wails like a horn and whispers like a snake in the Garden of Eden” (NPR), Russell will team up with guitarist, singer and bandleader Pizzarelli, who has established himself as a prime contemporary interpreter of the Great American Songbook, for a night of cool jazz.
The Alice Howe Band, featuring Freebo, November 2, 2024–A rising voice in Americana music who was named the Best Female Artist at the 2023 International Acoustic Music Awards, Howe joins rock, folk and blues icon Freebo, who is best known for his decade of touring and recording with Bonnie Raitt, along with Marty Walsh (guitar) and Peter Whitehead (drums).
Pure Prairie League, March 8, 2025–One of Country-Rock’s pioneering forces, this group continues to lead the way for others like Keith Urban, Wilco, Nickel Creek, and Counting Crows, who cite their significant influence. Today’s band includes John David Call, Scott Thompson, Randy Harper, Jared Camic, and Jeff Zona.
The Orion Chamber Ensemble, May 3, 2025–These renowned performers have a robust repertoire of widely recognized piano trios and lesser known gems. Ronald Lowry, who is also the Needham Concert Society artistic director, will be joined by Randall Hodgkinson, Peter Zazofsky, Irina Muresanu and Noriko Futagami.
Sponsors who make the Great Hall Concert Series possible include our lead sponsor Needham Bank, Louise Condon Realty, Inc., Plum Street Advisors, NEC Solar, and Atent for Rent. This program is also supported in part by a grant from the Needham Council for Arts & Culture, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
Because performances often sell out, music lovers are encouraged to get their season subscriptions early. Tickets for individual concerts will be available later this summer. This year, subscribers who place their season ticket orders by Sept. 21 will not incur any processing fees. To get your tickets, go to greathallperformance.org or call 781-355-6076.
About the Great Hall Concert Series: World-Class Music In Your Backyard!
The Needham Bank Great Hall Concert Series is brought to music lovers by The Great Hall Performance Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. Its mission is to provide great music close to home, while supporting economic development, music education, and the building of a vibrant local community. To learn more about this Needham treasure, see greathallperformance.org.
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Needham Select Board
2025-03-11 18:00 - 21:00, 2025-03-25 18:00 - 21:00 | Select Board Chambers at Town Hall, 1471 Highland Avenue, Needham, MA, 02492, United States
The Needham Select Board will gather at Town Hall for their regular session. The Needham Channel will be covering this meeting live on their Municipal and HD Channels. The session will also be available through the Town’s Zoom Meeting link, and streaming on the Needham Channel website and Roku app.

NEF Trivia Bee
2025-03-12 19:00 - 21:00 | Needham High School, 609 Webster Street, Needham, MA, 02494, United States
A Family-Friendly Fundraiser Supporting Needham Students and Teachers
Starting in 1992, the Needham Education Foundation held an annual Spelling Bee to raise funds to support innovative and enriching educational programs that benefit all Needham public school students. In 2021, the NEF transitioned to a Trivia Bee to better connect with Needham families, as well as local businesses, community groups, and schools. The event continues to engage the Needham community in family-friendly fun for a good cause.
The evening is hosted by Mike “Sarge” Riley, a Needham native and veteran Boston sports radio personality. Gather a team of family, friends, or co-workers, and come join us for a lively evening of trivia. “Bee” creative and join the fun!
Due to space constraints in the NHS Cafeteria, room for spectators is limited, though parents of participating students may attend. If you are not participating on a team, we encourage you to watch the event on the Needham Channel, which will be broadcast multiple times in March and April.
The 2025 Trivia Bee is sold out!
All participants should have received a welcome email with event details. If you haven’t received this information, please contact your team captain or reach out to the NEF Admin, Sarah Winig, at swinig@nefneedham.org.

Needham's Winding Road to Revolution
2025-03-16 14:00 - 15:30 | Needham History Center & Museum, 1147 Central Ave., Needham, MA, 02492, United States
With Gloria Greis, Needham History Center.
As he sent the Needham militia off with his blessing on the morning of April 19, 1775, the Rev. Samuel West was worried. He had reason to be – what was a small group of farmers with minimal military training doing, going up against the strongest army in the world? Only two years before, Needham wanted no part of the rebellion against the King. What happened in two years to make such a change in the town’s allegiance? Learn the story of Needham’s participation in the Lexington Alarm.
This event is free and open to the everyone. Refreshments will be served.
We thank our Program Sponsor North Hill for their generous support of our Program Calendar.
And on April 19th – You can trace the steps that the Needham militia took on their way to Lexington. Join the Needham2Arlington Community Walk, following the same 12-mile route that the Militia took from Needham to their eventual battle destination in Arlington. For more information and to register for the walk (required), see https://needhamhistory.org/events-calendar/needham2arlington/

School Committee Meeting
2025-03-18 18:30 - 21:00 | Broadmeadow Performance Center, 120 Broadmeadow Road, Needham, MA, 02492, United States
The Needham School Committee meets at Broadmeadow School for their second session of the month. This program will air LIVE on the Needham Channel’s Education Channel and HD Channel, as the Planning Board is also scheduled to meet this evening. The meeting will typically be available for streaming the following day on our Roku app and the Needham Channel website. Agendas are available online the Friday prior to the meeting.

LWVN Zoom Candidate Forum 2025 for Park and Recreation Commissioner
2025-03-18 19:00 - 19:30 | Zoom registration: https://bit.ly/cn25-18th
The candidates running for Park and Recreation Commissioner will be participating in a Q&A Zoom forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Needham. Registration for Zoom is required at https://bit.ly/cn25-18th. Questions may be emailed in advance to lwvquestion@gmail.com by the day before. Questions should be relevant to all candidates and to current issues. Questions will be screened to ensure a wide range of topics are covered. Please include the name “Park and Recreation” when submitting your question.

Needham Planning Board
2025-03-18 19:00 - 23:00 | Public Services Administration Building, 500 Dedham Avenue, Needham, MA, 02492, United States
The Needham Planning Board is holding their regular session at the Public Services Administration Building. The Needham Channel will carry live coverage on its Municipal Channel only as the School Committee is meeting at the same time. The session will also be available through the town’s Zoom Meeting link, and available on the Needham Channel, as well as stream on the Needham Channel website and Roku app starting the following day.

LWVN Zoom Candidate Forum 2025 for Board of Health/Housing Authority/Library Trustees
2025-03-19 19:00 - 20:30
The candidates running for Board of Health, Housing Authority, and Library Trustees will be participating in a Q&A Zoom forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Needham. Registration for Zoom is required at https://bit.ly/cn25-19th. Questions may be emailed in advance to lwvquestion@gmail.com by the day before. Questions should be relevant to all candidates and to current issues. Questions will be screened to ensure a wide range of topics are covered. Please include the name of the board to which the question is directed.

Book club for Fourteen Talks by Age Fourteen
2025-03-20 12:00 - 13:00, 2025-03-20 19:00 - 20:00 | Needham Public Library Community Room, 1139 Highland Avenue, Needham, MA, 02494, United States
Michelle Icard, is coming to Needham! Michelle is a nationally recognized author specializing in tweens development, who has been featured in CNN, Today Show, The Washington Post, Time, People.com (just to name a few). She has a degree in Education and has worked with parents, children, and teachers for more than 20 years, creating curriculum, books, and programs that help them better understand and navigate early adolescence.
March 20, 2025 – Book club for Fourteen Talks by Age Fourteen: the Essential Conversations You Need to Have with Your Kids Before They Start High School, a book by Michelle Icard. This book club meeting is brought to the community in advance of Michelle Icard’s presentation on April 2nd. The registration link can be found here.

Needham Zoning Board of Appeals
2025-03-20 19:30 - 23:00, 2025-04-17 19:30 - 23:00 | Public Services Administration Building, 500 Dedham Avenue, Needham, MA, 02492, United States
The Needham Zoning Board of Appeals will meet for their regular monthly session. The location of this meeting is the Charles River Room of the Public Services Administration Building at 500 Dedham Avenue. The Needham Channel will be covering this meeting live on their Municipal Channel. The session will also be available through the Town’s Zoom Meeting link, and streaming on demand the following day on the Needham Channel website and Roku app.

Food for Thought...
2025-03-23 14:00 - 15:30 | Needham History Center & Museum, 1147 Central Ave., Needham, MA, 02492, United States
With author Dan Dain
Join Dan Dain, author of the book A History of Boston, as he leads you through a history of restaurant dining in Boston from the colonial period to the present. He will walk you through the history of colonial taverns, early “restorators,” the golden era of hotel dining, the rise of lunch counters and oyster bars, the introduction of ethnic eateries, the wasteland of much of 20th century Boston dining, and the restaurant renaissance of the past three decades. Dan will discuss the importance of vibrant dining scenes to the vitality of cities, and what lessons we can learn from the past as we create the urban settings of the future.
This event is free and open to the everyone. Refreshments will be served.
We thank our Program Sponsor North Hill for their generous support of our Program Calendar.

Needham Planning Board
2025-03-27 19:00 - 23:00 | Public Services Administration Building, 500 Dedham Avenue, Needham, MA, 02492, United States
The Needham Planning Board is holding an extra meeting this month to allow for the Public Hearing on the Floodplain Map changes being proposed at this year’s Town Meeting. The Needham Channel will carry live coverage on its Municipal Channel and HD Channels. The session will also be available through the town’s Zoom Meeting link, and available on the Needham Channel, as well as stream on the Needham Channel website and Roku app starting the following day.

Needham Community Council's Party for the Pantry
2025-03-29 19:00 - 23:00 | Needham Town Hall – Powers Hall, 1471 Highland Avenue, Needham, MA, 02492, United States
Music, dancing, food, drinks & cocktails, and fun! Get ready for Party for the Pantry 2025. The Needham Community Council food pantry is serving more residents than ever before. Join us for a fun, casual night out to help raise critical funds for the food pantry. Food provided by Forklift Catering, live entertainment from Needham-based band, The Tear Downs, and comic relief provided by Needham’s own Jane Carroll. To learn more about the event or to purchase tickets: https://onecau.se/_87s4t1

Needham Select Board
2025-04-01 18:00 - 21:00 | Needham Town Hall – Powers Hall, 1471 Highland Avenue, Needham, MA, 02492, United States
The Needham Select Board will gather at Town Hall for a special session, held up in Powers Hall due to their usual Chambers being utilized for early voting. The Needham Channel will be covering this meeting live on their Municipal Channel. The session will also be available through the Town’s Zoom Meeting link, and streaming on the Needham Channel website and Roku app.

School Committee Meeting
2025-04-01 18:30 - 21:00, 2025-04-15 18:30 - 21:00 | Broadmeadow Performance Center, 120 Broadmeadow Road, Needham, MA, 02492, United States
The Needham School Committee meets at Broadmeadow School for their first session of the month. This program will air LIVE on the Needham Channel’s Education Channel, as the Select Board is also scheduled to meet this evening. The meeting will typically be available for streaming the following day on our Roku app and the Needham Channel website. Agendas are available online the Friday prior to the meeting.

Needham Planning Board
2025-04-01 19:00 - 23:00 | Public Services Administration Building, 500 Dedham Avenue, Needham, MA, 02492, United States
The Needham Planning Board is meeting for their first of two sessions on April 1st. Due to the simultaneous Select Board and School Committee meetings, we will be unable to provide live coverage. The town will have the hybrid feed available through Zoom, and look for the Needham Channel to subsequently air and stream the meeting through the Municipal Channel, HD Channel, online, and through our Roku App.

Essential Parenting Conversations and How to Have Them
2025-04-02 19:00 - 20:30 | Powers Hall at Needham Town Hall, 1471 Highland Ave., Needham, MA, 02492, United States
Michelle Icard, is coming to Needham! Michelle is a nationally recognized author specializing in tweens development, who has been featured in CNN, Today Show, The Washington Post, Time, People.com (just to name a few). She has a degree in Education and has worked with parents, children, and teachers for more than 20 years, creating curriculum, books, and programs that help them better understand and navigate early adolescence.
April 2, 2025 – Essential Parenting Conversations and How to Have Them with Michelle Icard a Parenting Author, Educator, and Speaker. This presentation is for Parents/Caregivers of 3rd-9th graders. Parents leave Michelle’s talks feeling less stressed, more confident, and excited to apply her techniques with their kids.

Annual Spring Sale
2025-04-03 10:00 - 18:00, 2025-04-04 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-04-05 10:00 - 14:00 | Needham Community Council, 570 Hillside Avenue, Needham, 02492
Come to the sale event of the season – the annual Spring Sale! Shop for new-to-you items at thrift store prices & build that spring wardrobe. The best selection of spring clothing will be available at the Council Thrift’s April pop-up shop (upstairs at 570 Hillside Avenue in Needham).
Sale Hours:
Thursday, April 3: 10 am – 6 pm
Friday, April 4: 10 am – 4 pm
Saturday, April 5: 10 am – 2 pm
Shop! Save! Support! All proceeds directly fund the programs at the Needham Community Council.

2nd Annual Dirty Water Music Festival
2025-04-05 18:00 - 22:00 | Powers Hall at Needham Town Hall, 1471 Highland Ave., Needham, MA, 02492, United States
Needham, MA – On Saturday, April 5th
The “SECOND ANNUAL DIRTY WATER MUSIC FESTIVAL” will kick off at Needham’s Town Hall, 6-10:00 pm. This party and celebration is open to the public, and features four live Boston-based bands, dancing, sandwiches, desserts and a cash bar. Hosted by Needham-based Plugged in Band Program, pluggedinband.org. Last year, the Program awarded $70,722.00 in partial or full scholarships to support students in band class, private lessons, and summer camp.

After the Midnight Ride...
2025-04-10 18:30 - 20:00 | Needham Public Library Community Room, 1139 Highland Avenue, Needham, MA, 02494, United States
To commemorate the Anniversary of the Famous Ride of Paul Revere and the beginning of the American Revolutionary War in April 1775, the Library Foundation of Needham presents a History At Play, LLC Immersive Living History Experience.
It is May 2, 1775, and Rachel Revere has only heard from her beloved husband Paul once since his legendary midnight ride on the 18th of April. Still isolated from one another due to the Siege of Boston, Rachel desperately tries to create a plan to safely take her children from the reach of the British Regular Army in Boston. Find out if Rachel is successful in her perilous mission to unite her family, amidst the wake of an American Revolution.
Judith Kalaora is a professional educator & living historian. She founded History At Play™, LLC (HAP) in 2010 to chronicle the lives of influential and often forgotten figures.
Gloria Greis, Executive Director of the Needham History Center & Museum will be present to talk about the “Needham” connection.
Refreshments will be served – Sponsored by the Library Foundation of Needham. Check them out at lfnonline.org.
Registration required – go to https://needhamlibrary.org/events/

Pansy Day at NHCM
2025-04-12 10:00 - 14:00 | Needham History Center & Museum, 1147 Central Ave., Needham, MA, 02492, United States
For more than 40 years, we have been celebrating Needham’s history and it’s official flower, the Pansy! We will have pansies for planting, hanger baskets, and beautiful planter arrangements.

Look Ma No Flowers
2025-04-15 09:30 - 11:30 | Needham Public Library Community Room, 1139 Highland Avenue, Needham, MA, 02494, United States
On Tuesday, April 15 at 9:30 am in the Community Room of the Needham Public Library, the Needham Garden Club will once again be entertained by Deborah Trickett as she introduces us to using fabulous foliage in containers. While flowers are beautiful, they also require deadheading, fertilizing, and more deadheading. What if you could enjoy the benefits of flowers without all the maintenance? Join us as Deborah explains the appeal of “all foliage” combinations. From the basic of foliage to design ideas to great plant picks.
Deborah, owner of The Captured Garden, is an award-winning container gardener whose work has been featured in The Boston Globe, Garden Gate magazine, New England Home magazine and on the TV show New England Dream Home. She is a Massachusetts Certified Horticulturist and a frequent lecturer on container gardening at the Boston Flower and Garden Show, as well as the Philadelphia International Flower Show. She also teaches classes and workshops at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston.
The Captured Garden has worked throughout New England creating container gardens, and designing gardens for clients who want their homes to be beautiful, not typical. By using customer designs that showcase uncommon plants they create combinations for their clients that are anything but cookie cutter. Their goal when the project is completed, is to hear “It’s perfect, it’s just what I wanted,” followed quickly by “What is that beautiful plant, I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Needham Select Board
2025-04-15 18:00 - 21:00 | Select Board Chambers at Town Hall, 1471 Highland Avenue, Needham, MA, 02492, United States
The Needham Select Board will gather at Town Hall for their regular session, held in the Select Board Chambers. The Needham Channel will be covering this meeting live on their Municipal Channel. The session will also be available through the Town’s Zoom Meeting link, and streaming on the Needham Channel website and Roku app.

Needham Planning Board
2025-04-15 19:00 - 23:00 | Public Services Administration Building, 500 Dedham Avenue, Needham, MA, 02492, United States
The Needham Planning Board is meeting for their second of two sessions on April 1st. Due to the simultaneous Select Board and School Committee meetings, we will be unable to provide live coverage. The town will have the hybrid feed available through Zoom, and look for the Needham Channel to subsequently air and stream the meeting through the Municipal Channel, HD Channel, online, and through our Roku App.
