Upcoming Events

Here's a list of our upcoming events!

Seasons in Transition: Photographs by Edward Roche

January 10, 2010 - February 27, 2010

A collection of 13 New England photographs by Marlboro resident Edward Roche on display in the Wayside Inn Gallery. Roche has shown and sold his work in a number of venues throughout the area, including Massachusetts General Hospital, Best Western of Marlboro, and the Post Road Art Gallery of Marlboro. He was the recipient of an Honorable Mention for one his photographs chosen for the spring 2009 Arts Alliance Show in Hudson.

Roche marvels how the seasons in New England are sometimes hard to define, often merging into one another and making it difficult to photographically portray the actual calendar date. "The old adage 'if you don't like the weather ...' is something you have to remember when photographing the New England landscape," reminds Roche. He chooses subjects as grand as well-known local landmarks to much more subtle observances, like a simple ocean sunset or shadows falling across an unknown sand dune on Cape Cod.

All work is available for purchase, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the non-profit mission of the Wayside Inn Historic Site. For more information phone 978/443-1776

Cakebread Cellars Wine Dinner

February 18, 2010

Thursday • $75.00 per person, all inclusive • Advance registration required: 978/443-1776

6:15pm • Assorted Cheese and Fruit Reception
Featuring Cakebread Sauvignon Blanc

7:00pm • Dinner is Served!

Panko-Crusted Lobster Fritters with Pineapple Marmalade
Featuring Cakebread Chardonnay

“Chopped Salad” with Toasted Walnuts, Golden Raisins and Blue Cheese
Featuring Cakebread Merlot

Pepper-Crusted Filet Mignon and Lemon-Zested Swordfish
Loaded Mashed Potatoes and Julienne Vegetables
Featuring Cakebread Cabernet Sauvignon

Banana Fosters Cheesecake Dessert

2010 Longfellow Big Read

February 26, 2010 - May 31, 2010

For three months, book discussion groups, lectures, film screenings, and other special events will feature “Longfellow’s Great Heroes and Legends”—the stories of Paul Revere, Evangeline, Hiawatha, and Miles Standish. Funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Sudbury Foundation, the goal of the programming is to promote the reading of great poetry as a worthy pastime for everyone in the community.

Metrowest organizations hosting Longfellow-related activities include the Goodnow Library in Sudbury, the Marlborough Library, the Marlborough Schools, the Sudbury Senior Center, Framingham Adult ESL, and Garden in the Woods.

Guest lecturers will come from the Maine Historical Society, the Maine Humanities Council, the John Alden House in Duxbury, MA, the Paul Revere House in Boston, and the Boston Wedgwood Society.

Visit the Longfellow Big Read website for more information. Follow the Big Read on Facebook (Longfellow Big Read) and Twitter (@readlongfellow).

Read the February 4 Sudbury Town Crier article about all the upcoming Big Read activities.

Longfellow Victorian Wine Dinner

February 26, 2010

Friday, 6:30pm • $60 per person, all inclusive
Advance registration required: 978/443-1776

Join us for a festive evening to celebrate the 203rd birthday of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

6:30-7:15pm Champagne Reception

Assorted cheeses and crackers
Crabmeat stuffed oysters

7:15pm Old English Dinner

Oxtail Soup
Fresh Greens with Toasted Pecans and Cranberry Stilton
Firestone Chardonnay

Roast Prime Rib of Beef with Yorkshire Pudding
Fingerling Potatoes
Haricots Verts
J. Lohr Cabernet Sauvignon

English Trifle
Croft Tawny Port / Savory & James Fino Sherry

Happy Birthday Henry Longfellow!!

February 27, 2010

Saturday, 3:00-5:00pm

Join us as we celebrate Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's 203rd birthday and the launch of our 2010 Longfellow Big Read. From Longfellow's birthday through the end of May 2010, the Wayside Inn will be sponsoring lectures, book discussion groups, and special events that will feature the greatest tales ever told by an American poet: Evangeline, The Song of Hiawatha,The Courtship of Miles Standish, and "Paul Revere's Ride."

Special birthday activities include the distribution of poetry anthologies and reader's guides, Victorian spice cake, and other fun activities.

Visit the Longfellow Big Read website for more information on all upcoming activities.

The Inn is deeply appreciative to the National Endowment for the Arts and to the Sudbury Foundation for making this programming possible!

Longfellow Big Read Book Discussion

March 3, 2010

Date and time: Wednesday, March 3, 7:00pm-8:00pm
Location: Wayside Inn: Howe Sitting Room

Discussion: Excerpts from Paul Revere, Evangeline, Hiawatha, and Miles Standish

Join us as we delve into Longfellow's great narrative poems. We will read and discuss excerpts from each as we plan the course of the book discussions over the next few months.

Free and open to the public.

Longfellow Big Read Book Discussion

March 4, 2010

Date and time: Thursday March 4, 10:00am-11:00am
Location:Wayside Inn

Discussion: Excerpts from Paul Revere, Evangeline, Hiawatha, and Miles Standish

Join us as we delve into Longfellow's great narrative poems. We will read and discuss excerpts from each as we plan the course of the book discussions over the next few months.

Free and open to the public.

Longfellow Big Read Book Discussion

March 9, 2010

Date and Time: Tuesday, March 9 7:00pm-8:00pm
Location: Marlborough Public Library

Discussion: Evangeline

We will discuss Evangeline and the Great Expulsion of the Acadians (1755) in preparation for the two upcoming film events at the Goodnow Library in Sudbury.

Free and open to the public.

Longfellow Big Read Film Event / Goodnow Library: Evangeline (1929)

March 10, 2010

Date and time: Wednesday, March 10 7:00pm-8:00pm
Location: Goodnow Library, Sudbury, MA
Information and directions: 978/443-1035

Screening of the 1929 Delores Del Rio film Evangeline, based on the Longfellow poem. This silent movie classic follows Evangeline's lifetime search for her first true love, Gabriel, from whom she was separated in the Great Expulsion of 1755.

Free and open to the public.

Longfellow Big Read Lecture Event / Often I Think: Longfellow's Early Years in Portland, Maine

March 16, 2010

Date and time: Tuesday, March 16 7:00pm-8:00pm
Location: Wayside Inn

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was a powerful figure in the cultural life of nineteenth century America, the most popular American poet of his day. He was born in Portland, Maine in 1807, and his boyhood home continues to attract visitors from all over the country and the world. In this talk, Carolin Collins, Director of Education at the Maine Historical Society, will explore the ways in which the city of Portland and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow influenced each other, while showing slides of the home Longfellow grew up in and the city as he knew it.

Free and open to the public.

Longfellow Big Read Movie Event / Goodnow Library: Expulsion: The Story of Acadia

March 17, 2010

Date and time: Wednesday, March 17 at 7pm
Location: Goodnow Library

The story of the forced relocation of the French-speaking Acadians from their farms in Nova Scotia in 1755. Thousands of Acadians were sent south in prison ships in one of the most brutal events in the colonization of North America. Join us for a viewing and discussion of this 2004 Canadian Broadcasting Corp. documentary. Free and open to the public.

Wayside Inn Bridal and Fashion Show

March 21, 2010

Sunday, 12:00pm to 4:00pm

$10 per person at the door

2-for-1 admission when you register in advance!

Visit the Wayside Inn Bridal and Fashion Show Website.

30 vendors representing a variety of specialties, all exhibiting in the historic Wayside Inn from 12:00pm to 3:00pm.

Then join us for a Fashion Show in the scenic Martha Mary Chapel from 3:00pm-4:00pm, featuring the latest bridal fashions.

Join us for complimentary hors d'ouevres, door prizes throughout the day, access to many of the areas top vendors, and everything else that you'll need to plan your special day!

Limited seating for 140 registrants is available for the Fashion Show portion of the day, so call to reserve your spot today. The Bridal Show has unlimited capacity, allowing you to organize your day the way you want!

Call 978/443-1776 x102 to speak with Kathy Quinton, Director of Sales, to register for this exciting New England event!

Longfellow Big Read Book Discussion

March 23, 2010

Date and time: Tuesday, March 23 at 7pm
Location: Wayside Inn

Discussion: Longfellow's Greatest Hits: The Best of Paul Revere, Evangeline, Hiawatha, and Miles Standish

Join us as we read excerpts of Longfellow's four great narrative poems in preparation for Friday night's dinner theatre production by the Sudbury Savoyards.

Free and open to the public.

Sudbury Savoyards Perform Longfellow's Greatest Tales

March 26, 2010

Friday, 6:15pm • $69 per person all-inclusive • Reservations required 978/443-1776

A first-ever evening of fine food and great theatre, featuring Longfellow's greatest stories of drama, love, and tragedy — including the quest for love by some of our most memorable literary characters: Hiawatha, Evangeline, and John and Priscilla Alden.

Reception 6:15

Champagne • Assorted cheeses and fruit

Dinner Theatre 7:00

Firestone Chardonnay
Salad of mixed greens with apples, toasted walnuts, and blue cheese

Napa Creek Cabernet Sauvignon
Roast Sliced Tenderloin of Beef with Baked Stuffed Shrimp
Mashed Redskin Potatoes
Fresh Asparagus with Lemon

Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake

Longfellow Big Read Book Discussion

March 29, 2010

Date and time: Monday, March 29 7:00pm-8:00pm
Location: Wayside Inn

Discussion: Pilgrims and Patriots: Paul Revere's Ride and The Courtship of Miles Standish

Free and open to the public.

Lifelong Lecture and Discussion Series: Sudbury Senior Center

April 6, 2010

Longfellow Big Read Event sponsored by the Wayside Inn

Date and time: Tuesdays April 6, April 13, and April 20, 2:00-3:00pm
Location: Sudbury Senior Center

Lectures and discussion about Longfellow's life and great narrative tales led by Longfellow biographer Charles Calhoun.

Space is limited. Please call the Sudbury Senior Center at 978/443-3055 to register.

Longfellow Big Read Tea with Charles Calhoun

April 6, 2010

Date and time: Tuesday, April 6 4:00pm-5:00pm
Location: Wayside Inn

Discussion: Longfellow's Greatest Hits

Sit by the fire in one of the old rooms at the Inn, to discuss Longfellow's life and poems with Longfellow biographer Charles Calhoun. Tea menu will be available. Seating is limited. By reservation only at 978/443-1776.

Thomas Edison's "Midnight Ride of Paul Revere"

April 8, 2010

Longfellow Big Read Film Event

Date and time: Thursday, April 8 7:00pm-8:00pm
Location: Wayside Inn

We are pleased to be hosting the screening of this rare film in honor of one of the Inn's most illustrious visitors, Thomas Edison--a close friend of the Wayside Inn's last private owner, Henry Ford. A little marvel for its time, this 14-minute film is one of a series of movies Thomas Edison made about significant historic events because he believed in the future educational potential of film. Join Pat Leehey, Research Director at the Paul Revere House in Boston for the viewing and talk about the myth and reality of the events depicted both in the Longfellow poem and Edison film.

Free and open to the public.

Photo from left to right: Mina Edison, Harvey Firestone, Thomas Edison, Alice Longfellow, Henry and Clara Ford in the Front Parlor of the Wayside Inn in 1924.

Longfellow Big Read Tea with Charles Calhoun

April 13, 2010

Date and time: Tuesday, April 13 4:00pm-5:00pm
Location: Wayside Inn

Discussion: Longfellow's Greatest Hits, including The Song of Hiawatha

Sit by the fire in one of the old rooms at the Inn, to discuss Longfellow's life and poems with Longfellow biographer Charles Calhoun. Discussion will include preparation for Michael Maglaras' dramatic reading of the Song of Hiawatha, Sunday April 18th at the Martha-Mary Chapel at the Wayside Inn.

Tea menu will be available. Seating is limited. By reservation only at 978/443-1776.

Longfellow Big Read Book Discussion

April 13, 2010

Date and Time: Tuesday, April 13 7:00pm-8:00pm
Location: Marlborough Public Library

Discussion: Longfellow's Greatest Hits, including The Song of Hiawatha

Lecture and discussion with Longfellow biographer Charles Calhoun in preparation for Michael Maglaras' dramatic reading of the Song of Hiawatha, Sunday April 18th at the Martha-Mary Chapel at the Wayside Inn.

Free and open to the public.

Longfellow Big Read Lecture: The Longfellow Series of Wedgwood Plates

April 14, 2010

Date and time:Wednesday, April 14 7:00pm-8:00pm
Location: Wayside Inn

A relative by marriage to the Wedgwoods, Longfellow's influence was so extensive that his greatest works have been immortalized on a series of plates issued by the renowned English china manufacturer starting in the early 1900s. Ron Frazier of the Boston Wedgwood Society will speak on the Longfellow plates and the history of the Wedgwood Company.

Free and open to the public.

Photo of the Song of Hiawatha Plate, 1950; Verse on the back of the plate starts: Many things Nokomis taught him ...

Wayside Inn Grist Mill

April 15, 2010

The Grist Mill will open for the season in mid-April 2010. The Wayside Inn's water-powered Grist Mill opened on Thanksgiving Day, 1929 and is still used to grind the corn and wheat used for baking at the Wayside Inn. Open April through November, Wednesday through Sunday from 9AM to 5PM. Staffed by a trained interpreter, with grinding demonstrations on weekends. Call ahead advised.

Michael Maglaras and the Song of Hiawatha

April 18, 2010

Date and time: Sunday, April 18 4:00pm
Location: Martha-Mary Chapel at the Wayside Inn

In honor of the 200th anniversary of the birth of the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Michael Maglaras recorded "The Song of Hiawatha" in its entirety in Longfellow's hometown of Portland, Maine with a soundtrack of more than 1,000 pieces of Native American music, sound effects, and music by French composer Maurice Ravel.

This special event at the Inn will feature Mr. Maglaras reading excerpts of the poem with sound effects. For a preview of this remarkable performance listen to excerpts from the 2007 recording.

Patriots Day Brunch and Community Read of Paul Revere's Ride

April 19, 2010

A family event with a lavish breakfast buffet and short talk about Paul Revere's Ride by Longfellow biographer Charles Calhoun.

Check back for more details to come.

The Sudbury Companies of Minute and Militia March to Concord Center

April 19, 2010

Starting at old Sudbury Center in front of the Grange, this volunteer re-enactment group traces the original steps taken by the Sudbury Militia of April 19th, 1775, when they were led by Lt. Col. and innkeeper Ezekiel Howe to the battle that began the Revolutionary War!

Colonial Fife and Drum Music

April 21, 2010 - September 22, 2010

Every Wednesday, beginning at 7PM, through Wednesday, September 22nd. The Ancient Order of Fife and Drum perform traditional Colonial music dating from the 18th and early 19th century, on the lawn in front of the Wayside Inn. Come and enjoy a traditional dinner of classic New England cuisine and watch the costumed musicians until dusk. Call ahead advised.

America’s First Couple: The Courtship of Miles Standish’s Pilgrim Romance

April 28, 2010

Date and time: Wednesday, April 28. 7:00pm-8:00pm
Location: Wayside Inn

James Baker, historian and former Director of the Alden House in Duxbury, MA will discuss the Miles Standish legend, its earlier manifestations, the best-seller status of the poem, and how the poem influenced the romantic representation of the Pilgrim Story from 1859, when the first illustrated editions appeared, through the 1950s.

Free and open to the public.

Hiawatha Day at Garden in the Woods

May 2, 2010

Date and time: Sunday, May 2 1:00pm-4:00pm
Location: Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA

A fun day of family activities, including dramatic readings of Longfellow's Hiawatha and Evangeline, a concert with Native American flute, and a scavenger hunt for herbs and plants commonly used by Native American Indians.

Hiawatha's Departure, Albert Bierstadt, 1868. (And the evening sun descending / Set the clouds on fire with redness ... )

Longfellow Big Read Book Discussion Group

May 11, 2010

Date and time: May 11, 2010 7:00pm-8:00pm
Location: Marlborough Public Library, Marlborough, MA

Discussion: The Courtship of Miles Standish
Free and open to the public.

Wayside Inn Antiques Show

May 15, 2010 - May 16, 2010

$10 General admission Saturday and Sunday 10am to 5pm

Forty-four well-known dealers from around the country will exhibit and sell "the best of their best." The Antiques Show and Sale will be the most significant fund raising endeavor in the Wayside Inn's nearly 300-year history.

Join us under the grand, canopy tent on Friday, May 14 for a special Preview Party beginning at 5:30pm, featuring fine wines, champagne and delicious appetizers—not to mention the opportunity to survey fresh inventory from a variety of top-notch dealers!

Advance registration required for Preview Party. Presenting Sponsor: Skinner, Inc., auctioneers and appraisers. Show manager: Diana H. Bittel.

Proceeds benefit the Wayside Inn Historic Site.

Please consider becoming a Sponsor of this historic event. Sponsor and Preview Information Packet

The Redstone Schoolhouse Opens for the Season

May 17, 2010

A classic New England one-room school, dating from 1798 and once part of the public school system in Sterling, Massachusetts. Staffed by trained interpreter with information pertaining to the schooling traditions of rural New England towns in the late 18th and early 19th century. Open mid May through mid October, Thursday through Sunday from 11:30AM to 5PM. Call ahead advised.

Longfellow Big Read Book Discussion Group

May 28, 2010

Date and time: May 28, 2010 7:00pm
Location: Barely Read Books, 320 Boston Post Road, Sudbury, MA 01776

Discussion: The Courtship of Miles Standish
Free and open to the public.

Wayside Inn Farmer’s Market

June 19, 2010

Saturdays starting June 19th, 2010
10am—2pm

A traditional summertime market in the South Field, featuring locally grown foods.

Vendors who are interested in participating may do so by advance registration only.
Contact Kathy Quinton at 978/443-1776 x102 or sales@wayside.org for more information.

Summer Strawberry Concerts

July 6, 2010

Tuesdays July 6, 13, 20, 27

Annual fundraising concert series performed in the air-conditioned Martha Mary Chapel, with optional home-made strawberry shortcake served at intermission. Four Tuesday evenings in July, featuring family-friendly entertainment from throughout the region. Take advantage of the concert dinner package and join us for dinner at the Wayside Inn before the show. Performers, tickets, and package prices to be announced. Tickets go on sale Monday, May 3rd. 978/ 443-1776 for more information.

Family Fun Night Under the Canopy Tent

July 14, 2010

Wednesday, 6:00pm to 9:00pm

Join us under the Wayside Inn's festive canopy tent for free entertainment and family fun. A cash bar and delicious Wayside Inn barbeque will be available during this summertime family favorite. The Ancient Order of Fife and Drum will provide dramatic entertainment for visitors, with additional special musical entertainment to be announced! Reservations are not required. Come as you are, but bring your appetite and your dancing shoes!

Summer Clambake

July 22, 2010

Thursday
Be sure to check back for more details on this wonderful first-ever event at the Inn!

Family Fun Night Under the Canopy Tent

July 28, 2010

Wednesday, 6:00pm to 9:00pm

Join us under the Wayside Inn's festive canopy tent for free entertainment and family fun. A cash bar and delicious Wayside Inn barbeque will be available during this summertime family favorite. The Ancient Order of Fife and Drum will provide dramatic entertainment for visitors on each Wednesday, with additional special musical entertainment to be announced! Reservations are not required. Come as you are, but bring your appetite and your dancing shoes!

2nd Annual All-American Craft Beer and Food Experience

August 6, 2010

Friday, 6:30pm -10:30pm, Longfellow’s Wayside Inn Canopy Tent

Featuring the finest craft beers and foods from New England, the south, the west coast, and the south western United States! An “all you can eat” extravaganza featuring bottled beers at just $3 each and LIVE entertainment!

Advance ticket purchase required. Tickets available June 1st at the Wayside Inn or Kappy’s Liquors in Sudbury, just $25 each!

Longfellow's Wayside Inn · 72 Wayside Inn Road · Sudbury, MA 01776 · 978/443-1776 · 800/339-1776 · info@wayside.org

© 2008-2010 Longfellow’s Wayside Inn. All rights reserved. Site design by Jonathan Sachs Graphics. Homepage photo Marie Picard Craig.