The Reading Post

Discover the Art of Nature Journaling at the Reading Public Library
2026-08-27 18:00 - 19:30 (America/New_York) | Reading Public Library, 64 Middlesex Avenue, Reading, MA, 01867, United States
Local author and journaling teacher Jason M. Rubin will lead a hands-on workshop for adults and teens on Thursday, August 27, exploring creative expression, mindfulness, and the healing power of writing in nature
Reading Public Library (RPL), Reading, MA—Try hands-on nature journaling at a special Reading Public Library workshop featuring local author, writer, and journaling teacher Jason M. Rubin.
We exist within nature—it fills us with feelings of wonder and beauty. Yet we also exist within a world of overwhelming digital content that contorts ideas and imagination into bite-size nuggets that are rarely insightful or useful. Journaling is a creative and therapeutic hobby that allows for deep expression and rewarding escape—and all you need is a pen, some paper, and the great outdoors.
In this 90-minute workshop, local author Jason M. Rubin will guide participants in expressing themselves in writing and immersing themselves in nature as a means of promoting self-communication and self-healing. The workshop is designed for adults and teens (grades 6–12).
Participants should come to the workshop with a blank journal and pen or pencil, if possible.
Registration is required. This program is generously sponsored by the Friends of the Reading Public Library.
For more information and to register, visit:
https://readingpl.libnet.info/event/16441350

Wakefield Porchfest
2026-08-29 12:00
Saturday, August 29th
Celebration of Live, Local Music Sets Date for 3rd Annual Townwide Event
Rain Date on Sunday, August 30th

WAKEFIELD, MASS. – The Wakefield Porchfest Committee has selected a date for Wakefield Porchfest 2026, which will return to town on Saturday, August 29, 2026, with a rain date the following day, Sunday, August 30th. The exact time for the event has yet to be determined, but will be announced later this year, along with registration details for bands and hosts. The 2026 event will be the third annual community-wide festival, which is focused on promoting local live music across the town, with music acts hosted by homes and small businesses.
“The final weekend of August will be the perfect time for an end-of-summer celebration of live local music, and an opportunity for our community to come together before the start of school and the busy fall season,” said Porchfest Committee member Nate Johnson. “Wakefield is lucky to have one of the country’s best Fourth of July celebrations at the start of summer, and we hope Wakefield Porchfest can become an annual tradition to close out the season. We’re looking forward to getting work underway to make this the best live music event in the region!”
The 2026 event builds on the success of the previous events in 2024 and 2025, which each drew over 100 musical acts at 50 to 60 host locations around Wakefield. The community-wide event is coordinated by a group of volunteers who collaborate with musicians and the Wakefield residents, homeowners, and small businesses who host performances.
Some additional details announced by the Committee, in addition to the 2026 event date:

Registration for hosts and musical acts will also open later in the spring. Residents or businesses interested in hosting musical acts, or those interested in performing, should register on the Wakefield Porchfest website to receive an update when registration opens;
Those interested in becoming a sponsor for Porchfest 2026 can reach out via email to sponsor@wakefieldporchfest.com to communicate interest and learn about our sponsorship options; and
The exact time for the 2026 event will be announced later in the year.

Earlier this year, Wakefield Porchfest co-founder Ike Adams received the Wakefield Human Rights Commission’s Community Service Award for 2026, an honor awarded during the Town’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration on January 19th. Adams was nominated by local community members Eileen Rooney and Ben Blackstone, a high school musician, who introduced him at the event, which was shown live by WCAT.
In his acceptance speech, Adams highlighted the many volunteers, hosts, musicians, sponsors, and music fans that help deliver a celebration of live music and of the community.
“We made a day all about music and filled the town with it, twice so far,” said Adams. “My goal moving forward is simply: more music, more volume, more often, more styles, more variety, more venues, more bands, more fans, more music in places we haven’t heard it yet, more people playing or singing for the first time, and more people picking back up after a long break. If any of this sounds like something you’ve been considering, this is your invitation.”
This program is funded in part by a grant from the Wakefield Arts Council, a local agency which is supported by Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. Wakefield Porchfest also receives funding and in-kind support from businesses and residents across the community.
Wakefield is one of more than 200 communities that host a Porchfest, according to organizers in Ithaca, NY, which launched the first iteration of the community-focused music event in 2007.

State Primary Election
2026-09-01
September 1, 2026: Primary

Reading Community Singers - 3 Open Rehearsals
2026-09-01 19:30 - 21:00, 2026-09-08 19:30 - 21:00 | Old South Church, 6 Salem Street, Reading, MA, 01867, United States
Reading, MA — Mark your calendar! The Reading Community Singers are pleased to announce that our Fall season will begin with 3 OPEN Rehearsals, starting Tuesday, August 25, and continuing on September 1 and 8. New and Returning Singers are welcome!
Sign-In for the first 3 Rehearsals starts at 6:45 PM, with Rehearsal to follow at 7:30. Try RCS out for free before joining! Registration is Open for the first three rehearsals!
All Rehearsals are on Tuesdays from 7:30 to 9:30 PM at Old South United Methodist Church, 6 Salem St., Reading MA.
While RCS does NOT require Auditions, our Members must love to sing, be able to match pitch and carry a tune, and be committed to attending rehearsals. We’re open to ALL ages and backgrounds – from 18 years to Senior Citizens. Even if you haven’t sung in years, what better way to get back into it than by adding your voice to more than 60 other singers? Founded in 1919, RCS is one of the longest-running non-audition choruses in the United States.
Our Concert “Holiday Dreams” will be performed Saturday, December 5 at Reading Memorial High School, with Beth Mosier ~ Artistic Director, Joe Beninati ~ Accompanist, and a full band. The inspiring music for this concert features many Favorite Classics and Broadway-Inspired Holiday Songs that many of you are sure to recognize, including “Sleigh Ride”, “Feliz Navidad”, “A Million Dreams” from The Greatest Showman, as well as new favorites like “That Christmas Mornin’ Feeling” from the movie Spirited!
Join RCS this Holiday season to have a wonderful time singing and making new friends. For further info, please visit our website https://ReadingCommunitySingers.org, find us on Facebook, or contact us at info@ReadingCommunitySingers.org. Online registration is now open!

State General Election
2026-11-03
November 3, 2026: General election
