Newton Beacon

Ukulele Workshop
2026-01-28 19:00 - 20:00, 2026-02-04 19:00 - 20:00, 2026-02-11 19:00 - 20:00, 2026-02-18 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Newton Free Library, 330 Homer Street, Newton Centre MA, MA, 02459, United States
Want to try an instrument that is fun and relatively easy to play? Learn the fundamentals of ukulele playing with Julie Stepanek Murray! This three part series will cover the basics (tuning, fretting, strumming, and reading chord diagrams) as well as providing the opportunity to ask questions and to play fun and easy songs. No experience necessary. This series is geared towards adults.
We recommend attending all three sessions of this workshop since each workshop will build on the previous one. But if you already know a few basics or feel confident that you can catch up, you’re welcome to join the later sessions.
You can either bring a ukulele to the workshop or register to use one of Julie’s. If you have your own ukulele (or borrow one of the Library’s), no need to register in advance – just show up!
If you want to use one of Julie’s ukuleles, please register on the Library’s website. When you sign up, you are registering for all three sessions. Please note that Julie’s instruments are available during the workshops but need to be returned to Julie at the end of each session and cannot be taken home.

Tango Mango Weekend Bar and Live Music!
2026-01-30 18:00 - 2026-01-31 23:00, 2026-01-31 18:00 - 2026-02-01 23:00, 2026-02-06 18:00 - 2026-02-07 23:00, 2026-02-07 18:00 - 2026-02-08 23:00, 2026-02-13 18:00 - 2026-02-14 23:00, 2026-02-14 18:00 - 2026-02-15 23:00, 2026-02-20 18:00 - 2026-02-21 23:00 | Tango Mango, United States
Weekend Bar at Tango Mango
Join us every Friday and Saturday evening from 6 PM to 11 PM for our new weekend bar! Kick back with your favorite drinks, great company, and a warm atmosphere that makes every night feel special.
🎸 Fridays: Live Guitar with Armando (6-9 PM)
Start your weekend right with live music from local guitarist Armando, filling the air with smooth, soulful tunes that pair perfectly with your favorite drink.
Come by, unwind, and make your weekends unforgettable at Tango Mango!

Behind the Screen: The Testament of Ann Lee
2026-02-01 13:00 - 15:30 | West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
From award-winning writer-director Mona Fastvold (The World to Come, The Brutalist) comes the extraordinary true legend of Ann Lee, founder of the devotional sect known as the Shakers. Academy Award nominee Amanda Seyfried stars as the Shaker’s irrepressible leader, who preached gender and social equality and was revered by her followers. The Testament of Ann Lee captures the ecstasy and agony of her quest to build a utopia, featuring more than a dozen traditional Shaker hymns reimagined as rapturous movements with choreography by Celia Rowlson-Hall (Vox Lux) and original songs & score by Academy Award winner Daniel Blumberg (The Brutalist).
PANEL DISCUSSION FOLLOWS
A post-screening conversation will explore the film’s portrayal of Ann Lee and Shaker spirituality, with particular attention to women’s religious leadership, utopian community-building, and the historical contexts of dissenting Protestant movements in the Atlantic world.
CHRISTOPHER H. EVANS, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus of History of Christianity & Methodist Studies, Boston University School of Theology
Christopher Evans teaches and writes on the history of Christianity, American religion, and Methodist history, with additional interests in religion and popular culture. His books include The Social Gospel in American Religion and Histories of American Christianity: An Introduction.
ANN D. BRAUDE, Ph.D.
Senior Lecturer on American Religious History; Director, Women’s Studies in Religion Program, Harvard Divinity School
Ann Braude’s scholarship focuses on American religious history with an emphasis on women and minority religious movements. She is the author of Radical Spirits: Spiritualism and Women’s Rights in Nineteenth-century America and is widely known for her work on the centrality of women to American religious history.
MARGARET LAMBERTS BENDROTH, Ph.D.
Historian of American Protestantism; former Executive Director, Congregational Library & Archives (Boston)
Margaret Lamberts Bendroth is a historian of American religion and the author of FUNDAMENTALISM AND GENDER, 1875 TO THE PRESENT and other works on Protestant history. She served for many years as Executive Director of the Congregational Library & Archives.

Sara Wilkins - Cello Faculty Recital
2026-02-01 15:00 - 16:00 | All Newton Music School, 321 Chestnut Street, West Newton, MA, 12465, United States
Enjoy a recital by cello faculty, Sara Wilkins, alongside Aaron Packard, violin.
Enjoy the interwoven voicing of violin and cello with duets by Benjamin Godard, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Augusta Read Thomas, and Erwin Schulhoff.

The Colgate 13: FREE concert!
2026-02-06 19:30 - 21:30 | The Allen Center, 35 Webster Street, Newton, MA, 02465, United States
Get ready to be blown away by the incredible harmonies and vocal talents of Colgate 13 A Cappella at The Allen Center! The Colgate 13 is Colgate University’s premier all-male a cappella ensemble, renowned for its rich harmonies, dynamic performances, and deep musical tradition. The group is the longest running all-male undergraduate collegiate a cappella group in the United States. Founded in 1942, the group has spent more than seven decades delighting audiences with a signature sound that blends classic vocal jazz, contemporary hits, folk, pop, and timeless standards. A Colgate 13 concert isn’t just a performance, it’s an experience rooted in tradition, camaraderie, and a genuine love of singing together! We can’t wait for you to experience them at The Allen Center.
Seating capacity is limited. Registration is required for this FREE event.

Coffee Hour at the Waban Library Center
2026-02-07 10:00 - 12:00, 2026-02-14 10:00 - 12:00 | Waban Library Center, 1608 Beacon Street, Waban, MA, 02468, United States
Join us at the Waban Library Center for Coffee Hour! Coffee and tea are provided for free. Get cozy with a book or newspaper, chat with your community, get some work done, or just enjoy our wifi and cozy seating. We are located at 1608 Beacon St, Waban, MA 02468, near the Waban T stop.

An Evening with John Sayles
2026-02-07 16:00 - 18:30 | West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
West Newton Cinema Reads & Newtonville Books present:
The iconic filmmaker John Sayles reading from and discussing his new novel, The Crucible, along with his classic film, City of Hope, with Here & Now’s Robin Young.
Join director John Sayles as he reads from his new novel, The Crucible, following a screening of his riveting film, City of Hope (1991).
In The Crucible, Henry Ford—the Elon Musk of his day—aims to rule both an automotive empire and the rambunctious city of Detroit. In an epic tale ranging from the Prohibition Era to the Second World War, featuring violent labor disputes, misbegotten jungle expeditions, a tragic race riot, and the gestapo tactics of Ford’s private army, Sayles does what he’s become famous for: shows us, through multiple perspectives, the country in which we live.
In City of Hope, an old apartment complex stands in the way of a major commercial development. Its owner, Joe, feels pressure to torch it, and Joe’s estranged son, Nick, soon becomes a pawn in the game. Following the arrest of two teenagers, idealistic city councilman Wynn finds himself torn between what he thinks is right, and what his Black constituents want.
Sayles and Young will walk us through this incredible cast of characters and the themes that make both The Crucible and City of Hope so crucial to understanding our current moment. Their talk will follow with a signing in the lobby, with books for sale courtesy of Newtonville Books.
John Sayles is an independent filmmaker, screenwriter, actor, and novelist. He has twice been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, and once for the National Book Award. He has written eight novels, including, most recently, Jamie MacGillivray and To Save the Man.
Robin Young is a host of Here and Now, the nationally syndicated radio program produced by WBUR. A Peabody Award-winning documentary filmmaker, Robin has been a correspondent for ABC, CBS, NBC, and the Discovery Channel. She is a former guest host of The Today Show and one of the first hosts on Boston’s ground-breaking television show, Evening Magazine.

Behind the Screen: Sinners
2026-02-08 13:00 - 15:30 | West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
SINNERS is a genre-defying period horror drama written and directed by Ryan Coogler, set in 1932 Mississippi during the Jim Crow era. The story follows twin brothers Elijah “Smoke” Moore and Elias “Stack” Moore, portrayed by Michael B. Jordan in dual roles, who return to their hometown to open a juke joint for the local Black community, only to find that an ancient, supernatural evil threatens their celebration and their lives. The film blends Southern Gothic, blues music, historical memory, and supernatural horror, creating a richly layered narrative about community, survival, and cultural expression.
POST SCREENING PANEL DISCUSSION
Our panel will explore the film’s fusion of music, history, and horror, considering how SINNERS engages with African-American cultural traditions, the symbolic role of blues music in confronting evil, and the artistic choices that make the film a singular cinematic experience.
JAKE BLOUNT, A.M.
Musician, Scholar, and Music Consultant on SINNERS;
Specialist in Traditional African-American Music and Afrofuturism
Jake Blount is an award-winning musician and scholar whose work bridges performance, research, and advocacy. He specializes in African-American traditional music and Afrofuturist approaches, and his recordings have appeared on best-of lists from NPR, The New Yorker, and Rolling Stone. Blount served as a music consultant on SINNERS and his work often interrogates the cultural and historical roots of American music.
JOEL LARUE SMITH, Ph.D.
Associate Teaching Professor, Tufts, Pianist, Composer, Arranger
Joel LaRue Smith has been the Director of the Tufts Jazz Orchestra (formerly the Big Band) and Jazz Activities at Tufts University since 1996. He is also a pianist and composer known for moving seamlessly between jazz, classical, gospel, and Afro-Cuban repertoire. He has performed globally at venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Royal Albert Hall, and has received numerous awards including ASCAP’s distinguished George and Ira Gershwin Award.
BILL LOWE, Ph.D.
Composer, Performer, Educator; Leader of Signifyin’ Natives
Bill Lowe is a distinguished bassist trombonist, tuba player, composer, and educator with decades of experience in creative music. His ensemble Signifyin’ Natives explores African-American musical traditions through improvisation and collaboration, and Lowe has performed and taught extensively throughout the United States and internationally.

Newton Fix-It returns Sunday, 2/8!
2026-02-08 13:15 - 16:00 | Newton Free Library, 330 Homer Street, Newton Centre MA, MA, 02459, United States
BROKE IT? FIX IT!
We’ll show you how!
Fix-It Clinic Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St.
Sunday, February 8, 1:15 pm – 4pm  Fix-It
Clinics empower Newton residents to fix for themselves, and are totally no-cost! Bring in a broken household item and a Repair Coach will help guide you through diagnosing and repair.   Reserve a time slot based on the category of broken item. Walk-in repairs as time permits. Categories will include small appliance & electronics, sewing and textiles, lamp repair and rewiring, jewelry, computers, gluing, musical instruments, and more!
Fix-It Clinics are run by the Newton Recycling Committee, with the Newton Free Library, the Newton DPW Sustainable Materials Management Division, and funds from a MassDEP grant.
Sign up for a repair appointment: https://tinyurl.com/FixitFeb2026repair
To help out by volunteering, sign up: https://tinyurl.com/FixitFeb2026helpout

Mistral Goes To Hollywood-Brookline
2026-02-08 17:00 - 19:00
Experience an evening where great cinema and great music intersect. From the shimmering romance of classic Hollywood to the emotional power of modern film scores, this program celebrates the composers who transformed the silver screen into one of the most expressive concert halls of our time. Featuring music by John Williams, Bernard Herrmann, Korngold, Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Kusiak, Nino Rota, and Ennio Morricone, this concert traces a dazzling arc from psychological suspense to sweeping lyricism, nostalgia, and noir. Join us for an unforgettable night where melody becomes memory—and movies come alive through chamber music.

Become a Hospice Volunteer! Apply by Feb 19
2026-02-14 08:00 - 17:00
Make a meaningful difference in the lives of hospice patients, with Good Shepherd Community Care.
This comprehensive training prepares volunteers to visit our patients in the Greater-Boston area.
Starts in late February. Contact us for information and details.
We are seeking volunteers for:
• Companionship & friendly visits
• Pet Therapy
• Reiki Therapy
• Massage Therapy
• Bereavement support
• Administrative support
Apply by February 19.
Find our Application at: GSCommunityCare.org/Volunteer
Questions or interested in learning more?
Contact Icy Bradley, Volunteer Program Coordinator
617-969-6130 | iBradley@GSCommunityCare.org
Thank you!

Valentines Day Family Game Day
2026-02-14 10:30 - 12:00
Crafts, Games, Prizes and Snacks for Families at the Waban Library Center.
Make your Mom or Dad a beautiful gift for Valentine’s Day and play Bingo!

Boston Chamber Symphony performs Schubert and Foote with Julian Schwarz
2026-02-14 19:30 - 21:00 | Grace Episcopal Church, 76 Eldredge Street, Newton, MA, 02458, United States
BOSTON CHAMBER SYMPHONY
Avlana Eisenberg, conductor | Julian Schwarz, cello
Join the Boston Chamber Symphony for a magical pairing of masterworks by Schubert and Foote. This concert features Foote’s elegant Suite for String Orchestra and the Boston-area premiere of his lush Cello Concerto, performed by acclaimed soloist Julian Schwarz. The program concludes with Schubert’s luminous Symphony No. 5, a beloved masterpiece of melodic grace and vitality.
Music Director Avlana Eisenberg will conduct and a reception with the performers will follow the program.
Boston Chamber Symphony: Classical Romantics
Foote: Suite for String Orchestra
Foote: Cello Concerto (Boston-area premiere)
Schubert: Symphony No. 5
Tickets: $35 General Admission, $30 Seniors, $15 Students
Order tickets online and save $5 on each ticket!
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit our website: http://www.bostonchambersymphony.org/upcoming-concerts

Mary Pickford's Sparrows: Live Music Accompaniment
2026-02-15 14:00 - 16:30 | West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
Join us for a screening of Mary Pickford’s, SPARROWS (1926) with live musical accompaniment.
ABOUT THE FILM:
Molly, the eldest child at a baby farm hidden deep in a swamp, must rescue the others when their cruel master decides that one of them will be disposed of.
LIVE MUSIC
BRUCE VOGT
Bruce Vogt is a Canadian pianist who has devoted a distinguished career to performing and teaching. He has toured cities and towns of all sizes throughout North America, Europe, and Asia as a soloist and chamber musician. He has mentored generations of young artists in his role as professor of piano at the University of Victoria, and has lectured widely, leading master classes, workshops, and adjudicating for festivals.
Bruce has sustained an interest in exploring the many conversations to be found between music and film, literature and painting. This has evolved into an unusual side hustle: improvising accompaniments for the great films of the silent era. He has developed a robust career in this multimedia sphere bringing sound to many masterpieces — by Chaplin, Keaton, Lloyd, Griffith, Sjöström, Von Sternberg and many others. In movie theaters across Europe, Asia, and North America, he has provided for audiences a greater intimacy with these films, transforming the silence of the medium into another sphere.

Romantic Beethoven and Franck with Tyler James, cello and Constantine Finehouse, piano
2026-02-16 14:00 - 15:00 | Scandinavian Cultural Center, 206 Waltham St, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
Save the Date! Monday February 16, from 2pm to 3pm at the Scandinavian Center, 206 Waltham Street, Newton.
We are thrilled to present a romantic program of Beethoven and Franck. Newton native Constantine Finehouse is a virtuoso pianist who has performed extensively in the U.S. and abroad, including Salzburg, Trieste, London, Ghent, Moscow, St. Petersburg and Odessa, and recorded several highly acclaimed violin-piano and cello-piano albums with Daniel Kurganov, Sebastian Baverstam, and others. Boston area cellist Tyler Michael James has been praised as a passionate musician with a “soulful, lyrical tone” and a “phenomenal color palette”, who has performed with A Far Cry, Castle of Our Skins, Rockport Music, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 92nd Street Y, and Cape Cod’s Red Door Chamber Music, among others. Together Mr. James and Mr. Finehouse will perform Beethoven’s Cello Sonata in D Major, Op.102 No. 2 by Ludwig Van Beethoven and Franck’s Sonata for Cello and Piano in A Major.
We hope to see you in person but we will also livestream via Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81963239351…
Meeting ID: 819 6323 9351
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Admission is free but donations are appreciated, all of which will go to our musicians.
This program is supported in part by a grant from the Newton Cultural Council, a local council that is supported by the Mass Cultural Council and the City of Newton.

Make a Difference as a Hospice Volunteer - Training starts next week!
2026-02-17 08:00 - 17:00
Become a Hospice Volunteer!
Bring comfort, companionship and support though friendly visits. You can make a meaningful difference in the lives of hospice patients, as a volunteer.
Good Shepherd Community Care is a non-profit, non-sectarian hospice, founded in Waban in 1978, and now serves the Greater-Boston area.
This comprehensive training, held at our office in Newton, prepares volunteers to visit our patients in the Greater-Boston area.
The training starts next week! Contact Icy Bradley for information and details.
We are seeking volunteers to visit patients for:
• Companionship support & friendly visits
• Pet Therapy
• Reiki Therapy
• Massage Therapy
• Bereavement support
and for
• Administrative support at our Newton office (projects of all types available)
Find our Application at: GSCommunityCare.org/Volunteer — scroll down and
Questions or interested in learning more?
Contact Icy Bradley, Volunteer Program Coordinator
617-969-6130 | iBradley@GSCommunityCare.org
Thank you! We look forward to hearing from you.

February Vacation with NCE
2026-02-17 08:30 - 2026-02-21 16:00
No school? No problem! Newton Community Education’s February vacation programs offer flexible morning, afternoon, and full-day options to keep kids active, creative, and learning all break long. Enjoy hands-on STEAM, art, and sports this break!

Efficient Water Heating for Newton Homes
2026-02-19 18:00 - 19:00
Newton homeowners and residents are invited to a free virtual educational webinar, Efficient Water Heating for Newton Homes, on Thursday, February 19 from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM via Zoom. The event will explore efficient, low-carbon water heating solutions and offer guidance for anyone considering a water heater upgrade or replacement.
Water heating represents one of the largest energy uses in a typical home, and choosing the right system can lead to significant energy bill savings and reduced carbon emissions. The webinar is designed to provide practical, non-technical information to help residents make informed decisions about their hot water systems.
The program will cover a range of options, including heat pump water heaters, which use electricity more efficiently and can lower energy use and emissions; solar-assisted and hybrid systems that combine renewable energy with modern heat pump technology; and tankless (on-demand) water heaters, with guidance on when they may be a good fit for a home. The session will also include a real-world case study illustrating how a homeowner evaluated options and made a decision.
The session will focus on how these systems perform in everyday life — including space and installation considerations, efficiency, and long-term value — with time allotted for attendee questions.
The webinar is co-hosted by Green Newton and the City of Newton Climate & Sustainability Team, with local expert participation from Reservoir Home, New England Solar Hot Water, and Boston Tank Swap.
Event Details:
Efficient Water Heating for Newton Homes — Free Webinar
Thursday, February 19, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Free virtual event; registration required to receive the Zoom link.
For more information and to register, visit greennewton.org/event/efficient-water-heating-webinar/

Night Fight
2026-02-19 19:00 - 20:30 | West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
Night Fight is a hybrid documentary, nonfiction framed with creative, cinematic storytelling directed and edited by Khary Saeed Jones. The film emerges from a harrowing incident in 2017 when Jones was followed by a racist vigilante along back roads in rural Canada. Over time, that encounter cast a long shadow over his life, prompting a deep, introspective journey to understand not just what happened, but how it shaped him.
Rather than a conventional documentary, Night Fight weaves together Jones’s personal reflections, self-portrait video fragments, and interviews with academics, artists, and writers about racial violence, memory, and psychological impact. The narrative oscillates between the literal journey back to the site of the incident and an emotional, internal journey toward meaning and healing.
Described as a candid, nuanced, and deeply personal film, Night Fight confronts systemic and interpersonal racial violence and discrimination. It engages with the challenge of sharing an internal reality that is both singular and emblematic of broader collective experiences.
Join us for a post-film discussion with the filmmaker Khary Jones.
Khary Saeed Jones is an award-winning filmmaker, editor, and Professor of the Practice in Drama, Film, and Performance Studies at Tufts University, where he teaches screen storytelling and mentors students in both documentary and scripted projects. Jones holds an MFA in Film Directing and an MA in English from Columbia University, as well as a BA in English from Morehouse College.
His work as a writer-director explores the tensions between fiction, memory, and lived experience, and has screened at major festivals and cultural venues including Sundance, SXSW, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, and ICA Boston.

Become a Hospice Volunteer! Newton Training Starts in Late February.
2026-02-20 09:30 - 17:00
