The Town of Hubbardston Council on Aging board agreed on dates for several spring and summer events at its April 16 meeting, including an art-and-plant show, a yard/plant sale and an ice-cream social following the town's Memorial Day ceremony.

Board members said the art-and-plant show is scheduled for May 10, 2025, from 10 a.m. to noon and that the art instructor will teach monthly classes; the board also set a two-day yard sale for May 31 and June 1. Members discussed using an upcoming $700 community/GFA grant to cover event expenses and to continue the monthly art class. The board noted the GFA art-account had about $150.92 on April 11.

"We're doing a prayer... Art and plant show to be held 05/10/25 from 10AM to 12 noon," a board member said when describing planned spring programs. Members named Bev and Cindy to coordinate the artisan portion of the event and said instructor supplies such as double-sided tape and table-cover paper will be purchased and reimbursed from grant receipts when funding arrives.

The board agreed to hold an ice-cream social after the Memorial Day ceremony; volunteers and community members were suggested as servers and organizers. Board members discussed asking businesses for donated tubs of ice cream and using volunteers and high-school students to assist.

Other fundraising ideas discussed included a spaghetti-and-meatball dinner, a "paint-and-sip" night (with a nominal attendance fee to cover supplies), a movie night and small pop-up events such as a morning pie sale. Members emphasized the need to coordinate calendar entries and newsletter inserts early; they asked staff to check printing timelines so event notices appear in the town newsletter on time.

Why it matters: these events are the council's primary fundraisers and community engagement activities for senior-center programming; scheduling and timely promotion affect turnout and receipts.

Next steps: the board asked volunteers to gather receipts for reimbursement, confirmed table and tent needs for the plant sale, and scheduled newsletter deadlines for event promotion.