October 2025 NN Newsletter

Jenny Klein-Sosa
Oct 22
5 min read

It’s now officially autumn in our villages. The air is crisper and the leaves are beginning to turn. For those with kiddos, the new school year is underway, and new routines and activities are coming alive. It seems that the slower pace of summer is a thing of the past in this exciting time of renewal.

As always, there is so much happening in our City; keep reading to learn about some great offerings and sources of information about all that is going on around us. We hope you will take advantage of some of what is offered here—much of it is free and family friendly!

We’d like to remind you that municipal elections will be held on November 4th. If you’ve applied to vote by mail, ballots will be arriving at your homes very soon. Early voting will take place at City Hall beginning on October 25th. Details about the candidates and how to vote can be found in the League of Women Voters Guide at lwvnewton.org. We encourage all of our Newton neighbors to let their voices be heard by voting on or before November 4th.A heartfelt thank you to all of you who donated to our annual appeal. We surpassed our $8,500 goal! Thank you for supporting and inspiring our unwavering commitment to mutual aid in our community.

Call for Volunteers: Food Pantry Delivery

Help deliver groceries from local food pantries to our neighbors who are unable to get to the pantries on their own. This is an important initiative for Newton Neighbors and we can always use more hands (and cars). If you are able to help, we would be most grateful! It usually takes about an hour of your time and makes a big difference to so many in our community.

Our schedule is:

Tuesdays from Centre Street Food Pantry. Pickup time 2:15 – 2:45.
Wednesdays from Newton Food Pantry. Scheduled pickups between 12:15 – 2:45.

Call for Volunteers: Freedge

Every Thursday, Newton Neighbors coordinates donations to the Newton Community Freedge, Newton Food Pantry’s community refrigerator and pantry initiative. Volunteer opportunities throughout the day include picking up donations from business partners and bringing them to the Freedge, and cleaning and maintaining the Freedge.

Located in the parking lot of Central Cleaners at 420 Watertown Street in Nonantum, the Freedge is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and offers free food and personal-care items to neighbors in need.

Sign up for October: https://volunteersignup.org/33K7J (scroll down past September)Sign up for November/December:https://volunteersignup.org/8WEPA

Help Us Write Our Newsletters!

Are you familiar with Mailchimp? Help our newsletter team input, format, edit, and illustrate our bimonthly newsletters. We’d also love to get any articles, or article ideas, you may have. If you’d like to help us expand our community outreach, please email us at newtonneighborshelping@gmail.com.

Community Happenings

In-person Zumba at the Cooper Center

Friday, October 3, 1 - 2pmHyde Community Center, 90 Lincoln St, Newton Highlands

The Cooper Center for Active Living is hosting a fun, in-person Zumba Gold class with everyone’s favorite instructor Ketty. Ketty, who usually leads Zumba classes via Zoom, will be in town from California. The class will take place on Friday, October 3rd, 1 - 2pm, at the Hyde Community Center. Come early at noon or stay late to socialize with Ketty!

This is a welcoming and inclusive class for all levels. Please RSVP by calling 617-796-1675, dropping by the front desk at 20 Hartford Street, or emailing the Cooper Center at OASprograms@newtonma.gov.

Fabric of Community: Blanket and Towel Drive

Saturday, October 4, 10am - 1pmThe Street, 33 Boylston St, Chestnut Hill

Our friends at Welcome Home are asking for the community’s support to provide cozy essentials to all who need them. Bring your new or gently used towels and blankets to The Street (pondside) on October 4 between 10 - 1 and help to stuff a Mark’s Moving truck with you generous donations!

WSYMCA Free Fall Festival

Saturday, October 4, 11am - 1pmThe Y, 276 Church St, Newton

This free, fun-filled family event is designed to celebrate the season, and costumes are encouraged! Come for activities such as pumpkin decorating, petting zoo, gaga ball, arts and crafts, snacks, and more. Free to the entire community.

League of Women Voters’ Saturday Afternoon at the Races

Saturday, October 4, 4:00 - 6:30pmNewton North High School Cafeteria, 457 Washington St, Newtonville

The League of Women Voters Newton, in conjunction with the Newton North High School Center for Civic Engagement, will hold its biennial Saturday Afternoon at the Races in Newton North’s cafeteria on October 4 from 4 - 6:30 pm. This is a nonpartisan event designed to give citizens the opportunity to meet our neighbors who are running for office.Come and meet the candidates! More info at lwvnewton.org.

St. VIncent de Paul Friends of the Poor Walk

Sunday, October 5, 1:30pmWalk around Crystal Lake beginning at Sacred Heart Church, 1321 Centre Street, Newton Centre

This family-friendly event features a 1.5 mile walk around Crystal Lake, beginning and ending at Sacred Heart Church. Registration will begin at 1:00 pm and the walk will start at 1:30 pm. All proceeds will go to helping our neighbors in Newton and the surrounding towns with food, clothing, and housing-related needs. To preregister, please visit sholnewton.org/fopwalk or email svdp@sholnewton.org

Women of Courage and Conviction

Tuesday, October 7, 5:30 - 7:30pmScandinavian Living Center Nordic Hall, 206 Waltham Street, West Newton

Newton At Home (NAH) invites you to the Book Launch of Women of Courage and Conviction, written by longtime NAH member Dorothy Anger. In this inspiring new book, Dorothy brings to light the remarkable life stories of five women whom she met through NAH. These women’s experiences span continents and eras: one walked from Newton to Washington DC in a “Walk for Peace”; another grew up in Argentina during the Peron regime; two survived their childhoods as Jews under the Nazi regime; and the fifth became a global leader in women’s reproductive health and health systems management.Come and enjoy a lively discussion with the author and four of the five outstanding women. This event is free and open to all. Donations are encouraged. More info at https://newton.helpfulvillage.com/events/246-book-launch:-women-of-courage-and-conviction.

Topic Meeting: Parking Ban Ballot Question

Tuesday, October 7, 7:00 - 8:45pmDruker Auditorium, Newton Free Library, 330 Homer Street, Newton Centre This year’s election ballot will include a question on whether or not to eliminate Newton’s winter parking ban.

On Tuesday, October 7, the League of Women Voters of Newton will be hosting a Topic Meeting to discuss the ballot question. Panelists from groups supporting “Yes” and “No” on the ballot question will present their side of the argument, followed by questions from the audience. The moderator will be Heather Hamilton, Deputy Director, Brookline Interactive Group. LWVN has not take a position on this ballot question.

This event will be held at the Druker Auditorium, Newton Free Library, 7:00pm – 8:45pm. All are welcome. More info at https://lwvnewton.org/event/topic-meeting-parking-ban-ballot-question/

Allen Center Events

Various dates and timesThe Allen Center, 35 Webster St, West Newton

October 3, 7pm: A Taste of the Season: Food, drink and music to welcome the Fall 2025 season.
October 4: 7:30pm: Explorations in Sound with Gabriela Martina and Maxim Lubarsky.
October 5, 3pm: Steinway Alive with renowned Steinway artists Max Levinson and Karen Walwyn.
October 19, 3pm: Shubert Winterreise with baritone Philip Lima and pianist Tudor Bota.

To learn about more great community events, go to Fig City News (figcitynews.com) or The Newton Beacon (newtonbeacon.org).

To stay informed about Newton’s vibrant and varied arts and culture scene, visit our partners at Newton Cultural Alliance (newtonculture.org) and sign up for their weekly newsletter. Also visit our friends at sparknewton.org (formerly Newton Community Pride).