Fall is always the busiest time of the year in Greenfield – it seems like every group in town has something going on!

The Friends of the Greenfield Community Meetinghouse board is thrilled to announce that we profited about $10,000 from Oktoberfest, and we sold our highest number of tickets so far. Our best estimate is about 500. As I mentioned in my last column, we are able to make money from Oktoberfest thanks to our many generous sponsors, including Monadnock Tent, Harvester Market and White Star Software. Our new mead vendor, Pinguin Meadery, just donated the cost of two barrels of mead at the event — many thanks to Ben from Pinguin!

Every penny of the money raised from Oktoberfest goes directly into the Meetinghouse Building Fund. This fund is used to pay for the Meetinghouse renovation projects, including architect, engineering, and surveyor’s fees. Thank you everyone for supporting Oktoberfest!

Learn about bears 

On Thursday, Oct. 17, the Greenfield Conservation Commission is sponsoring a talk in the Greenfield library about black bears by Rich Masters, an environmental educator with New Hampshire Fish and Game and Nashua Community College. Masters will talk about the natural history of our large and elusive neighbors, and discuss current research about these animals, including ongoing conservation efforts in New Hampshire. Attendees are encouraged to share their own black bear encounter stories. This presentation, which will take place in the library’s Wensberg Room, downstairs (separate rear entrance from parking lot), is free and open to the public.

Library news

Stephenson Library always has a full schedule of events happening! The new Story Walk has been installed next to the Deborah Cilley Gazebo, and everyone is welcome to come enjoy the story and a beautiful walk in the woods. This month, the library is debuting a new program, Adult and Juvenile Book Boxes. Every family to sign up will receive a box with two personalized book picks from our collection and fall-themed goodies. The signup link for Book Boxes is forms.gle/b854T3V7NQuGmbjk7.

The library’s monthly caregiver/child sewing circle is Saturday, Oct. 19, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.; registration is requested. Please contact Ella at ellac@stephensonlibrary.org to sign up. Also on Oct. 19, the family chapter book club activity will take place at 11 a.m. This month’s book is “Mary Poppins” by P.L. Travers. Next month’s book is “Number the Stars” by Lois Lowry, with an activity on Nov. 16.

Library book sales happen the second and fourth Saturdays of every month. I recently discovered that if you purchase a Friends of the Library tote bag for just $10, you get to fill it with books at every book sale for the rest of your life! Book lovers, take note!

Many other activities happen at the library, including children’s robotics, mahjong, line dancing, journaling, crafting and several book clubs. Please find the library on Facebook, stop by or send email to Ella and sign up for the library’s excellent newsletter to learn more about upcoming events.

Halloween events in Greenfield

The next big event coming up in town is the Oak Park Committee’s trunk-or-treat on Saturday, Oct. 26, at Oak Park from 4 to 6 p.m. The Oak Park committee always does a fabulous job with trunk-or-treat, and this event always has a huge turnout! trunk-or-treat includes hayrides, vendors and concessions, a costume contest and the always spooky and incredibly creative trunks, trucks and vehicles decked out for trunk-or-treat. The rain date is Sunday, Oct. 27. Costume judging will take place at 4:45 p.m. The Flying Gravity Circus will be performing this year.

There will also be a trick-or-treat stop at the Fire Station during trick-or-treating on Thursday, Oct. 31, from 6 to 8 p.m.

Community events

The Greenfield Elementary School PTO is gearing up for a pizza fundraiser from Oct. 14 to Nov. 13 to raise funds to support academic and enrichment activities, including field trips, classroom materials, circus residencies and more. More information will be available on the Greenfield community Facebook page soon.

Greenfield’s one and only restaurant, the wonderful Mi Corazon, has community trivia nights every other Wednesday. The next two trivia nights are Oct. 23 and Nov. 6.

In a completely different setting to meet your Greenfield neighbors, the Greenfield Covenant Church hosts a coffee hour every Thursday morning from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at 12 Depot Drive. All are welcome.

If you are new in town and have never stopped by the Historical Society on Forest Road – between the Greenfield Commons and the elementary school – they are open the last Saturday of every month from 10 a.m. to noon. Our little volunteer-run museum is a wonderful resource for learning about Greenfield. Particularly if you have an old house, GHS will have information about it, and their wonderful volunteers are happy to track down old photos and information.

Fire and Ice is coming!

Finally, the Greenfield Fire Department is gearing up for the Fire and Ice Parade. This year’s parade is Dec. 5, and the theme is “Old-Fashioned Christmas.” The Greenfield Fire Association is hard at work getting the event organized, and registration information will be posted soon on the Greenfield community Facebook page.

Starting on Nov. 29, the Festival of Trees will return to Stephenson Library. Town residents are invited to bring trees and setup at the library any time the library is open from Nov. 29 through Dec. 20. Voting for trees will take place Dec. 7 through 20.

Jesseca Timmons is the secretary of the Friends of the Greenfield Community Meetinghouse.