Arts & Engagement
Fall 2026 Community & Cultural Events
Categories
Community•Culture•Music•Theater/Dance•Exhibitions
BSU Senior College
Lifelong Learning for Curious Adults
Bridgewater State University’s Senior College offers intellectually stimulating courses for mature learners (50-plus). Six week courses are led by BSU emeritus faculty, full and part-time faculty and other distinguished educators in the sciences, social sciences, arts and humanities.
Details available at bridgew.edu/ccs/seniorcollege
community
DEC
Bridgewater Community Dance
facebook.com/bridgewatercommunitydance
Fridays 7 - 9 pm (with one dance on Saturday)
NEW LOCATION: Trinitiy Episcopal Church, 91 Main Street
(Saturday dance will be held at Cedar Street Community Center, 15 Cedar Street)
$10 for the Friday night dances; $10-$20, sliding scale for the Saturday night dance, which will feature live music.
| September | 18 |
| October | 17 (Sat) |
| November | 20 |
| December | 18 |
Enjoying our sixteenth season! Join us for Circle Dances and Mixers, International Folk Dance, and New England Squares and Contras. Beginners and singles welcome, appropriate for ages 10 and up, gender neutral language.
culture
AutumnFest 2026
Boyden Quad, 131 Summer Street, Bridgewater, MA
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Organized and run by the Bridgewater Business Association with support from Bridgewater State University, and numerous volunteers. This event has been a fall tradition in Bridgewater for over 30 years! The event features a vendor fair, entertainment, food, music, and many fun activities for the kids including a petting zoo, bouncy house, and train rides.
music
BSU Ensembles & Recitals
Free and open to the public, no tickets required.
High School Choral Festival
Rondileau Student Union Auditorium, 19 Park Avenue, Bridgewater, MA
8:00 am - 8:00 pm
A daylong event that includes high schools throughout the state to come and learn with the choir's director, Brad Dumont, and perform at the end of the day.
The Story of Babar Concert
Boyden Hall, Horace Mann Auditorium, 131 Summer Street, Bridgewater, MA
7:00 pm
Middle School Band Festival
Boyden Hall, Horace Mann Auditorium, 131 Summer Street, Bridgewater, MA
3:30 pm
A daylong event that includes middle schools throughout the state to come and learn with the wind ensemble's director, Donald Running, and perform at the end of the day.
Wind Ensemble Concert
Rondileau Student Union Auditorium, 19 Park Avenue, Bridgewater, MA
7:00 pm
A large instrumental ensemble performing instrumental pieces by numerous composers.
Chorale Concert
A vocal ensemble performing a variety of classical and contemporary pieces.
Student Recital - Jillian B. - Voice
Boyden Hall, Horace Mann Auditorium, 131 Summer Street, Bridgewater, MA
7:00 pm
Level 300 student, Jillian Barton, will be showcasing her work as a voice major in a solo recital.
Social Justice Choir Festival
Boyden Hall, Horace Mann Auditorium, 131 Summer Street, Bridgewater, MA
Nov 14 - 15
A large vocal ensemble with BSU, UMASS Dartmouth, and community members performing music with a message.
Voice Studio Recital-Holland
Boyden Hall, Horace Mann Auditorium, 131 Summer Street, Bridgewater, MA
8:00 pm
Students studying under Heather Holland (majors and non-majors) perform a piece they have been learning with their private instructor.
Voice Studio Recital-Craig
Boyden Hall, Horace Mann Auditorium, 131 Summer Street, Bridgewater, MA
8:00 pm
Students studying under Albert Craig (majors and non-majors) perform a piece they have been learning with their private instructor.
Student Recital - Joy O. - Saxophone
Boyden Hall, Horace Mann Auditorium, 131 Summer Street, Bridgewater, MA
7:00 pm
Level 300 student, Joy Ouellette, will be showcasing her work as a saxophone major in a solo recital.
Student Recital - Nico P. - Voice
Boyden Hall, Horace Mann Auditorium, 131 Summer Street, Bridgewater, MA
1:00 pm
Level 300 student, Nico Parker, will be showcasing their work as a voice major in a solo recital.
Saxophone Studio Recital
Boyden Hall, Horace Mann Auditorium, 131 Summer Street, Bridgewater, MA
8:00 pm
Students studying under Jon Amon perform a piece they have been learning and perform as an ensemble with both classical and jazz music.
Jazz Band Concert
Boyden Hall, Horace Mann Auditorium, 131 Summer Street, Bridgewater, MA
8:00 pm
An instrumental ensemble performing jazz tunes.
Voice Studio Recital-Bizinkauskas
Boyden Hall, Horace Mann Auditorium, 131 Summer Street, Bridgewater, MA
8:00 pm
Students studying under Maryte Bizinkauskas (majors and non-majors) perform a piece they have been learning with their private instructor.
Pop Vocal Concert
Boyden Hall, Horace Mann Auditorium, 131 Summer Street, Bridgewater, MA
7:00 pm
A vocal ensemble performing popular jazz, rock, and pop music.
SJC Library Concert
Bridgewater Public Library, 15 South Street, Bridgewater, MA
6:30 pm
The Social Justice Choir performing their repertoire of powerful music at the Bridgewater Public Library.
African Drumming Concert
Boyden Hall, Horace Mann Auditorium, 131 Summer Street, Bridgewater, MA
8:00 pm
A percussion ensemble performing native pieces from African drums.
Holiday Extravaganza
Rondileau Student Union Auditorium, 19 Park Avenue, Bridgewater, MA
7:00 pm
All the BSU music department ensembles performing holiday music to commemorate the end of the fall semester.
Plymouth Philharmonic
The Plymouth Philharmonic Orchestra, a professional orchestral ensemble located within the Plymouth Bay Cultural District, presents a wide range of live music and educational programs to people of all ages and backgrounds on the South Shore of Massachusetts.
More details and tickets are available on plymouthphil.org
Fiddler of the Opera
Plymouth South High School Performing Arts Center, 490 Long Pond Road, Plymouth, MA
7:30 pm
Pre-Concert Talk with Steven Karidoyanes at 6:30 PM, Free for ticket holders
Our season opener is not a night out at the opera. It’s a ticket to four operatic masterpieces, bringing you four chances to lose yourself in the music you love in one unforgettable night. From Rossini’s epic overture and Borodin’s exotic dances to Sarasate’s famous fantasy and the virtuosic violin concerto Gershwin never wrote, this performance will deliver more drama, danger, passion, and heroics than one night can contain—especially since our fiery fiddler for this tour de force is the one and only Irina Muresanu. And, tucked in the middle, like a merry melodic intermission, is Roussanova’s Festival Celebration Music, rewritten for orchestra and premiering on the Phil stage. Just for you!
The Question of Sound
Plymouth South High School Performing Arts Center, 490 Long Pond Road, Plymouth, MA
7:30 pm
Pre-Concert Talk with Steven Karidoyanes at 6:30 PM, Free for ticket holders
London 1795. The undisputed superstar was Haydn, now in his sixties. His final symphony, a triumphant farewell to the city that adored him, premiered at the King’s Theatre and was an instant success. It’s everything you’d expect from a genius at the pinnacle of his career and— to no one’s surprise— is as popular today as it was centuries ago. The other pieces surprise and delight. Ives brings featured players into the audience, immersing you in a musical conversation among instruments. An out-of-this world concerto features the iconic instrument from the 50s sci-fi classic, The Day the Earth Stood Still. And you’ll discover a new suite that was “lost” for some time—until we found it!
An American Soundtrack
Plymouth Memorial Hall, 83 Court Street Plymouth, MA
7:00 pm
Celebrate the sounds that have defined generations of American Music. Our very LIVE orchestra is ready to raise the roof with a program that’s all about rhythm, movement, and musical joy. Our pops playlist salutes the music that pulled Americans out of their chairs and onto the dance floor to Two-Step, Turkey Trot, and swing to the Charleston, Jitterbug and Carolina Shag. That’s right. Scott Joplin and Glenn Miller, the Kings of Ragtime and Swing, will be in the house, setting America’s fun-loving mood to music with big bold brass, smooth winds, sensational strings, and a rhythm section that can’t be beat. We’ll also perform medleys from Broadway’s best like The Music Man, Wicked and Hamilton. RSVP today! We may not have 76 trombones, but this will be an absolutely unforgettable American musical parade!
Hometown Holiday
Plymouth Memorial Hall, 83 Court Street Plymouth, MA
December 12 at 3:00 pm/7:30 pm, December 13 at 1:00 pm/5:00 pm
It’s beginning to look like—another jolly Phil Holiday! We’ve, wrapped up your favorite tunes, cued the chorus, and decked the hall for our annual The March of the Toys parade. Plus, our good friend Matthew Anderson will pop in to sing Winter Wonderland, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, and selections from Handel’s Messiah. Yes, it’s the most wonderful time of the year—and the 80th Anniversary of It’s a Wonderful Life! Every year, we tune in to Frank Capra’s holiday classic to see how George Bailey finds joy again. This time, we’ll tune into the movie’s memorable soundtrack and close with an Auld Lang Syne sing-along. After all, it wouldn’t be a party without friends like you!
Bonus Time! Bring an unwrapped gift and join our The March of the Toys community parade of giving to benefit the Children’s Holiday Fund.
The Brockton Symphony Orchestra (BrSO)
The Brockton Symphony Orchestra is turning 100, and we're celebrating with a season as grand and joyful as the milestone itself! Our 2025–2026 Season is a vibrant musical journey filled with thrilling works that honor our past, celebrate the present, and look boldly toward the future. Each concert is a tribute to a century of artistry, community, and memorable performances. Raise your voice, lift your spirit, and join us as we toast 100 incredible years - and 100 more to come - with the music that has made the BrSO a cherished treasure of Greater Brockton.
The schedule is subject to change. Please check the BrSO website at brocktonsymphony.org for updates and ticket information.
Masterworks 1 - The Planets
Christ Congregational Church, 1350 Pleasant Street, Brockton, MA
Performing Anna Thorvalldsdottir's 'Metacosmos' and Gustav Holst's 'The Planets'.
Fiedler's Holiday Pops
Christ Congregational Church, 1350 Pleasant Street, Brockton, MA
There’s nothing like experience of hearing a live concert near your neighborhood. Celebrate the holidays together with your family and friends!
Chamber Orchestra Concert - Transatlantic Romantics
Christ Congregational Church, 1350 Pleasant Street, Brockton, MA
Performing Clarice Assad's 'Impressions for string orchestra', Jacques Ibert's 'Concertino for Saxophone and Chamber Orchestra' with Damion Sampath Jr. on the alto saxophone, Robert Schumann's 'Cello Concerto in A minor' with Angel Cheng, winner of the 2025 Youth Competition, on cello and Jean Sibelius's 'Valse Triste'.
theater/dance
Fowl Player Productions
The Fowl Player Productions (formally known as the "First Parish Players") are a non profit 501C3 company that was founded in the summer of 2016 by Bridgewater resident and BSU graduate Tony Winters as a place for actors of all levels of experience to feel welcome and to be allowed to live out their on-stage dreams.
Five Women Wearing the Same Dress, a play by Allan Ball
First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church, 50 School Street Bridgewater, MA 02324
November 13, 14, 20 & 21 at 7:00 pm and November 15 & 22 at 2:00 pm
During an ostentatious 1990s wedding reception at a Knoxville estate, five reluctant, identically clad bridesmaids escape to an upstairs bedroom, each with her own reason to avoid the reception.
BSU Box Office
Schedule is subject to change. Please visit the BSU Box Office website at www.BSUtix.com for updates and ticket information.
WinterDance 2026
Rondileau Student Union Auditorium, 19 Park Avenue, Bridgewater, MA
December 4 & 5 at 7:30 pm, December 6 at 2:00 pm
BSU Dance celebrates life, art, and dance in this concert featuring dazzling choreography from faculty, guest artists, and advanced students.
exhibitions
The Wallace L. Anderson Gallery
All exhibitions free and open to the public. Learn more at bsuarts.com
Stephen Smalley
Henricus VIII Redux New Work
September 8 - 29, Reception on Wednesday, September 23, 4:00 - 7:00 pm
Flora T. Little Art Gallery, Bridgewater Public Library, 15 South Street, Bridgewater, MA
Following his Spring '22 exhibition at BSU's Anderson Gallery, Dr. Smalley has expanded his long-standing Henry VIII theme and new works, still inspired by Holbein's portraits of the Tudor monarch, will include a subset of mixed media miniatures on handmade paper. Also included are other paintings, a miniature assemblage and a historical book about Henry VIII whose cover was designed by Smalley.
DEC
Wally Pacholka
Beneath the Stars
September - December 2026
Maxwell Library, 2nd floor lounge, 10 Shaw Road, Bridgewater, MA
There are moments in life when wonder arrives quietly. For Wally Pacholka, that moment came during the long winter nights of rural Quebec, Canada, in 1963. As a young teenager delivering newspapers beneath crystalline skies, he found himself looking upward rather than ahead. The stars became his companions, their silent brilliance revealing a universe of extraordinary beauty. In those solitary hours, Pacholka discovered a lifelong calling—a profound reverence for the night sky.
OCT
Douglas Breault
Skin to Skin
August 24 - October 23, Artist Talk and Reception on September 16 4:00 - 6:00 pm
Wallace Anderson Gallery, 40 School Street, Bridgewater, MA
The Wallace L. Anderson Gallery is pleased to announce skin to skin, a solo exhibition of new work by Bridgewater State University alumnus and studio art professor Douglas Breault. This new body of photographs and sculptures navigates love, fear, and human connection through the lens of fatherhood.