Wilmington's November happens in two places, one after the other. For the first two weeks, almost everything on the public calendar sits along Middlesex Avenue: a free craft fair at No. 112, the new Town Hall at No. 146, and the Town Common at No. 220. Starting Friday the 13th, the big weekends move to one building at 99 Fordham Road. Two outside organizers run three-day fairs there, and one of them charges at the gate. The two halves overlap on one Saturday, November 14. If you plan your weekends around that split, the month is easy to follow.
The Middlesex Avenue Half
This weekend starts on Middlesex Avenue. On Saturday, November 7, North Shore Vendor Events holds its 8th Annual Fall Into the Holidays vendor and craft fair. The organizer lists the date as full for vendors. The Patch listing for the fair puts it at the Knights of Columbus, 112 Middlesex Avenue, starting at 11 a.m. Other event listings give the hours as 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and show it as free.
The same stretch of road has changed this year. In January, Wilmington opened its new Town Hall and School Administration Building at 146 Middlesex Avenue. According to the Wilmington Town Crier, it stands directly in front of the former Buzzell School/Senior Center and across from Wilmington High School. The building is nearly 40,000 square feet. Town departments fill the first two floors, including the town clerk, recreation, planning, and the Board of Health, and school administration takes the third. Superintendent of Public Buildings Dennis Kelley told the paper the building "allows residents to come to one place and take care of almost anything they need." So November's civic errands and November's first holiday shopping now happen within a few street numbers of each other.
Here is how that half of the month lines up:
- No. 112, Knights of Columbus. Fall Into the Holidays, Saturday, November 7.
- No. 146, Town Hall. Open since January, with the town clerk and recreation offices under one roof.
- No. 220, Wilmington Town Common. Veterans Day ceremony, Wednesday, November 11.
The Veterans Day ceremony is the town's main civic event of the month. The Department of Veterans' Services invites all residents to the Common at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, November 11. Participants assemble at the Fourth of July parking lot at 10:45 a.m., as the department's announcement in Wilmington Apple explains. The town's event page names Tommy Fisher, commander of American Legion Post 136, as guest speaker. The department's contact line is 978-694-2040.
Earlier that morning there's a free breakfast for veterans. The Wilmington Sons and Daughters of Italy and Wilmington United Methodist Church will host veterans and a guest from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at the church, 87 Church Street. The town's listing for the breakfast asks for an RSVP by Friday, November 6, which is tomorrow for anyone reading this on publication day. The breakfast ends half an hour before the ceremony assembles. That's enough time to get from Church Street to the Fourth of July lot.
Everything on this side of the month is free, run by local groups, and over in a day. The Fordham Road events work differently.
Saturday the 14th, When Both Addresses Are Busy
On Friday, November 13, the Aleppo Shriners open their Feztival of Trees at 99 Fordham Road. The library on the Middlesex Avenue side has its fullest Saturday of the month on the 14th, so for one day both halves of town are running at once.
| Saturday, Nov. 14 | Where | Hours | Organizer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feztival of Trees | Aleppo Shrine Center, 99 Fordham Road | 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Aleppo Shriners |
| Fleece Fest coat exchange | Wilmington Memorial Library | 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Wilmington Memorial Library |
| "The Past is (a) Present" author talk and writer's workshop | Wilmington Memorial Library, Stewart Room | 2 to 3 p.m. | Wilmington Memorial Library |
Fleece Fest has a deadline before the 14th. The library is collecting lightly worn coats for kids, including babies and toddlers, and for teens through November 10. On the 14th, families can come back and pick out a coat, and they don't need to have donated one, according to the library's update in Wilmington Apple. That afternoon, local authors Carla Panciera and Jane Ward will read from their books and talk about the role the past plays in memoir, fiction, and poetry. A short writer's workshop follows, and the library's event calendar lists registration.
The Feztival hours give you room for both. It runs until 5 p.m. on Saturday, and on Sunday the 15th it's open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. You could drop off a coat during the week, pick one up Saturday morning, and leave the trees for Sunday.
Fordham Road Takes Over the Long Weekends
The building at 99 Fordham Road goes by two names depending on who is running the event. The Shriners list it as the Aleppo Shrine Center. Castleberry Fairs & Festivals calls it Shriners Auditorium. It hosts two of the month's three-day weekends, two weeks apart.
The Aleppo Shriners' March 2026 newsletter set the Feztival for November 13 to 15. It said the committee planned to expand the event this year, with more children's activities, hands-on DIY wreath decorating, and a Friday night kickoff to recognize sponsors. The same page promised decorated trees, holiday lights, food, Santa Claus, and a visit from the Grinch. It also said the Hons will craft and sell holiday items throughout the weekend. The newsletter describes the band unit as supporting Shriners Hospitals for Children. Questions about the Feztival go to [email protected].
Over Thanksgiving weekend, from November 27 to 29, the building hosts the 31st Annual Original Castleberry Faire. Fall Into the Holidays is in its 8th year, so Castleberry has been holding its fair at this time of year for more than two decades longer. It also charges admission, which the Middlesex Avenue fair doesn't. Details from Castleberry's event page, updated October 26:
- Hours. Friday, November 27, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Admission. $12 at the gate, $10 online plus service fees, or $10 at the gate with the event coupon. One admission covers all three days.
- Re-entry. Get your hand stamped before leaving to come back the same day. To come back on another day, bring your next-day pass.
- Logistics. Free on-site parking, held indoors rain or shine, and pets stay home.
The Friday opening is the earliest of any event in the month. Doors open at 9 a.m. the day after Thanksgiving, an hour before the Saturday and Sunday start times. Because one admission covers all three days, the $12 gate price buys a first look on Friday and a return trip over the weekend. Few other dates this month let you visit twice on one ticket.
The Saturday Between the Two Fairs
Between the Feztival and Castleberry, the calendar moves back to Middlesex Avenue for one more event that fits the craft theme. On Saturday, November 21, the library holds its Great Crafting Supply Giveaway from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Stewart Room. It's open to all ages and aimed at people making handmade holiday gifts. It falls one week after the Feztival's Saturday and six days before Castleberry opens. If you'd rather make gifts than buy them, that's the Saturday to stock up.
Where the Season Goes After November
Once Castleberry closes on November 29, the holiday calendar moves back to the Common. Last year's Town of Wilmington Tree Lighting Ceremony was held Saturday, December 6, 2025, from 4 to 7 p.m. at 220 Middlesex Avenue, and the Wilmington Fourth of July Committee hosted it, as the Wilmington Town Crier reported. The 2025 program included caroling by the Wilmington High School a cappella group Soundscape, a horse-drawn hayride, and the Wilmington Minutemen with lanterns. Santa arrived at 5:45 p.m. to lead the countdown, and the Wilmington Fire Department collected new, unwrapped toys. Parking was at the high school, the Fourth of July Building, and the library. The Fourth of July lot on that list is also where Veterans Day participants assemble on November 11.
For the summer version of the town calendar, see our Wilmington summer week post. More about the town is on the Wilmington neighborhood page.
If you're thinking about listing a Wilmington home this winter, the town calendar affects when it makes sense to schedule photos and open houses. November 14 and Thanksgiving weekend already have a lot going on across town. Jodi Fitzgerald has been working this market since 1991 and will plan your dates around them with you. Schedule a free consultation.
