Events Return To Natick Center In 2022, Except July 4th Parade

NATICK, MA — The Natick Common this spring will spring back to life with a series of events planned for the warmer months.

The Natick Select Board on Wednesday will likely approve the use of the common this summer for the Natick Center Cultural District farmers market, the cultural district's Natick Nights series and the Recreation and Parks Department's summer concert series.

In-person events returned to Natick Center in 2021 following a hiatus in 2020 due to the pandemic. However, one notable event will again not be back in 2022: the Natick 4th Independence Day parade.

The Natick 4th board said it does not have enough resources to host a parade in 2022. The event did not happen in either 2020 and 2021.

"Unfortunately, we were not able to hold the parade in 2020 or 2021 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic and associated financial changes for sponsors. Our group has now decreased to six volunteers and no longer has the bandwidth or resources to plan, fundraise for, or produce a parade," the group said in a message on the Natick 4th website.

If approved by the Select Board, the farmers market will begin its outdoor period on Saturdays (7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.) on May 7 and running through Sept. 24. Natick Nights will begin on June 2 and happen every Thursday through the end of July.

The town's summer concert series will also be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from June 30 to Aug. 11. The concert series will feature 12 performances in 2022 compared to 10 in 2021, according to the current schedule.