Town Manager Weekly Update - December 4, 2025
Elaine Lazarus
So many things are happening in Hopkinton this weekend! Some of them are listed below.
Saturday, December 6 and Sunday, December 7
9:00 am - 4:00 pm Saturday, and 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm Sunday - Friends of the Library Book Sale, Public Library, 13 Main St. Look for deals Sunday afternoon! They accept cash, check, credit card or new this year; Venmo.
10:00 am - 1:00 pm Saturday - Hopkinton Center for the Arts Festival of Lights: Hopkinton Lights Up as One. 98 Hayden Rowe. Activities include lantern making and clay lamp painting crafts. Attendees will learn about the significance of light in world cultures, festivals and faiths at this free event. For more information, visit hopartscenter.org/events.
10:00 am - 3:00 pm Saturday - The Hopkinton Center for the Arts hosts its annual Holiday Marketplace, at 98 Hayden Rowe. Attendees can browse the creations of more than 40 local artisans, featuring everything from pottery and jewelry to gift baskets, home décor and more while supporting local talent.
Hopkinton Chamber of Commerce Holiday Stroll, on Saturday Dec. 6.
Go from store to store by foot or cover much more mileage by using your own vehicle. Take a ride on a horse drawn carriage around the Common, watch the ice sculpture creation and stay for the annual Tree lighting on the Hopkinton Town Common that evening. There will be sales, specials, contests, treats and promotions to make your holiday shopping easy and fun. Information about participating stores and sponsors: Holiday Stroll Community | hopchamber. Chamber businesses all over town will have activities and treats and more as you get your Passport stamped!
On the Town Common:
- A Free horse-drawn carriage ride around the Town Common from Noon - 3:00 pm
- Ice sculpture demonstration & creation starting at 2:00 pm
- Join the Girl Scouts on the Common to celebrate the season with community, cocoa, vendors, kids crafts and caroling! Santa will arrive on the Horse and Carriage at 3:30 pm for photos and the tree lighting will take place at 4:30 pm!
At the Library - Harpist Sam Seitz returns from 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm. The Board of Library Trustees will be handing out cider and donuts from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm or while supplies last!
Sunday, December 7, 11:00 am - 2:00 pm at Weston Nurseries, 93 East Main St. Farmers Market, every Sunday. The website includes information and a list of vendors. Hopkinton Farmers Market
Next Week and Beyond:
10:00 am on Saturday, December 13 - The Hopkinton Trails Club will host a guided walk at Highland Park/Saddle Hill. This trail system, tucked in and around a residential neighborhood, offers level paths, climbs, views, forests and more. The route is a nearly three-mile loop, following the Greenwood, Sands, Saddle Hill and Betty Fitzpatrick trails. It should take about 2 1/2 hours, with stops to enjoy vistas. Participants will meet at the Emerald Hills East soccer field parking lot (across from 48 Greenwood Road). For more information, visit hopkintontrailsclub.com.
Eyes on Owls Live Animal Show - Saturday, December 20 from 3:00 pm - 4:15 pm. Join Marcia and Mark Wilson from Eyes On Owls at the Hopkinton Public Library for a live owl program! Attendees will learn about owls' unique adaptations, habits, and behaviors in the wild. Everyone gets to practice the owls' calls during lively hooting lessons and hear tips on how you can find owls near you. The Wilsons will bring 6 live owls for the audience to observe, as they perch safely on Marcia's glove. This program is for ages 5+. Please note that children under the age of 9 must be accompanied at all times by a responsible person age 12 or older while visiting the library. Due to limited space, registration is required. Please visit hopkintonlibrary.org/calendar
Delayed Library Opening - On Friday, December 12 the Library will be closed from 9:00 am - 1:00 pm so that staff may participate in quarterly professional development. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause but look forward to helping you from 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm.
Hopkinton Organizing for Prevention (HOP) will be hosting a Dry January Mocktail Night at the Hopkinton Center for the Arts (HCA) on Friday, January 9! In honor of Dry January, parents are invited to enjoy live music, sample zero-proof mocktails, explore the art exhibits, and mingle with fellow community members. Reserve your tickets now via the HCA website at this link: https://www.hopartscenter.org/events
Police Sergeant Robert Ekross Promotion
At the Select Board meeting on December 2, Police Officer Robert Ekross was promoted to Sergeant. Sgt. Ekross has been with the Town since 2019 and serves as a Field Training Officer, Social Media Officer, Health and Wellness Team Member, and Ballistic Shield Instructor. He has a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Becker College and has several training certifications including Nonviolent Crisis Intervention (Certified Instructor), and High Performance Leadership. Congratulations Sergeant Ekross!
Photo: Sergeant Ekross, third from right
December Library Newsletter: https://groups.google.com/a/hopkintonma.gov/g/librarynewsletter/c/IvuyFBanh8A
Important Notice - CodeRed Emergency Notification System
Crisis24, the vendor behind Hopkinton’s CodeRED emergency notification system, recently experienced a nationwide cybersecurity incident affecting communities that use the service. The issue was isolated to Crisis24’s CodeRED environment; the attack was against CodeRED, not the Town of Hopkinton.
CodeRED is a voluntary system where residents may create an account to receive emergency alerts. As part of the incident, some user data - including phone numbers, email addresses, and passwords used for CodeRED accounts - may have been exposed.
Crisis24 has taken the affected system offline while they migrate all municipalities to their new platform. At this time, subscribers cannot log in or change their CodeRED passwords. Out of an abundance of caution, residents who may have reused their CodeRED password on other websites are encouraged to update those passwords on the other services.
The Town is monitoring updates from Crisis24 and has been in contact with the Commonwealth's State Police Fusion Center. This incident does not affect the federal Emergency Alert System (EAS), which remains fully operational.
account are public records unless qualified as an exemption under the
*Massachusetts Public Records Law
<http://www.sec.state.ma.us/pre/preidx.htm>*.