Needham Merchants Gearing up For "Second Saturday."

The Needham Merchants Association announced their Second Saturday initiative, aimed at driving local business one weekend per month.

  How do you spend the second Saturday of the month? A local business organization hopes you'll take time to Discover Needham once a month. This weekend, the Needham Merchants Association (NMA) sponsors Second Saturday. They are declaring an ongoing version of Small Business Saturday, starting this Saturday, March 9, and every second Saturday of the month. Whether you're going out for dinner, or shopping at local businesses, you will find some stores with special deals, and others will have goodies for customers, according to an announcement on the Discover Needham site.  For more information, see the Needham Merchants Association Facebook page, and the Discover Needham website.  Here are a couple of the deals we've heard about from local …

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Chair Auction a 'Night To Remember'

More than 40 pieces of artwork, among other items, were sold on Saturday, Sept. 29.

Needham Director of Economic Development Devra Bailin shared this recap of last weekend's "A Chair To Remember" auction event. Several of the chairs sold brought in more than $500 each. Funds raised will go toward scholarships for local high school students and town beautification projects. ---- By Devra Bailin, Needham Economic Development Director On Saturday, Sept. 29, the Needham community gathered in the festooned James Hugh Powers Hall, surrounded by the unique Adirondack chairs of “A Chair to Remember” and the music of talented Needham High School musicians, and celebrated the collaborative effort of local merchants, restaurateurs and community groups who purchased the chairs designed and painted by Needham artists.  More than 30 …

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PHOTOS: Last Look at Needham's Adirondack Chairs

More than 40 unique public art pieces will be auctioned off this Saturday to benefit town beautification projects and high school scholarships.

Last spring, a group of Needham business owners got together and decided to launch a new project designed to bring visitors to the downtown area. Their plan: To partner Needham businesses and artists to create dozens of unique pieces that could be viewed around town throughout the summer. The "A Chair To Remember" project was a huge success, as more than 40 chairs were completed and put on display all over Needham. Now, local residents have the opportunity to bring one or a few of those chairs home during a special event on Saturday, Sept. 29. Held from 6-9 p.m. in the second-floor Powers Hall inside Needham Town Hall, the event will feature music, refreshments and silent and live auctions. Along with the chairs, items such as Celtics …

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Meet the Artist: A Shared Vision

Patch profiles the creative minds behind the Needham Merchants Association's Adirondack project.

The Needham Merchants Association's "A Chair To Remember" project brings together local artists, businesses and organizations in an effort to draw more people downtown and encourage them to shop local. Placed throughout downtown Needham, each Adirondack chair has its own theme and was painted by a local artist. The chairs will be auctioned off at an event in September, with proceeds to benefit town beautification projects and local students. Needham Patch will be profiling some of the artists behind these creations throughout the summer. Today, we chat with Robin Carroll, who with fellow artist Amy Schupler Veaner designed a chair for The Art Emporium. Want to own this chair? Bid on it at the auction set Sept. 29. For a full list of chairs…

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Adirondack Chair Auction Set Sept. 29

Bid on many of the colorful chairs that were on display around Needham this summer.

After seeing the colorful Adirondack chairs around Needham this summer, local residents will have the opportunity to bring one or two of them home at an upcoming silent and live auction scheduled Saturday, Sept. 29 at Needham Town Hall. The "A Chair To Remember" auction event will feature celebrity emcee and auctioneer Susan Wornick of WCVB. All of the uniquely painted chairs—about 50—and a variety of other items will be auctioned off at the event, with proceeds to benefit town beautification projects and scholarships for local youth. All the chairs will be on display in Powers Hall on the second floor of Needham Town Hall from Tuesday, Sept. 25 through the day of the auction. The event will begin with a silent auction and cocktail hour …

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Meet the Artist: Chair Encourages Viewers To Sit Back and Relax

Patch profiles the creative minds behind the Needham Merchants Association's Adirondack project.

The Needham Merchants Association's "A Chair To Remember" project brings together local artists, businesses and organizations in an effort to draw more people downtown and encourage them to shop local. Placed throughout downtown Needham, each Adirondack chair has its own theme and was painted by a local artist. The chairs will be auctioned off at an event in September, with proceeds to benefit town beautification projects and local students. Needham Patch will be profiling some of the artists behind these creations throughout the summer. This week, we chat with Naomi Wilsey, whose "Calm Vista" piece can be seen at The Grey Goose. For a full list of chairs, artists and locations, click here. ----- Title: "Calm Vista" Artist: Naomi Y. Wilsey…

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Meet the Artist: Chair Celebrates Needham History

Patch profiles the creative minds behind the Needham Merchants Association's Adirondack project.

The Needham Merchants Association's "A Chair To Remember" project brings together local artists, businesses and organizations in an effort to draw more people downtown and encourage them to shop local. Placed throughout downtown Needham, each Adirondack chair has its own theme and was painted by a local artist. The chairs will be auctioned off at an event in September, with proceeds to benefit town beautification projects and local students. Needham Patch will be profiling some of the artists behind these creations throughout the summer. Today, we chat with Jan Dolan, whose chair can be seen at Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, in the main lobby. For a full list of chairs, artists and locations, click here. ----- Title: "Needham's …

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Meet the Artist: Liz Gribin and Her 'Bluebird of Happiness'

Patch profiles the creative minds behind the Needham Merchants Association's Adirondack project.

The Needham Merchants Association's "A Chair To Remember" project brings together local artists, businesses and organizations in an effort to draw more people downtown and encourage them to shop local. Placed throughout downtown Needham, each Adirondack chair has its own theme and was painted by a local artist. The chairs will be auctioned off at an event in September, with proceeds to benefit town beautification projects and local students. Needham Patch will be profiling some of the artists behind these creations throughout the summer. Today, we chat with Liz Gribin, whose chair can be seen at the Needham Community Council. For a full list of chairs, artists and locations, click here. ----- Title: "Bluebird Of Happiness" Artist: Liz …

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Needham's 'Sizzling Sidewalk Sale' Set Aug. 11

Economic Development Director Devra Bailin encourages shoppers to visit the downtown this weekend and explains why residents should shop locally.

Shoppers will have quite a few reasons to stop by Needham businesses this Saturday. Not only is it a sales tax-free weekend, thanks to a recent vote by the Massachusetts Legislature, but there will also be all kinds of deals offered at local businesses as part of Needham's 2012 Sizzling Sidewalk Sale. Sales will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 11. Shoppers can look for the "Discover Needham, Local First" logo in store windows to know exactly where special deals will be offered. In addition, shoppers can pick up the free Discover Needham Gold Card at participating businesses to enjoy discounts throughout the year. Below is a letter written about the upcoming event by Needham Economic Development Director Devra Bailin. In it, Bailin talks…

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