The water and the towels were out in full force Saturday in Sharon, despite temperatures only in the mid-to-high 60s. Heights Elementary School students and Sharon High School football players both held car washes as fundraisers in their respective school parking lots. Both groups charged $5 per car. The proceeds from the 2nd Annual Heights Hope Project car wash and lemonade stand will benefit Birthday Wishes, a nonprofit company that brings the magic of a birthday party to thousands of homeless children each year.

Sharon residents had plenty of reasons to be outside Saturday, beyond the beautiful weather. In Sharon Center alone on Saturday morning, people saw: The Unitarian and First Congregational churches holding yard sales, as did the Sharon Historical Society Sharon Lions collecting motorists' donations for eye research The Friends of the Sharon Public Library selling books, in the library's Cynthia B. Fox Community Room Across town, at the Sharon Community Center, the Sharon Garden Club sold plants grown from its members' gardens. And Saturday afternoon, at Veterans Memorial Park Beach, Sharon …

Santa Claus came to Sharon on Dec. 3, and the Christmas spirit never left town. Community members repeatedly shared cups of holiday cheer the past three weeks: from the First Congregational Church of Sharon's annual evergreen bazaar, Christmas tree sale and tree lighting; to the Sharon Concert Band's annual holiday concert; to the Sharon Adult Center and Council on Aging's holiday party, where the Sharon High School Show Choir sung carols. Here are highlights from some of Sharon's Christmas events. And Sharon Patch hopes Santa has brought its readers everything on their wish list.

For four days, visitors to Temple Israel of Sharon glimpsed the eclectic side of Israeli culture. The Festival of Israeli Art exhibit from Jerusalem's Safrai Fine Art Gallery appeared at the synagogue from Thursday through Sunday. The gallery does exhibits with synagogues nationwide as fundraisers, gallery owner Menachem Safrai said Sunday. The gallery's last event here was 12 years ago, he said. "What's nice about Israeli art is it's eclectic," Safrai said. "There's not one style. There is an unbelievable amount of different styles and colors and techniques by various artists who come from …

The latest sign in Sharon that Christmas is near arrived Sunday night. The First Congregational Church of Sharon's Christmas tree now glows. The church's annual tree lighting drew carolers for "Deck the Halls", "Silent Night" and other holiday favorites.

Temple Sinai of Sharon was stuffed today, just under two weeks before Thanksgiving. The annual Thanksgiving dinner that the Rotary Club of Sharon and the Masons sponsored for Sharon seniors drew a large portion of the community. Rotarians and Masons prepared and served the meal while a local musical group performed. Several guests donated canned goods to the Ilsa Marks Food Pantry.

Sharon High School's senior varsity field hockey, soccer and volleyball players had their last regular-season home matches this week. Each senior received a rose from their coach, during special pre-game ceremonies honoring the opposition's seniors as well. Sharon Patch captured the festivities on film. Players and parents who would like free copies of their photos should e-mail Michael.Gelbwasser@patch.com.

Some highlights from Sharon High School's varsity football game Saturday show teachers scoring bouquets. And Sharon Athletic Director Robert Sondheim being surprised with an honor. Six Sharon High captains and teachers were honored at halftime in the school's Birds of a Feather program, which, Principal Jose Libano said, Sondheim established and which "gives team captains a chance to publicly honor individuals that have had an impact on their lives during their years in the Sharon schools." The captains and the teachers walked across the field, arm in arm, to where the football cheerleaders …

Some hikers at Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary exercised their sense of smell Sunday. When in bloom, Pepperbush found along the new Pepperbush Loop is "really fragrant," Moose Hill Education Coordinator Patti Austin said. "When it's in bloom, you take the flowers off, add a little water, it suds up like soap," she said.

Deciding how to spend the hot Sunday in Sharon was as hard as choosing a Crescent Ridge Dairy Bar ice cream flavor. Residents did that, too. Sharon High School National Honor Society members held a car wash fundraiser in the school's main parking lot. The Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary hosted a mushroom talk and search led by mycologist Dr. Lawrence Millman, whose new book, "Fascinating Fungi of New England" was for sale, too. The Crescent Ridge Dairy Bar held a fundraiser for Sharon Ladder #1, the town's first fire truck. The proceeds from the sale of Crescent Ridge's new maple syrup sundae, …

The Sharon Youth Baseball and Softball Association held a Fall Frenzy softball tournament Friday night through Sunday at the Ames Street Fields. Open to 10U, 12U and 14U teams, such tournaments are fundraisers for SYBSA. Here are some scenes from Sunday's action.

George Castar and Ruth Adjorlolo showed visitors to the Lakeside Gallery at the Sharon Adult Center on Wednesday night that creativity is ageless. The new "Creativity is Ageless" exhibit features Castar's photographs and Adjorlolo's watercolors, and drew a crowd for Wednesday night's opening reception. Halcyon Winds classic duet Rebecca Rubin and Steve Straus performed as well. The exhibit runs from Aug. 16 to Oct. 11. The exhibit is Castar's first, according to an event flier. None of his photos are for sale. Adjorlolo has 22 works in the show, all for sale. They include "Radiant Summer," a …

Watches, lawn chairs and beach towels were essentials when traveling to the intersection of Sharon's Beach and Pond streets this summer. The watches made sure visitors got to Sharon's two summer concert series early enough to snare good locations for their seats. Sharon's 24th annual Summer Lakeside Concert Series ran every Wednesday night at the Memorial Park Beach bandstand from early July to last week. Resident Lee Shapiro organized it for the Sharon Recreation Department. Next door, Beech Tree Park's Concerts in the Park series ran every other Sunday starting June 12 and ending last …

Clapping on the Memorial Park Beach bandstand and by the audience amid the Lake Massapoag waves ended Sharon's Wednesday night summer concert series for the season. Washboard Slim and the Blue Lights brought a jug full of tunes for the finale of Sharon's 24th annual Summer Lakeside Concert Series. Resident Lee Shapiro organized the series for the Sharon Recreation Department. Jay and Iris Rothberg were recognized as the Sharon Recreation Advisory Committee's 2011 Citizens of the Year at the start of the show.

Wednesday night featured "Another Rainy Day" at Sharon's Memorial Park Beach. Occidental Gypsy found itself playing before a standing-room-only crowd -- standing on the bandstand, around the band, to escape severe rain. Fittingly, the group performed "Another Rainy Day," from its' "Over Here" CD. It was the latest in the 24th annual Summer Lakeside Concert Series. Organized by Shapiro for the Sharon Recreation Department, this summer's series ends with Washboard Slim and the Blue Lights at 7 p.m. next Wednesday at the Memorial Park Beach bandstand. Inclement weather would move the concert to …

Sharon's Memorial Park Beach turned into Margaritaville in spirit Wednesday night. The Island Castaways Band provided that spirit, playing a mix of original and popular Trop Rock tunes, some by Jimmy Buffett. The show was part of Sharon Recreation's 24th annual Summer Lakeside Concert Series. Organized by resident Lee Shapiro for the Sharon Recreation Department, the rest of the weekly concert series schedule is: Aug. 10: Occidental Gypsy Band Aug. 17: Washboard Slim and the Blue Lights Each concert starts at 7 p.m. at the Memorial Park Beach bandstand. Inclement weather would move the …

Sharon's Beach Street briefly felt like Route 66 on Wednesday night. The Roy Scott Big Band performed a variety of tunes, including from the early 1960s TV drama "Route 66," at the Memorial Park Beach bandstand. Led by Music Director Steve Bell, the band was joined by vocalist Ruth Debrot, the Sharon Middle School chorus director. The show was the second in this summer's weekly Lakeside Concert Series, organized by resident Lee Shapiro for the Sharon Recreation Department. The rest of the concert series schedule is: Aug. 3: Island Castaways Aug. 10: Occidental Gypsy Band Aug. 17: Washboard …

The sun came out for the Planet's stay at Sharon's Memorial Park Beach bandstand Wednesday night. Planet Zydeco brought its brand of Creole dance music for the latest part of Sharon Recreation's 24th annual Summer Lakeside Concert Series. The sunshine and summer warmth filled the audience with beach towels and lawn chairs. The show was the third in this summer's weekly Lakeside Concert Series, organized by resident Lee Shapiro for the Sharon Recreation Department. The rest of the concert series schedule is: July 27: Sharon Community Band Aug. 3: Island Castaways Aug. 10: Occidental Gypsy Band…

A soaked Memorial Park Beach didn't stop Cuban music from being absorbed there Wednesday night. Grupo Fantasia took the bandstand shortly after an evening commute thunderstorm that had threatened to move the concert into the Sharon Community Center. The show was the second in this summer's weekly Lakeside Concert Series, organized by resident Lee Shapiro for the Sharon Recreation Department. The rest of the concert series schedule is: July 20: Planet Zydeco July 27: Sharon Community Band Aug. 3: Island Castaways Aug. 10: Occidental Gypsy Band Aug. 17: Washboard Slim and the Blue Lights Each …

A train pulled into Sharon Wednesday night, and people swayed. Sharon Katz and the Peace Train's South African music opened Sharon's 24th annual Summer Lakeside Concert Series at the Memorial Park Beach bandstand. Music fans filled lawn chairs and beach towels around the bandstand. The rest of the concert series schedule is: July 13: Grupo Fantasia July 20: Planet Zydeco July 27: Sharon Community Band Aug. 3: Island Castaways Aug. 10: Occidental Gypsy Band Aug. 17: Washboard Slim and the Blue Lights Each concert starts at 7 p.m. at the Memorial Park Beach bandstand. Inclement weather would …