Groton kicks off the fall season with Grotonfest Saturday, Sept. 24, with a rain date of Sunday, Sept. 25. The event takes place on Legion Common in Groton from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Those providing entertainment will include Fiddlin’ Quinn and his Big Folks Band, magician CJ Diamond, and the Nashoba Valley Dance Academy. Police Chief Donald Palma and Fire Chief Steele McCurdy will introduce all the performers and possibly a few local and state celebrities. There will be more than 160 craft and artisan booths featuring local businesses. Food will be available for purchase from a variety of restaurants, including Gibbet Hill Grill and Bailey’s Bar and Grill. The festival is free and handicap accessible. For more information, visit www.grotonfest.com.

The Fay School, a private day and boarding school in Southborough, will be launching The Early Learning Center in September 2017. The new program will be geared for children age 2 years 9 months through age 5. It will be an extension of its current pre-K program, which features small class sizes and a nurturing and structured setting. There will be a range of schedules including full- and half-day options and three- and five-day weeks. Registration is currently being accepted for the next school year. There will be monthly information sessions, beginning with one Oct. 19 at 9 a.m. at the Fay School’s Primary School building.

Brookline is now home to a new Hilton Homewood Suites. Construction on the 130-room hotel was completed Sept. 12. Hilton officials say it features more than 100,000 square feet of space, new terraces, a swimming pool, and an all-suite layout. The format is a prototype for Hilton intended to give guests more of the comforts of home. The project was led by Tocci Building Companies and involved architects from Group One Partners Inc. and mechanical and electrical engineers from R.W. Sullivan Engineering. Hilton Homewood Suites is at 111 Boylston St.

The Shops at Chestnut Hill, an upscale two-level shopping center, has expanded its offerings. On Sept. 8, a ribbon-cutting event was held for a new Starbucks on the upper level of the mall. Earlier this summer, Hanna Andersson, a children’s clothing store specializing in organic cotton materials, opened as well. The shopping center now includes more than 50 specialty retailers and a variety of food options.

Debora Almeida can be reached at debora.almeida@globe.com.