LIVELY MUSIC FOR WINTER NIGHTS Singer-songwriter John Gorka returns to the Circle of Friends Coffeehouse in Franklin on Saturday, Jan. 9, at 8 p.m., with New York City songwriter Honor Finnegan opening. Though Gorka is perhaps not a household name himself, many of the artists who have performed and recorded his songs are, including Mary Chapin Carpenter, Nanci Griffith, Mary Black, and Maura O’Connell. The Circle of Friends Coffeehouse is at the First Universalist Society Meetinghouse, 262 Chestnut St., Franklin. Doors open at 7:30 p.m.; beverages and gourmet desserts will be available for purchase. Admission is $25. To purchase tickets or for more information, call 508-528-2541 or go to www.circlefolk.org.

Guy Van Duser and Billy Novick, a performing duo for more than 40 years who have appeared in concerts, clubs, and festivals all over North America and Europe as well as on “Prairie Home Companion’’ and NPR’s “All Things Considered,’’ perform at Amazing Things Arts Center in Framingham on Saturday, Jan. 9, at 8 p.m. Their music is based around Van Duser’s innovative finger-style guitar picking, and his ability to play bass lines, chords, and melodies all at the same time, while Novick provides inventive and soulful clarinet accompaniment influenced by jazz. Tickets are $20. For tickets or more information, call 508-405-2787 or go to www.amazingthings.org. Amazing Things Arts Center is located at 160 Hollis St., Framingham.

PANCAKE BREAKFAST At the height of the harvest season, Steve Verrill knows he doesn’t have to worry much about marketing. Locals and visitors alike pour into the farmstand at Verrill Farm in Concord to get their fill of fresh summer produce such as corn, tomatoes, lettuce, herbs, and flowers.

Inspiring people to support their local farmers is a bit more of a challenge in the gloomy chill of winter, which is one reason Verrill Farm populates its off-season calendar with events such a Pancake Breakfast on Saturday, Jan. 9, with another one scheduled for Feb. 6.

After all, points out Verrill, co-owner of the farm that has been in his family for nearly 100 years, the farm is up and running 12 months a year. Not only are the farmers hard at work, either in the fields cutting hay or behind their desks ordering seeds and preparing for the next planting season, but the farmstand has fresh produce even off-season. Maple syrup, grass-fed beef, and root crops such as potatoes, beets, carrots, kohlrabi, and celery root are just a few of the fresh, locally grown goods that shoppers will find at Verrill Farm in the winter.

And though it may sound counterintuitive, being on a farm is a good way to counteract the gloom of winter, Verrill said. “We serve breakfast sandwiches every Saturday and Sunday morning, and people can eat in our heated greenhouse, amidst the plants with the sunlight pouring in.’’

The greenhouse is also the setting for the Pancake Breakfast, featuring pancakes, Massachusetts maple syrup, bacon or sausage, juice, and milk or coffee. Everyone who comes to the breakfast is entered in a drawing for a Verrill Farm BBQ Dinner for 4. Admission is $8 for adults, $4.50 for children under 10.

Other upcoming events include cooking classes for adults and kids and a special menu of Super Bowl treats available for takeout from the farmstand, as well as an ongoing winter promotion through which anyone who purchases a quart of smashed potatoes gets a free roasted chicken to go with it. Verrill Farm is located at 11 Wheeler Road, Concord. Winter hours are Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sundays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 978-369-4494 or go to www.verrillfarm.com.

PEACE OF MIND The Newton Free Library welcomes the new year with a new Mindfulness Series, beginning with a lecture titled “Being Mindful: The Secret to Pure Performance in Work, Love, and Play’’ on Tuesday, Jan. 5, at 7 p.m. Presenter George Mumford, a favorite personal coach of professional athletes including Michael Jordan, will discuss his approach to dialing down, relaxing, and finding more enjoyment in life. The series will continue Thursday, Feb. 18, at 7 p.m. when Nancy Waring of Lesley College will speak about “The Philosophy and History of Mindfulness.’’ Admission is free. The library is located at 330 Homer St., Newton. For more information, call 617-796-1360 or go to www.newtonfreelibrary.net.

STORY HOUR Gore Place, the Georgian-era mansion that once belonged to Massachusetts Governor Christopher Gore, welcomes preschoolers ages 3 and 4 (with an adult) to a story time on Wednesday, Jan. 6, from 10 to 11 a.m. The theme is shapes, with an emphasis on finding and identifying shapes within the mansion. A story, a game, and a craft will all be included. Admission is $10 per child, and registration is required. To register or for more information, go to http://preschoolstorytime.bpt.me or call 781-894-2798. Gore Place is located at 52 Gore St., Waltham.

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