Photo Credits: J Grenier
Monson Collaborative
OUR MISSION: To bring together and promote Monson businesses and organizations in support of outdoor recreation, the arts and food tourism.
OUR VISION: Monson is at the frontier of the North Woods, known for its natural beauty, outdoor recreation, food and arts. It is fueled by a collaborative, welcoming community that nurtures its cultural heritage, ingenuity, and resilience while preserving its family friendly small town charm.
ANNUAL EVENTS
January 1st
New Year’s Day Celebration
Snow Roller Day
Monson Collaborative Entrepreneur Expo
Saturday June 7, 2025 at the Monson Gym
Nosin’ Round Monson
June 7th, 2025
First Weekend of October
UPCOMING EVENTS!!
Thursday, April 17, 4:30pm - Book Club, Monson Public Library - Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann. (Postponed from March.)
Thursday, April 24, 4:30pm – Monson Historical Society meeting Monson Historical Society.
Thursday, April 24, 6pm – Selectboard meeting (rescheduled from April 10) Co-working space.
Saturday, April 26, 9am - Noon – Town Wide Cleanup Day Help out by picking up trash in Monson’s public areas and roadsides. Select your area to clean up and get a trash bag next to theTown Office between 9am - 10am. Students needing Community Service hours are welcome! No fees for all household, yard, and demo waste at the Monson Transfer Station for Monson residents with current permit - ONE free load per family.
Saturday, April 26, 2pm - Trivia at Turning Page Farm Brewery Bring your friends and play as a team or just one big brain is enough. Fun, friendly competition and prizes available.
Sunday, April 27 - June 1, 2pm - Annual Grand Prix of Cribbage Kickoff at Turning Page Farm Brewery - Enter two or more Sundays April 27 - May 18 and be eligible for the final round on June 1. Prizes each Sunday!
Tuesday, April 29 through June 2 - Town Office Sign ups open to be on the ballot for Selectboard and Associate Planning Board.
Friday, May 9, 5pm - 7pm - Monson Arts Gallery High School Student Presentations The exhibition will include visual art and writing completed throughout the year at Monson Arts.
Saturday, May 24, 10:00 - 2:00pm - Annual Beautification Committee Plant Sale – Next to the Lakeshore House. Support the Beautification Committee by shopping for your seedlings and more. Are you dividing perennials? If so, please consider donating what you dig up for us to include in the sale; please drop off before 10am.
June 7, Nosin’ ‘Round Monson – More info coming soon. Want to participate? Let John Wentworth know by April 20.
June 7, 4 - 6pm - Entrepreneur Expo – Monson Gym. The Monson Collaborative has designated $10,000 in entrepreneurial grant money to host our third local expo event where you will have the opportunity to pitch your business to the town to win micro-grants! Create a tabletop presentation to share your business, how much you are requesting and what it would be used for. This can be in whatever format you are comfortable with; oral, written, video, song, or dance! Let people quickly grasp what your business is all about!
On Saturday, June 7th, 2025, from 4:00 pm - 5:45 pm, applicants will set up in the Monson gym where the community will be able to get to know the entrepreneurs one-on-one, hear their pitches and make their votes! Winners will be revealed shortly after.
EVERYONE IS INVITED! Show up to support and learn about your neighbors’ businesses. Bring a dish to add to the potluck.
Click here for full eligibility details. Contact monsoncollaborative@gmail.com with questions.
Thursday, June 12, 8 - 5pm - Voting – Town Office.
Thursday, June 12, 4:30pm - 5:30pm - Town Supper – Monson Gym. Sit down with others to share a meal and conversation before the Town Meeting.
Thursday, June 12, 6pm - Town Meeting – Monson Gym.
Saturday, July 19 - Summerfest – Details to follow.
ONGOING EVENTS
Monday and Tuesday - Monson Health Center Saving Smiles is moving to Monson! Dental Hygiene Services Monday and Tuesday. Call 814-8109 to schedule your appointment.
Wednesday - 5pm - 8pm - Friendly cribbage at the Lakeshore House
Thursday 5:00pm - 8:00pm - Open Mic night at the Lakeshore House
Thursday, April 17, 4:30pm - Book Club, Monson Public Library - Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann. (Postponed from March.)
Second Thursday of each month - 6pm - Selectboard Meeting at the Town Office.
Friday - 6:30pm - 9:00pm - Monson Jammers. Join to listen or to play! Moore Building
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, 11am - 1pm - Cheese tastings of featured cheese of the month, Monson Gallery Store.
First Friday of each month, 4-6pm - Meet the Artist and Wine Tasting Event, Monson Gallery Store.
Last Saturday of each month, 2pm - Trivia at Turning Page Farm.
Sunday, 3:30pm - Friendly cribbage get together at Turning Page Farm. Join a game or just play side by side with others. Every Sunday year round
Who Are We?
An umbrella organization including representatives from town government, the Beautification Committee, Library, Business Association, Historical Society and local businesses. Our goal is to bring vitality to the downtown by supporting the needs of our community with the guiding principles of Main Street America, using the four-point approach.
Photo: J Grenier
This monthly newsletter is to share upcoming events and ask for community input. Have an event or happening you want to share? Send us an email and we’ll include it in our next Monson Collaborative Newsletter! monsoncollaborative@gmail.com
2024 Entrepeneur Expo Grant Winners
Friends of a Fierce Chase Officially a non-profit, the Fierce Chase trails offer 24-hour access to miles of maintained trails year-round, great for cross-country skiing, hiking, ATVing, and much more. By winning the expo grant, they have raised $3000 of the $10,000 they need to secure a $50,000 grant they will use to maintain trails year-round. To donate time or money, contact John Chase at friendsofafiercechase@gmail.com
JayBird Design Woodworking business on Pleasant Street that makes handmade guitars, cutting boards, bowls, and custom furniture. Check out their instagram and contact Jason here.
Kelly Forge Local blacksmith business with over ten years of experience in blacksmithing. Contact Zach at lorindamartin27@gmail.com for custom orders like home decor, knives and hooks, key chains, coat racks, and much more.
Leapin Lena's New business on Pleasant Street that will soon offer food and lodging for hikers and the public. Expecting to open in mid-June. Contact Adalena for more information.
Rest Day Sauna Group and private saunas are now available to the public in a hand-built 12-person sauna. Contact Jeneve and book your sauna here.
Please join us in congratulating these local entrepreneurs!
The Superior Service Heating & Cooling van arrived at The Lily Cat the morning of June 19 to install a heat pump funded in part by a Monson Collaborative grant. (2023)
Entrepreneur Grant Success Stories
Martin Landry prepares the wall inside The Lily Cat, where the interior portion of the heat pump will go. (2023)
Kelly and Martin Landry work outside to install the heat pump at The Lily Cat June 19. (2023)
The combination of a leaky roof and no heat left an ice slick on the stairs inside The Lily Cat Antiques building during the winter of 2021. (2023)
Photo credit: J. Billings
Lily Cat Antiques - 2023 Recipient
Lily Cat Antiques is first to complete grant project.
The heat is on!
That phrase isn’t just a line from a well-known and catchy tune by Glenn Frey. It also represents the completion of a project funded in part by a $3,000 grant from the Monson Collaborative. The Lily Cat: North Woods Antiques & Buttons was one of five organizations to be awarded a grant by popular vote at an Entrepreneur Expo May 6, 2023.
On June 19 of the same year, contractors Martin and Kelly Landry of Superior Service Heating & Cooling in Hudson installed a heat pump at The Lily Cat, making this the first completed grant project. They were assisted by electricians Antony Lancisi and Josh Blanchard of Levesque Energy in Guilford.
The total cost of the heat pump, which provides both heating and cooling, was $6,000, said Johanna S. Billings, who co-owns the antique shop with her husband, Sean. A $1,500 rebate from Efficiency Maine also helped. The couple covered the remainder of the cost themselves. The new heating system is just big enough to cover the first floor. The second floor, however, needs to be insulated and, eventually, will need its own unit. Still, a heat source for the first floor is a boost to The Lily Cat. The building previously had no heating system whatsoever, Johanna said.
“There’s an old furnace in the crawl space,” she said, “but a sticker says it was last inspected in 1989. We saw that and said, ‘Nope. We’re not going to try turning that thing on.’” Besides, Sean said, all the ductwork had been ripped out.
This is The Lily Cat’s third season. The Billingses, who are lifelong collectors and dealers, bought the shuttered Moosehead Trail Antiques in December 2020 after they saw a “for sale” sign in front of it. “Sean turned to me and said, ‘So, do you want to run an antique shop?’" Johanna said. "I thought he was kidding.” After the purchase, Johanna spent the winter cleaning out and wholesaling off the contents, most of which was furniture and hardware. Sean, who works full time as an engineer, found time to replace all the interior lighting and added more. He also installed railings on both sides of the stairs, repaired the front window and painted trim, among other things. The new owners also had the leaking roof replaced.
“At one point, we had water running down the stairs and freezing,” Johanna said.
Because there was no heat, the couple dressed in layers and relied on space heaters to warm their hands every so often.
“I bought boots in a size too big so that I could wear them with three pairs of socks,” Johanna said.
Having no heat forced The Lily Cat to operate on a seasonal basis. Because of the grant, it may be possible for them to open earlier in the year and stay open later. If nothing else, now the owners can stay warm when bringing in new merchandise and setting up displays off season.
Both Sean and Johanna thanked the Monson Collaborative and the people who voted for their project.
“We couldn’t have done it without that money,” Sean said.