This weekend in Leominster, MA

Pibble's Kibbles partners with Highland Baptist Church of Fitchburg to provide a pet food distribution. Pet owners may pick up food for their animals while visiting the church’s food pantry.

North Medford Club hosts a 5k run and walk as part of Moon Hill Brewing’s annual Oktoberfest. Participants can run or walk, then stay to enjoy Oktoberfest activities. A first beer is included with registration and will be available at the finish. Tiered pricing is offered at $35, $40, and $45 depending on when you register. Runner awards include the top three in the M, W, and N categories, plus first place in each age group. Walker awards recognize the top three in the M, W, and N categories.

At Rome Conservation Area in Gardner, this guided outing blends a weighted-pack hike with practical wilderness survival training. Participants choose how much weight to carry and move at a pace that suits their fitness level while covering a few miles on varied terrain with small inclines, roots, and rocks. After time on the trail, instruction turns to essential backcountry skills, including map and compass navigation, building emergency shelters, fire making, assembling survival kits, basic wood carving, emergency planning, and strategies to avoid conflicts with wildlife. Rucking, or walking with added weight, helps build strength and endurance, supports overall fitness, and prepares people to carry necessary gear or assist others in an emergency. Please bring a hiking pack, water, lunch, snacks, and weather-appropriate clothing, along with comfortable, broken-in hiking footwear. All materials for the survival portion are provided, and those who wish may bring a carving tool, fire starter, and compass. The instructors will also offer these tools for purchase at the start of class. The class is led by Andrea Bailey of Evolving Mind and Body, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapist, and functional fitness professional who created TheraRuck, a system that weaves rucking, mindset growth, and embodied healing, and by Tim Swanson of Owl Eyes Wilderness Survival, the founder and lead instructor with degrees in Adventure Education Leadership and Adventure Therapy. He is a Level 2 Certified Animal Tracker, Wilderness First Responder, Leave No Trace Master Educator, and published author who teaches realistic, connection-based survival and bushcraft throughout Massachusetts and New England for all ages.

Jacqueline Burns brings live music to an industrial-style microbrewery known for its welcoming vibe. The easy-to-reach spot is a favorite for beer lovers, families, and friends, offering board games, a giant projector for the big games, hand-stretched pizzas, weekly selections of house-smoked meats, and both alcoholic and nonalcoholic seltzers. Expect a mix of classic rock, 90s alternative, blues, folk, country, and reggae, with performances taking place on the last Sunday of each month.