Just as the hilltop Pilgrim Church has welcomed people to Southborough since the early 1800s, the Steeple Coffeehouse, held monthly in that church, is welcoming people in the area to the friendly charms of modern folk music.

Now in its seventh season, the Steeple is held in a small hall of the church. Shows are on the second Saturday of the month from October to June, except December, when there is no show. Free parking is available in two large lots adjacent to the church. As at all BACHA coffeehouses, dress is casual - "come as you are" is the only dress code. Ages range from teens to seniors.

The hall is turned into a cozy music club with a doting attention to friendly detail. Padded chairs are set up around small tables, decked with candles and bowls of goodies.

"When the lights go down, the candles are lit, and the performers come on stage, it sort of transforms the hall into a nice, inviting musical ambiance." says director Gary Kavanaugh. He describes the acts brought in as "primarily contemporary singer-songwriters, with a few traditional/Americana acts."

"Everyone we've had at the coffeehouse so far is an artist who does it for the love of the craft, the love of the song, and a desire to give those songs to an audience. People who come have a chance to sit around tables, visit with their neighbors a little, and listen to professional artists who really have something to say, and really do it for the love of the music."

Food is home-baked by volunteers, who have fun being creative with a variety of exotic pies and cakes, along with the usual coffeehouse fare of brownies and cookies. Soft drinks, coffees, teas, and cocoa are also available.

Like nearly all community coffeehouses, the Steeple runs independently of the church that houses and sponsors it, and is an entirely secular event. It is also a full-benefit coffeehouse, meaning it is entirely run by volunteers, with proceeds going to various community charities.

"The Steeple is one of only two places in Southborough that presents live entertainment," says Kavanaugh. "Even though we've been around seven years, it's still a little outside the mainstream hereabouts; still like a little secret around town. But those who know about us faithfully come, and every year there's a few more of them. And a lot of the people on our mailing list are also from the the towns around Southborough. Thanks to all of them, we get to keep hanging around year after year."