— Photo by Bobbie Toner

Free festival brings live music, a costume parade, and fall fun to Union Square

From fluff to frights, Somerville is celebrating its hometown heroes. On Sunday, October 18 (rain date October 25), the Arts & Culture Division is holding its annual Monster Mash celebration in honor of the Halloween classic co-written by Somerville native Bobby “Boris” Pickett. The afternoon-long event will include a costume parade, pumpkin carving, face painting and local food vendors.

City offices will be closed on Monday, October 12, for Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Trash, recycling, and yard waste collection will be delayed by one day. No street sweeping on Monday.

The City of Somerville is offering free COVID-19 and flu vaccine clinics at locations across the city this fall to help community members protect their health. Appointments are strongly encouraged, and walk-up availability is limited. Information on upcoming clinics scheduled for October and November can be found below. 

HONK! is a free, family-friendly, grassroots festival! All HONK! events listed below are free and open to the public.

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

Stair lifts, hearing aids, reverse mortgages, and walk-in tubs. Welcome to my world. My TV world. When you watch a lot of TV, these are the ads you see. Being retired, I have a lot of time on my hands. A lot of that time is spent in front of my big TV. I don’t mind the senior citizens targeted advertisements, except the ones for final plan insurance. I’m too busy flicking around the channels.

SHS Track Parents & Alumni Club, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, is running its 5th Annual Somerville Monster Dash 5K (3.1 miles) and youth runs (200 meters and 800 meters) on Sunday, October 25 at Riverfront Park/Assembly Row starting at 10:30 a.m.