Somer Fest, the city’s flagship festival celebrating BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) artists, creators, and small businesses, is back for the first time since 2022 on Saturday, August 2, at Seven Hills Park from 3 to 5:30 p.m. The 2025 event features a dynamic lineup of performers, including hip-hop artist Bille, soulful sounds from Mada Silva, and more. Attendees can enjoy a curated artisan market, food from Dos Manos Kitchen, and interactive experiences and activities for all ages. Produced by the Somerville Arts Council in collaboration with Citixen Joy, this open-air festival is designed to uplift local creativity, spark connection, and build an inclusive cultural experience for all.

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Beginning on Monday, July 28, or soon after, people walking, wheeling, or cycling on the Community Path between Lowell Street and Central Street will be detoured. This temporary detour (approximately one week, weather permitting) will enable contractors to repair a section of damaged concrete along the path between Lowell Street and Somerville’s Junction Park. Once the detour is in place, it will be in effect 24 hours a day. Community path users and community members are reminded to please use caution while traveling along detour streets in residential neighborhoods. For more information, please visit www.somervillema.gov/communitypath.

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Happy birthday this week to several locals: Wishing a very happy birthday to Natalia Potaris. We wish her a very special day. To Kaitlin Denk, we wish her a very happy birthday. We hope she had a great day. Happy birthday to Ron Newman. We hope he enjoys his day. Happy birthday to a local guy, Zach Zasloff. We wish him a great day. We wish all of our Facebook friends, such as Michael Delicato, Robert Carnes, Laura Pitone, Daniel M. Kimmel, Nancy Christine, Stephen Able, Anthony Cataldo, Jason Banning, Karen D’Amato, Mike Mor-rison, Sharon Paglia Breen, Tori Antonino, Jane Sherrill, and Michele Oliphant Spinale, a very happy birthday. We hope everyone has a great day. To all the others we may have missed., we also wish them a happy birthday.

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We have a new tab on our website, “Campaign Releases.” Go there to see the latest endorsements, campaign info for this year’s election candidates.

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Feet Keep the Beat Performance Showcase: LINEAGE, Friday, August 1, 7 – 10 p.m., Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave. As the artists featured in the showcase performance perform a story of how feet have been keeping the beat over time, and across cultures and geographies, they will also deepen their collaboration this year by paying homage to their teachers, gurus, mentors, and those who opened the path for them. Visit https://artsatthearmory.org/events/feet-keep-the-beat-performance-showcase-lineage/.

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Art gallery opening for P’alante: Stories Moving Somerville Forward, August 4. Join the city at a gallery opening for local photographer Mario Quiroz and his project that celebrates Somerville’s immigrant communities. This event will be held on Monday, August 6, at West Branch Library, 40 College Ave., from 6 to 8 p.m.

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High heat and humidity are expected during the summer; these weather conditions can cause heat illness if precautions are not taken. Visit www.somervillema.gov/keepcool for heat safety tips, which are also availa-ble in multiple languages, and more ways to keep cool in and around Somerville this summer.

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SomerMovie Fest has returned. The movies begin at dusk, and showtimes are approximate. Arrive early to grab a good spot, get comfortable, and enjoy the summer evening with neighbors and friends. This week’s movie is Wayne’s World, on Thursday, July 31, at approximately 8:15 p.m. at Statue Park in Davis Square. For more information, please visit www.somervillema.gov/moviefest.

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We would like to take this opportunity to thank our Arts Editor, Doug Holder, for setting up a GoFundMe campaign for The Somerville Times. With the cost of printing going up and a lack of businesses having the resources to advertise, free papers feel the effect. We sincerely thank all who have already contributed and thank any future contributors. If you are interested in helping you please visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-the-somerville-times. Or if anyone is interested in advertising, please contact Bobbietoner@aol.com. We offer great discounts to help our advertisers be able to advertise. Thank you all so much for your support!

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Volunteers Wanted: The Holly Simione Campaign for Somerville City Council At Large is holding neighborhood door knocking on Saturdays and Sundays, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., on August 2 and August 3. You can go and be teamed up with a campaign volunteer, or bring a friend and knock on your own neighborhood. Direct and personal contact is the best way to get Holly’s message of change and reform-minded good government directly to the voting electorate. There are also ongoing phone banks during the week. Contact the Simione Campaign at (617) 684- 5672, or hollyforsomerville@gmail.com for more information and to get involved.

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Applications are now available for one (1) resale studio income-restricted homeownership unit through the City of Somerville Inclusionary Housing Program at 411 Norfolk St., Somerville, near the Cobble Hill neighborhood. More information at somervillema.gov/inclusionaryhousing.

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Join the Somerville Arts Council for 24 Hours of Culture, a free community party celebrating art, music, food, and joy as a strategy for liberation. Saturday, August 16, 4 – 10 p.m. (rain date August 17, same times). In Union Square Plaza. Expect live performances, hands-on art workshops, games, and delicious food from local BIPOC vendors. All are welcome.

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Save the Date: What the Fluff? A Tribute to Union Square Innovation is a madcap festival honoring the invention of Marshmallow Fluff. It celebrates Somerville’s long-standing tradition of innovation with live music, fluffalicious feasts, sticky games, and so much more happening Saturday, September 20, from 2 to 6 p.m. in Union Square (severe weather date Sunday, September 21). Interested in becoming a vendor at this year’s What the Fluff? A Tribute to Union Square Innovation? The Fluff vendor application is live: www.unionsquaremain.org/fluffvendors. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until spots are filled.

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Yart Sale is back. Somerville’s citywide creative yard sale returns this summer, and applications are now open. Whether you’re selling art, vintage finds, art supplies, tools, frames, zines, or handmade crafts, this is your chance to be part of this Yart Sale. Deadline to apply by: August 1 at 11:59 p.m. https://somervilleartscouncil.org/yart-sale/yart-app/ Event date is Saturday, August 9, 12 – 6 p.m. Visit https://somervilleartscouncil.org/

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Save the date for the second annual Get Ready for School Fair, open to all SPS students and families. August 20, from 4 to 6:00 p.m., followed by a Welcome to High School event from 6 – 8:00 p.m. Both events take place at Somerville High School.

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The Somerville Health Foundation’s 2025-2026 grant funding cycle is now open. The Foundation plans to distribute approximately $30,000 and is accepting requests between $10,000 and $15,000 through August 18 at 11:59 p.m. More information can be found under the “Community Engagement” title here: www.challiance.org/community-health.

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On September 13, the Gilman Square Arts & Music Festival will be back to highlight local artists, makers, performers, and food vendors. This event is supported by the Somerville Arts Council and is made possible by an LCC grant, the generous support of local businesses, and volunteers from the Gilman Square Neighborhood Council. Raindate, Sunday 9/14.

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The Somerville Mobile Farmers Market has returned for the 2025 season. The market will be open Thursdays through Saturdays, and will run through November 1. All produce is sourced from local farms and priced affordably to make healthy, fresh food accessible to all. The mobile market accepts cash, debit, and credit cards, SNAP, Fresh Connect, WIC Farmers Market Coupons, and Senior Farmers Market Coupons. For locations and the full schedule, weekly produce updates, and more information about programs and events, visit the market’s website at somervillemobilefarmersmarket.org.

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Amit Shah is reading from his collection Revisiting the Mines: Essays and Excavations, a love letter to the transportative power of memory, on Friday, August 15, at Rooted Cafe, Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., 6 – 8 p.m. The moderator for the Q&A will be Somerville poet and writer, Elizabeth Merrick.

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Somerville High School Class of 1980 Reunion Social is taking place Saturday, October 4, from 7 to 10 p.m., 230 Mishawum Rd., Woburn, MA. Checks should be made out to SHS Class of 1980, c/o Mary Ellen Melaragni, 9 Churchill Circle, Winchester, MA 01890, wasmith1492@gmail.com.

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The Powder House, Milk Row Cemetery, and Prospect Hill Tower will be open to the public on select dates and times through October as part of History On The Line, a series of exhibitions and programs organized by the Somerville Museum and funded by the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism’s MA250 initiative and the City of Somerville. Next date will be: The Powder House on Thursday, August 7.

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The Somerville Museum presents Kaleidoscope: Reflecting the Moment through August 23. Kaleidoscope: Reflecting the Moment is an immersive, multi-sensory exhibition by multidisciplinary artist Flor Delgadillo that invites us to reflect on shifting ideas of home, family, neighbors, and community in a rapidly changing world. Blending opportunities for pause and reflection with moments of interaction and creation, Kaleidoscope explores how light transforms space, how sound carries memory, and how collective experience deepens our sense of belonging, connection, and resilience. For more information, visit: https://www.somervillemuseum.org/.

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National Night Out is back again. Celebrate bringing police and community together with fun activities for the whole family. Join in on Tuesday, August 5, at Dilboy Stadium, 110 Alewife Brook Parkway, from 5 to 8 p.m., for a fun night. Attendees will get to enjoy music, games, pizza, family-friendly activities, including bouncy houses, face painting, and obstacle courses, plus meet local Somerville officers. Additionally, the first 300 attendees to arrive will receive a free backpack and school supplies to help get ready for the upcoming school year.

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The Ginny Smithers Pool, 5 Cherry St., is officially back open. For more information on pool hours for Swim Lessons, Water Exercise, Lap Swim, Family Swim, and Open Swim. Please visit their website, https://somervillema.myrec.com/info/default.aspx, or email aquatics@somervillema.gov.

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Join Union Square Main Streets and 60+ of your favorite local food producers for the 21st Annual Union Square Farmers Market. Shop local Saturdays through October 25, except September 20, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the Union Square Plaza. Thanks to their partnership with the City of Somerville and the Somerville Farmers Market Coalition, they are proud to continue to offer our SNAP match. For more info, visit unionsquaremain.org/2025-season.

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The Davis Square Market is open for the 2025 Season. The market will run every Wednesday from 12 noon to 6 p.m., through November 26, at 44 Day St., Somerville. This long-running market features over two dozen Massachusetts farmers and food producers offering a vibrant selection of delicious produce, protein, baked goods, ready-to-eat meals, alongside a host of other locally made products. The market accepts cash, credit/debit cards, WIC/Senior coupons, and EBT cards, and offers a weekly $15 SNAP Match. Visit https://www.massfarmersmarkets.org/davis.

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Street sweeping in Somerville resumed on Tuesday, April 1. Somerville’s street cleaning program is an essential public works program that not only keeps our city cleaner but also reduces the risk of flooding and icing due to clogged storm drains. The street sweeping season runs from April 1 until December 31 each year. On designated street sweeping days, vehicles must be moved from the side of the street being swept, as noted on signs posted on each street. The penalty for not complying with street sweeping parking regulations is a $50 fine. Check the signs on the streets where you park and visit www.somervillema.gov/sweeper for more information.

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SCES is teaming up with City Fresh Foods to offer a five-pack of frozen home-delivered meals. This new meal delivery option is ideal for consumers who want the convenience of home-delivered meals but are not able to be at home each weekday to receive deliveries. Meal recipients can choose which weekday they would like to receive the frozen meals, with up to five meals in each bulk delivery. Each meal comes with bread, milk, and a dessert. Current SCES clients who are interested in receiving meals should call their office at 617-628-2601 or contact their case manager for more information.

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Through the generosity of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and under the direction of Mayor Ballantyne, the Council on Aging can provide Durable Medical Equipment at no cost to Somerville residents. Residents with a documented need for medical equipment must be over the age of 60 or have a permanent disability, and must be otherwise unable to afford or access needed medical equipment. They currently have available: Commodes, Bath Benches, Rollator Walkers, Incontinence Supplies, and Transport Wheelchairs. For additional information or for an application, please contact Debby Higgins at 617-625-6600, ext. 2321.

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Don’t forget, if you would like to subscribe to receive a digital edition of our paper, go directly online to our website, over to the right side, and fill out your email address to receive a free, full PDF copy of the paper.