Join the Davis Square Neighborhood Plan Survey Open House, September 16, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m., Somerville Theatre Crystal Ball Room, 55 Davis Square. Do you have opinions on Davis Square? Now it’s your chance to share them by taking the new Davis Square Neighborhood Plan Survey before it closes on Sunday, September 27, or by joining upcoming events. All Somerville community members, local workers, and visitors are encouraged to participate and share feedback. Survey: Open through September 27 at: bit.ly/davissquaresurvey.

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AERONAUT OKTOBERFEST is back! September 19, from 12 to 8 p.m. at AERONAUT’s Somerville taproom at Somernova. German-inspired beers on draft, including our Märzen-style Oktoberfest. Festive fare from Mimi’s Chuka Diner (including schnitzel sandos, Sapporo-braised brats, laugenbrezel) and Carolicious (chorizo arepas!) Music from the TubaFrau Hofbräu Band. A multi-round, all-abilities-welcome, stein-holding competition. Lederhosen welcome at the costume contest, with prizes for the best dressed. Tickets $10 at the door, or VIP Tickets $35 via Eventbrite includes an exclusive Aeronaut Oktoberfest glass stein, your first liter pour, and a snack. Saturday, September 19 is also the same day as Boulderfest 2026 at our neighboring Boston Bouldering Project! When you purchase your VIP ticket to AERONAUT Oktoberfest you’ll receive a code for 20% off your Boulderfest tickets via email.

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Happy birthday this week to several locals: Happy birthday to Mary Jo Rossetti, who is a lifelong resident and a former Councilor At-Large. We wish her a very happy birthday. Happy birthday to Conor Brennan, the owner of PJ Ryan’s in Teele Square. We wish him the very best on his birthday. We wish all our Facebook friends, such as Gay H. Sheldon, Carol Clements, Kimberly Vicente, Jackie Shepardhancock, Ed Grandmont, Debra Lawson Kennedy, Ellen Gagliardi, Stephen Green, Jonathan O’Connell, and Adele Changer, a very happy birthday. We hope everyone has a great day. To all the others we may have missed, we sincerely wish them the very best of birthdays.

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The Somerville Garden Club is holding its annual plant sale on Sunday, September 20, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (rain or shine), at 331 Summer Street, Somerville. Discover the perfect plant to enliven your garden or windowsill at this popular yearly sale. Perennials for sun and shade, herbs, shrubs, groundcovers, plus a wide variety of houseplants will be featured. Choose from hundreds of plants donated by Somerville Garden Club members and friends – there’s something for everyone. Horticultural books, decorative containers, and garden tools will also be for sale. Experienced gardeners will be available to answer questions and assist with plant selections. Proceeds benefit the all-volunteer, non-profit Somerville Garden Club.

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Last week, Somerville resident Derrick Rice (he/him) announced his campaign for Somerville Ward 3 City Council, in anticipation of a special election after current W3 Councilor Ewen-Campen’s Democratic Party primary victory for State Representative (27th Middlesex). To learn more about Derrick, visit: www.derrickrice.org.

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Join Groundwork Somerville and American Flatbread for a Community Bake! A portion of every flatbread purchased goes to GWS. September 22, 4 to 10 p.m. Members of the GWS Board will be tabling from 6 to 9 p.m. 45 Day St., Somerville, MA 02144. $3.50 for each large and $1.75 for each small flatbread sold during this Community Bake will go towards sustaining Groundwork Somerville’s youth programs and supporting our mission of building a healthier, greener, more equitable community.

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Somerville City Councilor Will Mbah announced last week he will resign his position as an At-Large City Councilor, effective December 31, 2026. He noted: “Under the City Charter, I understand that the fifth-highest vote-getter in the most recent At-Large City Council election will assume the vacant seat. Accordingly, Marianne Walles will succeed me as an At-Large City Councilor. I am grateful for the opportunity to have served the people of Somerville on the City Council, and I look forward to continuing to work with the city and our community in my new role as State Representative.” You can see his full announcement on his Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/will.nwanjo and on our website.

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The Mission Church of Christ, 130 Highland Ave., will be hosting a free health fair for the community on September 19, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. with many vendors. Contact MC Allied Health & Professionals Group at mcahpg130@gmail.com.

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Bansari Mitra, author of Ghosts From the Past, Wilderness House Press, will have a book launch at Just Bookish Store in Dorchester on October 3, 4, 5.30 p.m. (Saturday), 1463 Dorchester Ave, Dorchester, MA 02122.

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Somerville neighbors need your help. On Tuesday, September 8, a fire on Dartmouth Street left four households — including multiple vulnerable residents and their pets — without homes. Please consider donating whatever you can to the Somerville Homeless Coalition’s Emergency Displacement Fund developed in partnership with the City. https://secure.qgiv.com/for/emerfun.

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Somerville Recreation’s Fall Festival returns on October 3. A Free festival welcomes fall with bounce houses, pumpkin decorating, a magician, and more, October 3, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Founders Memorial Rink (8 Garden Court). Costumes and cozy sweaters are welcome but not required. To learn about more programming from Somerville Recreation, be sure to sign up for the Parks and Recreation newsletter at somervillema.gov/subscribe. To view this update and more City news on the City website, visit somervillema.gov/news or somervillema.gov/calendar.

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 Community members are invited to join Mayor Jake Wilson, the City Council, and the School Committee during the 2026 Neighborhood Connect meeting series. The series kicks off on Wednesday, September 23, in Ward 4 (Winter Hill, Ten Hills, and more) at the Healey School cafeteria (5 Meacham St.), from 6 to 8 p.m. Free pizza and refreshments will be available starting at 6 p.m. Neighborhood Connect (formerly City Hall Community Meetings) will debut a new meeting format, moving from formal presentations to a science-fair format with City staff setting up at tables. Meetings will kick off with quick citywide updates and a brief welcome from the Mayor and Ward Councilor before breaking to allow attendees to move about for one-on-one and small group conversations. Unsure about which ward you live in? Find out with the MySomerville address lookup tool at somervillema.gov/mysomerville.

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Craft Vendors Wanted! Do you make or sell crafty items? The Somerville Community Baptist Church in Davis Square is holding a “Spooky-Thankful-Merry Craft Fair,” featuring items for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, on Saturday, October 17, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. To reserve a table at the Fair, please mail your check for $35 by October 3 to “Somerville Community Baptist Church,” 31 College Ave., Somerville, MA 02144. Or you can bring your check or cash directly to the Church, any Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

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The City of Somerville is seeking one new member to join the Somerville Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA). The ZBA is the decision-making authority for development that requires Site Plan Approval or a Special Permit in the Neighborhood Residence, Urban Residence, Commercial Industry, Commercial Business, and Tufts University zoning districts; the ZBA is also the decision-making authority for all Hardship Variances, Comprehensive Permits, and Administrative Appeals. All Somerville residents are invited to apply. Applications are due by Friday, October 30, and should include a resume and letter of interest. Applications can be sent via email or U.S. Mail to: Email: zoningboard@somervillema.gov Mail: Attn: Planning Division, 167 Holland St., Somerville, MA 02144. For questions or more information, contact zoningboard@somervillema.gov or call 311 (671-666-3311).

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The City of Somerville’s Arts and Culture Division has launched the FY27 cycle of its Local Cultural Council (LCC) Grant Program to support arts, culture, and creative opportunities for community members. Applications for grant funding are open until Thursday, October 15. For all information on the LCC grant program, please visit somervillema.gov/lccgrant. There will be Virtual LCC Information Session, Tuesday, September 22, 6 p.m., Virtual via Zoom. Join at bit.ly/3SMIjZh. Learn about the LCC grant process, ask questions, and get assistance with application forms.

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Calling all local musicians! The interest form for the Somerville Winter Farmer’s Market 2026-27 season is now LIVE on the website. Share your talents with the community this winter by filling out the form and getting on stage at the Winter Market. You can find the sign-up form at: https://www.somwintermarket.org/musicians.

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Registration for SHC’s Somerville 5k is open. Every step taken on October 3 supports the community’s most vulnerable, helping raise the critical funds needed to tackle housing and food insecurity. Register today to run and claim your race t-shirt. For more information, visit https://somervillehomelesscoalition.org/.

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SFD Collector’s Playing Cards Are Here! September is Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month, making it the perfect time to launch our once-every-two-years fundraiser benefiting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Each custom deck features the 54 most senior firefighters currently in the Somerville Fire Department, including two jokers, and serves as a unique piece of SFD history. Decks are $20 each, with a portion of every sale being donated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to support the fight against blood cancers. Quantities are limited. Contact Antonio Cicolini https://www.facebook.com/antonio.cicolini to reserve your deck while supplies last.

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The Mission Church of Christ, 130 Highland Ave., will be hosting a free health fair for the community on September 19, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. with many vendors. Contact MC Allied Health & Professionals Group at mcahpg130@gmail.com.

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All SPS Kindergarten students can sign up for a library card and get a FREE BOOK! Just bring an adult photo ID and proof of residency to your nearby library branch, and your child will be able to borrow books, movies, CDs, and more. Visit any of the Somerville branches: Central – 79 Highland Ave, East – 115 Broadway, West – 40 College Ave.

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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. History unlocked: Drop-in chat on select Thursdays, 6 – 8 p.m., and select Saturdays, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. For dates and more information, visit https://www.somervillemuseum.org/.

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The Somerville Mobile Farmers Market has returned for the 2026 season. The market brings fresh, affordable, local produce to four city locations Thursdays through Saturdays and runs through October 31. 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 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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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, 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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Don’t forget, if you would like to subscribe to receive a digital edition of our paper, go directly online to our website, on the right side, and enter your email address to receive a free, full PDF copy of the newspaper.