Community members are invited to join Mayor Jake Wilson, the City Council, and the School Committee during the 2026 Neighborhood Connect meeting series. The next meetings will be on Ward 7 (West Somerville, Teele Sq., and more): Thursday, October 1, West Somerville Neighborhood School Cafeteria, 177 Powder House Blvd., and Ward 3 (N. Union Sq., Prospect Hill, Spring Hill, Central Hill, and more): Wednesday, October 7, Somerville High School Cafeteria, 81 Highland Ave. 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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We offer our sincere condolences to Councilor Kristen Strezo on the loss of her mother. We hope she and her family feel the support and love of those around them during this difficult time. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

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Happy birthday this week to several locals: We wish Sal Mingace a very happy birthday. We wish him well and hope he enjoys his day. We wish all of our Facebook friends, such as Edward Barry,Rick Gaetano, Terri Monsalve, Kevin Driscoll, AnnMarie Carey-Browne, and Diane Kerins Conneely a 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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Join Groundwork Somerville on Saturday, October 3, from 12 to 4 p.m., at 138 South St., for their annual Harvest Festival, 38 South St. See South St. transform into a vibrant celebration of the growing season and the incredible community that makes Somerville thrive. This free event celebrates the collective work of residents, volunteers, youth, and local organizations who help cultivate a healthier, more connected city.

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Somerville Recreation’s Fall Festival returns. 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 www.somervillema.gov/subscribe.

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Visit the Holiday Craft Fair, Saturday, October 17, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Somerville Community Baptist Church, 31 College Ave. in Davis Square. In addition to a variety of craft tables offering Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas gifts and other items, the Fair will also feature raffles, food gift baskets, and a Meatball Contest.

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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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Somerville’s Community Collections exhibit series continues this October with Looking Back at 20 Years of HONK! Festival of Activist Street Bands, a photo and poster retrospective celebrating the homegrown festival and the worldwide movement it helped inspire. All are invited to an opening reception on Thursday, October 8, from 5 to 7 p.m. on the second floor of Somerville City Hall (93 Highland Ave). The reception is free, and light refreshments will be served.

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HONK! Festival 21st Annual Festival of Activist Street Bands will take place October 9-11, throughout Somerville, Cambridge. Rain or shine. Free and open to all; if interested in volunteering, contact volunteer@honkfest.org. If interested in hosting visiting musicians in your home, please contact housing@honkfest.org. For HONK! updates:honkfest.org, facebook.com/honkfestival, instagram.com/honkfest/.Contact info: honkfest.org/contact/, info@honkfest.org, (617) 702-2977.

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The Shared Palette, a pop-up studio classroom, opens October 1 at Bow Market in Somerville and runs through November 2026. It is a collaboration between Somerville ceramicist Amanda Bentley and watercolor illustrator Kaitlyn Ripaldi, who share a love of celebrating the everyday through functional pottery, custom illustrations and more.

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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 Saturday, October 3, 4 – 5.30 p.m., 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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On Tuesday, November 3, 2026, Massachusetts will hold its State Election. Somerville voters can vote early in person or by mail or on Election Day. The state election is open to all registered voters in Somerville. Register to vote by Saturday, October 24. Learn more and get all election information at www.somervillema.gov/elections.

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The Center for Arabic Culture (CAC) and Somerville’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (SOIA) invite all community members to the CAC’s 12th annual festival and book fair on Saturday, October 10, from 3 to 8 p.m. at Somerville High School (81 Highland Ave.). Explore a book fair, shop local vendors, and hear readings from Arabic authors while enjoying Arabic food, music, and art. Local advocacy organizations and community groups will also be on hand to share resources and connect with residents.

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SomerStreets: Monster Mash transforms Somerville Avenue into a festive Halloween celebration for all ages on Sunday, October 18, from 1 to 5 p.m. (severe weather date: Sunday, October 25). Enjoy live music, interactive art activities, family fun, local food vendors, and more. If you are interested in volunteering at Monster Mash, please sign up here: https://somervilleartscouncil.org/somerstreets/monster-mash-volunteer/.

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Due to this past weekend’s weather, Somerville’s Latin American and Caribbean Heritage Month celebration was postponed to Sunday, October 25. The rescheduled event will take place inside Somerville High School (81 Highland Ave.) from 2 to 5 p.m. Somerville’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (SOIA), with support from the city’s Division of Equity and Belonging and the Somerville Community Corporation (SCC), invites all community members to the celebration. Enjoy a wide selection of Latin American and Caribbean food and refreshments, from Brazilian cheese bread to Haitian griot, alongside an afternoon of music, movement, and opportunities to join in.

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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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Are you a food truck owner? Market coordinator? Performance group? Have a business and a great idea or know somebody who does? The city wants to hear from you. Fill out the survey at bit.ly/gsqac and let them know how your business or organization could make 350 Medford St. a vibrant place for the community to spend time. If you don’t have a business or concept ready to launch, please keep an eye out for other opportunities to share your ideas for the space.

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Celebrate the transformation of Tufts Street into Somerville’s newest “Neighborway.” On Tuesday, October 6, at 11 a.m., the City of Somerville will host a ribbon-cutting to mark the completion of the street’s recent redesign and reconstruction to increase safety for pedestrians and cyclists. The event will be held at Leonard Grimes Park, located at the corner of Tufts Street and Glen Street.

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Somerville PorchFest feedback is sought via a community survey. As planning for 2027 gets underway, community members are invited to complete the PorchFest survey to give input on what’s working and identify areas for improvement as the event continues to evolve. Take the survey now through Sunday, October 25, at bit.ly/somporchsurvey.

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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 Somerville Museum presents Common Ground: Photography, Place, and Community, September 17 – December 5, One Westwood Rd. This exhibition features 15 photographers who have chosen Somerville as their home. The works on view range from documentary to conceptual and are united by the perspective of artists living and working within this evolving urban environment. “Common Ground” explores how artists navigate and contribute to Somerville’s shifting identity, examining the relationship between place, community, and creative practice. Visit https://www.somervillemuseum.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 paper.