The original HONK! festival returns in full force to Somerville and Cambridge this year. Come kick off the weekend early and party in Union Square on Thursday, October 6. It will be featuring five local brass bands playing booty-shakin’ tunes for you to dance the night away to. The Lineup: 7:00 – Emperor Norton’s Stationary Marching Band, 7:45 – Dirty Water Brass Band, 8:15 – Ghost Town, 8:45 – Fly By Brass Band and 9:15 – Magnificent Danger. The main HONK! festival takes place Friday – Sunday, with music all weekend in Davis Square and Harvard Square. More info at: https://honkfest.org/2022-festival/schedule-2022.

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On Sunday, October 9, the last day of the Boston HONK! Festival, the parade of tenants, small owners, and allies will debut their support for rent control as elections approach in the state of Massachusetts and march from Davis Square, down Mass Ave., and into Harvard Square from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.

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Happy birthday this week to several locals: Happy birthday to local activist Ben Echevarria. We wish him well. Happy birthday to Mike Buckley, another proud Somerville guy. We wish him a great birthday. We wish all of our Facebook friends, such as AnnMarie Carey-Browne, Millie Vecchia Curley, Diane Kerins Conneely, Mike Capuano, Kerri Shannon Schaefer, Sue Casazza Smith, Steven Connarton and Phyllis D’Annavery 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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Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and City of Somerville staff invite you to attend the next community meeting to discuss 90 Washington Street, a 4-acre site near the East Somerville Green Line station envisioned as the home of a new Public Safety Building and a range of civic, commercial, and residential spaces. The meeting will take place Thursday, October 6, at 6:00 p.m. at the East Somerville Community School, 50 Cross Street. Interpretation into Spanish and Portuguese will be provided. The meeting will also be live streamed on YouTube. For more information, go to somervillema.gov/90washington.

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Call to artists for the Dark Tales, Familiars and Object of Divination Inside-Out gallery exhibit with guest curator, Boriana Kantcheva. Submission deadline: October 6. To apply, go to https://somervilleartscouncil.org/resources/calls To celebrate the fall and the spookiest and most mysterious month of all, October, the Somerville Arts Council’s Inside Out Gallery at Davis Square invites Somerville based artists, Somerville residents or artists maintaining work spaces in Somerville to submit work for a group exhibit that brings together familiars of all kinds and narrates stories filled with darkness and magic. If ghosts and goblins, witches and fortune tellers, Tarot cards and tea leaf readings are part of your work, they want to see it. Work inspired by fairy tales, ghost stories and the lore of Halloween are welcome.

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High School students looking for extra support in math should check out Monday Math tutoring (with other students) at the Somerville Public Library. Mondays 4:30 – 6:00 p.m., now underway. Register: https://tinyurl.com/librarymathtutoring

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The city is developing a Pollinator Action Plan to identify ways to create the best habitat for local pollinators and wildlife. Apply to join the ten-person Advisory Committee to help co-create critical public outreach and education strategies. Applications are due Friday, October 21. To learn more and apply, visit: somervillema.gov/spap.

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Registration for Somerville Youth Hockey Learn to Skate/Learn to Play Hockey is open. All sessions take place at either Veterans or Founders rinks in Somerville. Beginner classes are geared towards kids 3-9 who have never skated nor played hockey before. There’s also a new Advanced option for kids aged 9 and older who are ready for a more fast-paced introduction to the fundamentals of hockey and skating. To learn more and register, visit https://www.somervilleyouthhockey.org/lts-ltp. Financial aid (and some equipment) is available.

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Volunteer at the Seasonal Salvage Sale and Makers’ Market. Volunteer Saturday, October 22. Two-hour shifts vary from 12:00 to 6:00 p.m. Contact to volunteer: Betsy at blarkin@thegrowingcenter.org. After a multi-year hiatus, the Somerville Community Growing Center is excited to bring back their Yard Sale Fundraiser in 2022 with a little twist – rather than a traditional yard sale, it’s morphing into a two-part shopping experience: a curated, seasonally-themed secondhand sale where 100% of the proceeds go to the Growing Center, and a new “Makers’ Market” filled with local craft vendors who participate for a nominal fee but get to keep all the proceeds of their sales. It’s a win-win for all involved. Vendor Registration link here: bit.ly/3xnE2xn Rain Date: Saturday, October 29, 2:00 – 5:00 p.m.

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September 15 through October 15 is designated to celebrate the contributions and diverse cultures from the Latino, Latinx, Latina community in the U.S. It is also a time to reflect, educate, and expand the meaning of this celebration. There are many ways to celebrate. You can fellowship with family and friends, read a book about Latin American history, enjoy a traditional dish from a Latin American or Caribbean country, or watch a captivating documentary on all the impactful contributions from the Hispanic/Spanish-speaking community. Happy Hispanic Heritage month.

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Become part of an incredible team of school volunteers. Join the in-person Volunteer Orientation on Thursday, October 13 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. to learn more. Email JCapuano@k12.somerville.ma.us to RSVP.

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SIREN: A Variety Show of Fierce female artists from comedy, music, movement: Equal parts performance, interview and exhibition, this collection of hand-picked guests is an entertainment journey unlike any other. Siren is variety show meets talk show meets comedy show, and Kelly will be your guide. Thursday, October 6, 8:00 p.m. 101 South St. Somerville. Tickets at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/siren-a-variety-show-of-fierce-female-artists-from-comedy-music-movement-tickets-397327185307?aff=ebdssbdestsearch.

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Somerville Public Schools is hosting three clinics at school sites in October for children, families, and staff. Registration and more information at: https://somerville.k12.ma.us/vaccineclinics. October 11, Tuesday from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Winter Hill Community Innovation School. Influenza vaccine only. October 15, Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at East Somerville Community School. Influenza and COVID-19 vaccines. October 26, Wednesday from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at West Somerville Neighborhood School. Influenza vaccine only. The City of Somerville is also hosting weekly vaccine clinics offering the bivalent COVID-19 vaccine. Those clinics start on October 5 and operate Wednesdays (except October 26) from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. at City Hall Annex, 50 Evergreen Ave.

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The SHS Class of 1982 40th Reunion will be held at the Sons of Italy, 117 Swanton St, Winchester, MA on November 15, 6:30 – 11:30 p.m. Cost: $40 per person, dinner included, cash bar. ($50 after November 4). Payment methods: include Paypal: mbmbrennan44@gmail.com, Venmo: SHS Class of 1982 @shsclassof1982, Check: made out to SHS Class of 1982 mailed to Marybeth Caturello, 85 MacArthur Road Stoneham, MA 02180. For any other questions, please email Marybeth Brennan at mbmbrennan@comcast.net or call Marybeth Caturello at 617-851-2519.

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The Tufts University Department of Music presents the Granoff Music Center Colloquium: Of Vertical and Linear Heritages: One Composer’s Journey in (Some) Words and (Mostly) Music in the Varis Lecture Hall at the Perry and Marty Granoff Music Center on Monday, October 17, at 12:00 pm. Granoff Music Center, 20 Talbot Avenue, Tufts University Medford/Somerville Campus. Free admission.

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The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is now available 24/7, 365 days a year in Massachusetts and across the country. 988 is a direct three-digit phone line to trained National Suicide Prevention Lifeline call takers. If you need suicide, substance use, or mental health crisis support, or if you are worried about someone else, you can call or text 988 or use the chatline at 988lifeline.org to access compassionate care and support.

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Mark your calendars: students in grades 9-12 and their families won’t want to miss the in-person College Fair on October 18 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in the SHS Cafeteria.

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The Somerville Mobile Farmers Market is open for the season, selling fresh, local produce through October 15. The market schedule is as follows: Fridays: 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Council on Aging/SCALE (167 Holland St.); 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.: East Somerville Community School (50 Cross St.) Saturdays: 10:00 to 11:30 a.m.: North Street Housing (24 North St.); 1:30 to 3:00 p.m.: Mystic Housing (Playground between 15B and 25B Memorial Rd.). The market accepts cash, debit, credit, SNAP, WIC Farmers Market Coupons, and Senior Farmers Market Coupons, and it offers an unlimited 50% discount for anyone who needs it. To learn more, visit: somervillema.gov/farmersmarket.

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