Don’t miss this year’s Yart Sale, a citywide showcase of your art. Yart Sale is an opportunity for residents to sell from the comfort of their yards, driveways and porch. Think of a yard sale but with art. Yart Sale will take place on Saturday, August 12, 12:00 to 6:00 p.m., (rain date 8/13). Time of event will vary on participants. Download a PDF with map information here.  Learn more at: https://somervilleartscouncil.org/yartsale 

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Due to inclement weather, the Senior Picnic planned for yesterday turned into a drive-thru pick up event. A full sit-down Senior Picnic has been rescheduled for Thursday, September 14, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Trum Field. For any questions and to get a new ticket, call the Somerville Council on Aging at 617-625-6600 ext. 2319.

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The Center for Arts at the Armory needs your support. Join them for an important community meeting on August 15 at 7:00 p.m. in the Performance Hall, 191 Highland Ave. This meeting is an opportunity for Center for Arts at the Armory, to present to the community, their mission, leadership, business plan, events, programs, services and successes. They will also be presenting ways in which you can engage with this process and make your voice heard. Learn more under their event page on their website www.artsatthearmory.org.

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Happy birthday this week to several locals: Happy birthday to Brandon Wilson. We wish her a very nice day. We hope she takes the day to enjoy it. Happy birthday to Donna Cassaro-Sides. We hope she has a great day. We wish all of our celebrating Facebook friends, such as Maria Mancini, Heather Marie Driscoll, Pamela M. Ferguson, Dale Hodgkins, Trish Bean Oakland, James Bimbo, Savanna Payne, Victor Martins, Elizabeth Roche and Adam Knight 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 Public Space and Urban Forestry Division announced that the construction phase of the Somerville Junction Park project is gearing up to begin within the next month. A virtual construction kick-off meeting will be held on Monday, August 14, at 6:00 p.m. followed by a groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday, August 16, onsite (114 Central St.) at 2:30 p.m. Community members are invited to attend both events. Register to attend the kick-off meeting at bit.ly/43HB04u. For more information and to keep up with the project, visit: voice.somervillema.gov/somerville-junction.

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The city’s biennial Happiness Survey that was mailed to a random sample of 5,000 Somerville residents in June, is open for everyone to complete online. Participation is voluntary and results are anonymous. The survey will close on Tuesday, August 15, 2023. Take the survey online at somervillema.gov/HappinessSurvey.

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The Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave. will hold a Make Friends After College Party on Saturday, August 12 at 6:00 pm. This is a free event with drinks, snacks, lights, music, dancing, socializing, and good times. They are a group of mainly young professionals just looking to make friends around the Boston area. Even if you are in college, you are more than welcomed to join. Learn more at www.artsatthearmory.org.

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Somerville’s Urban Forestry Committee and collaborators are developing ways to celebrate our hard-working city trees. If you want to join in helping, you can Adopt-A-Tree. Look for colorful “Adopt me!” tags on newly planted trees in your neighborhood. Scan the QR code on the tag or visit tinyurl.com/somervilletree to go through the steps to adopt the tree. Name it, water it, love it. You can even receive an adoption certificate available in many languages. Watering is the most important thing you can do to help a newly planted tree. They require 15-20 gallons of water each week between May-October, or even more during hot summer months.

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The Somerville Mobile Farmers Market is open for the season, selling fresh, local produce through October 28. The market schedule is as follows: Thursdays: 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.: Clarendon Hill Towers (1372 Broadway), Fridays: 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Council on Aging/SCALE (167 Holland St.), 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.: East Somerville Community School (50 Cross St.). Saturdays: 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.: Mystic Housing Development (25B Memorial Rd., at the playground). The market accepts cash, debit, credit, SNAP, WIC Farmers Market Coupons, and Senior Farmers Market Coupons. All are welcome. To learn more, visit: somervillema.gov/farmersmarket.

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It’s time to fire things up with the 11th annual Ignite festival! To celebrate Union Square’s sizzling food landscape, the Somerville Arts Council is issuing an open call to artists working in various genres this year’s Ignite Festival – an evening celebration of global culture and all things illuminated. The mission of Ignite is to showcase the depth and breadth of local talent through a global lens. They seek proposals for internationally themed performances and light installations/performances. Application Deadline: Sunday, August 27. Application: https://forms.gle/TGiGsZpUZgB9qF5r6 Festival: Saturday, September 30, 6:00 – 10:00 p.m. (Rain date: Sunday, October 1) Union Square, Somerville. Questions? Email: somartscalls@gmail.com.

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Join Boynton Yards and Once Somerville for the next free block party filled with live music, games, crafts, vendors, food trucks and cold drinks on August 19. Sip, nosh, shop, play, craft, and rock out with delicious food, talented vendors, and incredible artists from around the world. To RSVP for your free ticket, visit www.oncesomerville.com.

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SCOA Knitting Group takes place Tuesday, August 15 and 22 from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. at their Holland Street Center. If you are looking to learn how to knit, rekindle your love of knitting, or knit with others, join their new knitting group. The first project will be learning to knit a potholder. All supplies, including yarn and needles will be provided. Please RSVP to Natasha Naim at 617-625-6600, ext. 2317.

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East Somerville’s Summer Carnaval Block Party Series kicked off last month. These block parties will be held at 115 Broadway (East Somerville Public Library) and on Illinois Ave. on Sunday evenings once a month. Enjoy live music, food, and activities for the whole family. The next block parties take place August 20 and September 10.

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Become a crossing guard and help keep our students safe. Training is provided, $20.23 / hour, perfect attendance bonus, clothing allowance, uniforms provided, and paid snow days. Send your resume to careers@somervillema.gov or apply at somervillema.gov/careers.

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Save the date, Tuesday, September 19. The 2023 Foodie Crawl planning is in the works. Taste the world on Broadway in East Somerville and support East Somerville Main Streets.

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Another event coming up is the Somerville Greek Festival. Enjoy delicious, authentic Greek food and pastry, dance under the big tent to live music and enjoy a cold beer or wine while taking in the excitement at the largest Greek food festival in town. The festival will run September 8 and 9 from 12:00 to 11:00 p.m. and Sunday, September 10 from 12:00 to 9:00 p.m. Plenty of free parking. The menu will be posted ahead of this event, with plenty of vegetarian options. The Somerville Greek Festival is an annual event of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary Orthodox Church, 29 Central St., Somerville. and open to the general public. It is a major fundraiser which allows the community of faithful to continue to serve the Somerville community through philanthropy, liturgical services, classes, youth ministries and much more. Visit dormitionchurch.org.

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Dilboy Pool, 110 Alewife Brook Parkway, is now open for the summer season. Pool hours are Monday – Friday, 11:00 a.m. – 6:45 p.m., Saturday – Sunday, 11:00 a.m. – 4:45 p.m. Pool admission: Children – $1. Adults – $2. Ginny Smithers Pool at the Kennedy School, 5 Cherry St., summer hours Monday – Wednesday, 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Resident registration for summer swimming lessons opened on July 3. Non-resident opened on July 5 at 8:00 a.m. Limited spots are available. Visit somervillema.myrec.com.

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The City of Somerville’s annual SomerMovieFest returns this year with a series of seven family-friendly films being shown in parks around Somerville. Screenings begin at dusk. The next screening will be Strange World, Thursday, August 10, 8:15 p.m., Seven Hills Park (Somerville Community Path and Buena Vista Rd.).

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Enjoy free outdoor movies, popcorn, candy, and fun at The Block at Boynton Yards, all summer long. Friday Flicks Outdoor Movie Nights at Boynton Yards will start at 7:00 p.m. with yard games and fun, followed by candy, popcorn, and movies once the sun sets. Bring a blanket and get ready for a fun-filled evening. August 11: Raiders of the Lost Ark and September 15: The Little Mermaid (1995 version). Boynton Yards, 110 South Street.

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The Free Lockboxes for Seniors Program is intended to provide police, fire and emergency medical services (EMS) access to your residence in the event of an emergency where you are unable to open the door. A key to your residence will be stored in a secure metal storage device, like a realtor’s lockbox, at your residence. The access code to the lockbox will only be available to police, fire or EMS personnel and be used only during an emergency. The program is targeted towards Somerville residents who live alone and are aged 65+, or those who are disabled and/or suffer from major medical issues at any age. Individuals living in apartment complexes or other facilities with maintenance staff are not eligible for this program. For more information, please contact Debby Higgins at 617-625-6600, ext. 2321 or email Debby at dhiggins@somervillema.gov.

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Don’t forget to visit Somerville’s farmers markets. Every Wednesday through November 22, 12:00 – 6:00 p.m. visit the Davis Square Farmers Market, across from American Flatbread at 44 Day St. Visit: www.massfarmersmarkets.org/davis. Every Saturday through October 28, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., the Union Square Farmers Market takes place at 66-70 Union Sq. visit: www.unionsquaremain.org/2023-fmseason.

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Help sustain the growth of the Come To The Table meal by purchasing a Somerville In Food cookbook with proceeds going towards growing the program. Spearheaded by a former SHC employee and Come To The Table volunteer, the cookbook is a culmination of diverse dishes from local businesses and supporters. Purchase your cookbook to support our neighbors experiencing food insecurity: https://fundraise.givesmart.com/e/Nxmo2g?vid=y5o6.

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