The 9th Annual Evolution of HipHop Festival is happening this Saturday, August 19 (rain date 8/20) in Union Square (Somerville). Celebrate 50 years of HipHop at the festival. An Arts Union event produced by Wat’s Da Wurd Radio and Television.

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Happy birthday this week to several locals: Happy birthday to Courtney O’Keefe of Ward 5. We wish her a great birthday. Happy birthday to Cliff Clark. We wish him the very best. Happy birthday Jenny Bonham Carter. We wish Jenny a great day. We wish all our celebrating Facebook friends, such as Joseph Amaral Sr., Adam Knight, Patricia Toner, Roy Bertocchi, Carmine D Ambrosio DAmbrosio, Maureen Marenna, Anna Rosella, Valerie Mitchell, Laureen DeBrase, Pat Lane and Pam Keith 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 city is hosting two Municipal Firefighter Exam registration events at the Somerville Fire Station (266 Broadway) on Thursday, August 17, from 9:00 a.m. to noon, and Thursday, August 24, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Hear from the experts: Somerville Fire Department and Human Resources staff will be onsite to answer your questions and assist with applications, which are being accepted until Tuesday, August 29. A $75 exam fee waiver is available for qualifying candidates. Learn more and apply online at: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/2023-municipal-firefighter-examination.

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The city’s Economic Development Division is hosting two virtual community conversations on Thursday, August 17: one at 9:00 a.m. and one at 6:00 p.m. Hear about outdoor dining fee structures from around the region and share your thoughts and concerns about what a fair outdoor dining license fee structure would look like in Somerville. Learn more and attend at somervillema.gov/outdoordining.

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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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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  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 Clueless, Thursday, August 17, 8:13 p.m., Seven Hills Park (Somerville Community Path and Buena Vista Rd.)..

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Enjoy free outdoor movie, 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.  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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