‘SomerStreets: Strike Up the Bands’ hits the streets this weekend

On July 31, 2024, in Latest News, by The Somerville Times

SomerStreets: Strike Up the Bands will be bringing fun, games, and live music this coming Sunday, August 4, to Highland Avenue.

Come sing along at “Strike up the Bands,” the August installment of the City’s SomerStreets festivals, on Sunday, August 4, from 2 to 6 p.m. between Central St and Lowell St. on Highland Ave.

SomerStreets is the City of Somerville’s take on the internationally renowned Open Streets concept, closing busy city streets to vehicles, and opening them up for cycling, walking, dancing, running, and other modes of activity. Through SomerStreets, the City and its community partners aim to promote and encourage easy access to physical activity and reconnecting with neighborhoods and businesses and their unique cultural elements in a thriving urban environment.

Activities along Highland Ave. will include:

A bouncy house
Delicious food vendors
Performances by Esh Circus and other roamers
Parkour with Parkour Generations Boston
Activities and games with Somerville Recreation
Unique finds from artisan and craft vendors
Interactive games by Event Them and Knucklebones

Music line up:

**Armory Stage** at 191 Highland Ave, curated by Citixen Joy. 
2:10pm- Grand Choice Records
3:15pm- Bethel Adekogbe
4:20pm- Laura Suárez

**Central St. Stage** at 154 Highland Ave featuring
2:30pm- FM Collective
3:45pm- Trio Let’s Vamos
5pm- The New Grown-Ups

To ensure public safety at the event, the following road closures and parking bans will be in effect.

Highland Ave. (Central St. to Lowell St.): Closed to all vehicular traffic 11:30 a.m. – 8 p.m.; no parking 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Belmont St. (Summer St. to Highland Ave.) and Spring Hill Terr. will become two way streets from 11:30 a.m to 8 p.m. to allow access for abutters.
MBTA buses 88 and 90 will be rerouted from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. For locations of rerouted bus stops, visit MBTA.com.

The final SomerStreets event of the year is:

Monster Mash on Sunday, Oct 20th. Somerville Ave. in Union Square (Rain Date: Oct 27th)

Interested in volunteering? Sign up here

For more information on SomerStreets events and more, visit www.somervillema.gov, or www.somervilleartscouncil.org/somerstreets.

With questions about the festival or press queries, please contact Events Coordinator, Iaritza Menjivar at imenjivar@somervillema.gov or 617-625-6600 ext. 2998.