Patriots’ Day is Monday, April 21. All city offices are closed. Trash and recycling pickup will be delayed by one day. Join the Somerville Museum and the City of Somerville for the annual Patriots’ Day celebration at Foss Park. Play colonial games and activities, enjoy refreshments, and greet Paul Revere. Admission is free. 11:30 am at Foss Park.

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Grab your baskets and join Connexion and East Somerville Main Streets on Saturday, April 19 at 12 pm (sharp) for an Easter Egg Hunt in Foss Park. The event is free.

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Somerville’s Fair Housing Commission, Department of Racial and Social Justice, and the Somerville Public Library invite you to hear from attorney Todd Kaplan about how to legally handle Section 8 vouchers for both tenants and landlords. Food and drinks will be provided. Thursday, April 17, 7:00 – 8:30 pm, 79 Highland Ave. Registration is required: https://somervillepubliclibrary.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/fair-housing-month-discussion-tenants-and-landlords-rights-2/. This event is hybrid.

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To those celebrating their birthdays this week: A big happy birthday to Mayor Katjana Ballantyne who is celebrating this week. We hope she has a great day. Happy birthday to former alderman and great guy, Jack Connolly. We hope he has a nice day. Happy birthday to Jesse Moos, we hope he enjoys his day. Happy birthday to a nice guy, Blake Maddux, who has written in the past for this us. We wish him a great day. Happy birthday to Julie Phelan Brady. We hope she enjoys her day. Happy birthday to Jim Cook, who is celebrating this week. Happy birthday to Bob DiGuardia, who is also celebrating this week. We wish a happy birthday to all of our Facebook friends, such as Eilen Langille, Karen Muti Standel, Missy JT, Olga Solomita, Joanne Veneziano Finnegan, Patricia Ferrelli, Lee Erica Byron Palmer, Rachel Strutt, Paul Stanford and Benjamin Holmes who are all celebrating this week. To all the others we may have missed and, yes, we must admit there are a few more out there. We sincerely wish them the very best of birthdays.

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Joshua Sariñana’s upcoming exhibition, Mental Mapping, will be showcased at SomArt @ the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Second Floor, Suite 2A, Somerville. The exhibition runs from April 1 through June 22, 2025. This exhibition delves into the intersections of neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and visual storytelling. Mental Mapping explores how internal networks, such as memory, perception, and emotion, shape the way we experience and navigate the world.https://www.joshuasarinana.com/mental-mapping

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Poetry Class at the COA meets on Wednesday, 16, 23 and 30 from noon to 1:00 pm Free of charge. Learn more about how to create your own poems at the Somerville Council on Aging, led by Somerville poet Shirley Ware. Learn the art of writing poems in a nurturing, creative environment. Grab-n-Go lunch is available upon request. RSVP to Natasha Naim by calling 617-625-6600, ext. 2317.

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Around Hear: Spring Break Concert. Saturday, April 26, 2 – 3:30 pm, Mystic Activity Center, 530 Mystic Ave. Somerville. Free, open to the public. Listeners of all ages are welcome. Refreshments served. Write, draw, move while you listen. After-concert pizza party. Come join in for a concert of music so uplifting, you might find yourself flying around the room. Between musical flights of joy by Telemann and Beethoven, they will be sharing a set of songs from their evolving “Superdoves!” project: a combination adventure novel+song cycle. And exciting news: besides having two incredible human guest musicians joining in for this program, Flappy the Pigeon will be on hand (literally) to teach us all about her magnificent but often misunderstood species.

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Tufts Community Sports Day, April 27, 1 – 3:00 pm Families are invited to Tufts University for a fun event with Tufts student-athletes, student groups, and local community organizations. The event is free and families can visit whatever activities they are interested in. Find more information on the registration page. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdF-oxZaxiiPp6lbEz1mdbs9dUp1LaEhJ6UTPRayZ7fpOxJkA/viewform

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Watch a free film screening of Counted Out, a documentary that explores how math shapes our world. The movie lasts 90 minutes (with Spanish subtitles) and a discussion follows. Recommended for staff, caregivers, and students in grades 6–12. You can register in advance but that is not required. Brought to you by the Academic Department, Equity & Excellence Department, and Somerville Family Learning Collaborative. Wednesday, April 30, 6:30 – 8:30 pm. SHS Highlander Forum, 81 Highland Ave. Spanish interpretation will be provided during the discussion.

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Help celebrate E-Mobility during SustainaVille Week, returning May 3 – 9, with a full lineup of events celebrating sustainability and climate action in Somerville. Community members are invited to participate in an E-Mobility Expo to showcase their own electric rides, whether it’s an e-bike, electric vehicle (EV), scooter, or some other electric transport. The expo will take place on May 9 at the Day Street Lot in Davis Square (44 Day St.) from noon to 6 p.m.

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The Haitian Flag Festival will be held on May 17, 2 –  6 pm (weather date May 18), 93 Highland Ave., is a vibrant celebration of Haitian culture and heritage, marking the creation of the Haitian flag. The event brings together the community to celebrate Haiti’s rich history, pride, and unity through music, food, art, and cultural performances. A highlight of the festival is the opportunity to enjoy traditional Haitian dishes, adding a delicious and authentic taste of Haitian culture to the celebration. This special day honors the significance of the Haitian flag, which symbolizes freedom, resilience, and the spirit of independence. The festival is an opportunity for everyone to learn about and appreciate Haitian traditions, while also creating connections within the community.

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PorchFest 2025 will take place on Saturday, May 10, from 12 to 6 p.m. (inclement weather date: Sunday, May 11). Applications are now open. Submit by Thursday, April 10, at 11:59 p.m. Application submission does not guarantee participation. Certain streets will be restricted for performances to ensure safety. View the restricted street map on our website or view the streets listed below. View how to submit your application for consideration https://somervilleartscouncil.org/porchfest/. 

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This May, the Union Square Neighborhood Council is holding its bi-annual election for the USNC board. All members are invited to vote in the election, as well as run for a board seat. (If you have any questions about the USNC or what it means to be a member, please consult their website at: sites.google.com/view/usnc. The election will be held in person as follows: Day 1: Saturday, May 17, 8 am – 12 pm, Argenziano School, 290 Washington Street. Day 2: Tuesday, May 20, 7:30 am – 7:30 pm, [TBA] Somerville.

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Attend a School Committee meeting. Dates and times for school committee meetings are listed on the SPS district website calendar. Visit the School Committee website for information and find meeting details on the City of Somerville Events page: https://somerville.k12.ma.us/events/calendar

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Voting is now open for the city’s second Participatory Budgeting cycle. Residents aged 12 and up can now vote on their favorite city improvement ideas. Voting is open through Wednesday, April 30. Learn more and cast your vote at: www.somervillema.gov/pb.

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A Lens Full of Light, photographs by Gretchen Ann Graham and Julián Cancino are on view at the Washington Street Gallery, 321 Washington St. A Lens Full of Light is a dual exhibition by photographers Gretchen Ann Graham and Julián Cancino, which explores the profound connections that shape life across generations. Con-necting these two collections as well are the names of the photographers’ subjects, Helen and Eleni. Both names translate to “light” and “the bright one.” This exhibit will feature both digital and silver gelatin prints, with several works on view for the first time. Exhibition dates: March 28 – April 25. Gallery hours: Saturdays 12 – 4 p.m. or by appointment.

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April marks the start of construction season in Somerville. From sidewalks on Holland Street to the Clock Tower at City Hall, there is a lot of work to keep up with. The city’s monthly construction newsletter is one of the ways we work to make sure you know what is happening, where it’s happening, and how it ultimately benefits our city. https://www.somervillema.gov/construction#newsletter.

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Massachusetts has a thriving zine scene, and you’re invited to check out as many zine libraries in the Greater Boston area as you can. During the month of April, complete your Zine Library Crawl passport for the opportunity to win prizes. Zine Library Crawl passports are available at participating libraries. The Zine Crawl takes place throughout the month of April, all day, at the Central Library, East Branch, and West Branch. No registration required. Questions? Contact Tim: tdevin@somervillema.gov.

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Somerville Animal Control is in need of towels/blankets/linens. They can arrange a porch pickup if you message them on FB or they can be dropped off at the police station at any time.

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Drum Your Heart Day, Saturday April 26, at Gilman Art Park, Medford St., Somerville. Bring a bucket or metal or a drum and everyone will drum together led by a core of drum artists. Beginning around 1 p.m. Celebrate, protest, express yourself to the universe the good we know we need to overcome hate and prejudice from our neighborhoods across America. Gilman Art Park has been and continues welcoming artists to show Temporary Public Art until June, possibly through this Summer. On the first Saturday of June there will be a celebration honoring all the artists who have contributed their works to this temporary field of free expression.

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On Friday, April 25, GLOWBALL will transform the Armory Performance Hall into an immersive Glow-in-the-Dark Rave created by DJ Adam Gibbons with hypnotic visuals by Jay Medina, all in support of The Center for Arts at the Armory. GLOWBALL is an anti-gala. There will be no speeches, formal presentations or auction. There will be pop-up performances by SambaViva and Sidy Maiga on djembe. This year’s honorees: Rachel Strutt, Lifetime Achievement Award; Clay Fernald, Community Arts Advocate: and Nelson Salazar, Oustanding Artist. GLOWBALL tickets include complimentary international bites, glow-in-the-dark accessories and face painting by Arty Mari. This will surely be Somerville’s most illuminating party of 2025. https://artsatthearmory.org/glowball/.

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The Somerville Arts Council’s ArtBeat 2025 Calls for Talent are now available. The Somerville Arts Council invites musicians, street performers, circus artists, installation artists, buskers, craft vendors, and more to participate at ArtBeat 2025. Festival date and new time: Saturday, July 19, 1 – 9 p.m. (Rain date: Sunday, July 20), Davis Square, Somerville.

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Somerville Open Studios 2025 will take place on Saturday and Sunday, May 3–4, from 12 to 6 p.m. each day, at artists’ studios and homes throughout Somerville. Nearly 400 artists in 118 locations citywide will open their studios to the public. Map, artist, and (soon) trolley info at https://www.somervilleopenstudios.org/ The SOS First Look Show at the Somerville Museum will be open from April 24 through May 17.

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East Somerville’s Spring Clean-up will take place on April 26. Pastries and coffee are provided by Ola Cafe. 10 a.m. – 12 p.m., 115 Broadway, East Branch Library.

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Community Health Worker Division Hours are held every other Thursday at Connexion (149 Broadway, Somerville, MA) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. They will provide hygiene kits, snacks, and referrals to internal and external partners for the following services: ESL, Housing, SHC, SNAP and MassHealth. Next event is April 17.

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SCES is teaming up with City Fresh Foods to offer a five-pack of frozen home-delivered meals. This new meal delivery option is ideal for consumers who want the convenience of home-delivered meals but are not able to be at home each weekday to receive deliveries. Meal recipients can choose which weekday they would like to receive the frozen meals, with up to five meals in each bulk delivery. Each meal comes with bread, milk, and a dessert. Current SCES clients who are interested in receiving meals should call their office at 617-628-2601 or contact their case manager for more information.

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City Alerts are a great way for those who live, work, or own a business in Somerville to receive important city information that affects your neighborhood. City Alerts provide information about emergencies (including snow emergencies), construction and road closures, water service interruptions, community news, and more. To sign up, visit somervillema.gov/alerts and click on the button for your preferred language. Step-by-step sign-up instructions are available at: somervillema.gov/alerts. Having trouble signing up? You can call 3-1-1 (617-666-3311) for assistance.

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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 over to the right side and fill out your email address to receive a free, full PDF of the paper.