By Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville News belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville News, its staff or publishers.)

Last weekend I had an absolute blast. I brought my family over to the HONK! festival and I seriously could not have had a better time. I often brag to people from other cities that our freaks are better than your freaks, and last weekend proved it. Somerville can out-freak anybody.

Granted, HONK! draws bands from all over the country, but a large percentage make their home in Somerville, because apparently we are the universal epicenter of the avant-garde marching band movement. During festivities people kept coming up to me telling me how much they love living in Somerville. And why not? The streets were packed, music filled the air and everybody got to watch things like a muscular guy in a pink dress laying into a clarinet solo.

And when the HONK! parade marched down to Cambridge, the “Somerville” chants started. You know who chants “Cambridge” during Somerville events? No one. That thought has never occurred to so much as a single person.

But I’m not writing this week to tweak our neighbors to the south. My focus is on the societal value of having a good time. Somerville has gained a reputation as a city that knows how to throw a party. Pick any given weekend and we have something going on.

I should remind people that events like HONK!, the Fluff Festival, Riverfest and the Somerville Dog Festival are put on by private organizations. Our Fourth of July celebration, our summer movie festival and our Spring Cleanup are funded by outside donations. We do run our SomerStreets events on a shoestring budget ($7,000 from our cable television revenues), but most events are paid for by outside organizations and businesses. We also raise funds to run ArtBeat and our Memorial Day Parade.

These events draw thousands to our city. They showcase our squares in a positive light, helping to convince visitors to frequent our local businesses even when there isn’t a festival. That is why organizations like East Somerville Main Streets, Union Square Main Streets and the Somerville Chamber of Commerce help organize so many events. Festivals are good for business.

I should add that they’re also good for the soul. Sometimes people make the case that we should not have so many celebrations when many in our community are in need. Yet people in need also require some levity and entertainment in their lives. In Somerville you can march in parades, see fireworks, listen to live music and watch movies – all for free. We try to provide quality of life to everyone in our community. We bring festivals to every part of the city so that the opportunity to have a good time does not pass by anyone.

The people of Somerville work hard. They deserve the opportunity to play hard too. That’s why our squares and streets bustle with energy every weekend. This year alone, I’ve seen tens of thousands of people with smiles on their faces at Somerville events. In this city we have the good sense to enjoy life. It is one of our most important civic values, and may it be one of our most enduring civic values as well.