By Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone

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

Here in Somerville we believe in having a good time. Always have. It got ingrained in me at a young age. Maybe it was all those Memorial Day parades I attended in. Ever since I can remember, whenever there’s a public celebration in this city, people turn out for it. Longtime residents, new residents, people of every age, color, religion, ethnic background and economic status – you can see the diversity that makes us such a great city coming together during our public festivals and cultural events. It’s awesome to behold.

Already this year we’ve drawn thousands to events like PorchFest, ArtBeat, the Memorial Day parade, our 4th of July celebration, the SomerStreets event on Broadway and last weekend’s Haiti & Brazil Hit the ‘Ville Festival. Don’t worry if you missed some of those. We’ve got a lot more coming with a docket events to take you through the rest of the summer and into the fall.

Sometimes people ask why we have all these events and celebrations. It’s true that other cities don’t do nearly as much. Yet we have found this is part of the glue that bonds a community. I talk constantly about Somerville being a great place to live, work, play and raise a family. Our social events go directly to the “live,” “play” and “raise a family” parts of that statement. Not everyone has the time or the money to see big summer concert events, take big vacations or see all the hit summer movies with the family. Yet in Somerville all you need to do is get out of your house to experience some great music, art and festivities. The city where you live, where you raise your family, comes alive with celebration.

It goes to quality of life, and we know from our happiness surveys that our public events are one of the favorite things of our residents. We’re not some sleepy bedroom community where there’s never anything to do. We’re a vibrant, diverse city that’s always got something going on. It’s become part of our way of life. It would be weird and unsettling if we weren’t taking advantage of the warm weather to fill our streets with merriment.

Public cultural events are also fantastic for business. They draw in people from other cities and towns, and put us on the map in terms of tourism. People come here and spend some money. They also bring local residents out of their neighborhoods and into the larger city. When you spend time in a city square or walk along a boulevard you don’t normally travel, you see shops and restaurants that make you think, “Hey, I’ve got to come back here.” We want people to shop and spend local as much as possible. The first part of that is knowing where you live. Festivals and events are a great way to expand your own personal map of the city.

So what have we got coming up? We’re in the middle of our SomerMovie Fest. This week we’ve got the classic comedy Airplane! (“By the way, is there anyone on board who knows how to fly a plane?”) in Nathan Tufts Park, near Powder House Square. In August, we’ll be showing other great movies in different parks. Next Tuesday we’ve got National Night Out in Foss Park hosted by Somerville Cares About Prevention in partnership with the Somerville Police Department and Somerville Office of Prevention. It will include Fire and Police Department activities including a presentation from the Massachusetts State Police K-9 unit, live performances by the Somerville Sunsetters, Mission Church of Christ Choir, and Teen Empowerment, as well as youth activities, raffle prizes, and information tables from over 30 neighborhood agencies.

On Saturday, August 13 we’ve got the Ignite! Festival in Union Square, which features fire spinners and belly dancers and some of the best international food our city has to offer. On Sunday, August 21, SomerStreets takes to Holland Street all the way from Teele Square to Davis Square. The street will be closed down so you can walk, bike or skate it and stop for all kinds of fun summer activities including music, food, and games.

In September, we’ve got the Trum Field Dog Fest, the Rock & Roll Yard Sale, a hip hop festival, the MUM Festival featuring psychedelic art and great dance music, SomerStreets along Highland Avenue (which will feature a slate of rocking local bands) and the now internationally famous Fluff Festival.

Then we’re into October with our Urban Agriculture Festival, the HONK! Festival, our Monster MashedUp SomerStreets event along Somerville Avenue and a Halloween celebration at City Hall. We’ve got something for everyone and our weekly e-newsletter can keep you up to date (sign up at www.somervillema.gov/newsletter). In fact we’ve got so many events coming you’ll probably find some brand new favorite thing to do. We’ve got a city dedicated to the joy of living. I urge everybody to get out there and sample the festivities Somerville has to offer.