Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and the Somerville Arts Council (SAC) invite the community to SomerStreets: Strike Up the Bands on Sunday, September 17, from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m., rain or shine, on Highland Avenue between Central Street and Lowell Street.

Strike Up the Bands will feature two stages of music: 

• Central Street Stage

  • Bring your dance shoes to dance cumbia with Los Nitidos or come rock out with Spanish Rock band Calypso

• 191 Highland Ave. Stage 

  • Join the Alejando Brittes Quartet as they both perform and host a trilingual (English/Spanish/Portuguese) community outreach activity. The Quartet will also demonstrate the basics and core elements of chamamé music and dance from 3:30-4:15 p.m.

In addition to live music, the festival will include craft vendors, community tabling groups, and interactive activities, including:

• Boston League of Wicked Wrestlers (BLOWW) 

  • An inclusive, social justice-oriented wrestling league and performance art group that exists to provide art for, empower, and bring together the marginalized gender and queer communities Vintage and Artisan market by local craft vendors

• Family arts and crafts and activities including a bounce house and yard games

• Community vendors & local businesses

The next SomerStreets event will be held on October 22, 2:00 – 6:00 p.m., with a rain date of October 29, on Somerville Avenue from School Street to Warren Avenue in Union Square.

SomerStreets Program

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 reconnect with neighborhoods and businesses and their unique cultural elements in a thriving urban environment.

SomerStreets builds on the Shape Up Somerville healthy living initiative. Similar open street events take place all around the world, providing space normally taken up by automobile traffic for people to be more active.

For more information, visit 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.