On April 10 at 7:30 p.m., Somerville’s Fair Housing Commission, Department of Racial and Social Justice, and Somerville Public Library invite you to a film screening of Segregated by Design followed by a panel discussion of fair housing and discrimination with local experts. Food and drinks will be provided. Registration is required: www.tinyurl.com/ykjnt9f9.

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Aspiring gardeners of all ages are invited to attend a workshop with Green City Growers. Learn how to plant, maintain, fertilize, and harvest successful crops. The first event of this series will be held on Wednesday, April 9, at the Central Library (79 Highland Ave.) from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Learn more and register to attend. https://somervillepubliclibrary.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/gardening-workshop-with-green-city-growers-39/.

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Happy birthday this week to several locals: We wish a happy birthday to all of our Facebook friends such as Steve MacEachern, Linda Camiel Butler, Patricia Garrity, Warren Goldstein-Gelb, Loretta McGonagle and Mark Hnl Kaye 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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In recognition of Week of the Young Child, Mayor Katjana Ballantyne, Somerville Public Schools, and Somerville’s early childhood community invite parents, children and educators to enjoy music, pizza, and games at the One Somerville, Every Child celebration on Thursday, April 10, on the Somerville High School concourse (81 Highland Ave.) from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.

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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/. Want to be a PorchFest Ambassador? Volunteer applications are due April 13 at 11:59 p.m., join the fun and help keep the fest running smoothly. Fill out the very short form today. More info here: www.somervilleartscouncil.org/porchfest/porchfest-ambassadors/.

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The Council on Aging will be hosting coffee hour with Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and Police Chief Shumeane Ben-ford on Friday, April 11, 11:00 a.m., Holland Street Center, 167 Holland Street. Join in for coffee and conversation during this opportunity for a meaningful dialogue, to ask questions and to share your insights. Lunch will be served at noon. Please call Debby to RSVP at 617-625-6600 ext. 2321.

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Vinyl Index and Bow Market present Record Store Day 2025. The annual celebration of indie record stores is back on Saturday, April 12, 9 a.m. – 11 p.m. for a fun-packed day of exclusive records, event tees and totes printed live, DJs spinning inside and out, music-inspired food and drinks, and more.

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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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The City of Somerville will celebrate the Nepali New Year by raising the National Flag of Nepal at City Hall on Sunday, April 13, at 12:30 p.m., City Hall Concourse, 93 Highland Ave. Mayor Katjana Ballantyne will be attend-ing the ceremony, raising the Nepali National Flag, and delivering wishes for a Happy New Year 2082 to the Nepali community in the city.

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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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Street sweeping in Somerville resumed on Tuesday, April 1. Somerville’s street cleaning program is an essential public works program that not only keeps our city cleaner but also reduces the risk of flooding and icing due to clogged storm drains. Signs indicate the time and date of no parking due to sweeping. The street sweeping season runs from April 1 until December 31 each year. On designated street sweeping days, vehicles must be moved from the side of the street being swept, as noted on signs posted on each street. The penalty for not complying with street sweeping parking regulations is a $50 fine. Check the signs on the streets where you park and visit www.somervillema.gov/sweeper for more information.

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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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Municipal scholarships are available for high school seniors. Seven $1,000 municipal scholarships are available for high school seniors graduating in 2025 through the City of Somerville Municipal Scholarship Committee. Applicants must be residents of Somerville who have been accepted to an accredited post-secondary institution. Students are asked to complete a profile and answer three short essay questions by March 31. Learn more and apply: https://www.somervillema.gov/somerville-municipal-scholarship-2025.

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All Youth Summer programs will drop on the Somerville Recreation website on April 15. From sports to arts and crafts to outdoor adventures, they have something for you. Don’t miss out, check their website at www.somervillerec.com at 12 p.m. for new programs to join for the summer.

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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.

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Registration for SPS free summer programs is now open. They have a wide range of programs open to any SPS student at different grade levels. Check out the summer webpage to learn more: https://somerville.k12.ma.us/summer . Registration runs from Monday, March 24 through April.

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You can download a helpful packet of Know Your Rights resources and information in the language of your choice below. Somerville Public Schools have also created a list of resources on the One Somerville Resource page, which can be found here https://somerville.k12.ma.us/district-departments/somerville-family-learning-collaborative-sflc/one-somerville-resources.

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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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The Somerville Growing Center, 22 Vinal Ave, will host Microgreens with Ceilidh, on Saturday, April 12, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Join Ceilidh Peden-Spear to learn how to grow microgreens at home. A limited supply of starting kits will be available. Introduction to Nature Monitoring in the City, Saturday, April 12, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. The Earthwise Aware naturalist team introduces how to document and help the Growing Center’s plant and insect communities. All welcome to join, beginners welcome. Register for limited spots and for background information and suggestions for downloading free data recording apps. https://www.thegrowingcenter.org/

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Somerville High School students are invited to bring their SHS ID to the Somerville YMCA on Fridays from 7 to 9 p.m. and Sundays from 2 to 4 p.m. for free. There are free movie nights. On Sundays, students will have access to the basketball and exercise areas (including the weight room). Visit their website to learn more. https://somervilleymca.org/news/somerville-teens-after-hours/. Somerville YMCA asks that students go to their website to register before visiting. This program is for ages 14 to 17 years.

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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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The Somerville Winter Farmers Market is back at the Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., on Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. from November 2 to April 12. The Center for the Arts at the Armory is proud to offer a weekly winter market with 71+ local food vendors with the best locally grown and regionally produced foods, including fresh produce, cheese, eggs, meats, fish, breads, tamales, pastries, chocolate, skincare products, and more. The market accepts SNAP/EBT and HIP benefits. They also offer a $15 SNAP match to customers each week. More info is available on their website: https://www.somwintermarket.org/.

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Through the generosity of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), and from the direction of Mayor Ballantyne, the Council on Aging can provide Durable Medical Equipment at no cost to Somerville residents. Residents with a documented need for medical equipment must be over the age of 60, or have a permanent disability and must be otherwise unable to afford or access needed medical equipment. We currently have available: Commodes, Bath Benches, Rollator Walkers, Incontinence Supplies, and Transport Wheelchairs. For additional information or for an application, please contact Debby Higgins at 617-625-6600, ext. 2321.

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