Celebrate Free Open Streets event to feature live music, family-friendly activities, food, and more!

 

SOMERVILLE – Celebrate the season at “Seize the Summer,” the August installment of the City’s SomerStreets festival, on Sunday, Aug. 6, from 2 to 6 p.m. between Davis Square and Teele Square on Holland Street. 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, fresh foods, and reconnecting with neighborhoods and businesses and their unique cultural elements in a thriving urban environment.

 

Activities along Holland St. will include:

· Live music on two stages including School of HONK, Parks, Civic, Melvern Taylor and his Fabulous Meltones and Ship of the Sun

· A 90 ft. obstacle course water slide – open to people of all ages! Bring your bathing suit!

· Trapeze performance by Esh Circus Arts

· Interactive activities with Buzzroar Interactive for all ages including balloon toss, water balloon

· Dodge ball & mini golf

· Beer garden sponsored by Aeronaut

· Hockey, interactive activities, preschool games and other fun with Somerville Recreation

· Temporary bike lane and bike talk with MassDOT

· Flea and artisan craft market by Somerville Flea

· Storytelling project with Somerville Media Center and the City of Somerville on the MUSCRAT bus

· Martial arts performance and demonstration class with Villari martial arts

· Explore a fire truck or ambulance

· Craft vendors, and community vendors and local businesses

· Facepainting and henna painting

· And more!

 

To ensure public safety at the event, the following road closures and parking bans will be in effect.

 

· No Parking on Holland St. from Davis to Teele Sq. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; street closed to vehicles 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.

· All one way side streets leading onto Holland St. will temporarily be converted to two-way traffic for abutters only to allow residents to get to and from their homes, including:

o Moore St., Gorham St., Paulina St., Simpson Ave., Jay St., and Wallace St.

· Bus routes 87 and 88 will be rerouted from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. For locations of rerouted bus stops, visit MBTA.com.

All SomerStreets events will run from 2 to 6 p.m., rain or shine.

Remaining 2017 events include:

· Strike Up the Bands @ SomerStreets: Sun., Sept. 17, Highland Ave.

· Monster Mashed-Up @ SomerStreets: Sun., Oct. 22, Somerville Ave.

For more information, visit http://www.somervillema.gov, or http://www.somervilleartscouncil.org.

For questions about the festival or press queries, please contact Special Events Manager, Nina Eichner at 617-625-6600 ext. 2998.
Individuals with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication, written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures, in order to access the programs and activities of the City of Somerville or to attend meetings, should contact the City’s ADA Coordinator, Nency Salamoun, at 617-625-6600 x2323 or NSalamoun@somervillema.gov.