This is a weekend for spring cleaning, so let’s get our hands dirty! You can bring your dusty bike out of the basement and get it ready to enjoy all the new bike lanes around or help to clean up our green spaces through Watertown Helps Out. If you’re a New England history buff, you will enjoy the Watertown Historical Society talk about restoring a 300 year-old home. Then head home and work on your own, glad that it’s only 100 years old or so. Hungry after all that work? It’s Cinco de Mayo time at the Condesa Restaurante. And see a traditional Indian dance performance.
GET OUT YOUR BIKE! with Live Well Watertown
Saturday, May 4, 1-3 p.m.
Watertown Square Dock, Charles River Road at Galen Street Bridge
Dig your bike out of the basement, garage, or shed and bring it down for a free minibike/safety check-up. Meet representatives from Live Well Watertown, Watertown’s Bike & Pedestrian Committee, the Watertown Transportation Management Association (WTMA), and Watertown Free Public Library.
Learn about Watertown’s healthy living programs, advocacy efforts, and active transportation initiatives. Pick up information on bike safety & commuting, and a map for cycling in and around Watertown. Venture out along the pathways and enjoy the spring scenery!
For more information: Click here
CINCO DE MAYO at Condesa Restaurante Mexicano
Sunday, May 5, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
80 Arsenal Yards Blvd.
Head over to the Condesa Restaurante for a day packed with Mexican flair and fun! Experience the vibrant colors and lively atmosphere of Mexico. Whether dining with family, friends, or flying solo, everyone is welcome to join in the festivities. Special menu items include ceviche de camaron, calamari, chicken quesadilla and tamales. Holiday drinks include The Don, La Sandia, Diablo, and Prickly Margaritas.
For more information: Click here
A HOUSE RESTORED: THE TRAGEDIES AND TRIUMPHS OF SAVING A NEW ENGLAND COLONIAL by Lee McColgan– at the Watertown Free Public Library
Sunday May 5, 2-3:30 p.m.
Come for a slide show and talk on the Historic Preservation of a 300-year-old farmhouse on the South Shore by Lee McColgan. Lee is committed to preserving the ramshackle Loring House, built in 1702, using period materials and methods. But his enchantment withers as he discovers the massive repairs it needs. McColgan’s journey expertly examines our relationship to history through the homes we inhabit, beautifully articulating the philosophy of preserving the past to find purpose for the future.
For more information: Click here
WATERTOWN HELPS OUT – with the Watertown Community Foundation
Saturday, May 4, times and locations vary
Throughout the month of May there will be opportunities to volunteer to help out around town. Some of the events require garbage bags and a treasure hunt for discarded plastic bottles and other non-biodegradable items to clean up our parks and open spaces. But there are other possibilities, such as helping out at Watertown Cable with their archiving project.
Whitney Hill Clean Up: 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Cannalonga Park Clean Up: 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Watertown Cable Access Digital Archive Project: 12-3 p.m.
For more information: Click here
SEASONS OF LIFE — at Mount Auburn Cemetery
Sunday, May 5, 1-2:30 p.m.
Join Artist-in-Residence Swati Biswas for a traditional Indian dance performance of her work, Seasons of Life, a series of four short dance vignettes that explore the parallels between seasonal change and life phases at Mount Auburn Cemetery.
See more information, click here.