Around Town

Watertown Church Hosting Fall Festival, Costume Carnival

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The following announcement was provided by Grace Chapel Watertown:

You’re Invited to the Watertown Campus Costume Carnival — A family-friendly, Halloween-alternative fall festival for our neighbors and friends. Grace Chapel Watertown

Date: Saturday, October 25, 2025

Time: 2:00 – 4:00 PM

Location: 525 Main Street, Watertown, MA

Come enjoy an afternoon filled with free fun for the whole family:

Candy, Carnival games & prizes, free snacks & treats, bounce houses, face painting & crafts, costume fun for kids (and grown-ups too!), and community connections. Bring your family, invite your friends, and don’t forget your costume! Everything is free because we love our neighbors and want to celebrate together. Hosted by Grace Chapel Watertown where community and joy come together!

Around Town

Taylor Swift’s Album, Special Items Will be Available at Midnight Event in Watertown

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(Photo by Target)

Fans of Taylor Swift can get their hands on her latest album and some exclusive merchandise at a special midnight sale taking place in Watertown. See details provided by Target, below. Taylor Swift’s twelfth studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” is the most anticipated music release of the year. To help Watertown celebrate this new era, the Target at 550 Arsenal St, Watertown, MA 2472 will be one of nearly 500 stores staying open for a midnight release celebration, where fans can shop Target’s exclusive assortment as soon as it’s available. How to Shop on Oct 3:  

Midnight In-Store Releases: 

To celebrate the album release on October 3, nearly 500 stores across the nation will stay open to host midnight releases (local time).  

Starting at 10 p.m. on October 2, shoppers can begin lining up and a Target team member will distribute physical or digital tickets to reserve your product for purchase in the electronics section of the store.

Around Town

Historical Society Hosting Watertown During Revolution Tour, Documentary on Quabbin Reservoir

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Sunday is a day for history buffs in town as the Historical Society hosts a walking tour of Revolutionary War sights around Watertown, and a screening of a documentary film about the creation of the Quabbin Reservoir and the four towns that now lie beneath the surface. See more in the announcements provided by the Historical Society of Watertown. Walking Tour of Watertown During the Revolution

The Historical Society of Watertown invites you to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the fight for American Independence by taking a walking tour of “Watertown During the Revolution” Sunday, October 5, 2025 at 10 a.m.

Meeting Place: Zussman Memorial Park beside 66 Galen St. (The tour will be cancelled for rain.)

Join Historical Society of Watertown walking tour leaders Lynne O’Connell and Beth Houston for a 90-minute walking tour to learn about the important role that the town played during the American Revolution. After the battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775, the Provincial Congress assembled in the town’s Meeting House, making Watertown the seat of the Massachusetts government for 18 months.

Entertainment

Mosesian Center’s Jazz Series Relaunches as Chords and Cocktails

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The Mosesian Center for the Arts is pleased to announce its long-running jazz series has relaunched as Chords and Cocktails, an exciting evolution of diverse live music on its stages, with performances running from October 2025 through April 2026. The series brings together celebrated vocalists, instrumentalists, and ensembles for six nights of exceptional music in a warm, creative, setting that emphasizes artistry and community. Audiences can also take advantage of the Jazz Series Package, with savings unlocked when purchasing tickets to multiple concerts. Series Highlights

Nancy & Spencer Reed, October 8, 2025Sally-steeped in classic swing, Nancy Reed (vocals/bass) and Spencer Reed (guitar) return to delight audiences with their beloved small-band sound, hailed by jazz legend Bob Dorough as “the swingin’est, most dynamite small band.”

Boston Blow Up feat. Donna McElroy, November 19, 2025A celebration of Boston’s vibrant jazz heritage, this performance brings together distinguished Berklee faculty, alumni, and guest vocalist Donna McElroy in an evening of soulful, local flavor.

Around Town

Fourth Annual Watertown Celebrates Indigenous People’s Day on Oct. 12, Free Entry

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The following announcement was provided by the Pigsgusset Initiative:

Watertown’s 4th celebration of Indigenous Peoples Day will be held on Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, from 12:00 to 3:30 p.m. at the Hosmer Elementary School, 1 Concord Road, Watertown, MA.  The free event will feature Indigenous musicians, artists and vendors. Performers include: Wampanoag Nation Singers and Dancers; Teddy Hendricks, Mashpee Wampanoag & Nipmuc, storyteller; and Maria Hendricks, Assonet & Mashpee Wampanoag, MC.  Artisans Darius Coombs and Eleanor Coombs, Mashpee Wampanoag, will be demonstrating how to create wampum and corn husk dolls. Participants will be able to make their own corn husk dolls. Gianni Hendrix, Mashpee Wampanoag & Nipmuc, will provide face painting. 

Wampwheels, a food truck, will be outside on Concord Road and will be selling delicious Indigenous food that people can bring into the event. Indigenous vendors include: Claudia Fox Tree, Arawak-Taino iukaieke Guainia, Arawak Designs, Linda Coombs, Aquinnah Wampanoag, Leslie Tuplin, First Nation Mik Maq-Lennox Island – PEI, Native Solutions and Cindy Shelley, Up the Creek Traders. Belmont Bookstore will be selling books by and about Indigenous people and the Watertown Free Library Bookmobile will have books about Indigenous people to borrow. A special feature of this year’s celebration will be a preview of “Pigsgusset and Watertown: What You Didn’t Know About the Original Peoples and the Founding of Watertown,” a Storymap.  Presenters include Dr. Mishy Lesser, Upstander Project and Dr. Nathan Braccio, Assistant Professor of History at Clark University. They will be joined by Marilynne K. Roach and Joyce Kelly of the Historical Society of Watertown. Those who attend will be among the first to view the newly created storymap.

Entertainment

Creative Chats Featuring Organizer of Watertown Zine Fest

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Matt Hanna, the creator of the Little Local Conversations podcast, will host Creative Chats! – With Guest Megan Ramette of the Watertown Zine Fest. See details below. You’re invited to Creative Chats! The event is a way to gather creative people face-to-face to mingle, hear a featured conversation on the topic of creativity and the creative life, and then engage in the conversation themselves in small groups.

Around Town

Residents Could See & Hear Impacts from City Water Valve Exercising Program

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The City of Watertown provided information about the Valve Exercising Program and the Fire Hydrant Flushing Program. Valve Exercising Program

What is Valve Exercising?Valves are crucial components in municipal water systems, controlling water flow in our distribution mains. Valve exercising is the process of opening and closing valves to ensure they continue to function properly. Over time, valves can seize or become stiff due to corrosion, mineral buildup or lack of use. Exercising helps break up any buildup and allows operators to inspect the valve for signs of decay or malfunction.

Government

City Manager’s Reflection One-Week After the End of the Trash Strike

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Full trash bins during the recently-ended trash strike. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Watertown City Manager George Proakis sent out the following piece on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025. As we end the first week of fall and reflect upon the summer that saw our regular trash and recycling services disrupted by the labor strike between Republic Services and their unionized workforce, I want to extend my sincere appreciation to the community for their continued understanding and the members of City staff for their hard work. Back when the strike began on July 1, 2025, and it became clear that Republic Services were not able to deliver services to our community, regardless of their prior assurances, our DPW Director Tom Brady, the Recycling Program Manager Matt Bacon, and our Communications Team began working together hour-by-hour to ensure effective messaging out to the community, and dedicating themselves to finding a creative solution to the problem facing Watertown.