Weekend Fun: Poppy Social, Art Galleries, Armenian Cuisine

Kenji Nakayam and Damion Silver in Alter State at Drive-By Projects Art Gallery

Watertown is going to be a quiet, quite warm place on Memorial Day weekend as people are headed to greener/hillier/sandier pastures. Of course, it is a time to remember those who have given their lives, so you can pop into the Poppy Social at the Commander’s mansion on Friday in their remembrance. If looking for some air conditioning, pay a visit to see some of the art in town. There is the town sculpture garden in the open air, and a number of local galleries with current exhibits. There is also art to be made in a painting workshop.

Concert in Watertown Featuring the Sounds of the Andes

Sounds of the Andes will appear at Watertown’s First Parish Church. (Courtesy Photo)

The following announcement was provided by Spectacle Collective:

Spectacle Collective presents Sounds of the Andes, an evening of musical fusion featuring the Alturas Duo and Gonzalo Cortés, on Saturday, June 1, 2024, at 7:30 pm at First Parish of Watertown. Alturas Duo consists of Carlos Boltes on viola and charango and Scott Hill on guitar and voice. They will be joined by Gonzalo Cortés, Andean woodwinds, and Western flute for a seamless blend of Western classical music with South American folk music. The audience is invited to reimagine familiar classics while also being presented with a whole new world of sound.

Small Saves Gets Creative in the Kitchen in This Week’s Cartoon

James DeMarco grew up in Watertown and became a goaltender at age 5. It’s his life’s passion to stand between the pipes and keep the puck out of the net. Combining this with the love of cartooning Small Saves emerged in 1991 and took on a life of his own. “To play goal – then come home and draw Small Saves — is my ideal definition of a good day.”

Watertown Weekend Fun: Lots of Music, One-Woman Show, Plant Sale & a Book Launch

Eden Rays will perform at Mount Auburn Cemetery to celebrate the
100th Anniversary homecoming of the Bigelow Chapel organ. This is a weekend for your ears to experience a dazzling variety of music in a wide range of settings. Catch some original music at Bigelow Chapel in Mount Auburn Cemetery, reminisce about the good ole’ 80’s and 90’s at the Jana Grill, and explore the city during our first annual Watertown Porchfest. There is also time for more quiet gatherings, a one-woman show at the Mosesian Center, a book launch at the Library, and for those reveling in the joys of spring gardening, a plant sale at the Gore Estate. It’s time to get your hands dirty and your garden beautifully productive.

Watertown Porchfest: Hundreds of Bands Playing at More Than 80 Locations

Watertown will be rocking this Saturday when bands take to porches, lawns, and other temporary venues around town during the first Watertown Porchfest sweeps across the city. The festival will include more than 180 bands playing at 80 locations, including homes, the Watertown Free Public Library, Gore Place, restaurants, and a fitness studio. There will even be a block party with food trucks to accompany the entertainment. Matt Hanna, a member of the Watertown Porchfest organizing committee, said that Watertown “crushed it” in the first year in terms of the number of performers, and the spread of porches around town. “When we first started talking about it we said hopefully we get 50 bands.

Small Saves Takes on a Talented Youngster in This Week’s Cartoon

James DeMarco grew up in Watertown and became a goaltender at age 5. It’s his life’s passion to stand between the pipes and keep the puck out of the net. Combining this with the love of cartooning Small Saves emerged in 1991 and took on a life of his own. “To play goal – then come home and draw Small Saves — is my ideal definition of a good day.”

WATERTOWN WEEKEND FUN: Mother’s Day Activities, Yoga, Sweeney Todd, Blood Drive & Touch-a-Truck

A Watertown studio will host a mother-daugther yoga class for Mother’s Day. Given that it’s Mother’s Day weekend, let’s explore the range of activities that you can do with your children or to help others’ children. Everyone can put their phones away to get up close and personal with trucks, plant some seeds, experience some theater thrills, or give a gift of life by donating blood for the Boston Children’s Hospital. And if you’d rather not think about children, head to the Watertown Center for Healing Arts to connect with other adults. MOTHER-DAUGHTER YOGA with Tracy Affonso at Artemis YogaSunday, May 11 2 – 3 p.m.645 Mt Auburn St.

Tanya Donelly & Bill Janovitz to Perform at Mosesian Arts Benefit Honoring Tom Perrotta & the Earfull Series

The following announcement was provided by the Mosesian Center for the Arts:

Mosesian Center for the Arts will hold its annual fundraising benefit on Tuesday, May 21. Themed OUR STORIES, this year’s event will celebrate the stories and talents of several people who have been involved with the arts center in its nearly 22 history. Honorees of the evening’s Mosesian Awards include critically acclaimed novelist and screenwriter Tom Perrotta and the team behind the Earfull Series: Jen Trynin, Tim Huggins, Michael Creamer, and Jon Lupfer. The entertainment for the evening features Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Tanya Donelly (Throwing Muses/The Breeders/Belly) and musician and New York Times best-selling author Bill Janovitz (Buffalo Tom). Entertainment will also include a performance from Mosesian Arts’ upcoming Watertown Children’s Theatre production of Fiddler on the Roof Jr. Tickets include international hors d’oeuvres, cash bar, awards and entertainment on the main stage, and a selection of desserts. Guests will also be among the first to see the accompanying gallery exhibition, Entwined: Visual and Textual Narratives.