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riah is a Cape Verdean-American artist from Boston with a musical style that blends alt/pop, R&B, and neo-soul. After amassing over two million combined streams with her first widely successful hit “Too Fast,” riah released her first EP “Head/Space” in 2024. Her debut album "Garden" deals with themes of self-love amidst anxiety and uncertainty, and is streaming everywhere. PARK SOUNDS 2026 brings free outdoor musical performances featuring local artists to the front lawn of the Cambridge Public Library Main Branch. These events are all-ages. Bring a chair, food, and loved ones to celebrate the summer! Funding is provided by the CPL Foundation in memory of Janet Axelrod.

Join us for a 3-hour Community Retreat. Mindfulness offers a gentle yet powerful way to meet the challenges of aging with calm, resilience, and compassion. In this retreat, we will explore simple practices that can be adapted for all bodies and abilities. Together, we will create space for quiet contemplation and personal reflection, while also fostering a sense of community among elders walking this stage of life side by side. Whether you are new to meditation or have practiced before, you will leave with practical tools to support your well-being and cultivate greater wisdom in daily life. Come as you are—all levels of experience are welcome. Presented in partnership with the Cambridge Insight Meditation Center.

This program shows how owls use their specialized powers of sight, hearing and flight to survive and thrive. A wealth of fact and folklore about these masters of the night explains the natural and unnatural history of owls. A variety of live North American owls provides the focus of this presentation. Recommended for children ages 6 and up and their caregivers. Space is limited, and we may not be able to accommodate late arrivals once the program begins. Thank you for understanding! Funding for Summer Reading has been generously provided by the City of Cambridge, Cambridge Public Library Foundation, Friends of the Cambridge Public Library and the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.

Sending humans to Mars is hard. Bringing them back safely is even harder. Doing so while also having them perform cutting-edge science and exploration during the mission? A major challenge. Luckily, we can plan and test parts of our future Mars missions before we leave the ground. In this session, we discuss the design and completion of two analog (Earth-based, Mars simulation) missions: Project MADMEN and Pale Red Dot. Come experience life on Mars as we traverse rocky terrain for geology and astrobiology experiments, test different cooking methods to make Martian meals, and navigate emergencies in space. Ever wanted to be an astronaut? This is your chance to experience life on “Mars”!

Join us for an afternoon Community Retreat. Mindfulness offers a gentle yet powerful way to meet the challenges of aging with calm, resilience, and compassion. In this retreat, we will explore simple practices that can be adapted for all bodies and abilities. Together, we will create space for quiet contemplation and personal reflection, while also fostering a sense of community among elders walking this stage of life side by side. Whether you are new to meditation or have practiced before, you will leave with practical tools to support your well-being and cultivate greater wisdom in daily life. Come as you are—all levels of experience are welcome. Presented in partnership with the Cambridge Insight Meditation Center.

Join us for a 90-minute workshop where you’ll learn the simple, meditative basics of Chigiri-e (“chee-gee-ree-eh”), a traditional Japanese art form where the name literally means "torn picture." Rather than using scissors for sharp, clean cuts, we carefully tear the paper to create soft, feathered edges that look almost like a watercolor painting. Whether you’re a long-time crafter or haven't picked up an art project in years, come enjoy some quiet, analog crafting time making a handmade picture, led by instructor Chihiro Sato. You will bring home not just a unique piece, but also the know-how to continue enjoying Chigiri-e at home. Space is limited. Registration is required.

Join us for a walk at Fresh Pond as we explore the wonderful world of bugs! We will learn about some common local insects, arachnids, and other invertebrates, and get to know some plants that host lots of bug species. This program is open to all ages, from adults to children and their caregivers. Registration is required. For more information, contact Michael McGlathery at mmcglathery@cambridgema.gov or call the Boudreau Branch at 617-349-4017.

Join us for a fun afternoon of painting, led by local artist Lynn Vandick and geared toward kids ages 7-12. Paint your favorite squishy toy, or paint one of ours! Each painter will receive one of our assorted squishy toys to paint and keep. Acrylic paint can stain clothing. Please wear old clothing. No experience necessary. Kids age 7-12 are welcome. Registration is required and will open two weeks before the event.

Join the American Repertory Theater, in collaboration with the artists Dr. Rob "Problak" Gibbs and Gina Latham, for an afternoon community mural visioning workshop. Attendees will be invited to share stories, values, references, and insights that will inform the eventual development of a community mural at the A.R.T.'s new location. The two-hour workshop is free, designed for all ages, and open to the public. Registration is encouraged but not required.

The transformation of the historic Foundry Building at 101 Rogers Street is nearing completion following COVID related construction delays and is expected to open this fall. This massive brick building, originally constructed as an iron foundry in 1889, is an adaptive reuse project that will reopen as a self-sustaining center for creativity and collaboration for the Cambridge community.