Summer Reading: Dance Workshop with Jean Appolon Expressions (Central Square)
Experience the vibrant rhythms of Haitian Folklore in a class led by JAE company dancer Velouse Joseph. Class is accessible to all levels and welcomes kids of all ages and their caregivers. Class includes a guided warm-up followed by traditional Haitian dances. You'll move to the sounds of prerecorded Haitian rhythms as you connect to culture, community, and the joy of movement.
No registration required.
Funding for Summer Reading has been generously provided by the City of Cambridge, Cambridge Public Library Foundation and Friends of the Cambridge Public Library.
How Cambridge Arts Cares For 280+ Public Artworks
Cambridge’s Percent-for-Art ordinance, established in 1979, has led to the city housing the largest municipal collection of contemporary public art in the region, along with the responsibility of maintaining it. The 2024 exhibition Rust Happen(s): Caring for the Public Art Collection showcased the challenges of preserving outdoor artworks, from rust and graffiti to storm damage, and highlighted the meticulous work of Cambridge Arts’ conservation team. Through stories of restored sculptures and murals, the exhibit underscored the science behind art conservation and encouraged community engagement in protecting public art.
Maria Lawton Cookbook Author Talk (Valente)
Join Maria Lawton, Cookbook Author, TV host/Executive Producer, Speaker, Storyteller & Culinary Travel Guide for a presentation on Portuguese Cooking.
Maria is the creator and host of the multi-award-winning PBS series Maria’s Portuguese Table, and the author of two beloved cookbooks: Azorean Cooking: From My Family Table to Yours and At My Portuguese Table, winner of the Bronze IPPY Award.
Born in São Miguel Azores, Portugal and raised in the U.S., Maria has dedicated her career to preserving and sharing the rich culinary and cultural traditions of Portugal. With her signature warmth and heartfelt storytelling, she brings recipes to life—not just as food, but as vessels of memory, love, and heritage.
She is now working on her next book “Baking with Love”, her first children’s cookbook, Maria returns to the kitchen of her childhood, recreating the sweet recipes she made side-by-side with her grandmother. Now a proud grandmother herself, Maria hopes this book inspires generations to come to create delicious memories of their own.
This event is generously sponsored by The Manuel Rogers, Sr. & Mary R. Rogers Endowment Fund.
Registration Required.
[Postponed] New to Medicare Workshop (Main)
This event has been postponed to a future date.
Led by a Minuteman Senior Services state-certified Medicare benefits counselor, this program is for people who are turning 65 or leaving an employer group health plan due to retirement. Topics include Medicare benefits and coverage gaps, when to apply for Medicare, how to apply for Medicare, health insurance plans that work with Medicare, understanding premiums, deductibles and maximum out of pocket costs, and choosing the right supplement plan. It also covers special considerations and the consequences of not enrolling at the right time.
Registration is requested but not required.
You, Me and AI: Exploring Mental Health, Connections and Boundaries (Main)
What happens when AI becomes a friend, a tutor, a therapist, a co-worker? Come find out in this hands-on workshop led by Joint Family in collaboration with the Cambridge Public Library.
Test the limitations and capabilities of popular Generative AI tools and how they’re quietly reshaping the way we connect with technology and each other. We'll explore the support gaps they're filling, where we need to draw boundaries and why real world human connections matter more than ever. No prior experience with Generative AI necessary. Caregivers and educators are encouraged to attend. Open to ages 18 and up.
Literary Monsters: Spooky Stories! Shadow Puppets! Live Music! (O'Connell)
Join the Shadow, Sound, Spectacle ensemble for an evening of original live music, shadow puppetry, video projection, and gothic storytelling inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Mary Shelley, Washington Irving, Emily Dickinson, Bram Stoker, Anne Rice and more. This imaginative multimedia performance reimagines iconic gothic figures—Frankenstein’s creature, Poe’s raven, the Headless Horseman—as symbols of resistance, transformation, and queer identity.
Recommended for teens and adults.
Shadow, Sound, Spectacle: Literary Monsters is a collaborative performance project led by Northampton-based singer-songwriter Jess Martin (Tiny Desk Contest 2025 entrant), Boston puppeteer Amy West, and musician/visual artist Abby Hanna (Northampton-based).
Literary Monsters: Spooky Stories! Shadow Puppets! Live Music! (O'Neill)
Join the Shadow, Sound, Spectacle ensemble for an evening of original live music, shadow puppetry, video projection, and gothic storytelling inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Mary Shelley, Washington Irving, Emily Dickinson, Bram Stoker, Anne Rice and more. This multimedia performance reimagines iconic gothic figures—Frankenstein’s creature, Poe’s raven, the Headless Horseman—as symbols of resistance, transformation, and queer identity.
Recommended for teens and adults.
Shadow, Sound, Spectacle: Literary Monsters is a collaborative performance project led by Northampton-based singer-songwriter Jess Martin (Tiny Desk Contest 2025 entrant), Boston puppeteer Amy West, and musician/visual artist Abby Hanna (Northampton-based).
Literary Monsters: Spooky Stories! Shadow Puppets! Live Music! (Central Square)
Join the Shadow, Sound, Spectacle ensemble for an evening of original live music, shadow puppetry, video projection, and gothic storytelling inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Mary Shelley, Washington Irving, Emily Dickinson, Bram Stoker, Anne Rice and more. This imaginative multimedia performance reimagines iconic gothic figures—Frankenstein’s creature, Poe’s raven, the Headless Horseman—as symbols of resistance, transformation, and queer identity.
Recommended for teens and adults.
Shadow, Sound, Spectacle: Literary Monsters is a collaborative performance project led by Northampton-based singer-songwriter Jess Martin (Tiny Desk Contest 2025 entrant), Boston puppeteer Amy West, and musician/visual artist Abby Hanna (Northampton-based).
Summer Fitness: Strength Training for Beginners (Main)
Curious about strength training but unsure where to begin? This welcoming, beginner-friendly program is designed to remove the uncertainty and help you build a strong, confident foundation—safely and effectively.
Led by master fitness trainer, author, and motivational speaker Shaun Zetlin, this session introduces simple, practical bodyweight exercises that focus on stability, strength, and power. Participants will learn how to move with proper form, reduce the risk of injury, and incorporate efficient, effective workouts into a busy schedule—no gym required. All exercises are approachable and adaptable, with many options performed at home using minimal or no equipment.
Registration is preferred not required.
250th Anniversary of the Henry Knox "Noble Train" of Artillery (Main)
Join Revolution 250, Boston Celebrations, Hobby Knolls Stables & the Henry Knox Artillery as wells as citizens of the towns of Weston, Waltham, Watertown, and Cambridge for a commemoration of the 250th Anniversary of the epic 1776 adventure of Henry Knox and his "Noble Train of Artillery" trekking across Massachusetts on their way to Boston.
The commemoration at 2:00 p.m. follows a procession from the Cambridge Common at 1:00 p.m. that will travel to Joan Lorentz park led by the Sudbury Ancient Fyfe & Drum Corps and finishing with teams of Clydesdales pulling replica sleds and cannons which began their journey in upstate New York.