Fourth Annual Spelling Bee Finals (Main)
Join us for the Fourth Annual Spelling Bee Finals. The Bee aims to enhance the spelling and vocabulary skills of contestants while promoting reading, writing, and appreciation for the power of words. Community members are invited to attend the finals to provide support and cheer on contestants.
CPL Presents: AAPI Heritage Month Celebration with Boston Festival Orchestra (Main)
The Boston Festival Orchestra returns to the Cambridge Public Library for the second year of its AAPI Heritage Concert, celebrating the extraordinary breadth of musical voices from Asian American and Pacific Islander composers. This program brings together works that reflect personal history, cultural inheritance, and bold contemporary expression — offering a powerful snapshot of the many ways identity and artistry intersect.
Join BFO Artistic Director Alyssa Wang, BFO musicians, and guest artists for an intimate chamber music experience that pairs performance with conversation, inviting audiences to engage with the cultural, historical, and human stories behind the music. This concert continues the BFO’s commitment to amplifying AAPI voices and creating space for meaningful artistic exchange.
For registration: https://patron.bforchestra.org/ticketing/bfo/AAPImonth
CPL Presents: McNamara at War with authors Philip and William Taubman (Main)
Join the Cambridge Public Library in welcoming Philip Taubman, former Washington Bureau Chief of The New York Times and Pulitzer Prize-winning author William Taubman for a discussion of their latest book, McNamara at War, a captivating and authoritative psychological portrait of Robert S. McNamara. Informed by newly discovered diaries, letters, and interviews with those closest to him, the authors uncover an emotionally tortured man—a man who mastered everything in life, until the Vietnam War mastered him.
The discussion will be moderated by Fredrik Logevall, the Laurence D. Belfer Professor of International Affairs at Harvard Kennedy School and the author of JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century.
Live at the Library: LibraryBEATS Drum Circle with Otha Day (Valente)
Join us at Donnelly Field (behind the Valente Library) for a joyful celebration with musician and educator Otha Day!
A Drum Circle is a highly interactive group of people who play drums and percussion instruments together to create in-the-moment music. Through the experience of rhythm and sound we experience what it means to beat as one heart: we become a vibrant community. This drum circle will include playful and accessible rhythm activities, games, traditional ensemble pieces, songs and most importantly, improvisation.
No experience necessary; all ages can participate. No registration is required.
In the event of rain, this program will move indoors to the Community Room of the Valente Branch.
Funding for Vacation Week Programming: Live at the Library has been generously provided by the Cambridge Public Library Foundation.
Create your own terrarium! (Main)
In honor of Earth Day, spend your afternoon at the Library creating your own terrarium. In partnership with Emerald City Plant Shop, you will have the opportunity to learn more about different kind of plants and plant care. This event will be conducted in the front park area of the Library. In the case of rain, the class will be moved to the community room. The Library will provide needed supplies.
Men’s Mental Health Series
Join us for a three-part series on men’s mental health! Thursdays, April 16, and 30 at 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. The sessions will be held at Elks Lodge, 55 Bishop Allen Drive in Cambridge.
Family STEAM Night: "Adventure of the Missing Color" (O'Neill)
Families with elementary school-age children join us for hands-on activities focused on Science, Technology, Arts, Engineering and Math. Adults and children will learn and play together!
In December, Science Heroes will present "Adventure of the Missing Color!" Through hands-on experiments and fun, interactive stories, kids will get excited about the science that’s all around us as we celebrate the scientists who color our world with art!
Featuring amazing experiments all about:
chemical reactions
laws of motion
air pressure
and more!
Men’s Mental Health Series
Join us for a three-part series on men’s mental health! Thursdays, April 2, 16, and 30 at 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. The sessions will be held at Elks Lodge, 55 Bishop Allen Drive in Cambridge.