This weekend starts off with an ice cream party for grandparents at the Senior Center on Friday morning. (Yes, it’s OK, at least for some, to eat some ice cream before lunch today! It’s National Grandparents Day.) Mount Auburn Cemetery is holding a sunset sound meditation on Saturday at 5:30. It’s such a peaceful beautiful place for mediation. There are two events this Sunday put on by the Watertown Historical Society this weekend, a walking tour in the morning, and in the afternoon, a one-woman show, as Michele Gabrielson portrays Mercy Otis Owen, the first historian of the American Revolution at the library. Sometime this weekend, trek over to the Armenian Museum of America to see the exhibit of Serj Tankian’s art, the Art of Disruption, which includes sound, images and poetry. It’s inspired by his memoir, Down with the System.
GRANDPARENTS’ ICE CREAM SOCIAL
Friday, Sept. 5, 11-12 p.m.
Senior Center, 31 Marshall St.
Head over to the Senior Center to celebrate having grandchildren in your lives on national Grandparents Day. I believe you could have some ice cream even if you don’t have grandchildren, as long as you look old enough. No photos of grandchildren are required as proof, but they will be certain to be presented by many.
For more information: Click here
THE ART OF DISRUPTION, THE ART & IMPACT OF SERJ TANKIAN
Open Thursday to Sunday, 12-6 p.m.
Armenian Museum of America, 65 Main St.
An exhibition that celebrates the life and work of Serj Tankian — musician, visual artist, poet, composer, activist, and outspoken advocate for human rights. Inspired by his 2024 memoir Down with the System, and Tankian’s ongoing exploration of the intersection of sound, image, and poetry, The Art of Disruption “invites not just observation, but participation.” The opening reception is sold out, but be sure to go see this unique exhibit.
For more information: Click here
SUNSET SOUND MEDITATION
Saturday, Sept. 6, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Mount Auburn Cemetery, entrance at 580 Mount Auburn St., Cambridge
Sound Healing practitioner Marlene Boyette welcomes all to be held by the earth, to find refuge, to rest, and to be led through a guided meditation intended to bring the mind and the body into unison, while also engaging the senses. Weaving together the sounds, vibrations, and energy of our natural surroundings with a variety of instruments (including deeply resonant crystal and metal singing bowls and chimes), participants will be bathed in layered sonic acoustics. The experience will close with an opportunity for all to reflect and set intentions for the new season through dialogue and / or journaling.
What to bring: a yoga mat, blanket or towel, a journal, and writing utensil. Plastic folding chairs will be available if needed. Check-in for the event will be at the top of the ramp entrance into Hazel Dell (off of Central Ave). The meditation will take place in Hazel Dell. Rain location: Story Chapel.
For more information: Click here
WATERTOWN DURING THE REVOLUTION, WALKING TOUR
Sunday, Sept. 7, 10-12 a.m.
Meet at Zussman Memorial Park, beside 66 Galen St.
Join the 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. The tour will visit the sites of important dwellings (many of which are no longer standing), public spaces, monuments and plaques as we make our way to the 1772 Edmund Fowle House, where the Executive Council of the Provincial Congress met. Participants will be invited to enter the house and view the current exhibit that celebrates the 250th anniversary of both the Fowle House and the fight for American independence. The tour ends at the Edmund Fowle House. The tour price is $10.
To register: Email Joyce at joycekel@aol.com.
MERCY OTIS OWEN, presented by the Watertown Historical Society and the WFPL
Sunday, Sept. 7, 2-3 p.m.
Watertown Free Public Library, 123 Main St.
Step back in time and converse with founding mother Mercy Otis Warren portrayed by Michele Gabrielson! Often described as the “muse of the revolution,” Mercy brilliantly used her passion for poetry and prose to persuade others to join in the revolutionary cause. Listen to and discuss with Mercy as she tells the story of how she rejected the conventional expectations of women in the 18th century and became the first historian of the American Revolution. Michele Gabrielson, MA Ed, is a local history teacher and historic interpreter of the 18th century and was recently acknowledged with a Rising Star Award by the Massachusetts History Alliance for public history programming.
For more information: Click here