This winter weekend starts off with two events that highlight bringing more light to our winter days. On Friday night at the Watertown Center for Healing there is a special dance called a Biodance which is about bringing together music, movement and positive feelings. Then on Saturday afternoon, the River of Light Lantern Parade is happening at the Mosesian Center for the Arts. It was so beautiful last year. I highly recommend going to see it or even better, bringing your own lantern to join in the parade. And, I’m excited to share that my brass band, Good Trouble Brass Band and the Watertown High School Band will be accompanying the parade. If you prefer a smaller gathering, there is a seed packing party at the library on Saturday morning. You can help the library get seeds ready for their seed library reopening in February. On Sunday the Gore Estate is giving a talk about early 19th century women’s fashion. It’s in preparation for their upcoming Regency Ball. Finally, I have another restaurant recommendation. We have a new seafood restaurant in town, Boxfish, which I expect will be fantastic as it’s the same chef as at Cha Yen, Manita Bunnagitkarn, who is sharing with us her cooking expertise in the old Cha Yen space, but this time focused on seafood.
RIVER OF LIGHT LANTERN PARADE
Saturday, Jan. 17, 4 p.m.
Mosesian Center for the Arts, 321 Arsenal St.
Join the Mosesian and the Watertown community in celebrating the second annual River of Light Lantern Parade. Artists and community members will showcase handmade lanterns made in their workshops. Experience light through breathtaking performances by local light spinners and dancers. Watertown Free Public Library’s Bookmobile will be onsite. They will provide cookies and hot cocoa inside the center at their MBar. Live music by Sam Newcomer at 4 p.m. and a dance performance by Swati Biswasat 5:30 p.m. in the Charles Mosesian Theater.
The River of Light is a celebration of light in winter. Presented by the Public Arts & Culture Committee and the Mosesian Center for the Arts in partnership with the Watertown Cultural Council, the lantern-making workshops and wintertime parade build community and bring light, joy, and festivities during the darkest season of the year.
For more information: Click here
BRINGING IN THE LIGHT: A BIODANZA FRIDAY NIGHT
Friday, Jan. 16, 7-10 p.m.
Watertown Center for the Healing Arts, 6 Mt. Auburn St.
This Biodanza Open Evening begins an Immersion Weekend of Biodanza. The weekend will be facilitated by Maira Martinez, Clara Rubin-Smith McKie, and Pablo Concha, who are the pedagogical team of the Biodanza School of New York State. Biodanza, (literally “the dance of life”) is a system of self-development using music, movement and positive feelings to deepen self-awareness. It seeks to promote the ability to make a holistic link to oneself and one’s emotions and to express them. Practitioners believe that Biodanza opens the space for one to deepen the bonds with others and nature and to express those feelings in a congenial manner. The Friday evening dance is open to all.
Tickets are charged on a sliding scale from $15-$40 for the Friday dance event.
For more information: Click here
SEED PACKING PARTY
Saturday, Jan. 17, 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.
Watertown Free Public Library, 123 Main St.
Help the library get the WFPL Seed Library ready to open! They will be getting packets of seeds prepared for our gardeners to borrow when the seed library opens for the season on Feb. 2, 2026.
For more information: Click here
DRESSING FOR THE BALL: FINERY AND FASHION OF THE EARLY 19TH CENTURY
Sunday, Jan. 18, 2-4 p.m.
Gore Estate, 52 Gore St.
Step back in time and discover how fashionable ladies of the early 1800s prepared for an evening of elegance. Costume historian and dressmaker Carrie Midura will present an engaging, interactive look at the many layers of Regency ball attire — from corsets and garters to reticules and turbans. See how each garment played a role in achieving the graceful silhouettes of the era and learn fascinating details about style, status, and social customs.
Whether you’re planning to attend the upcoming Regency Ball at Gore Place or simply love historical fashion, this presentation will provide inspiration and insight into the world of early nineteenth-century elegance.
For more information and to buy tickets: Click here
BOXFISH RESTAURANT
Soft opening Wed.-Sun. lunch (11-2:30) and dinner (4-9 p.m.)
613 Mt. Auburn St.
Boxfish is a new Watertown seafood restaurant led by award-winning chef Manita Bunnagitkarn, a seasoned restauranteur and culinary innovator known for Cha Yen Thai Cookery and Kala Thai Cookery. Her formative culinary years included professional training under American celebrity chef Todd English and advanced study at Ecole Ducasse Paris, experiences that shaped her disciplined approach to craft, technique, and ingredient-driven cuisine. At Boxfish, Chef Manita centers the menu around ocean-to-table freshness, highlighting premium seafood prepared with care and intention. Her culinary philosophy blends the refinement and attention to detail of fine dining with the bold, vibrant character of Thai cuisine — creating seafood dishes that are elevated, contemporary, and deeply rooted in flavor tradition.
To see the menu and to make reservations: Click here