Around Town

Eco Fest Returns to Watertown in May with Family-Friendly Fun

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The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

Save the date for Eco Fest, Watertown’s second annual sustainable resource fair: Saturday, May 9, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Commander’s Mansion, located at 440 Talcott Ave. Eco Fest is a family-friendly event where our community can access a variety of programs and resources available to make their homes and lives more sustainable. This year’s event will feature a vendor tent, clothing swap, e-bike test rides, kids’ activities, an EV showcase, and more. Also consider signing up for the Community Paddle (registration on Watertown’s recreation website) in the morning before making your way over to the Mansion for some learning, fun, food, and community. Check out the Eco Fest website, watertownecofest.com, to learn more about this year’s programming and how to participate!

Charity

Buzz Off Comedy Night Will Raise Money to Fight Kids Cancer

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The Buzz Off fund raiser for One Mission Helping Kids Fight Cancer in Watertown will feature Comedian Will Noonan. The Buzz Off will be on Friday, April 17, 2026, at Hibernian Hall, 151 Watertown St., Watertown. Doors open at 6 p.m. and show begins at 7 p.m.

Noonan was named  “Boston’s Best Comedian” by The Improper Bostonian magazine in 2018. Following the comedy, music will be provided by Dean Corsi. The event will be hosted by Watertown’s Brady Gleason,

The Buzz Off features a cash bar, a 50/50 raffle, and pizza and other food will be available for purchase.

Around Town

Lane Shifts, Parking Restrictions on Parts of Mt. Auburn Street This Week

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Planned roadwork on Mt. Auburn Street will result in lane shifts and areas of restricted parking as drainage and conduit is installed and test pits are dug. See more information provided by the City of Watertown, below. As the construction season resumes, we’d like to highlight the progress made during the previous season along Mount Auburn Street. The map below illustrates completed work and the specific locations where it has taken place.

Around Town

Watertown Recreation Looking For Summer Seasonal Staff

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The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

The City of Watertown’s Recreation Department has multiple seasonal opportunities available, including for the Pequossette Summer Recreation Program. These opportunities are perfect for motivated individuals interested in making a positive impact in the Watertown community. These opportunities are ideal for college students, aspiring teachers or coaches, and active individuals interested in sharing their passion for athletics, STEM education, arts and crafts, and many other activities with people of all ages. See positions and sessions listed on the website. The deadline for applications for the Pequossette Summer Recreation Program is Friday March 27, 2026.

Government

See the Date for the Next Newton Corner Long-Term Planning Study Meeting

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The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

Please be advised the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) will host the fourth Working Group meeting of the Newton Corner Long-Term Planning Study virtually via Zoom on Tuesday, March 31, 2026 from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. 

The Newton Corner I-90 Exit 127 (formerly Exit 17) Interchange is a major local and regional connecting point in Greater Boston’s transportation network. The interchange is known for frequent, severe congestion, and is designated a high crash location. MassDOT’s Office of Transportation Planning is carrying out this long-term planning study to develop and evaluate future travel conditions and alternatives for the interchange and its environs. 

At this meeting, the study team will review feedback from the second Public Information Meeting, present draft alternatives, and discuss the evaluation criteria for alternatives analysis. This will include a discussion with members of the Working Group. The meeting materials will be available after the meeting on the study website. 

While this is a Working Group meeting and will be conducted as such, per open meeting law this meeting is also open to the public. 

For more information, please visit the study’s website: https://www.mass.gov/newton-corner-long-term-planning-study . These meetings are accessible to people with disabilities and those with limited English proficiency. Accessibility accommodations and language services will be provided free of charge, upon request, as available.

Around Town

Contractors Coordinating with East End Businesses Ahead of Sidewalk Replacements

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Kristopher Surette of Tighe & Bond shows the plans for the Mt. Auburn Street Project to members of the Coolidge Square business community. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Businesses in Coolidge Square will face some disruptions from the construction taking place over the spring, summer, and fall of 2026. Sidewalks will be ripped up and replaced as part of the Mt. Auburn Street Project.

Around Town

Essay: “Ground Ball” — An Ode to Spring, Baseball and Keeping the “Mounds” Clean

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Paul J. Sullivan Playground

By George DonahueWatertown Resident

Forward

While I wrote this in the spring 2014 when living in Watertown at the Coolidge Apartments, the stories in and around baseball never go out of style. The story was published in the Watertown Tab when I wrote it and I worked in the Clerk’s office in the town hall. The director of the Parks and Recreation at that time came rushing into the Clerk’s office waving the paper in the air asking if I authored the article. I acknowledged that it was me who penned the article, expecting to feel the newspaper  bop me off the head, but instead he thrust hand out, said it was a good article and walked out of the clerk’s office. In July of 2025, my wife Jeanne and I returned to Watertown and moved back into the Apartments at the Coolidge School.

Business

Watertown Restaurants Will be Spotlighted at Chamber’s Spring Seasonings Event on April 13

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Watertown’s Nzuko restaurant will be appearing at the Charles River Chamber’s Spring Seasonings Event. The Charles River Chamber announced the lineup for the 2026 Spring Seasonings event, which spotlights restaurants from Watertown, Newton, Wellesley, and Needham. See which Watertown eateries will be featured at the event in the announcement from the Chamber, below. Watertown’s vibrant restaurant scene will be on full display at Spring Seasonings: A Taste of Our Towns, happening on Monday, April 13, from 5:30-8 p.m. at the Newton Marriott. Hosted by the Charles River Regional Chamber and presented by The Village Bank, the event brings together top culinary talents from across the region.