Around Town

Winners of the Watertown Business Coalition’s Holiday Decorating Contest Announced

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The results are in for the of the first annual Watertown Business Coalition Holiday Decorating Contest. Honors were handed out by a both a panel of WBC judges and by the vote of the public. See more details in the announcement from the Watertown Business Coalition, below. After much festive deliberation (and serious admiration of tinsel, twinkle lights, and creativity), we want to give a HUGE congratulations to our 1st and TIED for 2nd Place Winners & People’s Choice Winner for WBC’s 1st Annual Holiday Decorating Contest! The winners are:

WBC’s Judging Panel Winners

1st Place: Cass School of Floral Design

The “wow factor” of the displays at Cass Flowers blew our judges away!

Around Town

Charles River Watershed Association Hosting Screening of Dam Removal Documentary at Watertown Library

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Charlie BreitroseThe Watertown Dam near Watertown Square slows the flow of the Charles River. A group is advocating removing the dam. The following announcement was provided the Charles River Watershed Association:

Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) will host a free premiere screening on Jan. 8 at the Watertown Free Public Library of its new short documentary, Reconnecting Rivers. 

Produced by CRWA and Turnaround Films, the documentary delves into the challenges posed by defunct dams on the Charles River – with a particular focus on Watertown Dam – and what is being done to address them. 

A panel discussion on the documentary and defunct dams on the Charles will follow the screening. Panelists include Watertown Councilor At-Large John Gannon; Beth Lambert, Director of the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration; Brad Chase, the Diadromous Fish Project Leader at the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries; and CRWA Indigenous Consultant Hartman Deetz.

Around Town

See the Christmas Week Hours for City Hall, the Library and More

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Watertown’s municipal buildings will have shortened hours during the week of Christmas. See details in the announcement from the City of Watertown, below. Holiday Hours in Observance of Christmas

On December 24, 2025, the Department of Public Works offices will be closed at 11am, the Library will be closed at 12pm, and City Hall, Parker Building, and Senior Center will be closed at 12:30pm (note, the Inspectional Services and Zoning and Code Enforcement offices at the Parker Building will be closed at 11:30am)

On December 25, 2025, City Hall, Parker Annex, Parker Building, Senior Center, Library, and the Department of Public Works office, will be closed. On December 26, 2025, City Hall, Parker Annex, Parker Building, Senior Center, Library, and the Department of Public Works office, will be closed. Library will be open from 1-5 pm.

Around Town

Reserve Now for the 26th Annual Watertown Unity Breakfast

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The 26th annual Watertown Unity Breakfast will be on Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2026, and tickets are now available. See more details provided by the World in Watertown, below. World in Watertown is thrilled to invite you to the 26th annual Watertown Unity Breakfast on January 19, 2026 from 8:30-11 a.m.

Join us in person at the Hellenic Cultural Center, 25 Bigelow Ave, Watertown. Get your ticket at https://watertownunitybreakfast.eventbrite.com

A hot breakfast from Wicked Bagel will be served at 8:30 am followed by music, roundtable conversations, student essays, and the presentation of the Unity Award. Every year, the community in Watertown, Massachusetts, comes together on Martin Luther King Day to honor his life and civil rights legacy by recommitting to foundational principles of racial, social, and economic justice.

Around Town

Watertown Church Holding Two Christmas Eve Services

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Grace Chapel in Watertown will host a pair of Christmas Eve Services on Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025. See details in the announcement from Grace Chapel, below. Our Christmas Eve candlelight worship services are a beautiful experience for your whole family to enjoy! Celebrate Christmas with us at one of our two services:

Wednesday, December 24 | 3:00 pm

Wednesday, December 24 | 4:30 pm

There will be nursery childcare available for ages 0-3 years available.   

Around Town

Registration Open for Watertown Recreation’s Winter Programs

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Watertown Recreation Department’s Winter 2026 Programs are here! See details from the Recreation Department, below. Join us for the start of the new year with a full slate of youth and adult programming! Please see below: a snapshot of programs that are happening this winter. Here are some programs you might be interested in this winter!

Around Town

Watertown Hibernians Hosting Joint Blood & Food Drive

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The American Red Cross and the Watertown Ancient Order of Hibernians will hold the final blood drive of the year at Hibernian Hall on Dec. 27. The event is also a food drive for the Watertown Catholic Collaborative Food Pantry. So far in 2025, the Hibernians have collected 86 pints, helping patients in our community and beyond. The final blood drive of the year on Friday, Dec.