Entertainment

WEEKEND FUN: Merry Mingle, Lego Building, Holiday Makers Market, Concert, “Christmas Carol” Performance

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This is a packed Watertown weekend with winter and holiday events. On Saturday afternoon there will be an art sale at the Mosesian Center for the Arts with a wide variety of arts including ceramics, paintings, ornaments and jewelry. It’s great for shopping locally and supporting our artists. Saturday evening at Gore Place there will be a dramatic reading by Johnny Kinsman of A Christmas Carol including musical accompaniment by Justin Ouellet and Ann Moss, both local musicians. On Sunday there is a hands-on intergenerational Lego building activity at the Jewish Community Day School, it’s a challenge to build the world’s tallest Chanukiah! Later Sunday afternoon at the library, you can go relax after all the holiday activities with a winter concert given by the Vivace Music School Faculty. No need to leave Watertown this weekend to find some holiday cheer!

Entertainment

Merry Mingle Returns to the Commander’s Mansion with Holiday Characters, Train Rides & a Tree Lighting

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The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

Please join us for The Merry Mingle on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 from 4-8 p.m. at the Commander’s Mansion! Enjoy festive outdoor activities including a toy chest drive with Watertown Veterans’ Services benefiting the Whooley Foundation, meet-and-greets with holiday characters, train rides, artificial snowball fight with Watertown Recreation, and the Christmas tree lighting at 7:30 p.m., and more! Guests can also visit the reception tent for games and musical performances, including the WPS All City Chorus and Orchestra. Inside the mansion, guests can create River of Light lantern-making with the Public Arts and Culture Committee, listen to seasonal storytime with the Watertown Free Public Library, and visit Winter Holidays Around the World vignettes on the second floor.

Entertainment

WEEKEND FUN: Halloween Fun, Two Plays Hit the Stage, Artists Open Studios

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Halloween celebrations are in full swing this weekend. The Commander’s Mansion will host the second annual Wicked Watertown on Saturday, and enjoy some fall fun at Gore Place on Sunday. It’s a weekend of theater at the Mosesian Center for the Arts, with two classic plays hitting the stage — one put on by the Watertown Children’s Theatre and the other by the Actors’ Shakespeare Project. Take an inside look at artists studios on Saturday and Sunday during the Turtle Studios Open Studios. While the event is just over the river in Newton, several Watertown artists create their works at the studios.

Around Town

City’s Wicked Watertown Event to Features Halloween Fun

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Once again in 2025, the Commander’s Mansion will be the site for Halloween fun during Wicked Watertown. See more details provided by the City of Watertown, below. Wicked Watertown returns to the Commander’s Mansion, located at 440 Talcott Ave., on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, from 4-8 p.m.! Featuring two sessions of tours for $5 per person and under 3 enters for free (choose your fright level: spooky or scary) plus free outdoor guest experiences including games and activities with Watertown Recreation, stories by flashlight with Watertown Free Public Library, and more Halloween fun!

Letters

LETTER: How the Commander’s Mansion Became a Gem for the City of Watertown

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Charlie BreitroseThe Commander’s Mansion in Watertown. Greetings Councilors:

 “They don’t know what they don’t know.” How did the revival of the Commander’s Mansion come to be? What was the process that restored this beautiful edifice to its full glory? The story, behind the story, can be found in the attached September 23, 2005 Final Report of the Watertown Arsenal Development Corporation.

Entertainment

WEEKEND FUN: Classic Cars, Crafting, Meditation, Classic Radio Play & Cribbage

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You can start this beautiful summer weekend with a contemplative sound healing meditation on Friday evening at Mount Auburn Cemetery. It’s going to be cooler, though rain could interfere in that plan. If so, you might go instead to catch an entertaining radio mystery at the Mosesian that evening or on Saturday night. They promise hijinks and cocktails, a delicious combination! As a person who loves to share resources in our Facebook Buy Nothing group, the arts and crafts swap on Saturday afternoon at the library is a draw.

Entertainment

Celebrate Community, History, & Pride at the Commander’s Mansion This Summer

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Charlie BreitroseThe Commander’s Mansion in Watertown. The following announcement was provided by the City’s Events Team:

The historic Commander’s Mansion is the place to be this summer with two unforgettable 21+ ticketed events. Whether you’re toasting to 160 years of local history or raising a glass at a fabulous Pride brunch (or both!), there’s something special waiting for everyone at 440 Talcott Ave. WATERTOWN PRIDE PRESENTS: THE RETURN OF A TIPSY TEA PARTY

Sunday, June 29, 2025 | 11:00 AM – 2:30PM

440 Talcott Avenue, Watertown, MA

Back by popular demand, it’s the entertainment announcement you’ve been waiting for! Watertown Pride’s Tipsy Tea Party returns to the Commander’s Mansion with a dazzling day of drag performances, brunch, and lively celebration.  Hosted by the fierce and fabulous Killah Croc, this electrifying event also features show-stopping performances by Izzy Ready and Hazel Afrodite.

Around Town

Women in Business, Non-Profit & City Government Speak at Sold Out Event in Watertown

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Panelists at the Empowering Women in Leadership event, from left, Ariel Nathanson, Jan Taylor, and Roberta Miller. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

The Commander’s Mansion hosted a sold out Empowering Women in Leadership event on March 19, with panels made up of business owners, a non-profit director, and members of the City of Watertown administration. The event was the first hosted by the City of Watertown’s Events Team and co-sponsored by the City of Watertown and the Watertown Business Coalition. The first panel featured Roberta Miller, Interim Executive Director, Mosesian Center for the Arts; Ariel Nathanson, founder of Finances for Feminists; and Jan Taylor, owner of Get Lively Health & Fitness Studio, who also is the Development Director for New Art Center in Newton. They spoke about the importance of finding allies and learning from them, collaborating with other business owners, and the importance of learning about finances.