Mark Sandman Memorial Concert in Pacific Park

Sunday, September 27th at Pacific Street Park, several local and national acts will gather at Pacific Street Park to play a concert in memory of legendary Morphine frontman Mark Sandman. The show will benefit the Mark Sandman Music Project, a not-for-profit community-based organization dedicated to bringing children and music together to foster recreational, educational, and artistic goals. Sandman, a Cambridge native, suffered a fatal heart attack after a performance in Italy in 1999. His passing was noted at the time in a touching eulogy featured in the Boston Phoenix.

Concert details per the Central Square Blog:

The second Mark Sandman Memorial Concert will take place at Pacific Park... on Sunday, September 27, from 1 to 7 pm. The first was on July 25 of 1999, just weeks after the Morphine frontman’s untimely passing onstage at the Nel Nome del Rock festival in Palestrina, Italy. July 3, 2009 marked the tenth anniversary of Sandman’s death, and Sept. 24, 2009 would have been his 57th birthday.

As well as celebrating the life and work of this favorite son of the Cambridge and Boston music scene, the Memorial Concert will focus attention on the Mark Sandman Music Project, based in the newly renovated Arts in the Armory building in Somerville.

See the CS blog post for links to all the artists, or friend the Mark Sandman Memorial Concert on Facebook for details. For more on the nonprofit Music Project, see their myspace page. Something I didn't know: the intersection of Brookline and Mass Ave, location of the famous Middle East, is named Mark Sandman Square.

Cambridgeport History Day is Coming!

Cambridgeport
Originally uploaded by thewhiterabbit11

Details on the upcoming events on October 3rd from the organizer, the Cambridgeport History Group. This is shaping up to be a really fantastic weekend for the C-port community:

“If This House Could Talk..." invites residents and visitors to explore the intimate history of this rich neighborhood. On October 3 and 4, Cambridgeport neighbors and businesses will display original signs sharing choice tidbits about events—contemporary or historic, personal or public—that happened in their buildings. Cathie Zusy, the project’s organizer, hopes that “neighbors will stroll around, discovering great stories that took place just around the corner.” [ed: I saw my first "If This House Could Talk" sign this morning at Dana Park... anyone seen others up yet? Residents eager to put up a sign can contact Cathie at 617-868-0489 or at cathzusy@aol.com]

Saturday, Oct. 3rd activities:

(pick up a map of historic sites and a list of sign locations anytime 10am-5pm at Dana Park)

Noon: Rededication of Fort Washington Park, the only survivor of a chain of small forts ordered built by George Washington in 1775 to defend against the British occupiers of Boston. Gardner’s Regiment, a local group of Revolutionary War re-enactors, will be encamped at the fort from 11am to 2pm and will participate in the rededication

1:00-2:30pm: Charles Sullivan, Executive Director of the Cambridge Historical Commission, will lead a walking tour of Cambridgeport, starting at Fort Washington and ending at Dana Park

2:30-5:00pm: local community groups will provide entertainment and activities for children and adults, including:

• Sidewalk Histories—Brookline Street Mosaics, the Cambridge Poet Populist Program, and Dana Park Quotes (Cambridge Arts Council)
• A Mystery History Photo Contest (Cambridge Historical Society)
• History Rubbings (Gallery 263)
• “Memory Lane: Walking Routes Celebrating Cambridge Women’s History!,” self-guided tours of Cambridgeport (Cambridge Women’s Commission)
• Collage Houses: An Art Project for Kids (Hazel Ryerson)

4:00-7:00pm: the Cambridgeport Neighborhood Association will hold its annual potluck dinner at Dana Park. Neighbors are invited to bring a dish and enjoy music by local musician Ken Field’s Revolutionary Snake Ensemblette.

If you have questions, e-mail: cport@cambridgehistory.org or call the Cambridge Historical Society at 617-547-4252.

Cambridge Carnival Parade this Weekend

cambridge carnival participants
Originally uploaded by iamtonyang

Saturday Sunday the 13th marks the return of the 17th Cambridge Carnival International festival and parade, a "colorful and festive celebration that is rooted in African traditions," and annually attracts 150,000 celebrants.

Most of the carnival itself will be centered at Kendall Square, but the enlarged, 1.3 mile parade route runs right through C-port, starting at Blackstone Street and River Street at 1pm, continuing up River Street to Mass Ave. From Central Square, it continues down Mass Avenue to Main Street into Kendall Square.

A bit more from the organizers:

Cambridge Carnival is the most unique event in the City of Cambridge. It is planned entirely by the community for the community. The organizing committee works hard year-round to plan an event that is inclusive, engaging, and reflective of the City’s diversity. The event is organized by a non-profit volunteer community organization made up of a diverse group of individuals who live and work in Cambridge as well as local businesses who desire to promote, preserve and share the history and culture of the Caribbean and Carnival traditions based on the models of Trinidad and Tobago and Brazil. The festival is a vehicle to bring together Cambridge's diverse community for a spectacular annual costume parade and celebration.

The Cambridge Carnival has come a long way since 1992 from a small street fair at University Park, to now one of the most spectacular events in the Greater Boston area. Today, Cambridge Carnival is one of the largest outdoor multicultural festivals in New England. After twelve years of growth, in 2004, Cambridge Carnival, which takes place in August every year, outgrew its Central Square location and found a home in Kendall Square. Cambridge Carnival is one of twenty-four North American Caribbeanstyle carnivals that combine wire-bending, costumes, masks, music, steel pan, street-parades, dancing, and food and craft exhibits, to display the diverse cultures of all the countries and Caribbean islands.

Taste of Cambridge this Thursday

taste of cambridge
Originally uploaded by liuliuliu

Not technically in Cambridgeport, but the Taste of Cambridge is certainly an event of interest to the neighborhood. God willing, the sun will actually appear in the New England sky this Thursday!

The details:
Thursday, June 25th
5:30—8pm
The Charles Hotel

From the sponsors:

The Taste of Cambridge is a celebration of the diverse restaurant scene in Cambridge. With cuisine from America to Japan to Brazil to France and everything in between, Cambridge is a melting pot — a tasty one to be sure — of culture and cuisine. This event features creative and abundant samples of food, beer and wine from the wonderful restaurants found around the city, enhanced by a beautiful outdoor setting, live music and a great crowd.

The best part of the event, however, is that it is held each year to benefit local Cambridge charities, the folks who work the hardest at keeping this a safe, healthy and family-oriented community! Taste of Cambridge is proud to announce that ALL PROCEEDS from our event will be donated to the following wonderful organizations:

• Youth on Fire
• Club Passim's Culture for Kids/Music Speaks

Touted as the "best deal" culinary event in Greater Boston, your small ticket purchase will go a long way towards helping others, and you will be rewarded greatly, with the best food, drink and music our city has to offer!

More Street Festivals!

greek festival in cambridge!
Originally uploaded by liuliuliu

Next weekend, June 19-21, one of my personal favorite events of the year returns with the Greek Festival put on by the Saints Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church, located at 14 Magazine Street, just south of Central Square.

This is how it goes down:

First, put an enormous tent over the parking lot. Then, turn Magazine Street into an outdoor picnic. Fire up the bouzouki and some dancing, grab some gyros and a Mythos, and have yourself a great Friday night. And Saturday night. And Sunday night. It's a big, fat Greek wedding, for three straight nights.

Riverfest Returns

This Saturday marks the return of the annual Cambridge River Festival, a "FREE one-day celebration of the arts along the banks of the Charles River." The mile-long street festival along Memorial Drive features live music, art demonstrations, dance along with dozens of booths with local food and crafts. There are "pre-festival events" beginning at 7:30p on Friday, and the Saturday schedule of events is jam packed with events from noon until 6pm on Saturday.