“Honoring Indigenous Peoples Day: The History and Resilience of the Nashobah Praying Indians”

Meet Strong Bear Medicine of the Nashobah Praying Indians and local historian Daniel V. Boudillion to learn about the enduring legacy of the Nashobah people, whose ancestral homelands include present day Littleton and Acton. Prior to the founding of the Nashobah Praying Indian Plantation in 1654 by missionary John Eliot, Littleton was the location of the Massachusett village of Nashope. (Mystic, another Massachusett village, was located in present-day Arlington/Medford.) Strong Bear and Boudillion will discuss the Nashobah’s millennia-long presence on these lands, their journey of survival, and their thriving community today. Strong Bear Medicine is a well-known speaker, Native dancer, performer, and craftsman. Boudillion is a Littleton-based author of History of the Nashobah Praying Indians: Doings, Sufferings, Survival, and Triumph, which will be available for purchase and signing. This free event is co-sponsored by the Old Schwamb Mill, Cyrus Dallin Art Museum, and the Robbins Library.

Arlington Center for the Arts is pleased to be presenting for its third year, the Great Northeast Jug Band Festival on Saturday, September 30, 2-6pm! New England’s ONLY Jug Band Festival will highlight traditions from the 1920’s and 30’s, and the modern evolution of this good-time music. This event is free and open to the public at the Arlington Craft Beer Garden at the Jason Russell House (7 Jason St Arlington, MA 02476). Bring your lawn chairs and blankets and enjoy performances by three of the region's best Jug Bands!

Event highlights include an hour-long Jug Band Jam lead by Arlington’s own SqueakEasy Jug Band and an Instrument Making activity, followed by the musical stylings of three of New England's finest jug bands, Amy Kucharik and Friends with Benefits, The Busted Jug Band, and Washboard Slim and the Blue Lights

Arlington Craft Beer Garden is presented by the Jason Russell House and Arlington Historical Society. Craft Beer & Wine By American Beverage and Food By Menotomy Grill & Tavern.

RAIN LOCATION (PERFORMANCE + JAM ONLY): Arlington Community Center in the Main Hall, 27 Maple St Arlington, MA.

New England Music Hall of Fame

3rd Annual Awards Event with Live Performances
Including Lizzie Borden & Axes and Robin Lane w/ performances from Andrea Gillis Band and Justine and the Unclean.

Saturday, September 30th – 6:00pm

ANTYTILA
LIVE in Arlington...The Ukrainian rock band Antytila have performed in front of thousands of fans over the years, but for now they have swapped the war's front line for the stage! Boston is their 3rd stop on tour...

Join at the Arlington Author Salon! The October salon theme is “Writing from Experience.” It will feature authors Helen Elaine Lee, Jennifer Haigh, and Josh Barkan. The Arlington Author Salon is a free reading with a twist: each author’s presentation includes something special to tickle the senses. Music, paintings, photographs and more. Let yourself be transported with an immersive, literary experience.

Thursday, October 5th at 7:30 p.m. at the Kickstand Cafe in Arlington Center. In person. Masks encouraged. No advance sign up needed — just walk in! This event will also be recorded and posted online. Supported by the Arlington Libraries Foundation.

The Cowsills
LIVE AT ARLINGTON'S SHOWPLACE!The inspiration behind the hit T.V. Series The Partridge Family. One of the biggest touring acts of the late ’60s! Fifteen albums, multiple Super Hits!
ONE-SHOW-ONLY!
Friday, October 6th - 7:00pm

We Were Famous, You Don’t Remember: The Embarrassment

The long-awaited feature documentary!
Ignited by punk’s invasion of the Great Plains, America’s gawkiest and greatest lost rock band battles conformity in Reagan-era Kansas.

Wedneday, October 11th - 7:30pm

Houston Bernard and Friends

Country Night at Arlington's Showplace!
Rising Country Music star Houston Bernard is joined on-stage by Tyler James Kelly ...of The Silks and Scarlett Drive

Friday, October 13th - 8:00pm

The Old Schwamb Mill is delighted to present its fifth annual celebration of the Schwamb family’s German heritage with music, German food and delicacies, events for children taking place all day, and much more! Throughout the day, families can enjoy activities including: Have fun with a Beanbag Toss! See what you can find on a Scavenger Hunt! Take a picture of yourself inside an Oval Frame! Tour the Old Schwamb Mill building! Dance, dance, dance to the Grüvmeiners brass band and the pop/rock band, Sure, Why Not? Refreshments available this year include specially brewed craft beer from the Arlington Brewing Company, grilled bratwurst from the Menotomy Grill and Tavern, fresh baked pretzels from swissbäkers, and pastries and savories from Fräuleins Bakery! This is the major fundraiser for the Old Schwamb Mill.

14th Annual…Blues After Hours

Honoring the legacy of Mai Cramer
Boston born "Monster" Mike Welch returns to a familiar stage with..."...direct, full-throttle, hard blues" in the Blues Event-of-the-Year...

Saturday, October 14th - 7:30pm

CHRIS FUNK
The Wonderist
A MAGIC SHOW WITH LIVE MUSIC! People of all ages and backgrounds will share an experience that helps them believe that ANYTHING is possible!
Sunday, October 15th - 3:00pm

One Hand Don’t Clap

Digitally Restored from 16mm Original
An engaging documentary that traces the history of Calypso and Soca music from their birth through its worldwide diaspora, including its popularization in the 1950s by Harry Belafonte.

Wedneday, October 18th - 7:30pm

Matt Kahn…LIVE and On-Stage!
Healed by LoveThis is a LIVE event! In a world of endless struggles, love is the answer. If you are ready to end all aspects of struggle and celebrate life as the joy of spiritual expansion, then you are ready to be healed by love.
Thursday, October 19th - 7:30pm

The Old Schwamb Mill is pleased to present current exhibit in the gallery: Curation & Connection: Four Collage Artists. In this exhibit at the Mill, four artists – Sharon Berke, Ann Miller, Karen McCarthy and Jennifer Lee Morrow – showcase their work. On Saturday, October 21, the artists will present a Gallery Talk focusing on what inspires their work.

Sharon Berke is a visual artist whose work focuses on paintings and collages. She says, “I create visual dissonance by fragmenting objects and interior spaces.” After earning her bachelor of fine arts degree in painting and printmaking, she spent her 20s traveling and working in framing, catering and gardening. Approaching 40, she realized that she needed to return to serious artmaking, and began her “Rearrangement” series.

Ann Miller is a mixed-media artist based in Waltham, Massachusetts. For the past 20 years, she has studied collage, printmaking, drawing and sculpture. She now focuses on ways that these disciplines can be combined, primarily on paper. Her process “is experimental and exploratory, building systems in space based on finding new marks and relationships as I go.”

Karen McCarthy is a collage and fiber artist who takes similar or disparate parts and melds them into something new. Karen is fascinated by the painting and printing methods she uses, each of which offers a wide expanse of textural possibilities. Her work is often described as evocative and mysterious. Her background in fiber continuously inspires her approach to artmaking.

Jennifer Lee Morrow is a mixed media artist with a strong interest in paper and textile techniques. She holds a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and the MFA from the University of Kansas/Lawrence. Her current pieces are “bricolage” created from a diverse range of available materials. The narratives center on societal relationships illustrated through the physical relationship of materials through juxtaposition and layering.

The Music of Tom Petty
The Greg Klyma Band! Featuring J. Calder, R. Chane, P. Dalton, G. Klyma and A. Santospago ...they do their own stunts, wear no wigs and gather to celebrate the music, life and birthday of an American legend...
Saturday, October 21st - 8:00pm

Join for an unforgettable theatrical pole experience showcasing Boston Pole Fitness's exceptional instructors, students, and a performance by their fabulous drag queen host Severity Stone

A.K.A. Doc Pomus

Peter Miller and Will Hechter’s documentary
Jerome Felder emerged as one of the most brilliant songwriters of rock and roll era, writing “Save the Last Dance for Me and hundreds of other hits.

Thursday, October 26th - 7:30pm

First in the early colonial era and then again in Victorian times, the then-tidal Mystic River was used as a power source for mills in Arlington.  Colorful tales of progress—and the heated conflicts these brought about—will be shared.  The Mystic River and Lakes have undergone massive changes through the centuries, and this illustrated talk encompasses fascinating dimensions of environmental, industrial, and recreational history. This lecture is offered in conjunction with the Mill’s history exhibit, “The Power of Water.”

Richard Duffy has been continuously involved with the Old Schwamb Mill in various capacities for close to three decades: as a volunteer, on the board of trustees at the turn of the last century, and most recently with long service as an active member of the OSM board of advisors.  He returned to a role in OSM management as treasurer in 2022.  Mr. Duffy has served in leadership roles on the Arlington Historical Commission, the Arlington Historical Society, and the Arlington Libraries Foundation.  He is the author of four books on Arlington history, countless newspaper articles on historical topics, has lectured in the U.S. and Europe on a wide array of historical subjects, including commerce, architecture, agriculture, and biography; and he has developed and led several historical walking tours. He has a special research interest in water-powered mills generally, especially tide mills.  In addition, Mr. Duffy has made several guest appearances on the PBS television series “This Old House.”  He earned undergraduate degrees at the American University of Paris and Tufts University, holds an MBA from Boston College, and is a diplomate of the University of Paris-Sorbonne (Paris IV).

Jeff Griffith and his whole crew returns intact for another rousing evening! Everything from The Eagles songbook to the solo music of Don Henley, Glenn Frey and Joe Walsh.

Saturday, October 28th - 8:00pm

Paul Bielatowicz’s “NOSFERATU”
Multimedia Experience! The 1922 silent film classic with LIVE music!
Costumes are encouraged. Join for an afternoon of live music, classic horror, creepy costumes and some very special guests…
Sunday, October 29th - 3:00pm
Discounts available.

Purple Kiss
The FESTA Tour in BostonK-pop girl group PURPLE KISS are coming to the USA for the first time ever.

Elis & Tom
"It had to be you..."
Recorded over a 16-day period at MGM Studios in Los Angeles, California; Elis Regina and Tom Jobim created one of the most famous records of our history. This is the story of those epic sessions!

Wednesday, November 1st - 7:30pm