Join Boston Poet Laureate Porsha Olayiwola and the Mayor's Office of Arts & Culture for the second biennial Roxbury Poetry Festival at the Bruce C. Bolling Building on Saturday, August 5, 2023!

The festival features several award-winning writers, panelists, and curators, and includes a keynote address from 2022 MacArthur Fellow, poet and essayist, Hanif Abdurraqib. The day-long event culminates with a Publisher’s Poetry Slam sponsored by Button Poetry that yields a book contract for a local writer.

Other events include a craft talk on politics and poetry by Ruth Lily Fellow and activist, Darius Simpson, and a workshop from Guggenheim Fellow Eileen Myles. The festival includes workshops taught by several local writers including Nakia Hill, Paloma Valenzuela, Brandie Blaze, Ekua Holmes and a pop-up open mic hosted by If You Can Feel It, You Can Speak It and so much more.

This festival is free and open to the public

Register today!

Join Boston Music Award winning poet Amanda Shea on City Hall Plaza for a series of arts events that are part of a movement in social justice programming.

8/24: Legalization of Cannibus & The Prison Industrial System 

A discussion on how legalization has affected the country and how we can bring equity to folks who've experienced the war on drugs. 

8/31: Is Anyone Safe? The Intersectionality of Reproductive and Trans Rights. 

An examination and discussion on how the fight for reproductive rights affects us all. How can we support one another and heal from how the government governs us. 

9/7 : Advocacy and Equity for Artists: What's Our Worth? 

A panel discussion on how to advocate as artists as well as defining our equity in a climate that believes we are commodities. 

This project will bring together local residents and dancers of all backgrounds, knowledge, and artistic abilities to celebrate hip-hop dance styles developed since the 1980s.

Come down to Boston’s City Hall plaza for dance battles, a Hip Hop Cypher, and a Judges’ Showcase with artists Ramiro Vaughan “Purpose,” MegaTron, and Krucial.

More Info

Our arts and crafts workshops are led by local artists. They're held Tuesday through Friday in July and August and run from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m. These drop-in workshops encourage kids to explore their creativity through projects like mask making, crayon art, watercolor and much more. Supplies are provided, but you'll need to bring your creativity! 

This series is completely free and open to Boston residents. These workshops will take place in various parks throughout the City of Boston.

Registration is encouraged so we know how many supplies to bring (pre-registration is required for groups of 8 or more). Please email Shannon.murphy2@boston.gov to register.

This series is also weather-dependent. Check our social media pages for updated weather info regarding this series. Follow us on social media for the latest updates on events: Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Our arts and crafts workshops are led by local artists. They're held Tuesday through Friday in July and August and run from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m. These drop-in workshops encourage kids to explore their creativity through projects like mask making, crayon art, watercolor and much more. Supplies are provided, but you'll need to bring your creativity! 

This series is completely free and open to Boston residents. These workshops will take place in various parks throughout the City of Boston.

Registration is encouraged so we know how many supplies to bring (pre-registration is required for groups of 8 or more). Please email Shannon.murphy2@boston.gov to register.

This series is also weather-dependent. Check our social media pages for updated weather info regarding this series. Follow us on social media for the latest updates on events: Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Presented by the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture and Boston-based Hip Hop crew STL GLD, join us at City Hall Plaza for an unforgettable day of music, food, and culture. This day-long event will bring together the Boston community highlighting the rich history of Hip Hop music and culture.

EarthGang and Dead Prez will headline GLD FSTVL, and the day-long event will also feature local performances by STL GLD, Billy Dean Thomas, Van Buren Records, The Hip Hop Transformation, Latrell James, Kei, and Oompa, as well as local DJs, food trucks, and retail vendors.

With a vibrant atmosphere and amazing performances, GLD FSTVL promises to be an epic celebration of music and community.

Our arts and crafts workshops are led by local artists. They're held Tuesday through Friday in July and August and run from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m. These drop-in workshops encourage kids to explore their creativity through projects like mask making, crayon art, watercolor and much more. Supplies are provided, but you'll need to bring your creativity! 

This series is completely free and open to Boston residents. These workshops will take place in various parks throughout the City of Boston.

Registration is required for groups of 8 or more. Please email Shannon.murphy2@boston.gov to register.

This series is weather-dependent. Check our social media pages for updated weather info regarding this series. Follow us on social media for the latest updates on events: Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Created in honor of Latin music icon Tito Puente, this series celebrates 15 years of bringing live Latin music with a strong salsa influence to Boston parks. The series is sponsored in part by:

• Berklee College of Music, and
• Inquilinos Boricuas en Accion
• Free salsa lessons are led by MetaMovements.

Edwin Pabon has been a mainstay in Latin music in the Boston and New England areas for many years. Born to a family of Puerto Rican musicians, he began his musical career in the mid-seventies as a percussionist with El Sextets Pabon, a family band. El Sextets Pabon was one of the first bands in Boston to feature Latin music. In many ways, Edwin and his brothers Roberto and Israel and sister Janet were the pioneers of promoting Latin music in the New England area.

Edwin began his solo career in 1990 when he formed his own orchestra. He assumed all of the responsibilities for the orchestra, i.e., booking, promoting, and acting as the musical director. Throughout his career he has performed with some of the best artists in Latin music, including: Tito Puente, Carlos Santana, Celia Cruz, Ruben Blades, Tito Nieves, Eddie Palmieri, Lalo Rodriguez, Mongo Santa Maria, Ismael Rivera, Giovanni Hidalgo, Tito Gomez, and Ray Barreto. Edwin is the lead singer of his band, Edwin Pabon and Orchestra, and also plays several instruments; mainly percussion instruments such as the timbales, bongos, and congas. Edwin is also preparing to release his third CD "Rumbero de Corazon" that features "salsa romantica de hoy y de ayer" (hot salsa - romantic salsa) with Afro-Cuban rhythms. He is a passionate performer whose commitment to spreading the vivacity of Latin music and dance continues to inspire him.