Mayor Walsh announces winners of re-event the plaza initiative

Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced the winners of the Re-Event the Plaza initiative, an open call for events to be run on City Hall Plaza free of charge. As part of a larger effort to enhance and activate City Hall Plaza both in the long and short term, Re-Event intends to inspire creative use of the plaza through programmed events.

"I thank all the respondents for their great ideas as to how we can activate City Hall Plaza," said Mayor Walsh. "We were thrilled to see so much excitement around creative usage of the plaza. These events will be great opportunities for residents and visitors to engage with the plaza in new and exciting ways."

A committee of City Hall staff reviewed all 21 submissions, and selected four of the submissions as the winners. Guidelines for the event suggested that it should be free and open to the public, implementable within the next six months, have an intended number of attendees and have the ability to be replicated in the future. The following events will be taking place this fall:

Vote-A-Palooza: (Sept. 22, 11am - 2pm) - This event will be a free, non-partisan, festive and fun civic fair held on National Voter Registration Day to register voters and help publicize the recent changes in Massachusetts' election laws, especially the state's new online registration system. Vote-A-Palooza is part of a national effort involving volunteers, celebrities and organization from all over the country. This single day of coordinated field, technology and media efforts will create awareness of voter registration opportunities. Organizers include: League of Women Voters, MassVote and MASSPIRG students.
Mobile College Planning Center Pop Up Event: (Oct. 14, 9am - 5pm) - The mobile college planning center is a one-stop, in-person mobile delivery channel which provides free information and counseling on getting into, and paying for college. The event is being organized by SALT, whose continuum of services is offered to high school students, first generation, and non-traditional college families across the Commonwealth. The SALT Live trailer will have three work stations where families can meet with a trained counselor to help develop a plan for college. The plan includes how to apply for school and how to apply for financial aid. SALT is currently helping to address the needs of students and families in Boston, Springfield, Lowell and Worcester.
Erase Cancer: (Date TBD) - Everyone has been impacted by cancer in some way throughout their life. It can often be an overwhelming obstacle to try to overcome. The event aims to bring Bostonians together in support of an important cause. The event will be a day-long festival, with a digital, interactive art exhibit at its center. Everyone will have the opportunity to engage with the exhibit, and help "Erase" cancer. The event is being organized by Dana Farber Cancer Institute.
Plaza Workout: (Date TBD) - Get ready for a morning full of fitness, featuring Zumba Fitness, Bootcamp, yoga, BollyX and more. The event is free and will be organized by The Z Spot. Bring your sneakers, towels and friends and come ready to burn major calories, move to great music, enjoy raffles and maybe even a dance-off. Look here for more information.

Earlier this week, Mayor Walsh announced the release of a Request for Proposals calling for a partner to work with the City of Boston to make the plaza both a civic space and an attractive destination for residents and visitors. To learn more, click here.