The city's annual celebration of Arab culture runs 4–7 PM tonight at the Medford Senior Center (101 Riverside Ave). Free and open to the public. Live music from the Hawa Collective Band, traditional dance, henna art, food, and games.
Now in its 4th year, this festival has grown from a library program to a full community event. Medford is among a small number of Massachusetts cities actively programming Arab American Heritage Month at the city level. The event is organized by the city's Arabic-speaking Community Engagement Team — Connector Charbel Hayek and Liaison Samira Hayek. No registration, no cost, walk right in.
The Massachusetts House passed H.5349 last week, banning social media for users under 14 and requiring age verification for all users statewide. Medford's State Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven voted no and published a public explanation to Medford families.
To check whether a user is under 14, platforms must verify everyone — meaning all Massachusetts adults would hand over a government ID or submit to a face scan. Uyterhoeven cited major breaches at age-verification firms: AU10TIX had credentials exposed for 18 months; IDMerit left over a billion records online with no password.
Fifteen national organizations — including the ACLU, the Trevor Project, and GLAAD — formally oppose such bans because they disproportionately harm LGBTQ+ youth who rely on online communities. The bill now moves to the Senate.
"This bill does not regulate big tech social media companies — it regulates individual users and requires every person in Massachusetts, including adults, to hand over a government ID or face scan."
— Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven, writing in Gotta Know Medford, April 17, 2026
Mayor Lungo-Koehn has announced Medford's annual rain barrel program. Order through The Great American Rain Barrel at $85 for unpainted or $89 for a painted barrel. Orders close May 3 at midnight. Pickup is May 13, 5–7 PM at Medford High School (489 Winthrop St) — you must be present at that specific window. To order, go to greatamericanrainbarrel.com and select Medford from the dropdown. The 60-gallon barrels are made from repurposed food-grade shipping drums. The city estimates owners save around $200 annually on water bills.
The East Middlesex Mosquito Control Project will apply the biological larvicide Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis) by helicopter over three Medford wetland areas between April 21 and May 1. Target zones: Wright's Pond, Bellevue Pond, and Winford Way wetlands. Residents do not need to take any special precautions — Bti is a naturally occurring soil bacterium classified by the EPA as relatively non-toxic. It targets only mosquito larvae and breaks down quickly in the environment. Product: VectoBac GS (EPA Reg. #73049-10).
Medford is at the heart of Patriots' Day weekend. New this year: a statue dedication honoring Revolutionary War heroine Sarah Bradlee Fulton at City Hall before Paul Revere even arrives. Here's the full weekend schedule.
At 57°F under mostly cloudy skies with light northeast winds, today is the best outdoor day of the holiday weekend. Sunday brings a 90% chance of rain with a high of only 52°F. Patriots' Day Monday looks better as the system clears through the afternoon.