Good morning, Medford, Friday, May 1
We've got a monster calendar for you today that covers three days of events and activities in Medford. Plus, the scoop on a student project. But, first, there's a new library director in town.
Congratulations and well-wishes are in order this morning.
Congratulations to Sam Sednek, the new director of the Medford Public Library. She takes the reins from Barbara Kerr today after having served as the assistant director.
And, best of luck to Barbara Kerr, who retired on April 30 after over 42 years with the library, where she served in a number of roles. We wish Kerr well in this next chapter of her life.
Now, we have the scoop on a high school project before we get to what's happening over the next few days.
Two Medford High School seniors have started a project to enable the community to help teachers get the supplies they need.
Richard Trotta, who is the director of The Center for Citizenship and Social Responsibility for the Medford Public Schools, said 12th-graders Emma Beardsley and Gabe Kennedy created a school-supply drive that lets people donate via an Amazon wish list.
Working with advisor Jen Silva and with funding from the Cummings Foundation, the students created the online wish list with everything from pens, notebooks, and sticky notes, to shelving, totes, and hanging pocket storage for cell phones. They wanted to make it easy for people to donate.
To see the wish list and make a donation, visit CCSR Support a Teacher Wish List. Items may be added if the students receive addition requests. The goal, Trotta said, is for the drive to wrap up in early June.
Projects that students in many grades have taken on over the years include "Heroes for the Homeless," "Bully Free School," and "Black Female Empowerment."
Click here to see a video about the program, its history, and projects.
Happening in Medford today and over the weekend
If you have an event that you would like to have listed in our calendar, send the information to gottaknowmedford@gmail.com.
Friday, May 1
Street sweeping – Zone 9, you are up today. No parking on the affected streets from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Inside State Government and Politics: Student Insights from the Field from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Eaton Hall at Tufts. RSVP.
Senior Center: Pam's Walking Club at 9:30 a.m.; Latin Dance with Judit at 10:30 a.m.; Chinese/English Class at 11 a.m.; Cooking Demo with Judit at 1:30 p.m.
Circle Time Story Time at 9:30 a.m., hosted by Medford Family Network at the Medford Public Library. For children up to 2 years old. Registration required.
Sisters in Sweat Exercise Group at 9:30 a.m. at West Medford Community Center. Walking and other low-impact activities for seniors.
Drop-In Playtimes at Medford Family Network Family Center: from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for babies up to age 2; from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. for children ages 2-5.
Fairy Walk at 10:30 a.m. at the Condon Shell for kids ages 2-5 and their caregivers. Hosted by Medford Public Library.
Medford May Day 2026: 1:30-2:30 p.m. Noncooperation 101 at Medford Public Library; 4-5 p.m. Boycott Citizens Bank in Medford Square; 5:30-6 p.m. march to Pop-Up Park; 6 p.m. speeches, potluck and music at Pop-Up Park.
DIY Cereal Bars from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at Medford Public Library for teens in middle school and high school. Registration required.
MakerSpace Drop-In from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at Medford Public Library for adults and teens 16+ to work on a personal project or learn how to use the space and equipment.
Go Mustangs! Varsity boys tennis, varsity boys baseball, and varsity girls softball have home games today.
Tandoor & Curry pop-up from 5 to 8 p.m. at Medford Brewing.
Sevalynn, Actor Observer, Sir Echo, This City Hates You perform starting at 7 p.m. at Deep Cuts.
Graduate Student Recital: Yixiao Wang at 8 p.m. in the Granoff Music Center at Tufts.
Video DJ Joshus Carl from 9:30 p.m. to closing at The Great American Beer Hall.
Saturday, May 2
Electronics and textile recycling from 9 a.m. to noon in the front parking lot at the McGlynn Middle School. This event is a fundraiser in support of McGlynn and Andrews Middle School PTOs.
Spanish Fun Language Class at 9 a.m. at Medford Public Library for adults. Four-week session starts May 2. Registration required.
Drop-In Coding from 9 to 11 a.m. at Medford Public Library for ages 8-12. Students will use Scratch to start a new project or continue working on a current project. All skill levels are welcome. Bring your Scratch log-in. If you do not have a Scratch account, create one before class. Sign-up encouraged.
Beginner Sewing from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Medford Public Library. For adults and teens 16+ to learn how to use a sewing machine. Register.
Citywide Cleanup from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. There are many locations across the city that will have volunteers under the direction of an ambassador. Anyone is welcome to join in. To see the list of locations, click here, scroll down to "locations" and click the down-arrow.
Brooks Estate Cleanup from 10 a.m. to noon. As part of the city-wide cleanup, the Brooks Estate is looking for volunteers to help with landscaping clean-up: weeding, trimming, and trash removal. Fill out the volunteer form.
Cinco de Mayo Storytime at 10:30 a.m. at Medford Public Library. Act, sing, and dance your way through the story of Cinco de Mayo in this bilingual storytime event.
Medford Chess Club from 1 to 3 p.m. at Medford Public Library.
Youth Summit from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at Andrews Middle School for youth ages 14-18 to learn about job and community service opportunities and attend career workshops. Register.
Storytime with Julie Koon at 2:30 p.m. at Moon and Back Bookstore. Koon is the author of "Breathe a Rainbow."
Drawn Together: Play and Refusal from 3 to 5 p.m. at Arts Collaborative Medford. A round-table exchange. Register.
Bilingual Chinese Story Time at 3 p.m. at Medford Public Library for children ages 3-7. All levels of Chinese are welcome to join. Registration required.
Mystic Makerspace: Recycled Jewelry at 3 p.m. at Medford Public Library. Bring in broken pieces of costume jewelry or use donations at the library to create new jewelry. Registration required.
Kid's Mother's Day Shell Dish Workshop at 4 p.m. at Colleen's with Live in Mosaics. Includes dinner. Purchase tickets ahead of time.
Live music at the Great American Beer Hall. Ms Wensday at 4:30 p.m. and Beachnights at 9 p.m.
Go Mustangs! Varsity girls lacrosse takes on Framingham at home.
Trivia Night with Friends of the Medford Public Library from 6:30 to 9 p.m. for ages 21+. Registration required.
Telehealth, Perennial, and Pinklids perform starting at 7 p.m. at Deep Cuts.
Senior Recital: Jake Pandina at 7 p.m. in the Granoff Music Center.
Brick Park performs at 8 p.m. at Mrs. Murphy's
Sunday, May 3
Last day to order discount rain barrels through The Great American Rain Barrel. Order before midnight.
Spring Bird Walk at 7:30 a.m. at Brooks Estate. Meet at the green gate. Registration appreciated.
Coffee Hour at St. Raphael Parish following the morning Masses. Coffee and munchkins in the courtyard on the first Sunday of every month for parishioners and visitors to connect.
Medford Mayor's Cup Invitational Regatta beginning at 8 a.m. at River's Edge Park. The regatta has been hosted by the Medford High School Rowing Team and Friends of Medford Rowing since 2013. It brings together local and regional high school teams to compete along the Malden River.
Kids Art Brunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Ford Tavern. A teacher will lead kids ages 4-10 in an art project. Materials will be provided. Purchase tickets ahead of time.
Mystic Walkers at 11 a.m. at Hormel Stadium. All ages and abilities are welcome to join. The group will decide where the walk will go.
Sunday Run at 11 a.m. at Medford Brewing. Choose from several different loops, or create your own. New runners always welcome.
Cyanotpyes: Mother's Day Cards and Bookmarks from 1 to 3 p.m. at Arts Collaborative Medford. A hands-on workshop for ages 8+ with adult. Register.
Medford Historical Society and Museum exhibit, "1776 and Beyond" opens. Visiting hours are from 1 to 4 p.m.
Focus Pro Wrestling from 2 to 7 p.m. at the Great American Beer Hall.
Sunday Concert Series: Klenèngan Sukarena at 3 p.m. at the Granoff Music Center at Tufts. Gamelan Laras Tentrem and the Tufts gamelan ensemble, Rinengga Sih Tentrem, perform a concert of Javanese gamelan music.
Annie McDougall performs from 4 to 7 p.m. at Mrs. Murphy's.
Comedian Bobby Lee: the Final Tour 2026 at 7 p.m. at the Chevalier. Bobby Lee is best known for his numerous years as a cast member on "Mad TV" and his hit podcasts, "Bad Friends" and "Tiger Belly."
Senior Recital: Katherine Spiropoulos at 8 p.m. in the Granoff Music Center at Tufts.
In case you missed it
Crystal Yormick on what is happening with planned park renovations in Medford.
Gotta Know Medford Staff
