Cambridge residents and visitors should prepare for a weekend packed with events and the associated traffic changes starting September 28. The City of Cambridge has announced several street closures due to local festivities, which will impact traffic and parking. On Saturday, September 28, from 12-5 p.m., the weekly Found Cambridge Block Party will commandeer Columbia Street, closing it between Bishop Allen Drive and Main Street from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Concurrently, the Arts in the Park event will see closures on Columbia Street from Washington Street to Bishop Allen Drive and Pine Street from School Street to Eaton Street from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Lasting into the brisk evening from 5-11 p.m., the Central Square BID's Central Night Market will necessitate Sidney Street and Franklin Street to be closed, between selected cross streets, from 12 p.m. - 2 a.m. Amidst this bustling, the Smoke This Rib Fest, touted by the East Cambridge Business Association, will take over parts of Cambridge Street on Sunday, September 29, from 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. for its rib competition, food stands, and live music. As a response, the 69 bus will detour around the festivities via Fulkerson Street, Charles Street, and Third Street towards Lechmere, and an alternate route comprising of Fifth Street, Binney Street, Little Binney Street, and Cardinal Medieros Avenue towards Harvard Square.
To accommodate the Paddy's Cambridge Classic 5K on Sunday, streets along the race route will be inaccessible from about 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. The race course includes several streets, such as Walden Street between Garden Street and Raymond Street, among others listed. A post-race block party will cause Walden Street, between Garden Street and Sherman Street to be closed all day.
Finally, rounding out the weekend's packed schedule, the Harvard Square Black Owned Business Pop-up Market will have its weekly event on Sunday, causing Palmer Street to be off-limits for traffic from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. These community gatherings, showcasing a myriad of local arts, culture, and savory eats, transform the streets but do require residents and visitors alike to navigate the grid with more intention than on a more muted weekend. For more detailed traffic and parking impact information, visit the City of Cambridge's official website.
