‘Circle the Square’ Thursday, August 15

Have a doggone good time at our August Circle the Square, when our theme will be Dog Days of Summer. We’ll have free music, performances, art, and activities for all ages throughout Medford Square from 3-7 PM on Thursday August 15, as well as activities and discounts at many area businesses.

Wag your tail to the music of Matt Heaton and the Electric Heaters, Sarah Blackler, The Lauren Bateman Band, the Sasha Kern Trio, and Vanessa Trien, and shake your tail with Jody’s School of Dance and Boston Hoop Troop. Watch them put on the dog at a fashion show provided by Sweet Buy and Buy. Plus we’ll have a performance of “Midsummer Night’s Dream” by Youthquake Theater, and improv with Aeropuerto Improv Troupe. Enjoy Make Your Own Tie-dye, Gross Motor Games, Building Blocks, and Old-fashioned Summer Games with Medford Family Network, face painting with Zing! Face Painting, and games and demos from Next Step Living, Solarize Medford, Oom Yung Doe, Xtreme Ninja and LB Music Studio. If you’re dog-tired, relax with chair massages at Elements Therapeutic Massage, Medford Muscular Therapy Center and Sea Spa, and enjoy the soothing bubble displays from Jim Dichter the Bubble Guy.

Feeling creative? We’ll have hands-on Model Magic sculptures with Artwork In2Shades, and art for children and adults with Ben Warren at the Mystic Art Gallery, or make an origami crane as part of the 1,000 Cranes Project at the Medford Historical Society. We’ll be displaying the submissions to our Picture the Square Photo Contest at Roland’s Jewelry – pick up your voting card at the Welcome Table and vote on your favorites. There will be artists showing and selling their wares, including Sarah Beardslee’s beaded jewelry, and make your own beaded bracelet for $10.00 with all proceeds to go to OneFund Boston. We’ll also have mosaics from Susan Altman, jewelry from Sarah Clarke, Jeanette Dion, and Esmerelda Lambert, hand made bags and accessories from Chikako Mukai, and goats milk soap from Andrea Corkum.

Experience Medford Square from a whole new angle and doggy paddle your way up the Mystic River with canoe, kayak and paddleboard rentals from Charles River Canoe. Rentals will be available at the Condon Shell parking lot on Route 16. Explore the Mystic River as it winds through Medford Square, and find out more about the river from The Mystic River Watershed Association. And learn more about the Square with a talk by Dee Morris and Ryan Hayward at Bestsellers Café “The Power of the Word and Our Neighbors of the Salem Street Burying Ground”, or participate in Team Medford’s new ?Over the River Walking Route” walking tours.

We’ll have a dog agility course and training demonstrations with Gordon Fontaine, and meet Pearl the Therapy Dog from Dog B.O.N.E.S Therapy Dogs. Test your own agility at the inflatable Speed Kick Goal presented by the New England Revolution, who will also have giveaways and a raffle for a pair of tickets to their next home game. You can also try your luck with raffles from Xtreme Ninja to win classes and boxing gloves, Medford Plus Credit Union’s raffle to win a gift card to Petco, and Ward’s Gift Shop’s Famous Dog Trivia Game for a chance to win a Laughing Dog Animal.

Breed some fun with our “Who Am I?” Scavenger Hunt – match the breeds with the dog pictures hidden inside and outside around Medford Square to be eligible to win gift bags of pet goodies from Looby Veterinary Group and gift certificates to Alamo Roast Beef. Pick up your Game Card at our Welcome Table.

Feeling hungry? Sink your canines into Lobster Fest and Buck-a-Shuck Oysters at Carroll’s. Enjoy pizza and soft drinks or visit the beer garden, all provided by Salvatore’s Restaurant. There will also be summer treats from Medford Square Diner, smoothie and coffee tastings at Mystic Coffee Roasters, summer beer tastings at Grapevine Travelers, $1 slices at Wellington’s Pizzeria, and a range of farm-fresh goodies at the Medford Farmers Market, accompanied by the music of the Party Band.

Show what Medford means to you by participating in CACHE’s “I Choose Medford” video project. We would love to hear all the varied voices of Medford! And be sure to stop by the CACHE information table on River Street to pick up a brochure for Arts Across Medford, our month-long celebration of arts and culture in Medford in October, including the Mystic River Celebration at the Condon Shell. You can also purchase our new Medford Saves Key Tag to support CACHE’s programming, including Circle the Square, and get discounts at dozens of local businesses. For more information go to http://www.cacheinmedford.org/medford_saves.html.

Schedules and maps will be available at the Circle the Square Welcome Table at the corner of Riverside Avenue and River Street. Visit our web site www.circlethesquare.org for more information about our schedule of events, or visit us on Facebook or Twitter.

Circle the Square is supported in part by the Medford Arts Council, a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the Tufts Neighborhood Service Fund, Medford Health Matters and Mt. Auburn Hospital, as well as the sponsorship of RE/MAX Andrew Realty and Carroll’s Restaurant.

– Submitted by Laurel Siegel