Sights and Sounds, June 22, 2018

The deadline for listings is noon, Tues. July 10 for the July 13 issue. Send listings to [email protected]. Note: 617 should be dialed before numbers below, unless another area code is given.

Special events

Gardening Day at Lawson Park 10:30 am – 1:30 pm, corner of Atherton & Washington. June 24.

Catch and Release with Boston Police, Kids’ Fishing Derby at Jamaica Pond, June 30 rain or shine, Check in at 7:30-8:45 am, Derby 9am – 1pm. Register at Eventbrite. Search: Boston Police Fishing Derby. Info: 343-5623.

Summer Craftacular, sliders, sides, craft beer and cider! Weds. June 27, 7-9pm. Music by A.J. Rose. $20, 21+, Bella Luna, 284 Amory St.

Fun Run to raise money for MIRA, Sun. June 24, 10am, 1.5 mile walk/run starting at Jamaica Pond Boathouse.

Arts, music, and culture

         Gary Blau Photography Exhibition, about the Flora and Fauna of the Dominican Republic. Artist reception Sat. June 23, 10:30am-noon. Connolly Branch Library, 433 Centre St. 935-4039.

Alone Together, Together Alone by Nora Valdez, and Still We Rise by Urbano Youth Artists. Valdez presents a series of figurative sculptures and drawings honoring the heart, emotions, the home, immigration, and confronting difficult situations in the search for happiness. These themes originate in her personal and cultural identity. During her residency, she worked with Urbano Youth Artists to explore the themes of resilience and sustainability to realize that falling is only temporary, we can always rise again.The exhibition is accompanied by an original composition by composer Alexander Barsov and Urbano Youth Artist, Vinny Alves. The exhibitions will be up until August 16th, 2018.

         JESUS DRINKS FREE! 1950s-70s country, gospel, soul and RnB spun by 2 atheists (and guests) @Jeanie Johnston 9pm-Close FREE

SOUL music & COUNTRY music. Foundational sounds of the American experience spun  monthly with love, admiration, and a deep want to create fun. Throw in a non-believer’s true lust for spinning GOSPEL music and you have JESUS DRINKS FREE. The music comes from the 1950s thru the 1970s. We’re @ The Jeanie Johnston Pub every 1st Thursday night of every month. Good times in Jamaica Plain.”

The Haven, HOOTENANNY – JP’s OPEN MIC EVERY WEDNESDAY, hosted by Tom Dowd. Sign up is 9.30pm and we have prizes every Wednesday for the most interesting acts.

         Midway Café, All shows 21+, doors 8pm, 3496 Washington St, 524-9038. Thursdays are Queeraoke lesbian night; Fridays 6-8:30pm are Hippie Hour, free; Sundays 9pm-2am are open mic.

Jeanie Johnston Pub, 144 South St. Open Mic hosted by Tony Bluze, Sundays at 8pm. More events at jeaniejohnstonpub.com.

Bella Luna & The Milky Way Weekly events include; Irish Sessions every Sunday at 5pm. Off the Wall Mondays with DJ J-Wall at 6PM, 50% of wings with Stump Trivia to follow at 8PM. Teacher Tuesdays plus Dirty Water Saloon Line Dancing for queer folks and allies at 7PM.  Live jazz every Wednesday from at 6:30 – 8:30 pm. Visit www.milkywayjp.com for more late night events ever Thu-Sat.

Old time music, Southern/roots music, 2nd & 4th Wednesdays, 7.30pm, back room at Doyle’s Cafe, 3484 Washington St. Info: [email protected].

First Fridays Youth Open Mic with renowned feature artists, first Friday of every month, 7pm at First Baptist Church, 633 Centre St. Free for performers and those under 25, $10 suggested donation for those 25 and over.

SongBeat Circle, a song & drum circle hosted monthly on the first Tuesday of each month at 7:30p.m. in the Parish Hall at First Church in Jamaica Plain.  Facilitated by a board-certified music therapist, SongBeat provides the community surrounding JP a place to sing and drum together. Participants will hopefully gain a sense of connection with others, experience the healing of live music-making, and find some joy in their busy lives.  All ages welcome. Donation of $5 to $10 is encouraged.  No musical experience or talent required. Info: [email protected], 524-1634 or 775-7602.

Dance and comedy

Zumba with a Cop, every Thursday 6:30pm-7:30pm, June 21-Aug. 2 at Southwest Corridor behind English High, 144 McBride St. Water and light refreshments provided. Contact E-13 police officers for more information. 343-5623.

Gender-Free/English Country Dance, beginners welcome and encouraged. 2nd and 4th Tuesdays (5th Tuesdays: experienced) of the month, 7:30-11:30pm, First Church, 6 Eliot St. Info: www.lcfd.org/bgfe/512-5554.

         Learn to stiltwalk with Spontaneous Celebrations, 45 Danforth St. Sundays, 11am-1pm, $5. Info: 857-498-2438.

Connolly Branch Library

433 Centre St., 522-1960, www.bpl.org.

ESL Conversation Groups:  Practice Speaking English, Mon. June 25, 6:30 p.m. Thursdays, June 14, 21, & 28 at 10:30 a.m. & 3 p.m.

Spanish-English Language Exchange / Intercambio de Idiomas en Inglés y Español, Saturdays / sábados, 12 – 1:45 p.m.

Egleston Square Branch Library

Youth Programs

Tours/talks/workshops

Literary Boston, another walking tour at Forest Hills Cemetery led by Anthony Sammarco. Sun. June 24 at 2pm.

Lead the Way for Transgender Rights, Tues. June 26, 7-9pm, First Church JP, 6 Eliot St. Join Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz, Rep. Jeffrey Sánchez, Rep. Liz Malia, Freedom For All Massachusetts, Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition and Keshet for our Jamaica Plain Community Meeting! We’ll discuss the ballot issue, and you’ll learn how you can play an integral role in upholding Massachusetts’ non-discrimination law.

Discussion on Family & Individual Homelessness, 2-4 pm, First Baptist Church, 633 Centre St. June 24.

Tour with SPARK Boston, We are working with SPARK Boston on giving tours of Jamaica Plain. If you are a millennial and want to learn more about Jamaica Plain and the long history of activism in our neighborhood, please sign up (it’s free, but space is limited). The May tour was rescheduled (due to weather) to Saturday, June 30th at 11:00am  Free but registration required. This tour is being led by long-time JP resident/JPHS member Fran Perkins.

Know Your Weeds, Tuesday, June 26 | 6-7:30PM, Paul Gore Beecher Streets Community Garden | 105 Paul Gore Street, JP. Weeds can be the bane of a gardeners’ existence, but if you know how to manage them, they can be no problem! Learn to identify them, and you can make tasty snacks and healthful medicines out of them too! We’ll tour the garden and talk about what we find and how to control or use it, while sampling some food and medicine made from wild plants. FREE & open to all.

Jamaica Plain Garden Tour, Saturday, July 14 | 10AM-2PM, J.P. Licks, 659 Centre Street, JP. Come enjoy unique access to over twenty private gardens in the Sumner Hill and Central neighborhoods of JP, an area full of charming historical homes and lush perennial gardens. Sites along the route range from creative urban spaces to formal gardens in the English style, to rambling woodland landscapes. Many are hidden gems which you might never otherwise see, featuring beautiful stonework, water elements, and rare specimen plants. Our gratitude goes to the garden owners for opening up these magical spaces in support of the Trustees’ 56 community gardens and parks citywide. Interested in volunteering as a garden sitter for the tour? Contact Annie Wolf at [email protected] or 617.542.7696 x2127 or sign up here.

Garden Pest & Disease Walk & Talk, Saturday, July 21 | 10-11:30AM, Minton Stable Community Garden | 100 Williams Street, JP, Learn from UMass professor of plant biology Jim Stark how to identify common garden pests and diseases, and how to address them with methods including resistant cultivars, sanitation, and more. FREE & open to all.

Horticulture and the Buildings of Forest Hills, Sat. July 1 at 2pm, cemetery walking tour by Anthony Sammarco. 95 Forest Hills Ave. $10 advance tickets, $12 at door.

Stonybrook Fine Arts, Make Your Own Wedding Rings workshop and teen & adult classes in welding, foundry and mold-making, ongoing, 24 Porter St. Info: stonybrookfinearts.com.

Woodworking, sewing, art classes, fiber arts, photography, book arts. Children, teens, adults, year round. Eliot School of Fine & Applied Arts, 24 Eliot St. Info: eliotschool.org or 524-3313.

Shim Gum Do (Mind Sword Path), zen sword, karate and meditation classes, scholarships available, Spontaneous Celebrations, 45 Danforth St. Info: 429-8024/[email protected].

Meet-Ups

         Narratives Boston, queer activist-writers group open to LGBTQ-identified adults interested in creative expression and social justice, first and third Wednesday evenings of the month, 7-9pm, Haymarket People’s Fund, 42 Seaverns Ave. Info: [email protected].

         Party for the Helping Hand Fund, hosted by Haymarket People’s Fund, every 3rd Friday of the month, 5:30-8pm, 42 Seaverns Ave. Info: 522-3349/[email protected].

Networking Group, local chapter of BNI, meets on Wednesdays at the Farnsworth House at 7am. Consists of 30 members of different professions. Through development and trust and relationships amongst the members, objective is to promote each other’s businesses. Members may live outside of JP, but common tie is either living in or servicing the JP area. Info: President of chapter Katelyn Atwater, info: 431-0929.

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