A Time of Renewal, Reunion, Repurpose and Reflection
In 2011, Harvard Square’s dear friend, Scott Alarik, released the novel Revival, a love letter to the Cambridge Folk music scene. Alarik was a familiar face (and voice) to many this in this community and beyond as a musician, songwriter and journalist until his untimely passing in 2021. He was a fixture at coffeehouses throughout the country and at the beloved Passim in Harvard Square. In addition, he was a frequent guest on A Prairie Home Companion.
To honor Scott and his love of Harvard Square, the month of September has officially been designated as Revival Month. We welcome you to join us at one of our many events in Harvard Square in September where we honor Scott’s vision and embrace this season of renewal, reunion, repurpose and reflection.
“September is like our New Year,” says HSBA director Denise Jillson. “It’s such a time of renewal, with the students coming back and all these events celebrating tradition and innovation in ways that have always defined Harvard Square. We’d been looking for a way to connect it all, and then we found out about this wonderful novel, Revival. It was perfect.”
Mondays and Wednesdays
Blues Jams Mondays
Good Lord The Liftin’ on Wednesdays
The Sea Hag revives the spirit of the earliest days Club 47 which started in our little one-story block of store fronts on Mount Auburn Street in 1958, with blues residencies two nights a week. Get groovy with live blues jams Mondays with Good Lord The Liftin’ and Wednesdays with Barrett Anderson and Friends from 6 pm to 9 pm. No Cover.
September 2nd
Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting of Beyond Full
September 4th
Alisa Amador Undercover at Passim
Not your typical Alisa Amador concert: When Alisa Amador isn’t on the road, she sings covers at the piano with her partner Jamie. Joni Mitchell songs and Beatles and Jazz standards. But, also Mk.Gee, Medium Build, and Chappell Roan. For the first time ever, Alisa and Jamie will be bringing these songs from their attic apartment to the Passim stage. Featuring classic and contemporary anthems in English and Spanish, this show is comfort food for all the weary souls left in Boston in August.
September 6th
No Hype Fest
No Hype Fest 2025 is set to ignite Harvard Square on Sunday, September 6th, with an unforgettable celebration of music, culture, and community.
This one-day festival is a bold tribute to the regions commitment to emerging talent. No Hype Fest isn’t just a concert — it’s a movement. Showcasing a diverse lineup that spans genres and cultures, the festival offers something for every music lover, from indie heads and hip-hop fans to electronic explorers and beyond.
At its core, No Hype Fest is about more than music. It’s a cultural exchange — a global stage where artists and audiences connect, collaborate, and celebrate creativity. The festival aims to foster unity, spark inspiration, and leave a lasting imprint on Boston’s vibrant music scene.
Whether you’re discovering your next favorite artist or just soaking in the energy of the city, No Hype Fest is where it all begins.
September 6th and 7th
Ron Sexsmith at Passim
Ron Sexsmith is a three time, Juno award winning singer songwriter from St Catharines Ontario. He has built a steadfast reputation with critics and with some of his own songwriting hero’s (Elton John, Ray Davies, John Prine, Gordon Lightfoot, Leonard Cohen and Paul McCartney) for his characteristically honest, sensitive, and enduring approach to the songwriting craft.Ron has released albums on a consistent basis since 1995 and has recorded with noted producers Mitchell Froom, Daniel Lanois, Steve Earle, Jim Scott, Don Kerr, Brad Jones, Bob Rock, and Martin Terefe. His extensive song and album catalog has garnered Sexsmith a substantive cult following and an international touring career. His early years of touring included opening for established artists such as, John Hiatt, Elvis Costello, Sarah McLaughlin, Squeeze, Aimee Mann, Coldplay, Nick Lowe, John Prine, Lucinda Williams and many others. His songs as well, have been covered by the likes of Rod Stewart, Nick Lowe, Emmy Lou Harris, Feist, Michael Buble, and Stevie Nicks to name a few. In the past few decades as a headlining artist, Ron has performed at some of the most prestigious venues in the world, such as Massey Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Carnegie Hall, and The London Palladium.
September 7th
Heat Blooms Kickoff Reception
The Harvard Square Business Association, in partnership with Art of Public Good, the City of Cambridge’s Shade is Social Justice program and the Cambridge Arts Council, is delighted to invite you to a reception on September 7th, to celebrate the unveiling of Heat Blooms. The festivities take place on Brattle Plaza (in front of Bluestone Lane at 27 Brattle Street) from 3pm – 4pm. Please join us to learn more about this important installation from its designers and representatives from the City of Cambridge. Students from the Longy School of Music will be performing and light refreshments will be served.Heat Blooms builds upon Art for Public Good’s mission to use handcrafted, human-scale artwork to make the realities of climate change visible and to provide resources so communities can advocate for their needs and explore lasting solutions.
September 13th
Bread & Puppet Theater Circus At Cambridge Common
Bread & Puppet Theater presents “Our Domestic Resurrection Revolution in Progress Circus” outdoors on Cambridge Common on Saturday, September 13th at 4pm in partnership with Cambridge Arts. Admission free–donations encouraged.
This circus is a brand new show in the tradition of the iconic Bread & Puppet Circuses that began at Goddard College in Plainfield, Vermont, in 1970. As usual, the show will draw on traditional circus tropes and familiar Bread & Puppet iconography to draw attention to the urgent issues of the day. Stilt dancers, papier-maché beasts of all sizes and a riotous brass band make a raucous, colorful spectacle of protest and celebration.
After the show Bread & Puppet will serve its famous sourdough rye bread with aioli, and Bread & Puppet’s “Cheap Art” – books, posters, postcards, pamphlets and banners from the Bread & Puppet Press – will be for sale.
September 14th
Thai Cultural Festival
Experience the sights, sounds and tastes of Thailand from 12pm – 6pm on Brattle Street (in front of the Brattle Theatre at 40 Brattle Street). More information coming soon! Rain Date, September 21st.
September 14th
Mexican Independence Day Celebration
Join us at the Charles Hotel’s Lower Courtyard in Harvard Square to celebrate Mexican Independence Day on Sunday, September 14th from 4-9pm! The event will include a selection of traditional food and games for all, as well as a live performance by Veronica Robles all-female Mariachi Quintet and live DJ! This event is proudly Sponsored by Harvard Square Business Association, Noir Bar & The Charles Hotel.
This event features traditional food by Taqueria El Barrio, El Jefe’s Taqueria, Felipe’s Taqueria, Con Sabor a Mexico and One Reason Garden Bar (don’t miss Chef Danny’ s delicious creations too!)
September 20th
Revels RiverSing
Revels RiverSing 2025 will be a celebration of the Fall Equinox – when Day and Night are in perfect balance. Families are invited to bring a picnic to the riverbank on the Cambridge side of the Weeks Footbridge, or gather at Winthrop Park in Harvard Square; at both sites, there will be family activities, including Morris Dancing, Honk Band music, face painting, and a balloon artist. Find the full schedule below.
The RiverSing Procession of revelers, giant puppets, dancers, and musicians will move from Winthrop Park to the Weeks Footbridge, ending in a special Equinox Waltz between Desmond the Day Dragon and Nigel the Night Dragon. Revels Songleader David Coffin and the Revels Chorus will lead the audience in song until dusk, when the event culminates with a river ritual featuring saxophone virtuoso Stan Strickland, as the Sun and Moon perform their duet of Equinox equipoise!
In case of rain, Revels RiverSing will take place on Sunday, September 21st. Revels RiverSing is produced in partnership with the Harvard Square Business Association and the Cambridge Community Foundation.
September 20th
25/8 Gallery Reception
Gaines has released eight albums internationally, which includes gems like the hit single “Hero In Me” from his debut album. The Boston Globe declared that “Gaines’ soulful, wounded vocals make a case for him being one of pop’s finest singers…” Rolling Stone went on to call him “the voice of a generation” noting his body of work and his larger than life voice.
September 26th
Jeffrey Gaines at Passim
Jeffrey Gaines has been heralded for his soul-searching lyrics and his powerful live performances. With only his voice and a guitar for accompaniment, Gaines has earned a reputation as a captivating performer, entertaining his audiences worldwide.
September 27th
Wasn’t That A Time: The Boston Folk Revival 1958-1965 at Arrow Street Arts
The Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame, in partnership with the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music, will present a collaborative symposium on September 27, 2025 at the Arrow Street Arts Center.
Boston has always been a music town and was at the epicenter of the Folk Revival during the 1950s and ’60s. The symposium, entitled Wasn’t That A Time: The Boston Folk Revival, 1958-1965, shines a light on that history through discussions with artists, academics, and those who were there.
Select topics addressed during this day long symposium include:
Club 47: Hear about the impact of Cambridge’s legendary listening room from musicians that played there.
Joan Baez is an icon whose career started in Cambridge. This panel will chronicle her start in Cambridge and meteoric rise.
A conversation with former J. Geils lead singer and songwriter Peter Wolf about his new book WAITING ON THE MOON: Artists, Poets, Drifters, Grifters and Goddesses.