“New applications for Cultural District designation are paused until FY27 to allow for current Districts to make necessary adjustments and work towards compliance with the newly revised guidelines. Updated program guidelines will be posted in the fall.”

Coming Soon…

The Cultural Council hopes to apply to the Mass Cultural Council for a special Cultural District designation. “Cultural Districts drive economic growth, strengthen the influence of distinctive local character, and improve the quality of life across Massachusetts.” MCC website. The cultural district designation initiative will help us further preserve and foster our local artistic community and economic development.

Featuring current assets and activities in Northborough, our goal is to attract artists and encourage business and job development, while repurposing historic buildings to preserve the local cultural development and incorporate tribal representation and educational pursuits. In our community, we have annual festivals, AppleFest and The Craft Fair. We have a summer music performance series at Ellsworth-McAfee Park, and a new amphitheater at Algonquin. With a farmer’s market once a year, because we have several farms located in town, we appreciate local businesses supporting several local artists, by selling specialty items. At Algonquin, there was a Cultural Festival in March, featuring student performances as well as many plays, theatre, and music performances throughout the year. For the first time, we hosted an Open Studios event and also had a Porchfest scheduled event that was unfortunately canceled due to rain and thunderstorm potential. We have several art, dance, and music studios in our community including rehearsal space at Jack’s Guitar Garage, The School of Rock, many churches, and a few restaurants.

Our goal is to bring more attention to the assets we currently have in our community, increase engagement, and show sustainability with long-term growth potential opportunities. With the fabulous programs, we already have offered through the Northborough Public Library, The Senior Center, and The Recreation Department, showcasing all the talent we have in Northborough, will bring stronger connections and hopefully new friendships for all ages.