As many in the town debate whether the "Sachem" should continue to be the mascot or symbol of Winchester, important information can be found in historian Ellen Knight's essay "The Beginning of Winchester on Massachusetts Land". It is a revision of her article "The Sachems of Winchester" published in 1999 as a four-part series in the Daily Times Chronicle), which sought to correct some of
The Winchester Chamber of Commerce invites the community of Winchester to participate in a 4th of July House Decorating Contest. Families are encouraged to decorate the outside of their homes in a manner that shows community spirit and follows the themes of “Independence Day” and “America.” The side of the house that is most visible from the street should be decorated. That way, the judges will see displays without having to exit their vehicles and safe social distancing guidelines are maintained.
The Massachusetts Cultural Council has instituted two new programs to assist artists and other cultural creators who have been hurt by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
There are lots of places to get information about the COVID-19 virus (for example, the town website: winchester.us/coronavirus, and the MCC resource page), but on this cultural website is a good place to showcase creative responses to the ongoing crisis. Those can include videos, songs, visual art, poems, essays, and more. We hope to grow this list as time goes by—please send us your discoveries and your creations!
Winchester will host its first Porchfest this coming June—on Saturday June 13, 2020, from noon to 6 pm. The rain date is Sunday June 14.
Porchfest is a one day, volunteer-driven, free community event that provides public venues for individuals and groups to share their music and performance art. The goal is to cluster venues around downtown to promote a more festive environment, promote walking, and encourage patronage of the downtown businesses. Performances that can be shared through Porchfest include:
The annual celebration of art and music at the High School, "Night Of The Arts," is Monday, February 3, from 6–9 p.m. All are invited! Admission is $5 for students, $7 for adults.
The future looks bright for the arts and culture in Winchester. But what will that future hold? Come learn how to be part of it—get a grant next year to support your own project—and share your ideas for how we could make Winchester a more culturally vibrant community.
The Winchester Cultural Council invites applications from organizations, schools and individuals of all ages for grants that support cultural activities in the community. Those activities can include performances, workshops, lectures, exhibits, festivals, short-term artist residencies, historical preservation, or other artistic projects and activities in Winchester.
