Community Input Survey 2025

Please fill out our community input survey! You can access it online or use the PDF version.

Winchester Open Studios 2025

Winchester Open Studios final poster

Winchester Open Studios is scheduled for Saturday, November 22, 2025. Sponsors include the Indoor Farmers' Market at the Jenks Center, the Winchester Unitarian Society, the First Congregational Church, Studio on the Common, the Griffin Museum, and several others.

Winchester Open Studios is coordinated by Arts Winchester, manager of the Winchester Cultural District, and is supported by a grant from the Winchester Cultural Council. Registration for artists and craftspeople will be accepted through mid-October.

For complete details, and to get involved, see the event's web page at winchesterculturaldistrict.org/winchester-open-studios.html

Poetry Out Loud Massachusetts

Poetry Out Loud

Poetry Out Loud is a national recitation contest that celebrates the power of the spoken word and a mastery of public speaking skills while cultivating self-confidence and an appreciation of students’ literary heritage as they take poetry from the page to the stage. Poetry Out Loud has inspired hundreds of thousands of high school students to discover and appreciate both classic and contemporary poetry.

Registration is open to schools, organizations, and individuals.

Registration Dates:

  • Registration opens Wednesday, September 3, 2025
  • Registration deadline is Wednesday, November 26, 2025
  • School Contest Deadline: Friday, December 19, 2025
  • Semi Finalist Registration Deadline: Friday, January 9, 2026
  • Semi Finals: Saturday February 7, Sunday February 8, and Monday February 9, 2026
  • State Finals: Sunday, March 8, 2026

Winchester Cultural Council Announces 2025 Grants

The Winchester Cultural Council awarded $12,055 for 15 grants as part of the annual grants program for 2025. Funding for these grants came from the annual Local Cultural Council funding program of the Massachusetts Cultural Council and from the citizens of Winchester, through the Town of Winchester's own budget. Following is a list of the grants, in roughly chronological order.

Join the Cultural Council!

The Winchester Cultural Council is in need of new members for the coming year. Cultural Council members are volunteers who are appointed by the town's Select Board; love of the arts is important, but no special skills are required. The Council meets monthly, gives cultural grants annually, and provides many opportunities to enrich our town. Click to read more!