Reserve Your Free Tickets for Julius Caesar on the Steps of City Hall |
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The countdown has officially begun! It's just over a week to go before Shakespeare's Julius Caesar kicks off on the Common. Tickets still are available for The Hanover Theatre Repertory’s performances of Julius Caesar on the steps of City Hall and the Worcester Common this August. The 90-minute show is free and open to the public to rejuvenate the community through the performing arts. The immersive show provides a delicate balance between political drama and civil war epic. Audience members are encouraged to wear togas and to boo and cheer as the story unfolds. Preview performances begin August 4-6, and opening night is August 7. Performances are scheduled throughout most of the month.
Reserve your tickets here. Free and open to the public, but registration is required for reserved seating. Reserved seats must be claimed by 7:30 p.m. to be guaranteed. At 7:30 p.m., unclaimed seats will be released to walk-up audience members. For more updates, follow our Facebook event page here.
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Before and after the show, take advantage of many drink and dining deals Downtown. Our When in Worcester “passport” details all the specials and destinations worthy of your visit. Join us Downtown for a summer you won’t forget!
When in Worcester is brought to you by the Downtown Worcester Business Improvement District, in partnership with The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts and the City of Worcester, and supported in part by the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism.
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Excited to see a performance of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar on the Common? Get the inside scoop into the direction of the performance at 'Drinks with the Director' appearances at six local restaurants during the month of August. This is a great opportunity to learn more about how the play came to be, meet fellow theater-goers, and try a local restaurant. There's no need to register. This event is free and open to the public!
The Hanover Theatre Repertory's Artistic Director, Livy Scanlon, will be making an in-costume appearance at this event. Scanlon's career spans direction, production, acting, and teaching in the arts. She lives in Worcester with her wife, Rachel, and their dog, Rusty.
At this event, you will have the ability to ask questions about anything regarding THT Rep's performance of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar - from production to casting - bring all your questions! And don't miss the Julius Caesar-inspired drinks available during this event and throughout the month of August.
For all the details, including restaurant locations, dates, and times, check here.
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Dining Al Fresco in Downtown Worcester |
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It’s official; the BID has hired an architect to design Worcester’s first raised platform parklet, right in front of Chashu Ramen + Izakaya. A parklet is a sidewalk extension converted to create space for outdoor activities, such as dining, in dense urban areas like Downtown Worcester. Later this summer, you can expect lush planters around the perimeter, at least six outdoor tables, and a spacious dining area that extends safely into the parking lane on Franklin Street. MassDOT’s Shared Streets and Spaces Program helped fund this new pilot project, promoting public health, safe mobility, and renewed commerce in the City of Worcester. Soak up the sunshine! The BID also donated patio furniture to a few other Downtown favorites, including Fortissimo and The Muse. Plus, you can always count on outdoor availability at 110 Grill, the Beer Garden, Fuel America, and Gong Cha.
Photographer: Ken Rivard.
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Bank of America Opens in the Former Shack's Building Following Restoration |
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Shack's stood as a bustling center of Main Street commerce for generations, but the building fell into disrepair in recent years. Thanks to The Menkiti Group, Shack's has now been restored to its former glory, sporting iron details and a clean brick facade, complete with an impressive set of terracotta lion heads. Bank of America is the first ground-floor tenant in the beautiful historic building. Take a stroll past the empty storefront next door to admire artReach’s gorgeous window display, installed as part of our “Downtown Reemerging” project.
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Access our ‘When in Worcester’ digital passport to unlock exclusive deals, drinks, and dishes from your favorite local spots. Your digital passport will provide you with multiple opportunities to enter our sweepstakes drawing to win a curated night in Downtown Worcester including:
- Night stay at the AC Hotel by Marriott Worcester
- $100 gift card to a Downtown restaurant
- 2 ticket vouchers for a show at The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts
The Grand Prize winner is to be drawn and announced at the closing performance of Julius Caesar on the Worcester Common.
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Out to Lunch Returns to the Common |
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Downtown’s favorite Thursday lunchtime ritual is back in business. Join us for vendors, food trucks, and live music on Thursday, August 12, and Thursday, August 19, on the Worcester Common Oval from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Performers will include Crocodile River Music and Niki Luparelli, along with local entertainment showcases during intermissions. Come hungry. Worcester’s cultural cuisine promises to be on full display. Follow Out to Lunch on Facebook for up-to-date details about performers and vendors.
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The Worcester Public Library Gears Up for a Grand Reopening |
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The Arthur M. and Martha R. Pappas Children’s Center will finally be revealed to the public with great fanfare on August 14 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Salem Street and Library Lane will close for a one-of-a-kind block party celebration. Get ready for fun, free activities like entertainment, music, giveaways, tours, a photo booth, henna, glitter tattoos, a baby animals petting zoo, HERO Kids Sports, face painting, balloon animals, team mascots, vendors and games, and food trucks. Get a peek at the $4 million renovations of the Children’s Center, complete with an enormous rocket ship and a reading nook modeled after Bancroft Tower. |
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Make Way for “Buttlers” Downtown |
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We are all about placemaking and beautification in Downtown Worcester. Placemaking requires a careful balance of landscaping, programming, and marketing to show off our impeccable neighborhood. Dog waste and cigarette butt disposal are among the biggest culprits that stand in the way of cleanliness Downtown. Over the past two years, the Downtown Worcester Ambassadors have been working to clean up dog waste and cigarettes while tracking this data. Using that data, we created a plan for installing 24 sidewalk cigarette butt disposal receptacles called “Buttlers” along with seven dog waste stations in the locations where they are most needed.
Our summer marketing intern, Mary Leufstedt, created a unique design for the“Buttlers.” We will ensure the cigarette butts get recycled and transformed into new products such as shipping pallets or plastic lumber through an innovative program. “This project is really cool to be a part of since cigarette butts are a huge polluter of the city,” said Leufstedt. “By recycling them, it not only beautifies and cleans up the city but also creates something new.”
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Meet Our Marketing Intern: Mary Leufstedt |
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Mary grew up in Auburn, Massachusetts, and graduated from Fitchburg State University in May 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in Communications Media, Graphic Design concentration. Her decision to work with the BID for her final internship requirement comes from a deep love for Worcester’s rich history and culture. “I was looking for an organization that would allow me to utilize all of my skills and passions: graphic design, photography, social media, and writing,” she shared. Her plan to create a unique aesthetic for the decals on the Sidewalk Buttler Cigarette Disposal units includes eye-grabbing visuals with clear instructions for disposal. “For my design, I wanted to create something purely Worcester,” said Mary. “That’s why I featured the Hanover Theatre, Worcester Plaza, and City Hall. I’ve created these types of architectural graphics before, and it’s a really fun process for me to draw up these buildings in Adobe Illustrator.” Mary’s full portfolio can be found here.
The BID has an ongoing partnership with Fitchburg State University’s Communications Department to host students completing their capstone internships. Our previous marketing intern, Sophia Laperle, put out the call for our “Downtown Reemerging” window display program in addition to interviewing local artists. In fall 2020, intern Kathleen Ricard contributed research and writing copy for our social media and website.
Interested in internship opportunities?
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June was a busy month for our Ambassadors, who collected more than 3,500 pounds of trash and filled over 175 trash bags. The Downtown landscape is looking lush. Ambassadors undertook 80 weed abatement projects in June and used 4,400 gallons of water for pressure washing to keep the neighborhood clean, safe, and friendly. |
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The focus of our Instagram page is to highlight the businesses and people of Downtown Worcester. Follow our page for our shop local/eat local series, community event announcements, did you know facts and Downtown history.
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