Had you dared to trek outside on Friday afternoon to the Newton Centre Green, you would have seen the start of a weekend-long cold-weather celebration fueled by friendly faces and Dunkin’ hot chocolate.
The 2026 WinterFEST Kickoff is one of 11 events that Spark Newton planned for the weekend of January 23–25. Through the WinterFEST’s sponsors, which included The Village Bank, the event was filled with community fun.
“I love supporting artists, and I also love engaging all of our community members through all the different activities we do. And I also like doing something in the different village centers,” said Blair Lesser Sullivan, executive director of WinterFEST. “So this event is running to 6:30 p.m. tonight, and we’re hoping everyone goes out to grab a bite to eat at one of the local restaurants, or walks around and visits the businesses.”
Spark Newton has been serving Newton for 37 years through free events centered around creativity, and they also give out scholarships and launch a new public art initiative every year. WinterFEST itself is relatively new, having only been around for the last five years.
“We started it during COVID, and we wanted to get people out and bring them together, and everyone seemed to really enjoy it, so we do it every year during a dreary time,” Sullivan said.
Even the small-scale kickoff required significant coordination from local groups and businesses to run successfully. The free churros handed out to attendees were provided by Tango Mango, a beloved Newton taqueria. A performer from the Boston Hoop Troop twirled a light-up hula hoop around as kids tried to out-hoop each other. Justin Lau, a community outreach officer from the Newton Police Department, brought the department’s service/comfort dog, Officer Leo, to greet residents.
“I’ve been coming here for years,” said Lau of the kickoff. “One of my jobs is to build relationships within the City of Newton, whether it’s with residents or whether it’s business owners. So Spark Newton invites us down to events such as these.”
The main feature of the kickoff was four a cappella performances, including the Boston College Acoustics. Huddled around microphone stands with their puffer jacket hoods pulled up, they sang through a well-oiled pop and R&B setlist consisting of “Lego House” by Ed Sheeran, “doomsday” by Lizzy McAlpine, and “Take a Bow” by Rihanna, to name a few.
Lyrics from the pre-chorus to “Lego House” felt particularly fitting for the kickoff: “And it’s cold in a dark December / But I got you to keep me warm.”
The Newton North Melocotones, the Highland Glee Club men’s chorus, and the Newton South Newtones also delivered outdoor performances for the event. The Highland Glee Club men’s chorus, which specializes in classic folk tunes and chants, performed hearty sea shanties that were a treat and a buoy amid the raging winds.
Other offerings at the event were more winter-focused, including a family photo-op with Olaf and various ice sculptures being actively carved in front of attendees.
To combat the darkness, attendees could crack free glow sticks or interact with Brighter Ignited, a public art exhibit by Tova Speter that encourages people to reflect upon how they can use their passions for good in the world.
Brighter Ignited’s presence was a reminder that the kickoff was an opportunity for residents to donate blankets to Welcome Home, a Newton nonprofit that provides families experiencing hardship with high-quality household items.
The kickoff was just the start to a weekend filled with community programming and events, including a storytime at Newtonville Books, a flower-pressing event at Derby Farm Flowers & Gardens in Newton Centre, a concert and community soup social, and a free movie screening of Abominable at the West Newton Cinema, and more.
