Fresh Spanakopita and Live Motown Top the Weekend Lineup
Arlington, MA · November 13, 2026
A distinct scent of spiced cinnamon, roasting lamb, and pastry butter drifts along Appleton Street this morning. Perfect timing for an indoor Friday.
The Lead
Appleton Street fills with the aromas of slow-roasted lamb, spices, and baked phyllo starting this morning as Saint Athanasius Greek Orthodox Church opens its annual three-day Greek Cuisine Fall Fest. The church auditorium transforms into a neighborhood taverna through Sunday, offering classic dishes like moussaka, spanakopita, lamb shanks with orzo, and trays of honeyed baklava and galaktoboureko made by church volunteers.
For diners seeking warm comfort food away from today's early flakes, meals are available for sit-down dining or packaged for takeout. The festival anchors a lively weekend across the neighborhoods, running alongside an entertainment lineup headlined by Saturday's live soul review at the Regent Theatre. Organizers recommend arriving early at the church hall during peak dinner hours to secure popular specialty baked dishes before daily pans sell out.
Local Pulse
Town Sweepers Launch Annual Fall Cleanup Roads Public Works crews begin townwide neighborhood leaf sweeping Monday, with progress notifications available through town alert subscriptions.
Summer Street Water Work Starts Monday Roads Contractors begin preliminary utility test pits along Summer Street next week ahead of major water main replacements.
Feedback Window Opens for Housing Overlays Housing Town planning officials are collecting community survey responses through late November to help shape future commercial district zoning.
Today's Outlook
- High 45°F · Low 35°F — Snow (97% chance of precipitation)
- Winter arrives early today, so pull on your warmest boots before heading out.
What's On Around Town
Today
Greek Cuisine Fall Fest St. Athanasius the Great Greek Orthodox Church (4 Appleton St), 11:00 AM–8:00 PM · Free Roast lamb, hot spanakopita, and homemade pastries inside the church hall.
Friday Night Djembe Drumming Mystic Open Studio (785 Massachusetts Ave), 7:00–8:30 PM · $25 Community hand-drumming circle open to both complete beginners and practiced players.
Tomorrow
- Greek Cuisine Fall Fest St. Athanasius the Great Greek Orthodox Church (4 Appleton St), 11:30 AM–8:00 PM · Free
- That Motown Band Regent Theatre (7 Medford St), 8:00 PM · Paid
Sunday
- Greek Cuisine Fall Fest St. Athanasius the Great Greek Orthodox Church (4 Appleton St), Noon–6:00 PM · Free
- "Loving Karma" Documentary Screening Regent Theatre (7 Medford St), 1:00 PM · Paid
- Rohan Joshi Live Standup Regent Theatre (7 Medford St), 7:00 PM · Paid
Spotlight & Story
- The Minuteman Bikeway
- Designated as America's 500th rail-trail when it opened in 1992, this 10.1-mile paved ribbon follows the old 1846 Lexington and West Cambridge rail corridor. Today, it accommodates more than 300,000 trips each season between Alewife and Bedford Depot.
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