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Kid playing on trampoline at Parking day

At CultureHouse we are always experimenting with ways to improve urban livability. To test out these new ideas, we pop up at events, street fairs, and gatherings to engage with our community. During these short experiences, we set up our “outdoor living room” and invite people to come play, connect, and share. Plus, we never pass up an opportunity to bring out our trampolines. Read about the events we’ve popped up at below.


Children play jenga on a trampoline while parents look on in front of Union Square Pizza.

Holiday Stroll

December 2, 2023

Union Square, Somerville, MA

In 2023, we joined Union Square Main Streets for the fourth time to celebrate the holidays and support the square’s small businesses at the Holiday Stroll. This time we set up in front of the site for the Union Square Pop-up and talked with neighbors about the upcoming community space. We shared s’mores over a firepit, jumped on trampolines, and played jenga.

Partners

Two kids jump on a trampoline while adults mill about a fire pit and answer prompts about winter. In the background, there are large holiday inflatables.

Holiday Stroll

December 10, 2022

Union Square, Somerville, MA

For the third year, we joined Union Square Main Streets in celebrating the holidays and supporting the square’s small businesses at the Holiday Stroll. Our warming station included trampolines, a fire pit, s’mores, and a delightful group of inflatables provided by Somernova.

Partners

A man helps people pot small plants on a big table

Open Streets Dorchester

September 24, 2022

Dorchester Ave, Dorchester, MA

At Open Streets Dorchester, we reintroduced the community to the idea of a new greenway between Shawmut and Ashmont stations! Armed with renders of the project, free plants, our classic trampoline, and questions about the neighborhood, we sparked people’s curiosity about the new greenway with interactive informational and feedback interventions.

Partners

NACTO Designing Cities Conference

September 7–9, 2022

Hynes Convention Center, Boston, MA

In the middle of the stress, chaos and fast pace of the NACTO conference, we created a pop-up living room where conference-goers could reflect and recharge with a game of ping pong, a bounce on the trampoline, giant jenga, or a quiet corner to check-in on work emails.

Partners

PARK(ing) Day

September 17, 2021

Union Square, Somerville, MA

With support from Spin we were able to pop up right in front of our HQ in Somerville in order to celebrate the annual Park(ing) Day event! We transformed the parking space in front of our office into a living room and play space where people could take a break from the day, hang out, and reconnect.

Partners

A table and a few chairs on a snowy sidewalk

Mural unveiling

February 21, 2021

18 Laurel Street, Cambridge, MA

We joined the Community Art Center for an unveiling of their new mural, providing a hang-out space and opportunity for community engagement.

Partners

CAC logo

Starlight Square

October 24, 2020

84 Bishop Allen Drive, Cambridge, MA

We popped-up at Starlight Square on October 24th, 2020 from 12–4 pm as part of Popportunity, a weekly market of local vendors run by the Central Square BID! We brought our famous outdoor living room to the event—a place where people of all ages can come by to play, hang out, and warm-up. We had trampolines, fresh cider, and our brand new seesee-sawsaw.

Partners

City of Cambridge seal

A fire pit, chairs, and tubes with balls in them for voting under a tent at the Union Square Holiday Stroll

Holiday Stroll

December 14, 2019

Union Square, Somerville, MA

For the second year in a row, we returned to Union Square for the Holiday Stroll! We brought back the fire pit and, despite a little drizzle, everyone had a great time.

Two people play a game at the Allston Village Street Fair

Allston Village Street Fair

September 29, 2019

Farrington Street, Allston, MA

We popped-up at the Allston Village Street Fair with a space to chill, bounce, and have a conversation.

Kids jump on trampolines at the Fluff Festival in Union Square

Fluff Festival

September 21, 2019

Union Square, Somerville, MA

We popped-up at Fluff Festival for a day of bouncing off all the Fluff on our trampolines and relaxing in a chair while you slip into your food coma.

A mother and her kids jump on trampolines at PARK(ing) Day

PARK(ing) Day

September 20, 2019

Ames Street, Cambridge, MA

With support from the Cambridge Arts Council, we made our much-anticipated (by us, at least) return to PARK(ing) Day in Cambridge with trampolines, a place to sit, and more!

Partners

Cambridge Arts logo

Kids jump on trampolines at a movie night in Technology Square

Movie Nights

August 2019

Cambridge, MA

In collaboration with the Cambridge Arts Council, we popped-up at two evening outdoor movie nights, providing a place to jump, play a game, color, and spend time with family.

Partners

Cambridge Arts logo

Trampolines at the CultureHouse pop-up at City Hall Plaza in Boston

City Hall Plaza

April 20, 2019

City Hall Plaza, Boston, MA

With the support of the Boston Mayor’s Office of Arts & Culture, CultureHouse brought GIANT corn hole, trampolines, and a living room complete with a pop-up pupper to City Hall Plaza. It was a day of fun in the midst of the busy city where visitors jumped, played, and learned about the importance of human scale in urban design.

People toast marshmallows around a fire pit in Union Square

Union Square Holiday Stroll

December 2018

Union Square, Somerville, MA

CultureHouse brought warmth to the Union Square Neighborhood Association’s Holiday Stroll, putting a fire pit in our living room and s’mores in our bellies. In the cold depths of winter, its more important than ever to leave your house and spend time with friends, family, and assorted strangers.

A group of kids jump on trampolines in Central Square during PARK(ing) Day

Cambridge PARK(ing) Day

September 21, 2018

Central Square, Cambridge, MA

CultureHouse joined the Cambridge Community Development Department’s PARK(ing) Day celebration, the local expression of a global movement to reclaim parking spaces for people. Our pop-up living room, complete with games, trampolines, and snacks, was just one of many amazing temporary parks created by community members.

CultureHouse pop-up at Jackson Mann Plaza in Allston

Allston

April 8, 2018

Jackson Mann Plaza, Allston, MA

Our second pop up, at Jackson Mann Plaza in Allston, enabled community members to interact with each other and learn more about CultureHouse and our girls. We hosted our living-room pop up filled with seating, games and warm beverages for the cool April day. This pop up alerted us to a very important issue: the need for a dog-friendly space at CultureHouse!

A woman looks at a large chalk board that reads "I with I had a place to..." in Lafayette Plaza in Cambridge

Central Square

December 18, 2017

Lafayette Plaza, Cambridge, MA

For our first-ever pop-up, CultureHouse set up an outdoor living room in Lafayette Plaza in Cambridge’s Central Square. Despite the 28˚F weather, visitors loved our living room, our tropical beach-themed photo booth, and our large prompt board – demonstrating the need for more welcoming public spaces and more activation of outdoor spaces in the winter months. Check our recap of the pop-up here.