Cambridge KiOSK Celebrates One-Year Anniversary

One year after opening in Harvard Square, the Cambridge KiOSK has grown into a year-round place for visitor information, cultural programming, and community gathering. On Sunday, June 7, 2026, at 1:25 p.m., the City will mark the anniversary with a free public celebration featuring live music, participatory activities, and a gathering recognizing the people and partnerships that have shaped the KiOSK's first year.

Since opening, the KiOSK has hosted more than 100 programs spanning workshops, performances, community events, and installations, reimagining the historic Out of Town News site as a public space for information, creativity, and exchange. The KiOSK is also home to the Cambridge Visitor Information Center, managed by the Cambridge Office for Tourism and supported by volunteers.

"From the beginning, the KiOSK was envisioned as something ever-changing-a mirror to Cambridge's creativity and a portal into community life," said Melissa Peters, Cambridge Assistant City Manager for Community Development. "In its first year, it has become a space shaped by participation-where storytelling, making, and everyday exchange shape civic life in Harvard Square."

Working with CultureHouse as programming and activation lead, the City has supported a mix of low-barrier, hands-on experiences, performances, creative programs, and community gatherings designed to welcome residents, students, workers, and visitors alike. Programming has emphasized tactile and analog creative practices such as printmaking, collage, portrait drawing, scrapbooking, calligraphy, and comic-making.

Looking ahead, the KiOSK will continue to evolve through recurring programs, artist residencies, and expanded partnerships. The City is currently inviting artists, organizations, and community groups to help shape its next chapter. More information is available in the KiOSK Call for Programming.

One-Year Anniversary Celebration: June 7

The anniversary event will feature live music by a Cambridge Symphony Orchestra ensemble and participatory activities centered on renewal and exchange. Visitors can take part in various crafting activities and a seedling exchange from 12:00-3:00 p.m., with opportunities throughout the event to share ideas for the KiOSK's next year. The Cambridge Symphony Orchestra ensemble will perform from 3:00-4:00 p.m., followed by a 4:00-5:00 p.m. reception recognizing the artists, organizations, community members, and visitors who have helped shape the KiOSK's first year.

The event is free and open to the public.

A Year of Making, Sharing, and Gathering

Over the past year, the KiOSK has extended the legacy of Out of Town News by inviting new forms of storytelling, creativity, and exchange into public space.

"The KiOSK shows how a small public space can support a wide range of civic and creative life," said Aaron Greiner, Executive Director of CultureHouse. "Over the past year, it has continued to take shape through the people, programs, and everyday interactions that bring it to life."

Everyday Storytelling and Connection

Programs have invited visitors to share stories, reflections, and ideas through writing, audio, comics, zines, reading circles, and informal exchanges-creating everyday opportunities for discovery and connection.

Making Together in Public

Hands-on workshops have brought tactile, analog creativity into public space, from printmaking and collage to portrait drawing, calligraphy, cyanotype, and collaborative sewing. These programs have emphasized experimentation, social connection, and low-barrier participation.

Public Memory and Cultural Exchange

The KiOSK's installations have explored how a former newsstand can continue to hold public memory, civic storytelling, and cultural meaning. Displays on the history of print news in Cambridge connected the site to its information-sharing legacy, while participatory projects invited visitors to contribute local stories, reflections, and observations about the people and places that shape their lives.

Other installations have brought cultural memory and identity into public space, including Festival Mictlan's community altar-where visitors created marigolds and left written reflections honoring loved ones-and archival displays highlighting Cambridge's LGBTQ+ history.

Visitor Services and Community Impact

In addition to programming, the KiOSK continues to serve as a visitor information hub in Harvard Square, offering guidance on local history, events, services, and attractions.

"Tourism connects people to experiences, neighborhoods, and local businesses in meaningful ways," said Candice Beaulieu, Executive Director of the Cambridge Office for Tourism. "We are grateful to be part of this shared space, where our volunteers help visitors discover the restaurants, shops, hotels, and cultural attractions that make Cambridge such a special community."

Since opening, the KiOSK has brought visitor information into a significantly higher-traffic location-more than twice the foot traffic of the previous visitor information location-with visitors engaging across both informational services and participatory programming. This summer, visitors can also fill out a Cambridge postcard at the KiOSK, and the Cambridge Office for Tourism will mail it anywhere free of charge.

The KiOSK helps people navigate Cambridge while inviting them into the creative and civic life of Harvard Square.

About the Cambridge KiOSK

The Cambridge KiOSK is a flexible public space in Harvard Square for visitor information, cultural programming, and community gathering. Through events, workshops, installations, and everyday use, the KiOSK connects people to Cambridge's civic, cultural, and creative life.

For up-to-date information on the Cambridge KiOSK visit cambridgekiosk.org