Annual Monster Mash Celebration Returning To Somerville

The namesake song was co-written and performed by a Somerville native.

By Benjamin Pierce, Patch Staff

Sep 29, 2026 3:21 PM EDT

SOMERVILLE, MA — One of the city's annual Halloween traditions is returning next month, bringing costumes, live entertainment, pumpkin carving, and other activities to Somerville Avenue.

The Monster Mash celebration is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 18, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Somerville Avenue between Church Street and Union Square.

This year's celebration will feature a costume parade, pumpkin carving, face painting, local food vendors, and other activities. Live performances on two stages will include the BosWitches, Proyecto Tempo, Los Mambiseros and a lineup curated by Mass Ave Music. Other activities will include giant puppets, parkour, caricatures, inflatables and lawn games, while the School of Honk will lead the event's costume parade.

The event celebrates Somerville's connection to the Halloween classic "Monster Mash," which was co-written and performed by Somerville native Bobby "Boris" Pickett. Pickett was born in Somerville in 1938, grew up in Winter Hill and attended Somerville High School before moving to California to pursue acting. He co-wrote the song with fellow Somerville native Leonard Capizzi, and "Monster Mash" went on to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in October 1962.

Monster Mash was created decades later to celebrate the city's connection to the famous Halloween song and has since grown into an annual Somerville Avenue tradition featuring costumes, entertainment, and Halloween-themed activities. The celebration is part of SomerStreets, the city's open-streets initiative that temporarily closes roadways to vehicle traffic for community events. Past celebrations have included costume parades, live performances, pumpkin carving, games, and other activities.

The event is free and open to the public. In the event of inclement weather, Monster Mash will take place the following Sunday, Oct. 25.