Giant Pumpkins, Ghost Tours, Live Music on Oct. 28

If you like the idea of of seeing people carve five 150-pound pumpkins with chainsaws, you won't want to miss Somerville's Monster Mashed-Up and Oktoberfest event on Oct. 28.

In addition to giant pumpkin carving, there will also be live music, ghost tours of Somerville's oldest cemetery, a costume parade for children, a skateboarding demonstration, a rock-climbing wall and more.

It takes place from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. along Somerville Avenue.

Here's the city's announcement about the event:

OCTOBER 28TH SOMERSTREETS EVENT TO FEATURE OKTOBERFEST, GIANT PUMPKIN CARVING, AND MORE!

Final SomerStreets event of 2012 to be held on 2-mile stretch of Somerville Ave, includes monster pumpkin carving, trick-or-treating and costume parade, live music on three stages and much more.

SOMERVILLE – The City of Somerville will host the final event in the 2012 SomerStreets series with a 2-mile celebration along Somerville Avenue, entitled “Monster Mashed-Up @ SomerStreets” on Sunday, October 28th from noon – 4pm.  An Oktoberfest celebration, co-sponsored by Sally O’Brien’s and Bull McCabe’s, has also been planned in conjunction with SomerStreets, scheduled for 1:00 – 6:00pm between Washington Street and Bow Street.  Monster Mashed-Up is the longest of the four SomerStreets events, running from Washington Street to Beacon Street, and will include live entertainment on three stages, five 150-pound pumpkins carved by chainsaw artists, safe trick-or-treating, a costume parade, skateboard demonstrations, and much, much more.  The popular “Ghosts of Milk Row Cemetery” tours will be held from 12:30 – 3:30 for a suggested donation of $5.  SomerStreets is the City’s Open Streets Initiative, which closes sections of roadways one Sunday per month to promote and support active living – walking, biking, running, dancing, etc.  .

Additional activities at “Monster Mashed-Up,” for residents of all ages, will include but are not limited to:

• Oktoberfest / live music sponsored by Sally O’Briens, Bull McCabe’s & Macchu Pichu
• Chainsaw pumpkin carving demonstrations by Artisan’s Asylum
• Safe Trick-or-Treating with local businesses
• Costume parade & costume contest for kids, adults and our four legged friends
• Haunted House at the Recreation Department, with Hay Ride transport! (Walnut Street)
• Craft Fair
• Live music from local bands on two stages
• Skateboard demonstrations by RAW
• Rock climbing wall
• Bounce House, face painting & kids activities

To ensure safety during the event, the following road closures and parking restrictions will be in place:

Somerville Avenue (Washington Street to Beacon Street)

• Closed to all vehicular traffic 10:00am-5:00pm
  • Road will remain closed from Washington Street – Bow Street until 7:00pm
• No parking on-street from 8:00 am-6:00 pm

The following streets will be temporarily converted to two-way streets to allow access to residents’ homes:

• Lowell Street between Somerville Avenue and Summer Street
• Belmont Street between Somerville Avenue and Summer Street
• Spring Street
• Beech Street
• Atherton Street
• Harvard Street
• Laurel Street
• School Street between Somerville Avenue and Summer Street
• Quincy Street
• Church Street
• Loring Street
• Granite Street

Bus Schedule – buses will be rerouted from 10:00 am-6:00 pm. Please contact 311 for more information.

SomerStreets builds on the Shape Up Somerville healthy living initiative. Similar open streets events take place all around the world, providing space normally taken up by automobile traffic for people to be more active. Special attention this year is being paid to providing fresh food at SomerStreets.