BVOCAL

Rehearsal - St. James Episcopal, Cambridge
2025-07-22 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-08-19 19:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | St. James Episcopal, 1991 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA, 02140, United States
Join us! No rsvp needed.

Rehearsal - Farnsworth House, JP
2025-08-06 19:00 - 21:00 | Farnsworth House Community Room, 90 South Street, Jamaica Plain, MA, 02130, United States

Labor Day Parade - 9/1
2025-09-01 09:00 - 13:00 | State House, 24 Beacon St, Boston, MA, 02133, United States
Boston’s first Labor Day Parade is happening on Monday, September 1! The parade will start at 9:30am at the State House and take a one mile route that ends at City Hall. Unions are an essential partner in the resistance to Trump’s assault on our democracy. Let’s show our solidarity!
RSVP to sign up!

Rehearsal - Boston Workers Circle, Brookline
2025-09-11 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-10-21 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-11-18 19:00 - 21:00 | Boston Workers Circle, 6 Webster St., Brookline, MA, 02446
metered as well as free on-street parking on nearby streets; short walk from Green Line C train

Rehearsal - Cornerstone Cohousing, Cambridge
2025-09-17 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-11-06 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-12-04 19:00 - 21:00 | Cornerstone Co-Housing, 175 Harvey St., Cambridge, MA, 02140
free on-street parking; resident requirement will be waived

Rehearsal - Farnsworth House, JP
2025-09-30 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-10-29 19:00 - 21:00, 2026-01-21 19:00 - 21:00 | Farnsworth House Community Room, 90 South Street, Jamaica Plain, MA, 02130, United States
free on-street parking on nearby streets; short walk from Forest Hills Station

Dress Rehearsal for HONK - St. James Episcopal, Cambridge
2025-10-08 19:00 - 21:00 | St. James Episcopal, 1991 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA, 02140, United States
free parking behind Henderson Carriage building; short walk from Porter Square Station

Honk Festival - Opening Ceremony (10/11) and Parade (10/12)
2025-10-11 12:00 - 2025-10-12 15:00 | Davis Square, 4 College Ave, Somerville, MA, 02144
Honk Festival! The opening ceremony is on Saturday, October 11, between noon and 1pm, Davis Square. The parade is on Sunday, October 12, approximately 1-3pm, march from Davis to Harvard Square. Singing on stage at the opening ceremony will require attending at least one rehearsal this fall, and attendance at the final dress rehearsal (which can also count as your one required rehearsal) on the evening of Wednesday, October 8 is strongly encouraged. As always, there will be practice recordings available. Marching in the parade has no rehearsal requirement.
Sign Up to Show Up for the Honk Festival!

Vigil at ICE Burlington
2025-10-16 11:00 - 12:00 | ICE Burlington Office, 1000 District Ave, Burlington, MA, 01803, United States
There is no sign-up for this stand out. Just show up. ICE has shifted their activity to avoid the Wednesday vigils and a new Thursday vigil is growing. Arrive at 10:45am and look for BVOCAL members Peter Thorlichen and Erica Weiss near the tree in the grassy area. There will be a short program and BVOCAL will lead singing at approximately 11:15 before folks spread out with their signs to line the street.

SEIU 509 statewide membership meeting
2025-10-18 10:30 - 11:30 | Park Plaza Hotel, 50 Park Plaza, Boston, MA, 02116, United States
BVOCAL has been invited to lead singing at the SEIU 509 statewide membership meeting on October 18. This represents a huge step forward in our mission of reviving a singing tradition across social justice movements. Every union meeting, even one focused on the business of bylaws and elections, should have singing!

You can SIGN UP NOW. This is just before the No Kings Rally. Best is if you can do both :). (The signup link is the same for both actions). The SEIU action will take place between 10:30 and 11:30am at the Park Plaza hotel in downtown Boston. Then we’ll have time for a short break (the union will provide us with a room to hang out in) before walking just a few blocks to Boston Common for No Kings where we will likely sing between 12:30 and 1:30pm.

No Kings Rally
2025-10-18 12:00 - 15:00 | Boston Common, Beacon Street and Park Street, Boston, MA, 02108, United States
Boston has been chosen by national organizers as one of the flagship sites for the October 18 No Kings call to save democracy. BVOCAL has been invited to sing on the main stage! The current plan is to lead the crowd in singing “That’s America” and “First Amendment” (more and more relevant everyday). With possible collaborations with drummers and/or the Good Trouble Brass Band, we’ll be ready to make some good noise. We may also sing an additional song to support a theatrical piece by Boston’s Creative Resistance Team.
BVOCAL has also been invited to lead singing at the SEIU 509 statewide membership meeting on October 18. This represents a huge step forward in our mission of reviving a singing tradition across social justice movements. Every union meeting, even one focused on the business of bylaws and elections, should have singing!
You can SIGN UP NOW for one or both October 18 actions. Best is if you can do both :). The SEIU action will take place between 10:30 and 11:30am at the Park Plaza hotel in downtown Boston. Then we’ll have time for a short break (the union will provide us with a room to hang out in) before walking just a few blocks to Boston Common for No Kings where we will likely sing between 12:30 and 1:30pm.

Bearing Witness at Hanscom Air Field
2025-10-24 13:30 - 16:30 | Hanscom Field, 55 Grenier St, Hanscom AFB, MA, 01731, United States
There will be a peaceful protest to bear witness at Hanscom Field (and Air Force Base) FRIDAY OCTOBER 24, 1:30-4pm in Bedford., which is a transportation Hub for immigrant detainees. This action is being organized by Concord Indivisible. Their hope is that singing will help to help set the tone of nonviolence and concern for human rights. You don’t have to stay for the whole time; show up when you can. Register here to join us.

Support Harvard University Custodians and Security Staff [NOTE UPDATED TIME]
2025-11-06 11:45 - 12:45 | MA
Support Harvard University Custodians and Security Staff November 6, 11:45-12:45pm *NOTE UPDATED TIME*. [Exact location at HU not yet set.]
Members of SEIU 32BJ are in tough contract negotiations with Harvard. Community support makes a difference, and the union knows from our experience at BC that singing also makes a difference. Sign Up Here

Bearing Witness at Hanscom Airfield
2025-11-07 13:30 - 15:00 | MA
There will be a peaceful vigil to bear witness at Hanscom Field (and Air Force Base) FRIDAY Nov 7, 1:30-3pm in Bedford, which is a transportation Hub for immigrant detainees.
There is no sign-up at this time. You don’t have to stay for the whole time; show up when you can.
BVOCALers are also encouraged to show up when you can at the weekly stand outs on Wednesday and Thursday, 11am, at the Burlington ICE office.

ICE OUT OF WALTHAM
2025-11-08 11:00 - 11:30 | Waltham District Court, 38 Linden St, Waltham, MA, 02452, United States
In a city that has seen numerous abductions and deportations, neighbors and activists will hold a vigil at Waltham District Court at 11am, then march to Waltham Common for a rally at 12:30pm. Sign Up Here.

Vets Say No To War On Our Cities
2025-11-11 15:00 - 16:00 | WWII Memorial, 100 Park Drive, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
“Vets Say No To War On Our Cities” is the title of the rally taking place on Veteran’s Day, Tuesday, November 11, 3-4pm at the WWII Memorial, 100 Park Drive, Boston. The rally is being organized by a new Vets organization, About Face, and it feels especially important to honor the holiday by supporting the VetsSayNo movement. They’ve requested singing. Sign up here.

Rehearsal - Farnsworth House, JP
2025-12-10 19:00 - 21:00 | Farnsworth House Community Room, 90 South Street, Jamaica Plain, MA, 02130, United States
free on-street parking on nearby streets; short walk from Forest Hills Station.
This will be the Dress Rehearsal for a planned Flash Mob. Details later!

First Amendment Flash Mob [NEW DATE]
2025-12-13 11:00 - 13:00 | MA
Saturday, December 13 is the new date for the First Amendment Flash Mobs!
Approximately 11am-1pm, at two shopping malls in the greater Boston area.
SIGN UP HERE, Even if you already signed up, you need to sign up again.
Here’s why we made the change:
We have a professional and very talented filmmaker on board to produce a video of the flash mobs that will be ready to post on social media on December 15, the date on which the First Amendment was ratified in 1791. He needs time to do his editing magic. Our plan is to share the video with several key national pro-democracy organizations so there’s great potential for showing the video far and wide.
These flash mobs are a way to bring our message into a public space (not just a rally of the already-activated) and to have fun doing it! We will be taking our First Amendment song and our message into at least two shopping malls during the height of the holiday shopping season. Having a video ready to post on the actual anniversary is even more impactful. The consequences are grave if we allow the rights enshrined in the first amendment to be slowly dismantled.
Join the fun! A dress rehearsal on Wednesday, December 10 (already on the BVOCAL fall schedule), while not required, is strongly encouraged.

Rehearsal and Annual Meeting - Boston Workers Circle, Brookline
2026-01-10 15:00 - 17:30 | Boston Workers Circle, 6 Webster St., Brookline, MA, 02446
Our first rehearsal of 2026 will take place from 3-4:30pm, followed by our first ever annual meeting from 4:30-5:30pm. Join us for one or both. BVOCAL is almost one-year old, and it’s time to take stock of what we’ve accomplished and build community for the struggles ahead. If you’re able, please bring a sweet or savory treat or a beverage to share.

Location: Boston Workers Circle, 6 Webster St. (metered as well as free on-street parking on nearby streets; short walk from Green Line C train)

De-ICE Citizens Coalition Leafleting
2026-01-24 11:00 - 12:00 | MA
The De-ICE Citizens Coalition will be doing informational leafleting at multiple Citizens Bank branches across MA. As part of the national Boycott Citizens campaign, they are calling on Citizens to stop financing private prisons and ICE detention centers. We will lead singing to help engage customers in front of several bank branches in the Cambridge/Boston area. Sign Up to Show Up.

Rehearsal - Friends Meeting House, Cambridge
2026-01-27 19:00 - 21:00 | Friends Meeting House, 5 Longfellow Park, Cambridge, MA, 02138, United States
ample free parking available in the U-shaped driveway

ICE Out of Everywhere Rally
2026-01-31 11:30 - 12:30 | McCormack Building (state offices), 1 Ashburton Place, Boston
This Saturday, a broad coalition of Boston-area organizations is gathering on Boston Common to demand that Massachusetts end all cooperation with ICE. SIGN UP
BVOCAL will meet at 11:15am (sharp) at McCormack Building closer to stage area.

Rehearsal – Boston Workers Circle, Brookline
2026-02-04 19:00 - 21:00 | Boston Workers Circle, 6 Webster St., Brookline, MA, 02446
