Mayor sets time limit for all events on Waltham Common
Mayor Jeanette A. McCarthy has set a four-hour time limit for events using the Waltham Common going forward.
Per the Jan. 15 notice from the Mayor’s Office, the new rule is effective immediately. The four-hour limit excludes setup and cleanup time, which will be determined by the city for each application.
Some community leaders and organizers are surprised by the timing of the announcement and the effect it may have on future city events.
“I’m both concerned and bewildered by this new policy. Concerned, because it comes at a moment when First Amendment rights are being trampled by the federal government and seems to be designed to send a chilling message to anyone wanting to use the common to express those rights locally; and bewildered, because it essentially makes numerous community events – Steampunk Festival, Latino Festival, Pride and many others – impossible since they all run more than the new maximum number of hours and there does not seem to be a mechanism for extension,” stated Jennifer Rose, founding member of Waltham Concerned Citizens and someone who has organized many events on the common, in an email to the Waltham Times.
Organizers of the 2026 Steampunk Festival issued a statement yesterday on social media saying they have been in touch with McCarthy and have been told there will be no exceptions to the new time limit. “We’re trying to figure out how to reduce a seven-hour festival to four hours and will need some time to consider our options,” lead organizer Melissa Honig said.
“I’m disappointed at the decision and many others I talked to are as well,” said Nick Hammond, president of Waltham Pride, which organizes a festival each June. “I’m not sure why it had to happen.”
McCarthy said residents on Main Street, Moody Street and “as far away as the Highlands” have complained about the noise and loud music from all-day events on the common. She added that the new hours restriction is not just for community events but “applies to city events as well.” Regarding wear-and-tear on the common, McCarthy did not have numbers at hand but said cleanup expenses have increased over the years, as have the number of permits requested.
McCarthy denied that the time change is the city’s way of clamping down on or making it inconvenient to hold events or rallies. “We’ve had a permit process in place for a long time so that we can best organize requests and be fair to all people who want to use the common,” she said. “That is still in place. The only change made was to the length of time for events.”
A permit is not needed to use the sidewalks around the common, she said.
To receive permission to host an event on Waltham Common, applicants must send an email to the Mayor’s Office with the requested date, time and event details. That email is forwarded to the Waltham Police, Public Works, Wires, and Health departments for review. All comments are then sent to the Mayor’s Office and, if approved, a permit is issued in writing.
Other local communities assign the function and review of public space usage to parks or recreation departments. In Newton and Weston, for instance, an online application form is used for similar permit requests and only requires department approval versus a mayoral-level decision.
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I have to ask, is it the noise that is a problem or do people have a problem with the groups that utilize the common? Seems to me that there may not be fair representation with this decision if the input into this decision is only from a few surrounding residents including up to the Highlands.
It might be helpful to have concrete facts as to what the issues are and how many residents are actually being inconvenienced to better understand why this decision was made.
What happened to Waltham providing a strong sense of community for it’s residents? Putting this regulation in place seems to be a restriction that may not be needed.
As a Highlands resident of 13 years, I’ve never once heard noise coming from these events on the common and would be surprised if any of my neighbors hear it, especially at a loud enough volume to cause a disturbance. Even when attending the events on the Common, they don’t strike me as particularly loud or disruptive events, just very welcoming and friendly.
If noise is the issue then control the NOISE. Don’t punish the majority of law-abiding participants.
As far as trash goes, use the same technique hotels use. Require an upfront deposit with amounts deducted if additional city funds are needed to clean up.
I have emailed and called the mayor’s office about this policy and strongly urge others to do the same. There is no transparency about why this arbitrary four hour limit was set, either to constituents or to the City Council. The mayor’s office tried to tell me it won’t impact festival operations because they get an hour for set up and clean up, but festival organizers are all saying quite clearly that it will negatively impact their operations.
I’ve met so many neighbors and friends through these cultural events and it’s hard to see how they continue under these onerous restrictions set by the mayor. A four hour event will very much limit foot traffic and vendor sales and make it less likely vendors are willing to participate.
I second the suggestion for noise limitations, rather than time limits. And if cleanup is a problem, make the sponsors of an event responsible for leaving things clean, perhaps requiring a refundable deposit to ensure compliance. Steampunk in particular is a high-end draw for Waltham, known around the country, and it would be a pity to lose it.
The Steampunk event brings lots of people from outside of Waltham benefitting Waltham’s stores and restaurants. I’m sure that other festivals do the same. Why not reduce the music’s volume rather than reducing economic benefits. The city has noise permits and limited decibel levels in Ordinance 10.6. If the language of the ordinance is not clear, amend it.
Thanks for sharing this! I’m already seeing a lot of backlash to this policy on social media. I am hopeful this policy can be reversed.