Starting next week - April 9 -- Union Square is the hot spot to visit on the Second Wednesday of each month between 5 and 8 pm. Those who work in the Square will soon have reasons to linger and those who live here will hurry home to meet with friends, shop and participate in the various happenings.

"Second Wednesdays in Union Square" follows a model that's found success in other communities as the collective of small activities and promotion by area merchants build upon each other to attract more activity for the neighborhood as a whole. Retail shops are asked to remain open until 8 pm and nightspots are asked to gear up earlier, creating the "critical mass" of pedestrian-oriented attractions for visitors. Special activities including outdoor performances on the plaza or other nooks in Union Square, food or beverage tastings, art openings and tours will together create a buzz.

Within Union Square itself there are 4,336 residents and 1,500 employees. These residents spend $36 million each year on retail purchases and more than $5 million on food and beverages away from home. Imagine the impact on the vitality of this neighborhood's businesses if we spent just a fraction of that all that money on local merchants. So once a month we're inviting everyone to come to Union Square to shop and dine.

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Each month we'll have a loose theme. April 9, it's Grand Opening and the Mayor and other dignitaries will be here to welcome the eight businesses that have opened hear since January. Follow along as the ribbons are cut at Machu Picchu Charcoal Chicken and Grill, Dogma and Catma Too, Grand, Jimbo's Roast Beef and Seafood, Hub Comics, Grace Salon, Elegant Salon and freshly opened Cantina La Mexicana

May 14 is The Union Square Six Pack. Between the new Cantina La Mexicana and the soon to open Bull McCabe where Tir na nOg used to be we've got six proper bars. We've also got 27 other places for food and drinks. Do your own version of a pub crawl this night to collect prizes.

June 11 we're Pirates! Wear an eye patch, carry your parrot and growl "Argh!" in spots all over Union Square.

July 9 we return to the 1950s for a beach party. Recall the image of Gidget and her serious surf board shimmy.

Help us make these events happen! We're looking for a Union Square house band and volunteers of every stripe. Interested? Contact Mimi at mimi@unionsquaremain.org

Classes and performances at Third Life Studio continue to span the globe.

Friday night at 8:30 OpenSound continues their series of experimental improvisional music with a show called "Solo Voices." Suggested donation of $7.

Saturday, it's a night of Brazilian music with Choro Democratico The newly formed band of experienced musicians play a type of Brazilian music called choro, an instrumental style that originated in Rio de Janeiro of the late 1800s. Choro melds European dance forms such as polkas and waltzes with typically Brazilian rhythms including samba and maxixe. The instrumentation usually includes at least one melody instrument, such as flute, mandolin, or violin. The rhythm and harmony are played by the cavaquinho, a kind of high-pitched guitar, while the bass is played by 7 or 6-string guitar. Small percussion such as the pandeiro, similar to the North American tambourine, usually adds the swing that is so essential to Brazilian music. Although the portuguese word chorar suggests crying or sadness, choro music ranges the emotional gamut from meloncholic to festive. Show is Saturday, April 5 at 8 pm. $10 General Admission. For more info, email: jasdav@gmail.com

On Sunday, leap over to Africa for a Multi- Generational African Dance Workshop With Live Drumming . Led by experienced African dancer and children's movement instructor Alice Heller, the class presents West African dance in its traditional form as you learn specific movements and rhythms to the live music. The class takes place Sunday, April 6 from 3:15-4:30. Pre- registration is strongly suggested. Call Alice at 617- 620-7654 or e-mail aliceheller@comcast.net. Cost is $13 in advance, $24 for 2, $30 for 3. $15 at the door

On Wednesdays it's belly dancing. Nadira Jamal begins a new session of classes starting April 16 through May 28. From 6:30 to 7:30 pm beginners and advanced beginners will have fun in the company of other women of all ages, shapes, and sizes. Nadira says, "Belly dance is about celebrating what you have. It looks completely different, yet equally good, on each woman, and, when performing, you develop your own unique style of expression. " $90 for the 7-week session (payable at the first class), or $15/class drop-in rate.

The list of summer festivals for this year's ArtsUnion happenings in the neighborhood is shaping up and we're pleased to announce that Union Square Main Streets will host the third tribute to Archibald Query's genius with "What the Fluff? Election Special!" on Saturday, September 27. In early summer we'll gather the planning team. Surely the festival will ask, Can the candidates "stick" to their campaign promises?

In the meantime, recall all that happened at last summer's event as "What the Fluff" receives its national TV premiere on April 14th. The Food Network show "Unwrapped" covered our tribute to Marshmallow Fluff as part of their show called "Old School." This "Unwrapped" episode features Jell-O, Hammonds Candies, Macaroons, Funyuns, and DQ U along with all the Union Square madcap activities of Blind Man's Fluff, Fluff Fear Factor, Fluff Bowling, Flufferettes, and more.

The Unwrapped show website will have all the information on show times and the repeat schedule. Unfortunately, we're told, the website often does not update long before the program airs - apparently as late as one day before. We've been assured to not be alarmed if we see some other far less interesting show listed.

The Fluff Festival on "Unwrapped" is scheduled for Monday, April 14 at 9 pm with a repeat at 11 pm on the Food Network. For Comcast cable subscribers in Somerville, the Food Network is Channel 40. Fluff lovers are gathering at Toast Lounge that night to watch the show so come on by for a Fluffernutter and to watch with an enthuasiastic crowd.

The Women's Personal Safety Seminar at Villari's Self Defense Center was such a hit they're organizing another one. On Saturday, April 5th 9th Degree Black Belt Master David Leggeri along with guest Sgt Gobieo of the Somerville Police Department invites women to attend the 90 minute program starting at Noon.

The workshop focuses on increasing awareness as a means of staying safe but also covers techniques on how to fend off an armed or unarmed assailant. Space is limited so call 617-625-5070 to reserve a spot! Villari's Self Defense Center is at 54 Union Square, just above Reliable Video.

Union Square will host an international inter- disciplinary conference of Urban Studies scholars but don't think this gathering is going to be one bit dry and stuffy. In a special public reception presented in cooperation with Union Square Main Streets, The New Factographers are looking at this Somerville neighborhood with the eyes of multi-media artists. They share their vision in a special event called "The Chirping Sidewalk" at Toast Lounge on April 23.

"The Chirping Sidewalk" is a portrait of Union Square captured in video, photographs and sound. For one evening, the many flat screens of the nightclub and its sound system will be filled with a pastiche of this neighborhood. The organizers intermix clips from SCAT producers with their own fresh video footage of Somerville and images they've collected from cities around the world. Sonically, attendees will be drawn into a series of local soundscapes interspersed between awesome rock music from and about Somerville, Boston and other great cities.

The Writing Cities Conference itself is a serious gathering as the students share their research and present papers with scholarly and intriguing titles such as "Writing the Multi-Ethnic Street: a Question of Imagination," "From Flash Art to Flash Mob: An Analysis of Tate Modern's Turbine Hall" and "Contestational Design and Activist Infrastructure: Text Messaging during the 2004 Republican National Convention."

"The Chirping Crosswalk" takes place starting on Wednesday, April 23 starting at 9 pm at Toast Lounge in Union Square, Somerville. All are welcome and the event is free.

Several upcoming gatherings are scheduled for area businesses.

Somerville Ave Reconstruction: Monday, April 7 at 6 pm at Public Safety Building, 220 Washington St . With Aldermen Heuston & Taylor to discuss impacts on area businesses of roadway construction and details on ongoing work.

Public Hearing on N Star Electric Services Outages in Union Square: Tuesday, April 15 at 7 pm at Somerville City Hall, 93 Highland Ave With Board of Aldermen Committee on Public Utilities and Licenses and Public Works.

Business Town Meeting with Mayor Joseph Curtatone: Tuesday, April 29 at 5pm at Somerville Theatre in Davis Sq. Presented by the Somerville Chamber of Commerce.

If you're looking for other volunteer opportunities that have you helping at Union Square non-profits and beyond, check out Boston Cares.

Every month, Boston Cares organizes 150+ team- based projects at a 70 different non profits and schools including the those right in Union Square including The Boys & Girls Club, the Community Growing Center, Somerville Cambridge Elder Services and the Walnut Street Center.

They're hosting a special orientation for Somervillans at the Walnut Street Center (which ironically enough is now over on Charlestown Street beside Target) on May 1.

Boston Cares is a membership organization and asks for a one-time fee after the orientation if you want to join their team. If you can't make the Union Square meeting they have a regular schedule of orientations at their main office in downtown Boston. To sign up for the orientation, individuals need to first register on their website, and then sign up for the orientation.