It may have been delayed a few weeks due to rain, but the Nonantum Neighborhood Association’s 15th annual Village Day was worth the wait.

Sunday saw crowds packing Coletti-Magni Park as families and friends celebrated The Lake with music, dancing, and ice cream from Cabot’s.

There was also a more somber moment, when organizers and State Rep. John Lawn presented a scholarship in memory of City Councilor Allan “Jay” Ciccone, who died in 2020.

Lawn and Ciccone met in 2011, when Lawn was running to replace State Rep. Peter Koutoujian and Ciccone was planning to run against him.

“I may have won the primary but what I really won that day was a close friend,” Lawn said. “He always cared about people in this neighborhood, and he would be the first to call me when someone had a challenge in their life that I could maybe help with that we could both work on together.”

Nonantum once consisted of neighborhoods around a lake, Silver Lake, and as factories popped up and increased the demand for worker housing, that lake was gradually filled in over the course of several decades.

“The Lake” became a popular destination for immigrants in the 19th century, with Italian families and later Jewish families forging the village’s identity through the 20th century. Today, it’s one of the few neighborhoods in the region that still boasts having generations of the same families as the people who arrived a hundred years ago.

And in another few weeks, Nonantum will be the party destination when the 91st Italian-American Festival kicks off.

For now, here are some photos from Nonantum Village Day 2026.

Ben McGovern, left, and Arianna Ortiz, right, host a booth for Newton Community Education during Nonantum Village Day at Coletti-Magni Park on June 28, 2026. Photo by Bryan McGonigle

City Councilor Tarik Lucas and Al Cecchinelli mingle at Nonantum Village Day at Coletti-Magni Park on June 28, 2026. Photo by Bryan McGonigle

Sachiko Isihara, left, and Deb Leary, right, host a booth for the Suzuki School of Music at Nonantum Village Day at Coletti-Magni Park on June 28, 2026. Photo by Bryan McGonigle

“Anna” and “Elsa” play with puppy Carly while greeting visitors at Nonantum Village Day at Coletti-Magni Park on June 28, 2026. Photo by Bryan McGonigle

Sharyn Roberts, left, and Tami Roberts, right, host a booth for the League of Women Voters of Newton at Nonantum Village Day at Coletti-Magni Park on June 28, 2026. Photo by Bryan McGonigle

State Rep. John Lawn speaks at Nonantum Village Day at Coletti-Magni Park on June 28, 2026. Photo by Bryan McGonigle

Crowds gather for Nonantum Village Day at Coletti-Magni Park on June 28, 2026. Photo by Bryan McGonigle

Crowds gather for Nonantum Village Day at Coletti-Magni Park on June 28, 2026. Photo by Bryan McGonigle