A Cambridge Cat Tour & Meowfest, a cat-themed party, is planned for next month in Cambridgeport, said mayor and host Sumbul Siddiqui on Wednesday.
Inspired by the John Edwards Wedge Cat Tours in Minneapolis, the free, family-friendly walking tour co-sponsored by the Cambridgeport Neighborhood Association and Cambridge Peace Commission is a first for the city, though Somerville had one Nov. 22.
“I’ve never hidden my love for cats – between my cat Willow and the occasional cat costume around Halloween – it’s no secret around City Hall,” Siddiqui said. “I hope the Cambridge Cat Tour becomes a new tradition in our city.”
Artist Rayna Jhaveri is co-producing the event and bringing Meowfest activities such as a Meow & Tell booth, where people can sign up to share cat stories; Creative Cat Fashion Show; and Cat Clothing Swap, during which participants can give and get used cat garments, gifts and home accessories. Free pizza will be served.
The Peace Commission is involved because the cat events are included as part of its Meet Your Neighbor Month.
This is also the second city event that has seen a launch in Cambridgeport after the city’s Porchfest, which began in 2025 and spread beyond the neighborhood only this year (and only slightly). “I’m excited to celebrate our neighborhood cats and the neighbors who care for them,” Siddiqui said.
A Cambridgeport coincidence
The focus on the neighborhood is a coincidence, and Siddiqui wasn’t involved in Porchfest decisions, said Tosin Cole, director of communications and community engagement for the mayor’s office. The cat events “simply grew from overlapping ideas and local connections. If it goes well, we would love to expand to other neighborhoods.”
Siddiqui and Jhaveri are Cambridgeport residents who happened to be “working on cat‑themed events at the same time and combined their ideas,” Cole said. The neighborhood association entered the picture after the initial brainstorms.
“The Cambridgeport Neighborhood Association is delighted to support the Cambridge Cat Tour and Meowfest. It’s a fun and unique way to meet our neighbors, and, of course, get to know some of Cambridgeport’s most beloved feline residents,” said Rebecca Bowie, president of the association, in a press release.
The tour meets at 2 p.m. Sept. 26 (with an Oct. 3 rain date) at Dana Park, 74 Magazine St., and leads participants along a route to meet cats and their owners from porches, windows, gardens and other spots. The group is back at the park at 3:30 p.m. for Meowfest, which ends at 6 p.m.
Cambridgeport residents must register their cats for the tour by Sept. 20. Tour and Meowfest participants are encouraged to RSVP. Information and a tour map is here.
This post was updated Aug. 20, 2026, with information from Tosin Cole of the Cambridge mayor’s office.
