FAQ

MassQ Ball 2025: Color will take place Saturday, October 4th from 10am to 4pm on the grounds of the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University. The main entrance will be Bussey Street Gate, located at 243 Walter St, Boston, MA 02130. We strongly encourage all attendees to use this entrance.

Sign up to register to attend.

And there is no fee to attend! MassQ Ball 2025: Color is 100% FREE and family-friendly! ​

The event entrance is the Bussey Street Gate located at 243 Walter Street.

We encourage people to take public transit, ride shares, or walk if able.

You can get to the MassQ Ball 2025: Color celebration at the Arnold Arboretum by subway or bus (to Forest Hills Station on the Orange Line), bike, or car. Please note that if taking public transit, the Washington St. Gate and Blackwell Footpaths will be closed, so attendees should enter through the Forest Hills Gate instead. Please see this Event Map for further guidance.

Parking without restriction is available on Flora Way and available on a first come, first serve basis. Eight handicap parking spaces are available at the Walter Street Gate entrance. 2-hour parking is also available on Walter Street from 8-6pm with additional street parking available on side streets. Please observe all marked signs as some areas are off limits and/or have further restrictions.

Our security measures include having Arnold Arboretum Ambassadors, Park Rangers, and Harvard University Police on site.

All volunteers, staff and crew members will be wearing MassQ Ball buttons and tote bags with the MassQ Ball logo. Should you see something or have an emergency to report at the event, just let one of us know and we can communicate with an appropriate member of our team.

DO bring:

• A bottle of water (refillable at the City Water Truck which will be on site)

• A blanket or folding chair if you like (otherwise, there's ample grassy areas to sit on!)

• A hat, light jacket, sunglasses, sunscreen, etc to make yourself comfortable as you will be outdoors.

DON'T bring:

• Picnics/food

Other guidelines to be aware of, as indicated by The Arnold Arboretum, are below:

• Picking, collecting, or destroying plant material is strictly prohibited.

• Climbing trees and hanging hammocks is not allowed nor is walking in plant beds or mulched areas.

• Dogs must be leashed at all times. Owners are responsible for removal and disposal of their dogs’ waste.

• Personal bags and backpacks of all sizes are permitted in the Arnold Arboretum.

• Picnicking, fires, and barbecues are prohibited.

• Organized group sports and commercial film crews are prohibited.

• Smoking is prohibited on the property.

• To minimize impacts on wildlife, recreational, hobbyist, or general commercial UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) use is prohibited. Learn more about the Arboretum’s UAV policy.

• Bicycles and electric bicycles are permitted only on paved paths, at speeds of 10 miles per hour or slower. Bike racks are available throughout the Arboretum.

Partially.

The actual event is about 0.75 mile walk up moderately steep terrain (walk distances and terrain vary depending on from where people enter the Arboretum).

Surfaces used throughout the experience include a flat, paved path; woodchip and gravel covered trails; wooden bridges, both flat and arched; and grass.

While access to the performance aspect of the experience is not advised for those with limited mobility and/or in a motorized wheelchair, all can engage with MassQing and select performances on Hemlock Hill Road (a flat, paved path).

Tactile, auditory, and visual experiences are embedded throughout the event.

Event information can be viewed on personal cell phones, enlarged for easy reading.

Limited Golf cart access is available for those who may need it.

Manual wheelchairs are available, free of charge, on a first-come, first-served basis at the Visitor Center at the Hunnewell Building at 125 Arborway, from 10am–4pm daily. The only requirement is a photo ID, which is held for the duration of the loan. Please note that during days of high visitation, including special events, wheelchair availability can be limited. Please inquire in the Visitor Center as soon as you arrive to check availability.

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), service animals are welcome in the Arnold Arboretum landscape.

MassQ Ball 2025: Color artists include a wide range of dancers, installation artists, visual artists and musicians from a host of different cultural backgrounds. Each performer will perform multiple times over the course of their two-hour block of time! Learn more about our artists and check out the schedule to see who is performing at what time.

The MassQ Ball is for all who wish to attend and participate. As this event is to celebrate the unique traditions and cultures of Boston's communities of color, we specifically encourage people from those communities to participate.

Yes!

If you believe in the goals of the MassQ Ball then you are warmly welcomed to participate. We believe it is important to support and appreciate events and spaces where cultures, perspectives and people outside one's own are centered. It is also important to enter these spaces with the the proper respect and reverence they deserve.

A MassQ is a ceremonial application of paint to the face used to reveal rather than conceal one’s inner essence and/or state of being.

MassQing is the technique of MassQ-making. Based on indigenous practices of body decoration found all over the world, MassQing allows people to transform themselves into living works of art through the power of their own creativity. At our MassQ Ball, attendees will have the opportunity to MassQ themselves or be MassQed by a cohort of visual artists. Being MassQed is completely optional, but highly recommended in order to get the full experience of the event.

Is is safe for sensitive skin? Yes! MassQing is safe and uses hypoallergenic, water-based children's face paint. It is made for sensitive skin and is 100% washable.

Learn more about the MassQ and MassQing process.

No.

Being MassQed is completely optional, but highly recommended in order to get the full experience of the event.

MassQ Ball 2025: Color has four main goals:

1. To celebrate and uplift the cultural traditions of Boston’s diverse communities of color.

2. To encourage learning, interaction, and dialogue across cultures, generations and neighborhoods.

3. To create a space of healing, transformation and unity through art, communion and nature.

4. To co-create an inclusive vision for how we want our world to be.

No.

MassQ Ball 2025: Color will be the third iteration of the MassQ Ball in Boston.

The Ball first came to Boston in the spring of 2017 and was held in Roxbury’s Hibernian Hall. In 2022, we brought MassQ Ball: Origin to the Arboretum. Learn more about the MassQ Ball's history.

MassQ Ball 2025: Color is co-produced by artist Daniel Callahan of Create & Record, Castle of our Skins, and the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University. Learn more about the full team.

We have a growing number of community partners on board to help spread the word about the event. Learn more about our partners and how you can support the MassQ Ball.

When you attend MassQ Ball 2025: Color, you enter a public event where photography, audio, and video recording may occur. By entering the landscape, you consent to such recording media and its potential release, publication, exhibition, or reproduction.