Scroll through The Substation's calendar from now to the holidays and the same three words keep showing up on Saturdays: "Closed for Private Event." That's what it says on November 7, 14 and 21, and on December 12 and 19. Most of those bookings run from the afternoon until close to midnight.
So if your plan for a cold November Saturday is to wander over to 4228 Washington Street, check the calendar first. This season the public hours sit mostly on weeknights and Fridays. The one Saturday afternoon that's open lines up with a date Roslindale Village has kept for years.
A 1911 Building With Upkeep to Cover
The building has a longer story than its calendar. Historic Boston says it was built in 1911 for the Boston Elevated Railway to convert AC power to DC for the trolleys. It was decommissioned in 1971 and sat empty for decades until Historic Boston Inc. and Peregrine Group redeveloped it.
Since then it has had several lives. Universal Hub reported that Craft Beer Cellar opened on the lower level in January 2017. The building formally reopened in May 2022 as a coworking space and beer hall. According to The Scope, Adam Rogoff bought it from Peregrine in August 2023 and runs it with Laura Charles. Rogoff first pushed for the building's redevelopment in 2002, when he joined a Roslindale Village Main Street committee.
That same Scope article covers the business side. On January 27, 2025, The Substation received one of the state's new "community licenses," created for nonprofits, small theaters and outdoor spaces. The Scope reported that the license would help the business compete with nearby event spaces and help balance out the cost of maintaining a historic building. The venue also rents out its space. Its rental page takes inquiries for weddings, birthdays, fundraisers, galas, corporate retreats and trainings, and links a 2025–26 brochure.
The Public Calendar, November 5 Through December
The venue's homepage says the bar is open Thursday through Saturday. Most of the public events through mid-December land on weeknights, with just two on Saturdays. Here is what's listed starting Thursday, November 5:
| Date | Event | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Thu, Nov 5 | Open Circuit: Special Event with AgeStrong and OYEA | 5–8 p.m. |
| Thu, Nov 12 | Movie Screening: Election | 8–11 p.m. |
| Fri, Nov 13 | The Substation Bar | 4–11 p.m. |
| Wed, Nov 18 | Cardivalle: Trading Card Show | 5–9 p.m. |
| Fri, Nov 20 | The Substation Bar | 4–11 p.m. |
| Wed, Nov 25 | Playing Games With | 6–10:30 p.m. |
| Sat, Nov 28 | Folk Song Society Pub Carol Sing 2026 | 12:30–3 p.m. |
| Sat, Dec 5 | The Joy Party | 8 p.m.–midnight |
| Tue, Dec 15 | Cardivalle: Trading Card Show | 5–9 p.m. |
The November 5 Open Circuit is on the City of Boston's Roslindale page as "Open Circuit: Across Generations," an all-ages open mic. The Substation usually holds the series on the last Thursday of the month. It's open to musicians, dancers, poets, improv, magic and circus acts, and even show-and-tell of artwork or crafts. You can sign up ahead of time or at the door.
The Friday bar nights are the easiest way in. The November 13 listing splits the evening into family hours from 4 to 7 p.m. and adults-only hours from 7 to 11 p.m. The calendar calls the room "your open neighborhood living room & entertainment spot." Not every weekday is open, though. The calendar also shows private bookings on Sunday, November 8, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Thursday, November 19, from 4 to 11 p.m.
November 21 Belongs to Adams Park
The third private Saturday at The Substation falls on the same day as the last outdoor event of the year across the street. Roslindale Village Main Street's Summer Farmers Market wraps up its season on Saturday, November 21, at Adams Park, 4225 Washington Street, from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., rain or shine. The season started on June 6. After this, the market's next stop is indoors. RVMS holds its Winter Farmers Market on Sundays from January through March at the Emerald Society, 10 Birch Street, with more vendors out on Birch Street Plaza.
If you'd rather work outside on the 21st, the city lists a Roslindale Wetlands Serve and Learn that morning at 25 Coniston Road, from 9 a.m. to noon. It ends about the time the market's last vendors are packing up, and The Substation's private event starts at 2 p.m.
November 28 Is the Saturday the Village Gets Back
The Saturday after Thanksgiving is the one weekend afternoon this season when The Substation is open to everyone. The Folk Song Society of Greater Boston and The West Gallery Quire are bringing their annual Pub Carol Sing from 12:30 to 3 p.m. It's free and open to all. The listing says the event is "back for the second time since the pandemic." Bruce Randall of The West Gallery Quire will lead carols from the Sheffield, West Gallery and Sacred Harp traditions, along with some standard favorites. Any voice and any melodic instrument is welcome, and music is provided. The organizers also mention that the neighborhood has plenty of free parking and food nearby, whether you eat out or bring something with you.
The date matters because of what else usually happens that day. RVMS's guide to its signature events puts both Small Business Saturday and the Tree Lighting at Adams Park on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and this year that's November 28. RVMS was one of the partners behind the first Small Business Saturday in 2010, along with American Express, Mayor Thomas Menino and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Watch roslindale.net for this year's tree lighting times. As an example, the 2025 tree lighting ran from 3 to 5 p.m. on November 29. It featured Mayor Michelle Wu, Santa, Making Music Matters, JP Honk, City Ballet of Boston, ornament decorating, hot cocoa, and a reindog costume contest at about 4:15.
If 2026 follows last year's timing, the afternoon flows from one event to the next. The carol sing ends at 3 p.m., which is about when last year's lighting began across Washington Street.
December Shifts to Birch Street and Late Nights
After Thanksgiving weekend, the public calendar thins out again. The Joy Party takes over The Substation from 8 p.m. to midnight on Saturday, December 5. It's a soulful and deep house night that bills itself as an inclusive, welcoming dance floor, with registration on Eventbrite. The next one is already listed for January 9, 2027. December 12 is booked privately from 9:30 a.m. until 11:30 p.m. December 19 is booked from 3:30 p.m. on.
RVMS says its Holiday Market is usually held on a Thursday in December. Last year's was Thursday, December 11, 2025, from 4 to 8 p.m. It spread across the Emerald Society, Birch Street Plaza and the Sophia's Grotto patio, with craft vendors and music the whole evening. Birch Street then hosts the Winter Farmers Market once January's Sundays begin.
Here's the plan if you want The Substation without a rental in the way: Friday bar nights at 4, the weeknight shows and card nights, the carol sing on November 28, and the Joy Party on December 5. Every listing above comes from The Substation's calendar, so give it a quick look before you head out.
If you're keeping track of how Roslindale Square's venues and village traditions shape your weekends, we'd love to talk about what you're seeing on your block. Reach out to the Muncey Group and schedule a consultation.
