In 1676, a group of local residents donated corn and land to create a school in Jamaica Plain—and thus became what we know as the Eliot School today.
In 1689 Rev. John Eliot endowed the school with an additional 75 acres, and that is where the name Eliot comes from. The school went through many different iterations and styles—from being a Boston Public School, having multiple campuses in Boston, at some point taught plumbing (it doesn’t now), and other interesting factoids that make well for Eliot School trivia.
Fast forward to 2026, and the community will celebrate 350 years of the Eliot School on Oct. 3.
There will be art-making activities for artists of all ages! There will also be music from A Trike Called Funk, food from El Eonorense, beer from Drawdown Brewing, a collaborative graffiti wall with GoFive. And of course there will be merch, and special discounts for classes.
Amazingly attendees 18 and younger are free. Advance tickets, which can be purchased here, are $25, or $30 on festival day. You’re also welcome to pay what you want for tickets. The Nifty 350 Festival is Sat., Oct. 3 from 11 am to 3 pm at the Eliot Schoolhouse.
