The Waltham Repair Cafe
A quarterly FREE repair event. Visit our CALENDAR for upcoming events, or SUBSCRIBE to our email newsletter for notifications
Repair. Restore.
Build Community.
Do you need something repaired? The Waltham Repair Cafe will be happy to try to help you fix it!
The Waltham Repair Cafe organizes free repair events for the Waltham, MA Community.
walthamrc.org
Their volunteers have a wide range of skills, and while success is not guaranteed, we will give it our best shot. Please bring any special parts needed for the repair, and let the staff know if you have any questions, special needs, or concerns.
What is a "repair cafe" anyway?
A "repair cafe" is an event where volunteers attempt to repair broken household items the people bring in for repair. These events are generally run by a non-profit or not-for-profit, and offer the event to the community free of charge. Volunteer repairers are passionate hobbyists, crafters, makers, craftsmen, and professionals, working together to try to keep your treasured items out of the landfill.
What types of repairs can we do? What can I bring?
Generally, you can bring anything you can carry that you think is repairable!
If we won't be able to fix an item, or if it will take too long, we will let you know soon after you arrive. We will have specialists who focus on one type of repair, and generalists who can repair various categories of items. Not every event will have the same people repairing items. We will advertise our repairer specialties on the event page for each specific event.
Items that might be possible to repair: Textiles, clothing, stuffed animals, jewelry, beads, computers, electronics, lamps, furniture, wood items, upholstery, plastics, scratched or chipped paint, ceramics, pottery, knives (sharpening), bicycles (tune-ups, tires), metal items, glass and picture frames, books (binding), watches (battery, band replacement), phones or tablets (factory reset, screens, batteries), instruments (brass, woodwind, drums, guitar repair, tuning)
Is this event actually completely free to attend?
Yes, mostly! We do not have an entrance fee or ask for payment for repairing items. We are hosting this event for all people, regardless of their financial situation at home. While we hold the event at the Charles River Museum of Industry which normally has an entrance fee, we do so on a "free day".
However, when we repair some items, we may need to use replacement parts and consumables that the repairers purchased themselves. In those cases, if you are able, please tip your repairers to ensure they can replenish their stock. In addition, a percentage of donations to the Waltham Repair Cafe will be donated back to the Charles River Museum of Industry, to help them with their costs.
