Author: Evan

Friday Fun: Scavenger Hunts, Discounts, and Movies, Oh My!

Are you a big fan of the Wizard of Oz? Are you looking forward to the new Disney movie coming out next weekend, Oz the Great and Powerful? Well, if you are, you may want to head down to Salem, MA tonight because the Witch City is tipping its hat to the fine film that helped bring the idea of a “good witch” into the mainstream. This celebration, which is taking the place of the normal First Friday activities in Salem this month, will include an Oz the Great and Powerful scavenger hunt; dancing; a series of games and other activities to keep your kids busy; and a bunch of special offers, giveaways, and discounts at local restaurants and retailers. All of the fun is scheduled to begin around 5:00 p.m. and is expected to last until approximately 8:00 p.m. tonight, Friday, March 1st. However, the exact times for each of the activities in Salem tonight may vary, so it may be a good idea to check out the event’s website before you go.

If the Wizard of Oz is really not your favorite film or you’re nowhere even remotely close to Salem right now, you may want to check out some of the other films that are playing at your local movie theater this weekend. There are a number of strange, thrilling, and hopefully entertaining movies coming out today and tomorrow, including 21 and Over, Jack the Giant Slayer (which comes in a variety of flavors, including the standard 2D format, 3D format, and IMAX 3D format), The Last Exorcism: Part II, Stoker, and a number of other films.

Friday Fun: Things to Do During February Vacation

This weekend marks the end of February Vacation for students throughout most of the Northeastern United States and a number of other areas as well. As a result, there’s only a couple days left for all the parents out there to find something to do with their kids, and many parents have already begun their desperate search for an activity that will keep their children entertained this weekend. Unfortunately, trying to locate an activity that your kids will find entertaining is often as easy as trying to get your children to pick up their toys, and you may be having trouble coming up with an idea that your kids will truly enjoy. However, if you’re looking for something to keep your kids entertained for a few more days or you’re just trying to make up for the fact that you had to work all week, you may want to consider taking your kids ice skating.

Ice skating can be a fun and a relatively inexpensive way for you to spend a day, and you will be able to find at least one ice skating rink in most areas. In fact, if you live in the northern section of the United States or anywhere that typically experiences colder weather during the winter, you may be able to find an outdoor rink that offers free skating and/or low-priced skate rentals. In most cases, the best way to find an outdoor rink is to check out the website for the closest major city.

For example, if you live in the Boston area, you may be able to skate on the Boston Common Frog Pond by calling the Boston Centers for Youth and Families at 617-635-2120. Skating on the Frog Pond is typically free for skaters younger than 14 and $5.00 for skaters age 14 or older. Skaters below the age of 14 can also rent skates for a fee of $5.00, and skaters age 14 or older can rent skates for a fee of $9.00. If you can’t find an outdoor rink or you’d rather find an indoor one, you may be able to find an ice skating rink by using Map Muse’s Ice Rink Locator.

If, on the other hand, you or your kids are about as coordinated as I am (or, in other words, you put on skates, walk two inches, and then end up face first against the ice), you may want to check out the websites for some of your local art, science, or children’s museums. A lot of museums, especially museums that are more geared towards children than adults, have a number of special events to keep kids and their families entertained during each school break.

Friday Fun: President’s Day Weekend

The sun is shining in the Northeast, the weather’s getting warmer, and a good chunk of the 2+ feet of snow that was dumped on the Northeastern United States last weekend by a historic storm has already begun to melt. The only question now is what are you going to do with your newly found ability to go outside without becoming an ice sculpture or a snowman (or a snowwoman as the case may be.) Well, if you’re trying to find something to do this weekend but coming up blank, here are a couple of ways that you can enjoy the weather while it lasts.

First, if you’ve always wanted your own boat or just enjoy all things maritime, you may want to make your way to Boston this weekend. The Boston Convention and Exhibition Center is hosting the 2013 Progressive Insurance New England Boat Show from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. tomorrow (Saturday, February 16, 2013.) This show is the largest boating event in the Northeastern United States, and it features over 750 boats, including powerboats, sailboats, and skiffs. In fact, the Progressive Insurance New England Boat Show not only offers an impressive number of boats but also offers boating seminars, a couple of boating sweepstakes, displays, and almost every boating accessory that you can imagine. For more information on the Progressive Insurance New England Boat Show, visit the show’s website.

Secondly, if you’re really not into boats or you just really hate the water in general , you may want to investigate some of the President’s Day events that are going on throughout the weekend. Most areas have a number of events celebrating our founding fathers, famous presidents, and/or the history of the United States in general. This is especially true if you are in the area of Massachusetts, Washington DC or Virginia as Old Sturbridge Village, Mount Vernon, and a number of other similar landmarks in these areas will be holding special events and/or offering discounted or free admission.

Friday Fun: Things to Do When you Have No Power

Let’s face it. Unless you live in an underground bunker, you’ve probably heard something about the blizzard that is rapidly approaching the northeastern section of the United States. In fact, the first wave of snow that signals the beginning of the oncoming mess that many forecasters are calling a “historic storm” is falling from the sky right now. As a result, most of the government offices, major airlines, public transportation, private employers, schools, and other similar institutions in the area have already decided to close their doors for the day. This means that it’s not only pretty hard to get anything done but also pretty hard to get anywhere.

Unfortunately, getting stuff done and getting somewhere are not the only problems that many New Englanders are about to face this weekend, as there is another even more pressing issue that many people are concerned about — losing power. Now, losing power may not sound like a big deal, but it can be a problem when you don’t know when you’re going to lose it and, more importantly, when you’re going to get it back. As such, this week’s post will discuss some of the things that you can do to make sure that your weekend is still entertaining even when the power is out.

First, take a lesson from the Girl Scouts (or the Boy Scouts for that matter) and make sure that you’re prepared for the storm. There’s no question that one of the easiest ways to make your weekend miserable is to forget some of the simple things that you may need like a flashlight, extra batteries, nonperishable food, bottled water, a first aid kit, and some of the other basic necessities that you should always have in case of an emergency.

Secondly, go wireless and make sure that all of your wireless stuff is charged. Cell phones, e-readers like the Nook or the Kindle, handheld video games systems like the Nintendo 3DS, laptops, portable DVD players, tablet computers like an iPad or a Kindle Fire, and other similar electronic devices that run on battery power can be an excellent way to keep yourself entertained when you don’t have power.

Finally, if all else fails, go low tech. Some of the tried and true pastimes that don’t require power like board games, books, card games, darts, games that you can play with a piece of paper like hangman, and/or any other similar games can be a good way to make your powerless weekend a little less boring and bleak.

Friday Fun: Avoiding the Winter Blues

Is the cold weather really getting to you? Are you already having one of those years where you’re thinking “One month down, eleven more to go”? Well, if you are having one of those years where nothing seems to be going right or you’re just sick and tired of the cold weather, you may be looking for a way to cheer yourself up. Luckily, coming up with a good way to lift yourself out of the winter blues can be easier than you might think during the month of February. This is because the stuff that melts in your mouth, your hands, and quite frankly everywhere else during the summer is pretty easy to find during this time of year.

Of course, I’m talking about chocolate, and more specifically about the chocolate festivals that typically occur throughout the continental United States (and a number of other countries as well) around the day that everyone’s loves to love, or in some cases dread, Valentine’s Day. In fact, chocolate festivals are held in many areas throughout the world during this time of year, and there’s a pretty good chance that you will be able to find a festival in your local area at some point this month. With the goal of helping you find some chocolate in mind, here are a few of the major festivals in the continental United States over the next couple of weeks:

1. The Enumclaw Wine and Chocolate Festival takes place from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. today (Friday, February 1st) and from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. tomorrow (Saturday, February 2nd) at the Expo Center in Enumclaw, WA. This festival features a wide selection of wine, chocolate, cars that the average person would never be able to afford, and entertainment ranging from aerialists to musical performers. For more information, visit the festival’s website.

2. The Firehouse Art Center Chocolate Festival takes place at the Norman Firehouse Art Center in Norman, OK on February 2nd from 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This festival has won a number of awards and features an enormous assortment of chocolates from a variety of vendors and free art-related activities for children. For more information, visit the City of Norman website or the Norman Firehouse Art Center website.

3. The Salem So Sweet Chocolate Festival takes place in Salem, MA from Friday, February 8th to Friday, February 15th.  This festival not only features the chocolate that you would typically expect from a chocolate festival, but also includes wine tastings and another thing that will certainly melt in higher temperatures – ice sculptures. For more information, visit the Salem Chamber of Commerce’s website or the Salem Haunted Happenings Website.

Please Note:  The chocolate sampling and the wine tastings for the Salem So Sweet Chocolate Festival, which were originally scheduled for today, have been moved to Friday, February 15th (the day after Valentine’s Day) due to the blizzard.

Friday Fun: Things to Do When It’s Cold Outside

If the weather outside is frightful and a temperature above 10 would be delightful, you’re probably looking for a weekend activity that’s a little on the warmer side. In fact, if you’re anywhere in the continental United States north of Albuquerque right now, you’re probably trying to figure out the best way to spend your weekend without losing your fingers or other body parts to exposure or frostbite. Fortunately, there are a number of activities that you can take part in without freezing your various body parts off, and here’s a quick list.

First, if you don’t want to leave your house this weekend or it’s simply too cold for you to do so, you may want to check out my blog post from a couple weeks ago entitled “Things to Do When You’re Sick.” This post had a list of suggestions for things that you could do when you’re too sick to leave your house, and these suggestions work pretty well when you’re trying to avoid the cold weather. In fact, playing games online and watching movies are only a couple examples of the myriad of ways that you could entertain yourself from your own home. Some of the ways that you can entertain yourself without leaving your house also include:

1. Catching up on sleep
2. Cooking something new
3. Listening to music
4. Playing board games
5. Playing card games
6. Reading books
7. Spending some time with your significant other
8. Throwing a party
9. Working on a project for your favorite hobby
and/or
10. Working out at home

However, if you really want to get out of the house and you’re looking for someplace warm to go, you may want to check out your local:

1. Aquarium
2. Bowling alley
3. Comedy club
4. Library
5. Movie theater
6. Museum
7. Opera house or theater
8. Roller skating or ice skating rink
9. Recreation center
and/or
10. Your favorite restaurant

Friday Fun: How to Enjoy Your Three Day Weekend

Another week has passed, and another weekend is rapidly approaching. However, this weekend is a little more interesting than your typical weekend because Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. As a result, if you’re one of those lucky souls that works a typical 9 to 5 shift Monday through Friday, you may have just landed yourself a three-day weekend. The only problem now is that you need to actually figure out how you’re going to spend your extra day off.

Well, if you’re looking for something to do this weekend and you’re having trouble coming up with any ideas, here are a couple of ways that you can spend your extra free time. First, if you’re a car lover living in or visiting the New England Area, you may want to check out the New England International Car Show. The New England International Car Show is the largest automobile exhibition in the Northeastern United States, and it features exotic, green, specialty, and soon-to-be-released vehicles from over 30 different manufacturers. In fact, the show not only features some of the newest and most impressive vehicles commercially available but also features guest appearances by a number of local stars, including Aaron Hernandez, Alfonzo Dennard, JoJo White, and several others. Some of the manufacturers at the New England International Car Show will even let you test drive their vehicles for free, so the show can be a lot of fun for a list of reasons. To find out more about the New England International Car Show, check out their website here.

Secondly, if cars really aren’t your forte, you may want to check out some of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day events that are taking place in your local area. In most cases, your local newspaper or your favorite local news website will have a list of art exhibitions, community breakfasts, lectures, parades, and a number of other similar free or inexpensive events honoring Martin Luther King Jr. throughout the weekend.

Friday Fun: Things to Do When You’re Sick

Here’s a scenario for you: You’ve managed to survive yet another work week, but all of the hours you’ve put in have taken their toll. You may have pulled too many double shifts, come in early or left late one too many times, or you may have just had to deal with more stress than one man or woman should ever be required to handle. However, regardless of the cause, one thing is certain. You just don’t feel like going out this weekend, and you’re looking for something to do. Well, if you’re exhausted, sick, or you simply don’t want to leave the comforting light of your computer screen, here are a couple ways that you can entertain yourself without leaving your home.

First, if you like computer games, you may want to check out some of the free online games that are available on sites like ArmorGames.com, Kongregate.com, and Newgrounds.com.  Armor Games and Kongregate both offer thousands of free games spread across a variety of different genres, including action, adventure, puzzle, RPG, shooter, strategy, and sports games. Newgrounds, on the other hand, not only offers thousands of games, but also offers a wide range of art, music, and flash movies for you to enjoy. As a result, these sites can be a great way to waste some time if you’re looking for something to do, but it is important to remember that most of the content on these sites is user-submitted. This means that the quality and content of some of the games that you will find may be on the questionable side, and it may take you a little while to find something that is truly entertaining.

Secondly, if you’re looking for something to watch, you may want to check out Crackle.com. Crackle is a movie website that will allow you to watch hundreds of movies and TV shows on your desktop, laptop, PS3, tablet computer, or another similar device for free. The only thing to remember is that Crackle’s selection is limited, so if you’re looking for a specific movie or a specific show, you may want to consider a pay site like Amazon.com, Hulu.com, or Netflix.com because these sites have a much larger selection at a reasonable price.

Friday Fun: Downtown Salem in January

It’s Friday, there’s ten minutes left until the end of your shift, and you’ve somehow managed to get the whole weekend off.  All of your work is already done, or at least you’ve done enough that you can pretend it’s done,  and there’s nothing to do except sit and watch the seconds tick off the clock.  The only question now is what are you going to do once you make your  workplace escape?  Well, if you’re looking for something to do, you’ve come to the right place.  Every Friday, I’m going to talk about an activity, a board game, an event, a movie, or some other form of entertainment that you can check out to make your weekend a little more interesting.

With that being said, if you’re looking for something to do this weekend, you may want to check out downtown Salem, Ma.  Now, if you’ve visited Salem, MA in the past, the very idea of visiting Salem in January may seem downright insane.  This is because Salem is primarily known for its Halloween celebration and for the witch trials in which 20 innocent people were convicted and executed for witchcraft in 1692.

However, there’s more to Salem than witches and Halloween. In fact, most of the shops, many of the museums, and a few of the attractions that are overrun by tourists during the month of October are actually open year round, but they’re all pretty empty after November 1st.  This means that if you want to check out these things, and you don’t mind losing some fingers to frostbite, January may be the time to do it.  To further sweeten the deal, if you head to Salem this Friday or on the First Friday of any month, you’ll find that most of the shops have extended hours, so you can go downtown, eat, and check out all of the little shops right after work.