Boston Area – Page 12 – Salem Happenings

Friday Fun: Christmas…before Thanksgiving?

I have to admit when it comes to the holidays, I’m definitely a one holiday at a time kind of guy. Now, don’t get me wrong. I like Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. I just really prefer it when I can celebrate one holiday before I have to start thinking about the next one. However, if you’re one of the fine upstanding individuals who is already looking at the calendar thinking to yourself “forget the turkey, it’s time for Christmas”, Boston has everything you need to get into the Christmas spirit this weekend and then some (even if it is still a little early for some of us.)

First, if you’re a firm believer in the idea that nothing says Christmas like a Christmas tree and you really want to share the goodwill this season, Mahoney’s Garden Centers has an interesting program that you should definitely check out. You see, this weekend is not only the start of the holiday season (depending on how you look at it), but also Veteran’s Day Weekend. As a result, it is a time to honor the hard work, diligence, and sacrifice of all the men and women who are serving or who have served at home and abroad. Fortunately, Mahoney’s Trees for Troops® program will give you a way to not only get into the Christmas spirit, but will also give you a way to give back to our troops this holiday season. This is because each Mahoney’s Garden center store, starting on Monday, November 11, 2013 (Veteran’s Day), will give customers the opportunity to purchase a special Christmas tree that will be donated to a military family. Each of these trees only costs $24.50, and the store even has special cards that you can use to send a note with the tree. For more information on Mahoney’s Trees for Troops program®, please visit the Mahoney’s Garden Centers website.

Secondly, if you’re a big fan of gingerbread houses and Christmas crafts, the 27th Annual Boston Christmas Festival is definitely the place to be. This festival, which runs from Friday the 8th to Sunday the 10th, is a collection of all things Christmas, as it features a gingerbread house competition, over 300 artists and craftsman, and more handcrafted Christmas gifts and decorations than you will find anywhere else. In fact, the Festival will give you the opportunity to browse and purchase from an enormous selection of Christmas stockings, clothing, figurines, food, garden flags, jewelry, ornaments, wreaths, and other handmade goods. For more information on the 27th Annual Boston Christmas Festival, which is being held at the Seaport World Trade Center, please visit the Boston Christmas Festival’s website.

Photo credit: Foter.com / CC BY-SA

Friday Fun: Halloween Fun After the Fact

All Hallows Eve has come to a close, and the ghosts and ghouls have returned to their graves and/or costume closets. As a result, the kids of the land are already in the process of making sure that their teeth rot right out of their heads and that each child ends up looking more like a zombie than when they were actually dressed up as one. However, just because your kids are already on their never-ending quest to see how much sugar they can consume in one sitting doesn’t necessarily mean that the spooky fun has to end. In fact, if you missed out on the Halloween fun last night or you’re simply looking for more, here are a couple of events this weekend that are sure to keep you amused.

First, if you’re a fan of classic horror movies, the Responsible Grace Church in Somerville, MA is hosting a show tonight at 8:00 P.M. and tomorrow at 2:00 P.M. that you simply cannot miss. This show, presented by the Post-Meridian Radio Players, is a radio version of the cult classic movie that brought the whole zombie genre to life (or undeath as the case may be), Night of the Living Dead. This means that once the show begins, each member of the group will stand up on stage in front of a microphone and read each of their parts, complete with sound effects, just like War of the Worlds and all of the other radio shows of old. Best of all, this show is actually a double feature, as the Post-Meridian Radio Players will not only present Night of the Living Dead, but will also present an episode of Suspense as well. For more information and/or to order tickets, please visit the Post-Meridian Radio Players website.

Secondly, if you’re a fan of truly cheesy movies or you were always a fan of the TV show, Mystery Science Theatre 3000, the Wilbur Theatre may have the show for you. This is because the Wilbur Theatre is hosting Cinematic Titanic, which is a comedy group made up of many of the same people behind the Mystery Science Theatre 3000 series. This group, as you might have already guessed, makes fun of movies, and this show will feature the group making fun of one of the worst movies you can possible find, The Doll Squad. As a result, if you’re looking for a movie in which the most frightening thing about it is that someone actually thought it was a good idea to make it, the Wilbur Theatre has you covered. For more information and/or to order tickets, please visit the Wilbur Theatre website or the Cinematic Titanic website.

Photo credit: oskay / Foter.com / CC BY

Friday Fun: Wedding Weirdness

Anyone that has ever planned a wedding will readily admit that a wedding can be a strange, stressful, and expensive affair (and no, I don’t mean the word “affair” in the Panic at the Disco sense.) In fact, unless the word “stoic” is engrained in the DNA of every single person attending, there’s a pretty good chance that even the most well-planned wedding will include some family drama, some people taking their merriment a little too far, and/or some photographers or caterers who are more than happy to relieve the wedding couple of the enormous weight of their life savings. However, many brides-to-be, grooms-to-be, parents of the bride, married couples, and a number of other people who have or haven’t been involved with a wedding in some way will find it comforting to know that there are a couple of events this weekend that will allow them to unwind and look at their situation in a new way.

First, if you are a former bridesmaid looking for a reason to put on your old dress or someone who has always dreamt of being a bridesmaid, you may want to head down to Boston Common tomorrow. This is because Boston.com is hosting the 2nd Annual Running with the Bridesmaids on Saturday, September 28, 2013 at 9:00 a.m. This event, which is a strange parody of the running of the bulls designed to raise money for The Big Sister Association of Greater Boston, will allow individuals and teams of up to six to compete in a one-mile run while they wear some of the most ridiculous bridesmaid’s dresses possible. Prizes will of course be awarded to the top fundraiser, worst dressed team, worst dressed individual, and the individual with the worst hair. And, if you really have no interest in actually running in a bridesmaid’s dress, don’t worry. You can always just watch. For more information and/or to register for the event, please visit Boston.com.

Secondly, if you want to try your hand at playing your own wedding music or any other music for that matter, you may want to check out the Street Pianos Boston Festival. The Celebrity Series of Boston is hosting Luke Jerram’s project Play Me, I’m Yours: The Street Pianos Boston Festival from today, September 27, to Monday, October 14, 2013. This festival features 75 pianos that have been placed throughout the Greater Boston area so that anyone can play them. In addition, each of the pianos has been decorated by a local artist or organization, and all of the pianos that survive the two and half week festival will be donated to charity. For more information on the Festival, please visit the Street Pianos of Boston website.

Photo credit: josemanuelerre / Foter / CC BY-ND

Friday Fun: Race for a Good Cause

Have you ever wanted to feel what it was like to drive a race car or run like a cheetah? Have you ever wanted to race down the middle of the street or another area where racing is usually frowned upon without getting in trouble? Have you ever thought about turning a corner so fast that you leave everyone behind you in the dust? Well, if you answered “yes” to any and/or all of these questions, you may be in luck because there are a couple of events this weekend that will not only allow you to demonstrate your racing prowess but will also allow you to experience a warm, fuzzy feeling whether you win or lose.

First, the Boston Police Athletic League (PAL) is hosting the 5th Annual Boston PAL Grand Prix tomorrow, September 21, 2013, from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. This event, which takes place in the Seaport District of Boston, is a team go-cart race in which members of each team of six will take turns driving through a street course that is designed to mimic a Formula 1 race track. However, the race track is not the only thing designed to mimic the Formula 1 experience, as the go-cart that each team will drive is said to handle in much the same way as an F1 race car. In fact, each go-cart will allow racers to soar by their families and friends at speeds of up to 45 mph. Fortunately, any friends and family that are a little squeamish at the thought of watching their loved ones race around the track, let alone driving it themselves, will have plenty of face painting, balloon animals, food, drinks, and other activities to keep them busy at the Grand Prix carnival. Best of all, all of the proceeds from the event will go to help pay for PAL’s youth programs. For more information on the 5th Annual Boston PAL Grand Prix and/or to register for the race, please visit the Boston Police Athletic League’s website or call 1-617-699-7099.

Secondly, if you’re more interested in a race that allows you to put your feet to the test than your driving skills, the Franklin Park Zoo may have the answer. This is because the Franklin Park Zoo is hosting the Run Wild 5K on Sunday, September 22, 2013. This race, which begins promptly at 8:30 a.m., features a 3.1 mile course that will allow runners to race through the zoo, Franklin Park, and White Stadium. Then, once the race is over, everyone 21 or over is invited to join their fellow runners for a “wild” party with drinks, music, games, and more. For more information on the Run Wild 5K or to register for the event, please visit the Race Menu website.

Friday Fun: A Not So Scary Weekend

It’s Friday the 13th and many people are already crossing their fingers in the hope that nothing catastrophic will go wrong today. In fact, the more superstitious amongst us may be giving deep consideration to the dilemma of whether they should stay home and hide from the world in front of their TVs or carry a number of lucky charms to defend themselves from the chaos that may ensue on this “jinxed” day. However, if you’re one of the people that’s just looking for something to do after the day is over or you think the whole Friday the 13th thing is something to scare children and people that suffer from friggatriskaidekaphobia (the fear of Friday the 13th), there are a couple of events you should definitely check out this weekend.

First, if you love big musical events, Mix 104.1 is hosting MixFest this weekend at the DCR Memorial Hatch Shell in Boston. This music festival will feature four bands, including Gavin Deshaw, the Backstreet Boys, Of Monsters and Men, and the winner of Mix 104.1’s “15 Seconds of Fame” contest. The festival will also feature a special area just for kids so that you can listen to the music without your kids driving you crazy. Best of all, the whole event is absolutely free unless you really just have to have VIP seats in which case you’ll probably have to win them. For more information on this year’s MixFest, which begins Saturday at 4pm (gates open at 1pm), please visit the Mix 104.1 website.

Secondly, if you’re more interested in gaming than big musical events or your kids are demanding something they can play, you may want to check out the Boston Festival of Indie Games. This festival, which is hosted by MIT, features over 25 independent board games and over 65 independent video games that you can play, vote on, and, if you so choose, purchase. In fact, the festival will not only give you the opportunity to play a whole bunch of games for free but will also give you the opportunity to attend a concert for a $25 fee that features music from well-known video game groups, including Bastion’s Darren Korb, Control Group, DJ Cutman, deadbeatblast, and last but certainly not least, the Video Game Orchestra. For more information on the festival, which begins at 10pm on Saturday, please visit the Boston Festival of Indie Games website.

Friday Fun: It’s Time to Get Medieval

Hear ye! Hear ye! All people of the realm, the summer may be coming to a close but that doesn’t mean that the fun has to end. In fact, if you’re a parent, it may mean that the fun is just beginning now that the kids are back in school. However, if you’re having trouble finding something fun to do this weekend, here are a couple of events in the Boston area that you should definitely check out.

First, if you and/or your kids have ever wanted to see a group of knights, clad in full armor, riding into battle, King Richard’s Faire may be just what you’re looking for. This faire, which is located in Carver, Massachusetts, is a renaissance faire that features armor, acrobats, comedy acts, costuming, fire-breathers and fire eaters, a human chess game, games for kids and adults, giant turkey legs, jewelry, jugglers, jousting, magicians, minstrels, swords, rides, and a whole lot more. In fact, the faire will not only give you the opportunity to watch a number of skilled performers carrying out amazing feats of skill and showmanship but will also give you the opportunity to get involved in many of the shows yourself (whether you want to or not.) The Faire will even give you the opportunity to watch a joust and root for the dashing hero or the cutthroat villain. For more information on the Faire, which runs every weekend from August 31st to October 20th, please visit the King Richard’s Faire website.

If, on the other hand, you and/or your kids are more interested in the armor than the people who wear it, you may want to check out the Higgins Armory Museum in Worchester, MA. This museum, which is open every day except Monday, features one of the largest collections of medieval arms and armor that you will probably ever see. Unfortunately, the museum is closing at the end of 2013, so it may be your last chance to see all of the armor, axes, crossbows, gauntlets, helmets, swords, and other amazing pieces from around the world that are featured at the museum. For more information on the museum and all of the amazing exhibits that it has to offer, please visit the Higgins Armory Museum website.

Friday Fun: Labor Day Weekend Events

Just in case you’ve been working too hard to actually look at a calendar, this weekend is Labor Day weekend. As a result, it’s a time to sit back, relax, and eat more burgers, steak, hot dogs, and other food than you would typically ever think possible. In fact, Labor Day is the third most popular day to have a cookout trailing only slightly behind Memorial Day and way behind the Fourth of July. However, if barbecues aren’t really your thing (and I have trouble understanding how that could actually be the case) or you’re looking for something to do before or after your BBQ this weekend, here are a couple of things that you may want to check out.

First, if you’re looking for something that you can do earlier in the day and you’ve always wanted to know what it was like to swab the decks, the U.S.S. Constitution Museum has the exhibit for you. The U.S.S. Constitution Museum currently has an exhibit entitled All Hands on Deck: A Sailor’s Life in 1812. This exhibit will allow you to see what it was like to furl a sail in strong winds, sleep in a hammock, swab the deck, and ultimately what it was like to live aboard the U.S.S. Constitution during the War of 1812. Best of all, the exhibit is included in the regular fee to see the museum, which is only $5 for adults and $2 for children. For more information on the exhibit, please visit the U.S.S. Constitution Museum website.

Secondly, if you’re looking for something that you can do later in the day or you’re thinking that swabbing the decks is best left to the professionals, you can always go see a laser show at the Museum of Science. The Museum of Science currently has three laser shows running every Friday and Saturday night from now until the beginning of September (with extra shows this Sunday and Monday.) These shows, which each last about 40 minutes, will allow you to listen to the music of Queen, Pink Floyd, or even Justin Bieber (*cringe*) while you watch the museum’s highly advanced planetarium display lights and laser images that go along with the music. I have to admit that these light shows are one of my favorite things about the Museum of Science, and they are definitely worth a look. For more information on each of the shows, please visit the Museum of Science’s Planetarium page.

Friday Fun: Maritime Festivals and Movies

As the summer begins to wind down, it is usually a lot harder to find interesting things to do with your family. In fact, if you’ve been looking for something to do this weekend, you may have already realized that unless you consider barhopping to be a family activity, finding something that kids and parents alike will enjoy is quite a challenge. Fortunately, there are a couple of events going on in the Boston area and north of Boston this weekend that almost everyone will enjoy.

First, if you’re a big fan of antique boats or you simply like the sea, there is a festival in Salem, MA that you won’t want to miss. This festival, which is known as the Antique & Classic Boat Festival, features artists, a boat parade, a craft fair, music, photographers, over 40 vintage boats, and more maritime stuff than you can shake a stick at (or perhaps an oar.) Best of all, the Festival is a great way to entertain the family without breaking the bank as it is only $5 for adults and children under 12 are free. For more information, please visit the By The Sea website.

Secondly, if your family is more interested in movies than they are in maritime history, the HatchShell in Boston may have the solution. Tonight, August 23, 2013, the HatchShell will be showing Oz The Great and Powerful as part of their “Free Flicks” summer series. The movie, which is absolutely free, will begin at sunset and will end approximately 2 hours later (the total run time is 130 minutes.) For more information on the event itself, please visit the HatchShell website. For more information on the film, which tells the origin story of the wizard from the Wizard Of Oz, please visit the Oz the Great and Powerful website.

Friday Fun: Horses and Fortresses

Do you like acrobats? Do you like horses? Do you like special effects? If you answered “yes” to all three of these questions, then you may want to check out Cavalia Odysseo. Cavalia Odysseo, which is currently performing in Somerville, is a two to three hour equestrian show that features over 50 extremely well-trained horses, a group of acrobats that are just as skilled, if not more skilled, than those found in some of the best circuses and acrobatic shows in the world, and more special effects than your brain may be able to handle.

In fact, Cavalia Odysseo is often said to be Cirque du Soleil with horses by many of the show’s visitors, and although it doesn’t actually have any connection to Cirque and lacks the clowns and circus-type feel typically associated with Cirque, Cirque du Soleil with horses is a pretty good way to describe the show. The only thing that you need to remember is that if your kids aren’t demanding a pony now, they will be after the show (and, if that doesn’t make your life difficult enough, Cavalia actually has ponies that you can adopt.) For more information on the show and to order tickets, please visit the Cavalia Odysseo website.

If you really aren’t into acrobats, horses, and special effects or you’re really concerned that your kids may actually end up with a pony if you go to Cavalia Odysseo, you may want to head on over to Castle Island Park in Boston instead. Castle Island Park is offering free tours of Fort Independence from 12:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday until labor day weekend. These tours will give you and your family the opportunity to explore the oldest continuously fortified location in British North America as the Fort was first constructed in 1634 and was in use by military forces (either British or American) until 1962. However, even though the fort was in use for 328 years and survived multiple wars, including the American Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, World War I and World War II, the forces stationed at the fort never actually had to fire on an enemy. For more information on these tours, please visit the Fort Independence website.

Friday Fun: Comic Books and Concerts

As we say “sayonara” to another summer month, it finally looks like we may be in for a weekend where we’re not going to be drenched in sweat or rain. Unfortunately, since we’re now past the halfway point of summer, there isn’t as much going on in the Boston area as there was a few weeks ago, which just sort of figures. In fact, you may have already realized that finding stuff to do this weekend is going to be a little more challenging than usual as your favorite app, website, and/or newspaper just doesn’t seem to have a whole lot listed. However, there are still a number of events going on in the area, and you should be able to find something for just about everyone.

If you’re a comic book fan, there is one major event that you should definitely check out in Boston this weekend. Boston Comic Con, which runs from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday at the Seaport World Trade Center, is one of the largest comic book conventions in the Northeast. This event will give you the opportunity to attend panels with well-known comic book artists, buy a wide assortment of comic-book related merchandise and artwork, check out all of the people in costumes, enter contests (including a cosplay contest), meet actresses from the Walking Dead and True Blood, meet actors from the Hobbit, play games, watch a variety of independent and zombie-themed films, and a whole lot more. Tickets for the convention are $25.00 for one day or $40.00 for both Saturday and Sunday, and you can purchase tickets and find out more about the convention at the Boston Comic Con website.

If, on the other hand, you are looking for something that is aimed more at younger kids than teenagers and kids at heart, you may want to head on over to Georges Island. Georges Island, which is actually an island located in Boston Harbor, is holding a Family Jam with Karen K and the Jitterbugs from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. tomorrow (Saturday, August 3, 2013.) This concert will feature kids music, dancing, kids crafts, and other kid-friendly activities. The concert and all of the activities are free, but you will have to pay $15 for each individual 12 or over and $9 for each person between the ages of 4 and 11 to take the ferry to the island (kids 3 and under are free.) For more information, check out the Boston Harbor Island website.