Boston Area – Page 8 – Salem Happenings

International Talk Like A Pirate Day

Arr ye mateys! Today be the day that some love, but others only dread — International Talk Like A Pirate Day! What be this strange occasion ye might ask? Well, it be a time for all among us to explore our inner pirate by speaking or even dressing as those scurvy dogs of old. In fact, there be a number of merchants devoted to the cause of celebrating the day, and there are those who will even offer you some booty for showing your devotion to the Golden Age of Piracy. As a result, if ye be a fine lad or lass that is seeking to find your inner swashbuckler, ye need no map. The answers ye seek lie here.

However, in the interest of those who are not as fascinated by the pirate tongue, the rest of this post will appear in the vernacular (or, in other words, non-piratey speak.)

First, if you’re a pirate in need of a ship, you may want to head to Boston Harbor. This is because the Adirondack III, a schooner that was built with an 1890’s design in mind, is currently docked there. This ship regularly offers a day-time, sunset, and nighttime sightseeing tour of Boston Harbor that will allow you and all of your pirate friends to enjoy approximately two hours of sailing aboard a beautiful 80-foot sailing vessel (for a fee of course.) If, on the other hand, the fee is a little too much for you or you tend to get a little seasick, you can always head to Salem and see the Friendship at Derby Wharf without your feet ever leaving solid ground. For more information on the Adirondack III, please visit the Classic Harbor Line’s Adirondack III page and for more information on the Friendship, please visit the National Park Service’s Friendship of Salem page.

Secondly, if you or your kids are looking for a place to learn more about the Golden Age of Piracy, Gore Place in Waltham, MA may be exactly what you’re looking for. This is because Gore Place is hosting two Talk Like A Pirate Day Tours tonight (Friday, September 19, 2014) at 7:00 and 8:30 P.M. These tours will give you a chance to hear stories of real pirates, partake in pirate trivia, and more while you see all of the splendor of the Gore Mansion. For more information on the event and to order tickets, which are selling out fast, please visit the Brown Paper Tickets website.

Finally, if you’re really just looking for a way to show off your general pirateyness and/or find out about all of the cool pirate stuff that you can get or do today, you may want to check out some of these places:

1. The International Talk Like A Pirate Day website is filled with pirate advice (use at your own risk), pirate games, places to post your pirate pictures, pirate songs, pirate swag, and more pirate stuff than you can shake a peg leg at.

2. Krispy Kreme is not only putting up pictures of some of their best-dressed pirate customers from last year, but also offering a special pirate doughnut that is only available today. Best of all, if you talk like a pirate while you place your order, Krispy Kreme will give you one free glazed doughnut and, if you place your order dressed as a pirate with three non-weapon accessories, they will give you a dozen glazed donuts for free.

3. Facebook and Google actually have a feature that will translate some of their menus into pirate speak. All you have to do is go into the language settings and choose “pirate.”

4. R&R Games is hosting a giveaway today where one lucky winner will receive a free copy of their pirate-themed board game, Plunder.

5. 3D Printworks is offering stl files for anyone that has access to a 3D printer. These files will allow you to print your own pirate eye patch (complete with skull and crossbones) or your own pirate hook.

Photo credit: birdorable / Foter / CC BY-SA

Back-to-School Events and After-School Programs

Now that’s it been a couple of weeks since all of kids have gone back to school, you may be looking for something to entertain your kids or, at the very least, keep them out of trouble for a little while once the school day is over. Fortunately, there are a number of one-time events and ongoing programs that are sure to keep your kids busy this weekend and possibly beyond. In fact, there are a couple of programs this weekend that are specifically designed to help students unwind, explore new things, and ring in the new school year. As a result, if you’re looking for something for your children to do this weekend or looking for something to keep your kids busy all year long, there’s certainly no shortage of things to choose from.

First, if you and/or your kids are big fans of gaming, you may want to check out the Boston Festival of Indie Games. The Boston Festival of Indie Games, which is held at MIT’s Johnson Athletic Center in Cambridge, is a nonprofit festival that features a variety of tabletop games and video games from independent developers. This festival will allow you to see over 50 new video games, over 40 new tabletop games, attend a variety of panels on game design, learn about game design in a classroom setting, and a whole lot more. For more information on the Boston Festival of Indie Games and/or to register for the event, which is scheduled to take place from 9:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M. tomorrow (September 13, 2014), please visit the Boston Festival of Indie Games website.

Secondly, if you’re a college student looking for a way to meet new people and/or you’ve always loved a good party, CollegeFest may be exactly what you’re looking for. This is because CollegeFest, which is being held tomorrow (Saturday 13, 2014) from 11:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. at Fenway Park, is one of the largest back-to-school events in New England. This festival/party will give you the opportunity to meet thousands of college students while you listen to music from a variety of great bands and get free stuff from just about every business under the sun. For more information on CollegeFest, which is completely free to attend this year, please visit the CollegeFest website.

Finally, if you’re looking for an ongoing program to keep your kids busy all year long, here are some of the major programs that are available just about everywhere:

1. The Girl Scouts of America is a nonprofit organization that has been teaching girls ages 5 and up a variety of life skills since 1912. The average Girl Scout meeting (and there is typically nothing average about these meetings) will include activities that explore topics such as animals, arts and crafts, business, computers, cooking, community service, dancing, first aid, health, manners, music, nature, science, storytelling, and a whole lot more. Girl Scouts also offers each girl the opportunity to engage in a number of local, state, and national events that include camps, camping trips, hiking trips, ice cream socials, sleepovers at museums, and more events than I could ever hope to list here. For more information on the Girl Scouts of America, to find a troop near you, and/or to find the information that you need to start a troop of your own, please visit the Official Girl Scouts of America website.

2. The Boy Scouts of America is a nonprofit organization that has been teaching boys ages 7 and up a variety of life skills since 1910. The average Boy Scout meeting will include activities that explore topics such as arts and crafts, cars, camping skills, community service, communications, engineering, first aid, metalworking, music, nature, physical skills, science, woodworking, and a whole lot more. Boy Scouts also offers each boy the opportunity to engage in a number of local, state, and national events that include camps, camping trips, hiking trips, pinewood derbies, rainwater regattas (think pinewood derby with sailboats), and too many other events to list here. For more information on the Boy Scouts of America, to find a troop near you, and/or to find the information that you need to volunteer, please visit the Official Boy Scouts of America website.

3. The YMCA, or Y for even shorter, is a nonprofit organization that has provided youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility programs for people of all ages since 1844. The programs offered by the Y can vary widely from area to area, but most Y’s offer academic enrichment programs, child care, early learning programs, family activities, leadership programs, swimming, sports, and a whole lot more. The Y also has camps with specialty programs and a number of advocacy, community service, and social service programs. For more information on the YMCA and/or to find a Y near you, please visit the YMCA website.

Photo credit: JD Hancock / Foter / CC BY

A Festival Weekend

The kids may be back in school and the warm weather may be about to disappear (at least a night) but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the fun has to end. In fact, now that the kids are back in school, there are a lot of people that are trying to take advantage of the nicer weather while they still can. As a result, this weekend has become sort of a festival weekend with everything from animals to music in the spotlight. And, if you’re looking for a way to enjoy the warm weather before the fall arrives, there’s no better way than to check out some of these festivals:

Animals

1. If you’re a dog fan, you may want to check out Pooch A Palooza. Pooch A Palooza is a dog festival that is scheduled to take place from 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. tomorrow (September 6, 2014) and 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. Sunday (September 7, 2014) at the Topsfield Fairgrounds in Topsfield, MA. This festival features dog contests, dog play areas, dog tricks, food, games, kid’s activities and crafts, music, vendors, and more. For more information on the festival, which is of course dog friendly, please visit the Pooch A Palooza website.

2. If you’re more of a cat fan than a dog fan, you may want to check out the Gifford Cat Shelter’s Fall Festival. The Gifford Cat Shelter’s Fall Festival is a cat festival that runs from 1:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M. tomorrow (September 6, 2014) at the Ellen M. Gifford Cat Shelter in Brighton, MA. This festival features an “Ask the Vet” session, cat crafts for sale, face painting, food, games, an opportunity to meet some of the shelter cats, and more. Best of all the festival is completely free to attend, and any money that you spend on cat crafts or other items at the festival will go to the cats. For more information on the Gifford Cat Shelter’s Fall Festival, please visit the Gifford Cat Shelter’s event page.

Cultural

1. If you love big colorful parades like the ones you might see during Carnival, the Cambridge Carnival International may be exactly what you’re looking for. This is because the Cambridge Carnival International is a parade and street festival that is designed to give you the experience of what Carnival would be like in the Caribbean or Africa without leaving the country. The parade, which starts near the Charles River at River Street and Blackstone Street in Cambridge, MA at 12:30 P.M. on Sunday (September 7, 2014) and ends near MIT, features a number of musicians, dancers, and masqueraders covered in beads, feathers, plumes, jewels, and everything else that you would expect from Carnival. The street festival, which is located in Kendall Square near MIT, will feature arts and crafts, balloon art, DJ’s, face painting, food (including African, Caribbean, Haitian, Indian, Jamaican, and traditional American cuisines), music, and more. For more information on the Cambridge Carnival International, which includes a number of free events, please visit the Cambridge Carnival International website.

Music

1. If you’re a big fan of local bands that have musicians that are actually from the area and not musicians that have been trucked in from somewhere else , the JP Music Festival may be the festival for you. This is because the JP Music Festival requires each of the bands in it to have at least one member that currently lives or works in the Jamaica Plain area. This means that you can expect to hear Bed of Coals, Bowleg Bradford, Cask Mouse, Morris and the East Coast, and a whole bunch of other bands you’ve probably never heard of but will still rock your socks off. For more information on the JP Music Festival, which runs from 12:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. tomorrow at Jamaica Pond in Jamaica Plain, please visit the JP Music Festival website.

2. If you’re a big fan of local bands, but they don’t have to be that local or that sane, the New England Underground Music Festival may be more to your taste. This is because the New England Underground Music Festival, which runs from 6:00 P.M. today (September 5, 2014) to 12:30 A.M. on Sunday (September 7, 2014) at Cuisine en Locale in Somerville, MA, prides itself on finding and featuring the strangest collection of, as they put it, “weird, insane, beautiful” bands from the New England area. For more information on the New England Underground Festival, please visit the New England Underground Music Festival website.

3. If you’d rather hear someone you’ve actually heard of or at least someone who’s likely to be the next big thing, Boston Calling may be more what you’re looking for. This is because Boston Calling is a large music Festival at the City Hall Plaza in Boston, MA that runs from today (September 5, 2014) at 6:00 P.M. to Sunday (September 7, 2014) at 11:00 P.M that features some well-known bands and some up-and-coming bands that have opened for well-known acts like Fallout Boy. For more information on Boston Calling and/or to order tickets, please visit the Boston Calling Music Festival website.

4. Finally, for those of you out there who love music, but really wouldn’t consider most of the stuff at these other festivals as music, there is always the 35th Annual Banjo and Fiddle Contests at Boarding House Park in Lowell, MA tomorrow (September 6, 2014) from 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. This festival of dueling banjos and fiddles will feature a number of kids activities, informal jam sessions, and musicians competing to demonstrate their musical skill in nine categories ranging from young musicians to the Southern Appalachian Old Time style. For more information on the 35th Annual Banjo and Fiddle Contests, please visit the National Park Services’ Lowell Events page.

Photo CreditsCat and Dog Photo Credit: meknits / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)
Carnival Parade Photo Credit: experience Madeira, Algarve, Brazil !! / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)
Flaming Guitar Photo Credit: Yuri Samoilov Photo / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

The History of Labor Day

As you probably already know, this weekend is Labor Day Weekend. A time for people to relax, to say goodbye to the summer, and to light up their grills for one last hurrah before it’s time to put all of the outdoor stuff away again. In fact, as long as you’re not working this weekend, you’re probably already getting ready to do exactly that. However, even though you may be in the process of setting up your grill and getting ready to kick back (or at least wishing that you were), you may not really know the history behind why we celebrate the holiday in the first place. If this is indeed the case and you are interested in learning a little more about the history of the holiday, here’s some information about Labor Day and a few other events this weekend that will help you explore the history of the world.

Labor Day was declared a national holiday by President Grover Cleveland in 1894. However, the story of Labor Day actually begins 12 years earlier when a high-ranking member of a labor union began wondering why other countries, such as Canada, had holidays recognizing the working people that kept the country running, but the United States did not. Now, of course, there is some dispute as to which high-ranking member started the Labor Day movement and, therefore, which labor union helped establish it, but it was probably Peter J. Maguire of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and the American Federation of Labor or Matthew Maguire of the International Association of Machinists and the Central Labor Union.

Yet, regardless of who established the holiday, the first Labor Day parade and picnic was held by the Central Labor Union in New York City on September 5, 1882. This led a number of unions in other cities to hold similar celebrations in the following years, and many states began to recognize the day as a state holiday shortly thereafter. Then, only mere days after the end of a particularly tragic strike involving the railway workers of the Pullman Company , Congress decided to recognize Labor Day as an official holiday throughout the country to honor the working man (and placate the unions.) As a result, you can no longer say that you never got anything out of a union because they did actually get you another holiday (unless you work in retail in which case they probably only got you extra hours making sure that all the people off this weekend can go out and shop.)

Now, if you couldn’t possibly care less about the history of Labor Day or you’re simply more interested in the events that occurred 30 years before the creation of the national holiday, you may want to head over to Georges Island this weekend. This is because Georges Island is hosting two Civil War events this weekend that are specifically designed for kids. The first event, which is entitled the Civil War Dress-Up, will allow your kids to dress up in costumes that are very similar to the uniforms and clothing worn by soldiers during the Civil War. The second event, which is called the Civil War Lawn Games, will allow you and your children to try some of the games that people actually played during the Civil War. For more information on the Civil War Dress-Up, which will take place on Georges Island at 12:00 P.M. on Saturday (August 30, 2014), or the Civil War Lawn Games, which will take place on Georges Island at 12:00 P.M. on Sunday (August 31, 2014), please visit the Boston Harbor Islands website.

If, on the other hand, you like your history to be a little more removed from the present day, or as Weird Al Yankovic might say, you really “want to go medieval on their heiney”, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston or King Richard’s Faire may be more suited for your court. This is because the Museum of Fine Arts actually has a copy, one of only four in the world, of the original Magna Carta on display. This document, whose Latin name literally translates to “Great Charter”, was written in 1215 to establish a number of rights for the people of England that are very similar to the rights that the U.S. Constitution and the U.S. Bill of Rights protects. As a result, if you want to see a document that is almost 800 years old and may have played a pivotal role in the creation of our government, you should definitely check out the Museum of Fine Arts Exhibitions page and head over to the museum this weekend.

However, if you would prefer your medieval/renaissance experience to be a little more whimsical with some modern-day flair thrown in or your just can’t resist a renaissance faire, you’ll be happy to know that King Richard’s Faire begins this weekend. King Richard’s Faire is, of course, a renaissance faire that features armor, acrobats, comedy acts, costuming, fire-breathers and fire eaters, games, giant turkey legs, jewelry, jugglers, jousting, magicians, minstrels, swords, tigers, rides, and a whole lot more. And, if you’re a AAA member, you can save $4 on your admission by printing a coupon on the AAA website. For more information on the Faire, which runs every weekend from now until October 19th, please visit the King Richard’s Faire website.

Photo credit: karen horton / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

The Back to School Blues (or the Back to School Jamboree?)

If you had any doubt that the end of the summer was rapidly approaching, you could probably remove that doubt with a single look at the events for this weekend. In fact, with children heading back to school in the very near future, most places realize that it’s virtually impossible to get a large number of people at any event. As a result, a lot of event coordinators just seem to give up around this time of year, and there’s not a whole lot going on. However, regardless of whether you’re sad to see the summer go or you’re doing the childless cha-cha in honor of the new school year, there’s still time to have some fun this weekend.

First, if you’ve always wanted to go to Carnival, but you’ve never had the time, money, and/or the inclination to leave the country, you may want to check out the Boston Carnival Parade this weekend. The Boston Carnival Parade is a parade and street festival that is designed to give you the experience of what Carnival would be like in Trinidad without leaving the state of Massachusetts. The parade, which starts on Blue Hill Avenue in Boston, MA at 1:00 P.M. tomorrow (Saturday, August 23, 2014) and ends near the Franklin Park Zoo, features a number of Caribbean musicians, dancers, and masqueraders in costumes that are sure to get your attention. The street festival and food court, which is located right in front of the Franklin Park Zoo, will feature arts and crafts, food (including both Caribbean and traditional American cuisines), music, and more. For more information on the Boston Carnival Parade, which is also known as the Caribbean Festival Parade, please visit the Boston Carnival Village website.

Secondly, if you’re longing for a time not so long ago and not so far away when people took wooden ships onto the open sea, the Antique & Classic Boat Festival in Salem, MA may have exactly what you’re looking for. The Antique & Classic Boat Festival, which runs from 11:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. on Saturday (August 23, 2014) and 10:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. on Sunday (August 24, 2014), will feature artists, a crafts fair, music, a touch tank, a variety of antique and classic ships ranging anywhere from 50 to approximately 200 years old, and more. For more information on the Antique & Classic Boat Festival in Salem, MA, please visit the Antique & Classic Boat Festival website.

Finally, if you’re looking for something to do with your kids and they’re just suckers for a good Disney movie, especially one with a particularly well-known ice queen, the Hatch Shell in Boston will definitely put a smile on their faces tonight. This is because the last movie in this summer’s Free Friday Flicks series, presented by WBZ, is a sing-a-long version of the popular Disney film, Frozen. For more information on this completely free showing of Frozen at the Hatch Shell, which begins at sundown tonight (August 22, 2014), please visit the CBS Boston website.

Photo credit: Jlhopgood / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-ND 2.0)

Massachusetts Tax-Free Weekend

It may have been Benjamin Franklin that once said that “in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes”, but he certainly wasn’t alone in the sentiment. In fact, Christopher Bullock, Daniel Defoe, Edward Ward, Mark Twain, Dorothy Parker, Margaret Mitchell, and a slew of other famous authors have expressed the same rather depressing idea that life may be uncertain, but you’re pretty much stuck paying taxes until you die (and many of them said it before Franklin.) However, if you’re in Massachusetts this weekend, where Franklin’s quote could be the state motto, you may be in luck because this weekend is actually Massachusetts’ Tax Free Weekend. As a result, you can now go out and enjoy all of the big box stores and all of the little shops that Massachusetts has to offer without giving 6.25% to the tax man. Even better still, there are a number of local festivals this weekend that will allow you to enjoy food, music, and more as you take full advantage of the lack of sales tax.

First, if you’ve been dying to spend some time by the water, Gloucester has a festival this weekend that you won’t want to miss. This is because the 33rd Annual Gloucester Waterfront Festival is this Saturday (August 16, 2014) and Sunday (August 17, 2014) from 9:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. The Waterfront Festival, which is located at Stage Fort Park in Gloucester, will feature a pancake breakfast, over 175 artists and craftsmen, food, music, an antique car show, and more. Best of all, the event is completely free (until you buy stuff from the vendors.) For more information on the 33rd Annual Gloucester Waterfront Festival, please visit the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce website or the Waterfront Festivals website.

Secondly, if you’ve always been a big fan of jazz, soul, and rock and roll, Salem, MA is definitely the place to be this weekend. This is because the Salem Jazz and Soul Festival is this Saturday (August 16, 2014) and Sunday (August 17, 2014) from 11:00 A.M. to 7:15 P.M. This festival, which is scheduled to take place at the Salem Willows, will feature artists; a beer garden; a tent with activities and games for kids; music education classes; and, of course, live music from over 10 bands that are extremely skilled in jazz, soul, rock, funk, swing, and more. For more information on the Salem Jazz and Soul Festival, which is completely free (again, until you buy stuff from the vendors), please visit the Salem Jazz and Soul Festival website.

Finally, if you have a young girl between the ages of 8 and 17 who loves music or you really just like seeing little girls rock out, you may want to check out the Girls Rock Campaign Boston performance at the Brighton Music Hall tomorrow (Saturday, August 16, 2014.) The Girls Rock Campaign Boston is a volunteer summer program that gives girls between the ages of 8 and 17 a chance to form their own band, write their own music, learn to rock their favorite instrument, and more. In fact, the girls not only form their own band and learn everything they need to strut their stuff, but also get the opportunity to perform in front of a live audience at the end of the program. The show tomorrow, as you might have guessed, is that opportunity and it can be a lot of fun to see what these kids and teens can really do. For more information on the Girls Rock Campaign Boston program, please visit the Girls Rock Boston website, and if you would like to order tickets to the performance, please visit Ticketmaster.

Photo credit: DonkeyHotey / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

Find Your Inner Hero

It may sound clichéd, but it’s true. Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. From real life heroes like doctors, nurses, firefighters, police officers, and EMTs to fictional heroes like Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Xena, and Captain Malcolm Reynolds, there’s never a shortage of people in uniform, capes, or overly tight clothing to look up to. However, if you’re having trouble deciding which hero is appropriate for you, there are several events this weekend that you may want to check out.

First, if you’ve always been into comic book heroes or you’ve just always wanted to dress up like a superhero, you may want to head down to the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston this weekend. This is because the Seaport World Trade Center is hosting Boston Comic Con from 2:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. today (August 8, 2014), 10:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. tomorrow (August 9, 2014), and 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. Sunday (August 10, 2014.) This comic book convention will feature a comic art auction; a cosplay harbor cruise; a comic-inspired improv show; an after party; a costume contest; a film festival; card game tournaments and other gaming; panels on a variety of topics related to comics, television, and film; and guest appearances by a number of well-known artists and celebrities, including Sean Astin (Samwise Gamgee), John Barrowman (Captain Jack Harkness and the Dark Archer), James Marsters (Spike), Darryl “DMC” McDaniels (Run DMC), Jason Momoa (Khal Drogo, Conan, Ronon Dex), Eve Myers (Gwen Cooper), Jewel Staite (Kaylee Frye and Dr. Jennifer Keller), and Sam Witwer (Aidan Waite.) For more information on Boston Comic Con and/or to purchase tickets online, please visit the Boston Comic Con website.

Secondly, if you and/or your kids are more into sports heroes than comic book heroes, the Stone Zoo may have something that’s more suited to your tastes. This is because Wally the Green Monster will be at the Stone Zoo from 10:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. tomorrow (August 9, 2014.) As a result, if you or your kids have ever wanted to meet the official mascot of the Boston Red Sox and/or you’ve always wanted to see what the animals would do with a baseball or other baseball-themed items, now’s your chance. For more information on Meeting Wally the Green Monster, please visit Zoo New England’s Program Calendar.

Finally, if you’re a baseball-loving father with a princess-obsessed little girl and you would really like to be her hero for an evening, you may want to take her to a Lowell Spinners game tonight. This is because the Lowell Spinners are hosting their second annual Daddy/Daughter Princess Night at tonight’s game against the State College Spikes. This promotional game will feature princesses, a princess parade, a trick-performing dog, fireworks, and free posters to the first 1,000 fans. For more information on the Daddy/Daughter Princess Night at the Lowell Spinners and/or to order tickets for the game, please visit the Lowell Spinners’ Tickets and Promotions page.

Photo credit: levork / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Adding Some Art to Your Summer

As the end of July approaches, the list of summer events often begins to dwindle. Unfortunately, I have to admit that I’m really not sure if the lack of scheduled events is a result of the fact that everyone is on vacation, that all of the kids seem to be going back to school earlier and earlier each year, or if it’s just that all of the event coordinators feel that if you can smell something cooking every time your bare feet hit the pavement, it is just too hot to do much of anything. However, regardless of the reasons behind the sudden decrease in the amount of things to do, there are still a couple of events that are sure to entertain you this weekend.

First, if you’ve always been a big fan of Shakespeare or it’s been your lifelong goal to figure out what the lines in a Shakespearean play actually mean, there are a series of performances on Boston Common from now until August 10th that may interest you. This is because the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company is performing Twelfth Night every day for the next two weeks (except for Monday the 28th of July and Monday the 4th of August.) These performances, which are typically at 8:00 P.M. (7:00 P.M. on Sundays with a special 3:00 P.M. Matinee on this Saturday, July 26, 2014), will allow you and your friends and/or family to witness an extremely unusual love story told in a way that only a Shakespearean Comedy could pull off. Best of all, the entire performance won’t cost you a dime (unless you decide to go out and eat in which case it will probably cost you significantly more than a dime.) For more information on Twelfth Night and the Free Shakespeare on the Common series, please visit the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company’s website.

Secondly, if you would prefer to see a group of artists and performers that are a little more modern than a bunch of people who look like they just left the 17th century, you may want to check out the Rose Kennedy Greenway this weekend. This is because the Rose Kennedy Greenway is hosting Figment Boston from 11:00 A.M. to 11:00 P.M. on Saturday (July 26, 2014) and 11:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. on Sunday (July 27, 2014.) This event will allow you and anyone else you decide to bring along to see a variety of artwork while you enjoy street performances and dance to the music of a number of different musicians. For more information on Figment Boston, which is completely free (although donations are greatly appreciated), please visit the Boston Figment Project website.

Photo credit: garryknight / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Wait! What Are the Dog Days of Summer?

Do any of these stars look like a dog to you?

Last week, I talked about the fact that the dog days of summer were officially upon us. However, after I wrote that post, I realized that most people are probably familiar with the expression and what it means, but there probably aren’t too many people that actually know where the expression comes from. As a result, I figured that if you were wondering why we refer to this particular section of the season as the dog days of summer, it would be a good time to let you know that you can blame the Romans (and no, it has nothing to do with the fact that the average dog looks like it would rather starve four inches from its food dish than move in this kind of weather.)

In fact, the reason that this particular section of the summer is known as the “Dog Days of Summer” is because the Romans believed that the extremely hot weather that we have during July and August was actually a result of the star, Sirius. Sirius, which is also known as the Dog Star, rose at approximately the same time each day as the sun during this part of the summer in Roman times. This led the Romans to refer to this period as the Dog Days because they were the days in which the Dog Star brought the sweltering heat and the evil that they typically associated with the heat to the lands. We, of course, still use the term today to describe the sweltering heat of this part of summer, but we have a number of ways to escape the evil heat and enjoy ourselves anyway.

First, if you’ve always been a fan of sand sculptures or you just like the feeling of the burning hot sand on your feet, Revere Beach is definitely the place to be this weekend. This is because Revere Beach is hosting the 2014 Revere Beach National Sand Sculpting Festival from 10:00 A.M. to 10:00 P.M. on Friday and Saturday and 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. on Sunday. This festival will feature 15 of the world’s best sand sculptors, music, food, sand sculpting lessons for children, fireworks, and a whole lot more. Best of all, it won’t cost you a dime to get into the event. For more information on the 2014 Revere Beach National Sand Sculpting Festival, please visit the Revere Beach website or call 781-902-9742.

If, on the other hand, you’re one of those people that firmly believes the only place sand can end up is everywhere you don’t want it, you may want to consider heading to the Larz Anderson Auto Museum in Brookline, MA on Sunday (July 20, 2014.) This is because the Larz Anderson Auto Museum is hosting an American Car and Truck Day this Sunday from 10:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. This car show will allow you and your family to see a variety of patriotic vehicles while you enjoy something to eat. For more information on the American Car and Truck Day at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum, please visit the Larz Anderson Auto Museum Events page.

Photo credit: j-dub1980(THANK YOU FOR 100k+ Views) / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Escaping the Dog Days of Summer

The dog days of summer have officially begun, and the heat that is associated with the season is definitely upon us. In fact, if you’ve been anywhere in the Northeast over the past couple of weeks, you’ve probably been watching your thermometer melt (if it hasn’t just quit on you in an outright act of defiance) as your next door neighbors attempt to cook their breakfast on the sidewalk. Fortunately, if the forecasts for this weekend are even remotely close to correct, the next few days should be a whole lot nicer. As a result, you may want to use this time to get out and enjoy the weather before your thermometer goes on strike again. And, if getting outside while it’s cool sounds like a good plan to you, you may want to check out one of the big summer festivals that is scheduled for this weekend.

First, if you’re a big fan of seafood or you just like hanging out by the ocean, you may want to head over to the Salem Willows this weekend. This is because the Salem Willows Seafood Festival begins today (July 11, 2014) at 12:00 P.M. This festival, which will run until 10:00 P.M. on Sunday, will give you and anyone you feel like bringing with you the opportunity to try some of the best seafood on the North Shore, to watch cooking demonstrations, to peruse a variety of items from local artists and merchants, listen to music from a variety of local bands, and entertain your kids with games and other activities. The festival will also feature fireworks, a lobster roll eating competition, and more. For more information on the Salem Willows Seafood Festival, please visit the Fest Events website.

Secondly, if you’re not really all that into seafood or you’re just a much bigger fan of the tried and true New England tradition of eating ice cream until you explode, WGBH may have the festival for you. This is because WGBH is hosting their annual FunFest tomorrow (Saturday, July 12, 2014) from 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. This festival, which is definitely aimed at the younger crowd, will allow you and your children to choose from a wide assortment of ice cream favors while you listen to music, play games, and meet some well-known children’s characters like Arthur, Clifford the Big Red Dog, and Curious George. For more information on the WGBH FunFest, please visit the WGBH website.

Photo credit: peretzpup / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)