Friday Fun – Page 12 – Salem Happenings

The Final Countdown To Halloween

The final countdown to All Hallows Eve has begun, which means that this week is your last chance to brace yourself for the oncoming storm of kids in costume screaming “trick or treat” at your door. However, if you just haven’t been able to get yourself into the Halloween spirit yet this year and the idea of buying candy for all of the little creatures that go bump in the night is the most horrifying thing you can think of right now, fear not. There are plenty of ways that you can find the spirit of the holiday this weekend. In fact, this week is one of the busiest weeks of the year in Salem, so there will definitely be plenty of Halloween things to do, especially if you are a fan of horror.

First, if you’re a big fan of horror movies and/or you love getting every autograph you possibly can, you may want to head over to Count Orlok’s Nightmare Gallery in Downtown Salem this weekend. This is because Tony Moran, one of the actors who played Michael Myers in the film Halloween will be appearing at Count Orlok’s Nightmare Gallery from 12:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. tonight (Friday, October 24, 2014), tomorrow (Saturday, October 25, 2014), and Sunday (October 26, 2014). This event will give you the opportunity to meet one of the first actors to portray the masked lunatic, get his autograph, and enjoy all of the horror movie knowledge the Nightmare Gallery has to offer. For more information on Tony Moran’s appearance at Count Orlok’s, please visit the Count Orlok’s Nightmare Gallery website.

Secondly, if you prefer your horror villains to be a little less scary and perhaps a little more cheesy or you’ve just always loved Michael Jackson’s music videos, there’s an event tomorrow morning at Dead Horse Beach near the Salem Willows that is simply to die for (yes, I actually just wrote that.) This is because Dead Horse Beach is hosting a Zombie Flash Mob tomorrow (Saturday, October 25, 2014) at 8:30 A.M. This group of talented and not-so-talented zombie dancers will be recreating the famous music video for Michael Jackson’s Thriller. As a result, if you’ve ever wanted to be a zombie dancer or if you’ve ever wanted to see a flash mob up close and personal, here’s your chance. For more information on the Zombie “Thriller” Dance Flash Mob, which is sponsored by Conquest Creative Media, please visit the Zombie “Thriller” Dance Flash Mob’s Eventbrite page.

Finally, if you like the idea of a horror dance, but you’re looking for something a little bigger, there are three major Halloween dances in Salem this weekend alone. The first dance this weekend is the Annual Halloween Party at the Hawthorne Hotel, which will allow you to dance the night away to a Mardi Gras Masquerade theme with everyone in masks, beads, colorful costumes, and more. The second dance this weekend is the Wicked Night on the Wharf, which will allow you to make your way around the dance floor of the Salem Waterfront Hotel admiring all of the crazy costumes as the hotel’s DJ plays a variety of hit music. The third and final dance this weekend is the 5th Annual Zombie Prom, which is exactly what it sounds like as over 600 people will dress up as zombies and compete to be crowned Zombie Prom Queen or Zombie Prom King. For more information on all of these dances and other events in Salem right up until Halloween weekend, please visit the Salem Haunted Happenings website.

Photo credit: jamieanne / Foter / CC BY-ND

Beware! Halloween Fun Lurks Here!

With only two weeks left before Halloween,
Salem has again become a mob scene.
Yet, even though the witch city is certainly a fun place,
It is not the only city that can put a smile on your child’s face.
In fact, whether you’re a fan of Salem or Boston or anywhere else in this fine state,
You are certain to find an event that you and your kids think is great!

First, if you are an aspiring horror writer or glassblower and you’re expecting to be in the Boston area this weekend, you may want to check out the Boston Center for Adult Education. This is because the Boston Center for Adult Education (BCAE) is hosting two Halloween themed classes this Sunday (October 19, 2014) as part of their Haunted Halloween at the BCAE event series. The first class, which is entitled the Thriller/Horror Novel Writing Workshop, is a one-day session that is designed for aspiring writers that want to learn more about the characters, dialogue, story structure, suspense-building techniques, and other methods that are in used in some of the great novels of the horror genre. The second class, which is entitled Glass Blowing Workshop: Glass Pumpkins, is a one-day session that will teach you how to make your own hollow glass pumpkin. For more information on these events and other events at the BCAE, please visit the Boston Center for Adult Education’s class page.

Secondly, if you’re not really into horror or glassblowing, but you have some kids that are absolutely obsessed with Halloween and the zoo, you may want to consider heading over to the Stone Zoo on Saturday or Sunday (October 18 – 19, 2014.) This is because the Stone Zoo is combining everything your kids love about Halloween and the zoo into one program entitled “Boo at the Zoo.” This program will allow your kids to enter a costume contest, make their way through a haunted maze, play some Halloween-themed games, trick-or-treat around the zoo, try their hands at some Halloween-themed arts and crafts, and more. For more information on Boo at the Zoo, which runs from 11:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. each day this weekend, please visit the Zoo New England Boo at the Zoo page.

Finally, if you’re part of the mob scene in Salem and you’re looking for something to entertain your kids, there are actually three events on the Salem Common this weekend that may be perfect. The first event is the Annual Children’s Halloween Parade & Costume Party, which is an opportunity for your child to show off their Halloween costume in a parade, partake in some games and crafts, and possibly even win some prizes. The second event is the Providence Grays Baseball Game, which will actually allow you and your family to watch a baseball game played using Civil War style bats, uniforms, and rules. The third and final event on the common this weekend is “The Box.” This event, which is presented by the Gallows Hill Theatre, is an interactive performance that is designed to have children of all ages rolling on the floor laughing. For more information on all of the events on Salem Common this weekend and other events throughout Salem, please visit the Salem Haunted Happenings website.

Photo credit: mattieb / Foter / CC BY-SA

Columbus Day Weekend

"Yikes! Could you find your way to the East Indies with this map?" — “Yikes! Could you find your way to the East Indies with this map?”

You’ve probably heard the old line “in fourteen hundred ninety-two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” However, did you know that this line is actually part of an entire poem by Ramon Montaigne? I’m willing to wager, unless you actually read the entire poem when you were learning about Christopher Columbus in elementary school, that you probably heard the first line of the poem somewhere but knew nothing about the rest of it. In fact, even though we celebrate Columbus Day every year around this time, most people don’t really know what we’re celebrating beyond the fact that Columbus got hopelessly lost and, like most of us, didn’t want to admit that he never reached his actual destination. Yet, regardless of why we celebrate the holiday, this weekend is a three-day weekend throughout most of the United States and, if you are in the Salem area this weekend, it is a great time to enjoy some more of the city’s Halloween festivities.

First, if you really wanted to go to the Bizarre Bazaar last weekend, but you missed it, you’re in luck because the Salem Open Market begins today. This market, while not as big as the Bizarre Bazaar, will give the opportunity to purchase artwork, clothing, jewelry, and more from over 50 different vendors every weekend until Halloween. For more information on the Salem Open Market, please visit the Official Salem Open Market website.

Secondly, if you’re looking for something more frightening than an empty wallet (well…potentially more frightening), you may want to check out the House of the Seven Gables. The House of the Seven Gables is currently offering two different Halloween themed performances. The first performance, entitled “Legacy of the Hanging Judge”, is the story of the Salem Witch Trials from the perspective of the famous author Nathaniel Hawthorne who not only wrote the Crucible but was also a direct descendant of the infamous judge that presided over the witch trials, Judge John Hathorne (the “w” in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s name was actually added to distance his family from the judge’s madness.) The second performance, entitled “Spirits of the Gables”, is the story of the House of the Seven Gables as told by the ghosts of some of the novel’s characters, but these characters are still haunting the house that originally inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne to write the story. For more information on both performances, please visit the House of the Seven Gables October Performances page.

Finally, if you’re looking for something that is not frightening and/or Halloween-related, you can always head over to Topsfield Fair. Topsfield Fair, which runs until this Monday (October 13, 2014), is an agricultural fair that features artwork, contests, crafts, farm animals, flowers, food, a large number of vendors, special performances, and a whole lot more. You may even have the chance to see one of the world’s largest pumpkins! For more information on the Topsfield Fair, please visit the Topsfield Fair website.

Photo credit: Foter / Public Domain Mark 1.0

Haunted Happenings Has Begun!

Now that the parade has come and gone,
the Halloween season in Salem has officially begun.
And, even though the bands and floats are done,
there’s certainly no shortage of fun.
In fact, with an entire booklet of events to choose from,
there’s really no way that you could be glum.
As a result, if you’re looking for a way to enjoy the season from the start,
here are some events this weekend that will surely play the part.

First, if you’re a Salem resident, you may want to check out the Mayor’s Night Out in Salem. The Mayor’s Night Out is the city’s way of thanking all of the residents of the city for resisting the urge to revolt against the oncoming tide of tourists. This event allows Salem Residents with an appropriate ID to enjoy a number of the city’s attractions and museums at no cost or at a significantly reduced rate. Some of the attractions that are free this year include the Gallows Hill Museum & Theatre, the New England Pirate Museum, the Salem Wax Museum, the Witch Dungeon Museum, the Witch History Museum, and the Witch House. The Peabody Essex Museum, the Salem Museum, and the Salem Witch Museum are also free to Salem Residents, but these museums are actually free to residents year-round. For more information on the Mayor’ Night in Salem, which runs from 3:00 P.M. to 10 P.M. today (October 3, 2014), please visit the Official Salem website.

Secondly, if you’re not a Salem resident or you’re more interested in shopping than museums, the Bizarre Bazaar may be more what you’re looking for. The Bizarre Bazaar, which is also known as the Haunted Biz Baz Street Fair, will feature over 90 vendors selling everything from apparel to zombie-themed accessories. The Haunted Biz Baz Street Fair will also feature a number of street performers and musicians that will be sure to keep you and your family entertained while you shop. For more information on the Haunted Biz Baz Street Fair, which runs from 10:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M. on Saturday and 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. on Sunday, please visit the Salem Chamber of Commerce website.

Finally, if you don’t have a great deal of interest in driving into Salem or you would just prefer to play with some LEGOs, the LEGOLAND Discovery Center Boston may have the perfect Halloween event for you. This is because the LEGOLAND Discover Center is hosting a Brick-O-Treat Event from now until Halloween. This event will allow you and/or your kids to build spooky creations out of LEGOs, search for Monster Minifigures in their Monster Mash Scavenger Hunt, search for LEGO pumpkins, and take part in a custome contest for some awesome prizes. For more information on Brick-O-Treat, please visit the LEGOLAND Discovery Center Boston website.

Photo credit: kennymatic / Foter / CC BY

The Season of the Witch

This coming Thursday marks the official opening of the Halloween season in Salem, which means that you will be able to have a “frighteningly” good time in the very near future. In fact, there’s no shortage of spooky events scheduled for the next month in the Witch City, and the fun will continue right through All Hallows Eve. However, just because the festivities don’t officially start until Thursday doesn’t mean that you have to wait for the fun to begin. There are already a number of Halloween events scheduled in the Salem area and beyond this weekend, and if you’re looking for a way to start off the season a little early, you’ve come to the right place.

First, if you’ve always been a fan of creepy artwork, there’s no better place to be than the Terror Fantasies Art Show. The Terror Fantasies Art Show, which is held at the Museum Place Mall in Salem from 11:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays until October 10th, features a wide range of horror and fantasy artwork. This means that you can expect to see black cats, jack-o-lanterns, vampires, zombies, witches, and just about every other creepy thing that has ever been associated with the season. For more information on the Terror Fantasies Art Show, please visit the Salem Haunted Happenings website.

Secondly, if you’re not a huge fan of art but you’ve always had a special place in your heart (still-beating or otherwise) for zombies, prepare yourself for the Boston Zombie Apocalypse. The Boston Zombie Apocalypse is an interactive live action game in which you play a survivor attempting to escape the Boston area after it has been overrun by zombies. This game, which is held at Stronghold Airsoft in Abington, MA, will allow you to use a special airsoft shotgun to defend yourself against the every-growing army of the undead. However, you won’t be alone, as a military escort will attempt to guide you to safety through the 25,000 square-foot facility designed to mimic a city complete with cars, buildings, and, of course, zombies trying to eat you. For more information on the event and/or to order tickets, please visit the Boston Zombie Apocalypse website.

Finally, if you’re looking for something that you can do with the kids and you don’t mind waiting until Thursday, you may want to head down to Salem for the Haunted Happenings Grand Parade. The Haunted Happenings Grand Parade marks the official opening of the Halloween season in Salem with bands, school groups, trolleys, real witches, and occasionally some special appearances by celebrities and interesting vehicles like the Ecto-1 from Ghostbusters. This year’s parade will have a fantasy theme, so you should expect to see kids and adults from all over the area dressed as characters from Avatar, The Chronicles of Narnia, Frozen, Ghostbusters, Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, and a whole lot more. For more information on the parade, which will run from approximately 6:30 P.M. to 8:30 P.M. on Thursday, October 2, 2014, please visit the Salem Haunted Happenings website or the Salem Chamber of Commerce website.

Photo credit: Bob Linsdell / Foter / CC BY

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)