Tag: Dancing

How to Have Some Winter Fun in New England

Snow Much Fun (Snow Tubing)

New England has been known for its harsh winters ever since the first English settlers stepped foot upon its soil. However, just because the area is regularly buried in snow with a temperature ranging anywhere from 0 to 50 and a wind chill of who knows what doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t enjoy the weather outside. In fact, if your children are going a little stir crazy (and, in turn, driving you crazy), there are a couple of wintry activities this weekend that are sure to put a smile on everyone’s face.

First, if you and/or your kids have always loved snow tubing, you should definitely check out Amesbury Sports Park. This is because Amesbury Sports Park boasts the steepest snow tubing hill in all of New England, and with 8 lanes that are kept almost constantly snow-covered during the winter (temperature allowing), your entire family should have no problem enjoying the hill over and over again. Best of all, it’s only $27 a person for up to three hours of snow tubing, and you don’t have to buy your own tube. It is important to remember though that you cannot bring your own sled, and you will have to sign a waiver for each person going down the hill before anyone in your group can go sledding. For more information on Amesbury Sports Park and its facilities, please visit the Amesbury Sports Park website or call 978-388-5788 ext. 106.

Secondly, if really steep hills seem a little unnecessary to you and/or the price of tubing doesn’t really sound like such a great deal when you have eight kids, you may want to take a trip down to Holyoke, Massachusetts. This is because the Third Annual Holyoke Winter Carnival runs from today, February 7th to Sunday, February 16th, 2014. This event will give you and your family the opportunity to enjoy arts and crafts, chili cook-offs, dancing, hockey, hot chocolate, ice-skating, music, quilts, races, scavenger hunts, and a whole lot more. For more information on the Third Annual Holyoke Winter Carnival, please visit the Holyoke Winter Carnival website.

Photo credit: gfpeck / Foter / CC BY-ND

Ring in the New Year All Over Again

Year of the Horse (2014)

As the first month of 2014 draws to a close, many people have already begun to develop their own opinions of what the rest of the year will be like. In fact, some people have already decided that 2014 will be a great year while others have decided that they would really like a do-over. Fortunately, if you fall into the second category, there is a way for you to experience the start of a new year without waiting for 2015. Now, I know what you’re probably thinking, “either this is a trick or this guy’s nuts.” However, the fact of the matter is that there is another new year you can celebrate, and this new year is the Lunar New Year (or the Chinese New Year as it is also called.)

If you’re looking for a way to celebrate the Lunar New Year and learn about the traditions surrounding it, you may want to check out the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts. The Peabody Essex Museum is hosting a Lunar New Year Festival from 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. tomorrow, February 1st, 2014. This festival, which is included in the normal admission price to the museum, will allow you and your family to ring in the Lunar New Year with dancing, drumming, lanterns, swords, and a whole lot more. For more information on the Lunar New Year Festival at the Peabody Essex Museum, please visit the Peabody Essex Museum website.

If you’re just looking for a way to celebrate another new year (and get your do-over), Dance Republic has you covered. Dance Republic, which is a social, fitness, and sports dance studio located in Wellesley, MA, is hosting a Year of the Green Horse Social Dance Party from 7:30 P.M. to 11:00 P.M. tomorrow, February 1st, 2014. This dance party will feature dancing showcases, food, and social dancing with a Chinese New Year theme. For more information on the Year of the Green Horse Social Dance Party, please visit the Dance Republic Event page.

Photo credit: emmstitch / Foter / CC BY

2014 New Year’s Eve Events

First Night Ice Sculpture

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As 2013 draws to a close, many people have already begun the age old tradition of reflecting on the past 365 days, deciding that they may have not been as good as they had originally anticipated, and hoping beyond hope that the next 365 days will be better.  However, if you’re one of the unfortunate souls who truly had a rough year (perhaps even one for the history books), you may be focusing more on the celebration that lies ahead than the events that took place during 2013.  Fortunately, if this is indeed the case, you’re in luck because there is certainly no shortage of events in the Boston area when it comes to First Night and the New Year’s celebration that accompanies it.

In fact, if you’re looking for something to do with your family to celebrate the New Year before the party gets too out of control, you may want to head on over to the Hynes Convention Center on Tuesday.  The Hynes Convention Center is hosting the First Night Boston Family Festival from 1:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. on New Year’s Eve.  This festival is intended to allow younger children to ring in the new year a little early with circus trainers (yes, your kids can learn all the skills they need to run away with the circus), comedians, dancers, face painters, musicians, puppeteers, storytellers, and everything else that an adult could think of to keep a young child entertained (because, let’s face it, children are constantly coming up with ways to keep themselves entertained that we would never think of.)  For more information on the First Night Boston Family Festival, including times for each act, please visit the Official First Night Boston website.

If, on the other hand, you’ve had quite enough of your family for one year and would really like one night without them, you may want to consider attending Timeless: A Bond Evening.  Synergy Events is hosting the 6th Annual Timeless Gala from 8:30 P.M. on New Year’s Eve to 2:00 A.M. on New Year’s Day at the Colonnade Boston Hotel.  This black tie event will allow you to unwind with other adults in the 21 to 39 age range, Miss USA title holders, contestants for next year’s Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants, and a wide assortment of other interesting individuals while you dance the night away to music from some of the best DJs around.  Best of all, the whole evening has a James Bond theme, so you may be able to win some great prizes or, at the very least, score an awesome picture with your significant other by wearing your best James Bond suit or best Bond Girl dress.  For more information on the event and/or to order tickets, which are selling out fast, please visit the Timeless Gala Eventbrite website.

Photo credit: Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism / Foter.com / CC BY-ND

Friday Fun: Music and Art Weekend

I don’t know how the weather’s been where you are, but for most people, it’s been one strange summer. In fact, it was over 100 degrees in some places last week with the sun shining so brightly that most people were desperately trying to get out of the sun before they burst into flames. However, this week, at least in the Northeast, it’s 60 degrees and so wet that everyone and everything from the flowers to the small scurrying creatures that are trying to hide under the petals would really like to see that big, bright ball of flame in the sky dry things out a bit. To be honest, it’s just one of those summers where no one can really decide what they want because no matter what they wish for, they end up trying to hide inside where it is cool and dry. Fortunately, if you’re really getting sick of hiding inside your stuffy house with your A/C cranked up or your windows closed so the rain doesn’t get in, you’re in luck because there are a couple of interesting events happening in the Boston area this weekend.

If you’re a big fan of the arts, you may want to check out Copley Square. The Boston Globe, Citizen’s Bank, and WGBH are hosting the 2nd annual Summer Arts Weekend, which runs from tonight, Friday, July 26th at 7:00 p.m. to Sunday, July 28th. This festival, which celebrates art in all its forms, will feature a number of live performances by local bands and Grammy-winning musicians, panels with reality TV chefs, dancers, and a whole lot more. However, one of the best things about the Summer Arts Weekend is that almost all of the events are absolutely free. For more information on the festival, please visit the Summer Arts Weekend website.

If, on the other hand, you like your art to be a little more on the traditional side, Lowell may have exactly what you’re looking for this weekend. The City of Lowell, the Greater Lowell Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Merrimack Valley Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, the Lowell National Historic Park, the Lowell Festival Foundation, and the National Council for the Traditional Arts are hosting the Lowell Folk Festival from tonight, Friday, July 26th at 6:40 p.m. to Sunday, July 28th at 6:15 p.m. This traditional music and art festival features folk music, woodcarving, stone carving, and a whole lot more from both local and visiting artists and musicians. And, if all of this isn’t a good enough reason for you to attend, all of the events at the Lowell Folk Festival are completely free (you will have to pay for drinks, food, or merchandise if you want any of that though.) For more information on the Lowell Folk Festival, please visit the 2013 Lowell Folk Festival website.

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

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

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