The 37th Annual Boston Dragon Boat Festival

Boston Dragon Boat Festival
The Rio Olympics are now less than two months away, which means that it won’t be long before we all have the opportunity to watch some of the most talented athletes in the world compete in everything from archery to wrestling. However, if you’re a huge fan of Olympic sports, two months may seem like an awfully long time to wait, and you may already be wondering how you’re going to survive the final stretch before the games. Well, if this is indeed the case and you’re a fan of rowing, you may be in luck because it just so happens that the Boston Dragon Boat Festival is scheduled to take place this weekend on the Charles River. The Boston Dragon Boat Festival, which is scheduled to take place from 7:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. on Saturday and 7:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. on Sunday, is a Chinese dragon boat race and Asian-American cultural festival. This festival will give you the opportunity to try your hand at creating Asian arts and crafts, sample a large variety of Asian cuisines, hear traditional music from China and Japan, see traditional dances and other performances from a number of different Asian countries, and, of course, watch the dragon boat races to see which dragon boat rowing team will emerge victorious. For more information on the Boston Dragon Boat Festival, which is free and open to the public, please visit the Boston Dragon Boat Festival website.

Photo credit: madprime via VisualHunt.com / CC BY-SA

Great Musicians Through the Ages

Flaming GuitarIf you read my post from last week, you may have noticed that there are a fair number of musical events around this time of year. In fact, this is really the concert season, so if you’re looking for a way to listen to some great music without giving all of your money to the online ticket sellers of the world, then you’ve come to the right place. The only thing to remember is that with no shortage of concerts comes no shortage of choices, so if you’re one of those people that has an awful time making up your mind, it may be a little tough to decide on what to do this weekend. However, there are a few concerts that stand out from the rest, not only for the skill of the musicians involved but also for the limited impact they will have on your wallet.

As a result, if you’re a big fan of guitars and you would love to see the next generation of guitarists before they become the next big thing, you may want to check out Boston GuitarFest. Boston GuitarFest, which is hosted by the New England Conservatory and Northeastern University, is a series of workshops, competitions, and most importantly, concerts that are designed for young guitarists. These concerts not only feature some of the best emerging guitarists (both with acoustic and electric guitars) currently out there but also feature some of the best dancers, drummers, flutists, pianists, violinists, and other performers that you will ever see. Best of all, the price for most of the concerts is pretty reasonable, as each concert will typically fall into the $10 to $40 range. For more information on Boston Guitarfest, which runs until this Sunday (June 29, 2014), please visit the Official Boston GuitarFest website.

If, on the other hand, you’re not really into guitars or you like your musicians to have a little more experience, you may want to check out Pops on the Lawn. Pops on the Lawn is a concert at Sennott Park in Cambridge that will feature the Cambridge Symphony Orchestra. This concert will allow you and your family to listen to classical music, marches, movie themes, patriotic songs, show tunes, and other similar music designed for the whole family. However, the best part of this particular concert is the fact that it is absolutely free. For more information on Pops on the Lawn, please visit the Cambridge Symphony Orchestra’s Event page.

Finally, if you’re one of those people that thinks of a medieval ballad every time someone mentions classical music, you may want to head over to the Waltham Farmer’s Market this weekend. This is because the Waltham Farmer’s Market is hosting a performance by the Solstice Sackbuts from 11:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. tomorrow (June 28, 2014.) The Solstice Sackbuts are a trio of musicians that specialize in classical, medieval, and renaissance music with a little pop and jazz thrown in as well. These musicians, which have appeared at a number of different venues including King Richard’s Faire, will dazzle you with their musical talents while teaching you about composers throughout the ages. For more information on the Solstice Sackbuts Concert at the Waltham Farmer’s Market, which is absolutely free (unless you end up buying something at the market), please visit the Solstice Sackbuts website or the Waltham Farmer’s Market Concert page.

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