Harvard Square – Salem Happenings

Rock Out This Summer

One of the great things about summer is that there’s never a shortage of things to do. In fact, it doesn’t matter whether you’re looking for a BBQ, a concert, an entire music festival, or something completely different, there’s always something going on. The only problem is that with so many events, it can be tough to figure out which events are actually worth spending your time on and which events would be better left to somebody else. As a result, if you’re looking for a good way to spend your time without wasting it on something you hate, you may want to know a little more about some of the big concerts and festivals going on this weekend.

First, if you’re a fan of classical, folk, jazz, and/or other similar music from around the world, there is a program at the Boston Public Library that you may be interested in. This program, which is appropriately entitled “Concerts in the Courtyard”, is a series of hour-long concerts that run from 12:30 P.M. to 1:30 P.M. on Fridays and 6:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. on Wednesdays until the end of August. These concerts will feature performers that specialize in music from around the world, including music from countries such as Brazil, Columbia, Egypt, Ireland, Scotland, Venezuela, and New Jersey (I know, I know. New Jersey isn’t technically another country, but if you’ve ever been on the New Jersey Turnpike, you know that it can feel like you’re spending days traveling to a far away land.) For more information on the Boston Public Library’s Concerts in the Courtyard series, including more information on the performers, please visit the Boston Public Library’s Programs and Events page.

Secondly, if you’re more of a fan of rock and roll than you are of “worldly” music or you’re just in desperate need of a huge BBQ, you might want to check out City Hall Plaza in Boston this weekend. This is because City Hall Plaza is hosting the Phantom Gourmet BBQ & Music Festival from 12:00 P.M. today (June 20, 2014) to approximately 6:45 P.M. Sunday (with some occasional breaks in there for sleep.) This festival will feature some of the best BBQ teams from around the world, drinks, and an assortment of bands including the Mighty Mighty BossTones. For more information on the Phantom Gourmet BBQ & Music Festival, please visit The Phantom Gourmet BBQ Beach Party website.

Finally, if you’re a fan of music in every form regardless of whether it’s rock, folk, or somewhere in between, Harvard Square is definitely the place to be this weekend. This is because the 7th Annual Make Music Harvard Square festival is tomorrow (Saturday, June 21, 2014) from 2:00 P.M. to approximately 10 P.M. This festival, which pretty much takes over the entire area around Harvard Square, will give you the chance to listen to alternative, blue grass, country, folk, funk, grunge, Goth, hip hop, jazz, pop, R&B, rock, world music, and more. For more information on the Make Music Harvard Square Festival, which is also known as the Fête de la Musique, please visit the Official Harvard Square website.

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

Death by Chocolate? Hardly.

I've heard of death by chocolate, but I don't think this is what people usually mean. — I’ve heard of death by chocolate, but somehow I don’t think this is what people usually mean.

It doesn’t matter whether it is hot, cold, or somewhere in between, chocolate is one of the most popular foods available. However, did you know that chocolate doesn’t only taste good, but is also good for you? In fact, studies have shown that chocolate can help alleviate depression and stress, improve brain function, lower your blood pressure, reduce your risk of developing diabetes, reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke, and improve the overall functioning of your body in a number of other ways. As a result, it’s really no surprise that chocolate is so hard to pass up, and if you’re looking for a way to get your chocolate fix, there’s no better time to find some than now.

The first place that you should look if you’re in need of a chocolate fix is Old Town Trolley Tours. This is because Old Town Trolley Tours offers a tour of the top chocolate shops in the Boston area every Saturday from now until April 12th. This tour, which is known as the Boston Chocolate Tour, will allow you to learn all about chocolate from an actual chef while you travel to the Top of the Hub, the Omni Parker House Hotel, and the Langham Hotel’s Café Fleur to sample the best chocolate desserts they have to offer. Now, with a price tag of $75 a person, the Boston Chocolate Tour may seem a little on the pricey side. However, it is important to remember that the tour includes an all-you-can-eat chocolate buffet at the Langham Hotel’s Café Fleur, which may account for a large portion of the $75 fee. The tour also includes samples from each of the places you stop and samples while you travel courtesy of Beacon Hill Chocolates. For more information on the Boston Chocolate Tour, please visit the Old Town Trolley Tours website.

The second place that you should look if you’re desperately seeking chocolate this weekend is Harvard Square. This is because the annual Harvard Square Chocolate Festival, which is also known as the Taste of Chocolate Festival, runs from today at 11:30 A.M. to Sunday at 12:30 P.M. This festival will give you the opportunity to sample and/or purchase a variety of heavily discounted chocolates and chocolate-themed items while you listen to music, learn more about chocolate at the Harvard Museum of Natural History, and enjoy everything else that Harvard Square has to offer. For more information on the Harvard Square Chocolate Festival, please visit the Official Harvard Square website.

Finally, if you prefer your chocolate in cookie form, you may want to find a local Girl Scout. Girl Scout cookies are on sale from now until the end of February in most places, so it is the perfect time to stock up on those Thin Mints.

Photo credit: JD Hancock / Foter.com / CC BY

Friday Fun: Harvard Square

Black Friday may be over, but the holiday season has just begun. As a result, almost every mall, plaza, and independently-owned store will be filled with people who are still desperately trying to find gifts for all of the hard-to-shop-for friends and family that they didn’t cross off their list last weekend. Unfortunately, with the forecasters predicting rain followed by a significant temperature drop, it’s probably not going to the best weather to be wandering around looking for gifts. However, if you are determined to get some shopping done this weekend or you’re just looking for a way to have some fun without your extremities getting too frosty, Harvard Square is definitely the place to be.

First, if you’re looking for a way to stay warm while you’re shopping, Yelp Shops Local is hosting a Hot Cocoa Crawl in Harvard Square tonight (December 6, 2013) from 5:30 P.M. to 8:30 P.M. This event will give you the opportunity to try some of the best hot chocolate around and includes stops at Algiers Coffee House, Black Ink, Cardullo’s Gourmet Shoppe, Crema Cafe, and LA Burdicks. For more information on the event and to find out more about the exact times that the Yelp crew will be in each shop, please visit the Hot Cocoa Crawl in Harvard Square’s Yelp page.

Once you’re done with your hot chocolate or if you just want to skip the hot chocolate and get straight to the shopping, you can head over to the Harvard Square Holiday Fair. The Harvard Square Holiday Fair, which is hosted by the First Parish Church, is a craft fair that will give you a chance to peruse and, as far as the vendors are concerned, hopefully purchase a wide assortment of handmade calendars, cards, clothing, jewelry, pottery, and other similar holiday gifts. For more information on the holiday fair, which runs every weekend until Christmas, please visit the official Harvard Square website.

Photo credit: stefg74 / Foter.com / CC BY