The first tropical storm of the year, tropical storm Andrea, has made its way up the east coast, and while it isn’t bringing that much wind to the Northeast, it is dumping buckets and buckets of rain in every direction you look. In fact, as I sit here typing this, there is a squirrel sitting on the fence outside my window attempting to use his (or perhaps her) tail as an umbrella. As you might guess, this had led me to the conclusion that things outside are more than a little wet as even the squirrels are having trouble finding somewhere dry. Fortunately, if you are looking for somewhere to spend your weekend without using your bag, briefcase, or other accessory as an umbrella (since you presumably don’t have a tail), there are a number of events in the Boston area that are occurring after the storm is over this weekend.
First, if you’re a big fan of Star Trek and you’ve been looking for a way to prove your undying adoration for the show or the movies, you may want to head on over to the Hynes Convention Center tomorrow or Sunday. The Hynes Convention Center is hosting the Official Star Trek Convention – Boston on Saturday and Sunday this weekend from 10:00 a.m. on. This convention will feature special guest appearances from William Shatner (Captain Kirk), George Takai (Sulu), Nichelle Nichols (Uhura), Brent Spiner (Data), Michael Dorn (Worf), Nana Visitor (Major Kira), and a slew of other actors and actresses from Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The convention will also feature Star Trek auctions, costumes, contests, merchandise, music videos, and everything else a true fan could possibly want. If this all sounds like a blast to you, check out the convention’s website.
If, on the other hand, Star Trek isn’t really your thing or you’re just looking for something that is cultural without the sci-fi culture, you may want to check out the Boston Irish Festival or the Boston Dragon Boat Festival. The Boston Irish Festival, which is the largest Irish Festival on the East Coast, features Irish dancing, food, games, music, and a whole lot more. The Festival runs from today (although a lot of the major events have been rescheduled due to the storm) through Sunday, and if you would like more information on the Festival, you can find it all on the Boston Irish Festival Website.
The Boston Dragon Boat Festival is not only the longest running Dragon Boat Festival in North America, but is also one of the largest celebrations of all things Asian in the Northeast. In fact, you can expect to see arts and crafts, Chinese and Japanese drumming, martial arts demonstrations, traditional dances from India and Korea, a wide assortment of different foods, and, most importantly, dragon boats racing down the Charles. Most of the Dragon Boat Festival will take place on Sunday, but the time trials for the dragon boat races will take place on Saturday. For more information on the Dragon Boat Festival, please visit the Boston Dragon Boat Festival website.
