Watch City Steampunk Festival 2016

Steampunk Girl with Her Schematics
Did you miss out on last week’s OtherWhere Market or are you looking for another Steampunk fix? Well, if the answer to either of these questions is yes, you’re in luck because it just so happens that the Watch City Steampunk Festival is scheduled to take place throughout Waltham from 9:30 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. tomorrow (Saturday, May 7, 2016). This event will give you the opportunity to dress in your finest Victorian/Steampunk garb (or come in your modern-day clothing if you lack the appropriate attire) and explore everything that the Steampunk genre and the Victorian era has to offer. In fact, if you decide to attend the festival, you will have the chance to experience a variety of activities aimed at children and adults alike, including artwork, blacksmithing, crafts, costuming, dancing, games, lectures, live performances, music, a parade, sword fighting, and way more than I could ever hope to list here. For more information on the Watch City Steampunk Festival, which is free and open to the public, please visit the Watch City Steampunk Festival website.

Photo credit: Stf.O via Foter.com / CC BY

Leaving the AC’s Cool Breeze

Air Conditioners Galore!
Chances are, you’ve probably heard the phrase “it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity” somewhere before. In fact, if you have been anywhere on the east coast of the United States this week, you have probably not only heard the phrase, but also realized that truer words have never been spoken. This is because our bodies and the bodies of almost all warm-blooded animals are able to cool themselves better in dry weather than humid weather. As a result, it’s much harder for everyone to cool off when it’s hot and humid, and many of us turn to our air conditioners looking for the relief we seek. The only problem is that you can’t really take your air conditioner everywhere you go unless you’re planning to sit in your car all day, so when it is really gross out like it has been this week, you may have trouble finding the ambition to leave your home. Fortunately, if you and your kids have spent all week in your house praising Robert S. Sherman, the man that invented the first portable, window air conditioner, you’ll be happy to know that there are a number of events this weekend that will let your family get outside and enjoy the nice weather that we’re supposed to have.

First, if you’re looking for a fun but educational way to enjoy the nice weather, you may want to consider a Salem Kids Walking Tour. A Salem Kids Walking Tour is a special tour that is specifically designed to let children, ages 6 and up, experience all of the history and mystery that the Witch City has to offer. These tours, which typically take place on Saturday mornings from 10:45 A.M. to approximately 11:45 A.M., will allow you and your kids to wander the city with a licensed tour guide in full puritan garb while you hear stories about the people, locations, and superstitions that have helped to make the city famous. For more information on the Salem Kids Walking Tours, which begin at Wicked Good Books at 215 Essex Street in Salem, Massachusetts, please visit the Salem Kids Tours website or stop by Wicked Good Books.

Secondly, if you think a tour would bore your kids out of their minds or they would be tired of walking after about 15 minutes, you might want to let your kids Play the Day Away at the Lawn on D. The Lawn on D, located at 420 D Street in Boston, is hosting a Play the Day Away event specifically for kids from 12:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. on Saturday (July 18, 2015.) This event will allow your kids to try their hand at arts and crafts, play a variety of different games, and enjoy interactive sculptures and works of art from the Boston Children’s Museum, the Museum of Science, and more. For more information on Play the Day Away at the Lawn on D, which is completely free to attend, please visit the Lawn on D’s Calendar of Events page.

Finally, if the only way that you’re going to get your kids away from their computer screen or their TV screen is to stick them in front of an even bigger screen, you may want to head over to the Prudential Center in Boston this weekend. This is because the Prudential Center is showing Frozen as part of the Mix 106.7 Family Film Festival at sundown on Saturday (July 18, 2015) in their South Garden. This event, which begins at approximately 6:00 P.M., will allow you and your family to enjoy a series of children’s activities, giveaways, pre-movie entertainment, and, of course, see the beloved Disney film that tells the tale of the Snow Queen, Elsa, and her sister Anna. For more information on the Mix 106.7 Family Film Festival at the Prudential Center, including upcoming shows, please visit the Prudential Center’s Events page.

Photo credit: Jan Tik / Foter / CC BY