King Richard’s Faire – Salem Happenings

The 35th Anniversary of King Richard’s Faire

If you read my post a couple of weeks ago about the Silver Kingdom Renaissance Festival, you probably already know that King Richard’s Faire is right around the corner. In fact, if you’re a renaissance fan who’s been counting down the days to one of the largest and longest-running renaissance festivals in the area, you’ll be happy to know that the wait is finally over. This is because King Richard’s faire will open its gates for the 35th time tomorrow (Saturday, September 3, 2016) at approximately 10:30 A.M. This year’s Faire will feature some new acts plus all of the tried and true entertainment of years past, including acrobats, comedy acts, fire eaters, games, jugglers, jousting, magicians, minstrels, rides, tigers and more 16th-century style entertainment than you can shake a sword at. And, speaking of swords, the Faire will also feature a huge assortment of vendors that will allow you to purchase armor, weapons, and everything in between. Best of all, there are a number of coupons and discounts available for the Faire, including a Groupon that will allow you to save over 30% on admission for a group of two or four. For more information on King Richard’s Faire, which runs from September 3, 2016 to October 23, 2016, please visit the King Richard’s Faire website.

Photo credit: Wolfrage via Visualhunt.com / CC BY

The Silver Kingdom Renaissance Festival

King Richard’s Faire will open its doors to all of the renaissance fair fans out there in just a couple of weeks, but if you just can’t wait to grab your medieval finery or dress up as your favorite Game of Thrones character, fear not! It just so happens that the Silver Kingdom Renaissance Festival is scheduled to take place this Saturday and Sunday (August 20th and 21st, 2016) from 10:30 A.M. to 5:30 P.M. in Charlton, MA. This festival, which is definitely smaller than King Richard’s Faire (but also costs less than half the price), will feature comedy acts, costumes, dance performances, musical performances, historical weapon demonstrations (swords, guns, and cannons), stories, a bunch of merchants selling a wide variety of unusual items, and a whole lot more. Best of all, there’s currently a Groupon available that will let you purchase two tickets to the festival for $19, which is pretty hard to beat. For more information on the Silver Kingdom Renaissance Festival, which typically costs $15 for anyone over the age of 14 and $10 for children ages 6 to 14 (children under 6 are free), please visit the Silver Kingdom Renaissance Festival website.

Photo credit: WalterPro4755 via Visualhunt / CC BY

The History of Labor Day

As you probably already know, this weekend is Labor Day Weekend. A time for people to relax, to say goodbye to the summer, and to light up their grills for one last hurrah before it’s time to put all of the outdoor stuff away again. In fact, as long as you’re not working this weekend, you’re probably already getting ready to do exactly that. However, even though you may be in the process of setting up your grill and getting ready to kick back (or at least wishing that you were), you may not really know the history behind why we celebrate the holiday in the first place. If this is indeed the case and you are interested in learning a little more about the history of the holiday, here’s some information about Labor Day and a few other events this weekend that will help you explore the history of the world.

Labor Day was declared a national holiday by President Grover Cleveland in 1894. However, the story of Labor Day actually begins 12 years earlier when a high-ranking member of a labor union began wondering why other countries, such as Canada, had holidays recognizing the working people that kept the country running, but the United States did not. Now, of course, there is some dispute as to which high-ranking member started the Labor Day movement and, therefore, which labor union helped establish it, but it was probably Peter J. Maguire of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and the American Federation of Labor or Matthew Maguire of the International Association of Machinists and the Central Labor Union.

Yet, regardless of who established the holiday, the first Labor Day parade and picnic was held by the Central Labor Union in New York City on September 5, 1882. This led a number of unions in other cities to hold similar celebrations in the following years, and many states began to recognize the day as a state holiday shortly thereafter. Then, only mere days after the end of a particularly tragic strike involving the railway workers of the Pullman Company , Congress decided to recognize Labor Day as an official holiday throughout the country to honor the working man (and placate the unions.) As a result, you can no longer say that you never got anything out of a union because they did actually get you another holiday (unless you work in retail in which case they probably only got you extra hours making sure that all the people off this weekend can go out and shop.)

Now, if you couldn’t possibly care less about the history of Labor Day or you’re simply more interested in the events that occurred 30 years before the creation of the national holiday, you may want to head over to Georges Island this weekend. This is because Georges Island is hosting two Civil War events this weekend that are specifically designed for kids. The first event, which is entitled the Civil War Dress-Up, will allow your kids to dress up in costumes that are very similar to the uniforms and clothing worn by soldiers during the Civil War. The second event, which is called the Civil War Lawn Games, will allow you and your children to try some of the games that people actually played during the Civil War. For more information on the Civil War Dress-Up, which will take place on Georges Island at 12:00 P.M. on Saturday (August 30, 2014), or the Civil War Lawn Games, which will take place on Georges Island at 12:00 P.M. on Sunday (August 31, 2014), please visit the Boston Harbor Islands website.

If, on the other hand, you like your history to be a little more removed from the present day, or as Weird Al Yankovic might say, you really “want to go medieval on their heiney”, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston or King Richard’s Faire may be more suited for your court. This is because the Museum of Fine Arts actually has a copy, one of only four in the world, of the original Magna Carta on display. This document, whose Latin name literally translates to “Great Charter”, was written in 1215 to establish a number of rights for the people of England that are very similar to the rights that the U.S. Constitution and the U.S. Bill of Rights protects. As a result, if you want to see a document that is almost 800 years old and may have played a pivotal role in the creation of our government, you should definitely check out the Museum of Fine Arts Exhibitions page and head over to the museum this weekend.

However, if you would prefer your medieval/renaissance experience to be a little more whimsical with some modern-day flair thrown in or your just can’t resist a renaissance faire, you’ll be happy to know that King Richard’s Faire begins this weekend. King Richard’s Faire is, of course, a renaissance faire that features armor, acrobats, comedy acts, costuming, fire-breathers and fire eaters, games, giant turkey legs, jewelry, jugglers, jousting, magicians, minstrels, swords, tigers, rides, and a whole lot more. And, if you’re a AAA member, you can save $4 on your admission by printing a coupon on the AAA website. For more information on the Faire, which runs every weekend from now until October 19th, please visit the King Richard’s Faire website.

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

Great Musicians Through the Ages

If 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)

Friday Fun: It’s Time to Get Medieval

Hear ye! Hear ye! All people of the realm, the summer may be coming to a close but that doesn’t mean that the fun has to end. In fact, if you’re a parent, it may mean that the fun is just beginning now that the kids are back in school. However, if you’re having trouble finding something fun to do this weekend, here are a couple of events in the Boston area that you should definitely check out.

First, if you and/or your kids have ever wanted to see a group of knights, clad in full armor, riding into battle, King Richard’s Faire may be just what you’re looking for. This faire, which is located in Carver, Massachusetts, is a renaissance faire that features armor, acrobats, comedy acts, costuming, fire-breathers and fire eaters, a human chess game, games for kids and adults, giant turkey legs, jewelry, jugglers, jousting, magicians, minstrels, swords, rides, and a whole lot more. In fact, the faire will not only give you the opportunity to watch a number of skilled performers carrying out amazing feats of skill and showmanship but will also give you the opportunity to get involved in many of the shows yourself (whether you want to or not.) The Faire will even give you the opportunity to watch a joust and root for the dashing hero or the cutthroat villain. For more information on the Faire, which runs every weekend from August 31st to October 20th, please visit the King Richard’s Faire website.

If, on the other hand, you and/or your kids are more interested in the armor than the people who wear it, you may want to check out the Higgins Armory Museum in Worchester, MA. This museum, which is open every day except Monday, features one of the largest collections of medieval arms and armor that you will probably ever see. Unfortunately, the museum is closing at the end of 2013, so it may be your last chance to see all of the armor, axes, crossbows, gauntlets, helmets, swords, and other amazing pieces from around the world that are featured at the museum. For more information on the museum and all of the amazing exhibits that it has to offer, please visit the Higgins Armory Museum website.