Music – Page 2 – Salem Happenings

The Cure for Your Friday the 13th Woes

Friday the 13th is once again upon us, and it is certainly a day that many people dread. In fact, if you are one of the large number of individuals that is filled with nothing but disgust every time you hear the words “Friday” and the “13th” in the same sentence, you may be looking for something that you can do with your family after the day is over. Fortunately, if this is indeed the case, the Boston Parks and Recreation Department may have exactly what you are looking for. This is because the Boston Parks and Recreation Department and Mayor Martin J. Walsh are hosting the Boston Bubble Festival on Boston Common from 11:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. tomorrow (Saturday, May 14, 2016). This event will allow you and your children to learn about the science behind bubbles, see live bubble demonstrations with some of the biggest floating bubbles you’ve ever seen, make your own bubbles at a series of bubble stations, listen to music, and participate in a wide variety of other kid-friendly activities. For more information on the Boston Bubble Festival, which is completely free and open to the public, please visit the Boston Bubble Festival’s Facebook page.

Photo credit: elPadawan via Visual Hunt / CC BY-SA

Watch City Steampunk Festival 2016

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

Fukushima Youth Sinfonietta at Symphony Hall

The fifth anniversary of the horrifying earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan and inflicted catastrophic damage to the nuclear power plant in Fukushima was just a few weeks ago. However, even though the disaster itself is now long in the past, the effects of the tragedy are still apparent throughout the island nation. In fact, there are a number of people who are only just returning to their homes now to find that the road to recovery has just begun. Fortunately, people have an incredible ability to come together when times are at their darkest, and one such group of talented young people came together shortly after these tragic events took place in Japan.

This group, which is known as the Fukushima Youth Sinfonietta, is comprised of over fifty students from four high schools in Fukushima. These students asked a group of professional musicians to help them form an orchestra in order to find solace and hope for themselves and others in an extremely difficult time. This talented group of performers is now demonstrating their skill to the world, and it just so happens that they are performing at the Boston Symphony Hall this weekend. As a result, if you are a fan of music and/or you want to show your support for the people of Japan, you may want to check out this group of gifted young musicians on Sunday at 8:00 P.M. For more information on the Fukushima Youth Sinfonietta’s performance at Symphony Hall and/or to order tickets, please visit the Boston Symphony Hall website or the Japan Society of Boston’s website.

Photo credit: wisegie via Visualhunt / CC BY

Lunar New Year Weekend Festival

Last week, I talked about the annual Salem’s So Sweet Festival, and I have to admit that sometimes I just don’t understand people. The event, which was supposed to be a fun way for people to explore the city and see some magnificent works of frozen art, was marred by the actions of a small group of young mischief-makers who thought it would be fun to ransack some of the ice sculptures. Now, don’t get me wrong, I can understand, especially at a young age, the desire to reach out and break something when you’ve had a rough day and/or you’re feeling more than a little mischievous. However, there must be a better way to channel these impulses than destroying other people’s hard work and potentially earning yourself jail time and/or a hefty fine in the process. In fact, I would have to imagine that some of these individuals are probably thinking that they would like a do-over on this one because trying to explain to a judge or jury why you destroyed three ice sculptures valued at approximately $325 each seems like the complete opposite of fun to me.

Of course, actual do-overs are not usually an option in life, but there may be a way for you to “reset” your year in a figurative sense. You see, it just so happens that this past Monday was the Lunar New Year, so if you’re looking for a way to celebrate the occasion and start the year fresh, you may want to head over to the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem. This is because the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) is hosting their Lunar New Year Weekend Festival from 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. tomorrow (Saturday, February 13, 2016.) This event will allow you and your family to design your own Chinese lantern, watch a number of dancing performances (including lion dances and ribbon dances), listen to music played on traditional Chinese instruments, and more. For more information on the Lunar New Year Weekend Festival at the PEM, please visit the Peabody Essex Museum’s Event Calendar.

Photo credit: aotaro via VisualHunt / CC BY

Labor Day Weekend in Boston 2015

Another summer has come and gone, and the time to wish the warmer weather and your kid’s vacation a fond farewell is upon us again. In fact, I don’t know about you, but it seems like this summer went by at a scorching pace (both fast and hot.) As a result, it’s even more important to find a way to make this weekend, the unofficial end of summer, a memorable one because it’s your last chance to take advantage of all the things that the summertime has to offer. Fortunately, if you’re looking for a way to make this Labor Day Weekend memorable, you don’t have to look very far because these events are sure to help.

First, if you’re looking for a way for your kids to have some fun and beat the heat one last time before they go back to school (if they haven’t already), you’ll definitely want to check out the Watergun Wars. Cortège Fitness, a group dedicated to promoting exercise through social activities, is hosting an event entitled the Watergun Wars at the Water Fountain in front of the Christian Science Center in Boston from 1:00 P.M. to 3:00 P.M. on Sunday (September 6, 2015.) This event will allow kids of all ages (regardless of how adult-like they may look on the outside) to grab their squirt guns and join the biggest water battle you have probably ever seen. For more information on the Watergun Wars and/or to RSVP for the event, which is absolutely free and open to the public, please visit the Cortège Fitness website.

Please Note: The Watergun Wars are a bring-your-own watergun event, so the event is free, but you will have to supply your own squirt gun. It is also important to note that for the purposes of safety, you should bring a squirt gun that does not resemble a real weapon in any way, shape, or form.

Secondly, if you’re looking for an event that will let you end the summer with a bang, you may want to head over to Boston Harbor on Saturday. This is because the 3rd Annual Labor Day Weekend Fireworks are scheduled to take place at approximately 9:00 P.M. on Saturday, September 5, 2015. This event will allow you to listen to music as you watch two barges loaded with fireworks duel in the sky to see which barge can light up the skyline in a more impressive fashion. For more information on the 3rd Annual Labor Day Weekend Fireworks, including the best locations to watch the fireworks from, please visit the Boston Harbor Association’s Summer on the Waterfront website.

Photo credit: Graham S Dean Photography / Foter / CC BY

Get Fired Up This Weekend!

Fire has fascinated humankind since the very beginning, and while the world has certainly changed a lot since then, people’s fascination with the natural results of combustion have not. In fact, it may have been the first men and women that discovered that fire could be quite useful while they were living in caves. However, we, the men and women of the modern age, have invented more than our fair share of ways to create and use fire ourselves to heat our homes, cook our food, move our cars, and accomplish a variety of other incredible tasks. Unfortunately, the incredible power of fire can also cause its fair share of problems for when fire is misused and/or allowed to spiral out of control, disaster and destruction is all that can follow in its wake. As a result, it’s important to appreciate the power of fire and its ability to aid or destroy, and if you’re looking for a way to experience this power in a safe environment, you’ll definitely want to check out one of these events.

First, if you’re looking for an exhibition of fire in all its forms, Somerville is the place to be this weekend. This is because Ignite! A Global Street Food and Fire Festival is scheduled to take place in Union Square Plaza in Somerville from 6:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M. tomorrow night (Saturday, August 15, 2015.) This festival will give you the opportunity to burn your mouth off with some of the spiciest food around as dancers, fire throwers, musicians, and more attempt to show you their inner and outer fire through a series of passionate performances. For more information on Ignite! A Global Street Food and Fire Festival, which is completely free to attend and open to the public, please visit the Somerville Arts Council website.

If, on the other hand, you’re more interested in a person’s inner fire or, in other words, what fire represents in a figurative sense, the FireBall may be exactly what you’re looking for. The FireBall, which is scheduled to take place at 8:00 P.M. tomorrow night (Saturday, August 15, 2015), is a fundraiser thrown by the Theatre on Fire. This fundraiser will allow you to participate in a fire-themed costume ball complete with prizes for the best costume, allow you to watch an awards ceremony, and allow you to help decide which of the eight theatre singers will win the Ultimate Boston Theatre Karaoke Battle. For more information on the FireBall, please visit the Theatre on Fire website.

Photo credit: JD Hancock / Foter / CC BY

Indulge Your Artistic Side This Weekend

Summer has always been a great time to explore the art around us because it’s much easier to sing, dance, and create outside when you aren’t knee deep in snow. In fact, there is never a shortage of performers ready and waiting to demonstrate their artistic skill during this time of year, and this year is certainly no exception. As a result, if you’re looking for a way to indulge your artistic side this weekend, you’re in luck because there are a couple of events that are certain to help you find the artistic indulgences that you seek.

First, if you’re looking for a way to hear some great music without giving all of your money to a ticket broker, you should definitely check out the Boston Summer Arts Weekend. The Boston Summer Arts Weekend, which runs from 11:00 A.M. to approximately 11:00 P.M. tomorrow (July 25, 2015) and 12:30 P.M. to approximately 6:00 P.M. Sunday (July 26, 2015) is an arts festival that celebrates music in all its forms. This festival features a number of well-known and not-so-well-known performers playing Americana, blues, classical music, children’s music, folk music, and more. Best of all, all of the performances at the festival are completely free and open to the public, so you can listen to hours of great music without paying a dime. For more information on the Boston Summer Arts Weekend, which is sponsored by the Boston Globe, Citizen’s Bank, and WBGH, please visit the Boston Globe’s Boston Summer Arts Weekend page.

Secondly, if you’re looking for a way that you can head to the beach and still tell people that you were taking in some art, Revere Beach has you covered. This is because Revere Beach is hosting the 12th Annual Revere Beach National Sand Sculpting Festival this weekend, which means that from today until Sunday, you can see over 20 sculptors from around the world carefully crafting incredible works of art out of sand. In fact, this festival will not only give you the opportunity to see some truly awesome sand sculptures but will also give you and your family the opportunity to enjoy kid’s activities and rides, fireworks, food, live music, and more. For more information on the 2015 Revere Beach National Sand Sculpting Festival, which is absolutely free for everyone to attend, please visit the Revere Beach website.

Photo credit: Eric Kilby / Foter / CC BY-SA

Celebrate Your Independence in the Witch City!

Looking for a great place to celebrate the 4th? Well, if you are, you may want to consider spending the day in Salem. Now, I know that the idea of celebrating Independence Day in Salem may seem a bit strange since it is known as the Witch City, but it is important to remember that the Salem Witch Trials are not the only claim to fame that the city has. In fact, Salem has a rich maritime history that stretches back to long before the American Revolutionary War, and you would be hard pressed to find too many locales that offer a better place to celebrate our country’s independence than one of the busiest merchant ports of the revolution. As a result, if you’re really looking for a great way to celebrate the 4th of July, you should definitely check out some of these events in Salem.

First, if you’re a morning person and/or a huge history buff, you will definitely want to be on Salem Common tomorrow morning. This is because Salem’s annual reading of the Declaration of Independence will take place on the common at 9:00 A.M. tomorrow (July 4, 2015.) This reading will give you the chance to join the mayor and a number of other officials from Salem as you hear the words that helped ignite the American Revolution. For more information on the Reading of the Declaration of Independence in Salem, please visit the Official City of Salem website.

Secondly, if you’re more interested in the actual celebration than the history behind it or you would simply like to enjoy both the history and the celebration, you will probably want to be on Derby Wharf tomorrow afternoon. This is because the National Historic Site at Derby Wharf is the location of the annual 4th of July festivities in Salem. These festivities will include a salute to the armed forces, kids activities, music from the band LUX and the Hillyer Festival Orchestra, a flyover by the 104th Fighter Wing of the Barnes Air National Guard Unit, and, of course, an amazing fireworks display. For more information on the 4th of July Celebration in Salem, including information about parking and additional security measures that have been added this year, please visit the Official Salem, MA Guide.

Photo credit: svenstorm / Foter / CC BY-ND

Free Salem Scavenger Hunt

Are you an art fan planning to be in the Salem area this weekend? Well, if you are, you may want to check out the Salem Art Festival. The Salem Art Festival is a three-day celebration of art in all its forms, including the culinary arts, dance, film, music, painting, performance art, photography, poetry, sculpture, writing, theatre, and a whole lot more. In fact, the festival, which runs from today (June 5, 2015) until Sunday (June 7, 2015) has been giving local artists an opportunity to show off their work for seven years now, so there will be no shortage of things to see and people trying to see him.

However, if you’re concerned that your children may be a little too young for a large amount of family-friendly art, or in other words, will be bored out of their skulls by the time you’ve reached the second painting, you may be looking for something to keep them busy. If this is indeed the case, you’re in luck because this free scavenger hunt designed for children under the age of 12 will have you children looking for all of the famous (and not so-famous) landmarks around downtown Salem while you’re moving from one art location to the next (just so you know, the last location will have your kids looking for ice cream. You have been warned.)

Clue 1:
A very large bird after a long day in the sky,
Would return to his home on these sticks up high.

Clue 2:
Just as water flows down the side of a great mountain,
So too will it flow over you as it leaps from the…

Clue 3:
I have two hands upon my face.
You check my time to keep your pace.

Clue 4:
I ride on this right out of the room,
I’m magically powered with a crescent moon.

Clue 5:
During life, the falsely accused did their best,
But now their memorials all do rest,
By the side of the men who believed them unblessed.

Clue 6:
This museum is dedicated to people who were simply misunderstood
Because sometimes those who seem wicked are actually quite good.

Clue 7:
The first part of this place’s name is a person who uses a broom but has never swept the floor,
The second part of this place’s name is somewhere you live with your very own door.

Clue 8:
Looking for something oh so sweet?
Maria’s has something cold that is sure to help you beat the heat.

Answers: 1. The Stickwork Project’s Giant Bird Nests; 2. Fountain; 3. Almy’s Clock; 4. Bewitched Statue; 5. The Burying Point; 6. Witch Museum or Witch History Museum; 7. Witch House; 8. Maria’s Sweet Somethings.

Where Is All This Stuff? (All Locations are in Downtown Salem, MA):
1. The giant bird nests are part of the Stickwork art exhibit sculpted by Patrick Doherty, and these nest-like sculptures can be found in front of the Crowinshield-Bentley House at 126 Essex Street.
2. There are actually two fountains located on the pedestrian walkway on Essex Street, so you can look for one or both of them if you so choose. The first fountain (if you’re walking from the Crowinshield-Bentley House) is located in front of the Museum Place Mall and the second fountain is located across from Rockafellas at 231 Essex Street
3. The Almy’s Clock, which is the only thing left of the Almy’s, Bigelow, & Washburn Department Store that stood on the site until 1982, is located in front of the Commonwealth Financial Offices at 192 Essex Street.
4. The Bewitched Statue, which is a tribute to the fictional character Samantha Stephens from the famous TV series Bewitched, is located in Lappin Park at the intersection of Essex and Washington Street right in front of the Gulu Gulu Cafe.
5. The Burying Point, which was first established in 1637, is the oldest cemetery in Salem and the site of both John Hathorne, one of the judges that presided over the witch trials, and the site of the memorial to the victims of the trials. The Burying Point is located on Charter Street behind the Peabody Essex Museum.
6. The Salem Witch Museum and the Salem Witch History Museum, which are run by two completely different organizations, are both dedicated to teaching people about the events of the Salem witch trials and the innocent individuals who became victims of the witch hysteria. The Salem Witch Museum is located at 19 1/2 North Washington Square diagonally across from Salem Common and the Witch History Museum is located on the pedestrian walkway at 197 Essex Street.
7. The Witch House, which was the home of Jonathan Corwin, is located at 310 Essex Street. Jonathan Corwin was one of the judges that presided over the witch trials, and his home is one of the only structures from the period with a direct link to the trials that is still standing.
8. Maria’s Sweet Somethings is a souvenir, sweets, and ice cream shop located at 26 Front Street right around corner from most of the art festival’s exhibits.

Photo credit: openroads.com / Foter / CC BY

Geek Out This Mother’s Day

Are you a big fan of Star Wars, steampunk, or just all things geeky? Do random people see the costumes you wear and look at you like you’re actually from another world (Tatooine or Naboo, perhaps)? Have you ever tried to explain to someone what your geeky hobby is and why you do it? Well, if the answer to any of these questions is yes and you are a self-proclaimed geek, nerd, fanboy, or fangirl, you’ll be happy to know that there are several events this weekend that will help you show your friends and family what your geekiness is all about. In fact, if you’re a Star Wars fan, a steampunk Fan, or even an exercise geek, this is the perfect weekend to show Mom (or anyone else for that matter), the geeky things that you truly enjoy.

First, if you’re a Star Wars fan, you may want to head over to the Franklin Park Zoo this weekend. This is because the Franklin Park Zoo is hosting their annual Star Wars Day from 10:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. on Sunday (May 10, 2015.) This event will allow you and your friends and family to see stormtroopers from the 501st Legion, famous characters from the Rebel Legion, participate in a series of Star Wars scavenger hunts, watch animals play with special Star Wars themed enrichment items, and more. Best of all, if you are planning to bring your mother, the zoo is offering free admission to all mothers in honor of Mother’s Day. For more information on Star Wars Day at the Franklin Park Zoo, please visit the Zoo New England Special Events page.

Secondly, if you’re more of a steampunk fan than a Star Wars fan or you love both equally, you’ll probably want to be in Waltham this weekend. This is because the Watch City Steampunk Festival is this Saturday (May 9, 2015) from 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. on the Common in Waltham, Massachusetts. This festival will give you the opportunity to bring your friends and family into the world of steampunk with artwork, costuming, films, live performances, music, and a whole lot more. However, the thing that will probably truly put a smile on your face is the fact that you won’t have to pay a dime to get in because admission to the festival is free. For more information on the Watch City Steampunk Festival, please visit the Official Watch City Steampunk Festival website.

Finally, if you like to show the world your geekiness by regaling your friends and family with tales of all of the places that you’ve run through and how quickly you ran through them (which is important if you’re trying to avoid imperial stormtroopers or some other nefarious group of villians), you may want to check out the Geek Day Virtual 5K. The Geek Day Virtual 5K is a virtual marathon that runs from now until May 31st. This event will actually allow you to make your own marathon by choosing a 5K route, running it, and then reporting your time (with the appropriate fee of course) to the organizers. You will then receive a Geek Day Medal and a portion of the money from all of the fees collected will go to charity. For more information on the Geek Day Virtual 5K and/or to report your time for the event, please visit the Virtual Run Events website.

Photo credit: Counse / Photo / CC BY