14th Annual Salem’s So Sweet Festival

Football on the Field
The big game is this weekend, and it’s definitely looking like it will be a game to remember even though the Patriots aren’t in it (I know. I feel your pain.) In fact, even if the Panthers/Broncos matchup doesn’t live up to all of the hype, it certainly appears that all of the performances and commercials that the NFL has lined up for Super Bowl 50 will make it a spectacle for the ages. However, if you have a loved one who isn’t really into football and you want to do something with them before the big game (perhaps so you can drag them to a Super Bowl party without feeling guilty), you may want to head over to Salem this weekend (especially if your loved one is a fan of sweets.)

This is because the 14th Annual Salem’s So Sweet Festival is scheduled to begin at 6:30 P.M. tonight (Friday, February 5, 2016). This festival, which runs until Sunday evening (February 7, 2016), will feature 23 ice sculptures (weather permitting), discounted trolley rides (also weather permitting), and discounts at a number of locations throughout downtown Salem. As a result, if you’re looking for a great way to check out Salem or you’re just looking for a way to take your significant other out for the night without breaking the bank, the Salem So Sweet Festival is definitely the way to go. For more information on the 14th Annual Salem’s So Sweet Festival, please visit Salem’s So Sweet on Facebook or visit the Salem Main Streets website.

Photo via VisualHunt

A Snowy Valentine’s Day

Melting Heart
Sick of the snow? Looking for something fun and warm to do this Valentine’s Day? Well, fear not. Even though Boston is under six and half feet of snow right now, there’s still plenty of stuff going on this weekend to keep you and your significant other entertained. In fact, even if you don’t have a significant other right now, there are a number of events in the Boston area this weekend that are sure to warm your heart even if they don’t necessarily warm your hands.

First, if you and/or your significant other are into sweets, there’s no better place to be this weekend than the Salem So Sweet Chocolate and Ice Sculpture Festival. The Salem So Sweet Chocolate and Ice Sculpture Festival is an annual tradition in Salem, Massachusetts that typically runs the week before Valentine’s Day, and this year is no different. This festival, which runs until 6:30 P.M. on Sunday (February 15, 2015), features over 15 ice sculptures (including some that aren’t completely buried in snow yet), chocolate tastings, discounts at local museums and restaurants, a raffle, wine tastings, and more. For more information on the Salem So Sweet Chocolate and Ice Sculpture Festival, please visit the Salem Main Streets Festival page.

If, on the other hand, you and/or your beloved are more interested in mysteries than ice and chocolates or you are looking for some way to combine your Valentine’s Day celebration with Friday the 13th (without watching a movie like My Bloody Valentine), you may want to check out Marriage Can be Murder.  Marriage Can be Murder is a murder mystery scheduled to take place at the Elephant and Castle Pub in Boston at 5:00, 6:30, and 8:00 P.M. tomorrow (February 14, 2015). This production, which will be performed by the Mystery Cafe, will place you and a group of other individuals in the role of wedding guests tasked with determining who committed the most horrific faux pas imaginable — murdering one of the other guests. In fact, you will not only be able to go through clues and use fake money to bribe the actors for more information between scenes but also join in all of the typical wedding festivities like trying to catch the bouquet, doing the chicken dance, and more. For more information on Marriage Can be Murder and/or to order tickets, please visit the Mystery Cafe website.

Finally, if you don’t have a significant other or you’ve always thought Valentine’s Day was a lame excuse to sell more greeting cards, Area Four in Cambridge has you covered. This is because Area Four is hosting their Fourth Annual Haters Valentine’s Day from 5:00 P.M. to midnight tomorrow (February 14, 2015). This somewhat unusual Valentine’s Day celebration will allow you to watch a series of angry films; listen to emo music; and sample a variety of anti-Valentine’s Day themed dishes, including Arrabbiata “Angry” Pizza, Jerked Chicken, Irate Rice, and Skewered Lamb Neck. For more information on the Fourth Annual Haters Valentine’s Day celebration, please visit Area Four’s Yelp event page.

Photo credit: seyed mostafa zamani / Foter / CC BY

Friday Fun: Avoiding the Winter Blues

Is the cold weather really getting to you? Are you already having one of those years where you’re thinking “One month down, eleven more to go”? Well, if you are having one of those years where nothing seems to be going right or you’re just sick and tired of the cold weather, you may be looking for a way to cheer yourself up. Luckily, coming up with a good way to lift yourself out of the winter blues can be easier than you might think during the month of February. This is because the stuff that melts in your mouth, your hands, and quite frankly everywhere else during the summer is pretty easy to find during this time of year.

Of course, I’m talking about chocolate, and more specifically about the chocolate festivals that typically occur throughout the continental United States (and a number of other countries as well) around the day that everyone’s loves to love, or in some cases dread, Valentine’s Day. In fact, chocolate festivals are held in many areas throughout the world during this time of year, and there’s a pretty good chance that you will be able to find a festival in your local area at some point this month. With the goal of helping you find some chocolate in mind, here are a few of the major festivals in the continental United States over the next couple of weeks:

1. The Enumclaw Wine and Chocolate Festival takes place from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. today (Friday, February 1st) and from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. tomorrow (Saturday, February 2nd) at the Expo Center in Enumclaw, WA. This festival features a wide selection of wine, chocolate, cars that the average person would never be able to afford, and entertainment ranging from aerialists to musical performers. For more information, visit the festival’s website.

2. The Firehouse Art Center Chocolate Festival takes place at the Norman Firehouse Art Center in Norman, OK on February 2nd from 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This festival has won a number of awards and features an enormous assortment of chocolates from a variety of vendors and free art-related activities for children. For more information, visit the City of Norman website or the Norman Firehouse Art Center website.

3. The Salem So Sweet Chocolate Festival takes place in Salem, MA from Friday, February 8th to Friday, February 15th.  This festival not only features the chocolate that you would typically expect from a chocolate festival, but also includes wine tastings and another thing that will certainly melt in higher temperatures – ice sculptures. For more information, visit the Salem Chamber of Commerce’s website or the Salem Haunted Happenings Website.

Please Note:  The chocolate sampling and the wine tastings for the Salem So Sweet Chocolate Festival, which were originally scheduled for today, have been moved to Friday, February 15th (the day after Valentine’s Day) due to the blizzard.