Checking Out Boston Sports This Weekend

Boston Red Sox Baseball
Last week, I talked about how summer is a great time to get outside and explore the art around us because it’s one of the only times of the year that we’re not actually buried in snow. And, while some people might be wishing for those mountains of snow to return right now during this unprecedented heat wave, most people would agree it’s nice to enjoy some music, dancing, and other art during the warmer weather. However, it is important to remember that art is not the only thing that is easier to enjoy during the summer. In fact, if you’re a sports fan, summer can be a great time to check out some of the games played during the hotter months, attend a special event at a sports stadium, or even see some of the players from your favorite fall and winter sports get ready for the upcoming season. This means that if you are a sports fan in the Boston area looking for something to do this weekend, you will definitely want to check out some of these events.

First, if you are a Red Sox fan that hasn’t decided that the Red Sox are too painful to watch this year (and, therefore, are a braver fan than I), you may want to try and see them play the Tampa Bay Rays this weekend. The Red Sox are playing at home all weekend, and Ken Ryan, Dick Berardino, or Jim Corsi will be in Autograph Alley on Yawkey Way before each game to sign autographs. Best of all, if you’re a student that doesn’t mind standing to watch the game, you may be able to get standing room only tickets for a measly $9. For more information on obtaining discounted Red Sox tickets for students, please visit the Red Sox Student Ticket Offer page.

Secondly, if you’re a true Red Sox fan, but you just can’t bear to watch them get slaughtered night after night, you may want to consider buying tickets for the 10th Annual Boston Red Sox Picnic in the Park. Now, I will warn you right off the bat (if you’ll excuse the pun) that the Annual Picnic in the Park, which is scheduled to take place after Sunday’s Red Sox Game, is definitely on the pricey side at $325 a ticket. However, a ticket to this event will allow you to get a blanket, get autographs from Red Sox players, bid on a number of Red Sox items and experiences in a live auction, listen to the Boston Pops Jazz Band, have the rare opportunity to enjoy a BBQ on the field at Fenway Park, and more. For more information on the Annual Boston Red Sox Picnic in the Park, which is scheduled to take place after the 1:35 P.M. game on Sunday, August 2, 2015, please visit the Red Sox Foundation’s Picnic in the Park page.

Finally, if you’re more of a Patriots Fan than a Red Sox fan or you’re just really sick of the whole “Deflategate” thing and would like to see how the Patriots are getting ready to crush everyone this year, you may want to check out the Patriots’ Training Camp. The Patriots’ Training Camp, which runs from 9:15 A.M. to 1:30 P.M. every day at Gillette from now until Sunday, will give you the opportunity to see the Patriots practice, try some of the training techniques the Patriots use, and get some of the player’s autographs. Best of all, the Patriots’ Training Camp is open to the public and completely free to attend (even parking is free during training camp sessions), so you won’t have to pay a dime. For more information on the Patriots’ Training Camp, please visit the Patriots’ Training Camp page.

Photo credit: MacBeales / Foter / CC BY-ND

How To Get Your Kids Outside

Lego House

A house can be a wonderful thing. It can protect us from the elements, shield us from creatures both big and small, and give us a place to store all of our stuff. In fact, if you have kids, it can be a place for them to store all of their video games, toys, TVs, movies, and everything else that they have collected. As a result, it should come as no great surprise that the average child has very little interest in leaving his or her house at all. However, every so often, there comes a time when a parent has to find a way to get his or her child to go outside (either for the benefit of the parent or the child.) It is, therefore, fortunate that if you are looking for a way to get your child out of the house and into that magical place called the outdoors, there are a number of outdoor events for children in the Boston area this weekend.

First, if your kid is a big fan of kites, there are actually two major kite-flying festivals this weekend, the Franklin Park Kite and Bike Festival and the Revere Beach Kite Festival. The Franklin Park Kite and Bike Festival, which runs from 12:00 P.M. to 3:00 P.M. on Sunday (May 18, 2014), will give you and your children the opportunity to eat, purchase your own kite (if you don’t have one already), borrow a bike to tour the park, and, of course, fly a kite. For more information on the Franklin Park Kite and Bike Festival, which is completely free, please visit the Franklin Park Event page. The Revere Beach Kite Festival, which runs from 11:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. on Sunday (May 18, 2014), will allow you and your children to decorate kites, listen to music, and, as you have probably guessed, fly your own kite. Best of all, if you don’t have a kite and you can’t afford one, Sea Side Kites is actually giving out free kites to the first 300 kids under the age of 12 at the festival. For more information on the Revere Beach Kite Festival, which is free to attend, please visit the Official Revere Beach website.

Secondly, if your kid would rather rock out than watch a piece of fabric dance in the wind, you may want to head to Somerville this weekend. This is because the Somerville Arts Council’s annual PorchFest is this Saturday (May 17, 2014) from 12:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. PorchFest, which has become a tradition in Somerville, is a daylong event in which musicians throughout the city setup their equipment on their porches in order to demonstrate their musical skills with everything from the banjo to the electric guitar and beyond. For more information on PorchFest and the bands that are playing, please visit the Somerville Arts Council PorchFest page.

Finally, if your kid is in college and you’re desperately looking for a way to get your child out of his or her dorm room, the Red Sox may have you covered. This is because Sunday night (May 18, 2014) is College Media Night at Fenway Park. As a result, students can purchase Standing Room Only (SRO) tickets for $9 a ticket or seats in a number of seating categories for $20 a ticket. Best of all, if your kid can’t make it to the game this weekend, the Red Sox are offering SRO tickets to college students with a valid ID for only $9 all season long. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, please visit the Official Boston Red Sox Student Offer page.

Photo credit: Bill Ward’s Brickpile / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)