Tag: Summer

Friday Fun: How To Avoid Melting

Has your thermometer given up even trying to show a real temperature and is just reading “Hot, Hot, Hot? Has your air conditioner, realizing that there is no hope of cooling down your house, gone on strike? Are you afraid that if you don’t find something cool to do this weekend, you’re going to end up melting like the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz? Well, if you answered “yes” to any of these questions, there’s a pretty good chance that you’re in the U.S. right now. With temperatures approaching 100 degrees in many areas throughout the country, finding a way to stay cool is definitely at the top of most people’s to-do lists. Fortunately, if you’re in the Boston area this weekend, there are a number of events that are not only taking place at cooler places or cooler times of the day, but a number of events that are also absolutely free.

First, if you and/or kids are looking for a cool and refreshing treat, you may want to head over to Taza Chocolate in Somerville, MA tomorrow (Saturday, July 20, 2013.) Taza Chocolate is offering free Mexican-style popsicles, which are also known as Paletas, from 12 to 3 p.m. as part of their Chill Out Saturdays. These treats are made by a local vendor based in Cambridge, MA, known as Real Pops, and they come in a variety of flavors. For more information about Taza Chocolate’s Chill Out Saturdays, please visit the Taza Chocolate website.

If you are looking for a way for your kids to have some fun in the water, you may want to check out the Frog Pond Spray Pool & Fountain, the Rings Fountain on the Greenway, or the Veterans Memorial Swimming and Wading Pool. The Frog Pond Spray Pool & Fountain, which is located on Boston Common, features a free wading pool for young children and a 70-foot spray plume for children and their parents. The Rings Fountain on the Greenway, which is located in the Wharf District Parks in Boston, features a giant circular spray fountain that uses 64 nozzles to spray water in a series of circles around the people in its center. The Veterans Memorial Swimming and Wading Pool, which is located on Memorial Drive in Cambridge, features a full-sized swimming pool that adults and kids can use for free and a free wading pool for younger children.

Finally, if you and your kids are looking for something that is a little dryer but still pretty cool, you can always head on over to the Faneuil Hall Marketplace. The Faneuil Hall Marketplace not only has a number of shops, restaurants, monuments, and museums that everyone can enjoy, but also has a free light show called Summer Blink every night from 8:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. until September 6th. This special show features over 350,000 LED lights that will allow you see the entire Marketplace and the entire Boston skyline light up as the Standell’s famous song about Boston, Dirty Water, plays in the background. For more information, please visit the Boston Blinks website.

Friday Fun: Music Festivals and More

There’s no question that summer is rapidly approaching. The weather is getting warmer, the sun is staying out longer, and the house cats of the world are propelling themselves towards windows to get as close to the squirrels as they can. However, no matter what you consider to be the strongest indication that summer is on its way, one question still remains. How are you going to enjoy the nice weather this weekend? Well, if you’re looking for a way to get outside and enjoy the nice weather in the Boston area this weekend, here are some outdoor events that you should definitely check out.

First, if you’re a neo hippy (yes, you read that right) or you’re just into 90’s bands that no one’s actually heard of, you may want to check out Radio 92.9’s Earth Fest. Earth Fest is sort of like a modern day Woodstock in the fact that it gives the unwashed masses a chance to stand in a field all day and watch a whole bunch of different bands play for free. Fortunately, Radio 92.9’s version of Woodstock is a little more family friendly than the original as it features a number of bands specifically for kids in addition to the bands that are aimed at all of the people who were actually around in the 90’s. Earth Fest will open its doors at around 10:00 A.M. on Saturday, May 18, 2013 at the DCR Hatch Shell in Boston. For more information on Wood…err…Earth Fest, check out the Earth Fest website.

Secondly, if you’re not really into 90’s music or hanging around in one place all day, you may find Porchfest more to your liking. The Somerville Arts Council has a somewhat strange but incredibly creative tradition of encouraging all of its local musicians to hold concerts throughout the city on a specific day each year. This tradition is known as Porchfest because each concert is actually held on the front porch of one of the musicians performing there. As a result, if you are in the Somerville area on Saturday and you want to check out the largest and quite frankly one of the most bizarre collections of music you will ever hear, you may want to take a look at the webpage for this year’s Porchfest.

Finally, if you’re not really into rocking out, but you’ve always been a big fan of Japan, you may want to check out Japan Festival Boston. Japan Festival Boston is an annual celebration of all things Japanese, and it has more Japanese food, vendors, and performers than you’ll know what to do with. In fact, the entire festival is designed to mimic a traditional Japanese festival, so you can expect a truly authentic Japanese experience with a Boston feel. For more information on Japan Festival Boston, please visit the Japan Festival Boston website.