Friday Fun: Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial Day weekend is a time to go outside, fire up the grill, and most importantly, honor the memories of all of the brave men and women who have given their lives to protect our way of life. Unfortunately, a lot of the activities that we typically associate with Memorial Day weekend are difficult to perform in poor weather. Let’s face it. Trying to fire up a grill or watch a parade is no easy task when the rain is pouring so hard that you look like a drowned rat as soon as you get out the door. As a result, many people are already trying to figure out what they are going to do if it really does rain all weekend. Fortunately, if you are one of these people and you’re more than a little concerned about the weather, there are a number of events occurring in the Boston area that will allow you to celebrate the holiday without getting too wet.

First, if you’re a big fan of art or just a big fan of Boston, you may want to check out the Museum of Fine Arts. The Museum of Fine Arts is not only offering free admission and discounts in the museum’s stores this weekend, but is also displaying a series of special exhibits that are designed to honor the City of Boston and show support for all of the people who were affected by the Boston Marathon bombing. In fact, the museum is planning to donate all of the money that it receives from on-site contributions this weekend to the One Fund to help the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing and their families. For more information on the events happening this weekend at the Museum of Fine Arts, please visit the MFA website.

Secondly, if you’re a big fan of maritime history, you may want to head down to the USS Constitution Museum. The USS Constitution Museum is holding a series of special activities this weekend that are specifically designed to teach children and their parents what it was like to be a Marine or a Sailor aboard the USS Constitution. Some of the activities occurring at the museum this weekend include lessons on how to march, how to make an Officer’s Hat, the tools that Marines and Sailors had to use, and, for an additional fee of $2, how to build a ship. For more information on these events, please visit the USS Constitution website or call (617) 426-1812.

Finally, if a museum just doesn’t seem like a fun way to spend your Memorial Day weekend and music is more your thing, you may want to make your way over to Lexington. The Lexington Symphony is holding a special concert on Memorial Day to honor the 300th anniversary of the Town of Lexington. This concert will actually feature several never-before-heard pieces that explore freedom, the American Revolution, and a number of other patriotic themes. For more information, please visit the Lexington Symphony Website.

A Moment of Silence

Boston Strong Ribbon

Normally, I would use this opportunity to discuss some of the things that you can do to entertain yourself, your friends, and your family this weekend. However, in light of the tragic events that occurred in Boston on Monday and the alarming number of people who have been directly or indirectly affected by them, I have decided to forgo my usual blog post. Instead, I believe that the blogging equivalent of a moment of silence is in order to honor of all of the people who have bigger concerns than how they’re going to entertain themselves this weekend. As such, I leave you with a list of charities that are offering support for the victims and their families:

1. The One Fund Boston: A charity established by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, Mayor Tom Menino, and a number of Boston businesses to assist those most affected by the tragedy.

2. The American Red Cross: The American Red Cross doesn’t need any further assistance for this disaster, but they will need blood, platelet, and financial donations in the future to help with other disasters like the one in Boston.

3. The Boston First Responders Fund: A charity established by local fire stations, police stations, and emergency medical services to assist the victims of the bombing.