July 2006 Archives

Tonight, July 26, is the Boston Poetry Slam, their Eastern Regional Match, which determines who goes to the national competition. Although poetry scares me with its potential for boredom and literary elitism, the people in this competition read the poetry like they're performing in a one-act play. So it's actually quite compelling and worth checking out. The Cantab Lounge, 738 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA. www.slamnews.com. 7pm. $5. 617-244-6619.

The weird event of the week is the Rhythm Bones Festival, Jul 28-30. Yes, people from all over gather together to play "the bones" which could be chicken bones but it's usually wooden blocks, a percussion folk music instrument. Some people are quite good at it, it's definitely worth checking out, too bad it's a bit of a drive though being located in New Bedford, but you could combine it with a trip to Newport, RI. www.rhythmbones.com/bonefest10.html. New Bedford, MA.

The Lowell Folk Festival is this weekend, Jul 28-30. www.lowellfolkfestival.org. Lowell, MA. 978-970-5000. It's the largest free folk festival in the United States, but since it covers basically the entire downtown area of Lowell I think possibly they are fudging the numbers to include every single person who eats at any restaurant downtown. Anyway, I went a couple of years ago and I wasn't impressed, but check their calendar of performances and perhaps you will be.

The St. Joseph Feast Celebration is happening Jul 28-30 in the North End, it's a Catholic Italian celebration really intended more for members of the community who are heavily religious than to reach out to the greater public. This is why I've never listed an event like this before on my blog, but well -- here it is. www.saintjosephsfeast.com. Battery St & Hanover St. Boston, MA. 617-720-1368.

It's also the Gloucester Seaport Festival, July 29th, which looks fairly hokey, but basically every event in Gloucester is kind of small-time so if you're ever going to give it a shot, this may be a good one. Lots of maritime education and kids events, I assume they'll have some boats on display. http://www.schooner-adventure.org/

A similar event, the Yankee Homecoming Festival, is happening July 29-August 6th, in Newburyport, MA. www.yankeehomecoming.com. This one looks far more interesting, and most of the best stuff is happening the last weekend not this coming weekend. Printmaking, food & music & art, festival, historical tours, Irish & Greek performances, and fireworks Aug 5th, and a parade Aug 6th.

Not that anyone cares, but the world's largest computer graphics conference, SIGGRAPH, is coming to Boston for the first time in ages, July 30th, see www.siggraph.org/s2006, at the Boston Convention & Expo Center.

Holdovers from previous weeks, the two outdoor theatre events are still happening at the Publick Theatre, www.publicktheatre.com, and the Shakespeare on the Common, www.freeshakespeare.org. And the Barnstable County Fair is still going on, on Cape Cod, www.barnstablecountyfair.org.

My favorite local group is Chris & Meredith Thompson, who sing folk music. They have two concerts coming up near to Boston, which is unusual, so I thought I'd post them. They are definitely worth checking out: Sun Jul 30, 6:30 PM, Reading MA, on Rt 129 at Memorial Park. And Mon Jul 31, 7PM, on the green in Natick MA at the intersection of Rt 27 and Rt 135.

The Boston Chinatown Festival is happening, but I'm not sure when. @#$@#$#$! More on this later if I can find it. This is the largest Boston-area event that has no friggin website.

The weird event of the week is a Japanese festival, including drumming performance and ships. It's the only Japanese festival I know of in New England. It's the Newport Black Ships Festival, July 20-23, is coming to Newport, RI. www.newportevents.com/Blackships/main.shtml.

If that's not weird enough, check out the Houghton's Pond Family Fish Festival, July 22nd, at Houghton's Pond, Hillside St, Milton, MA. 617.698.1802. 10am-2:30pm. It's the only festival that provides you withi fishing rods for you to try your luck with angling.

And the long-awaited Shakespeare on the Common, which is free and happening at the Parade Grounds in Boston Common in Boston, July 22 - August 13. www.freeshakespeare.org. 617-482-9393. 8pm T-S, 7pm Sun. Near Beacon & Charles. Rent a chair for $5. Note this is different from the other outdoor theatre, the Publick Theatre, www.publicktheatre.com.

The Taste of Cambridge is also happening, a restaurant festival, July 20th, at Technology Square
in Cambridge. www.tasteofcambridge.com. 5-8pm. Benefits the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center & Transition House. MITAC discount. Buy tix in advance for discount.

Also, the largest agricultural faire in New England is happening, July 21-29, the Barnstable County Fair. It's on Cape Cod in East Falmouth, MA. 508-563-3200. Rt 28S to Rt 151E, 4.7 mi. Largest annual event on Cape Cod. www.barnstablecountyfair.org

George Carlin, the standup comedian widely known for swear words, is performing July 21st at the South Shore Music Circus. Cohasset, MA. www.themusiccircus.org

Also the Puerto Rican Festival, July 21-23, at Playstead Field, Franklin Park, Boston, MA. 866.481.0695. 12pm-11pm, rain or shine. Free. Parade on Sunday.

The South County Hot Air Balloon Festival is the closest balloon festival to Boston, in Kingston, RI, at the URI Athletic Fields off Rt 138. July 21-23. www.wakefieldrotary.com. Rt 95S to ex 9. Rt 4S, 10.4mi joins Rt 1, then Rt 138W, 401-783-1770.

It's also the Blackstone Valley Celtic Festival, July 22-23, at King Farm in Sutton, MA. celticfestival.blackstonevalley.org. 508.234.9090. Mass Pike to exit 10A, Rt 146 South to Sutton, follow signs.

If you feel like traveling this weekend, check out the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, in Hillsdale, NY, July 20-23. Its just over the border from Western, MA. www.falconridgefolk.com

Or see Vermont Brick Blast, July 22-23, which is the largest and only Lego festival in New England. It's in Middlebury, VT. Also see www.nelug.org. You can play with legos and see huge dioramas and sculptures created with the brick toys.

Try taking a walking tour of Boston, www.bostonbyfoot.com, which are historical and mainly architectural.

Try visiting Nantucket Island, www.nantucket-ma.gov/departments/visitor.html, 508-228-1700. Or Martha's Vinyard, www.mvol.com. Or www.mvy.com. Great places to rent a bicycle and just ride around and enjoy the beaching.

Or try out some unusual water sports, such as waterskiing, parasailing, o jet skiing, with for example Gold Coast Parasailing, www.goldcoastparasail.com. 508-398 SAIL. South Yarmouth, MA. They also rent water trampolines.

Finally, there is a street performer festival in Union Square on July 22 in Union Square Plaza, 4-8pm. Rain date 7/23. http://www.artsomerville.org/calendar/view_entry.php?id=633&date=20060722

There are a number of gardens around New England worth seeing. Here is a guide to the most popular ones around Boston.

The weird event of the week is: Disc Golf! It's a sport that's played on a large green like regular golf, except that you use frisbees. So it's more fulfilling than mini-golf and more accessible than regular golf, because no training is needed. Just show up and throw a frisbee. There are three parks close to Boston, and each of them has no admissions booth. It's free, just show up, bring a frisbee, and go. Pye Brook (www.pyebrookdiscgolf.com) in Topsfield is the closest, Pines Town in Amesbury (www.amesburypines.com) is the easiest, and Borderland in Sharon is pretty close too (www.borderlanddiscgolf.com).

I hear you thinking: not weird enough. OK, how about this, it's the New England Sand Sculpting Festival. Arguably the largest of its kind in New England, it's happening July 13-16 at Revere Beach, www.reverebeach.com, which is in Revere obviously. 617-650-2213. It's an invitational competition of professionals, but kids day Saturday and amateur adult day Sunday. So you do get to join in if you want to make something, but beware -- it takes 4-6 hours to make something real. Awards & entertainment Sunday afternoon/eve.

There's a latino festival this weekend called Festival Betances, July 13-16, which sounds like crazy fun. Among the festivities, on Friday, is "Christmas in July". And there's a greased pole contest Sunday. It just doesn't get better than that (except maybe for mud wrestling). Boston. iba-etc.org/claboston/festival.html

It's also the Forest Hills Lantern Festival this weekend, July 13th, 6-9pm. They float a bunch of lanterns down the water. Rain date July 20th. This event sounds too simple to be worth going, doesn't it, but I went last year to a Forest Hills event and it was awesome so this is probably more than it seems. Forest Hills Cemetery in Boston, 617-524-0128. $10.

Did you miss out on the July 4th festivities? Well it's not too late to catch Bastille Day, which is France's version. The Bastille Day Party & Dance in Boston is happening July 14th, at Marlborough Street in Boston. www.frenchlib.org. 6-11pm between Berkeley & Clarendon. Sponsored by the French consulate I think.

The largest New England event of the year is happening for the Society of Creative Anachronism. It's the Great Northeastern War, July 14-16, in Hebron, ME. www.malagentia.eastkingdom.org/FrameEvents.html. Although it's a 2.8 hr drive from Boston, it draws over 1000 people and will be full of feasting, workshops, and medeival fighting. No really, hundreds of people show up in armor with swords and duke it out. How crazy is that.

Slightly closer to Boston, about 2 hours away in Greenfield MA is the Green River Festival (a Balloon Festival), at the Greenfield Community College. www.greenriverfestival.com. off Rt 91 exit 26. 413/773-9393. As usual with balloon festivals, call ahead to reserve a flight and the show will definitely be grounded if there's poor weather, but the weather's supposed to be sunny and fine this weekend.

While you're out west, check out the Glasgow Lands Scottish Festival, July 15th. Look Park, 300 North Main St. Northampton, MA. 9am-5pm. Rain or shine. www.glasgowlands.org. All kinds of music and athletic games, kids activities. And where else can you see a competition of sheep and duck herding? (413) 862-8095

Also the Italia Unita Festival, July 14-16, www.italiaunita.org, in "Central Square" in East Boston, MA. I guess they didn't get the memo that Central Square is really in Cambridge. 617-561-3201. Food, bocce, sausage eating contest, kids activities, music. Probably more fun than going to any of the saints festivals in the North End, unless you like cheese sculptures.

Also it's the Somerville Art Beat, July 14-15, in Davis Square in Somerville. 617 625 6600 or www.somervilleartscouncil.org/programs/artbeat. Lots of outdoor music and art. Let's face it, Somerville is no Cambridge but it sure beats out most every other town in New England.

While you're there, check out the Floating Gallery, which is floating to 20 Madison Street #1
in Somerville. www.floatinggallery.org. 4-7pm. They'll have live music as well as art on display and for sale.

But wait, there's more! It's the King Arthur Fair at Hammond Castle Museum, which is their biggest event of the year, and it actually runs over two weekends, July 15-16 and July 22-23. www.pastimesentertainment.com, or www.hammondcastle.org. 80 Hesperus Ave, Gloucester, MA. 978-283-2080. Hammond Castle is an actual castle brought over from Europe, and it's definitely worth seeing.

And two hobby events are happening this weekend. One of the two big events is happening for model airplanes and helicopters, the CRRC Hand-Launch Classic, July 15-16 at Davis Field in Sudbury. www.charlesriverrc.org. 518 798 1321. Off Rt 117. Call Mark Drela at 617 253 0067, or drela@mit.edu. Lunch included in admission. 9:15am to 4pm? $20. Register ahead for discount. Directions, see http://www.charlesriverrc.org/fields_davis.htm

Also they're having Race to the Bottom, which is a Cardboard Boat Race. July 15th at Ashler Lodge in Rockport, MA. 987-546-6788. It's basically an event for kids (or people who are kids at heart), you pre-register for $100 and get a ship-building kit. Build the ship and race it! Prizes include "first to sink"! It's probably fun just to show up and watch, too, and cheaper.

The Brimfield Antiques Festival which I mentioned last week is still happening. And speaking of that, I was wrong about the Longfellow Summer Festival, it's not just one event but it happens all summer every Sunday June-August, poetry & classical music. Most events 4-5pm but see website. www.nps.gov/long/pphtml/events.html. And they're still doing interactive murder mystery at Murder at the Coconut Cabana, www.swaymambo.com, at the Tremont Playhouse in Boston, but the season sends August 1st so get those tickets now.

Phew. Get out there and enjoy, it's the best time of the year for festivals.

Also see yesterday's entry which is also for this week.

This just in -- Readercon is this weekend. It's a major science fiction convention, focusing on novels only. Some serious geeks attend this convention, but the best authors do, too. www.readercon.org, July 7-9.

Also, it's the Cambridge City Dance Party, July 7th, www.cambridgeartscouncil.org. 7-11pm. Massachusetts Avenue in front of City Hall. 617-349-4380. I went to the website and there's no information, but I've seen the banners so this event is definitely happening.

Henry Thoreau is appearing (a re-enactment actor) at the Old Manse again. Same listing as June. Old Manse, 269 Monument Street, Concord. 12-4pm. "Join Henry Thoreau as he readies the Manse as his gift for newlyweds Nathaniel and Sophia Hawthorne, due to arrive the next day."

Every year between 400,000 and 700,000 people see the fireworks on the Esplanade on July 4th, and another 8 million people watch it on TV. Did you miss 'em? Here are the best places in New England to see fireworks at other times of the year.

1. Hampton Beach in Hampton, NH, has fireworks at 9:30pm every Wednesday July-August. www.hamptonbeach.org

2. New Year's Eve features fireworks in many communities, including Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, and "indoor fireworks" at the hockey rink in Portland Maine, proving officially yet again that everyone in Maine is crazy. I of course am not crazy living in Boston where the temperatures are oh at least 5 or 10 degrees warmer than Maine. Boston has a "fireworks display" which I believe means a ground display.

3. Canobie Lake Park, in Salem NH, has fireworks every Saturday at 9:30 in July and August. http://www.canobie.com/events.php

4. Newburyport, MA has fireworks August 5th at 9:15 as part of the Yankee Homecoming Festival, www.yankeehomecoming.com

5. Martha's Vinyard has fireworks August 18th, following a band concert. A good excuse to visit, rent bicycles, enjoy the beach. www.oakbluffsmv.com

6. Arts Jubilee is a music series taking place throughout the summer in North Conway, NH. They'll have a Symphony Pops Concert on July 27th followed by fireworks. www.mwvevents.com

7. Finally, several towns (dozens) in New England have fireworks on the weekend of July 4th but not on Independence Day itself.

That ought to holda ya for this summer. :)

A number of suitably weird events are happening this weekend!

This weekend, July 6-9, check out the Hillsboro Balloon Festival, in Hillsboro, NH. It's over 90 minutes from Boston, but it's probably the closest balloon festival around. They can't have a balloon festival too close to Boston because there are too many residences (makes a bad landing) and you get caught up in the airplane traffic patterns. Note! The weather looks good this weekend, but these things are very weather dependent. Nobody flew at all at the recent Big Y Balloon Festival, which I visited. Also it's good to book your flight in advance. www.balloonfestival.org. This is also your chance to see a "tractor pull" and a "draft horse pull". Basically, it's like a road race, except instead of cars they use tractors, and you have to pull something. Oh, also -- no roads. :)

Glover's Regiment is doing a Revolutionary War re-enactment, July 8-9, at Fort Sewall in Marblehead, MA. It's a re-enacted military camp from the 1700s, with tents, cooking, craft areas, costumed militia and camp followers. www.gloversregiment.org. 781-631-5967

It's sad to say but the Newport International Kite Festival is officially dead, and I don't know why. How much organization can it possibly take to reserve a big green field and get some judges together? Anyway, I am told that for old times' sake a number of kite professionals will gather anyway, but unofficially. July 8-9 at Brenton Point State Park, Ocean Drive, in Newport, RI. A good excuse to visit Newport if ever there were one. If you want to speak with the guy who told me it's dead, call 401-846-3262.

Speaking of Newport, it's also the Newport Music Festival, July 7-23. I don't normally list events like this, because it's not really a "festival". To me, a festival is when there's a large open area where people mingle, usually with vendors and performances. But this is basically about 70 concerts over a 2-week period, in the various mansions. Another good reason to go exploring the mansions and do the Newport Cliff Walk. See www.newportmansions.org.

Perhaps not the strangest, but definitely the most fun event of the weekend will be the Life is Good Watermelon Festival, July 8th. At Boston Common in Boston. Apparently the event works like this: you show up, you eat watermelon, and they have face painting and the usual silly festival activities. Live music, classic backyard food, and games. The event will also feature a competition for the coveted title of World's Greatest Backyard Athlete, pledge-driven competition to benefit Project Joy. 12-6pm, Pledges needed for competition. It's a fundraiser, about 40,000 attend. http://www.lifeisgood.com/festivalspumpkin/ContentPlus.asp?cmd=CONTENT&articleID=183.

I've just learned that there's a place to go for drumming! You can take classes or just 'drop in' and jam. See www.drumconnection.com. They have a drop-in drumming circle Fridays 6:30-8pm, $20, you may need to pay a little more to rent a drum. This happens at the Publick Theatre, at 1175A Soldiers Field Road in Brighton, MA. See their website for scattered times.

Here's the scoop on Drive-In theatres. The best (and unfortunately there is none closer) is a 56 minute drive from Boston, the Mendon Drive-In at www.mendondrivein.com. 35 Milford Street, 508 473-4958. They have a 1950's style diner there so go for dinner, too. Rt 90W to 495S to exit 20, Rt 85 S to Rt 16 W to Mendon, MA. The second closest (and I haven't been there) is in Lunenburg (Rt 2). www.tritowndrivein.com. 3 Youngs Road, Lunenburg, MA. 978-345-5062. The Lunenburg website is bad but I called & they really do exist. 66 minutes from Boston. Mendon is closer.

Also, did you know that the Jordan's Furniture stores in Natick and Reading have a big IMAX theatre including 3D effects? Superman: Returns, the new movie, was shot partially in 3D so go check that out.

Speaking of the Mendon Drive-In, the biggest zoo in New England is in Mendon, The Southwick Zoo, www.southwickszoo.com, 2 Southwick St. 508-883-9182. Rt 90W to Rt 495S to exit 19 (Rt 109W). Rt 16W thru Milford into Mendon, left at top of hill at Shell Station. Largest in NE. AAA discount.

Here are all the other zoos close to Boston. You can get all this stuff directly from my big spreadsheet at http://www.serpermethod.com/johnnys-activities.htm.