Boston Events Insider - Overview: October 2011 Archives

October 2011 Archives

Boston Events Insider: Oct 31 - Nov 8, 2011: Day of the Dead, Sherlock Holmes, Pumpkin Catapult, 6 Open Studios, plus Astronomy, Train, & Ren Fests, Ticket Giveaways & it's still Cornfield Maze Season!

Don't be a whiner about the snow. After all, if you start complaining now, how are you going to hold out through March? Instead, read my New England Manifesto, which gives more than 100 reasons why New England is amazing and we have the 8th best weather in the USA! Please email me at johnny@eventsINSIDER.com with your own comments.

We're in the lull in-between Halloween and the start of the Christmas season, but it's still the warmest weather you'll find before April. Go on an outdoor hike and enjoy nature's natural air conditioning all around you!

I've gone all out this week to provide Twitter and Facebook links (on the main blog) and tag pages (in the Events INSIDER Twitter and Facebook feeds). It's been a lot of work, so please send your comments about what you like and what needs improving to johnny@eventsINSIDER.com.

I hope you are having an awesome week. Now get out there and do something fun!

-Johnny

p.s. Love this blog? Subscribe to email, , or and if you help get the word out, I'll put you on my priority list to win free stuff and send you the FREE 27-page Events INSIDER New England Guide, with over 720 off-beat attractions you won't find in the blog!

This week's top items are below, or see the complete Boston Events Insider.

Davis MegaMaze - ticket giveaway	Worcester Thu 8/11 - Sun 11/13
Depending on the weather this might be the last weekend for my favorite cornfield maze. Petting zoo closed for the season. Email johnny@eventsINSIDER.com to win tickets! 145 Redstone Hill, Sterling, MA.

Legally Blonde: The Musical - tix giveaway	North Shore Tue 11/1 - Sun 11/13
You've seen the movie. Now see it revised and set to music! It's proof (if we needed it) that beautiful, bubbly blondes who get ALL the attention can also be excellent lawyers! I have 2 pairs to give away for the show Friday, November 4th. Email johnny@eventsINSIDER.com to win. 62 Dunham Road, Beverly, MA.(978) 232-7200.

Jon Anderson & Rick Wakeman- Former 'Yes' Legends- Up Close & Acoustic	Worcester Tue 11/8
YES was arguably up there with RUSH and Pink Floyd. Now I have two pairs of tickets to give away to this performance of two of the original members, as they play music (including their hits) but also tell stories and joke with the audience. This is a chance to really 'get to know' these legends up close. Hanover Theatre, Worcester, MA.

Pumpkin Launch by Catapult	Rhode Island Sat 11/5
Halloween is over, and now we're bored? What shall we do with these 5,000 pumpkins? And this catapult? South Kingstown, RI.401-789-9301.

Day of the Dead at Peabody Museum	Boston Metro Wed 11/2 - Sat 11/5
The Peabody Museum is having a Day of the Dead gala, and they have a series of exhibits if you miss the gala. I went last year and it was surprisingly fun, packed with people and live music, with huge diorama exhibits. Peabody Museum, Cambridge, MA.617-496-1027.

The Speckled Band of Boston - Shelock Holmes	Boston Metro Thu 11/3
Here's a museum trip, dinner, and author lecture hosted by fans of Sherlock Holmes. I'm sure it will be fun, but as for me... I just want to see what people who love Sherlock Holmes enough to pay $100 look like! 5:30pm. Houghton Library, Harvard Yard, Cambridge, MA.

Stars, Stories & S'more	South Shore Sat 11/5
Learn about the stars from an astronomer and enjoy a campfire and s'mores. Of course it will be cold, but let's face it. This is the warmest night for the next 5 months so don't stay at home. Get out and enjoy it! 5:30-7pm. Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary, Marshfield, MA.781-837-9400.

South Boston Open Studios	Boston Metro Sat 11/5 - Sun 11/6
An open studios is when local artists open up their homes and work studios to the public. It's a great excuse to grab a map and walk around some neighborhood you've never explored before. This week there are a bunch of competing ones. 12-6pm. Various locations, Boston, MA.

Newton Open Studios	Boston Metro Sat 11/5 - Sun 11/6
Artist homes omes and work studios are open so you can walk around the city, meeting real artists (not just merchants) and potentially buying their stuff. This one's in Newton, where because of the mansions it's fun to walk around anytime! 11am-5pm. See website for map, Newton, MA.

Roslindale Open Studios	Boston Metro Sat 11/5 - Sun 11/6
This one's spread all across Roslindale so you get a nice fall walk. And they'll have live music! 11am-5pm. See website for map, Roslindale, MA.

And a lot more this week at Boston Events Insider, the most popular events blog in New England, including:

Fenway Studios Open Studios

Waltham Mills Artists' Open Studios

Amesbury Open Studios

International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition

Astronomy Night at Borderland State Park

Brockton Train Show

Bedford Boomer Exhibition

Southcoast Toy and Comic Festival

Crown Tourney - Society for Creative Anachronism

Harvest Dinner with the Pilgrims at Plimoth Plantation

Traditional Shaker Supper at Hancock Shaker Village

El Dia de Los Muertos

Day of the Dead: A Poetic Reflection

Free Will: An Open Shakespeare Slam

Who's Out There: Owl Prowl

Woodland Night Walk

ExSKULLent Adventures Family Fest

Bone and Skull Identification Workshop

Franklin County CiderDay

A Quilters' Gathering

Life, Language and the Pursuit of Happiness: Ernest Hemingway Alive!

The Life and Times of Nathaniel Bowditch (1773-1838)

Concord Festival of Authors

Boston Jewish Film Festival

Ice Skating Statewide

Daylight Savings Time Ends

Christmas Festival & Gingerbread House Competition

Boston Comedy Festival

Reading of Sam Shepard's "Fool For Love

Mystic Seaport to Celebrate 70 Years of the Charles W. Morgan with Free Fireworks, Admission

Hello Manga! Free Day, Cartooning Workshop, Spirited Away Movie

How the West Was Fun: Our Roughing It, Wild West-Themed Fall Gala

Astronomy Night at the Shore Line Trolley

Carnage Con / DipCon 2011

And the Largest List of Cornfield Mazes in New England!

Love this blog? Subscribe to email, Facebook, or Twitter and please tell your friends and get the FREE 27-page Events INSIDER New England Guide, with over 720 off-beat attractions you won't find in the blog!

By Johnny Monsarrat on October 30, 2011 4:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) Content by Jon Monsarrat.

Boston Events Insider: October 24-31: The Greatest New England Halloween List That Has Ever Been Compiled, with Massive Creative Awesomeness for Kids and Adults, Click Now Now Now :)

Wow! I have really gone ALL OUT for this Halloween season. Without a doubt, this is the most comprehensive and generally awesome Halloween list that anyone has ever built in New England. Please do me a favor for all the hard work and make your friends subscribe.

It's a list that's really too big to read everything, so click on nearby regions to see just the events that are close to you. Also, you guys know that I put the best stuff up top, right? I try to prioritize everything from most awesome to least but still worth a mention.

Anyway, you really must click through to see the whole list. (You should be doing that every week, but this week's special.

Check this space for our Australian Pink Floyd interview on Tuesday, Oct 25.And please don't spend Halloween in a bar. You know when you can go to a bar? ANY NIGHT OF THE YEAR. So please do something awesome, maybe outdoorsy, that is more creative than just getting buzzed.

I hope you are having an awesome week. Now get out there and do something fun!

-Johnny

This week's top items are below, or see the complete Boston Events Insider.

Davis MegaMaze Halloween Fright Nights - ticket giveaway	Worcester Thu 8/11 - Sun 11/13
This is my favorite cornfield maze PLUS it comes with actors playing monsters for Halloween! I still have tickets to give away (for the daytime maze only, but days you'll also find a petting zoo, hay rides, apple picking!). Email johnny@eventsINSIDER.com to win. 145 Redstone Hill, Sterling, MA.

Canobie Lake Park Oktoberfest & Screeeemfest - tix giveaway	New Hampshire Fri 9/30 - Sun 10/30
This is the last week for my favorite amusement park, with 3 haunted attractions and tribute bands doing Madonna, Ozzy Osbourne, and Kiss. I have tickets to give away! Email johnny@eventsINSIDER.com. Salem, NH.

Slumber Party Seance: tix giveaway

Boston Metro

Thu 10/27 - Fri 10/28

Club Oberon has the best arty hipster events, and this one starts out as a slumber party but suddenly there's burlesque, Halloween antics, and a just-for-fun (not paranormal idiots, I asked) seance. 7:30pm. It is Rogue Burlesque's biggest show of the year, they say, "with spooky games, boobies aplenty, and a rousing pillow fight finale." I have a pair of tickets for each night. Email johnny@eventsinsider.com to win! Club Oberon, Cambridge, MA.

The Divine Sister - tix giveaway - our review	Boston Metro Fri 10/21 - Sat 11/19
The Divine Sisters is a comedy by a LGBT-friendly and cross-dressing friendly cast that says, "We hate the typical nun's tough position on gay rights, but love their habits!" I have two pairs of tickets to give away for the show Saturday, 10/29 at 4pm. Click for my review (posted Monday eve, Oct 24)! 539 Tremont St, Boston, MA.

Buddy Cop 2 - tix giveaway	Boston Metro Thu 10/20 - Sun 11/6
This play has the most awesome title ever. It's a comedy about citizen police in a small town. And I have 2 pairs of tickets to give away for Friday Oct 28 at 8pm! After the show you get a free drink at their piano bar. Email johnny@eventsinsider.com. The Stoneham Theatre, Stoneham, MA.

Legally Blonde: The Musical - tix giveaway	North Shore Tue 11/1 - Sun 11/13
You've seen the movie. Now see it revised and set to music! It's proof (if we needed it) that beautiful, bubbly blondes who get ALL the attention can also be excellent lawyers! I have 2 pairs to give away for each of the 2 Fridays of this run. Email johnny@eventsINSIDER.com. 62 Dunham Road, Beverly, MA.(978) 232-7200.

Revere Family Fright Night	Boston Metro Sun 10/30
Below you'll find nearly 200 Halloween events this week (including haunted cornfield mazes and permanent haunted attractions). I'm listing this one in Revere first because it's so close to Boston, and comes with a parade (at 4:30pm) from City Hall to a party (5-7pm) at the Harry Della Russo Stadium. It's free! Bring a costume! Revere, MA.

Steampunk Form & Function II Exhibit Opening

Boston Metro

Mon 10/31

Now here's something REALLY creative that's right on public transit. The museum behind International Steampunk City is bringing in a WHOLE NEW steampunk exhibit, and holding a Halloween opening reception that turns the place into a haunted house! They'll have a costume contest and "steam powered monsters"! 6:30 pm to 10:30 pm. Light refreshments will be served. Charles River Museum of Industry, 154 Moody Street, Waltham, MA.781-893 5410.

Haunting Hawthorne	Metro West Wed 10/26
Nathaniel Hawthorne is one of New England's most famous writers, and my favorite re-enactor will read his spooky stories and take questions. It's free and a very rare event, a true gem of re-enactments. How often do you get a chance to "speak with the dead", so to speak? What a fun way to learn some history! 7pm. The Wayside, 455 Lexington Road, Concord, MA.978-318-7825.

Haunted Higgins	Worcester Sat 10/29
Unlike the Somerville Armory, the Higgins Armory has armor in it, and it's worth visiting anytime. But this Saturday, come in costume and go trick or treating (adults or kids), participate in a costume contest and hear spooky storytelling. OoooO! 11am-3pm. 100 Barber Ave, Worcester, MA.

And a lot more this week at Boston Events Insider, the most popular events blog in New England, including:

Things That Go Bump in the Night & Trail of Terror at Sturbridge Village

Haunted Salem Village

Ghosts on the Banke

Halloween Iron Pour at the Steel Yard

H.P. Lovecraft Walking Tour

Hoot & Howl Night - BBQ at Wolf Hollow

NERF Night: Halloween Zombie

MIT Pumpkin Drop

Dia de los Muertos

Woburn Annual Halloween Parade

Friends of the Old Burying Ground Halloween

Halloween Bike Ride

MassBike Spins Presents Tour de Grave

Voices of the Night at Washington's Headquarters

Great Pumpkin Day at Gore Place & Frightful Fridays

Beacon Hill With a BOO!

Boston Swing "Calling All Zombies

Halloween Party and Parade

Halloween Campfire Party

Franklin Park Zoo's Zoo Howl for kids

Halloween Night Prowl

What's So Scary

AntiMorris and Pumpkin Carols

Halloween party at Roller Kingdom (Tyngsboro)

Haunted Walden

Sunset Halloween Cemetery Tour

Tales of the Night at Drumlin Farm

Zombie Prom at Vic's Boathouse

Thriller Zombie Re-enactment

Lets Do the Time Warp!

Tricks, Treats and Treasures at Pioneer Village

Closing night celebration & Halloween Fireworks

Nosferatu2011 - a Live Film Score

Phantom of the Opera Silent Movie with Live Music

Fireworks and Costume Party at Witch's Woods

Horribles Parade

Cemetery Birding (with Ghost Stories Included)

Norton Halloween Parade

Halloween Party at the Creepy Carousel

Spooktacular at Holyoke Merry-Go-Round

Lily Pond Ghost Hike

Halloween and Rag Shag Parade

Leominster Halloween Parade

All Hallows Eve S'mores & Stories 'Round the Fire

Haunted Forest at Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary

Going Batty!

Folklore and Fantasy Walk

Halloween Parade & Contest at Nantucket Island

Halloween Family Fun Nights at Heritage Museum & Gardens

A Visit with a Night Watchman

Halloween party at Ecobar's Corn Maze

Fireworks at Six Gun City Ghost Town

Horribles Parade / Zombie Walk Parade

Nashua Fright Night

Pickpockets, Rogues and Highwaymen

Haunted Harbor Halloween at Sunapee Harbor

Spooky Skate at MIT

Boo Bash - Haunted House in the Strand Theatre

Not So Spooky Halloween Happening at the New School of Music

Brattle Halloween Celebration & The Call of Cthulhu

Spookapella

History of Halloween and Cabbage Night in Framingham

Carve a Pumpkin & Halloween Prowl

Creepy Crawlies

Haunted Attic Tour at the Old Manse

Halloween Touch-a-Truck and Pumpkin Walk at Choate Park

Kids' Halloween Party at Heard House

Halloween Happenings at Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary

Halloween Family Fun Free-for-All

Salem Common Family Fun Day

Monster Bash and Halloween Stroll in Lowell

Monster Dash 5K Run / Walk

Halloween Costume Pizza Dance Party With The Velvet Elvis Band

Haunted Monster Masquerade Bash

Angel's Masquerade Ball

Green Halloween at the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History

Charlie the Butler's Ghost Party

Halloween Bash at the Elks Lodge

The Halloween Ball at Belcourt Castle (RI)

Creepy, Crawly Family Fun Weekend

Halloween Happenings at Fisherville Brook Wildlife Refuge

Lunchtime Horror at the Providence Athenaeum

RI International Horror Film Festival & H.P. Lovecraft Tour

Halloween Program

Improv Asylum's Halloween Show

Hocus Pocus, An Operatic Trip to the Dark Side: BLO Gala

SoWa Market of the Living Dead

"Howl"-o-ween Canine Costume Parade

Saturday Fright Fever' Annual Costume Ball

Tricks, Treats, and Treasures at the Phillips House

Wiccan Samhain Magick Circle Ceremony

Central Scare in Lynn

Rocky Horror Halloween Special - Boston

Rocky Horror in Newburyport

Rocky Horror Halloween Special - RI area

Plenty of Bars Have Banal Halloween Events

Sinners and Saints Halloween Bash

Spooky Nature Trail

Sights & Frights -- Fireworks Night

Black Rock Halloween Parade

Hogwarts Weekend at the Blackstone Memorial Library

Niantic Village Halloween Parade

Fall-o-Ween Fest at the Mystic Aquarium

Danbury Halloween on the Green

Storyteller Jonathan Kruk performs The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Museum After Dark & Costume Party

Phantom of the Opera Silent Movie with Live Music

Witchcraft Trial of Mary Barnes & Haunted Whitman Inne

Hobgoblin Fair

Wadsworth Haunted Mansion Costume Bash

Bloody Movies, Bloody Marys

Halloween Parade & Pumpkin Party

Mysteries of Halloween

Evenings at Hale: Ghost Stories

Mad Monster March and Scarecrow Kingdom

Food for the Dead: On the Trail of New England's Vampires

Spooky Woodstock

Halloween Organ Concert

Family Halloween at Billings Farm & Museum

Boston Tea Party - Japanese Tea Ceremony

BMW Day at the Larz Anderson Museum

Concord Festival of Authors

NESBA Marching Band Competition

South Shore Model Railway Club Show

Archaeology Day at Myles Standish State Forest

Life in the Universe: Are We Alone?

Autumn Colors: A Mystery Revealed at the Arnold Arboretum

Emergent Forest of New England

Hiking the Appalachian Trail Show

Boston Vegetarian Festival

Superhero 5K Road Race

Enchanted Owl Eve

The Life of a Leader with Gilad Sharon

Worcester Sharks Hockey Halloween game

Fall Foliage Hiking

Life, Language and the Pursuit of Happiness: Ernest Hemingway Alive!

National Novel Writing Month

Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom - our review

New England Jazz Banjofest

The Australian Pink Floyd

John Mellencamp at the Citi Performing Arts Center

State Archeologist Bellantoni to Discuss Connecticut Vampires

An Evening of Edgar Allan Poe

Re-enactment of Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird

L. L. Bean Pumpkin Festival

Model Engineering Show at Vermont

And the Largest List of Cornfield Mazes and Halloween attractions in New England, tracking 130 ongoing attractions and dozens of one-shot events!

By Johnny Monsarrat on October 24, 2011 11:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) Content by Jon Monsarrat.

Boston Events Insider: October 17-25, 2011: Pirate Day, Meteor Shower, Lantern Parade, Australian Pink Floyd, Ferret Fest, Deathfest, Cthulhu, and New England's largest Halloween resource

This week I declare a road trip! Let's face it. You stay in one spot way too much. Take a look at the huge-o mountain of Halloween awesomeness (and corn field mazes) way at the bottom of this week's issue and make it your excuse to travel somewhere!

Want even more? Email me for my 2011 New England Guide at johnny@eventsINSIDER.com, which has 720 permanent attractions that I don't normally talk about, all throughout New England. For example, where to find public astronomy nights -- and odd quirks like this snow globe museum I just found. :)

I hope you are having an awesome week. Now get out there and do something fun!

-Johnny

This week's top items are below, or see the complete Boston Events Insider.

Canobie Lake Park Oktoberfest & Screeeemfest - tix giveaway

New Hampshire

Fri 9/30 - Sun 10/30

My favorite amusement park now features 3 haunted attractions, tribute bands doing Madonna, Ozzy Osbourne, and Kiss, a monster parade at 8pm, and Fireworks every Saturday night. Plus Oktoberfest performances! Tons of rides and haunts for adults and little kids, too, including the only vertical lift roller coaster in the Northeast! I have tickets to give away! Email johnny@eventsINSIDER.com. Salem, MA.

Davis MegaMaze Halloween Fright Nights - ticket giveaway	Worcester Thu 8/11 - Sun 11/13
This is my favorite cornfield maze PLUS it comes with actors playing monsters for Halloween! Last week 80% of the people who asked won daytime MegaMaze tickets. Email johnny@eventsINSIDER.com! And they have a daytime petting zoo, hayrides, apple picking. 145 Redstone Hill, Sterling, MA.

The Graveyard Shift - Gala Afterparty on the Wang Theatre Stage	Boston Metro Sat 11/5
This hugely fancy Halloween party at perhaps Boston's most prestigious theatre is themed like the Addams Family musical coming in February. Drink cocktails in the dressing rooms and dance on the stage. Patrons come early for dinner ($500+), but at 10pm join this exclusive party with drinks & desserts for only $100! Boston, MA.

The Australian Pink Floyd - tix giveaway	Boston Metro Wed 11/2
Do you like Pink Floyd? The most popular Pink Floyd tribute band in the world is coming to Boston! I have ONE pair of tickets to give away. To enter, tell friends about the CitiWang Gala AfterParty (previous entry) on November 5th! Email me at johnny@eventsINSIDER.com to enter. Boston, MA.

Classic Albums Live! Thriller - tix giveaway	Worcester Sat 10/22
Michael Jackson is only dead in reality. In fantasy world, see this live show performing the hits from Thriller, just in time for Halloween. And I have 2 pairs of tickets to give away! Email me at johnny@eventsINSIDER.com. Hanover Theatre, Worcester, MA.

Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom	Boston Metro Thu 10/20 - Sat 10/29
I really want to see this theatre show! Teens playing a zombie videogame discover... that it's becoming real! What a spooky & creative Halloween idea. 8pm. I have one pair of tickets to giveaway for the Oct 20 show! Email johnny@eventsINSIDER.com. The Factory Theatre, 791 Tremont St, Boston, MA.

Buddy Cop 2	Boston Metro Thu 10/20 - Sun 11/6
This play has the most awesome title ever. It's a comedy about citizen police in a small town. And I have 2 pairs of tickets to give away for either Friday Oct 21 or Friday Oct 28 at 8pm! After the show you get a free drink at their piano bar. The Stoneham Theatre, Stoneham, MA.

Jamaica Pond Lantern Parade	Boston Metro Sat 10/22 - Sun 10/23
First, you make and decorate a paper lantern. Then 4,000 people, many of them in costume, parade around Jamaica Pond and float the lanterns. It's serene, fulfilling, and beautiful to watch the lamps as the sun goes down. Jamiaca Pond, Perkins St, Jamaica Plain, MA.617-524-6373.

Pirate Day at Pioneer Village	North Shore Sat 10/22
ARRRR you ready for some pirates? OH MY GOD - PIRATES!!! Pirates Pirates Pirates! Salem has a historic re-enactment museum (like Plymouth Plantation) where you'll find live actors to teach you about history. And they're doing a weekend of pirates! They'll demonstrate piratical punishments, blacksmithing, pirate cooking, sea tales, and sea songs. 10am-4pm. Pioneer Village, Salem, MA.

Orionids Meteor Shower	Metro West Fri 10/21 - Mon 10/24
Take a friend and head out to see these meteor showers. To get a good view, go someplace without street lighting, like a large park or a pond. Look up and look for streaks of light in the sky. Just Look Up, Someplace Dark.

And a lot more this week at Boston Events Insider, the most popular events blog in New England, including:

Woolly Howl

Browncoat Ball Weekend w/ Cthulhu & Nerf Weapons

Deathfest

Halloween Tales at MIMA National Park

Monsterbash at NARA Park

Head of the Charles Regatta

Annual Field Day at Robbins Park

Extinct Car Day

Studebaker Day at Larz Anderson Museum

Harvard Yard Archaeology Project Excavation

Annual Great Pumpkin Float

Southern New England Weather Conference

Dorchester Open Studios

Acton Open Studios

Hingham Arts Walk

Tinker's Tiki Luau: A Ferret Festival

River Fire at Northern Forest Heritage Park

Higgins OverKnight

Max & Ruby: A Bunny Party - tix giveaway

King Richard's Faire

Ghosts of Somerville

Zombie Pub Crawl

Boo at the Zoo

Pumpkins, Pumpkins, Pumpkins

Haunted Salem Scavenger Hunt

Salem Common Family Fun Day

Children's Halloween Costume Party

Gedney Glows

Easton "Horribles" Parade

Halloween Costume Parade at Taunton

Pumpkin Carving

Spooktacular at Attleboro Springs

Halloween Night Hike and Hayride

Great Pumpkin Nights at Worcester Ecotarium

Echoes from the Past: Worcester's Ghost Walk

Pumpkins in the Park

A Night at the Wenham Museum

Martin's Pond Children's Haunted Playground

Mother Nature's Halloween Hike

Nosferatu: The Silent Film Classic Accompanied By The Wurlitzer Organ

Night at the Museum for Adults

The Music of the Night: Silent Film with Live Music

Ghostport Festival

New England Fringe Festival

Deer, Oh Dear

Annual Pumpkin Float

Autumn Colors: A Mystery Revealed at the Arnold Arboretum

Cambridge Community TV Grand Opening Gala

Halloween Dog Costume Parade

An Evening with Saw-whet Owls at Drumlin

Concord Festival of Authors

The Lives of Stars at Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary

Tolkien Walk in the Woods

October Cow Festival: Strolling of the Dairy Herd

Fall Foliage Hiking

The Great New England BBQ Fest at Wachusett Mountain

Keene Pumpkin Festival

Re-enactment of Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird

Discover Holyoke Day

Essex Clamfest

It's A Hoe Down!

Nighttime at Felix Neck

Harvest Johnny Cake Festival

West Bay Artists Open Studios

Graphic Novels at the Fitchburg Art Museum

Harvest Dinner & Urban Barn Dance

Be Bold, Be Bald!

Boston Palestine Film Festival

Williamstown Film Festival

Gorefest at Improv Boston

The Big Broadcast of 1954

Rocky Horror at Club Oberon by the Gold Dust Orphans

The Haunting of Hill House

Unlaunch'd Voices: Walt Whitman Alive with Stephen Collins

Halloween Dinner Theater presents Bloodhounds

Steampunk Halloween Masquerade Ball

Storyteller Jonathan Kruk performs The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Pumpkin Hayrides & Bison

Creatures of the Night - Guided Night Hike

Enchanted Forest

Fall-o-Ween Fest at the Mystic Aquarium

Annual Dinner of the Men of Tor (Sherlock Holmes Club)

Great Scot it's Andrew Carnegie!

Witchcraft and Tombstone Tours

Play With Matches

A Steampunk Affair

OgunquitFest

Kennebunk HarvestFest

Bakuretsu Con

And the Largest List of Cornfield Mazes and Halloween attractions in New England, tracking 130 ongoing attractions and dozens of one-shot events!

By Johnny Monsarrat on October 16, 2011 11:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) Content by Jon Monsarrat.

Boston Events Insider: October 11-18, 2011: Pumpkin Catapults, Mark Twain, Viking Training, Astronomy & Full Moon Canoe, Open Studios, Fossil Day, Seth MacFarlane, and New England's largest Halloween event list!

This week I checked out a bunch of Connecticut destinations that I will post up reviews about shortly. Make sure to scroll way down to the bottom to see the largest list of Halloween attractions and cornfield mazes in New England! Corn mazes can get muddy, so it's best to go not the day after it rains.

I hope you are having an awesome week. Now get out there and do something fun!

-Johnny

This week's top items are below, or see the complete Boston Events Insider.

Passim presents Vance Gilbert unplugged - tix giveaway	Boston Metro Fri 10/14
Club Passim is known for drawing the best folk music, and Vance Gilbert is doing an all-acoustic concert (no microphone) celebrating his new CD, Old White Men. I have two pairs of tickets to give away! Email johnny@eventsINSIDER.com. 8pm. Arlington Town Hall, 730 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington, MA.617-492-7679.

Davis MegaMaze Halloween Fright Nights - ticket giveaway	Worcester Thu 8/11 - Sun 11/13
My favorite corn field maze just gets better this week, as they add nighttime hours and live actors making the 3 miles of pathways a haunted house! Last week 100% of the people who asked won MegaMaze tickets. Email johnny@eventsINSIDER.com! And they have a daytime petting zoo, hayrides, apple picking. 145 Redstone Hill, Sterling, MA.

King Richard's Faire - ticket giveaway	South Shore Sat 9/3 - Sun 10/23
It's the Renaissance era, baby! Or maybe medieval. You'll see costumes of both types at this faire with stage acts for adults and kids, jousting, circus acts, and more! Email johnny@eventsINSIDER.com to win tickets, good thru Oct 23. It's the biggest Ren Faire close to Boston. 235 Main St, Carver, MA.508-866-5391.

Pumpkin Chucking Fest	North Shore Sun 10/16
Oh no, the carnival's not coming -- how are we going to run this festival? All we have is this catapult... And 500 pumpkins! 1-4pm. Amesbury Sports Park, 12 South Hunt Rd., Amesbury, MA.

Edgar Allan Poe's Cemetery Tour	South Shore Mon 10/17
I've seen this and YOU MUST GO. If you've enjoyed reading Poe, watch his stories read by historian Rob Velella who does a Q&A as Poe as well. His transformation and performance SO SPOOKY you'll be breathless! I have 2 pairs of tickets to give away. Email johnny@eventsINSIDER.com to win. 6pm. $15. Old Ship Meeting House, Hingham, MA.

"And Now Mark Twain!"	Metro West Sat 10/15
This re-enactor portrays Mark Twain. Now that's a historical figure I've never "met" and would love to! 1pm. Weston Council on Aging, Weston, MA.

Full Moon Canoe, Campfire, Halloween Hike	Boston Metro Tue 10/11
Halloween is finally here, but there are plenty of not-so-spooky alternatives. This evening paddle and campfire also combines water with burning. It sounds very peaceful. Make sure to read all the way to the bottom of this week's issue for New England's largest list of Halloween attractions! 6pm. Hale Reservation, 80 Carby St, Westwood, MA.

Viking Training at Higgins Armory	Worcester Sat 10/15 - Sun 10/16
The Higgins Armory is a museum in a castle-like building featuring medieval and renaissance armor and weaponry. They have a number of fun events all year and it's definitely worth the trip. This weekend they have training for adults and kids about how to fight like a Viking. 100 Barber Ave, Worcester, MA.508-853-6015.

Free Star Parties	Southeast Mass Sun 10/16
Also outdoors at night, here's a stargazing event. Astronomer have a huge amount of passion and most will take the time to point out the newbie stuff to you, like how to find the North Star. Call ahead for a weather check if clouds are forecast. 8-10pm. Moose Hill, 293 Moose Hill St, Sharon, MA.781-784-5691 x8103.

Fort Point Open Studios	Boston Metro Fri 10/14 - Sun 10/16
I love open studios. Walk around visiting artist studios and private homes in Boston's "best" arts district. I've walked this one. The art is good and you get to interact with real artists, not just merchants. Buy something and help fund their dream jobs. Fri 4-7pm, Sat-Sun 11am-6pm. Various, Boston, MA.

And a lot more this week at Boston Events Insider, the most popular events blog in New England, including:

Arlington Open Studios

Natick Open Studios

North Adams Open Studios Weekend

National Fossil Day & Life in the Extreme Deep

Feel the Heat at the MIT Museum

Seth MacFarlane & Community Service Trip at Harvard Humanist

Jeep & Truck Day

A Visit with E.E. Cummings

Cranberries Alive

Stone Age & Primitive Skills Celebration

Another Anime Convention

New Hampshire TechFest

Hudson PumpkinFest

Harry Potter Day at Escobar's Corn Maze

Star Wars Party & Blood Drive

Pumpkin Festival at Coggeshall Farm Museum

Olde Colony Civil War Round Table Jubilee Dinner

Doyle's - "Supernatural" Story Slam

Film & Game Night with Devil Music Ensemble

Witch City Cruise & Glow Costume Event

Howl-O-Ween Pet Walk and Costume Parade

Rock & Shock Horror Convention

Halloween Hike at Boo Meadow Brook

Halloween Lecture and Readings

Halloween Nation: Behind the Scenes of America's Fright Night

Dark Banquet: Blood and the Curious Lives of Blood-feeding Creatures

FurFright

It's my birthday!

Boston Book Festival

Don't Know Much About Boston History Quiz Show

Bostonians Behaving Badly - Riots in Boston

Light the Night

Blue Hill Weather Observatory Open House & Kite Festival

A Capella Fest at Faneuil Hall

Comicazi Cookie Clash to Benefit Boston Partners in Education

Moody Street Circus

Bewitched in Andover

The New England Amateur Radio Festival

Weston Pumpkin Festival

Cogswell's Grant Pumpkin Day

Sea Shanties at the Ship Stage

Children's Day

Newton Harvest Fair

Rockport HarvestFest

Sheep Pasture's Great Pumpkin Party

Full Moon Hike at Nasketucket Bay State Reservation

Re-enactment of Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird

Re-enactment of actor John Barrymore

Fall Foliage Hiking

Wachusett Mountain Apple Festival

Pumpkin Festival and Great Pumpkin Day

Falmouth Cranberry Harvest and Farm Festival

Goffstown Great Pumpkin Weigh-Off and Regatta

Ballard Park Pumpkin Tour

Cranberry Day

Harvard 375th Anniversary Celebration

Artists Ball at Eliot Hall at Jamaica Plain

South End House Tours

Shudderfest Film Festival

Author Talk: Mark Vonnegut

The Blacksmith House Poetry Series

Jim Lehrer, Tom Brokaw, Umberto Eco at the Harvard Book Store

New England Fringe Festival

Instrument Petting Zoo & Pumpkinfest

Mobile Food Fest at the Kennedy Greenway

Plymouth Rock Comedy Festival

Greater Boston Antiques Festival

Canstruction

Out of the Darkness

The Connecticut Renaissance Faire - Fall

The Haunted Graveyard at Lake Compounce

Scotland Connecticut Highland Games

Lyman Orchards Corn Maze

Haunted Hay Rides at McCray's Farm

The Trail of Terror

Rocky Horror at Club Oberon by the Gold Dust Orphans

Night Hike Along the Shetucket

Full Moon Hike at Denison Pequotsepos

Glastonbury Apple Harvest Festival

Townshend Pumpkin Festival

Harvestfest / Kidsfest

And the Largest List of Cornfield Mazes and Halloween attractions in New England, tracking 130 ongoing attractions and dozens of one-shot events!

By Johnny Monsarrat on October 10, 2011 7:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) Content by Jon Monsarrat.

Boston Events Insider: October 3-11, 2011: Renaissance & Scottish Faires, Columbus Day Parades, Guy Fawkes Bonfire, Giant Pumpkin Boats, Zombie Walk, WWII Air Show, & Halloween!

This week, I added a clickable so you can just click on which region in New England you like the most! Please send feedback. Also I removed all the Facebook 'share' buttons. Nobody ever used those, right? Let me know at johnny@eventsINSIDER.com and I'm looking for a volunteer with Web design skills.

If you like short lines, this is your chance to get in on the Halloween attractions while the season is still slow. I list more than 150 ongoing attractions plus dozens of individual Halloween events and cornfield mazes, all lovingly updated for 2011 and annotated with opening dates and ratings. Click through to see it all!

I hope you are having an awesome week. Now get out there and do something fun!

-Johnny

This week's top items are below, or see the complete Boston Events Insider.

Edgar Allan Poe: Cemetery Tour

Boston Metro

Thu 10/6

What's better than a re-enactment of Edgar Allan Poe by historical maestro Rob Vellela? Hearing Edgar Allan Poe recite The Tell-Tale Heart at Mount Auburn Cemetery and talk about Longfellow, who is buried there -- during Halloween season! I have seen Rob perform -- you really owe it to yourself and to supporting local artists to see this! I have a pair of tickets to give away! Email johnny@eventsINSIDER.com. 6pm. Mount Auburn Cemetery, 580 Mt Auburn St, Cambridge, MA.

Davis MegaMaze - ticket giveaway	Worcester Thu 8/11 - Sun 11/13
This is the last weekend at Davis MegaMaze before the Halloween decorations. It's my favorite corn field maze, and if you have kids you can go across the street to petting zoo with hayrides, go carts, and apple picking. You absolutely have to see it, and I have tickets to give away! Email johnny@eventsINSIDER.com. 145 Redstone Hill, Sterling, MA.

The King & I - tix giveaway - our review	North Shore Tue 9/27 - Sun 10/9
2011:The King & I is a hit! An English schoolteacher travels to a Thailand that needs to ally with Western Civilization before enemies crowd closer. Click for our review and I have another 2 pairs of tickets to give away for the Fri 10/7 at 8pm show! Email johnny@eventsINSIDER. 62 Dunham Rd, Beverly, MA.978-232-7200.

King Richard's Faire - ticket giveaway	South Shore Sat 9/3 - Sun 10/23
Fifty actors on the South Shore have hooked up a time machine to a fun machine and they call it King Richard's Faire! I have yet more tickets to give away, good any weekend through Oct 23. Email johnny@eventsINSIDER.com to win tickets for their Renaissance Faire's live music, comedy, circus acts, and jousting. 235 Main St, Carver, MA.508-866-5391.

Medeival Faire	Western Mass Sun 10/9
King Richard's Faire is larger, but this Western Mass renaissance faire features an old mansion and museum as well as the usual vendors, performers, and demonstrations of horseriding and medeival combat. Ventfort Hall, 104 Walker Street, Lenox, MA.413-637-3206.

Fenway Cultural Festival (Opening Our Doors!)	Boston Metro Mon 10/10
Fenway is surrounded by music, theatre, and arts venues, and they're all open for free -- and there's a trolley to take you around from spot to spot! Most of it's performance, but interactive events include a kite workshop, a kids parade, a walking tour, and collaborative drawing. Fenway area, Boston, MA.

Battle for the Airfield - WWII Reenactment	Metro West Sat 10/8 - Sun 10/9
It doesn't get much better than an air show that's close to Boston and has air flights that include a mock WWII battle! Also some WWII veterans will be speaking. You really need to see this. No reservation needed. 137 Barton Road, Stow, MA.978-562-9182.

Salem Zombie Walk	North Shore Sat 10/8
Do you like zombies? Do you like walking? Dress up and go on a fake rampage! I've been to such events and they are always crazy fun. You're basically entertaining bystanders, and in Salem they really "get it". 3pm, with an afterparty until 1am. Collins Cove, Collins St., Salem, MA.

Guy Fawkes Bonfire	Rhode Island Sun 10/9
Another WTF moment is... a bonfire, live music, burning an effigy, and a re-enactment of an old British execution! Who wouldn't pay to see that... but it's FREE, and comes with the former lead singer of the Moody Blues and a Monty Python-esque performance. Rain date the next day. Andrea Hotel, 89 Atlantic Ave, Misquamicut Beach, RI.

Columbus Day Parade	Boston Metro Sun 10/9
Don't take it too bad, Native Americans. Christopher Columbus thought he was invading INDIA! There's a parade for the controversial Man About Town, and the Rest of the Planet, and you're invited. For kids, they'll have unspecified "lawn games", a magician, and a puppet show. East Boston, MA.

And a lot more this week at Boston Events Insider, the most popular events blog in New England, including:

Columbus Day Scavenger Hunt

Columbus Day Weekend Festival

Columbus Day Parade

Milford Pumpkin Festival

Harvest Moon Fall Festival with Fireworks

Irish Heritage Festival

Transporterfest / Volkswagen Day

Greenfest at Larz Anderson Museum of Transportation

Revere Beach Pumpkin Festival

His Majesty`s First Regiment, Foot Guards

Lowell Celebrates Kerouac Literary Festival

Dead Poets Remembrance Day in New England

Topsfield Fair

Singles Night at Connors Farm Corn Maze

Massachusetts Cranberry Harvest Festival

Cranberry Festival

[SENSE]ation Day: Clay, Fire, and Fun

Autumnfest

Waterfire: Scavenger Hunt

Full Moon Canoe, Campfire, Halloween Hike

New Hampshire Fall Festival

Yarmouth Seaside Festival

Salem Haunted Happenings Grand Parade

Bootiful Pet Halloween Contest

Spooky: Odds Bodkin's Halloween Show

Zooarchaeology Lab Open House

MFA Fall Open House

Fall Foliage Hiking

Warner Fall Foliage Festival

Pumpkin Day at Bourne Farm

Sandwich Fair

Somersworth Pumpkin Festival

Cowboy Rendezvous at Stepping Stone Ranch

International Oktoberfest

Southern New England Giant Pumpkin Championship

Full Moon Hike at Nasketucket Bay State Reservation

Evening at the Beaver Ponds

Dutch Visit In the English Village

Wampanoag Immigration Booth

Smoke This! A Rib Fest

Fall Festival Pig Roast & BBQ

Flames of Hope

Monadnock Open Studios Art Tour

Paradise City Arts Festival (Northampton)

Tufts Health Plan 10K for Women

5K Walk for the Blind

Young Frankenstein - our review

Performance: Ernest Hemingway

Twelfth Night

Jimmy Tingle's American Dream: Live on Stage

Scotland Connecticut Highland Games

The Connecticut Renaissance Faire - Fall

Columbus Day Weekend Fun

Walking Weekend Night Hike

Kings & Rapscallions: Storytelling for Grown-Ups by Tom Lee

Fall Down Festival

National Freedom From Religion Foundation

Wife Carrying Championship

Damariscotta Pumpkinfest & Regatta

Fryeburg Fair

Sam Mazza's Giant Pumpkin Weigh-In

Giant Pumpkin Regatta & Festival

Scavenger Hunt at the Ethan Allen Homestead

Oktoberfest Weekend at Folk Arts Center of New England

And the Largest List of Cornfield Mazes and Halloween attractions in New England, tracking 130 ongoing attractions and dozens of one-shot events!

By Johnny Monsarrat on October 3, 2011 10:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) Content by Jon Monsarrat.