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

Free movie preview tix to Machete & The Tillman Story		Wed 9/1	Boston Metro
Did you ever see Grindhouse, the Quentin Tarantino film? It featured a trailer for a parody called Machete, which was so popular that they actually made the movie. I have free preview tickets. The only catch is, it's at 10am in the morning. Also I've got tickets for The Tillman Story, Wed at 7pm. AMC Boston Common Theatre, Boston, MA. see details on the complete Events Insider
Tomb opens new attraction -- free tickets!		Wed 9/1	Southeast Mass
The largest amusement park in Boston proper has just one "ride" -- it's "Tomb", an ancient Egyptian pyramid that you actually walk through. The Pharaoah traps you inside and you solve puzzles and explore to escape. Well, the team at 5 WITS has now opened "Espionage", a walk-through spy game in Foxborough. Meanwhile -- big surprise!! -- they are CLOSING the Boston location on September 7, which to me sounds crazy. I still have 17 tickets to Tomb, so email me to win some and go! Patriot Place, Foxboro, MA. see details on the complete Events Insider
King Richard's Faire preview event		Thu 9/2	Boston Metro
Bigger and better than Tomb, King Richard's Faire is the big Renaissance Faire in Massachusetts and to attract customers they are doing a free preview! They'll have baby tigers, jousters on horseback and performances by the royal court set up all along the river. 11am-1pm. Hatch Shell on the Esplanade, Boston, MA. see details on the complete Events Insider
Anuna Hill Days (Stargazing Weekend)		Fri 9/3 - Mon 9/6	Boston Metro
I've always wanted to see this one! It's a weekend festival for serious astronomy buffs, but everyone is invited. You can camp or just visit, with model rockets and nature walks in the day and serious stargazing at night. Arunah Hill, Cummington, MA. see details on the complete Events Insider
Back to School Silent Rave		Sat 9/4	Boston Metro
Or spend the night dancing to no music! Bring an iPod with music to dance to. Or just dance to the music in your head! 7-10pm. Copley Square, Boston, MA. see details on the complete Events Insider
Adult Spelling Bee (and I do mean X-rated)		Sat 9/4	Boston Metro
How weird is this? A spelling bee with naughty words. Basement of student center. 9pm. BU Central, 775 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA. see details on the complete Events Insider
Marlborough's 350th Anniversary		Sat 9/4 - Mon 9/6	Metro West
Movie night 9/3 "Up", Ball 9/4, and scavenger hunt, opening of 50 year time capsule, and fireworks 9/5! Then a parade 9/6! Marlborough, MA. see details on the complete Events Insider
World War II Day at Battleship Cove		Sat 9/4 - Sun 9/5	Southeast Mass
Re-enactments in New England usually focus on the 1700s. Here's one focused on World War II, and it takes place at the largest naval museum in the world, right here in Fall River. Battleship Cove, Fall River, MA. see details on the complete Events Insider

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

Seakonke Wampanoag Tride Annual Pow-wow, Boston Tattoo Convention, Lighted Boat Parade & Fireworks, Gloucester Schooner Festival, Stacked Kite Mega-Fly, Bread and Roses Festival, End of Summer Bash & Fireworks, Battle Road Trail Walk, Newport Waterfront Irish Festival, Stone Zoo Free Fun Friday and others, Free Fun Friday at the USS Constitution Museum, Festival of Saint Lucia, Labor Day Fest - Newburyport, Hopkinton State Fair, Spencer Fair (Agriculture Fair), The Shire: A Mountaintop Music & Arts Festival, Rhythm & Roots Festival, Kimball Farm Corn Maze, The Real Inspector Hound - Theatre, King Richard's Faire (Ren Faire), Woodstock Fair, A-Maze-ing Story Slam, Bonfire at Nudist Resort, Blue Hill Fair, County Bluegrass, Champlain Valley Fair, Plymouth Folk and Blues Concerts, Vermont State Fair, New World Festival, and more.

And the Largest List of Outdoor Summer Movies, Theatre, and Music in New England, tracking over 300 summer series!

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Welcome to Boston Events Insider! This is it! There are some dribs and drabs in September, but this is the last full-blooded week of outdoor theatre, movies, and music, most of which is free. See the huge list of over 300 outdoor summer series at the very bottom of the full blog (click through to see).

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

Boston Carnival (Caribbean Festival)		Sat 8/28	Boston Metro
It's carnival time! There's a parade down MLK Boulevard, Roxbury, MA at 12pm, and a huge block party (j'ouvert), Blue Hill Ave and Morton Street, Mattapan, MA at 5pm. (Not 5am, right, like it's listed?). Franklin Park, Boston, MA.617-635-3911. see details on the complete Events Insider
Love Hangover booth in Copley Square		Sat 8/28	Boston Metro
This looks fun! Two hosts of a radio show on dating, sex, and relationships are giving free advice to anyone who wants it through a sidewalk booth. My advice would be: if you can't consistently keep from fighting, it's not true love. 1-4pm. Copley Square, in front of Trinity Episcopal Church, Boston, MA. see details on the complete Events Insider
Pawtucket Arts Fest & Dragonboat Races		Sun 8/15 - Sat 9/4	Rhode Island
I've told you before about the "Pawtucket Arts Festival", which is not really a festival, but a jumble of various mini-events, but finally the dragonboat races are coming 8/28. School Street Pier, School St., Pawtucket, RI.401-724-2200. see details on the complete Events Insider
Fandago		Sat 8/28	Boston Metro
Mexican song and dance come to Somerville! Bring an instrument and join in the "fandango". 4-8p.m. Rain date: next day. They'll have dance lessons and performances, food, art, and a film. Union Square, Somerville, MA. see details on the complete Events Insider
Plymouth Waterfront Festival		Sat 8/28	South Shore
I've also been to this one. At first I was ready to assume it would be small & uninteresting. But it's actually rather large with a great diversity of activities including a carnival, live music, and the Mayflower ship replica. A great excuse to visit Plimoth Plantation and stop by. 10:30am to 7pm. Plymouth, MA. see details on the complete Events Insider
Model Rocket Launch at Acton		Sat 8/28	Metro West
Gee, I haven't flown a model rocket since I was a kid! I'd love to see this hobby group. Check their other dates if this one doesn't work for you. 10am-4pm. Field at School Street, Acton, MA. see details on the complete Events Insider
Air Show at Pease Air Force Base		Sat 8/28 - Sun 8/29	New Hampshire
Of course, they're completely outclassed by this air show with air stunts up above and lots of parked aircraft to see up close on the ground. Portsmouth, NH. see details on the complete Events Insider
New England Boogie - Skydiving Festival		Wed 8/25 - Sun 8/29	Northern Mass
Not enough action for you? This is the largest skydiving event in New England. Up to 300 attend. I would go for viewing -- it will be too busy for jumping, and I've heard that other skyjump centers are better. 165 Nashua Road, Pepperell, MA.978 433-9222. see details on the complete Events Insider

Once in a while I do an update in-between weekly posts when something important is coming up!

• I've got a free ticket to see the Edgar Allan Poe re-enactor event tomorrow, Thursday, at Concord at the Old Manse. This is a truly original concept that I've never seen before. The show is at 7pm but they have house tours if you are able to arrive early. Email me to win, especially if you want to offer me a ride! (But I do have a backup way to get there.)
• In this week's blog, I forgot to mention Wildfire, which seems to be some kind of artists retreat sort of like Burning Man but not too far from Boston. It's in Ashford, CT.
• There's a big all-weekend re-enactment in Hillsboro, NH.
• My friends at Lifted are #1 on Virgin's nationwide talent search. Please vote daily for the band and keep them going! I'll give away Canobie Lake Park tickets or Tomb tickets to those who write me with good promotional stories, such as "I made all my friends vote!"

I hope you're making the most of the summer. Especially in New England, you'll regret it if you miss the warm weather festivals that will be gone in a few weeks!

-Johnny

Welcome to Boston Events Insider! Below is my best give away ever: get tickets to Canobie Lake Park. This week's top items are below, or see the complete Boston Events Insider.

Win tickets to Canobie Lake Park and Tomb		Sun 8/15 - Thu 8/19	Boston Metro
My friends at Lifted, the band, have been #1 in Virgin's nationwide talent search all week but they just dropped to #2! Please take 30 seconds to vote. Then invite your friends to the Facebook event. The people who email me with the best 'get out the word' story will win tickets to Canobie Lake Park (see below). And I've also got tickets to Tomb, the miniature adventure park in Boston. Vote now! Boston, MA. see details on the complete Events Insider
Free movie preview: Lottery Ticket		Fri 8/20	Boston Metro
Last week you missed tickets to The Expendables, Flipped, and Scott Pilgrim because you're not on the Facebook group (which I email) and the fan page (which I post to but you might miss it amongst all the Facebook posts your friends make). Join both now! This week I've got free tickets to Lottery Ticket, Monday at 3pm in Boston. Fenway or Boston Common Theatre, Boston, MA. see details on the complete Events Insider
Edgar Allan Poe and Margaret Fuller: A Conversation		Thu 8/19	Metro West
This is incredibly exciting! I've never seen a re-enactor of Poe, the original Goth, and I get to check out this historic home and learn who Margaret Fuller. 7pm, with special tours at 4pm, 5pm, and 6pm. Someone with a car please email, because I want to go!! Old Manse, 269 Monument Street, Concord, MA.978-369-3909. see details on the complete Events Insider
Canobie Lake Park and Michael Jackson		Fri 8/20	New Hampshire
Canobie Lake is my favorite amusement park in New England, and I'll tell you why. It's not quite a giant as Six Flags, but it's so much more real. Parking is free and you won't have advertisements in your face all day and people taking your photo and demanding $10. Parkland is integrated, with a variety of trees -- it's an arboretum -- so that it really feels like you're outdoors. In fact, you can take a lakeboat, Ferris wheel, or gondola ride or picnic on the grass just to relax. They continually add rides, so as well as the old favorites, see Castaway Island, the towering water playground, and the park has grownup and kid rides in all 4 corners so if you have a family you can all do something fun. Every Thursday they have a talent search, every Friday is a dance party, and every Saturday are fireworks. 85 N Policy St, Salem, NH.603 893-3506. see details on the complete Events Insider
Project MUM, Ice Cream Showdown, and Interactive Art		Sat 8/21	Boston Metro
OMG! OMG! That stands for Outdoor Music Groove! It's a dance party under the McGrath Highway!! 9pm-1am. Rain or shine. Under the McGrath Highway, at the intersection of Washington Street in Somerville, MA, Somerville, MA. see details on the complete Events Insider
Banditos Misteriosos Water Gun Fight		Sat 8/21	Boston Metro
A group of insane people are meeting for a water gun fight. I love the concept, although I really don't see why the location has to be kept hidden. It's been on the Esplanade but check the website for the announcement. Bring your own gun and water, and they'd prefer advance registration. (Why? Is it complex to run around screaming with water guns?) 1:30-3pm. TBA, but probably the Esplanade, Boston, MA. see details on the complete Events Insider
Westfield International Air Show		Sat 8/21 - Sun 8/22	Springfield
It's not just an air show: it's FREE. They'll have 30 performers and 60 planes on the ground to inspect up close. Amazing! Barnes Air National Guard Base, Westfield, MA. see details on the complete Events Insider
East Boston Pride Day		Sat 8/21	Boston Metro
Can't get out to Provincetown for Carnival? This is a novelty, a liberal festival in a (presumably) conservative neighborhood, and they'll have steel drums and jugglers and more, with 2,500 people on the street. Piers Park, East Boston, MA. see details on the complete Events Insider

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

Quincy August Moon Festival, Lowell Southeast Asian Water Festival, Jaffrey Festival of Fireworks, White Mountain Boogie N' Blues Festival (and Fireworks), Fireworks at the Ocean Park by the Sea, Sandcastle and Sculpture Day (Nantucket), Carnival in Provincetown, Summer Night at the Harvard Museum of Natural History, Ford / Lincoln Day at Larz Anderson Museum, Winnekenni Cruise Day, Metro West Car Show, Fly in a restored B17 Bomber - Show, Seaside Pow Wow and Festival, Pi-Con Science Fiction Convention, Connecticut River Valley Astronomers Conjunction, Dinosaur State Park Day, The Big Lebowski Annual Bowling Party, Boston Greenfest, Fortress of Nightmares Presents Summer Ghost Hunts, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), Abigail Adams Meets Captain William Smith, The Long Arm of the Law, Picnic with the John and Abigail Adams, Grape Island, Costumed Civil War Storytelling, Snow in Summer Celebration, Free Day at Concord Museum and Scavenger Hunt, Free Fun Fridays: Institute of Contemporary Art, Marshfield Fair, Hardwick County Fair, Westfield Fair, Vintage Regatta at Patton Park, Latin American Festival at Worcester City Hall, The Salem Jazz and Soul Festival. Salem, MA, Downtown Gloucester Block Party, Verrill Farm Corn & Tomato Festival, NEBS Summerfest, South Coast Rhode Island Open Studios, Annual Children's Festival & Talent Competition, Fabulous Family Fun Day, Summer Sunday in the Park, 90th anniversary of the 19th Amendment providing women's civil rights, Boston Restaurant Week - Summer, Swim with luminous jellyfish off the Cape, Anniversary of Johnny's List (2005), The Hound of the Baskervilles -- a Comedy, Fully Committed, Cirque du Soleil, OBA Carnival By Rockwell Amusements, The B52s, Riverfront Dragon Boat and Asian Festival, Maine Highland Games, Great Falls Balloon Festival, Skowhegan State Fair, Dance New England - Dance Camp, Rabble in Arms, and more.

And the Largest List of Outdoor Summer Movies, Theatre, and Music in New England, tracking over 300 summer series!

Love this blog? Subscribe to email, Facebook, or Twitter and please tell your friends!

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

OK, so I have a Facebook group but also a Facebook fan page. Please join both. The fan page is good because I autogenerate dozens of events and you will see a few of them -- Facebook is smart enough not to swamp you. But that means you might miss free stuff. So join the group because I can send out one or two tiny emails a week that you'll actually see, like movie tickets. I had tickets for Takers yesterday, but it came in-between blog posts, so you missed it.

Please email me your feedback thru the website! I want to know what you like and don't like so I can make this site even better. -Johnny

Free tix: The Expendables, Flipped, The Extra Man		8/9 - 8/12	Boston Metro
You keep missing free tickets -- like to "Takers" yesterday -- because you're not on the Facebook group (which I email) and the fan page (which I post to). Join both now! This week I've got free tickets to the Expendables with Bruce Willis and Jet Li TONIGHT Monday at 7pm, The Extra Man with Kevin Kline TONIGHT Monday, and Flipped Thursday at 7pm in Boston. I also have tickets to advance screening of the Showtime series The Big C and WEEDS, Wed 8/11. Fenway or Boston Common Theatre, Boston, MA. see details on the complete Events Insider
Chinatown August Moon Festival		8/15	Boston Metro
Chinatown is having a celebration where dancing dragons go door to door, sort of a trick or treat experience, leaving the street literally covered with firework casings and lettuce leaves! They'll also have a stage with cute kids doing martial arts and dance. I've been and this is a must see! Highly recommended! 10am-5pm. Main Street, Chinatown, Boston, MA.617-350- 6303. see details on the complete Events Insider
Pawtucket Arts Fest & Dragonboat Races		8/15 - 9/4	Rhode Island
Even better, visit Rhode Island for asian dance, crafts, martial arts, and dragonboat races all day. It's also part of the "Pawtucket Arts Festival", which is really just an umbrella event covering a lot of diverse things, but plenty more is happening in town that day, including French culture, a film festival, and a walking tour. 2009: Races 8/29 8am-5pm. Rest of 'festival' goes to 9/13. School Street Pier, School St., Pawtucket, RI.401-724-2200. see details on the complete Events Insider
Dominican Festival & Parade at Franklin Park		8/15	Boston Metro
There's also a carnival at Franklin Park with Domican, Haitian, and Jamaican food, music, and dance. 12pm-7pm. Free. Ramsey Park, Boston, MA.617-201-2909. see details on the complete Events Insider
Native American Summer Festival at Harbor Islands		8/14 - 8/15	Boston Metro
You shouldn't need an excuse to visit the Boston Harbor Islands, but here's a great one: one of only two native american festivals close to Boston. Harbor Island, Boston, MA. see details on the complete Events Insider
India Day - Festival & Concert		8/15	Boston Metro
Speaking of Indians, I've been to the Hatch Shell on the Esplanade in Boston. They have performers and a huge crowd with dozens of booths. As the only South Asian-themed event I know of in Boston, it's definitely worth a trip. Esplanade, Boston, MA. see details on the complete Events Insider
Summer Stars and Meteors at Broadmoor		8/12	Metro West
The Perseids (August) and the Geminids (December) are the most reliable of the annual meteor showers. Here's an astronomy event for older kids and adults to guide your view. Or go anywhere using these websites as guides. Get to a beach or a very large field with no streetlights to wash out the night sky. Broadmoor, 280 Eliot Street, Natick, MA. see details on the complete Events Insider
Pirate Weekend at Pioneer Village		8/14 - 8/15	North Shore
Salem has a historic re-enactment museum that's doing a weekend of pirates! They'll demonstrate piratical punishments, blacksmithing, pirate cooking, sea tales and sea songs. Pioneer Village, Salem, MA. see details on the complete Events Insider

Welcome to Boston Events Insider! I'm looking for volunteers to write restaurant reviews and get paid with $20-$50 in free food. Email me through the website. This week's top items are below, or see the complete Boston Events Insider.

Free tix to Othello, The Other Guys, A-Team parody		8/4	Boston Metro
Othello is already free, and it's the outdoor theatre event of the year, taking place right on Boston Common (8pm). But as a press guy I have one guest pass for sitting right up front. Also, I have tickets to see The Other Guys, the new Will Ferrell comedy (7pm, but come early). Both on Wednesday! I also have free tickets (a onesie and a twosie) for A-Team, the parody at ImprovBoston this Friday. Also free movie preview tix for Takers on Sunday in Boston.Email me! Boston Common, Boston, MA. see details on the complete Events Insider
Davis MegaMaze Opens & Magician Weekend		8/5 - 8/8	Worcester
The event of the week is that my favorite midsized amusement park is opening its corn maze! It's the biggest and best outdoor maze in New England, with over 3 miles of pathways, and it's across the street from apple picking, a petting zoo, a water spray park, hay rides, and they're also having magicians come, apparently! 145 Redstone Hill, Sterling, MA.978-422-8888. see details on the complete Events Insider
From Redcoats to Rebels: Military re-enactment at Sturbridge		8/7 - 8/8	Worcester
Also the event of the week is this huge re-enactment of 300 years of military history at my favorite re-enactment museum. I've seen it and it's HIGHLY recommended! They'll have a parade, fife & drum, camp cooking, cannon demo, kids activities. Old Sturbridge Village, Sturbridge, MA.508-347-3362. see details on the complete Events Insider
The Hitchcock Academy and 10th Mass Civil War Encampment		8/7 - 8/8	Worcester
And while you're there, check out the nearby Civil War re-enactment. Because when you think Massachusetts and history, you think Civil War! Heart-o-the-Mart, Rt 20, Brimfield, MA. see details on the complete Events Insider
Bicycle Day at the Museum of Transportation		8/8	Boston Metro
The Museum that has so many car shows is having one for bicycles! Come see some real old-timers, and have breakfast and lunch on-site. 15 Newton Street, Brookline, MA.617-522-6547. see details on the complete Events Insider
New England Haunter's Gathering		8/7	New Hampshire
If you like Halloween waaaaay too much, you have to start getting ready early. This convention is for people who run "haunts", private homes for trick-or-treating that go all-out with special effects. I want to see the robotic gadgets! Unfortunately, if the website is any indication, it will be a low glitz event. Radisson Hotel, Nashua, NH. see details on the complete Events Insider
Pittsfield NH Rotary Hot Air Balloon Rally		8/6 - 8/8	New Hampshire
I really want to see this!! Just 1.7 hrs from Boston is a balloon festival, with fireworks on Saturday. Pittsfield, NH. see details on the complete Events Insider
Marshfield Sandcastle Sculpture Contest		8/7	South Shore
It's sand sculpture season and here are three! The first is in Marshfield on the South Shore. They won't have any pros but us amateurs can compete! 2-4:30pm. Rain date: next day. Rexhame Beach, Marshfield, MA.781-834-5543. see details on the complete Events Insider

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

Sand Sculpture Contest at Marthas Vineyard, Crane Beach Sandblast!, Salem Heritage Days, Heritage Days Edsel Day, Beverly Homecoming Days, Carnival in Beverly, Lizzie Borden Museum Annual Re-enactment, Rehoboth Agricultural Fair, Boston Urban Music Festival, Summer Arts Fest, Get Mortified, Cambridge Discovery Days, The Secret Lives of Bats, Red Bones Annual Pig Pickin', Hiroshima Day, Polyamory Boot Camp, Al Sharpton, Community Day at Strawbery Banke Museum, Free Fun Fridays: Peabody Essex Museum, Salem Maritime Festival, Pops in the Parks, National Night Out: Brockton, Wild West Penny Carnival, Cheshire Fair, Britt B's Family B, Illumination Night at Old Orchard Beach, Annual Winnekenni Castle Chowderfest, Stargazing at Notchview, Arts Affair at Marina Bay, Naukabout Music Festival, Eastern Massachusetts Rhythym Festival, Nashua Valley Folk Festival / Wachusett Valley Folk Festival, Onset Blues Festival, Newport Jazz Festival (JVC Jazz Festival), Armenian Picnic at Camp Haiastan, Western Mass. Moving Arts Festival, Storytelling Institute Retreat, Woods Hole Film Festival, Pan Mass Challenge, The Hound of the Baskervilles -- a Comedy, Cirque du Soleil, Fully Committed, The A-Team, United Styles - Breakdancing Competition, Circus Smirkus at Revere, Comcast Latino Family Festival, Revolutionary War Living History Demonstration Weekend, Bangor State Fair, Maine Lobster Festival, Litchfield Jazz Festival, Podunk Bluegrass Music Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Northeast Kingdom Music Festival, and more.

And the Largest List of Outdoor Summer Movies, Theatre, and Music in New England, tracking over 300 summer series!

Love this blog? Subscribe to email, Facebook, or Twitter and please tell your friends!

This week I'm doing my first full-hour radio interview, Tuesday at 10am EST, about my art project, Wheel Questions. Go to VicksburgLive.com to hear it live! (They don't seem to post an archive to download after the show.)

Free movie previews: Cats & Dogs, Dinner w/ Schmucks, Charlie St. Cloud		7/26 - 7/29	Boston Metro
I've got free movie preview tickets for Cats & Dogs (Mon, 7pm Boston), Dinner for Schmucks (Wed 7pm Boston & Thu 7pm Dedham), and Charlie St. Cloud (Tue, 7pm, Boston). Email me through http://EVENTSinsider.com. Boston and Dedham Theatres, Boston, MA. see details on the complete Events Insider
The Hound of the Baskervilles -- Free ticket		7/28	Boston Metro
And I've got a spare ticket to join me for this Sherlock Holmes whodunnit. I want to be the one guy in the audience shouting, "It's the butler!" at this one. 450 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA. see details on the complete Events Insider
Shakespeare in the Park		8/1	Boston Metro
By now you know that I list over 40 outdoor theatre series in New England. See below the blog for the complete list this week. For example, there's a free performance of Othello in Arlington! 5pm. Robbins Farm Park, Eastern Avenue, Arlington, MA. see details on the complete Events Insider
Yankee Homecoming Festival		7/25 - 8/1	North Shore
The festivals this week are mainly outside of Boston. For example, the North Shore has a family day festival and fireworks July 31, and a parade Aug 1. Various, Newburyport, MA. see details on the complete Events Insider
Beverly Homecoming Days		7/30 - 8/8	North Shore
And this week, Beverly's big annual event features mystery dinner theatre, a luau 7/29, a lip sync contest 8/3, tons of music and food. Next week I'll remind you when the festival escalates, including an outdoor film 8/7 ("Up")and fireworks 8/8. Various, Beverly, MA. see details on the complete Events Insider
Tutto Italiano at Larz Anderson Museum		8/1	Boston Metro
The best festival in Metro Boston is one of Brookline's auto show at the Larz Auto Museum. They're great fun and this time they're Italian! 10am-2pm. 15 Newton Street, Brookline, MA.617-522-6547. see details on the complete Events Insider
Colonel James Barrett 300th Birthday		7/31	Metro West
Colonel Barrett was a Revolutionary War figure whose farm is still on display in Concord. Come for the re-enactment of the British searching the farm, plus craft demos, fife and drum, and more. 11:30am-4pm. It's free! Colonel Barrett Farm, 448 Barrett`s Mill Rd, Concord, MA.978-318-7825. see details on the complete Events Insider
Bumpkin Island Art Encampment		7/29 - 8/2	Boston Metro
Artists take over one of the Boston Harbor Islands for a festival that's not just vendors selling wares! These are real artists who camp out and create "installations". Is it sort of a local Burning Man festival? I hope so! Boston Harbor Islands, Boston, MA. see details on the complete Events Insider

When I get something late in the week, generally I just post it to the Facebook page. However, I have enough this week for a last-minute update. So here it is!

Nerdnite at Middlesex Lounge, Monday at 8pm at Middlesex Lounge, 315 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA. It's some kind of nerdy-themed comedy night full of performances like reading Dr. Seuss to adults and explaining black holes and comparing them to the holes on people.

Beast Of The East Beep Baseball Championships. Saturday, July 24, in Sudbury, MA, from 9:45am to 5pm. People play baseball while blind? How does that work exactly?

Outdoor BBQ & Music in Allston. Pay just $5 and get barbecue ribs and listen to the band RIBS play! Sounds like a great deal. Sunday, 2-7pm, Wadzilla Mansion, 12 Wadsworth St, Allston, MA.

And finally, I have free movie preview tickets for Cats & Dogs on both Saturday at 11am and Monday at 7pm, and I have Dinner for Schmucks tickets for Wednesday at 7pm. Email me through EVENTSinsider.com!

Finally finally, I want to go up to Salem this weekend to check out the pirate festival and the only re-enactment village in New England that I've never been to! See the listing on the site and click contact and email me to come along.

And have I mentioned lately that you should be calling everyone from your hometown, your workplace, or just go shout it from the street that people should visit Boston Event Insider? Yea, I think I have. :)

-Johnny

p.s. Don't actually shout it on the street.

Welcome to Boston Events Insider! Sorry about this week's double-post! It's because I've changed the website to www.BostonEventsInsider.com, but the old website names still work. Also this week, I'm now auto-posting 30 suggestions a day to the Twitter and Facebook. Please email me at johnny@EVENTSinsider.com and let me know if you like it or think it's overkill!

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

Fully Committed -- Free ticket		7/22 - 8/15	Boston Metro
The show I attended was rained out, so I still have one ticket for someone to come along to see Fully Committed! From what I did see, there is no equal in outdoor theatre this summer. It's a comedy where one man plays 37 roles while trying to answer non-stop phone calls at the reservation desk at a fancy retaurant. Publick Theatre, Boston, MA. see details on the complete Events Insider
Lowell Folk Festival		7/23 - 7/25	Northern Mass
The event of the week is the Lowell Folk Festival: the largest free folk festival in the US. I've been and it's surprisingly rich, with a parade on Friday, 6 performance stages, a yo-yo performance, and the ubiquitous "vendors". Downtown Lowell, Lowell, MA.978-970-5000. see details on the complete Events Insider
SomerStreets & FossFest		7/25	Boston Metro
Somerville throws creative events, so this street festival with live music, circus, community drum circle, art vendors, etc. is probably more than it seems. Broadway from Sullivan Square to Temple St, Somerville, MA. see details on the complete Events Insider
Puerto Rican Festival		7/25	Boston Metro
Now let's bring it back to Boston. Why do these Franklin Park festivals go undescribed? Can we just have ONE web page? Well, fortunately for you, I've been to this festival. They have a traveling carnival with tons of vendors, sort of corny but lots of ethnic pride and happy kids. Rain or shine, but it will be so muddy if it rains, skip it. Free. And they will most likely re-do their Parade on Sunday @ 12pm, from 55 Malcolm X Boulevard, down Columbus Ave, Seaver St, Blue Hill Ave, and into Franklin Park. Playstead Field, Franklin Park, Boston, MA.866-481-0695 or 617-635-3911 or 617-210-5547. see details on the complete Events Insider
St. Joseph Feast Celebration		7/23 - 7/25	Boston Metro
The Italians in Boston's North End have a number of Catholic Festivals. So, how religious are these festivals? Is it fun to attend if you're not Catholic? See their website for more fests. Battery St & Hanover St, Boston, MA.617-720-1368. see details on the complete Events Insider
Day of Triumph at the Larz Anderson Museum		7/25	Boston Metro
Of course I can't resist the Museum of Transportation, again. I'm just going to keep posting these until you go! So don't fight it! Car show for people who own Triumph cars. 15 Newton Street, Brookline, MA.617-522-6547. see details on the complete Events Insider
Market Fair and Militia Muster		7/24	Metro West
Nor can I resist the continuing series of re-enactments in Lincoln. This one's a militia training day with an old-timey market. Hartwell Tavern - Rt. 2A, Lincoln, MA.978-318-7825. see details on the complete Events Insider

Welcome to the Week in Weird! Here are this week's top items, and

Inception - free movie preview tickets		7/13	Boston Metro
TONIGHT! I've got free tickets that you would have heard about on Friday if only you were on the Facebook fan page. Go to http://www.facebook.com/bostoneventsinsider and click "Like" and then suggest the link to all your friends. Note: the film is at 7pm, but arrive by 5:30pm. AMC Boston Common Theater, Boston, MA. Share see details on the complete Events Insider
Cirque du Soleil - OVO - Free ticket		7/21 - 8/15	Boston Metro
I have one free ticket for someone to come with me to the press night for Cirque du Soleil, the circus where acrobats and silk dancing meet strange surrealism and French Canadians. Big Top at Fan Pier, Boston, MA. Share see details on the complete Events Insider
Forest Hills Lantern Festival		7/15	Boston Metro
The event of the week is the Forest Hills Lantern Festival. It's simply amazing, one of my favorite events of the year. You write a message or japanese character on rice paper, wrap it around a wooden float with a candle, and they all get floated on a lake as the sun sets and music plays in this cemetery. 6-9pm. Rain date: 7 days later. Forest Hills Cemetery, Boston, MA.617-524-0128. Share see details on the complete Events Insider
Revere Beach Sand Sculpting Festival		7/15 - 7/18	Boston Metro
Also not to be missed is this beach festival I've been to three times! Professionals come to make enormous sand sculptures, Wed-Sat, with sculpting lessons and vendors and live music Fri-Sun, and fireworks Saturday night! Revere Beach, 1 Beach Street, Revere, MA. Share see details on the complete Events Insider
Glasgow Lands Scottish Festival		7/17	Western Mass
Also the event of the week! I'm a big fan of Scottish festivals -- so much energy and crazy competitions like throwing stones and hammers. 9am-9:30pm. Rain or shine. Look Park, 300 North Main St., Northampton, MA.413-862-8095. Share see details on the complete Events Insider
Blackstone Valley Celtic Festival		7/17	Worcester
The Irish have their priorities straight. Religion takes a back seat to parades, music, and dance at this festival! They only have one live music stage, but you can see a blacksmith demo, a raptor & reptile exhibit (sounds like a dangerous thing to combine), and a men in kilts contest. Indian Ranch, 200 Gore Rd, Webster, MA.508-943-3871. Share see details on the complete Events Insider
South County Hot Air Balloon Festival		7/16 - 7/18	Rhode Island
I have never been to a balloon festival. Someone with a car take me to this fesival! Fireworks, petting zoo, pony rides, and call in advance to reserve your balloon ride. Rt 95S to ex 9. Rt 4S, 10.4mi joins Rt 1, then Rt 138W. 3 Keaney Road, Kingston, RI. Share see details on the complete Events Insider

Newport Black Ships Festival, Fully Committed -- Free ticket, Shrekfest, Green River Festival (Balloon Festival), Somerville ArtBeat, Banditos Misteriosos Scavenger Hunt, African Festival of Boston, Festival Betances (Latino Festival), American Independence Festival, Town Meeting Re-Enactment from 1774, Model Rocket Launch @ Amesbury, Model airplanes - CRRC Hand-Launch Classic, Verrill Farm Blueberry Pancake & Pie Eating Contest, Worcester Big Dipper All-You-Can-Eat Ice Cream Festival, Bang on a Can Summer Music Festival & Mass MOCA, The Midsummer Magick Faire Grand Opening & Fire Festival!, Celebrate East Lyme Festival & Sandcastle Competition, The Great American Car Show @ Larz Anderson Museum, Annual Antique Auto Show, Boston Harbor Islands Free Ferry Day, Boston Harbor Swim, Be Our Guest: Free Summer Evenings at the Concord Museum, Science Social @ Museum of Science, Barnstable County Fair, Scituate Carnival, Agganis Special Olympics, St. Mary Society Festival, OBA Illumination, Brimfield Antiques Festival (Summer), Pittsfield Art Show, Bastille Celebration & Fundraiser @ Lexington, Family Fun Night Under the Canopy Tent, Boom Town Festival, French Film Festival, Earthdance SEEDS Festival, Newport Music Festival, Lego Playland @ Reading, SkateBoston, Overnight at Roger Williams Park Zoo, Middlebury Festival on the Green, White's Beach & Campground Bluegrass Fest, Solarfest, Yarmouth Clam Festival, Christmas in July, and more.

And don't forget on the main site I maintain the Largest List of Outdoor Summer Movies, Theatre, and Music in New England, tracking over 150 summer series!

Want this weekly? subscribe and see Wheel Questions, too. Send comments & ideas to johnny@EVENTSinsider.com.

Welcome to the Week in Weird! If you're not on Twitter or the Facebook page, this week you missed free ice cream at Whole Foods in Cambridge and early notice of tonight's tickets to the Grease Sing-a-Long. So, Subscribe to email, Facebook, or Twitter and please tell your friends! Share

Here are this week's top items, and

Free movie preview: Grease Sing-a-Long		7/5	Boston Metro
They've transformed Grease into a film with subtitles so you can sing along. I've seen it, it's cheesy but so much fun. The fun and the cheesy sort of fight each other and I think the fun wins out! 7pm. AMC Boston Common Theatre, Boston, MA. Share see details on the complete Events Insider
1950s Style Picnic		7/10	Boston Metro
I think it's funny that the Grease Sing-A-Long is all about nostalgia for the 1970s, when Grease came out, and not nostalgia for the 1950s (the characters in the film, who were 18 in 1952, would be 76 by now!). Anyway, all of us under 80 years old have some nutty "nostalgia" for the 1950s, so dress in your poodle skirt and come play hula hoops with this local pranks group. I don't understand why Misteriosos hides the locations of their events. This one seems fairly innocuous, and let's face it, is likely to be on Boston Common. 1-3pm. Probably Boston Common, Boston, MA. Share see details on the complete Events Insider
Chinatown Main Street Festival		7/11	Boston Metro
The event of the week is a festival in Chinatown! It's one of only two Chinatown festivals and you really have to go. They'll have martial arts demonstrations (including by super cute kids) and dragon dances and ground fireworks. I went to the last one and the ground becomes covered with the leftover paper casings of fireworks! 11am-5pm. Chinatown, Boston, MA.617-350-6303. Share see details on the complete Events Insider
Bastille Day Party & Dance in Boston		7/9	Boston Metro
What's better than a Chinese celebration? Well, nothing probably but how about dinner, dancing, and French flirting to celebrate France's Indepdendence Day! 6-11pm. They're blocking off Marlborough Street between Berkeley and Clarendon for a huge dance party! No word on whether they'll have a guilotine on stage or be letting people eat cake. Unfortunately, it is not free. So buy tickets in advance. Rain or shine. French Cultural Center,Marlborough St at Berkeley St, Boston, MA.617-912-0400 or 617-876-4275. Share see details on the complete Events Insider
Bastille Day Festivities in Harvard Square		7/11	Boston Metro
This one's also a block party! They're closing Holyoke Street from 2-11pm and calling it the "largest free" celebration in the area. It includes sidewalk chalk art, jugglers, a traditional "French Waiters Race". There are a bunch of other Bastille Day events, like a decidedly boring-looking one at the Franklin Prak Zoo, but they're mainly at bars. Bar events generally lack anything creative or unusual. It's like, "come! Drink! Um, it's Washington's Birthday! Riiiiiight!". That's why I skip 'em. Holyoke Street, Cambridge, MA.617-491-3434. Share see details on the complete Events Insider
Hillsboro Balloon Festival		7/8 - 7/11	New Hampshire
This event, which is 1.7 hrs from Boston, draws 30,000 people and looks pretty serious. They'll have a lawn tractor pull, a carnival, tons of music and dance, and fireworks on Saturday. Oh, and balloons! It's always a good idea at these things to call and reserve your balloon ride in advance! Free but parking is $5. Hillsboro, NH. Share see details on the complete Events Insider
Sandcastle Festival @ Yirrell Beach, Winthrop		7/10	Boston Metro
This week features at event at Yirrell Beach, which is right next to Logan Airport! You can see planes landing about 100 feet off the ground, no exaggeration! For this reason it's a lovely beach to visit at night, too. There's a swim competition, music, food, games like hula hoops, and "Beach Sumo Wrestling". Rain date next day. 10am-3pm. Yirrell Beach, Shirley Street, Winthrop, MA.617-846-8243. Share see details on the complete Events Insider

Mashpee Commons Sand Sculpting Festival, Heritage Gardens Annual Auto Show, Micro Mini Car Day@ Larz Anderson Museum, Miata Day @ Larz Anderson Museum, Brockton Fair, Annual Wacky Cardboard Race (The Fourth Annual Race to the Bottom), The Largest Skinny Dip across North America, Hot Dog Eating Contest, Vintage Baseball, Civil War Tour on Georges Island, Civil War Living History Weekend, Newport Kite Festival, The Long Arm of the Law, Thoreau Society Annual Gathering, Glover's Regiment (Revolutionary War re-enactment), Wenham Museum's World War II Living History Day, Great Northeastern War - Medievial Re-enactment, Bristol 225th Anniversary, Revolutionary War Muster and Camp, Acushnet's Sesquicentennial (150th) anniversary, Tolland Bicentennial Anniversary, P.T. Barnum 200th Anniversary Festival, 19th Century Childrens Circus, Powwow @ Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum, Sri Lankan Festival, Whaling City Festival, ConnectiCon, Readercon, Hartford Riverfest, Clinton, MA, Grafton, NH, Free Fun Fridays: Franklin Park Zoo, Free Slurpee Day @ 7-Eleven, Boom Town Festival, French Film Festival, Lowell Puerto Rican Cultural Festival, Newburyport Riverfront Festival - WXRV free concert, Plymouth Harbor Folk Festival, Charles River One Mile Swim, Bastille Celebration & Fundraiser @ Lexington, Greenfield Rockfest, Newport Music Festival, Providence Roller Derby, Greek Festival and Clambake @ Ipswich, Lego Playland @ Reading, Revolutionary War Event Workshop for Kids, Butterflies of Summer, North Attleboro Kids Day, Concert at the Summit House, Earthdance SEEDS Festival, Sailfest, Train a Whale at the Mystic Aquarium, North Atlantic Blues Festival, Basin Bluegrass Festival, French Heritage Days in Vermont, Stoweflake Hot Air Balloon Festival, Revolutionary War Battle of Hubbardton Commemoration, Middlebury Festival on the Green, Sterling Renaissance Festival, and more.

And don't forget on the main site I maintain the Largest List of Outdoor Summer Movies, Theatre, and Music in New England, tracking over 150 summer series!

Want this weekly? subscribe and see Wheel Questions, too. Send comments & ideas to johnny@EVENTSinsider.com.

I've really outdone myself this time, creating not only the largest list of July 4th celebrations, but the largest list that ever has been and ever will be, because nobody would be stupid enough to spend this much work on it ever again, including me. Every item has been personally checked and comes with 2010 dates, times, rain dates, websites, and whether there will be fireworks or a parade.

I've also updated the look of the website so that you can "Facebook share" individual events. (That's why every event has a not-too-useful 'details' page.) In the future I'll clean up the look even more. I've also created a Facebook "Organization" page to replace the Facebook group. Please join. Please note the first item this week is free tickets to The Last Airbender. If you were on the Twitter or Facebook, you could have gotten those yesterday. So join already. :)

Here are this week's top items, and

The Last Airbender free movie preview: TONIGHT		6/29	Boston Metro
I have free movie tickets to The Last Airbender, M. Night Shyaminoimnot's latest movie for Tuesday at 7pm (but plan to arrive by at least 6pm). Email me through the website. AMC Boston Common Theater, Boston, MA. Share see details on the complete Events Insider
Continental Congress re-enactment		7/3	Boston Metro
I've seen this and it's a must-see. It's a re-enactment of the Continential Congress! Join re-enactors like former US President John Adams and talk about issues like slavery, federalism, and taxes. A must see! 11am-12pm. Old State House, Boston, MA. Share see details on the complete Events Insider
No Tax on Tea Town Meeting Re-Enactment		7/3 - 7/4	Boston Metro
Also as part of Boston Harborfest, you too can dump tea to protest taxation. Over 5,000 people attend. Website only works in Internet Explorer. Old South Meeting House, 310 Washington Street, Boston, MA.617-482-6439. Share see details on the complete Events Insider
A Morning with the Alcotts		7/1	Metro West
Or meet the Alcotts and see how little their women are. It says it's for people ages 7 and up. That's me!! I'm ages 7 and up! Um, mostly the up part. Orchard House, 399 Lexington Road, Concord, MA.978-369-4118. Share see details on the complete Events Insider
Nathaniel Hawthorne's Birthday		7/3 - 7/4	Metro West
The Old Manse is also doing a celebration favoring an old-timey New England author. 269 Monument Street, Concord, MA.978-369-3909. Share see details on the complete Events Insider
Boston Adventure of Mystery & Danger & Stuff		7/3	Boston Metro
Also part of Harborfest, run around town on a 'scavenger hunt' collecting information about Boston and solving a mystery. 3:30-5pm. Downtown Boston, Boston, MA. Share see details on the complete Events Insider
Opening Day @ Frog Pond		6/30	Boston Metro
Every year Frog Pond opens for wading with a big festival. They'll have vendors, jugglers, live music, storytellers, and the ubiquitous face painting. Boston Common, Boston, MA.617-635-4505 or 617-854-7667. Share see details on the complete Events Insider

Boston Harborfest, Cape Verdean Festival, Boston By Foot's Benjamin Franklin Tour During Harborfest, Master Sand Sculpting Competition @ Hampton Beach, Mashpee Wampanoag Pow-wow, Round Hill Highland Games, Brockton Fair, Free ice cream @ Brockton, East Longmeadow, Attleboro, The Dinosaur Encounter, Reception for TNT's Rizzoli & Isles, Free Fun Fridays: Plimoth Plantation & Stage Combat Workshop, Free Grounds Tour at Gore Place, Afternoon Kite Fly & Fireworks, New England Summer Nationals, Taste of Cambridge, Berkshires Arts Festival, Cultural Survival Bazaar, Marblehead Festival of Arts, Boston Chowderfest, Boom Town Festival, Annual Children's Day On the Plaza at City Hall, Family Fun Olympics @ Davis Farmland, FAC Pinewoods Weekend and FolkDays, Lexington Lions Club Carnival, Matchbox Car Race Day!, Bawdy Language: a Burlesque Show, P.T. Barnum 200th Anniversary Festival, Sterling Renaissance Festival, and 330 individually researched July 4th celebrations in New England. Plus the usual outdoor movies, theatre, and events -- the largest lists in New England.

And don't forget on the main site I maintain the Largest List of Outdoor Summer Movies, Theatre, and Music in New England, tracking over 150 summer series!

Want this weekly? subscribe and see Wheel Questions, too. Send comments & ideas to johnny@EVENTSinsider.com.

Welcome to the Week in Weird! This week I've tried to improve the format of this blog. Please send feedback and Facebook share this with friends! Share

Here are this week's top items, and

Free Movie Preview: Grease, Knight and Day, & Cyrus		6/22	Boston Metro
I have free movie preview tickets for Knight & Day (Tue, I just have one!), Cyrus (Wed), and the Grease Sing-A-Long (Thu). Knight and Day is the new comedy/action with Tom Cruise. Cyrus is another comedy. I've seen the Grease Sing-A-Long and it's really fun! 7pm Boston Common each day. Boston Common Theatre, Boston, MA. see details on the complete Events Insider
Cambridge City Dance Party		6/25	Boston Metro
I've been to this one twice and it is to die for. No really, you have to go to this! It's an outdoor block party with colored lights on City Hall. What better to celebrate that the people own the government, not the other way around. 7-11pm. Massachusetts Avenue in front of City Hall. 795 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA.617-349-4301. see details on the complete Events Insider
Winslowshire Renaissance Festival		6/26 - 6/27	Southern Mass
The event of the week is this summer festival in Norton, Massachusetts. Your first thought is going to be: Norton? Do I even know where Norton is? But I went once and it was fantastic, definitely worth a visit. More than 30 vendors selling crafts and 6 different stages with music, weapons demonstrations, and magic. 11am-5pm. 37 Eddy Street, Norton, MA.508-285-6451. see details on the complete Events Insider
New England Pirate Faire		6/19 - 6/27	North Shore
Also old-timey, as I mentioned last week, this is a Pirate-themed Renaissance Faire, about 5% the size of King Richard's Faire but highly reecommended. They have a dozen live actors portraying pirates and doing a play (in segments) that lasts all day, and an action-comedy show called: "Pirate Vs. Ninja"! There will be vendors of appropriately themed goods, with food and music. Sat & Sun only, 10am-5pm. Stage Fort Park, Gloucester, MA.781-346-1028. see details on the complete Events Insider
Salisbury Beach Sand & Sea Festival, with Pirates!		6/25 - 6/27	North Shore
But wait! There are more pirates on the North Shore. And fireworks! This beach festival features live music, water races, a professional surfing demo, a pirate encampment, pet parade, really a ton of creative dance and party stuff! Pirates Ball, Friday 7:30pm-12am. Fest Sat 10am-10pm, Sun 10am-5pm, with fireworks Sat @ 10pm. Salisbury Beach, Salisbury Beach, MA.978-462-7274. see details on the complete Events Insider
New England Wild West Fest		6/26 - 6/27	South Shore
You don't see many rodeos in Boston! This one comes with a Civil War re-enactment, BBQ and chili contest, and um, country music. Marshfield Fairgrounds Rt. 3A, Marshfield, MA.781-710-9222. see details on the complete Events Insider
Yankee Engine-uity Steam Engine Show		6/26 - 6/27	Western Mass
Are you interested in cars? How about tractors? Airplanes? Tanks? Well, they might not have any tanks, but you can find a variety of old timey steam engines and new fangled machines at this festival. Notice how I classify Orange, MA as "Western Massachusetts", as though anything further west than Worcester is "here there be dragons!". Orange Airport, Orange, MA.978-544-5295 or 413-253-9574. see details on the complete Events Insider

Boston Massacre (Diplomacy Competition), Summer Splash & Olde New England Days at Whales Tale, Gilsum Rock Swap & Mineral Show, Master Sand Sculpting Competition @ Hampton Beach, FBRA Sand Sculpting Festival, Town Meeting Re-enactment, Opening Day @ Frog Pond, ARRL Radio Field Day (Brookline), ARRL Radio Field Day (Worcester), ARRL Radio Field Day (Marlborough), Lowell African Festival, Endicott Park Day, Amesbury Block Party, Maplewood's Second Annual Carnival, Rhode Island Open Air Show, Newport Flower Show at the Rosecliff mansion, Chicopee Fest-Of-All, Summerfest in Monson, Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre @ Salem Cross Inn, Overnight Charity Walk, Common Boston festival, Provincetown Portuguese Festival, Summer Solstice Revels at the Old Manse, Summer Solstice Celebration at Dell Rock Urban Wilds, World's End Summer Solstice, Hull-of-a-Day Celebration, 106 WCOD Cape Cod Chowderfest, Taste of Cambridge, Taste of Allston, Phantom Gourmet BBQ Beach Party, Zoobilee: Feast with the Beasts, South Berwick Strawberry Festival, Grecian Festival @ Watertown, Asian Festival, St. Peter's Fiesta Carnival, Lions Club Town Fair @ Acton, Carnival Weekend @ Davis Farmland, Tinkerbell Tea & Captain Hook Picnic, Matchbox Car Race Day!, An Old-Fashioned Saturday, Boston Tango Festival, Joe's Jazz and Blues Festival, Worcester Group Sings June 26th at Howe Park, Stories in the Stars, International Festival of Arts and Ideas, Wooden Boat Show, Vermont History Expo, Vermont Quilt Festival, Cape Cod "Quahog Day, Science Fiction Film Series @ Harvard Film Archive, FAC Pinewoods Weekend and FolkDays, July 4th Carnival @ Wilmington, Providence Improv Fest, Capitol Steps, and more.

And don't forget on the main site I maintain the Largest List of Outdoor Summer Movies, Theatre, and Music in New England, tracking over 150 summer series!

Want this weekly? subscribe and see Wheel Questions, too. Send comments & ideas to johnny@EVENTSinsider.com.

It's here! Summer outdoor movie time is upon us, starting with the Grease Sing-A-Long this Thursday. See it at the bottom of the blog. I track 31 outdoor summer movie series and 120 outdoor concert and theatre series, all for you. Do me a favor and please tell your friends about www.EVENTSinsider.com! And click to Subscribe to email, Facebook, or Twitter.

Welcome to the Week in Weird! Here are this week's top items, and

Free movie: Jonah Hex		6/16	Boston Metro
I have free tickets to give away to Jonah Hex, the action film based on a little-known comic book hero. The film is at the Boston Common theater at 7pm, but plan to arrive by 6pm to get in. Email me at johnny@EVENTSinsider.com and tell me how you've been getting the word to your friends about the blog! AMC Boston Common Theater, Boston, MA. see details on the complete Events Insider
Help Us Build Our New Playground!		6/19	Boston Metro
The weird event of the week is helping Cambridge building a playground! Too many volunteer events involve ladling soup to strangers of unknown habit or picking up roadside trash. At this one, you get to play handyman with tools and build a tiny amusement park for kids! The Cambridge Community Center needs 200 volunteers, so please help them out. I've done this kind of thing myself and it's incredibly fun and gives you a great sense of accomplishment at the end. 7:45am to 2:30pm. 5 Callender Street, Cambridge, MA. see details on the complete Events Insider
Reading Town Day & Fireworks		6/19	North Shore
There's nothing better than adding fireworks to your festival! Festival 11am-3pm, with road race, live music, performers. Then concert 7-9pm and fireworks! Rain date next day. Birch Meadow Complex, Reading, MA.781-944-0575 or 781-944-9598. see details on the complete Events Insider
New England Pirate Faire		6/19 - 6/27	North Shore
Ahoy mateys! I've been to this and it's sort of a Pirate-themed Renaissance Faire, about 5% the size of King Richard's Faire but highly reecommended. They have a dozen live actors portraying pirates and doing a play (in segments) that lasts all day, and an action-comedy show called: "Pirate Vs. Ninja"! There will be vendors of appropriately themed goods, with food and music. Sat & Sun only, 10am-5pm. Stage Fort Park, Gloucester, MA. see details on the complete Events Insider
Silver Kingdom Renaissance Festival		6/12 - 6/20	Worcester
And this is your last chance to catch this renaissance festival near Worcester. 10am-6pm. 120 Northside Rd, Charlton, MA. see details on the complete Events Insider see details on the complete Events Insider
Civil War Reenactment		6/19 - 6/20	Worcester
Moving a bit closer to the future, there will be a civil war re-enactment near Worcester this weekend, complete with an encampment, hospital, cavalry, post office, chaplain tent, and tavern. 9am-late afternoon with battles Sat 1:30pm and Sun 1pm. 286 Mendon Street, Blackstone, MA. see details on the complete Events Insider
Printing Arts Fair		6/20	Northern Mass
Also old-timey, learn about printing and bookbinding. (For those of you in high school, books are what people read before the Internet.) 10am-4pm. The Museum of Printing, 800 Massachusetts Avenue, North Andover, MA. see details on the complete Events Insider

Master Sand Sculpting Competition @ Hampton Beach, Optical Illusion festival at the Peabody-Essex Museum, Wings and Wheels Open House, German Car Day @ Larz Anderson Museum, MS Auto Rally & Scavenger Hunt, Model Rocket Launch @ Sudbury, Day of Portugal Parade, Amesbury Block Party, Strawberry Festival @ Smolak Farms, Father's Day All You Can Eat Pancake Breakfast, Fathers Day @ Roger Williams Park Zoo, Fathers Day at Franklin Park Zoo, Stone Zoo, A Wild Affair @ Stone Zoo, Native American Pow-Wow and Prowse Farm Tour, Make Music Harvard Square, Joe's Jazz and Blues Festival, Common Boston Kicks off with Chalk Art & Monochrome Party, Summer Solstice Revels at the Old Manse, Summer Solstice Parade @ Wichendon, World's End Summer Solstice, World's End Rocks!, Summer Solstice by Candlelight, Boston Harbor Parade of Lights, Outdoor party and fashion show @ New England Aquarium, Martha's Vineyard Harbor Festival, Annual Arts Fest Beverly, South Shore Art Center's Arts Festival, SomerStreets, Be Our Guest: Free Summer Evenings at the Concord Museum, MFA Community Day (June), Treasures of the Mineral Gallery & Birdology: From Hens to Hummingbirds--And One Big Living Dinosaur, Science Fiction Film Series @ Harvard Film Archive, See New England Festival, Evening at the Kiln @ Old Sturbridge Village, EurekaFest, MIT Fleamarket. Cambridge, MA, @Party, Boston's Demoscene party, Hellenic Festival (Greek), Special Olympics - Summer Games, Free Snapple Drinks, South End Garden Tour, East Bridgewater Festival, Lions Club Town Fair @ Acton, St. Peter's Fiesta Carnival, Lawrence Semana Hispana, Nantucket Film Festival, Provincetown International Film Festival, Cape Cod "Quahog Day, Boston Tango Festival, Masterworks Chorale Summer Sings, Quechee Balloon Festival & Crafts Fair, Marching through Brandon: One Vermont Village and the War Against Slavery, Native American Encampment, Wicker Man. Regional Burn, FREE Union Square Dance Performance, Evelyn & Evelyn Neville, The Lady with All the Answers, A Midsummer Night's Dream - Naked, Providence Improv Fest, and more.

And don't forget on the main site I maintain the Largest List of Outdoor Summer Movies, Theatre, and Music in New England, tracking over 150 summer series!

Want this weekly? subscribe and see Wheel Questions, too. Send comments & ideas to johnny@EVENTSinsider.com.

Welcome to the Week in Weird! If you're not part of the Facebook group, you missed Solitary Man tickets, although I just got more for TONIGHT. And I have tix for Cyrus and Karate Kid for tomorrow, please email me at johnny@EVENTSinsider.com and tell me how you're getting the word out to everyone about this blog. :)

Here are this week's top items, and

Free movies: Cyrus and Karate Kid and Solitary Man		6/10	Boston Metro
Cryus is a new comedy by John C. Reilly, Jonah Hill, and Marisa Tomei and they're doing a special Q&A with brother directing team, Jay and Mark Duplass. That's 7pm at the Kendall Square theatre in Cambridge (but come an hour early to get in). I also have ONE ticket to Karate Kid with Will Smith's son and Jackie Chan on Thursday at the Boston Common theatre at 7pm. Tell your friends about EVENTSinsider.com and then email me to get tix! ALSO TONIGHT I have tix for Solitary Man!!! Email me! Various, Cambridge & Boston. see details on the complete Johnny's List
Jet Blue's Record Break & Ticket Giveaway Celebration		6/10	Boston Metro
Get this! Jet Blue is holding a festival where you try to "set a world record", like juggling airplane bags of cashews, imitating an airplane, and a single breath captain's announcement. The winners all get free roundtrip airplane tickets and a vacation getaway! Dan Rollman of the Universal Record Database will be there, and here THE BIG SECRET: this event was hastily prepared and thus won't be that well attended. This means you PROBABLY have a REAL SHOT at winning one of the vacations! 10am-2pm. They'll have karaoke, Wally the Green Monster, and more. Copley Place at Dartmouth St. (across from Back Bay Station), Boston, MA. see details on the complete Johnny's List
Scooper Bowl (world's largest ice cream festival)		6/8 - 6/10	Boston Metro
The Scooper Bowl continues! You pay $8 for charity, and it's all-you-can-eat ice cream from the best vendors. I went once and ate so much ice cream I nearly hurt myself. It's the biggest event of its type in the world. Yum! 12-8pm daily. Boston City Hall Plaza, Boston, MA. see details on the complete Johnny's List
Boston Pride Week		6/4 - 6/13	Boston Metro
This is the big week for Gay Pride, with parades Friday & Saturday, a festival, three block parties, a comedy show and dance party. My god!! I wish I were gay! Oh wait, everyone's invited! Awesome! Various, Boston, MA. see details on the complete Johnny's List
Bunker Hill Day (Parade, Re-enactment)		6/13	Boston Metro
OMG! This may be the LAST Bunker Hill Parade. Apparently they cut funding for 2011. I gotta admit it. I have never even seen the monument. Well, this time I will have to go. The parade honors the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775. There's a ceremony at the monument at 10am, and some kind of parade. Charlestown, MA.617-242-5652. see details on the complete Johnny's List
Boston Dragon Boat Festival		6/12 - 6/13	Boston Metro
What's even better? Dragon boat races. But wait! That's not all. The festival along the Charles River also comes with a lion dance, martial arts demonstrations, Japanese drumming, live music, and Chinese yo-yo. So it's a real festival, not simply a boat race. Take that, Head of the Charles! Dance and music performances all day. Charles River, Cambridge, MA.617-426-6500 x78. see details on the complete Johnny's List
Rhode Island Highland Scottish Festival		6/12	Rhode Island
You would have to be crazy not to go to this Scottish festival. Trust me, these people KNOW HOW TO PARTY and there's a fantastic level of energy and ethnic pride to be seen. You can expect tons of dancing, music, and odd athletics, such as a boot toss and sheep dog demonstrations. They'll have booths for all the clans, and the Society for Creative Anachronism, and competitions of all sorts of music, dance, and wacky sports like a haggis hurl. (I really hope that's hurl as in throw and not hurl as in vomit.). Washington County Fairgrounds, Richmond Townhouse Rd., Richmond, RI.401-596-5849. see details on the complete Johnny's List

Riverfest, WHY ARE YOU NOT AT THE SCOTTISH FESTIVAL?, Boston Harbor Islands Free Ferry Day, Riverfest History, Art, Music & More at the Old Manse & National Hawthorne Society Summer Meeting, Summer Fest @ Elm Bank, Quincy Flag Day Parade and Celebration, Dedham Flag Day Parade, Annual KONE Regional Kite Competition, Kite Festival @ Lawrence, Silver Kingdom Renaissance Festival, King Williams War at Rebecca Nurse Homestead, The Jane Austen of Roxbury -- A Re-enactment & Tour, Abigail Adams Meets Captain William Smith, Corvette Day @ Larz Anderson Museum, Annual Back to the Beach Corvette Weekend, World Naked Bike Ride Day, Taste of Fort Point Channel, Colonial Re-enactment in Newbury, Gaspee Days Colonial Encampment, Fireworks, Parade, Gaspee Days Arts & Crafts Festival, Greek Fest Woburn, Worcester Irish Music Festival and Boiled Cabbage O'Lympics, Waltham Riverfest, Shelburne Falls Riverfest, Duck Race on the Charles River, Be Our Guest: Free Summer Evenings at the Concord Museum, Stuart Street Block Party, JP Block Party, Wakefield Festival By the Lake, St. Anthony's Feast in Cambridge, Boston GuitarFest, New England Fiddle Contest, Southern Connecticut Renaissance Festival, Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival, Singing Games with Roomful of Teeth, Sommerfest, Day of Portugal Festival Weekend, Randolph Country Fair, Boys & Girls Club Family Fun Festival, Bike to the Sea Day, An Evening of Personal Narrative, Blue Zones: Secrets of a Long Life, Strawberry Park Cajun/Zydeco Festival, Roots on the River 10, Burlington Discover Jazz Festival, Vermont Days, Block Island Annual Music Festival, MFA Classic Noir Summer Party, 10th Anniversary Celebration, Secret Gardens of Cambridge, The Shimmy Collective, A Midsummer Night's Dream - Naked, The Lady with All the Answers, Johnny Baseball (Red Sox musical with real baseball park food), Mummers Concert, and more.

And don't forget on the main site I maintain the Largest List of Outdoor Summer Movies, Theatre, and Music in New England, tracking over 150 summer series!

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