Apr 19-26, 2011: Whitewater Rafting Tix Giveaway, Anime Boston, Greatest Movie Ever Sold, Meteors, Earth Day, Easter Egg Hunts, Puppet Parade, and “The Birds
04/19/11 by
Johnny Monsarrat
This week I have a fantastic idea for a 5-minute YouTube video to play off of The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, the documentary by Morgan Spurlock, the guy behind Super Size Me, who has agreed to meet me and I’ll bring you along if you want to be an extra or film the thing! See details below and email me at johnny@eventsINSIDER.com! I hope you are having an awesome week. Now get out there and do something fun!
-Johnny
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| The Week in Weird | ||||
| Sat 4/23 – Sat 10/8MaineNorthern Outdoors Whitewater Rafting – tix giveaway |
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| So I thought you guys went crazy LAST week for the hot air balloon tickets! This week, I’m giving away two pairs of tickets to whitewater raft the Kennebec River, the big one in Maine, good most any weekend day May 5 to July 18. This promotion is through Northern Outdoors, the essential adventure experts whose lodge is right next to the river “You will never be more than 5-miles back to a hot shower, dry clothes, cold soda pop, or cold Kennebec River microbrew.” Also, they are doing a Mothers Day / Fathers Day promotion, where you get half off the May 8 and June 19 weekends. Also, also, I am driving up to do write a review May 6-8, which includes two overnight stays, two rafting trips on different rivers, and half the meals, and my friend Frank who has agreed to drive and be my guest has alerted me that he may flake out. So I am seeking another guest with a car whose company I can stand for an entire weekend. As usual, I will tend to give these tickets to the person who has done the most to help spread the word to friends about Events INSIDER. Email johnny@eventsinsider.com. The Forks Resort Center, The Forks, ME. more |
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| Sat 4/23 – Tue 4/26Boston MetroBat Boy the Musical – tix giveaway |
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| Inspired by tabloid stories, this musical contains a serious premise touching on acceptance and racism, and serves it up in the most hilarious way. A half-bat, half-boy is found in a cave in Western Virginia and the townsfolk must decide his fate. And I have a pair of tickets for each night’s performance to give away for Bat Boy the Musical! Email johnny@eventsinsider.com and say which dates you can make. 1071 Blue Hill Ave, Milton, MA.617 333-2259. more |
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| Fri 4/22 – Sun 4/24Boston MetroAnime Boston |
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| Anime Boston is the big annual festival for people who love Japanese cartoon movies, and they’ll have a costume contest, game shows, dancing, and a music video contest. Hynes Convention Center, Boston, MA. more |
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| Fri 4/22 – Fri 7/22All OverThe Greatest Movie Ever Sold – opening weekend |
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| Help Morgan Spurlock, Documentarian, blog and tweet about The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, @MorganSpurlock, which shows how product placement works and affects movie creativity. I have a fantastic idea for a 5-minute YouTube video playing off this concept! Email me to be an extra, or if you have a videocamera, and I’ll invite you along to meet Morgan Spurlock who has non-bindingly agreed to meet me through private email. Call me at 617-510-4477 because the film opens Friday, so time is short, and I’ll tell you my idea. All Over. more |
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| Thu 4/7 – Sun 5/8Boston MetroBreaking the Code – our review |
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| During World War II, a group of math geniuses led by Alan Turing broke the German secret code. But that’s not the story. It’s about how this famous scientist struggled to become accepted despite his social flaws and (then illegal) gayness. See our review, 4 stars for “brave creative choices”! Central Square Theatre, 450 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA. more our review |
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| Sat 4/23Metro WestArrival of the Sudbury Militia, Battle Road Heroes |
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| Patriots Day finally comes to a close with this minute man gathering and walk down a nighttime candle-lit path, as re-enactors tell Revolutionary War stories. Spoiler Alert!! The British lose. Tue 8/19 at 6:30am and 10:30am, and Sat Apr 23 at 7pm. Minute Man National Historic Park, Concord, MA. more |
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| Sat 4/23North ShoreBunny Bonanzoo at Stone Zoo |
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| The Stone Zoo is always worth a visit, but especially when there’s a giant bunny, scavenger hunts, crafts, and zookeeper presentations. See a bunch more on Easter below. 11am-3pm. 149 Pond Street, Stoneham, MA.617-989-2000. more |
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| Fri 4/22 – Sat 4/23Metro WestLyrids Meteor Shower |
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| Perhaps the best way to celebrate the Earth is to watch it being pummelled by rocks from space. Finally a meteor shower that you don’t have to stay up late to see! This one has a peak Friday, April, 22, 7pm EDT, but between 9pm and midnight EST might be best because the moon won’t be up. You should be able to see 5-15 meteors per hour. Drive at night out to a pond or field where there aren’t any city lights, to watch the meteors. (The last time I tried this, I didn’t plan my destination and got stuck in an area with streetlights. Make sure to have a place to go in mind!) And see satellites fly by anytime through this list on the third website. Anywhere, Boston, MA. more more more |
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| Thu 4/21New HampshireStorm Troopers & the Lyrid Meteor Shower |
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| Members of the local club where they like to dress up as the stormtroopers from Star Wars will attend a meteor shower skywatch (in costume?) in Southern New Hampshire. 7-11pm. Stratham, NH. more |
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| Sat 4/23Boston MetroBreakonomics – Breakdance Competition |
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| If you’ve never seen live breakdancing, I urge you to check out this competition, moved out from the hood to the safe campus of MIT. 12-8pm. La Sala De Puerto Rico, MIT Student Center, 84 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Wed 4/13 – Sat 4/23Boston MetroPROGRESS Festival & Block Party at MassArt |
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| MassArt is having a festival of unknown openness to the public, but I went to one of their big campus events once and nobody seemed to care, even though I am clearly too old to be a student. Their block party attracts 8 bands, Amanda Palmer will perform, Harvard scientist George Church will speak, and there will be “spontaneous art” and “electro fashion shows”! MassArt, Boston, MA. more |
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| Sat 4/23Boston MetroNational Day of Puppetry Parade |
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| Wow! There’s a parade for Massachusetts Puppet Day at 12pm, shows for kids at 1pm an 3pm, and then an event for adults, the Muppet Movie with a lecture that’s FREE. And more. 32 Station Street, Brookline, MA. more |
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| Fri 4/22 – Sun 4/24Boston MetroThe Great Burlesque Expo |
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| Another place to see stars is this weekend devoted to burlesque. They’ll have classes, a pool party, a major show, and the usual convention stuff such as art show and vendor room. Hyatt Regency, 575 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Sat 4/23Western MassSwordsmanship Conference at UMass |
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| How cool is this. A day of combat presentations, but also talks. It’s free and open to the public. University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, MA. more |
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| Mon 4/25Boston MetroScience on Screen: The Birds |
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| Hide the bird bath! On Monday, April 25 the Coolidge Corner Theatre’s Science on Screen series presents Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds paired with a pre-screening talk by a specialist in animal behavior. Apparently this kind of flocking behavior really can turn into an attack – called mobbing. 7:30pm. Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St, Brookline, MA.617-734-2500. more |
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| Sat 4/23Boston MetroHarvard Crossword Tournament |
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| This crossword tournament features Will Shortz, the New York Times crossword editor. Presumably you can just show up to watch! 1-5pm. Harvard University, Science Center C, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Sat 4/23Boston MetroThe Undiscovered Country: Shakespeare and Mount Auburn – a walking tour |
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| This tour of Mt. Auburn Cemetery features tombs with quotes from Shakespeare and the gravesites of famous actors, to honor the 447th birthday of Little Willy. Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Mon 4/25Boston MetroHoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil in 3D – free tickets |
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| I have free giveaway tickets to this movie at 6:30pm. Email johnny@eventsinsider.com. AMC Boston Common Theatre, Boston, MA. more |
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| Earth Day | ||||
| Fri 4/22Boston Metro92.5 The River Earth Day Concert |
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| Earth Day isn’t over! The event of the week is a free live concert by Bodeans, Entrain, and “a special guest”, conveniently scheduled at 12-3pm on a Friday, when most of us are stuck at work. 12-3pm. Rose Kennedy Greenway, near the New England Aquarium, Boston, MA. more |
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| Sun 4/17 – Fri 4/22Rhode IslandTake to the Trails and Celebrate Earth Day | ||||
| The Audubon Society of Rhode Island is offering a weeklong schedule of FREE guided walks at wildlife refuges across the state and nearby Massachusetts. All Over RI.(401) 949-5454 ext. 3041. more |
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| Thu 4/21Boston MetroLecture at Suffolk – Earth Day |
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| Suffolk University is holding a panel to discuss green issues. It’s a festival, too. Suffolk University, Boston, MA. more |
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| Wed 4/20 – Fri 4/22Boston MetroMIT Earth Day |
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| MIT is doing an Earth Day celebration that is partly outdoors and involves free massage, lectures, and lots of green-themed booths. MIT, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Sun 4/17 – Fri 4/22Rhode IslandParty for the Planet at the Roger Williams Park Zoo |
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| Roger Williams Park Zoo will host six days of eco-themed activities starting with an Earth Day celebration on Sunday, April 17. Roger Williams Park Zoo, 1000 Elmwood Ave, Providence. RI.401-785-3510. more |
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| Mon 4/11 – Thu 4/21North ShoreEarth Day at Salem State College |
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| Salem State is celebrates with a career fair, some panels, a tour, and some films. Neat! Salem State College, Salem, MA. more |
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| Thu 4/21Boston MetroHere On Earth: A Natural History of the Planet |
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| How did life begin on Earth and evolve as the planet itself cooled and changed? Is humanity a “superorganism”? Let’s find out in this lecture! Harvard Natural History Museum, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Tue 4/26 – Wed 4/27Boston MetroEarth, Air, Ocean and Space: The Future of Exploration |
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| This is an entire “symposium” (a day of lectures and workshops) about exploration, not just in the past, but what’s coming up through 2050. Kresge Auditorium, 48 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Tue 4/19 – Fri 4/22WorcesterExtreme Earth Week at the EcoTarium |
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| Not my favorite zoo, but I think my favorite Earth Day destination, is this park where you can make your own volcano, shake like an earthquake, and see their polar bear and the tree-top tour to discover what animals live above the ground. Worcester, MA. more |
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| Fri 4/22WorcesterFlat Rock Family Walks-Earth Day Evening Walk |
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| But it’s hard to beat a lecture that takes you on a tour that includes watching the sun set over the water. Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary, 113 Goodnow Road, Princeton, MA. more |
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| Sat 4/23Southeast MassEarth Day/Arbor Day Celebration! |
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| This “very special day” seems to be the kind of generic kids programs that parks do year-round. Hmm. What is arbor day, anyhow? Stony Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, 108 North St, Norfolk, MA. more |
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| Sat 4/23Metro WestEarth Day at Garden in the Woods |
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| This garden out west is free for Earth Day, with scavenger hunts (for kids, it seems, pout pout), special tours, and the “Invasive Plant Jail” where criminal plants do hard hard time. (Er, you guys have seen Jurassic Park, right? How safe is this jail?). 180 Hemenway Road, Framingham, MA.508-877-7630. more |
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| Sat 4/23WorcesterEarth Day in Princeton |
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| This is more like it. Help them clean forest trails and find out whether a “vernal pool” is a dirty phrase. Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary, 113 Goodnow Road, Princeton, MA. more |
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| Sat 4/23MaineEarth Day with the Alpacas |
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| Tracking down Earth Day activities has led me far afield, geographically, and alpaca-ifically. Unity, ME. more |
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| Tue 4/19 – Sat 4/23VariousEarth Day |
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| And see this website for more events, mainly volunteer cleanup days. Various. more more |
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| Easter Egg Hunts | ||||
| Sat 4/23Boston MetroEaster Egg Hunt – USS Salem |
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| Easter is here! It is a festival of chocolate, sugar, bad nutrition, and worse dental hygiene. Here are some places to go that aren’t religious. (You really don’t need Johnny’s List to find a church if you prefer that.) This one’s my top pick, on a real decomissioned submarine. 739 Washington St, Quincy, MA. more |
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| Sat 4/23Boston MetroRoslindale Egg Hunt |
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| You are invited to the Annual Roslindale Adams Park Egg Hunt filled with lots of fun activities for children including a special guest appearance!” 10am. Adams Park, Washington St, Roslindale, MA. more |
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| Sun 4/24Metro WestEaster Egg Hunt at Wilson Farm |
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| This one’s for kids of all ages!! I’m a kid of all ages!! Some guy in a bunny suit will be there, NOT a playboy bunny. Wilson Farm, Lexington, MA. more |
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| Sat 4/23 – Sun 4/24South ShoreEaster Egg Hunt – Hull, MA |
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| The Paragon Carousel opens for the season, and the Easter Bunny will come! Easter Egg Hunt is Sunday at 12:30. 205 Nantasket Avenue, Hull, MA.781-925-0472. more |
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| Sat 4/23South ShoreEaster Egg Hunt |
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| Eggs, eggs, eggs. Scituate, MA. more |
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| Sat 4/16 – Sat 4/23New HampshireEaster Egg Hunt at Charmingfare Farm |
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| But this farm says they’ll give out $75,000 in prizes!! Really?! I’m definitely staking out the place the night before with infrared goggles and entering my “little person” adult friend Jason as a “6 year old”. Go get ’em, Jason! 774 High Street, Candia, NH. more |
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| Sat 4/23Metro WestEaster Egg Hunt – Lincoln, MA |
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| And another one, at a historic home. Codman Estate, Lincoln, MA. more |
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| Sat 4/23North ShoreEaster Egg Hunt – Marblehead |
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| And another one…. Chandler Hovey Park (the Marblehead Lighthouse), Marblehead, MA. more |
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| Sat 4/2 – Sat 4/23Southeast MassEaster Egg Hunt — Winslow Farm |
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| Winslow Farm has perhaps the most interesting Easter celebration because they are a working farm with forest trails. Winslow Farm, Norton, MA. more |
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| Sat 4/23Rhode IslandEaster Egg Hunt at Newport, RI |
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| That’s not a tennis ball in the photo, it’s an easter egg. Newport, RI. more |
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| Sat 4/23Rhode IslandEaster Egg Hunt at Casey Farm |
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| This farm I haven’t been to, but they have piglets and chicks! Casey Farm, Saunderstown, RI. more |
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| Sat 4/23Rhode IslandAnnual Easter Egg Extravaganza |
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| At a library…. East Smithfield Public Library, Smithfield, RI. more |
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| Fri 4/22 – Sat 4/23Rhode IslandVisit with the Easter Bunny at Roger Williams Park Zoo |
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| Buy tickets in advance if you want to meet the Easter Bunny. He’s a popular guy. Roger Williams Park Zoo, 1000 Elmwood Ave, Providence, RI. more |
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| Sat 4/23Cape CodEaster Egg Hunt – Falmouth |
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| The Easter Bunny will visit this one, and kids are limited to 9 years old. Falmouth, MA. more |
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| Sat 4/23Cape CodEaster Egg Hunt – Wellfleet, MA |
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| Also on the Cape, this one includes a pancake breakfast, egg painting, and games. Welfleet, MA. more |
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| Sat 4/23Western MassEaster Egg Hunt – West Springfield, MA |
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| Kids are limited to 7 years old. At 6’4″, I am a remarkable 6-year-old, especially when I forget to shave. West Springfield, MA. more |
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| Sat 4/23Northern MassEaster Egg Hunt – Wilmington Town Common |
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| Yet another egg hunt. 2pm. Town Common, Wilmington, MA. more |
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| Sat 4/23ConnecticutEaster Egg Hunt at Mystic, CT |
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| This one appears to not be a historic recreation museum. It appears to be a mall. (You almost got me!). Olde Mistick Village, Mystic, CT. more |
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| Sat 4/23VermontEaster Egg Hunt at Colchester, VT |
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| More hunting. You guys know you can just buy candy at the grocery store, right? Colchester, VT. more |
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| Sat 4/23SpringfieldEGGstravaganza Egg Hunt – Northampton, MA |
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| And more eggs…. Northampton, MA. more |
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| Also Fun | ||||
| Wed 4/20Boston MetroRocks and Minerals – a family program |
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| And here’s a program to explore rocks at the cemetery. Learn about the stones that form the tombs and monuments. Come check it out. Don’t just take these arts programs for granite! … get it? Granite? Tap tap tap… is this thing on? Mt. Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Wed 4/20 – Sun 4/24South ShoreWeymouth Carnival |
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| Fiesta shows steps up to three carnivals this week… on the South Shore…. Weymouth High School, 1 Wildcat Way, South Weymouth, MA. more |
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| Wed 4/20 – Sun 4/24LowellTyngsborough Carnival |
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| … near Lowell…. Pheasant Lane Mall, Tyngsborough, MA. more |
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| Wed 4/20 – Sun 4/24North ShoreLynn Carnival |
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| … but the one in Lynn is closer. Vo-Tech High School, Commericial St., Lynn, MA. more |
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| Fri 4/22 – Sun 5/8Boston MetroBoston Cyberarts Festival |
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| But I’d rather check out the interactive Cyberarts Festival, which takes place at sites all over Eastern Massachusetts. Various venues, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Thu 4/21North ShoreKite Day at Hamilton Library |
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| Kites! I love kites! :). Hamilton, MA. more |
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| Sat 4/16 – Sun 5/8Western MassBaby Animals on the Shaker Farm |
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| Any time is a great time to visit Hancock Shaker Village. But this weekend they’ll have baby animals on display and sheep shearing! And the Easter Bunny. If you’re ever going to visit, why not now? And learn about the Shakers, I hear their milkshake brings the boys to the yard. 34 Lebanon Mountain Rd., Hancock, MA. more |
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| Fri 4/22 – Sat 4/23Rhode IslandBrown University Folk Festival |
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| Brown University’s campus is beautiful, and here’s an excuse to check it out. Contra dane on Friday, then outdoor music 12pm-12am on Saturday, which includes Erin McKeown. Lincoln Field, Brown University, Providence, RI.781-861-6653. more |
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| Thu 4/21Southeast MassCaratunk Night Hike |
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| What’s better than a guided forest hike? A night hike! Maybe you’ll see an owl or hear a coyote. Maybe you’ll see a coyote attacking an owl. Caratunk Wildlife Refuge, 301 Brown Ave, Seekonk, MA. more |
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| Thu 4/21Western MassEvening at the Beaver Ponds | ||||
| Who doesn’t love chasing a beaver at night? Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, 472 West Mountain Road, Lenox, MA. more |
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| Thu 4/21Metro WestFroggy Night Walk |
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| Or looking for frogs? Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary, 208 South Great Road, Lincoln, MA. more |
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| Fri 4/22 – Sat 4/23ConnecticutShark Week |
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| Meanwhile, the Mystic Aquarium fights back by trying to draw you out to see sharks! Frogs & Beaver vs. Sharks, who will win? Mystic Aquarium, Mystic, CT. more |
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| Wed 4/20Boston MetroCollege Day at Fenway Park |
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| As a corporate promotion, Fenway Park is open to college students who want to take a few swings and meet Wally the Green Monster. Fenway Park, Boston, MA. more |
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| Wed 4/20Boston MetroCast Me If You Can” fundraiser for Japan |
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| Featured as Japan’s answer to Woody Allen, globetrotting comedy director Ogata combines wit, humor, romance and family relations to present a comedy that transcends national and cultural borders. It’s a comedy, a film, a Japanese fundraiser. Harvard Hall, Room 104, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Mon 4/18 – Thu 4/21North ShoreHanami: Arts of Japan at Peabody Essex |
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| My favorite Salem museum (which has nothing to do with witches) is hosting lion dancing and taiko drumming. You can even try the drums! Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA. more |
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| Fri 4/15 – Sun 4/24Boston MetroBoston International Film Festival |
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| Holey smokes! This festival includes more than 100 films and comes with two galas. They say that every single show comes with a filmmaker Q&A! Lowes Theatre Boston Common, Boston, MA. more |
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| Sat 4/23Boston MetroA Rift in Time: Travels with my Ottoman Uncle – book talk |
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| Author Raja Shehadeh will read from A Rift in Time: Travels with my Ottoman Uncle. Winner of the 2007 Orwell Prize, he is a lawyer, dedicated human rights activist and founder of Al-Haq, a human rights NGO. 4pm. Center for Arabic Culture, 191 Highland Avenue, 6B, Somerville, MA. more |
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| Performance | ||||
| Fri 4/1 – Sun 5/1Boston MetroSons of the Prophet – our review | ||||
| The playwright of the Facebook generation” delivers a comedy about two gay brothers and an uncle grieving — comically — over the loss of their father. See our review, 5 stars! BCA, Boston, MA. more our review |
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| Tue 4/26Boston MetroThe Big Mouth Off – Story Slam Finale |
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| A story slam is basically a one-person theatre show, or stand up comedy or drama. A local group is having their big annual competition. If you’re every going to attend a story slam, this is the one to see! Boston Public Library, Copley Square, Boston, MA. more |
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| Sat 4/23Boston MetroInspirasian: Boston Asian Performing Arts Festival |
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| This is a night with more than 20 performing groups. I went last year and it was fantastic. I mean, college student fantastic, not Wang Theatre fantastic. “Everything from modern Taiwanese pop to Mongolian ethnic dances to classical Chinese dance to bhangra.” 6pm. Kresge Auditorium, MIT, 48 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Sat 4/23SpringfieldThe Demetri Martin Show |
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| Demetri Martin, the comedian who tries to be really low key instead of high energy — how’s that working out? — performs out West. Calvin Theater, Northampton, MA. more |
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