Winter Fest, Japan & China, Beatles Sing-along, Maple Syrup tapping, SF Movie Marathon, and Surrealist Night
01/20/10 by
Johnny Monsarrat
I have an extra ticket to see Sleep No More this Friday, January 22, at 7pm. See the description below and contact johnny@wheelquestions.org to come along with our group of five. It’s supposed to be the most amazing theatre in Boston this year, or possibly ever.
Also, did you know that I have an art project? It’s called Wheel Questions, and I’m writing a book. I’m looking for some volunteers to read and comment on sections as they come out. Please write me.
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-Johnny
The Week in Weird |
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| MIT Bad Ideas Competition | 1/22 – 1/24 | Boston Metro |
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| The event of the week is the Bad Ideas Competition at MIT. Students are given funding to build wacky outdoor structures, like a small roller coaster. Go watch or take part! East Campus, Ames Street, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Newburyport Winter Carnival | 1/23 | North Shore |
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| This festival looks more like a winner! There’s no shopping mall involved. They just got a little confused naming the local park. It features horse-drawn hayrides, skating on the pond, sledding, and a “human dog sled race”! 10:30am-4:30pm. Bartlett Mall (which is really a park), Newburyport, MA. more |
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| Experience the Way of Tea – Japanese Tea Ceremony | 1/23 | Boston Metro |
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| Also at MIT, as part of their annual arts month, learn new social skills at this formal tea ceremony. 2-3pm. Free but RSVP in advance. Mezzanine Lounge W20 (Student Center), 84 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Ipswich Chinese New Year Celebration | 1/23 | North Shore |
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| Festivals are few in January, but here’s one, several weeks too early for Chinese New Year. See a lion dance and taiwanese drum performance, then get to try it yourself. Snow date the next day. 3-4:30pm. Ipswich Performing Arts Center, 130 High St, Ipswich, MA. more |
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| Beatles Sing-Along in Brookline | 1/24 | Boston Metro |
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| What’s the only way to make a high school concert more painful? Let the audience sing along! Well… since this Beatles Sing-Along takes places the Brookline Music School, it’s probably on-key. Give it a shot! 2pm. Brookline Music School, 25 Kennard Rd, Brookline, MA. more |
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| Somerville Maple Syrup Project (Tree Tapping) | 1/21 | Boston Metro |
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| I really want to see this! They tap actual maple trees and you get to help! Meet near Tufts University main library at 3pm. Boildown event March 12-14 all day at the Somerville Community Growing Center. Meet at Professors Row & College Ave, Somerville, MA.617-628-9988. more |
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| Rock-paper-scissors Championship | 1/27 | Boston Metro | ||
| Also in Somerville, test your mettle at the ultimate psych-out game: Rock Paper Scissors. And this time, you’re doing it for prizes. What I want to know is, how can they stretch such a rapid sport into an entire evening’s entertainment? 6:30pm. $5. 21+. PA’s Lounge, 345 Someville Ave, Somerville, MA.617-776-1557. more |
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| Surrealist Nite with Roger Miller | 1/23 | Boston Metro |
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| My Somerville pick would be this one. The 1920s was the height of the surrealist movement, and they developed a lot of wacky games like Exquisite Corpse, which is a word & drawing game. Come learn the games and play with others. They’ll also have strange music. $8 in advance. The Center for Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Avenue, Somerville, MA.617.718.2191. more |
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| Bigfoot Stomp: A Snowshow Hike | 1/24 | Boston Metro |
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| This surreal hike through the Blue Hills should be fun. I’ve always wanted to try snoeshowing. 1pm. Blue Hills, Canton, MA.617-698-1802 x212. more |
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| Welcome to Our House’ A Living History Tour | 1/23 | Metro West |
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| I can’t resist re-enactments. This one takes place at the home of the author of Little Women. They do these tours every month year-round and during school vacations. 4:45pm. Orchard House, 399 Lexington Road, Concord, MA. more |
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| Fried Rice Iron Chef | 1/27 | Boston Metro |
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| Food contents are usually fairly drab: rows of booths, thanks for the food. This one will have some real action, apparently, modeled after the TV show. MIT, Baker Dining Hall, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Annual Science Fiction Marathon @ MIT LSC | 1/23 | Boston Metro |
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| Why so much Somerville and Cambridge? Is Boston a cultural wasteland of “recurring” rather than one-shot events? Well, here’s another sci-fi marathon in case you missed last week’s. It includes a free sneak preview of District 13: Ultimatum which will no doubt be awesome! 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Movie Magic | 1/27 – 2/10 | Boston Metro |
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| Oh wait, here’s one! The Museum of Science is just barely in Boston, and an expert from the world of computer graphics comes to give a talk as part of this lecture series. Museum of Science, Cambridge, MA. more |
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Also Fun |
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| Free Science Talk & Exhibition @ HMNH | 1/22 | Boston Metro |
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| Here’s another talk, which is free and includes free exhibition admission, for the opening day of an exhibition on the photography of animals. You’ll see a bunch of other talks on their website, too. 4pm. HAH-vid Museem a’ Nat’ral Hist’ry, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Burn Your New Year’s Resolutions: erotic mistakes and amorous misadventures | 1/24 – 1/26 | Boston Metro |
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| Local writers read erotic and humorous stories at this local “toy” shop for naughty girls and boys. 308-A Harvard Street, Brookline, MA. more |
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| Winterfest Weekends @ Fruitlands Museum | 1/16 – 2/28 | Worcester |
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| I’m always skeptical of ‘festivals’ that last over a month and seem to be “business as usual”. However, the Fruitlands Museum has sled trails, ice skating (but not rentals?), and a bonfire! 102 Prospect Hill Road, Harvard, MA.978-456-3924. more |
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| Sock Hop to benefit the homeless | 1/22 | Boston Metro |
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| 9pm. 21+. Bring new socks to donate to a locate homeless shelter, or $5. Elks Lodge, 55 Bishop Allen Drive, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Hot Chocolate Tasting | 1/23 | Boston Metro |
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| This event seems rather small, but they’ll have music and booths on the sidewalk with hot chocolate. 1-3pm. In front of Hidden Sweets, 25 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Integration Bee | 1/27 | Boston Metro |
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| You’d have to be a little loco to participate, but it might be fun to watch math wizards compete. MIT, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Boston Wine Expo | 1/23 – 1/24 | Boston Metro |
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| Or maybe you’d rather drink wine. Ho hum. Please tell me you have better hobbies than getting frotzed. Seaport World Trade Center, Boston, MA. more |
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| National Hug Day | 1/21 | Boston Metro |
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| Finally, free hugs day is tomorrow, but nobody, seems to care. No response to my investigative journalism with local hug groups. Maybe they’re depressed and need a hug. Hug people and avoid lawsuits. Good luck!, Boston, MA. more |
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Recurring Events |
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| Sleep No More | 10/8 – 2/7 | Boston Metro |
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| I hear this show is amazing. They’ve taken over an entire unused school in Brookline, and every room has a display and actors. You get to stroll from room to room interacting with everyone as the plot proceeds. Some School, Brookline, MA. more |
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| Sleigh rides & smores at Point of View Farm | 1/1 – 2/15 | New Hampshire |
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| Weekends through February, you can get a real sleigh ride in New Hampshire. 160 South Road, Deerfield, NH.603-463-7974. more |
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| Kimball Farm Horse-Draw Sleigh Rides | 1/1 – 2/15 | Northern Mass |
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| Or closer to Boston in Haverhill, MA, if there’s snow. Kimball Farm Corn Maze, 780 East Broadway, Haverhill, MA.978 521-3990. more |
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| Breakdance Classes | 1/4 – 1/27 | Boston Metro |
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| Learn to breakdance! I’ve been to this one and it’s really fun! MIT, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| MIT IAP (Independent Activities Period) | 1/4 – 1/29 | Boston Metro |
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| Over winter break, MIT holds a variety of classes, lectures, and special events, many of which are wonderfully weird and open to the public. Check their calendar. MIT, Cambridge, MA.617-253-1000. more |
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| Concord Museum is Free | 1/17 – 1/24 | Metro West |
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| The Concord museum is free on Sunday. Concord Museum, Concord, MA. more |
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Performance |
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| Atwater-Donnelly | 1/23 | Metro West |
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| Atwater-Donnelly is my favorite folk group. They’re really amazing! They don’t come to the Boston area often, so rush out to see them. I believe they’ll have stepdancing at this one, too. 8pm. Amazing Things Arts Center, 160 Hollis St, Framingham, MA.(508) 405-2787. more more |
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| Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival | 1/26 – 1/31 | New Hampshire |
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| This is the regional portion of the nation’s foremost college-level theater festival. I went one year and it’s surprisingly fun. University of New Hampshire, Durham, Durham, NH. more |
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| Free performance of Commedia Dell’arte | 1/22 – 1/24 | Metro West |
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| Do you know what commedia dell’arte is? Me neither! I’m guessing some kind of comedy? Here’s a chance to explore 16th century Italy for free. 1/22 and 1/24 at 7pm. Waltham Mills Artists Studios, 144 Moody Street, Building 18, 3rd Floor, Waltham, MA. more |
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