Apr 13-21 Boston Events: Free Food, MythBusters, & Dance. Iron Pour, Shakespeare Parade, Patriot’s Day re-enactments, Earth Day, SCRABBLE, Robots & Sharks, Oh my!

04/13/10 by Johnny Monsarrat

Lots of free stuff to give out this week. Email me at johnny@weirdbostonevents.org. Love this blog? Subscribe to email, Facebook, or Twitter and please tell your friends!

-Johnny

The Week in Weird
Opening Day for Mumbai Chopstix		4/13	Boston Metro
TONIGHT! FREE! From 6-9pm there will be a celebration at Mumbai Chopstix, with free food and drink. It’s a new restaurant opening at 254 Newbury Street, Boston. I was just there last night! It’s upscale and brightly lit, with plenty of room for social mixing and a huge communal table featuring spices under glass. Their cuisine is completely original in my experience: Indian Chinese food, and comes from the same people who brought you Diva in Davis Square, Bukhara, Mantra, Mela, and Cafe of India. I didn’t sample much of the food, but I can vouch for it’s uniqueness. What other place would mix broccoli and meatballs in with General Gao’s style fried chicken? Or serve you tandoori spring rolls? I’d write more but I was expecting to research their website, and they have none. Well, go and please mention Johnny’s List! :). 254 Newbury Street, Boston, MA. more
The Ego and the Oracle		4/15	Boston Metro
Also Free! I have three tickets to give away from The Ego and the Oracle. It’s a musical performance where they take personal questions from the audience, spin a wheel that divines “the answer”, and then improvise a song to match. It sounds good but you should avoid looking at their website — a tasteless joke is there which I think they regret. It sounds good, and I’m going to go and report on it for you. Lizard Lounge, 1667 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA. more
MythBusters		4/16	Boston Metro
I also have one free ticket to see MythBusters. It’s Friday at 8pm. They’re the TV show that debunks superstitious beliefs and promotes the humanist (i.e. secular, i.e. atheist) mindset. Tix from Hvd Box Office. They’ll receive an award for humanism, and do a talk and a demonstration. Memorial Church, Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA. more
Alvin Ailey Dance Theater		4/15 – 4/18	Boston Metro
Also one ticket to give away (for Sunday afternoon)! I’ve heard that if you want to see dance, you should see Alvin Ailey. Fortunately, they come to Boston every month and I have ONE ticket to give away to this show. They have roots in the African-American dance experience of New York in the 1950s. Citi Wang Theatre, Boston, MA. more
Spring Iron Pour – Molten Metal Showers, Fire-spinning		4/16	Boston Metro
Also free!! You really have to see this! I went to “Iron Pour” in October. Students in the metal department have toiled all semester to craft molds. Well, now they pour molten iron into those molds, and onto statues of hay and wood. Smoke and steam and fire and hissing sparks result!! And they’ll have live music, fire-spinners, and intense everything. ONE OF THE BEST WEIRD EVENTS OF THE YEAR. 7-11pm, but last year things didn’t really get going until 9pm. MassArt Courtyard, Boston, MA.617 879 7020. more more
The Harvard Square Bookish Ball		4/17	Boston Metro
The free continues. This year’s Bookish Ball in Harvard Square is a birthday celebration of William Shakespeare, with a parade starting at 12pm from City Hall in Central Square and going to Harvard Square. They encourage everyone to dress and bring banners in Yellow and Black. Then there will be a party, 1-5pm, in Winthrop Park at the corner of Winthrop & JFK Streets, with kids stuff, Shakespeare Trivia, and a booth for “Shakespearean Insults”, live music, performance, and a group reading of the “Balcony Scene” from Romeo & Juliet, which is supposed to go up on YouTube as part of a worldwide challenge. At 3pm, 75 minutes of NON-STOP Shakespeare scenes at John Harvard’s. The Peabody Museum will have a scavenger hunt and other activities with a Mayan theme. Sounds amazing! Palmer Street, Cambridge, MA.
Sizzle: A Global Warming Comedy		4/21	Boston Metro
Also free! There’s a free screening and Q&A with filmmaker Randy Olson on this eco-issues movie, 5-7pm. Stata Center, Rm 32-123, MIT, Cambridge, MA. more
Scrabble Boston Area Tournament		4/16 – 4/18	Lowell
The people who do this SCRABBLE tournament are super-enthusiastic and say they’re welcoming to newbies. They’ll even have a one-day newcomer event on Saturday. They get up to 200 players from all over the USA who come. I would love just to see it. Westford, MA. more
FestEvil: Festival of the LARPs		4/16	Metro West
One way to not worry about aging and live forever is to give up reality entirely! The roleplayers at Brandeis are hosting a poorly explained day of games where the audience gets up on stage and becomes the actors! And it’s free. Brandeis University, Waltham, MA. more
University of Hartford’s Community Day		4/17	Connecticut
If you’re near Hartford, The University of Hartford has a free day, with a Mark Twain re-enactor, live music including my favorite group, Lifted, a chance to be a news anchor for a few minutes and take a DVD home with you, and dozens of other actitivies. It seems well worth a short trip. 11am-3pm. University of Hartford, Hartford, MA. more
Patriots Day
Battle of Lexington Re-enactment & Patriots Day Parades		4/17 – 4/19	Metro West
Here are a ton of Patriots Day activities. I love re-enactments! I’ve been to this one, and see a bunch more on their website. Crazy people will do a “march” from 3:45am-5:45am. And then other crazy people, about 2,000 will show up to watch the re-enactment in Lexington at 5:30am. Arrive an hour early or bring a stepladder for a good view. Then at 6am, Pancake breakfast and parade follow the re-enactment, Paul Revere Ride Re-enactment. Concerts, etc. and afternoon parade. Also see http://www.battleroad.org/events.html. Patriots Ball, etc. Town Green, 1900 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington, MA.978-388-6749. more
Handbell Festival on Patriots Day		4/19	Metro West
While you are there, definitely check out the handbell festival! 11:15am. Hancock Church on Lexington Green, 1912 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington, MA. more
Battle Road and Patriot’s Day Events at Minute Man Park		4/10 – 4/19	Metro West
There are local battle re-enactment events for Patriots Day on Saturday as well. Various, Lexington, MA. more
Arrival of the Sudbury Militia		4/19	Metro West
Yet more re-enactments… (And they’ll have a dawn salute). 10:30am. North Bridge, Concord, MA. more
Patriot’s Ball and other Concord events		4/17 – 4/19	Metro West
Concord will have a re-enactment costume ball on Saturday and a parade Monday at 9am. Armory, Stow Street, Concord, MA.978-371-0192. more more
Patriots Day Brunch and Community Read of Paul Revere’s Ride		4/19	Metro West
Consider this fancier breakfast with a talk by a Paul Revere expert. Wayside Inn, 72 Wayside Inn Road, Sudbury, MA. more
Commemoration of the North Bridge Fight		4/17	Metro West
Yet more re-enactments… North Bridge, Concord, MA. more
Arlington’s Patriot’s Day Parade		4/18	Boston Metro
Arlington will have a parade that will include the local Star Wars stormtroopers “re-enactors”. 2pm. Start at Brattle & Mass Ave, Arlington, MA. more more
Acton Patriots Day Celebration		4/19	Metro West
Acton will have a “Patriot’s Day Trolley” to take you to three local museums: Hosmer House, the Jones Tavern and the Faulkner Homestead. They’ll have re-enactors and 18th century demonstrations and entertainment. Acton, MA. more
Roxbury Patriots’ Day		4/19	Boston Metro
Perhaps a little jealous of Lexington, here’s a celebration in Roxbury. They’ll have a FREE pancake breakfast and a historical trolley tour and a re-enactment of a rider who’s not Paul Revere. Roxbury, MA. more
Paul Revere Ride re-enactment		4/19	Boston Metro
That’s because Paul Revere is busy in the North End, riding around and getting his Italian pasta made fresh! They’ll have a flag raising and parade to the North End. They’ll even re-enact lighting the one if by land, two if by sea thing, and a lot more…. North End, Boston, MA. more more
Patriot’s Day Celebration in Somerville		4/19	Boston Metro
Gee, Paul Revere’s like Santa Claus — he’s everywhere! He’ll be visiting this day in the park in Somerville, too, starting at 10am, with entertainment, games, and re-enactors. Foss Park, Somerville, MA. more
Patriot’s Day Kite Fly @ Blue Hills in Milton		4/19	Boston Metro
Or you can go kite flying in Milton at the only real mountain in Boston. They’ll have kites to sell and kits to build, and do tours. It’s not on their website, but I called to confirm. 10am-4pm. Blue Hills, Canton, MA. more more more
Patriots Day in Boston		4/19	Boston Metro
And don’t forget Boston. The Mayor Hissoner will do a flag raising at 9am on City Hall Plaza, a parade will leave from there. City Hall Plaza, Boston, MA. more
Boston Marathon		4/19	Boston Metro
That’s all I can think of that’s happening Monday. Oh, Waaaaait a second! Check out the Boston Marathon too! I used to assume it was silly and boring, but it’s actually really fun rooting on the joggers. It starts in Hopkinton, going through Wellesley into Boston. Get there early so you can see the wheelchair racers zip past!! I swear to god, these are the only images they have available for me to grab from their website (and they even have a media section on the website). :(. Copley Square, Boston, MA. more
Post-Race Dance Party		4/19	Boston Metro
Or sneak into the after-party as though you were one of the runners. (How do I get one of those numbered signs?) This celebration shows video highlights from the Boston Marathon where Kenyans temporarily from Southie wave at the camera. Ned Devine’s, Parris, Cheers and the Rotunda, 1 Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Boston, MA. more
Earth Day
Earth Day		4/16 – 4/22	Various
It’s also Earth Day this week! There are minor events all over, but most of them are volunteer cleanup opportunities rather than festivals. The people at WBOS have wised up and moved their big earth day festival to the warmer weather in May (and I will remind you). But here are a few gems for the day. Various. more more
Earth day @ Franklin Park Zoo		4/18	Boston Metro
My favorite Earth Day is just an excuse to go to the Franklin Park Zoo, which is wonderful. They have gorillas! And they’ll have a bunch of speakers and animal keepers do interactive stuff. Franklin Park Zoo, Boston, MA. more
Greater Newburyport Earth Day Celebration		4/18 – 4/23	North Shore
Earth Day activities span a whole week near Newburyport, all minor stuff except — oo! — a bonfire on 4/18. Newburyport, MA. more
Earth Day @ Salem State College		4/12 – 4/22	North Shore
Salem State is hosting a series of talks…. Salem State College, Salem, MA. more
Earth Day Festival in Lowell		4/18	Northern Mass
There’s a free day in the garden at Lowell, MA. Lowell, MA. more
Sustainable Living Festival		4/17	South Shore
Or get a wind turbine tour at this green festival in Hull. Hull, MA. more
Earth Day 5K Race		4/17	Boston Metro
This charity race benefits the WWF, (the World Wrestling Federation, or something…). Artesani Park, Boston, MA. more
Lecture @ Suffolk – Earth Day		4/21	Boston Metro
Suffolk University is holding a panel to discuss management of the Boston Harbor Islands, with a famous politician. Suffolk University, Boston, MA. more
Free Guided Tours		4/17 – 4/25	Rhode Island
The Aubudon Society in Rhode Island is holding a number of free guided walking tours. A couple of them are at night! Various. more
Also Fun
Bedford Spring Carnival		4/8 – 4/18	Metro West
The season’s second carnival comes to Bedford. I’ll keep you up to date on them all! I’ve been to this traveling show and it’s cheesy, somewhat expensive, and definitely worth it. Bedford Mall, Route 3, Bedford, MA. more
Weymouth Carnival		4/21 – 4/25	South Shore
And to the South Shore… Weymouth High School, 1 Wildcat Way, Weymouth, MA. more
Nashua Carnival		4/21 – 4/25	New Hampshire
And to New Hampshire…. Pheasant Lane Mall, 310 Daniel Webster Highway, Nashua, NH. more
Revere Spring Carnival		3/24 – 4/18	Metro Boston
And the Revere Carnival continues. Showcase Cinemas, Route 60, Revere, MA. more
Chelmsford Crossings Kite Show		4/21	Lowell
I don’t know anything about this kite show, but hey… kite show!! And it’s run by a reputable group. 199 Chelmsford Street, Chelmsford, MA. more
National Robotics Week		4/10 – 4/17	Boston Metro
Robotics week continues, with lectures, demos, and a “block party” on April 17. Museum of Science, Boston, Boston, MA. more
Shark Week		4/14 – 4/20	Connecticut
Meanwhile, the Mystic Aquarium fights back by trying to draw you out to see sharks! Robots vs. Sharks, who will win? Mystic Aquarium, Mystic, CT. more
Barcamp		4/17 – 4/18	Boston Metro
I really don’t know what to make of barcamp, which seems to think that lacking organization or theme is cool. If they have a show schedule, they’ve buried it in their website. But hey, there will probably be robots and geeks and demos and lectures. MIT Stata Center, Cambridge, MA. more
Faneuil Hall Marketplace Street Performers Audition Performances		4/17 – 4/18	Boston Metro
Fanueil Hall invites a bunch of street performer to try out this weekend in advance of their big festival. You get to come watch! 11am-3:30pm. Faneuil Hall, West End Promenade, Boston, MA. more
Extravaganja		4/17	Western Mass
I visited this festival last year, promoting a band, and it was super high energy and worth a peek. It’s mainly a bunch of vendors and live music, but a lot of good people attend. Amherst Town Center, College Street at Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA. more more
Independent Film Festival		4/21 – 4/28	Boston Metro
I usually judge film festivals by: how bad’s the outdoor weather, will there be social mixers or panels, and who’s famous who’s coming? This festival comes with three panels, and if there’s anyone famous attending, they have chosen to bury that information. Meanwhile, there’s so much of New England you could explore instead of sitting in a dark room in April. Various, Boston, MA. more
Boston International Film Festival		4/16 – 4/25	Boston Metro
This film festival comes with two galas. This one also fails to list which films come with or don’t come with filmmaker Q&A, but their press release implies… all of them? Really? Lowes Theatre Boston Common, Boston, MA. more
The Big Mouthoff — StorySlam championships		4/20	Boston Metro
People tell stories that may or may not be funny or drawn from real life. Then there’s a competition with judging. Worth checking out. 6:30pm. Kennedy’s Midtown, 42 Province Street, Boston, MA. more more
Beeline Festival		4/5 – 4/19	Boston Metro
This series of performances seems to be a real festival, complete with social mixers as well as the music. One of the performances is by robots, and one of the parties is a traditional Indonesian rice feast. Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA. more
Cherry Blossom Festival		4/18	Connecticut
When I made a note of this festival, I still thought it was a sparse April, too cold for the big festival rush. Apparently, I was wrong. Well, they’ll have 27 cherry trees and the ubiquitious face-painting, food, and vendors. Wooster Square Park, New Haven, CT. more
Volunteer Expo		4/15	Boston Metro
Unemployed and have a lot of time on your hands? Maybe you should volunteer for a local group! This expo will feature a number of tables with people to meet and information to get. Prudential Center, Boston, MA. more
Trash Springs to Life!		4/19 – 4/23	North Shore
Kudos to the Peabody Essex Museum for repeatedly throwing fun, interactive events that I can write abuot. But this one… involves trash?? Join a workshop and make a puppet from an old sock or bottle. Or listen to storytelling or see a live animal presentation. It might be bad, it might be good. But do you really need an excuse to visit Salem? Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA. more
Michael Maglaras and the Song of Hiawatha		4/13 – 4/18	Metro West
It’s Longfellow’s 200th birthday, so some crazed person is going to read the very long The Song of Hiawatha in its entirety. Oh wait, he’s just going to perform excerpts, with sound effects. Now that’s more like it! That’s 4/18 and they’ll have a literary discussion preceding on 4/13. Wayside Inn, 72 Wayside Inn Road, Sudbury, MA. more
Shakespeare and the Language that Shaped a World		3/27 – 4/23	Western Mass
Speaking of literature, I wouldn’t mention this performance of Shakespeare (they are everywhere, after all) except that this features a hands-on workshop after the show. What kind of hands-on? Are they giving massages? 70 Kemble Street, Lenox, MA. more
Baby Animals on the Shaker Farm		4/3 – 4/25	Western Mass
Nothing much special is going on at Hancock Shaker Village. But baby animals!! So cute!! If you’re ever going to visit, why not now? And learn about the Shakers. 34 Lebanon Mountain Rd., Hancock, MA. more
World-class Bicycle Park is open in New Hampshire		4/10 – 9/30	New Hampshire
I don’t know much about bicycle parks, but the owner says that this new bicycle track, which just opened, is unique and best-of-breed in New England. There’s no real “event” for the opening, but I thought it was worth a mention. 29 Grenier Field Road, Londonderry, NH. more
Newton / Needham Restaurant Week		4/11 – 4/17	Boston Metro
When a restaurant offers a “fixed price”, but it’s $30, you’re supposed to say thank you? I guess so. This is a pure commerical event, but if you’re ever going to eat with the best, this might be for you. Various pricey restaurants offering “discounts” to $30/meal, Newton, MA. more
El Pelon Taqueria		4/16	Boston Metro
Finally, I’d like to put in a good word for El Pelon. It’s means “The Bald One” in Spanish, and I got to meet His Baldness, the owner, personally. El Pelon was a sensation, a cult favorite of the Fenway neighborhood that, due to a fire, moved out west just across from Boston College. They take as much pride and care in making their food as an upscale Mexican restaurant, and unlike most mom & pop shops that order premade ingredients in bulk, El Pelon makes everything *fresh on site*. And they serve it through a take-out venue with upbeat music that has limited seating, but is easy to zip in and out of. It’s definitely worth a visit. Yes, you’ll find the usual fare of burritos and enchiladas. But you’ll also find a range of Mexican food from different areas of the country, including fish tacos, Coca Cola in real glass bottles, and Calabacitas, a mix of squash and other vegetables with local spices. I’ll remind you about their Chili Pepper Eating Contest in August! 2197 Commonwealth Ave, Brighton, MA. more
Performance
An Evening with Champions Ice Show (annual)		4/16 – 4/17	Boston Metro
Enough with the outdoors festivals. For those of you who want to huddle indoors for warmth, I recommend this annual fundraiser for the Jimmy Fund & Dana Farber. They bring the best nationwide ice skating talent to Boston. Bright Hockey Center, Harvard, Cambridge, MA. more
Big Apple Circus		4/3 – 5/16	Boston Metro
The Big Apple Circus is not just for kids. I’ve been and it’s a lot of fun. Well, I would say about half the acts are appealing to adults, and just a couple of WOWS!, but that’s enough for me. City Hall Plaza, One City Hall Plaza, Boston, MA.800-922-3772. more
Rogue Burlesque		4/14	Boston Metro
This burlesque group seems to have some innovative ideas. May be worth seeing. Middlesex Lounge, 315 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA. more
On This Moon		4/16 – 4/24	Boston Metro
As you know, I don’t list a lot of theatre shows. They’re well-covered elsewhere and they are just too many to list them all. But how can you resist a professional theatre production with an android, and alien, and love? I really need to go see it!! Arsenal Theatre for the Arts, Watertown, MA. more more
Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Competitions, regionals		4/18	Boston Metro
Finally — phew! What a big week! — a capella only gets better when they bring in the best groups for a competition. Cohen Auditorium, Tufts University, 40 Talbot Avenue, Medford, MA.617-627-3493. more

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