Apr 26 – May 3, 2011: Cambridge Science Festival, Build a Catapult, Pow Wow, Meteors, Open Studios, & Comic Con
04/26/11 by
Johnny Monsarrat
This week, gear up for the Cambridge Science Festival. I went last year and it was packed with genuinely interesting festival atmosphere stuff that’s great for kids but not just for kids.
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 4/30 – Sun 5/8Boston MetroCambridge Science Festival |
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| It’s the event of the week! The Cambridge Science Festival is FREE and they say it’s the largest science festival in North Americ. A few of my favorite suggestions are below, and the festival really heats up NEXT week. Various venues, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Sat 4/30WorcesterSeige the Day: Trebuchet Building at Higgins |
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| I really want to see this! Someone with a car please write me. A trebuchet is a kind of efficient catapult. And they’re going to build one at the Higgins Armory, which is worth the trip to Worcester even when they aren’t doing something AWESOME. 100 Barber Ave, Worcester, MA.508-853-6015. more |
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| Tue 5/3Boston MetroJohn Payne Quartet joined by the “Born Again” Sax Choir |
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| Are you a jazz fan? We’re giving away two pairs of tickets to see the John Payne Quartet & the 35- member “Born Again” JPMC Sax Choir, performing two sets on Tuesday under the direction of Duncan Martin- One at 8:00 PM and the other at 9:30 PM. Ryles Jazz Club, 212 Hampshire St., Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Sat 4/30Boston MetroThe Harvard Square Bookish Ball |
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| I’ve never been to this — I wonder how commercial it is. Come dressed as your favorite character from literarature to the Bookish Ball in Harvard Square. It’s free! There’s also a parade, a party in Holyoke Center (next to Au Bon Pain) from 7-9 PM, poetry readings, Shakespeare performances, an in-store events including free snacks and book discounts. Palmer Street, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Sat 4/30Boston MetroHarvard University Native American Pow Wow |
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| As if that weren’t enough, Harvard Square is also featuring a Native American pow wow. There are dozens of pow wows in New England, but only a couple in the metro area. (Are they serving fry bread? I hope so!). Radcliffe Yard, 10 Garden St., Cambridge, MA.617-495-9918. more |
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| Thu 5/5 – Fri 5/6Metro WestEta Aquarids Meteor Shower |
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| Somewhere out West would be a good place to get away from city lights and view this minor meteor shower. Somewhere without lights, like a pond or open field, Away from the City. more more |
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| Sat 4/30 – Sun 5/1Boston MetroSomerville Open Studios |
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| Meanwhile, the rest of Somerville also has local artists opening their homes to the public. It’s great fun to walk around and meet everyone, and they say it’s the largest open studios in New England. Sat-Sun 12-6pm. Go online to find a map of where to visit. It’s free! Get a map online, Somerville, MA.617-764-2287. more |
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| Thu 4/28 – Sun 5/1Boston MetroArts First Festival (Harvard) |
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| In addition to the Science Festival, Cambridge is also hosting an arts festival this week, all across the Harvard campus. I went once and it was great. This is not to be confused with the commercial event run by the Harvard Square Business Association… Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA.617-495-8676. more |
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| Sun 5/1Boston MetroHarvard Square May Fair |
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| Arguably one of the best and most fun May Fairs in the state! All throughout Harvard Square, you’ll find live music, dance, street performers, and sidewalk vendors. 4 stages, hot air balloon rides, and a buskers (street performers) stage, too. 12-6pm. 18 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Sun 5/1Boston MetroChalk on the Walk |
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| At one of the MayFair events, you can make your own public art through chalk! 10am-3pm. Church Street, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Fri 4/29Southeast MassFree Star Parties 4 |
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| Want to watch the meteors but aren’t sure how? Get astronomers to show you how at this local Audubon park! 7-10pm. Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary, Sharon, MA.781-784-5691 x8103. more |
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| Sat 4/30 – Sun 5/1Boston MetroBoston Comic Con |
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| Like the equally popular Anime con, Boston comic con features workshops, artists, lectures, and tons of cool vendors. 10am-5pm both days. Hynes Convention Center, 900 Boylston St, Boston, MA. more |
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| Sat 4/30 – Sun 5/1Boston MetroBrookline Open Studios |
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| Speaking of the arts, an open studio is a great excuse to walk around a local neighborhood, entering the private homes and work studios of artists. They’re always free and you get to meet the artists, not just merchants, and help them out by buying something. 11am-6pm. Get a map online, Brookline, MA.781-316-4320. more |
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| Sat 4/30 – Sun 5/1Boston MetroWest Medford Open Studios |
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| And West Medford also has an event where you can walk around town meeting real artists, not just their merchants, at their private homes and work studios. Maybe you’ll buy something for mothers day! 12pm-5pm. Medford, MA. more |
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| Sun 5/1Boston MetroHumanist Chaplaincy Sunday Meeting featuring Rick Heller |
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| What’s a humanist? They’re atheists by another name, and there’s a big community at Harvard that has a weekly social get-together. This week, after their open house (12pm, with brunch and live music!), there’s a 1:30 PM talk about paying attention to the world around us and how to get inspired to help combat climate change. 12 Eliot Street, Harvard Square (Next to Charlie’s Kitchen), Cambridge, MA.617-495-5986. more |
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| Thu 4/28 – Sat 4/30Boston MetroBoston College Arts Festival |
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| Boston College has their own competing arts festival with music, dance, theatre, crafts, etc. Because it’s on a college campus, it shouldn’t be too kids-oriented. And check out the Mexican restaurant El Pelon while you’re in the area! 12-10pm. Boston College, Boston, MA.617-552-2787. more |
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| Thu 4/28 – Sun 5/1Boston MetroBirds & Bards Celebration |
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| Combining birds and music, this festival spans across Arnold Arboretum, Forest Hills Cemetery, and other parks. Movies, bird watches, hawk demonstrations, tours, and live music. Various, Boston, MA. more |
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| Fri 4/29 – Sun 5/1Boston MetroCambridge Dulcimer Festival |
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| And I’ve always wanted to see the dulcimer festival, which has workshops, performances, and storytelling. Cambridge Center for Adult Education, 56 Brattle St, Cambridge, MA.617-547-6789. more |
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| Fri 4/29 – Thu 5/5Boston MetroBoston Film Race |
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| Amateur directors are challenged to write, shoot, and edit a film all in one day. Then the films are screened at the Brattle. Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Cambridge, MA.617-876-6837. more |
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| Sat 4/30Boston MetroGore Place Sheepshearing Festival |
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| I’ve always wanted to check out this agricultural festival at Gore Place, a historical mansion. 52 Gore Street, Waltham, MA.781-894-2798. more |
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| Sat 4/30Metro WestSCA event – Carolingia 40th Anniversary |
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| The Carolingian Barony (group) from the Society for Creative Anachronism celebrates their 40th anniversary. If you like Medieval reenactments and Renaissance fairs, this is an event for you! There will be fighting, fencing, thrown weapons, European dancing instructions, a costumed ball, and a cash bar serving German beer. Prost! Boston-Area German Club and School, 8 County Street (Rt. 109), Walpole, MA. more |
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| Sat 4/30 – Sun 5/1Boston MetroOpen House at Courageous Sailing Center |
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| This local sailing center is having a free BBQ lunch and sails around Boston harbor! Courageous Sailing Center, Pier 4, Charlestown Navy Yard, Charlestown, MA. more |
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| Sat 4/30ConnecticutUniversity of Hartford’s Community Day |
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| If you’re near Hartford, The University of Hartford has a free day, with a Mark Twain re-enactor, live music, 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 |
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| Fri 4/29 – Sat 4/30Metro WestAmerican Gerbil Society Show |
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| I really want to go see this one!! Pet gerbils compete in races and mayhem ensues. It looks tiny but full of heart, like the gerbils themselves. (But I hear that rats are better cooks.). Middlesex Community College, Bedford, MA. more |
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| Sat 4/30Metro WestMusketaquid Earth Day Parade | ||||
| Concord also has a belated Earth Day celebration with a parade, an environmental festival, workshops, and a river ceremony. with floats. There will be plenty of activities for children, to teach them that the #1 thing you can do to use less energy is to not have children. Concord Center, Concord, MA. more |
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| Sat 4/30 – Sun 5/1Metro WestWestborough Spring Festival |
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| Or attend this street festival with hot air balloon rides, a classic car show, a road race, and a ‘fishing challenge’. The fix is in: the fish always bet against themselves and then throw the fight. Westborough High School, Westborough, MA. more |
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| Wed 4/27Metro WestSlavery – Hidden History at the Wayside |
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| The Wayside Inn in Concord is a great place to hear a lecture and eat some old-timey grub. This talk is about the history of The Wayside, which was once home to slave owners but later harbored a fugitive slave. 7pm. The Wayside, Concord, Concord, MA. more |
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| Sun 5/1New HampshireNew England Steel Band Festival |
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| Steel bands! Do I need to say more? They’re steel! And they’re bands! Go GO go. Ham Arena, West Main Street, Conway, NH.603-447-5107. more |
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| Sat 4/30Northern MassSholan Farms Apple Blossom Festival |
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| Here’s a farm festival out west on Route 2. They’ll have a “butterfly release parade”, hay rides, a craft show, a petting zoo, civil war re-enactment etc. I’ve actually been to this one and it was remarkable! No really, they’ve done a great job turning a small venue into a big event. 10-4. Rain date is May 1. Sholan Farms, 1125 Pleasant St., Leominster, MA.978-840-3276. more |
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| Sun 5/1Rhode IslandSpring Fair at Gilbert Stuart Birthplace & Museum |
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| This one’s another historical home doing a small festival. They’ll have demonstrations of old-timey spinning, weaving, corn grinding, and other crafts, guided tours, and a special underwater camera to view the fish. 1-4pm. Gilbert Stuart Museum, 815 Gilbert Stuart Rd., Saunderstown, RI.401-294-3001. more |
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| Sun 5/1Western MassUMass Renaissance Festival |
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| Although this Renaissance festival will have the usual feasting, singing, swordplay, and theatre, it’s run by the UMass Renaissance Studies department, so it will be educational, too! 11am-4pm. University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, MA. more |
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| Fri 4/29 – Sat 4/30Western MassPittsfield’s 250th Birthday Party | ||||
| Kicking off the 250th anniversary celebrations of the town of Pittfield is this weekend festival featuring a nod to Arbor Day, concerts, food, trail rides, film screenings, and a scavenger hunt at the Berskshire Museum. Pittsfield, MA. more |
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| Thu 4/28 – Sat 4/30Boston MetroInspiring Minds: Meet Women in Science |
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| Think the world of science is just a big boy’s club? You’re living in the past! Meet dynamic female scientists and engineers who work in fields ranging from archaeology to astrophysics at the fifth annual Inspiring Minds: Meet Women in Science program. Free with Exhibit Halls entry. Museum of Science, Boston, MA.617-723-2500. more |
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| Science Festival | ||||
| Fri 4/29Boston MetroBig Ideas for Busy People |
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| I really want to see this! I subscribe to the “TED” talks on video podcast, you know, where people spend hundreds of dollars and fly to places that aren’t Boston to hear world-famous people trade the best ideas. I admit it, I’M SO JEALOUS. And now — something similar is coming to Cambridge and it’s free!! Really, there is something wrong if you are a thinker and don’t want to attend this. 7:30-9:30pm. The Laboratory at Harvard, Northwest Building, 52 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Sat 4/30Boston MetroMIT Free Museum Day |
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| The MIT Museum will be free and open to the public. Amongst other features, they’ll have a demonstration of a deep-sea robotic arm. 12-5pm. MIT Museum, 265 Mass. Ave, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Sat 4/30Boston MetroMIT Open House |
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| Kick off the Cambridge Science Festival with a campus-wide open house at MIT. “Your eyes and your mind will open wide as you explore exhibits, demonstrations, and performances throughout our campus — everything from rockets to robots, labs to lasers, and solar cells to supercomputers. You’ll even get to do hands-on activities using the same amazing tools and technologies our researchers use!”. 10am-5pm. Parking is extremely limited, so hop on your bike or take public transportation if possible. MIT, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Also Fun | ||||
| Sat 4/30Metro WestFundraiser for Japan |
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| Please come help continue to raise funds for the victims of the Japanese earthquakes and Pacific tsunami. The fundraiser runs from 7:00pm to 11:30pm and Odaiko New England (really cool Japanese drummers) performs at 8:30pm. Warren Convention Center, 529 Chestnut Street, Ashland, 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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| Wed 4/27 – Sun 5/1New HampshireManchester Carnival |
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| It’s Spring Carnival season and Fiesta Shows makes a stop in Manchester this week. J.F.K. Arena Parking Lot, Manchester, NH. more |
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| Wed 4/27 – Sun 5/1New HampshireMerrimack Lions Carnival |
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| And near New Bedford…. Merrimack Common, Merrimack, NH. more |
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| Wed 4/27 – Sun 5/1Northern MassNorth Andover Carnival |
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| …. And North Andover, too! Route 125, Osgood Landing, North Andover, MA. more |
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| Wed 4/27 – Wed 5/4Boston MetroIndependent Film Festival |
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| Ho hum, let’s stay indoors and watch films in the dark. Some of these films will come with Director Q&As or panels. Various, Boston, MA. more |
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| Thu 4/28 – Sat 4/30Northern MassLowell Film Festival | ||||
| Lowell always punches above its weight in events, and this one’s no differerent. As well as films, they’ll have a social reception, an entire “fair trade” marketplace (at least they did last year, but I don’t see it on the schedule), and panel discussions. And it’s free! Revolving Museum, Lowell, MA. more |
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| Fri 4/29 – Sat 4/30North ShoreNewburyport Literary Festival |
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| Whether you enjoy poetry, classic lit, modern fiction, or nonfiction, the annual Newburyport Literary Festival offers something for all tastes. An excellent excuse to venture up to Cape Ann and soak up some sun. Newburyport, MA.(978) 465-1257. more |
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| Fri 4/29 – Sun 5/1Southeast MassNantucket Daffodil Festival |
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| Of course, an outdoor flower festival will always trump that. They say that 10,000 will attend, but do you really need an excuse to visit Nantucket Island? Cape Air, 800-352-0714 , Nantucker Airlines 800-635-8787 , Island Airlines 800-248-7779 , or ferry from Cape Cod. Annual Antique and Classic Car Parade, and the Annual Tailgate Picnic, as well as activities such as hiking, fishing, bird watching, and seal cruises. Nantucket Island.508-228-1700. more |
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| Sat 4/30All OverStatewide Volunteer Day |
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| While it’s still Earth Day, you could do worse than invest your time volunteering to help clean up local parks. All Over. more |
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| Sat 4/30Boston MetroElegant Evening |
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| This annual folk dance event sounds like a blast and is preceded by lessons. Folk dancing is usually pretty easy just to show up and pick it up. Don’t be afraid! Church, 365 Belmont Street, Belmont, MA. more |
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| Sat 4/30Boston MetroRun of the Charles Canoe and Kayak Race |
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| Now that you’ve cleaned up the Charles, enjoy it! Herter Park, Soldiers Field Road, Brighton, MA.508-698-6810. more |
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| Sat 4/30Boston MetroBetter World at MIT |
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| I would have listed this festival of ideas higher, but it seems to be very serious, rather than festival-y or fun-for-the-whole-family-y. MIT, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Sat 4/30Cape CodPoetry & Chili Festival |
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| This one’s a poetry slam. With chili. Because nothing adds to a poem like “AAAH!! HOTT!! GET ME SOME WATER!!” 6pm. Cotuit Center for the Arts, Cotuit, MA.508-428-0669. more |
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| Sat 4/30Rhode IslandAnnual Pawcatuck River Duck Race |
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| For the lazy, make the ducks race instead. It’s 20,000 rubber ducks racing down the river!! Go ducky go! 12pm. Broad St. at Main St., Westerly, RI.401-596-7761. more |
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| Sat 4/30 – Sun 5/1North ShoreNew England Gem & Mineral Show |
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| This looks very kids oriented, but I’m sure it’s great fun. It takes place on the Topsfield fairgrounds. Topsfield Fairgrounds, Topsfield, MA.781-861-6653. more |
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| Sat 4/30 – Mon 5/2Boston MetroArt in Bloom at MFA |
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| On view during this Spring celebration of fine art and fresh flowers are numerous floral arrangements inspired by classic works of art scattered throughout the MFA galleries. There’s also a family day full of fun activities, floral arranging demonstrations, and an elegant high tea served in one of the upstairs galleries. MFA, Boston, MA. more |
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| Sun 5/1Boston MetroMay Day at Hayes Park |
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| Yet another way to celebrate the arrival of May. But will there be pole dancers?! I mean, May Pole dancers? Warren Avenue and West Canton Street, Boston, MA. more |
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| Sun 5/1Boston MetroWalk for Hunger |
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| Or instead of eating maybe you’d rather walk and go hungry. Do any part or all of the 20 mile route. It’s the nation’s largest hunger fundraiser. Registration 7-9am. Boston Common, Boston, MA. more |
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| Sun 5/1Boston MetroBoston Sailing Center – Open House |
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| This is the big annual celebration where you get a free boat ride around Boston Harbor and 10% off courses. Dress warm. No experience necessary. Large parties might wait an hour to get a ride but I have been told that it’s worth it. They server wine, soda, and water on their river boat while you’re waiting. 1-5pm. Lewis Wharf, Atlantic Avenue, Boston, MA.617-227-4198. more |
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| Sun 5/1Metro WestAnnual Kite Day at Bose Mountain |
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| I recommend checking out a kite flying event. The secret about kiting is that the cheap kites you get at the toy store aren’t actually that easy to fly. This is your chance to meet some experts who will teach you to do it right and maybe sell you a “stunt” kite with two strings. Bose Mountain, California Avenue, Framingham, MA. more |
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| Sun 5/1North ShoreSpring Open House at Castle Hill |
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| Castle Hill, which is a genuine mansion with a rolling lawn overlooking the ocean, is quite an impressive sight. Take a drive to Cape Ann and enjoy this open house. Castle Hill on the Crane Estate, Ipswich, MA. more |
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| Sun 5/1New HampshireCelebrate the Earth & Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum |
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| I’ve been to this museum and this event will be VERY small, but very interesting. Think of it as a fantastic pit stop on your way to the White Mountains to go hiking. Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum, 18 Highlawn Rd., Warner, NH.603-456-2600. more |
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| Sun 5/1 – Sun 10/30Boston MetroSoWa Open Market Opens |
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| This popular seasonal market is not just a great place to browse the wares of local artists and artisans- it also includes a farmer’s market and vintage market too! A favorite spring activity after brunch in the South End. Don’t leave your wallet behind— SoWa is for treats and splurges, not bargains. 460 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA.617-481-2257. more |
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| Mon 5/2Boston MetroSilent Movie “It” with Live Music |
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| See flapper icon Clara Bow in the Roaring Twenties classic “It,” accompanied by a live, original score by the students from the Department of Film Scoring at Berklee College of Music. Part of the ongoing Sounds of Silents series at Coolidge Corner. Showtime is 7PM. Coolidge Corner Theatre, Cambridge, MA.617-734-2501. more |
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| Wed 4/27 – Thu 5/5Boston MetroCinematic Tribute to Cy Harvey, Jr. Founder of the Brattle Theatre |
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| To celebrate the life of Cy Harvey, one of the founders of the Brattle Theatre, this nationally renowned indie cinema is running classics by greats like Bergman, Fellini, and Kurosawa— filmmakers who are now iconic, but who were just getting started when Harvey first showed their work to Boston audiences decades ago! If you’ve been looking for an opportunity to explore some classic works of cinema, head to the Brattle this week and help support one of the country’s last independent movie theatres. Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Fri 4/29 – Sun 5/1Cape CodBrewster in Bloom |
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| Here’s a small town festival with ice cream, antiques, live music, kids festival, and a lot of small towny stuff like touch-a-truck. This is when kids get to touch a truck. (What about me?). Brewster, MA. more |
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| Sat 4/30Southeast MassEarth Day at the Oak Knoll Wildlife Sanctuary |
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| Check out these kids oriented activities, like crafts and nature walks. They say don’t come if you’re not ages 3-16. Damn! Can I still pass for 16? 10 AM – 2 PM. Oak Knoll Wildlife Sanctuary,1417 Park Street, Attleboro, MA. more |
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| Sat 4/30Boston MetroThe Many Sides of Sumner | ||||
| While visiting the graves of Sumner and his many friends and associates buried at Mount Auburn, we will discuss Sumner’s roles as a lawyer, a statesman, a civil rights advocate, an abolitionist, a patron of the arts, and a friend. 1 PM. $5 members, $10 non-members. Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, MA.617-547-7105. more more |
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| Sat 4/30Boston MetroOnce and Future Giants: What Ice Age Extinctions Tell Us About the Fate of Earth’s Largest Animals |
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| Worried about the extinction of animal species? Come here about the history as this noted scientist Sharon Levy talks about the Pleistocene, which came right after the Plasticene, I think. 3:30 PM and you have to pay museum admission to get in. Harvard Museum of Natural History, Cambridge, MA.617.495.2773. more |
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| Sat 4/30Metro WestFamily Fun Fest to Benefit the Genesis Fund |
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| I called these guys and they say this is outdoors as well as indoors — basically it’s a “festival” that takes place at a local sports amusement park with, you know, basketball, laser tag, and arcade games. 12:30-6pm. ForeKicks, 219 Forest St, Marlborough, MA.781.890.4282. more |
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| Sat 4/30Southeast MassWoodward Woods Walk |
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| What’s better than walking through the woods? Getting a guided tour where you get to learn ya some local history. 10am. Come walk as the early settlers of Norton did! Off Gateway Lane, Norton, MA. more |
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| Sat 4/30Rhode IslandFern Fossil Forrays | ||||
| Yo YO yo! Calling all fossil hunters. A great place to see fossils is where people have already done the digging for you, such as this Portsmouth coal mine nearby beachy thing. Where is this happening, exactly? You will get dirty. 11:30am. Museum of Natural History and Cormack Planetarium, Providence, RI.401-785-9457 ext 246. more |
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| Sat 4/30 – Sun 5/1Rhode IslandKayak Demo Weekend – North Kingstown, RI |
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| Wow! Pay $5 and get to kayak. Rain or shine! 10am-4pm. Wickford Town Beach, 15 Beach St, North Kingstown, RI.401-295-4400. more |
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| Sat 4/30 – Sun 5/1Boston MetroSOS Music Fest |
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| To get you to come see their gallery, this one is offering free music! The Nave Gallery, Clarendon Hill Presbyterian Church, 155 Powderhouse Blvd., Somerville, MA. more |
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| Sat 4/30 – Sun 5/1Boston MetroMuse and the Marketplace |
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| I went to Muse and the Marketplace last year and it is AWESOME if you want to be a writer. You get to network with VIPs and learn stuff from non-VIPs. However, if you don’t want to be a writer, this is not for you. Park Plaza Hotel, Boston, 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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| Thu 4/28Boston MetroDemetri Martin: “This Is A Book” Discussion & Signing |
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| In this collection of essays, musings, and drawings, Comedy Central host Demetri Martin gently skewers contemporary social trends, conventions, and insecurities, taking on topics from social hotlines to family and relationships. (Let’s hope it’s as funny as his first stand-up special and a whole LOT funnier than his Comedy Central show.) 7pm. Harvard COOP, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Fri 4/29Boston MetroGilbert Gottfried: “Rubber Balls and Liquor” Discussion & Signing |
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| Critically ignored motion picture star and hardly remembered Saturday Night Live cast member Gilbert Gottfried will be bringing is irritating voice and irreverent sense of humor to the Harvard Coop to read from and sign copies of his new humor book, Rubber Balls and Liquor. 7 PM. Harvard COOP, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Sat 4/30New HampshireCanobie Lake Park – Opening Weekend |
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| Canobie Lake Park now has a paintball gallery! Unlike Six Flags New England, Canobie Lake is doing something big for opening day this year: giving you a discount to $24. This is my favorite amusement park, a notch lower but far less commercial than Six Flags New England. Canobie Lake Park, Salem, NH.(603) 893-3506. more |
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| Sat 4/30Rhode Island4-H Easter Egg Hunt! |
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| Thanks to Mr. Raincloud, it’s still Easter! Yay! Here’s another farm turned into a public attraction doing an egg hunt. Note: their corn field maze doesn’t open until August. 10am. Escobar Farm Corn Maze, Portsmouth, RI. more |
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| Performance | ||||
| Fri 4/29 – Sun 5/8Boston MetroJazzBoston Jazz Week | ||||
| I don’t care much for jazz, but if you do, there’s plenty of it in the city this week. Various venues, Boston, MA. more |
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| Fri 4/29 – Tue 5/10Boston MetroA Midsummer Night’s Dream |
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| William Shakespeare’s magical play and Benjamin Britten’s luminous and witty score combine to question love, loyalty and reality in BLO’s new production of Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Shubert Theatre, 265 Tremont St, Boston, MA.866.348.9738. more |
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| Wed 4/27Boston MetroBoston Poetry Slam – Championships |
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| Before going to the National Poetry Slam, the local team hosts a finals round to select who will go. I’ve seen a poetry slam and it’s definitely not the stilted, inaccessible, boring commentary you are fearing. They “perform” the poetry like one-person theatre shows. If you’re EVER going to give a poetry slam a chance, why not for their annual finals, which is likely their best night of the year? 8pm. Cantab Lounge, 738 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Thu 4/28Boston MetroCoffeehouse & Open Mic Poetry Event |
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| Open Mic Night at Bigelow Chapel with local writers, poets, and musicians. Two of the Cambridge Poet Populist finalists – Toni “Bee” Brooks and Irene Koronas – will be reading at the event. 6:30-8:30 PM. Mt. Auburn Cemetery, 580 Mt. Auburn Street., Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Wed 4/27 – Sun 5/1Boston MetroGeek Week & Roleplaying at Improv Boston |
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| Geek Week is a series of comedy for the inner nerd in all of us. This year they’re featuring interactive roleplaying games! Improv Boston, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Mon 5/2Boston MetroJohn Lithgow in Stories By Heart |
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| Tony, Emmy, and Golden Globe Award-winner John Lithgow will be performing his theatrical memoir Stories By Heart to benefit the A.R.T. on Monday, May 2 at 7:30pm at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle Street, Cambridge.Tickets for the event are $75, $125, and $250 and include a tax-deductable contribution to the A.R.T. All ticket holders will receive a complimentary beverage at intermission. All $250 ticket holders will be invited to a special post-performance reception with John Lithgow. I wish I were going! Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA.617-547-8300. more |
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| Travel | ||||
| Sat 4/23 – Sun 5/22ConnecticutConnecticut Renaissance Faire – Spring |
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| Guilford is only a couple hours’ drive away. Make it a weekend for this Robin Hood-themed Spring ren faire! Guilford Fairgrounds – Lovers Lane, Guilford, CT.860.478.5954. more |
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| Sat 4/30ConnecticutMilford Earth Day |
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| Milford Earth Day is an opportunity to participate in the beautification of Milford and have fun while we’re at it! 8 AM to 3 PM. Eisenhower Park, Milford, CT.203-301-0136. more |
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| Sat 4/30ConnecticutMilford Living Annual Kite Fly |
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| The Milford Living 4th Annual Kite Fly will feature the dazzling kites of the Connectikiters! Come and fly your kite or just enjoy watching! This fun event is FREE. 12 PM- 3 PM. Walnut Beach, Milford, CT.203-283-5290. more |
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