Art, Lantern, Scottish, Sand Sculpture, Museum, Balloon Fests, Pie Eating, Auto Show!

07/14/09 by Johnny Monsarrat

This week I’m sponsoring two trips: to the Lantern Festival at Forest Hills Cemetery, this Thursday, 6-9pm, and Somerville ArtBeat, Saturday at 12pm. Email me to RSVP at johnny@weirdbostonevents.org!

Here’s your week in weird. Enjoy it! Want this weekly? Please subscribe.

-Johnny

The Week in Weird
Forest Hills Lantern Festival	7/16	Boston Metro
The event of the week is the Forest Hills Lantern Festival. It’s simply amazing, one of my favorite events of the year. You write a message or japanese character on rice paper, wrap it around a wooden float with a candle, and they all get floated on a lake as the sun sets and music plays in this cemetery. 6-9pm. Rain date: 7 days later. Forest Hills Cemetery, Boston, MA.617-524-0128. more
Glasgow Lands Scottish Festival	7/18	Western Mass
Also the event of the week! 9am-9:30pm. Rain or shine. Look Park, 300 North Main St., Northampton, MA.(413) 862-8095. more
Somerville ArtBeat	7/17 – 7/18	Boston Metro
Also also the event of the week!! Somerville is having their annual art festival. I will be there shepherding my “Wheel Questions” installation, the community art project. Davis Square, Somerville, MA.617 625 6600. more
New England Sand Sculpting Festival	7/15 – 7/19	Boston Metro
Also not to be missed is this beach festival I’ve been to three times! Professionals come to make enormous sand sculptures, and they have a kids day Saturday & amateur adult day Sunday. Awards & entertainment Sunday for you to make your own sculptures, too. They’ll have fireworks and vendors and live music as well! Revere Beach, 1 Beach Street, Revere, MA. more
Edaville Railroad Green Festival/Beach at the Bogs	7/18 – 7/19	South Shore
Edaville Railroad is having a sand sculpture demonstration as well. Since there’s no beach, their professionals will truck in over 7 tons of sand! Edaville Railroad, Pine Street, Carver, MA.877-EDAVILLE. more
Surf’s Up! A PEM Beach Party	7/17	North Shore
The Peabody-Essex Museum, which is fantastic and everyone should visit anyway, which is in Salem, which is fantastic and everyone should also visit anyway, is having a “beach party” where you can learn to make a sand sculpture, a surfboard, and dance under the stars! And they’re launching their new photography exhibition about surfing. 4-10pm. East India Square, Salem, MA.978-745-9500. more
Bastille Day Party & Dance in Boston	7/14	Boston Metro
Tonight! As I mentioned last week, dinner, dancing, and French flirting! And it’s free! Free as in freedom! 9pm. Liberty Hotel, Boston, MA.617.912.0400 or 617-876-4275. more
[SENSE]ation Day: Clay, Fire and Fun	7/18	Southern Mass
The Fuller Museum is having their annual celebration with lots of interactive art workshops. Don’t be fooled by its location way out in Brockton. The Fuller is a world-class museum well worth the trip! 455 Oak Street, Brockton, MA.508-588-6000. more
Summer Sunset Party @ Fuller Museum	7/15	Southern Mass
The Fuller has another another party as well but I couldn’t confirm it by phone. I do have the date written down though so I must have seen it at some point. I do know that every Wednesday night 5-9pm is free! 455 Oak Street, Brockton, MA.508-588-6000. more
Civil War Living History Weekend	7/18 – 7/19	Rhode Island
There are also re-enactments this weekend, like this one in a large park in Newport. Bring a kite to fly! Fort Adams State Park, 1 Lincoln Drive, Newport, RI.401-841-0707. more
Newport Black Ships Festival	7/16 – 7/19	Rhode Island
While you’re in Newport, check out this totally unique Japanese festival, including drumming performance and ships. Newport, RI.401-846-2720. more
Abigail Adams Meets Captain William Smith	7/19 – 8/2	Metro West
You can meet the wife of former president John Adams re-enacted, as well. Preceded by “Colonial Tunes with the Hartwell Players”. Captain William Smith House, Lexington, MA. more
American Independence Festival	7/18	New Hampshire
The 4th of July is not quite over yet, either! 1 Governors Lane, Exeter, NH.603-772-2622. more
The Long Arm of the Law	7/18	Metro West
And you can’t keep the Minuteman National Park from re-enacting every weekend this summer. The “Long Arm of the Law” will introduce you to 18th century criminals and police. Hartwell Tavern, Rt 2A, Lincoln, MA. more
Verrill Farm Blueberry Pancake & Pie Eating Contest	7/18	Metro West
In nearby Concord, it’s a pie-eating contest! With hayrides, live music, pony rides. 9am-12pm. 11 Wheeler Road, Concord, MA.978-369-4494. more
Annual Antique Auto Show	7/19	Metro West
Also nearby is a giant car show at the historic Codman Estate. I’m pretty sure Codman was the fellow who invented the codpiece. Codman Estate, 36 Codman Road, Lincoln, MA.(617) 529-1714. more
The Great American Car Show @ Larz Anderson Museum	7/19	Boston Metro
Another car show, even bigger I bet, will be at the Larz Anderson Museum of Transportation in Brookline. 15 Newton Street, Brookline, MA.(617) 522-6547. more
Green River Festival (Balloon Festival)	7/17 – 7/18	Northwest Mass
Two balloon festivals this week! It’s always smart to call ahead to reserve your balloon ride. Off Rt 91 exit 26. Greenfield Community College, Greenfield, MA.413-773-9393. more
South County Hot Air Balloon Festival	7/17 – 7/19	Rhode Island
Rt 95S to ex 9. Rt 4S, 10.4mi joins Rt 1, then Rt 138W. URI Athletic Fields off Rt 138, Kingston, RI.401-783-1770. more
Festival Betances (Latino Festival)	7/17 – 7/19	Boston Metro
It’s the oldest Latino festival in New England. It’s free. And they have a big parade and a greased pole contest! Villa Victoria, South End?, Boston, MA. more
Bang on a Can Summer Music Festival & Mass MOCA	7/15 – 8/1	Western Mass
This is basically a music festival. And I don’t think you get to bang on cans. 87 Marshall St, North Adams, MA.413-662-2111.. more
Boston Film Race	7/17	Boston Metro
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
Murder at the Science Museum – Watson Adventures	7/18	Boston Metro
Register in advance for this scavenger hunt (for clus, not stop signs!) that will have you racing around the museum of science. 4-6:30pm. Museum of Science, Boston, Boston, MA.877-946-4868 x11. more
Summer Nights @ Harvard Museum of Natural History	7/16 – 8/20	Boston Metro
The science museum at Harvard will be open late this Thursday, with a free lecture about biodiversity at 6pm & 7pm. 26 Oxford St, Cambridge, MA.617-495-3045. more
Shakespeare in the Park	7/19	Boston Metro
And there’s free Shakespeare in Arlington! 5pm. Robbins Farm Park, Eastern Avenue, Arlington, MA. more more
Awesome 80’s Prom	7/18 – 8/15	Boston Metro
You really can travel back in time and go to prom all over again in the 1980s! This interactive performance puts you and your friends at an improv comedy show, a dance party, and a re-enactment to make memories. The Tremont St. Playhouse at Club Pearl, 275 Tremont Street, Boston, MA. more
Also Fun
Boston Harbor Islands Free Ferry Day	7/17	Boston Metro
Also fun, everyone should check out the Boston Harbor Islands, and they help by having free ferry days. One Long Wharf, Boston, MA.617-223-8672. more
MFA Community Day (July)	7/19	Boston Metro
And the MFA is free again. (Thanks!) Also every Wednesday late afternoon. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA. more
Prescott Park Folk Festival	7/18	New Hampshire
It’s a park. It’s folk music. It’s a festival. 5-10pm. Portsmouth, NH. more
Ocean State Reggae Festival	7/18 – 7/19	Rhode Island
Because everyone knows that Rhode Islanders are big into reggae music. Ninigret Park, Rt 1A, Charlestown, RI. more
Uxbridge Art & Music Festival	7/19	Worcester
This looks small and possibly bad. But they’ll have face painting! And canoeing! River Bend Farm, 287 Oak Street, Uxbridge, MA. more
Masterworks Chorale Summer Sings	7/14 – 8/4	Boston Metro
As I mentioned, this group does participatory singing all summer long of classical works. Noble and Greenough School, Lawrence Auditorium, 10 Campus Drive, Dedham, MA.781-235-6210. more
Barnstable County Fair	7/17 – 7/25	Cape Cod
Rt 28S to Rt 151E, 4.7 mi. Largest annual event on Cape Cod. Rt 151, East Falmouth, MA.508-563-3200. more
Boston Harbor Swim	7/17	Boston Metro
It’s a 22-mile swim. I think I’ll just watch. 7am-4pm. Boston, MA. more
Brimfield Antiques Festival (Summer)	7/14 – 7/19	Springfield
If anyone cares, the largest antiquest ‘festival’ in New England is having their 3-times-a-year event again. Off of Rt 20. Rt 20 at Rt 19, Brimfield, MA.(413) 245 3209. more
Quincy Sidewalk Summer Festival	7/16 – 7/18	South Shore
Quincy is having a fairly commercial festival, with vendors on the street with live music. Quincy, MA.617-471-3232. more
Pittsfield Art Show	7/18 – 7/19	Western Mass
This one’s commercial too, but still a fun excuse to get out & about. Pittsfield, MA. more
Ponkapoag Bog Walk	7/19	Boston Metro
Call ahead for foot gear. We’re going hiking through a bog! 1pm. Boston, MA.617-698-1802 x212. more
A Tribute to Haydn	7/19	Boston Metro
Traditional old-timey instruments will fill out a concert on the lawn at the Longfellow Historic Site. I was just there last weekend! Quite interesting!! George Washington lived there. 105 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA.617-876-4491. more
Performance
The Underpants	7/16 – 8/2	North Shore
A comedy written by Steve Martin. In Salem. Church, 316 Essex Street, Salem, MA.978-790-8546. more
Circus Smirkus @ Wellesley	7/17 – 7/19	Metro West
And July 31 & August 1 at Revere, MA. Elm Bank Horticultural Center, Wellesley, MA. more
Sarah Silverman	7/19	New Hampshire
Everyone’s favorite fake racist fake everything-ist pokes fun at the ones who aren’t fake. Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover Street, Manchester, NH. more
Recurring
French Film Festival	7/9 – 7/26	Boston Metro
Summer isn’t a great time for a film festival, but the MFA has a movie theatre, so they persevere. MFA, Boston, MA. more
Ocean’s 2	7/3 – 8/28	Boston Metro
Before there was Ocean’s 11, there was Ocean’s 2. Improv comedy partly scripted after the movies. Every Friday @ 8pm from July – August. 40 Prospect St, Cambridge, MA.617-576-1253. more
Newport Music Festival	7/10 – 7/26	Rhode Island
To me, a ‘festival’ has to involve an open social space, and can’t be a series of concerts over 2 weeks. But everyone should visit the mansion in Newport, so here’s your excuse. Newport, RI.401-849-0700. more
Travel
White’s Beach & Campground Bluegrass Fest	7/17 – 7/19	Maine
Camp for the weekend. Listen to Bluegrass! Brunswick, ME. more
Middlebury Festival on the Green	7/12 – 7/18	Vermont
Their claiming this is “Vermont’s Favorite Festival”. Could be. Middlebury, VT. more
French Heritage Days in Vermont	7/17 – 7/18	Vermont
French music, dance, fencing demonstrations, antique vehicles, old timey games, lots of cultural fun! Vergennes, VT.800-733-8376. more