11am-5pm. Free. Performances, music, asian food, kids activities. http://www.discoverquincy.com/calendar.htm or http://www.qari.info Last week I mentioned Davis Farmland with their petting zoo and fantastic corn maze, at http://www.davisfarmland.com. Well, here are the other big mazes in New England. Corn Maze at the FARM Institute is on Martha’s Vinyard, http://www.farminstitute.org. The Great Vermont Corn Maze, Danville, VT, http://www.vermontcornmaze.com. Parlee Farms, which also has pick-you-own fruit, http://www.parleesfarm.com in Chelmsford, MA. And a bunch more at http://gonewengland.about.com/cs/fallfoliage/l/aa082902a.htm Speaking of the agricultural lifestyle, which is so hidden from us urbanites, the Hardwick County Fair is Aug 17-18. It’s one of many agricultural fairs locally. Town Common, Rt 32A, Hardwick, MA, but the only one with a lumberjack contest! They also have hay rides, actual frog jumping my goodness, and plenty of animal exhibits. Free. http://www.hardwickfair.com Another fair I haven’t been to is the Marshfield County Fair, Aug 17-26. Marshfield, MA. Route 3A at South River St. (781) 834-6629. This one features a demolition derby, motorcycle racing, and a battle of the bands. In October they do a Haunted House too. http://www.marshfieldfair.org Finally, the Verrill Farm Corn & Tomato Festival is Aug 18-19. 11 Wheeler Road, Concord, MA. 978-369-4494. Hay & pony rides, petting zoo, entertainment. http://www.verrillfarm.com Here’s an excuse to visit Cape Cod: the Onset Blues Festival, Aug 18. The Bluff, Onset, MA. 508-295-7072. http://www.onsetvillage.com There’s a Latin American Festival at Worcester City Hall, Aug 18-19. I really do try to list only the ones that have something interesting. The draw this time is their “beer garden and domino tournament”. I just want to know what a beer garden is. http://www.baystateparent.com/news/2007/0801/articles/020.html The Salem Jazz and Soul Festival is Aug 18. 11:30am-6pm, free. A good excuse to visit Salem, which has a fantastic visitor center and lots of walkable attractions. It’s very tourist friendly. Rain date Aug 19. The Gloucester Waterfront Festival is Aug 18-19. The usual local artists will be out selling painted clam shells. And they’ll have a lobster bake and puppet shows. The real reasons to attend will be the hot air balloon rides from 5-7pm. Don’t get too excited, these are short tethered balloon rides. But still fun. http://www.capeannvacations.com/festival-event.cfm?id=4&mk=3&ck=0&en=&ey= Getting your own non-tethered balloon ride will cost you $500. See http://www.massachusettsballooning.com and make an appointment. You can usually get less expensive rides at a festival though, especially if you call ahead to reserve. One of the last balloon events of the year is the Great Falls Balloon Festival, Aug 17-19, in Lewiston, ME which is about 2.5 hours from Boston. They’ll havecarnival rides and a clam eating contest, too, although it’s unclear who’s doing the eat, people or giant clams. http://www.greatfallsballoonfestival.org Did you know that the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was a local? They’ve turned his house into a museum and it’s been having “Arts in the Park” all summer. This one, Aug 19, from 1pm to 4pm, is outstanding because it features the poetry editor of the Atlantic Monthly and former US Poet Laureate Robert Pinksy. http://www.nps.gov/long Also for bookworms, have you heard of Cyberspace or Cyberpunk? Then see author William Gibson who is credited with inventing the term. He’s doing a book signing at the Brookline Booksmith, Aug 20, 279 Harvard Street, Brookline, MA. 617-566-6660. http://www.brooklinebooksmith.com Here’s the scoop on free outdoor movies: — Boston (Harbor). Aug 17. The Best Years of Our Lives. http://www.bhh.com/special_eventcal.htm — Boston (Esplanade). Aug 17. The Wizard of Oz. http://www.wbz.com/pages/591886.php?contentType=4&contentId=618840 — Boston (Boston Common). Aug 20. Happy Feet, at The Playstead, Franklin Park, includes a costume competition with prizes! http://www.cityofboston.gov/parks/events_announcements.asp — Cambridge. Aug 15, Night at the Museum, preceded by Dario the Magician. And Aug 22, Pirates of the Caribbean – Dead Man’s Chest, preceded by a performance of Peter Panic and the Island Breeze. http://www.cambridgema.gov/CityOfCambridge_Content/documents/FamilyNights.pdf — Somerville. Aug 16. North by Northwest at Seven Hills Park. http://www.townonline.com/somerville/movies/x1591224826 — Dorchester. Aug 16. Some Elvis Presley film, probably Jailhouse Rock. http://www.bostonnatural.org/ — Fitchburg. Aug 17. Charlotte’s Web. http://www.discoverfitchburg.com/Movie_List.html — Winchester. Aug 16. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. http://www.winyc.com/summerevents.html — Weymouth. Aug 16. Barnyard, 8pm. Rain date Aug 19. http://www.weymouth.ma.us/news/news.asp?id=7755 — Onset. Aug 16. Star Wars IV. http://www.myspace.com/obmco Continuing events, Misalliance to Sep 9 and Romeo & Juliet to Sep 16, http://www.publicktheatre.com. Chimpanzee Exhibit to Aug 28 at the Museum of Science, http://www.mos.org. Restaurant Week Boston is Aug 5-10 and Aug 12-17, http://www.restaurantweekboston.com. Provincetown Carnival continues to Aug 18, http://www.ptown.org/happenings/carnival. Cambridge Discovery Walks continue Aug 18, http://www.cambridgema.gov/historic/walks.html Heads up, the The Three Musketeers, the musical opens next week, Aug 21-Sep 9, at the North Shore Music Theatre, 62 Dunham Road, Beverly, MA. 978-232-7200. Also Wicked, sort of a revised Wizard of Oz, made into a musical, is playing Sep 12-Oct 14, http://broadwayacrossamerica.com/BAA.Public.Web/Pages/SeasonTicketHolder/BAACity.aspx?cityID=33. Pat Benetar plays the Bank of American Pavilion Aug 18, Kelly Clarkson is Aug 16 at Mohegan Sun, and Counting Crows is somewhere, I forget. And Dance New England’s “Dance Camp” is Aug 22-Sep 2 in Maine, http://www.dne.org Next week is the two-year anniversary of Johnny’s list. Back then I listed 8 events a week. These days I list 50 and it’s undoubtedly the largest festivals list around. Nearly 200 people subscribe, for reasons I can’t fully explain. If you’ve bothered to read all the way to the bottom you must be hooked. Please tell your friends! They can sign up onto the mailing list at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/johnnys-list and the home page for the blog is http://make-you-laugh.livejournal.com/ Ciao baby. You’re beautiful.-Johnnyp.s. My little activities company got a mention in Mass High Tech. http://masshightech.bizjournals.com/masshightech/stories/2007/08/13/story3.html
Hi all, A lot of small towns are hosting a mini music festival this week. I recommend going but plan something else in the area...
August 13, 2007
Johnny’s List of Quirky Boston Events: 07/31/07
Hey-o, Here's the week in weird activity listings. One of the biggest re-enactments of the year is "From Redcoats to Rebels" ...
July 31, 2007
Cambridge, MA. 5:30-7:30pm. That’s close to the corner of Main Street and Vassar Street. If you feel like driving 4 hours into Maine, the Maine Lobster Festival is Aug 1 – 5. They’ll have fireworks, too. http://www.mainelobsterfestival.com There is also a Puerto Rican Festival, Jul 27 – Jul 29, at Playstead Field, Franklin Park, Boston, MA. 866.481.0695. Unfortunately, although I feel you should have the choice, so I’m listing it, I cannot recommend this event. A few vendors selling bad fried food and some old-looking portable carnival type booths. There’s a music stage, but if the field is muddy at all, which it was when I went, forget it. http://www.prfestma.org I regret also that I cannot recommend ChiliFest on Wachusett Mountain, July 28. It’s a great venue, and you can take a gondola ride to the top and ride down or hike down the mountain. But their events are a little too redneck for me. Lots of flea market style vendors. Still, chili, yum. And last time I did get to bounce on a huge trampoline for %$5. http://wawa.wachusett.com/ The Roxbury Film Festival is Aug 1 – 6. Roxbury, MA. I’m normally against stting indoors, not meeting anyone, staring passively at a screen for hours. Especially in the summer, in Roxbury. However, this one actually takes place in and around the MFA and you can take acting classes, attend panels, and they’ll have guest speakers as well. Not Brad Pitt, sorry! http://www.actroxbury.org Cambridge holds an “event” called Summer in the City which is really a series of totally unrelated events, except that they all occur at 11am when most of us have to be at work. One coming up looks fruitful, however, July 30th, Chinese Dance. 11:00am, Riverside Press Park, located at the intersection of Memorial Drive and River Street. Rain site: King school, 100 Putnam Avenue. Of course, most of us will be at work at 11am on a Monday. Check out the rest at http://www.ci.cambridge.ma.us/CAC/community_summer.html#July26 Here’s the update on free outdoor movies: — Cambridge! Wed July 25, preceded at 7pm by Dario the Magician, at Rindge Field. Call for info, 617-349-6200. The film is The Last “Mimsy”?? I couldn’t hear her on the phone. http://www.cambridgema.gov/CityOfCambridge_Content/documents/FamilyNights.pdf — Movies by Moonlight at Boston Harbor Hotel, 7/27 Inherit the Wind, http://www.bhh.com/pdf/movies — WBZ Free Friday Flicks @ Hatch Shell, 7/27 Ice Age 2, http://www.wbz.com/pages/591886.php?contentType=4&contentId=618840 — City of Somerville, July 26 Babe at Conway Park, http://www.townonline.com/somerville/movies/x1591224826 — Dorchester, 7/26, Harry Potter 4. http://www.bostonnatural.org/ — Fitchburg, MA. 7/27 Nanny McPhee, http://www.discoverfitchburg.com/Movie_List.html — Springfield, MA. 7/25 Singin’ in the Rain, 8/1 Hoot. http://www.springfieldcityhall.com/Park/149.0.html — Onset, MA, Onset Bay Movie Co, 7/26, Casino Royale. http://www.myspace.com/obmco Performance events, “A Marvelous Party! The Noël Coward Celebration” is a revue of 33 songs and by Noel Coward: sketches, anecdotes, debauchery, etc. Yum. July 13-29, at the Zero Arrow Theater, Zero Arrow Street, Cambridge, MA. http://www.amrep.org/venues/zarrow/ Ongoing events I’ve mentioned before: Misalliance, to Sept 9, http://www.publicktheatre.com. Circus Smirkus, July 31-August 1 in Revere. http://www.smirkus.org/htm/tour/tourschedule.html. Chimpanzee exhibit at the Museum of Science, to Aug 28, http://www.mos.org. Barnstable County Fair to July 28, http://www.barnstablecountyfair.org. Bang on a Can Summer Music Festival at Mass MoCA, to July 28, http://www.massmoca.org/event_details.php?id=295. David and Old Ironsides, July 25, 7pm Hatch Shell on Esplanade. George Carlin, July 27, North Shore, http://www.themusiccircus.org, and July 29 South Shore, http://www.melodytent.org. Bill Cosby, July 29, http://www.ticketmaster.com. Ciao for niao.-Johnny
Hi everyone, This is the what's what and what's where in New England this week. TONIGHT! Remember dodgeball? We used to call ...
July 25, 2007
Johnny’s List of Quirky Boston Events: 07/13/07
Hi!I just got this re: today's zombie march.-Johnny---------------------------------THE MARCH IS STILL ON, EVERY ONE IS MEETING A...
July 13, 2007
Johnny’s List of Quirky Boston Events: 07/02/07
Hi! This is the special July 4th edition. :) Insiders know that state parks and beaches are the last place you want to be on ...
July 2, 2007
Johnny’s List of Quirky Boston Events: 06/27/07
Hello everyone, This is the scoop on wacky fun amazing New England adventures this week. You want strange, we got it. "Strang...
June 27, 2007
Johnny’s List of Quirky Boston Events: 06/22/07
Late breaking news, I just visited the Minot Rose Garden which is a wonderful little park in Brookline with rose bushes. It's a...
June 22, 2007
Johnny’s List of Quirky Boston Events: 06/20/07
Hey-o, What's coming up in New England? Here it is! It's Free Rides Day at the Boston Sailing Center. That's Jun 23, 1-6pm, L...
June 20, 2007
Johnny’s List of Quirky Boston Events: 06/14/07
Hi everyone, This is the scoop on New England activities this week. TONIGHT! Willie Nelson & family perform at the Cape Cod M...
June 14, 2007
Johnny’s List of Quirky Boston Events: 06/07/07
Hey-o, Here's this week's list in fun activities. TONIGHT! Jun 7. Catch the "best of" the The Boston 48 Hour Film Project. Th...
June 7, 2007