2/21/10 – 3/03/10: Chinese New Year, Free Movie Preview, Winter Fests, Paul Revere’s Ride, Free Pancakes & Latkes

02/21/10 by Johnny Monsarrat

I’m posting early this week because I scored 20 tickets for “Cop Out” on Tuesday. Email me to win ’em, johnny@weirdbostonevents.org, and do me a favor and tell friends or appropriate mailing lists about Johnny’s List.

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-Johnny

The Week in Weird
Cop Out		2/23	Boston Metro
I’m doing the blog early this week because I have 20 passes to give away for Cop Out! You’ve seen the previews with Bruce Willis, whom everybody loves, Tracy Morgan from Saturday Night Live, and Seann William Scott, the guy from American Pie. The trailers looks great and I’m completely thrilled. Email to win a ticket. 7:30pm. Boston Common Theatre, Boston, MA. more
Hot for Harvard Night at Rocky Horror Picture Show		2/27	Boston Metro
The event of the week is the Rocky Horror Picture Show. It’s a campy PG-13 film with goth and sexual themes from the 1970s. The idea is not the show, really, it’s the performance. Before the film, and also during it, actors do skits, parody the film, and interact with the audience. Although it happens every Saturday, year ’round, this week is a special “Harvard Hottie” contest for best attire, and Harvard students get in for only $7. 11:59pm Saturday evening. Theatre on Church Street, Cambridge, MA. more
Chinese New Year parade in Hvd Sq 1-4pm.		2/28	Boston Metro
The Harvard Square Business Association puts on perhaps 30 events a year and this looks like one of the good ones. It’s a Chinese New Year parade that starts at 1:30 in Winthrop Park (corner of JFK and Mount Auburn) and marches to Mass Avenue to the Hong Kong restaurant. From 1-3pm, the Hong Kong will have arts and crafts and performers doing puppetry, dance, and more. From JFK Street to the Hong Kong on Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA. more
Peabody Essex Museum’s Lunar New Year		2/27	North Shore
And it’s a great excuse to visit the Peabody Essex Museum and the attractions of Salem during an off-peak month for tourism. See a lion dance, martial arts, music, art activities, film, and learn some martial arts, too. Free with museum admission. East India Square, Salem, MA.978-745-9500 x3011. more
Asian Lunar New Year		2/28	South Shore
Quincy will have a lion dance and two stages of music and dance. Although the venue is a high school, the promotion is top rate and I would bet it’s worth a visit. North Quincy High School, 316 Hancock St, Quincy, MA. more
Longfellow Birthday Celebration @ Mt. Auburn Cemetery		2/27	Boston Metro
Longfellow turns 202 this year, and his famous poem, “Paul Revere’s Ride” turns 150. VIPs will talk about the poet, and do a multimedia presentation of late senator Ed Kennedy reading the poem, and there will be a wreath-laying ceremony and birthday cake. FREE. 580 Mount Auburn St, Cambridge, MA.617 547-7105. more
Learn To Build a Fire		2/27	Northern Mass
I really want to see this! What if you get stuck on a deserted island or the end of civilization or back in time in dinosaur days? You’ll need to learn to build a fire. 1-4pm. Free, but pre-register. Brooks Woodland Preserve, Petersham, MA. more
Snowshoeing in the Moonlight		2/26 – 2/27	Northern Mass
Nearby, in other words, the middle of nowhere, are two different events 2/27 and 2/26. I’ve never been snowshoeing and I think everyone should try it at least once. Pre-register. Northfield Mountain Recreation Area, Route 63, Northfield, MA.800-859-2960. more
Moonlight Skiing and S’mores		2/26	Western Mass
Cross-country ski at night — the website doesn’t mention rentals — and they’ll have a campfire. 7-9pm. Notchview, Windsor, MA.413.684.0148. more
Winter At Williams Barn		2/28	Northern Mass
This one would be my pick of the parks. Free. Maple sugar demonstration, a snowshoe race, nature walk, live music, hot cocoa. Williams Barn, 160 Chicopee Row, Groton, MA. more
IHOP National Pancake Day		2/23	Boston Metro
As I mentioned last week, also free are pancakes! Yummy yummy, pancakes. 7am to 10pm, any IHOP. Various IHOPs, such as 16 Eliot Street #18, Cambridge, MA. more
MIT Annual Latke-Hamentashen Debate		2/24	Boston Metro
Putting their cultural emphasis on learning and debate on the line will be the “finest scholars” at MIT debating over the merits of two Jewish foods that the rest of us have never heard of. But they’ll serve samples! It seems to be free! Free food, people! I don’t care if they serve gefilte fish, if it’s free, I’m there. 8pm. MIT Room 26-100, Cambridge, MA. more
Also Fun
Jay O’Callahan: Forged in the Stars		3/2	Boston Metro
6pm. Free. A storyteller relates the history of NASA in a captivating way that I have to believe is targeted for adults. Harvard Art Museum (Sackler), 485 Broadway, Cambridge, MA.617-495-9400. more
Salem Film Festival		2/26 – 3/4	North Shore
This in an all-documentary film festival, and a ton of filmmakers will be attending, making this a real festival, not just a movie marathon. 1 Church Street, Salem, MA.978-744-1400. more
Full Moon Tour: Living in the Dark		2/26	Metro West
Before there was electric lighting, people had to use their infrared vision and sonar to get around. Come explore this 19th century adaptation at this historic home. 52 Gore Street, Waltham, MA.781-894-2798. more
StorySlam		2/22	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. 6:30-9:30pm. Kennedy’s Midtown, 42 Province St, Boston, MA. more more
BAGLY Winter Ball		2/27	Boston Metro
Also the BAGLY winter ball is coming up. I wouldn’t list this except it’s a slow week and where else can teenagers go for gay pride? Hint to the organizers: please fix your website! Back Bay Events Center, 180 Berkeley St., Boston, MA. more
Lantern Festival @ Forbes House Museum		2/27	South Shore
I really don’t like the double-speak of “crafts for the entire family”. It usually means that kids will have fun but the adults get to watch, which can be sort of boring. But, it’s one of the few nods to Chinese New Year so I’m listing it. 12-3pm. 215 Adams Street, Milton, MA. more
Ice Climbing		2/28	Worcester
I don’t know about you, but just waking up at 8am is hard for me on a Sunday, never mind arriving somewhere at 8am to climb a giant icicle. However, beginners are welcome. 8am-4pm. Wachusett Mountain area, Westminster, MA.617.789.4070 x245. more
Performance
An Evening of Side Show Delights and Vaudeville Theatre — Where EVERYTHING Is Real		2/26	Boston Metro
I’ve been to this and it’s truly amazing. It’s not just a series of stage performers — music but also jugglers, comedians, and oddities — it’s also an arrangement of carnival attractions. Just go! 7:45-10pm. YMCA Theatre, 820 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA. more
Comedy Beanpot (competition)		2/24 – 2/27	Boston Metro
Local college troupes square off for Boston’s premier comedy title. Improv Boston, Cambridge, MA. more
MIT Chorallaries Bad Taste Concert (a capella)		2/27	Boston Metro
Here’s an MIT event that you’re welcome to attend but will probably not get into unless you come early and wait in line. It’s the annual a capella concert where the songs are in-your-face humor, and the audience gets to throw toilet paper. Who knows, if you’re lucky there could be a riot. MIT room 26-100, Cambridge, MA. more
Dracula on Valentine’s Day		2/12 – 2/27	Boston Metro
The original Dracula just wanted to buy some real estate and suck the blood from his realtor’s wife. Sounds like great payback for what the housing industry’s done lately. 277 Broadway, Somerville, MA. more
International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella – Quarterfinals		2/27 – 3/20	Metro West
If you love a capella music like I do, check this out. And there’s a separate concert at MIT on March 20. Wellesley, then MIT, Various. more

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