Feb 22 – Mar 1, 2011: Stephen Fry & Humanism, Oscar Night, Presidential Re-enactments, Longfellow’s Birthday, Maple Sugaring, and Bald Eagles, and Restaurant Reviews!
02/21/11 by
Johnny Monsarrat
Did you know that Events INSIDER offers restaurant reviews? Check out our reviews of White Horse Tavern, East Coast Grill’s brunch, India Castle, Spice & Rice, and many more!
Love this blog? Subscribe to email, 
, or 
and if you help get the word out, I’ll put you on my priority list to win free stuff and send you the FREE 27-page Spring 2011 Guide, with over 720 off-beat attractions you won’t find in the blog! 
-Johnny
| The Week in Weird | ||||
| Tue 2/22Boston MetroFree movie preview tix – Hall Pass |
 |
|||
| I have free movie preview tickets for Hall Pass, the comedy with Owen Wilson. His wife gives him a “free pass” to date other women and antics ensue. Feb 22 at 7pm in Boston. Email me at johnny@EVENTSinsider.com and let me know what you want to win! AMC Boston Common Theatre, Boston, MA. more |
||||
| Sun 2/27Boston MetroBoston Cookie Takedown – ticket giveaway |
 |
|||
| I’m not sure I really get this event. Tables with cookies… you eat, you vote, there’s milk… it’s a party!! And I have two pairs of tickets to give away. Email me at johnny@eventsINSIDER.com. 2pm! Great Scott, 1222 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA.917 902 7765. more |
||||
| Thu 2/24 – Sun 2/27Boston MetroThe New England Home Show – ticket giveaway |
 |
|||
| If you own a home, here’s where you can learn about remodeling, decorating, and housewares — they’ll have an entire crafts show. It’s the largest home show in New England. I have tickets to give away — email me! Seaport World Trade Center, Boston, MA. more |
||||
| Thu 2/24Boston MetroThe Great Boston Molasses Comedy Disaster Show – ticket giveaway |
 |
|||
| This is a real story. In 1919, a storage tank of molasses exploded and flooded the streets of Boston, killing a few people. Now some creative geniuses have turned tragedy into comedy, a stand-up and sketch show. And I have two pairs of tickets to give away. 8pm. Local band Hot Molasses will perform and Burnin’ Love sauces will be on-site selling their Great Molasses Disaster-inspired sauce, too. Mottley’s Comedy Club, 61 Chatham St, Boston, MA. more |
||||
| Tue 2/22Boston MetroStephen Fry speaks about Religion & Reason |
 |
|||
| It’s the defining Boston celebrity event of the year! Stephen Fry, perhaps the greatest atheist media star after Brad Pitt, visits Harvard, which has the strongest humanist college group. Boston has plenty of academic superstars, but we get few from Hollywood. And when we do, they don’t have a cause, or they support a cause that’s well under steam. I love cancer research and Martin Luther King, but it’s not like those causes are going nowhere without Whoopi Goldberg. But non-belief — now that’s an edgy, interesting topic that’s just hitting the mainstream. Here’s a charity leverage point where a celebrity — and you — can make a real difference! If you’re a non-believer, come and be counted. It’s important to show that we are not alone. Or if you’re a believer who’s curious how the “other half” lives, check it out. You’ll find the community friendly, and we won’t feed you wafers and tell you later it’s Jesus. 8pm. Buy your tickets immediately. This will sell out. Memorial Church, Harvard Yard, Cambridge, MA. more |
||||
| Thu 2/24Boston MetroPresidents’ Family Festival Day |
 |
|||
| The JFK Library and Museum is hosting a day long festival of presidential re-enactors! See Abraham Lincoln (played by Fritz Klein), Theodore Roosevelt (played by Gib Young), John and Abigail Adams (played by Thomas Macy and Patricia Bridgman), and participate in arts and crafts and a tour of the museum and a “”make your own sundae” bar. Yum!! Kids activities 10:00am-3:00pm, and a presentation of the Love Letters of John and Abigail Adams from 3-4pm. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, Boston, MA. more |
||||
| Thu 2/24 – Sun 2/27South ShoreTotal Confusion |
 |
|||
| This claims to be the largest gaming convention in New England. It’s all about roleplaying, miniatures, and board games at Totalcon. Note, use Internet Explorer to view their website. Holiday Inn, Mansfield, MA. more |
||||
| Sat 2/26Boston MetroSpecial Olympics Passion Plunge |
 |
|||
| Dive into cold water to raise money. I’m not sure what the connection is exactly… In Revere and also at Nantasket Beach in Hull, MA. Revere Beach & Nantasket Beach, Revere, MA. more |
||||
| Sat 2/26Boston MetroLongfellow Birthday Celebration at Mt. Auburn Cemetery |
 |
|||
| Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s annual birthday celebration honors his friend Charles Sumner. Details are few, but in previous years they’ve had VIPs discuss Longfellow and read “Paul Revere’s Ride”, had a wreath-laying ceremony and birthday cake. FREE. 10am. 580 Mount Auburn St, Cambridge, MA.617 547-7105. more more |
||||
| Fri 2/25Metro WestLongfellow Birthday Celebration at The Wayside Inn |
 |
|||
| This one’s even better — but not subway accessible. The annual birthday party for the 19th century’s most beloved poet includes a Victorian dinner and a lecture about the role of Massachusetts in the Civil War. A re-enactor will portray Longfellow himself, and he’ll do shots off the ass of a Brazilian prostitute. I mean, um, he’ll read poetry. $65 per person, includes gratuities. Reservations required; call 978-443-1776. The Wayside Inn, Sudbury, MA. more more |
||||
| Wed 2/23SpringfieldLongfellow and the Arsenal at Springfield |
 |
|||
| Springfield will hold a celebration and re-enactment too, with cake, balloons, presentations, and poetry workshops. Free! Springfield Armory NHS, Springfield, MA. more more |
||||
| Mon 2/21 – Thu 2/24SpringfieldSpringfield’s 375th Anniversary Fabulous February |
 |
|||
| And it’s a great time to visit Springfield, because they’re celebrating their 375th anniversary too, with a pie-eating contest, sleigh rides, a magic show, roast a hot dog over an open fire, and lots of kids stuff! Count me in!! Springfield, MA. more |
||||
| Thu 2/24Boston MetroSnow Day at Webb Park |
 |
|||
| This park says they’re next to the Boston Harbor Islands. Try snowshoeing for free! If there’s any snow left, that is! River St., Weymouth, MA. more more |
||||
| Sat 2/26 – Sat 3/12Metro WestSnowshoe Tours at the DeCordova Museum |
 |
|||
| The DeCordova, my favorite museum in New England, is giving a snoeshow tour. 10am and 12:30pm. Feb 12 sold out so buy your tickets quickly for the next two Feb 26 and Mar 12. Reserve in advance. 51 Sandy Pond Rd, Lincoln, MA.781-259-8355. more |
||||
| Mon 2/28Northern MassWinter At Williams Barn |
 |
|||
| This one would be my pick of the park events. Free. Maple sugar demonstration, a snowshoe race, nature walk, live music, hot cocoa. Williams Barn, 160 Chicopee Row, Groton, MA. more |
||||
| Thu 2/24 – Sun 2/27Rhode IslandRhode Island Spring Flower and Garden Show |
 |
|||
| Gardens start in the Spring, so this trade show has to happen before Spring arrives. I haven’t been to this one, but the local flower show close to Boston was amazing, with so many huge floral dioramas. This may actually be worth checking out. Rhode Island Convention Center, 1 Sabin St, Providence, RI. more |
||||
| Thu 2/24Boston MetroRock-paper-scissors Championship |
 |
|||
| Test your mettle at the ultimate psych-out game: Rock Paper Scissors. And this time, you’re doing it for prizes. What I want to know is, how can they stretch such a rapid sport into an entire evening’s entertainment? 6:30pm. $5. 21+. PA’s Lounge, 345 Someville Ave, Somerville, MA.617-776-1557. more |
||||
| Tue 3/1Boston MetroMIT Annual Latke-Hamentashen Debate |
 |
|||
| 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 |
||||
| Tue 3/1 – Mon 5/30EverywhereJohnny’s Spring 2011 Event Guide |
 |
|||
| Finally! As well as the 4,000 hand-picked, manually researched events that I track every year, I’ve also chosen 720 ongoing attractions, like where to see dog sledding or a butterfly museum, that I don’t get a chance to write about because they’re not really “events”. Invite your friends to Events INSIDER and get a copy of my Spring 2011 Guide, with all these attractions and a heads up on my favorite events March to May. Click the link and go through the checklist, then email me for the guide. Everywhere. more |
||||
| Oscars | ||||
| Sun 2/27Boston MetroOscar Gala at Brattle Theatre |
 |
|||
| Everyone’s excited about the Academy Awards, which you couldn’t get a seat to even if you did live in California. Please don’t be fooled by local bars that do nothing but put it on the television. That is not an event! I called King’s, for example, and they basically said they weren’t doing anything special, but, “um, well, we’ll have it on the TV!”. Instead, try going to a classy event like this live broadcast to the Brattle Theatre. $75. RSVP immediately — will sell out. Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St, Cambridge, MA.617-876-6837. more |
||||
| Sun 2/27Boston MetroOscar Night Boston Gala |
 |
|||
| Or this even more expensive fundraiser, which is $175, and only if you buy ’em today. But part of the Oscars is arriving in a tux and “being seen”, so it should cost a lot, right? Mandarin Oriental, 776 Boylston St, Boston, MA. more |
||||
| Sun 2/27Western MassAcademy Awards Party at Beacon Cinema |
 |
|||
| This one’s only $25 a ticket. Now that’s more like it. The Beacon Cinema, 57 North St, Pittsfield, MA. more |
||||
| Sun 2/27Rhode IslandRIIFF Providence Oscar Night America Celebration |
 |
|||
| They say they’re “one of only 51 sanctioned Oscar parties”. Gee, what happens if you’re not sanctioned? 6:30pm. $10 screening but $50 if you want the red carpet reception, too. VMA Arts & Cultural Center, 1 Avenue of the Arts, Providence, RI. more |
||||
| Sun 2/27ConnecticutOscar Night Hartford |
 |
|||
| This one’s for charity, too. $55. 7pm. Hartford, CT. more |
||||
| Mon 2/21Hollywood!Johnny’s Movie List of Underappreciated Gems |
 |
|||
| Speaking of movies, everyone’s favorite movie website now lets you make lists! So I’ve made a list of the 50 least appreciated movies that I think are aces! If you like my events, give these underdog movies a chance. Hollywood!. more |
||||
| Maple Sugaring | ||||
| Fri 2/25Boston MetroFree Breakfast |
 |
|||
| They’ll server breakfast and educate you about saving energy. It’s free! 8-10am. East End House Gym, 105 Spring St, Cambridge, MA. more |
||||
| Tue 3/1Boston MetroIHOP National Pancake Day |
 |
|||
| Also free are pancakes! Yummy yummy, pancakes. 7am to 10pm, any IHOP. IHOPs, such as 16 Eliot Street, Cambridge, MA. more |
||||
| Sat 2/26North ShoreFebruary Flapjack Fling |
 |
|||
| Also with pancakes!!!! I LOVE PANCAKES!! This park has their own maple sugar tour. Register. Ipswich River, 87 Perkins Row, Topsfield, MA. more |
||||
| Tue 3/1 – Fri 3/4Metro WestMaple Science |
 |
|||
| Drumlin Farm has a bunch of maple sugaring events, too. 208 South Great Road, Lincoln, MA.781-259-2200. more |
||||
| Sat 2/26Boston MetroSugar Maple Tree Tapping |
 |
|||
| I’ve never been to Tower Hill. It’s some gardens near Worcester. Tower Hill, 11 French Dr, Bolyston, MA. more |
||||
| Also Fun | ||||
| Sat 2/26Boston MetroABC’s of Tracking Animals – All Ages Program! |
 |
|||
| Oh, and you can learn to track animals at Tower Hill, too! Tower Hill, 11 French Dr, Bolyston, MA. more |
||||
| Sat 2/26Metro WestTopics in Field ID: Winter Raptors |
 |
|||
| This park program is closer to Boston. You could most likely bus out there. 208 South Great Road, Lincoln, MA. more |
||||
| Sun 2/27North ShoreBald Eagles of the Merrimack River |
 |
|||
| Drive up the North Shore and you can take a tour to find real eagles in the wild! Awesome! Joppa Flats, 1 Plum Island Turnpike, Newburyport, MA. more |
||||
| Fri 2/18 – Sun 2/27Rhode IslandNewport Winter Festival |
 |
|||
| This festival features a Beatles tribute band, ice sculpting, a scavenger hunt, a polar plunge, food cook-offs, a kids festival, and it’s a great excuse to visit Newport in the off-season. Various venues, Newport, RI.401-847-7666. more more |
||||
| Tue 2/22Boston MetroTavern Games |
 |
|||
| Before there was X-Box, people would play games in the local tavern. Experience this re-enactment for yourself. Old State House, Boston, MA. more |
||||
| Sat 2/26Boston MetroGeorges Island Winter Fortress |
 |
|||
| The flyer says “looking for an adventure for the whole family? Check out this island in the winter!” So… is this an event? Or basically just a regular everyday day at this park? Georges Island, Boston, MA. more |
||||
| Wed 2/23Boston MetroHistory of Somerville, 2010-2100 Lecture |
 |
|||
| Did you miss the last of these lectures? It’s a great concept — an extrapolation into the future of Somerville’s history, with feedback from the local community. Somerville Public Library, 79 Highland Ave, Somerville, MA. more |
||||
| Wed 2/23Boston MetroThe Evolution of Childhood: The Role of Development in Explaining Human Uniqueness |
 |
|||
| It’s awesome that we live in a city with Harvard, MIT, and a dozen other world-class schools. They are continually having lectures and conferences. Here is one about evolution. The Harvard Museum of Natural History, Cambridge, MA. more |
||||
| Thu 2/24Boston MetroVisible Language Series Lecture: The Living Sign: Maya Hieroglyphs and Vitalized Writing |
 |
|||
| And here’s one about Mayan hieroglyphics. 5:30 PM. A public reception follows at the Peabody Museum. Harvard’s Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford St., Cambridge, MA. more |
||||
| Thu 2/24Boston MetroEyewitness Gaza |
 |
|||
| And this one’s a slide show about Gaza, the chunk of Israel that was given back to the Palestinians. Followed by a public discussion. 7:00 pm. Free! “What are the current conditions in Gaza and how does it relate to Egypt and other Arabic uprisings?” Don’t miss it! Cambridge YMCA, 820 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA.617-441-7756. more more |
||||
| Tue 2/22Southeast MassAfrican American Read In |
 |
|||
| I continue to search for events for Black History Month, but have found only a few. Here are some thanks to UMass Dartmouth! Campus and community readers share their favorite works of African/African American authors and poets. 10am-4pm. UMass Dartmouth, Dartmouth, MA. more |
||||
| Fri 2/25Southeast MassBlack History Month Gala |
 |
|||
| This is a dinner with VIPs followed by a dress-up dance. UMass Dartmouth, Dartmouth, MA. more |
||||
| Mon 2/28 – Tue 3/1Southeast MassSonia Sanchez |
 |
|||
| And this one’s a speech by a famous African American educator, activist, Poet in Residence. UMass Dartmouth, Dartmouth, MA. more |
||||
| Wed 2/23Boston MetroSpoken Word Speak Easy at the BCA |
 |
|||
| Although this event goes undescribed — “a varied group of highly talented performers who will provoke, excite, delight and entertain” — spoken word basically means poetry readings and it’s a lot more fun than you are probably assuming. It’s really more like a series of one-person one-act short theatre monologues. I am surprised to hear that Narragansett Beer has sponsored a poet laureate. Are there a lot of beer enthusiasts who love poetry? I guess we’ll find out because they’ll serve beer at the event. Boston Center for the Arts, Boston, MA. more |
||||
| Sun 2/27Boston MetroSteampunk Meetup |
 |
|||
| Steampunk is the art style that places modern technology into a Victorian era context. These enthusiasts meet at the Charles River Museum of Industry, which has an AWESOME steampunk exhibit that you should all see. They meet, they talk, and they dance! 154 Moody Street, Waltham, MA.781-893-5410. more |
||||
| Tue 2/22Boston MetroChinese New Year Lion Dancing & Treats | ||||
| When this preschool, which still thinks it’s Chinese New Year, says “all ages welcome”, I don’t think they really mean all ages. I think they mean if you have kids you can come. It’s free and features lion dancing by a professional group. 10am. 6 Church St, Sudbury, MA.978-443-9391. more |
||||
| Thu 2/24Boston MetroBYOB: Bring Your Own Broadway |
 |
|||
| This is karoke night… but you can only sing Broadway tunes!! Free, open to the general public. Mem -wees!! All alone in da mooonwiight! Boston University, George Sherman Union, Boston, MA. more |
||||
| Thu 2/24Boston MetroAnnual Hip Hop Dance Festival |
 |
|||
| It’s breakdancing, b-boying, popping, freestyling, and hip hopping! It’s a festival. What’s not to like! Awesome! School, 28 Sacramento St, Cambridge, MA. more more |
||||
| Thu 2/10 – Sun 2/27Boston MetroSunfish at the Stoneham Theatre – See our review! |
 |
|||
| In this musical Korean tale, a young girl goes on a quest to find a cure for her father’s blindness, exploring an undersea world. See the website for creative extra events: food tastings and workshops! Stoneham Theatre, Stoneham, MA. more our review |
||||
| Mon 2/21Boston MetroEvents INSIDER Restaurant Reviews |
 |
|||
| Did you know that Events INSIDER reviews restaurants? Check out our reviews this week of White Horse Tavern (Allston), Brunch at the East Coast Grill (Cambridge), India Castle (Cambridge), Spice & Rice (Cambridge), and many more! Across Boston Metro, Cambridge, MA. more |
||||
Love this blog? Subscribe to email, Facebook, or Twitter and please tell your friends and get the FREE 27-page Spring 2011 Guide, with over 720 off-beat attractions you won’t find in the blog!