Lincoln Re-enactment, Vikings, Airplanes, Rodeo, & Open Studios (Newton, Boston)
05/13/09 by
Johnny Monsarrat
I’m starting a new concept where I’ll announce what I want to do and see who’d like to tag along. This weekend I’m organizing a trip Sunday to see Abe Lincoln near Worcester. See the description below and zip me an email to johnny@weirdbostonevents.org if you’d either like to come (include your phone #) or can’t come but think this is a good idea and I should organize more outings.
Here’s your week in weird. Enjoy it! Want this weekly? Please subscribe.
-Johnny
The Week in Weird |
|||
| Lincoln Bicentennial Celebration | 5/15 – 5/17 | Worcester | |
| The event of the week is clearly Abraham Lincoln’s 200th birthday celebration at the Asa Waters Mansion. I’ve been tracking this event for over a year now and am super excited about it! Unfortunately, no times are given but it’s Saturday and Sunday, and they will have a re-enactment of a civil war encampment and a nationally known re-enactor will play Lincoln on Sunday. I’m putting together a group of people who want to go Sunday, email me if you’re interested!! Asa Waters Mansion,123 Elm Street, Millbury, MA.508-865-0855. more |
|||
| Audubon Society Birdathon | 5/15 – 5/16 | Many State Parks | |
| Every year the Audubon Society has a fundraiser where teams compete to find as many birds as possible. I imagine they are open to newbies stopping by. It happens in state parks all over Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and possibly beyond. All over MA & RI. more more |
|||
| Viking Warriors & Historic Combat Demonstration | 5/16 – 5/30 | Worcester | |
| The Higgins is going to keep churning out amazing re-enactment events. This weekend it’s trying on real armor, and combat demonstrations of swordfighting and Vikings. See their website for more and more and more this summer. 100 Barber Ave, Worcester, MA.508-853-6015. more |
|||
| Cadillac Day @ Larz Anderson Museum | 5/17 | Boston Metro | |
| Another active venue is the Larz Anderson Museum of Transporation. Throughout the summer they’ll have numerous lawn festivals, for various types of car enthusiast. This week it’s Cadillacs. 15 Newton Street, Brookline, MA.(617) 522-6547. more |
|||
| Super Secret Summer Surprise @ ICA | 6/12 | Boston Metro | |
| Yet another is the ICA. They have so many fun events happening! I was all set to tell you about the bicycle tour of Shepard Fairey’s graffiti around Boston, but it’s sold out. So here’s a way heads up on their first outdoor party with Giant Twister and other great stuff. Get your tickets NOW, people!! Institute for Contemporary Art, 100 Northern Avenue, Boston, MA.617-478-3100. more |
|||
| World’s Largest Pancake Breakfast | 5/16 | Springfield | |
| This event is sort of made up but if you happen to be out west, sounds like so much fun!! Springfield, Downtown, Springfield, MA.413/ 733-3800. more |
|||
| East Heaven Hot Tub (Northampton) | Jan 1 – Dec 31 | Western Mass | |
| If you need an excuse to go out West, how about East Heaven Hot Tub? They are the only place near Boston that has a rooftop hot tub. It’s open to the elements and open year ’round for romantic interludes. 33 West St, Northampton.413-587-0000. more |
|||
| CoCo Key Water Resort at the Royal Plaza Hotel | Jan 1 – Dec 31 | Metro West | |
| Also open year-round is this water park, I was just there and recommend it! There’s one in Fitchburg out West on Route 2, and one in Danvers, MA on the North Shore. The water park is not huge, but you can spend 2 hours there easily and I could conceive spending a whole day there. Typically I get tired of Water Country, the largest water park in New England, in about 4 hours. They have water slides, a lazy river, one of those use Jungle Gym thingies, a communal hot tub, and more. You’ll find combination packages with staying at the hotel. The lockers are $5 though, ouch! Royal Plaza Hotel, 150 Royal Plaza Drive, Fitchburg, MA.978.342.7100. more |
|||
| Emily Dickinson Museum Open House & Poetry Walk | 5/16 | Western Mass | |
| Also out West, the Emily Dickinson museum has a commemoration of the anniversary of the famous poet’s death, with poetry readings and a walk. 280 Main Street, Amherst, MA.413-542-8161. more |
|||
| Boston Poetry Slam – Championships | 5/20 | Boston Metro | |
| Every Wednesday there’s a poetry slam in Cambridge. It’s not as boring as you might fear because the poetry is not read, it is delivered, theatrically. Much of it is very much like one-person theatre shows. The regular event is 8pm-midnight. This is the biggest event of the year, their semi-finals 5/20 and the championships 5/27. Cantab Lounge, 738 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA. more |
|||
| Brookline Puppet Slam | 5/16 | Boston Metro | |
| Also in the “Events that You’d Probably Avoid But Are Actually Really Fun” category is this performance for adults, not kids, involving puppets. Um, and slamming. Puppet Showplace Theatre, 32 Station Street, Brookline, MA.617.731.6400. more |
|||
| Hampton Beach Tow Rodeo | 5/16 – 5/17 | New Hampshire | |
| Do you like trucks? Rodeos? This event might be for you. Apparently they try to tow around heavy objects?? They’ll have a beauty contest and “Police K-9 Demos”, which I assume is when the police release dogs into the audience to tackle and bite. Should be great fun. Hampton Beach, Hampton Beach, NH. more more |
|||
| General Aviation Fun Day | 5/16 | Southern Mass | |
| As for me I find trucks passe. I want to see helicopters! And huge airplanes! And this festival is free! And has something to do with inspiring women in aviation. Rain date: the next day. 10am-3pm. New Bedford Regional Airport, New Bedford, MA. more |
|||
| European Food Festival 2009 | 5/20 | French Library, Boston Metro | |
| This “festival” is basically a party where you get to sample foreign food and beer. 6-8pm. 53 Marlborough St., Boston, MA.617.912.0400. more |
|||
| Newton Open Studios | 5/16 – 5/17 | Metro West | |
| Newton is getting into the open studios act. Because there are so many mansions, Newton is great fun to walk around. And you get to meet local artists, not just their vendors, see their work and possibly buy something. 11am-5pm. Newton, MA.(617) 332-9967. more |
|||
| SOWA Art Walk | 5/16 – 5/17 | Boston Metro | |
| The me-too named “SOWA” district (after SoHo in New York City) is having an open studios, too. It’s a hard choice to make. I feel like SOWA will have more true professionals but they need the money and it will be more commercial. The Newton walk will probably be more laid back with more personal homes and fewer dusty professional warehouse space studios. Boston, MA. more |
|||
Also Fun |
|||
| South End Open Market / SoWa Open Market | 5/17 – 10/28 | Boston Metro | |
| Associated with SOWA is this regular open market, which is similar except you get to meet the vendors, not the artists, and they make no attempt to hide the commercial nature of the event with a lovely urban stroll. 540 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA.617.481.2257. more |
|||
| Brimfield Antiques Festival (Spring) | 5/12 – 5/17 | Springfield | |
| Also commercial is the largest antiques festival in New England. Because the older stuff gets the more valuable it gets. Right? Am I right? Because I have some really old shoes I want to get rid of… On Rt 20. Rt 20 at Rt 19, Brimfield, MA.(413) 245 3209. more |
|||
| Annual Boston Gay and Lesbian Film/Video Festival | 5/6 – 5/17 | Boston Metro | |
| The film festival I mentioned last week continues. MFA, Boston, MA. more |
|||
| Berkshire International Film Festival | 5/14 – 5/17 | Western Mass | |
| And there’s another way out West. While you’re there, check out Barong Imports, also in Great Barrington. They sell imported art and have a whole warehouse of weird wonderful stuff. Great Barrington, MA. more |
|||
| Apple Blossom Festival | 5/13 – 5/17 | Northern Mass | |
| Fiesta Shows continues to lug their traveling carnival around. Find a coupon on the website. Abbot School, Westford, MA. more |
|||
| Dance Complex Free Day of Classes | 5/17 | Boston Metro | |
| A local dance studio has free 20-minute classes all day. What can you learn in 20 minutes? Well, maybe you’ll be inspired to pay for more classes! 536 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA.617-547-9363. more |
|||
| Motif #1 Days | 5/16 – 5/17 | North Shore | |
| This is some kind of local festival based on a famous local fishing shack. There will be hayrides, a bicycle parade, and plenty of live music and just small towny walking around. Around School Street, Rockport, MA.978-546-6575. more |
|||
| Avon Walk for Breast Cancer | 5/16 – 5/17 | Boston Metro | |
| I’m sure they’ll allow you to stop by without registering if you bring cash! This one’s breast cancer. Starts at UMass Boston Campus. UMass Boston Campus, Boston, MA.800-510-WALK. more |
|||
| Boston Kidney Walk | 5/17 | Boston Metro | |
| And this one’s for kidneys, in a super fun location, the zoo! 9am. Franklin Park Zoo (Giraffe Entrance), Boston, MA. more |
|||
| Ancient Fishweir Project – Wampanoag Nation Singers & Dancers | 5/20 | Boston Metro | |
| Along the Charles Street edge of the Boston Common. Native american indian fish trapping device placed in tidal flats. This seems really interesting until you go and discover it’s just a bunch of sticks. But nearby is the Carousel! Boston Common, Boston, MA. more |
|||
| Revels: Pub Sing at Doyle’s Cafe | 5/18 | Boston Metro | |
| This is a heads up on the local participatory sing. They will sell out, so get tickets now. Doyle’s Cafe, 3484 Washington St, Jamaica Plain, MA. more |
|||
Performance |
|||
| B-52s | 5/16 | Boston Metro | |
| And heads up, the B-52s will be coming with their upbeat happy music. House of Blues, 15 Lansdowne Street, Boston, MA.888-693-2513. more |
|||
| Michael Flatley’s “Lord of the Dance | 5/15 – 5/17 | Boston Metro | |
| The famous Irish stepdancing show comes to Boston. Opera House, Boston, MA. more |
|||
| Boston Theater Marathon | 5/16 – 5/17 | Boston Metro | |
| A ten-hour marathon of fifty 0-minute plays. Boston Center for the Arts, Boston, MA. more |
|||
| KISS Concert tickets go on sale | 5/17 | Boston Metro | |
| Tickets are now on sale for Kiss Concert, the largest concert by the largest generic Top 40 radio station. It’s 9 hours of all the most successful bands on pop radio, from KISS 108FM radio. Buy tix before they sell out. Comcast Center, Mansfield, MA. more |
|||
| Much Ado About Nothing | 5/14 – 6/14 | Boston Metro | |
| And everybody loves Shakespeare, even in Roxbury! Can you say gentrification? Go spend some cash and help them out. Hibernian Hall, Roxbury, MA. more |
|||
Want this weekly? subscribe. My blogs: Weird Boston Events & Wheel Questions, Wheel Answers. Send encouragement & ideas to johnny@weirdbostonevents.org.