Ren Fest, Block Party, Beach Festivals, Pow-wows, Steam Engines, & Air Show
06/24/09 by
Johnny Monsarrat
This week I’m leading a group trip to the Cambrige City Dance Party on Friday. We’ll meet for dinner at 6:30pm in Central Square. Email if you’d like to join us, johnny at weirdbostonevents.org.
Here’s your week in weird. Enjoy it! Want this weekly? Please subscribe.
-Johnny
The Week in Weird |
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| Winslowshire Renaissance Festival | 6/27 – 6/28 | Southern Mass | |
| The event of the week is this summer festival in Norton, Massachusetts. Your first thought is going to be: Norton? Do I even know where Norton is? But I went last year and it was fantastic, definitely worth a visit. 11am-5pm. 37 Eddy Street, Norton, MA.508-285-6451. more |
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| PDQ Bach | 6/30 | Western Mass | |
| Also not to be missed! PDQ Bach is a comedy music performance. The closest thing you can get to seeing Harpo Marx live! I saw this group in the 1980s and it’s a must-see. The Colonial Theatre, 111 South Street, Pittsfield, MA.413-997-4444. more |
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| Masterworks Chorale Summer Sings | 6/30 – 8/4 | Boston Metro | |
| Perhaps you’d prefer to join in. 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 |
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| Soirée Karaoké | 6/25 | Boston Metro | |
| But this is clearly the event of the join-in-singing week: Karaoke in French! 6:30pm. French Library, 53 Marlborough St, Boston, MA.617.912.0400. more |
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| Cambridge City Dance Party | 6/26 | Boston Metro | |
| I’ve been to this one twice and it is to die for. No really, you have to go to this! It’s an outdoor block party with colored lights on City Hall. What better to celebrate that the people own the government, not the other way around. 7-11pm. Massachusetts Avenue in front of City Hall. 795 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA.617-349-4301. more |
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| Opening Day @ Frog Pond | 6/26 | Boston Metro | |
| But wait! There’s more! Now how much fun can you have? Every year Frog Pond opens for wading with a big festival. 2pm-3:30pm. They’ll have vendors, jugglers, live music, and the ubiquitous face painting. Boston Common, Boston, MA.617-854-7667. more |
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| Annual Children’s Day On the Plaza at City Hall | 7/1 | Boston Metro | |
| I’m not a child, and I don’t have any children. Yet, I still have plans to sneak into Children’s Day, which is part of Boston Harborfest. They’ll have yet more face painting. And jugglers. City Hall Plaza, One City Hall Plaza, Boston, MA.617-227-1528. more |
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| Boston Harborfest (includes Chowderfest) | 6/30 – 7/5 | Boston Metro | |
| The remainder of the week are small events throughout the city. It looks quite touristy, but plenty of fun, including re-enactments of the Boston Tea Party (reserve in advance). City Hall Plaza, One City Hall Plaza, Boston, MA.617-436-6339. more |
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| Sandcastle Festival @ Yirrell Beach, Winthrop | 6/27 | Boston Metro | |
| This one’s also unique beacuse Yirrell Beach is where the planes from Logan Airport take off over. You can see planes landing about 100 feet off the ground, no exaggeration! For this reason it’s a lovely beach to visit at night, too. 10am-3pm. Contest fee is $10, music, food, games like hula hoop and bubble gum contest. Also a mile swim competition for adults 16+. Yirrell Beach, Shirley Street, Winthrop, MA.617-846-8243. more more more |
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| Sand Sculpting Competition (Hampton Beach) | 6/13 – 6/28 | New Hampshire | |
| Fireworks tonight, Wednesday, and the sand sculpture competition continues. Note: probably most of it has been washed away, but they will have live music. Ocean Boulevard, Hampton, NH.603-926-8718. more |
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| Salisbury Beach Sand & Sea Festival | 6/27 – 6/28 | North Shore | |
| I love fireworks! Here are some more at this beach festival. Live music, water races, pet parade, really a ton of creative dance and party stuff! Sat 10am-10:30pm, Sun 10am-5pm. Salisbury Beach, Salisbury Beach, MA.978-462-7274. more |
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| Amesbury Days | 6/24 – 7/4 | Northern Mass | |
| While you’re on the North Shore, check out Amesbury Days. This is another small town festival that goes way past the ordinary, with fireworks, balloon rides, live music, tours and other fun stuff. Various Locations, Amesbury, MA.978-388-8110 x314. more |
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| Summerfest in Monson | 6/27 – 7/4 | Western Mass | |
| They’ll have games, rides, and — fireworks!! — at this small town festival. And a parade, a soap box derby, a frog jumping contest, a BMX show, looks really interesting! Quarry Hill School, Monson, MA.(413) 267-9118 or (413) 267-3649. more |
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| Provincetown Portuguese Festival | 6/25 – 6/28 | Cape Cod | |
| Perhaps you’re looking for an excuse to visit Cape Cod. Here’s one. Provincetown, MA.508-487-3298. more |
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| Splash into Summer Weekend & Olde New England Days | 6/27 | New Hampshire | |
| Another old-town festival, this one with fire truck rides! And they’re opening the new “Cascade Park”. Lincoln, MA.603-745-6727. more |
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| Summer Splash at Whales Tale | 6/26 | New Hampshire | |
| Discounted admission and live music at this opening-day festival for a major water park. Buy tix in advance, event will sell out! Lincoln, MA. more |
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| Croquet Day | 6/25 | Cape Cod | |
| And I couldn’t resist listing croquet day, also on Cape Cod. 1-5pm. The Heritage Museum and Gardens is one of those places you MUST see, so why not go when there’s a festival? Heritage Museum & Gardens, Sandwich, MA.508.888.3300. more |
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| Newport Flower Show at the Rosecliff mansion | 6/26 – 6/28 | Newport Area | |
| Another excuse for a daytrip, this time to visit the Newport mansions and cliffwalk, is this flower show. They have a butterfly house, too! 548 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, RI. more |
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| Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre @ Salem Cross Inn | 6/26 – 8/21 | Worcester | |
| Last week I introduced a series of interactive murder mystery dinner nights in Newport, which continues. And here’s another series, near Worcester. 260 West Main Street, West Brookfield, MA.508-867-2345. more |
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| Yankee Engine-uity Steam Engine Show | 6/27 – 6/28 | Western Mass | |
| Are you interested in cars? How about tractors? Airplanes? Tanks? Well, they might not have any tanks, but you can find a variety of old timey steam engines and new fangled machines at this festival. Notice how I classify Orange, MA as “Western Massachusetts”, as though anything further west than Worcester is “here there be dragons!”. Orange Airport, Orange, MA.978-544-5295 or 413-253-9574. more |
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| Rhode Island Open Air Show | 6/27 – 6/28 | Rhode Island | |
| It’s going to be hard for them to compete though with the airplanes in this air show! Wow! Take a look at some of the photos on this one! Quonset State Airport, Minuteman Way, North Kingstown, RI.401-886-1342. more |
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| A Morning with the Alcotts | 6/26 – 7/9 | Metro West | |
| The past also has a place this week. It says it’s for people ages 7 and up. That’s me!! I’m ages 7 and up! Um, mostly the up part. Orchard House, 399 Lexington Road, Concord, MA.(978) 369-4118. more |
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| Now We Are One: George Washington and the Birth of the Continental Army | 6/27 – 6/28 | Metro West | |
| This one’s looking more interesting, with re-enactments of a revoluntionary war encampment, a visit by George Washington, and court martial trials! Hartwell Tavern, Rt 2A, Lincoln, MA.(978) 318 – 7825. more |
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| Pawtucket Powwow | 6/27 – 6/28 | Northern Mass | |
| You’ll see a huge array of native american festivals on this website. I’ll list the biggest for you as the year goes on. Livingston Street, Tewksbury, MA.978-677-7153. more |
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| Native American Pow-Wow and Prowse Farm Tour | 6/27 – 6/28 | Metro Boston | |
| Here’s another, just as a sample, with storytelling, live music, dance, all on a farm turned public attraction. 11am-5pm. Just $5. Prowse Farm, 5 Blue Hill River Road, Canton, MA.781-828-FARM. more |
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| FAC Pinewoods Weekend and FolkDays | 6/25 – 7/2 | South Shore | |
| You have to register for this one if you want to camp out and learn folk dancing. But I bet that if you don’t plan to stay overnight, they’d allow you to just stop by unannounced. Pinewoods Camp, Plymouth, MA.781-662-7475. more |
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| International Fair at Overlook Farm | 6/27 – 6/28 | Worcester | |
| This is the most interesting event of the week that I simply cannot figure out. Basically it’s a charity of some sort, involving cows most likely, and they’re having a festival about… The Earth? Global outreach? With live music and hayrides. Hmm. 216 Wachusett St., Rutland, MA.508-886-2221. more |
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| Gilsum Rock Swap & Mineral Show | 6/27 – 6/28 | New Hampshire | |
| Here’s your chance to pan a stream for minerals and see lots of rare stones get swapped. They’ll have a rock climbing wall, too. Rain or shine. School, 640 Route 10, Gilsum, NH. more |
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Also Fun |
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| 4th of July Carnival @ Wilmington | 7/1 – 7/5 | Northern Mass | |
| The traveling festival of Fiesta Shows continues to bring carnival rides to New England. Town Common, Church St., Wilmington, MA. more |
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| Lexington Lions Club Carnival | 7/1 – 7/5 | Metro West | |
| … In more than one location at once! Center Playground, Worthen Rd., Lexington, MA. more |
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| Lynn Carnival | 6/24 – 6/28 | North Shore | |
| Yet another festival with Fiesta Show’s traveling carnival. Lynn English High School, Lynn, MA. more |
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| Phantom Gourmet BBQ Party | 6/26 – 6/28 | Boston Metro | |
| This food festival will probably sell out, so get your tickets in advance. 11am-11pm. Just $10. Suffolk Downs, Rt 1A North, Boston, MA. more |
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| Taste of Cambridge | 6/25 | Boston Metro | |
| This ones closer and more expensive. 5:30-8pm. Benefits Boston Area Rape Crisis Center & Transition House. MITAC discount. Buy tix in advance for discount. It’s $50. Charles Hotel Courtyard in Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Boston Chili Takedown | 6/28 | Boston Metro | |
| Basically, you show up, they compete, you eat! 3pm. Great Scott, 1222 Commonwealth Ave, Allston, MA. more more |
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| Taste of Allston | 6/28 | Boston Metro | |
| Also in Allston, a festival with you can eat for $20. Or buy in advance for just $15. Sample from Allston’s restaurants. The Murr Center, 65 North Harvard Street, Allston, MA. more |
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| Zoobilee: Feast with the Beasts | 6/27 | Rhode Island | |
| Probably the strangest food festival is where you can see live animals, and eat dead ones. 1000 Elmwood Avenue, Providence, RI.401-785-3510. more |
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| Strawberry Festival @ Smolak Farms | 6/20 – 6/28 | Northern Mass | |
| The strawberry festival from last week continues. Pick your own berries, hay rides, balloon rides (8am-11am). 315 South Bradford Street, North Andover, MA.978-682-6332. more |
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| EurekaFest | 6/24 – 6/27 | Boston Metro | |
| Geeks continue to geek out this week. MIT, Cambridge, MA. more |
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| Wakefield Awaken Festival | 6/27 | North Shore | |
| I really have no idea what this is, or what time. But it seems to involve some live music. Wakefield Common, Wakefield, MA. |
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| St. Peter’s Fiesta | 6/24 – 6/28 | North Shore | |
| As I mentioned last week, there’s a religious festival in Gloucester. Religious activities, music, food, sporting events, parade, culminating with the Blessing of the Fishing Fleet from the Boulevard (near Fishermen’s Memorial Statue). Gloucester, MA. more |
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| Environmental Agriculture Field Day | 6/27 | New Hampshire | |
| This festival is seriously oriented towards learning modern farming practices. I don’t think I will list it next year… 58 Cleveland Hill Road, Tamworth, NH. more |
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| Earthdance SEEDS Festival | 6/14 – 6/28 | Western Mass | |
| And this organic festival is for the seriously green-hearted who also love seeds. Plainfield, MA.413-634-5678. more |
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| National Watermelon Seed Spitting Week | 6/25 – 6/28 | Sweetwilliam Farm | |
| Personally, I’d prefer to spit my seeds. The further spitter gets a free ice cream. I’m quite sure I can take out the 7-year-old competition. 153 North St., Upton, MA. more |
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| Asian Festival | 6/28 | Worcester | |
| Food, music, and traditional dances from all across Asia. 28 Mulberry Street, Worcester, MA. more |
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| Marblehead Festival of Arts | 7/1 – 7/5 | North Shore | |
| Kites, model boat building, wood carving, sand sculpture, looks surprisingly interesting. Marblehead, MA. more |
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| Brockton Country Fair | 7/1 – 7/12 | South Shore | |
| Rt 24S to Exit 17A, Rt 123E (Belmont St) two miles on the right. Historic Brockton Fairgrounds, RT. 123, Brockton, MA.508-586-8000. more |
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Performance |
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| Providence Improv Fest | 6/25 – 6/28 | Rhode Island | |
| And there’s comedy comedy comedy! Comedy!! In Providence. Various Locations, Providence, RI. more |
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| Queer Qomedy Festival | 6/25 – 6/28 | Boston Metro | |
| And, queerly, in Cambridge. This is the first gay comedy festival in Boston! Ever! 40 Prospect St, Cambridge, MA.617-576-1253. more |
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