New England Sand Sculpting Festival - 7/14

The New England Sand Sculpting Festival starts today in Revere Beach - 7/14. The event runs for the entire week with some really cool sights to be seen.

The New England Sand Sculpting Festival (NESSF) is held annualy at Revere Beach in Revere, MA. Originally, the NESSF was the largest contest of its kind and still today reins as one of the premier events for sand sculptors all over the world. This year's event will be held Monday, July 14, 2008 - Sunday, July 20, 2008. This is a family oriented event that has garnered both natioanl and international media attention over the last 3 years. All of the proceeds raised during the NESSF go directly towards funding programs for the Revere Beach Partnership.

Monday and Tuesday (July 14th and 15th)
Demonstration sculpture worked on by all 16 master sand sculptors

Wednesday-Saturday (July 16th-19th)
11 sculptors compete for over $15,000 in prize money

Thursday- Sunday (July 17th-20th)
Vendors and Family Fun

Saturday (July 19th) 8:00pm
Awards and Fireworks

Sunday (July 20th) 9:00am-2:00pm
Amateur and Family Sand Sculpture Competition

Click (here) to go to the official event website to get details.

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July 4th 2008 Fireworks Videos

For those of you that missed the Boston fireworks, here's a couple of the videos I took from where I was watching. They're only a minute or so long but take up a heck of a lot of space so I'm just going to upload two of them. The second video features the fireworks finale.

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1000 Words - 4th of July Parade 2008

Happy 4th of July! The parade just went by my apartment an hour ago. Now there's a speech of some sort being given outside the old state house.




I hope everyone has a great 4th of July. Stay dry, eat lots of bbq, etc. And this from my friend Kevin:

"The 4th of July honors the actions of our founding father, George Jefferson, who so bravely did row his boat across the Potomac to cut down the British tax collectors' cherry tree 500 years ago. These exploits were immortalized in the National Anthem of the United States, the Star Spackled Banner. The Holiday is celebrated every four years, coinciding with the Summer Olympics."

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Boston Globe Interviews David Mugar

For those of you that haven't heard his name before, David Mugar is a big shot in Boston. His family started Star Market, he's a big philanthropist, and he's the executive director of that great 4th of July celebration that we all love so much. There was a nice chat session with him that the Globe put on their website yesterday.

Here are my favorite excerpts:

carolfromdorchester: What time do I have to get in line to get a good spot on the lawn in front of the Hatch Shell?
David_Mugar: The gates open at 9 a.m. and the line starts forming at 6 a.m. Everyone has to go through a security check and are then given a wrist band, which allows you to go in and out all day. You can only get a wrist band for yourself and it's placed on your wrist.

Joe: Coming for the first time to see fire works where is the best place to see them that is not so crowded?
David_Mugar: The best view of the fireworks is from Cambridge. There is plenty of space along Memorial Drive.

All this periodic rain we've been having is going to make the grass rather wet on the esplanade so bring camping chairs or a plastic tarp to go under your picnic blanket. And if you plan on taking David Mugar's advice and going into Cambridge along Mem Drive - I recommend that area near the MIT library that I wrote about earlier (here). Great view.

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July 4th Festivities in Boston

July 4th in Boston is awesome. It's definitely one of my favorite times of year. Going to the Hatch Shell to listen to the concert, watching fireworks, bbq'ing - I can hardly wait. I'm also happy because it's one of the few national holidays that I actually get off from work.

Anyhoo, Bloggery Reader Sanjay shot me a note asking where I liked to watch the fireworks from. There's a couple of places that are pretty great: If you're a college student (or a hot girl) - spend the next three days befriending guys at one of the MIT fraternities with houses on Beacon Street. Every year, when I was in school, we'd all go up to the roof (which overlooked the Charles River) - bring up a few huge speakers - and watch the fireworks. It was an amazing view.

After I graduated, my friends and I sought out some lawn space on Memorial Drive near the MIT library. We had a pretty nice view from there - albeit lower to the ground - and there were food vendors there selling slushies and fried dough.

If you get a chance to go hear the Boston Pops concert, that's also a great experience. Here are the times for the concerts:

Thursday, July 3rd Concert
4:00 pm – Oval Opens
8:30 pm - 10:00 pm – Concert

Friday, July 4th Concert & Fireworks
9:00 am – Oval Opens
8:30 pm - 10:30 pm – Concert
10:30 pm – Fireworks Show

PS. If anyone else has suggestions on where they like to watch the fireworks, I'm all ears. Who has a roofdeck they want to volunteer? =)

More info can be found (here) at the official event website.

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North End Summer Feast Schedule 2008

Doh, I already missed one of the feasts that took place in early June. That's ok, there's plenty more running through the rest of the summer. For those of you that haven't been to one yet, there's a bunch of Feasts that take place in the North End during the summer. I went to a few of them last year like St. Anthony's Feast (here) and The Fisherman's Feast (here) - and those were just random weekends that I'd happened to go there.

This year, I had the foresight of pulling the schedule so that I can actually plan my jaunts over to the North End and now so can you. Here's the schedule.

June 28, 2008
Society of Saint Jude Thaddeus of Boston
Procession

July 6, 2008
Maria del Graze Society
Procession

July 13, 2008
St. Rocco Society
Procession

July 20, 2008
St. Domenic Society
Procession

July 25 - 27, 2008
St. Joseph Society
Feast Celebration
Battery & Hanover Streets

August 1 - 3, 2008
St. Agrippina di Mineo Society
Feast Celebration
Battery & Hanover Streets

August 8 - 10, 2008
Madonna Della Cava Society
Feast Celebration
Battery & Hanover Streets

August 14 - 17, 2008
Fisherman's Feast of the Madonna
Del Soccorso di Sciacca Society of Boston
Feast Celebration
Fleet & North Streets

August 29 - 31, 2008
San Antonio Di Padova Da Montefalcione, Inc.
Feast Celebration
Thatcher & Endicott Streets

September 1, 2008
St. Lucy Society
Feast Celebration
Thatcher & Endicott Streets

September 7, 2008
Santa Rosalia Di Palermo Society
Procession

Click (here) to go to the official North End webpage.



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Chefs in Shorts Charity BBQ - Tonight

Looking for something to do tonight that will benefit charity and wreak havok on your diet? Check out the 11th annual Chefs in Shorts BBQ that's going on tonight. You gotta indulge a little sometimes otherwise you'll go crazy (that's why after three consecutive nights of salads, I went to Popeye's last night and got some fried chicken - delicious)

Please join us as great chefs from around the city fire up the grills for a night of great food and fun! Tickets can be purchased for $60 a person and includes beer, wine and tastings. Proceeds from the event will go to the Greater Boston Food Bank.

Click (here) to see the list of participating chefs - it's a pretty extensive list. Oh and you can buy your e-tickets there too.

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Are You Life Is Good's Greatest Backyard Athlete?

Life is Good has a festival each summer to raise money for charity. The one last year (here) was a huge success, so I can only expect this year to be bigger and better.

One of the things they're doing this year is hosting a competition called the "World's Greatest Backyard Athlete" to raise additional funds.

More than 100 individuals will compete in this friendly, low-key competition for the coveted title while raising funds for the Life is good Kids Foundation. Proceeds from this year’s festival will be directed by the foundation to Project Joy, a Boston-based non-profit organization whose mission is to use the healing power of play to transform children impacted by violence, poverty and loss into healthy and joyful players in the game of life.

The pledge-driven competition, sponsored by Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, features men and women putting their skills to the test through a number of old-fashioned backyard games including Frisbee toss, bocce, watermelon seed spitting, and Wiffle Ball Homerun Derby. Competing athletes commit to raise at least $1,000 for the Life is good Kids Foundation. The top fundraiser will win a three night stay at the Four Points by Sheraton Palmas del Mar Resort in Puerto Rico.

The event is going to be held on July 19th. Click (here) to get more information on how to sign up and compete. It's for a good cause - so bust out the wiffleball bat and start practicing.

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Boston Health & Fitness Expo - 6/20

Maybe I should check this Expo out. I've been trying to lose weight for the past 6-9 months. Actually I should rephrase, I've always been "trying" to lose weight - I've just been trying a lot harder for the past 6-9 months. I'm down about 15-20lbs but I've got some more to go. This book (here) was pivotal in helping me in the process. I've recently plateaued - so talking to some fitness experts might help.

The health expo will run tomorrow and sunday 6/20-6/21 from 10am to 5pm each day. The event is being held at the Hynes Convention Center.

7 NBC/CW56 and Partners HealthCare welcome you to Boston's second annual Health & Fitness Expo. We share a deep commitment to helping Boston-area residents improve their health and stay fit and healthy for the future. That's why we've come together to offer two days filled with over one hundred lively, educational and healthy activities for visitors of all ages.

It's a free event and I bet lots of vendors will be handing out free stuff - like they do at all conventions. Swing by and you'll probably return home with a new collection of keychains, frisbees, water bottles, etc.

Click (here) to go to the official website.

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Taste of Cambridge 2008 - 6/19

I love food fairs for the same reason that I love buffets. I can try a little bit of everything all in one location. Coming up this Thursday, June 19th is the annual Taste of Cambridge "culinary tour."

The Taste of Cambridge is a celebration of the diverse restaurant scene in Cambridge. With cuisine from America to Japan to Brazil to France and everything in between, Cambridge is a melting pot- a tasty one to be sure- of culture and cuisine. This event features creative and abundant samples of food, beer and wine from the wonderful restaurants found around the city, enhanced by a beautiful outdoor setting, live music and a great crowd.

Looks like there will be 40+ vendors at the fair including some of my favorites: East Coast Grill, The Blue Room, etc.

Tickets may also be purchased at all Cambridge Whole Foods, Grafton Street Pub and Grille, Tavern in the Square Central Square, Tavern in the Square Porter Square, Cambridge Brewing Company, MIT and Harvard.

Click (here) to go to the Taste of Cambridge website.

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Provincetown International Film Festival - 6/18

So you've read about the cicadas (here) and you've read about the smell (here), but you still want to go to Cape Cod. Ok, well here's an event that you might want to check out if you're planning on going this weekend: The 10th Annual Provincetown International Film Festival. It runs from June 18 to June 22nd.

The Provincetown International Film Festival invites you to bask in the beauty of Cape Cod for five relaxing summer days of original and independent filmmaking. The quality and breadth of our programs offer more of what makes Provincetown famous: artistic adventure, intriguing entertainment, and a fun, friendly social scene.

Here are a few notable names that won awards (and I'm assuming will be there to pick them up): Quentin Tarantino, Jane Lynch, and Gael Garcia Bernal.

Click (here) to go to their official website and also check out the schedule of films.

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1000 Words - LBGT Pride Parade 2008

The weather was beautiful yesterday so I decided to walk over and have lunch at the Barking Crab (haven't been there for years) and also check out the James Hook site. Good news, it doesn't small too bad in the vicinity anymore unless you walk up pretty close to the former James Hook site itself. On the walk home, I stopped by the Pride Week celebration at City Hall Plaza just as the Parade was arriving (here). Here are a few pics I snapped:

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LGBT Boston Pride Parade - 6/14

Boston Pride week has been going on all week, but one of the highlights of the week is the upcoming LGBT Boston Pride Parade and Festival which will be taking place this Saturday on 6/14.

The parade starts at noon in the South End on Tremont Street and ends up at City Hall Plaza. Last year 10,000 people marched and 300,000 people attended (here). Also starting at noon on the same day is the Boston Pride Festival at City Hall Plaza.


At the festival, there will be carnival games, face painting, a beer garden, live music, and Festival headliners Kat DeLuna and Kimberley Locke. I don't know who they are but apparently one of them was on American idol.

I still remember a couple years back when I lived on Tremont Street in the South End, the parade was a highly entertaining event (not fun if you're still sleeping, but fun after you get yourself out of bed)

Click (here) for a calendar of other events going on during Pride Week.

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26th Annual Scooper Bowl Starts Tomorrow - 6/10

It's that time of year again. Time for the the 26th Annual Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl - get your fat pants ready. According to my post last year (here), the 24th annual event raised $87K and according to the Scooper Bowl website last year's event raised $250K+. WOW!

The Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl is the nation's largest all-you-can-eat ice cream festival. The event serves up ice cream from 11 of the nation's leading ice cream companies while raising money for the Jimmy Fund, which supports cancer research and treatment at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

June 10 and 12, 2008: 11:30 a.m. - 7 p.m.
June 11, 2008: 11:30 a.m. - 8 p.m.
City Hall Plaza, Boston

Email your friends, pig out on ice cream (it sure is hot enough), and raise some money for charity.

Click (here) to go to the Scooper Bowl website.

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27th Annual Great Chowder Cook Off - 6/7

I know gas is expensive. I read in the paper yesterday that the Honda Civic is now the bestselling car in America. But if you're looking for a short roadtrip to take this weekend, consider checking out the 27th Annual Great Chowder Cook Off in Newport.

The festival is tomorrow, Saturday June 7th and runs from 11am-6pm. I couldn't find anything about whether they would reschedule or not if it rains.

The first of Newport's array of summer festivals, the Annual Schweppes Great Chowder Cook-off features over 3000 gallons of chowder served up by over 30 of the nation's best restaurants and chefs! Restaurants compete for over $10,000 in prizes by entering into one of two Culinary Competitions: First, is the Chowdah competition where chefs enter their specialty chowder in one of three categories - best clam, seafood or creative chowder. Second, is the Clam Cake Competition where chefs fry up the fluffiest and heartiest Clam Cake recipes.

Click (here) to visit the Cook Off website.

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Phantom Gourment BBQ Beach Party 2008

I know this one is a little far away, but last time I believe tickets sold out - so I wanted everyone to have enough notice to get tickets if they wanted them.

BBQ from all around the country, live music, warm weather - what more could you hope for? It was a good time last year (here), it's going to be a good time this year as well.

There's been an email chain going around between some of my friends, here's what one of my friends had to say:
I went to this last year (but will be unable to go this year). This is probably the best opportunity to get “real BBQ” up here in yankee country. The price of the food was reasonable and you get to sample a bunch of different BBQ places from around the country. I remember it being a little crowded even on Sunday night. There was even a free ferris wheel! Definitely recommended.

Click (here) to get your tickets. The website says that they're currently doing a two for one promotion.

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Harvard Square Celebrates MayFair - 5/11

I'm not sure what the event organizers were thinking when they did this, but who knows - maybe there's a lot of folks out there who don't plan on spending Mother's Day with their mothers. Or perhaps there are a lot of mothers out there that would like to go to Harvard Square this Sunday and listen to some live music.

The 25th Annual MayFair has been rescheduled and will be taking place this upcoming Sunday, May 11th in Harvard Square. The event features "six stages of LIVE entertainment, 30+ Restaurant Vendors, hundreds of Street Vendors selling artwork, jewelry, vintage clothing, neighborhood sidewalk sales."

Click (here) for the full schedule of events. It looks like everything starts at around noon - which is right around when I try to wake up on Sundays.

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Prudential Center Winterlights Festival

Going on this weekend at the Prudential Center is their 6th Annual Winterlights Festival. It's finally starting to get cold out, so I'd advise going somewhere indoors. Entertainment will take place on 2 stages throughout the weekend.

A few of the activities that will be going on:
Free Face Painting
Letters to Santa with Crane & Co
Cookie Decorating at Legal Seafood

Click (here) to get the entire schedule of events at the official website.

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NE International Auto Show - 11/28

Coming up on Wednesday 11/28 and running until 12/2 is the New England International Autoshow. I'm not very big into cars, but I have plenty of friends that are.

The New England Auto Show is an annual showcase of the newest model year import and domestic vehicles -- cars, vans, light trucks and sport utilities. Factory representatives from the car lines are on hand to answer your questions in a no pressure environment. There are cars to suit every budget and life style. With the car lines all under one roof, it's easy to compare prices and features, saving both time and money. The Auto Show is great entertainment for serious shoppers, car buffs and the entire family!

I did go to an Import Car show about four years ago. They had lots of souped up Civics and such. It was fun to see how many tv screens you could fit into one car.

This car show is claiming to have nine football fields worth of cars, hybrids, crossovers, SUVs, vans, and trucks. Along with some new concept cars.

Click (here) to check out the official website and get tickets. Tickets are $12. Click (here) for a $2 off coupon for use from 11/28-11/30. Also, the Globe has a lot of info online as well about this show (here).

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Bayside Ski & Snowboard Expo - 11/15

Being New Englanders, many of you probably ski or snowboard. I tried it once, and I fractured a rib so no more snowboarding for me. Coming up this week from Nov 15-18 is the 26th annual Ski & Snowboard Expo at the Bayside Expo Center in South Boston.

Vendors will be selling equipment, season passes, vacation packages, and will basically be there to be an information resource to inquiring minds.

Here is the schedule for the expo:

Thur 11/15 4:00pm-10:00pm
Fri 11/16 4:00pm-10:00pm
Sat 11/17 10:00am-8:00pm
Sun 11/18 10:00am-6:00pm

Click (here) for a link where you can subscribe to a newsletter and get $3 off the admission fee which is normally $10.

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