EVENTS, FESTIVALS & TOURS

THROUGH APRIL 14: WINTERACTIVE Boston has transformed into an art-filled winter destination that features artworks and interactive play elements designed to brighten and animate Boston’s downtown neighborhood. It has been produced by the Downtown Boston BID (Business Improvement District) , one of three BIDs in Boston and ten in Massachusetts. They have joined in this endeavor with three curatorial partners from Canada’s Québec province: EXMURO Arts Publics of Québec City; Studio of Montréal; and Quartier des Spectacles International (QDSI) of Montréal. Each artwork and play featured is selected to encourage wintertime exploration and promote visits during winter months to Boston’s downtown. WINTERACTIVE features eight artists and design teams from Canada, England and the U.S., many of whom are being presented in America for the first time. These have brought 16 installations. scattered about Boston. An adventure awaits visitors this winter in Boston. Start the search by looking for the likes of “The Island of Warmth” created by ATOMIC3. It invites visitors to dance beside an interactive urban bonfire made up of 220 flickering and dancing light bulbs that respond to spectators’ movements.

“The Island of Warmth”                                                                     Stroll over to City Hall Plaza and hop on to one the Light Bikes, an installation by LeMonde Studios titled “Light Lane.” It is a people-powered and thus energy activated installation that consist of a series of Light Bikes. When these are pedaled, mages and music are delightfully projected across the Plaza. LeMonde will have four other pieces on display: “Bird House,” “Music Box,” the “Interactive Photo frame” and the massive “Guitar Slide.” Visitors to Downtown Crossing are delighted by “Endgame (Nag & Nell)”, the two oversized, inflatable clowns created by Max Streicher with curatorial partner EXMURO. The duo, startling peek out of the Harlem Place Alley located off Washington St.

“Endgame (Nag & Nell)” by Max Streicher                                      While walking along Tremont St. or Washington St. one can look down the various streets that make up the Ladder Block that run perpendicular to those main streets (referred to as the Ladder District). Spectators are treated to Mark Jenkins’ “Untitled” exposition consisting of five hyper-realistic sculptures of people that have been installed in surprising locations. Mark Jenkins, known for his bizarre, faceless sculptures, fishing out of a window, walking upside down and more, has displayed five sculptures across the Ladder Blocks, including a faceless fisherman. These unique works encourage spectators to look up and consider the possible as well as the impossible. Find, Mathieu Valade’s “Myth and Evidence” is a frosted glass display case containing a unicorn, located across from the Old State House, where’s Boston’s own famed unicorn adorns the building’s roof. 

“Echoes” by Mathias Gmach                                                                   “Echoes” by Mathias Gmachi is an interactive sound-and-light work that invites viewers to look and listen closely. The massive, colorful representation of a whale is a sculpture located at 1 Franklin St. It symbolizes our blue planet’s flora and fauna. Interacting respectfully with the marine mammal’s vital space takes us into an enigmatic melodic world. But if a visitor gets too close, they are assaulted by noise pollution reminiscent of that is emitted by the industrialized world. Thus the installation is a meditation on our harmful invasions of Earth’s ecosystems.

“Echoes” by Mathias Gmachi                                                                       A new mural by Canadian artist Kezna Dalz titled “Blissful Rendezvous” and commissioned by the BID brings a touch of seasonal whimsy and a photo-worthy opportunity for visitors.  Kelsey Pramik, the Downtown Boston BID’s Director of Special Projects says, “The Quebecois artistic partners are leaders in helping people find fun, light and adventure to offset the realities of winter. Their winter festivals and exhibits are extremely popular and they instill a sense of anticipation and civic pride. We hope WINTERACTIVE will give Bostonians another reason to take on a ‘Canadian winter mindset’ and explore our neighborhood this season.” President Michael Nichols stated, “WINTERACTIVE is a major expansion of the organization’s commitment to display high-impact public art exhibits and cultural events downtown. This exhibition will animate and illuminate our streets this winter, bringing internationally acclaimed artists to Boston, and punctuating visits downtown that could include shopping, dining, live performances, or office work.” WINTERACTIVE is presented and funded primarily by the Downtown Boston BID, with major support from Meet Boston (formerly the Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau.) “Winteractive promises to be a magical winter experience, creating a new seasonal activation for destination partners to celebrate and promote,” said Meet Boston President & CEO Martha J. Sheridan. “At Meet Boston we are committed to driving more winter visitation. Immersive public art that animates and illuminates our streets is a very effective way to do so. We are thrilled to see how this comes together.” The exhibition is also supported by the City of Boston, the Consulate General of Canada to the United States in Boston, the Québec Government Office in Boston, and the Hyatt Regency Boston. Ongoing updates are posted at www.winteractive.org

APRIL 26 & 27: THE TOWN AND THE CITY FESTIVAL 2024

The Town and The City Festival, is an exciting, two-day music and arts festival in Lowell, MA. Inspired by the adventurous spirit of Lowell native Jack Kerouac, the Fifth Annual edition of The Town and The City Festival fill the venues of the Mill City with a diverse roster of like-minded performers. Performance sites are scheduled at more than a dozen venues throughout downtown Lowell, including Academic Arts Center, Mill No. 5 (including The Overlook and Luna Theater), Taffeta (at Western Ave. Studios), Zorba Music Hall, Warp & Weft, Christ Church United, The Old Court, The Thirsty First (formerly CNCPT6), The Worthen Cafe, Gallery Z, Smokehouse Tavern, Lala Books, Brew’d Awakening, and Navigation Brewery. To date, confirmed musical performers include Americana singer-songwriter Amythyst Kiah, Alec Ounsworth’s Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, one of England’s most enduring singer-songwriters Robyn Hitchcock, and Boston-based indie-pop, rock, funk, and soul The Q-Tip Bandits. Also on the 2024 festival lineup are Akrobatik, Awntay, Burp, Colleen Green, D-Tension and The Secrets, Drug Deal Gone Rad, Duck Island, Emily Oveson, Evelynroze & The Thorz, Fantastic Cat, Fee the Evolutionist, Fiesta Melon, Fish House, Frank Morey, Impossible Dog, ISMAY, Jen Kearney, Kid Afternoon, Linnea’s Garden, Muck and The Mires, One Fall, Orbit, Rick Berlin & The Nickel & Dime Band, Roger Miller, Saplin, Scott Pittman and The Deluxe Fiasco, Sofia Talvik, Subpunch, Syd Straw, Tell, The Chelsea Curve, The Roscoes, The Shirts & Shoes, Tysk Tysk Tysk, WLKRZ. The Festival is produced by Porter Productions and the Jack Kerouac Foundation with support from the Greater Merrimack Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau, Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism, and the Lowell Cultural Council. For more information visit www.thetownandthecityfestival.com

JUNE 6 – 9: MARTHA’S VINEYARD FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL

This exciting celebration of Island Cuisine returns this June after its successful relaunch in 2023. It is the biggest celebration of the bounty Martha’s Vineyard and New England that features four days of the finest seafood and farm fresh ingredients. The festival attracts epicureans from across the country to enjoy all that Martha’s Vineyard and the Northeastern United States has to offer. When the MV Food and Wine Festival roared back to life in October 2023 showcasing a broad selection of thoughtfully curated Culinary Experiences, Private Dinners, and Grand Tastings featuring top chefs on the island and beyond, every event sold out weeks in advance. For 2024, this wildly successful event moves to the start of the summer and greatly expand its programming, so guests can celebrate the beautiful weather on the island, and allow more chefs and restaurants to participate. “Last year was a giant success for the festival and the island,” said Adam Epstein, founder of the Vineyard Arts and Culture Foundation. “This was our first Food and Wine since 2019, and the island welcomed us back with open arms. Now we want to do more to showcase all that the culinary communities of Martha’s Vineyard and New England have to offer. Together, this unique mashup will make this an island wide celebration of the culinary arts the only Food & Wine Festival to attend on the Eastern Seaboard.” The festival is a partnership between the Vineyard Arts and Culture Foundation, (producer of the popular Beach Road Weekend Music Festival in Vineyard Haven) and Innovation Arts & Entertainment, (an industry leader producing hundreds of unique live entertainment experiences annually across North America). Details of the Grand Tastings, Seminars, Chef Demonstrations, and Exclusive Private dinners will be announced at a later date. Interested parties are encouraged to sign up to be the first to purchase tickets at www.MVFoodandWine.com

ONGOING…THE ALL NEW BLUE MAN GROUP

The joyous, most uniquely entertaining and enduring venue in Boston, Blue Man Group, has had a proverbial face lift. They still have those vibrant blue faces but their popular show has recently been updated and reimagined with additional new acts that include an all new, unforgettable and awe-inspiring, mega-finale. They have been a theatrical sensation in Boston for close to 30 years, but this great show has become even more exciting with its spectacular transformation. Since its debut in 1995, the show’s home remains at the Charles Playhouse, located at 74 Warrenton St., a diminutive way that is located just off 201 Stuart St. in Boston. Although there have been various alterations in the program throughout the years, the magnitude of this new theatrical restructure is over the top wonderful. The program still retains the same quirky trio of blue bald men who manage to say so much without actually saying anything at all. They exude a sense of wide eyed innocence in their static faces, but, demonstrate, through their wild actions and absurdly funny activates, the abandoned curiosity reminiscent of young children left alone in their house. They hurl marshmallow into their mouths at mind boggling distances and at the audience. They also hurl paint balls across the stage that are caught in the mouth and used to spit/create a work of art.

Their love of paint results in colorful spin art or out and out messes as they enthusiastically beat drums that paint has been poured on them. They even spray paint people. They walk, unabashedly through the audience across the arms of the audience’s’ seats, showing no emotion, in search of unwitting candidates for their next on stage, hilariously funny scenario. 

Through music and perfectly timed subtle facial expressions, these guys manage to hone in on their topics. They are comedic geniuses that have mastered their art at crafting a uniquely fabulous, intensely ludicrous comedic performance. They continue to magically bring to the audience, without any verbiage, a state of understanding that easily defines the connection to the human condition. This is a technique the Blue Men have always been noted for. The best laughter is when we find ourselves laughing at ourselves. The Blue Men are still utilizing much of the fan favorite music and audience interactions that garnered their award-winning popularity. But, there are delightfully energetic new surprises to discover throughout this new adaptation. Gone is the electronic board that was utilized throughout the show that one had to read to understand what was going on. Now the Blue Men engage with a robotic voice along with fabulously colorful and high energy projections.

Original fans, are rapidly being joined with a whole new generation of all new fans who all find themselves captivated by the newly created score, pounded out with the traditional stellar accuracy by the Blue Men on their tuned PVC pipes. They are backed by an overhead trio of hot, rock musicians.  Managing Director, Jack Kenn stated, “Blue Man Group is thrilled (with) this revolutionary new show content…(as) we…transport audiences with new music and new visuals through our partnership with renowned creative agency Pretty Damn Sweet…(along with)…the all-new show finale…that… leaves crowds on their feet.” Blue Man Group debuted at New York’s Astor Place Theatre in 1991. Duplicate versions of the live show expanded to long lived residencies in Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, and internationally to Berlin, Germany. In addition, multiple North American and World tours have reached move than 50 million people worldwide.

The entire family can come get ‘blued’ as these guys  enchant young and Children in the audience are often enthusiastically heard anxiously responding, excitedly anticipating the next silly action by the Blue Men. Note: children under 5 will not be admitted. Since Blue Man Group is owned and operated by Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group, an audience can always be guaranteed a truly especial experience. Tickets for this beyond belief engaging as well as electrifying, and extremely fun performance  may be obtained here by clicking on www.blueman.com/boston

BOSTON DUCK TOURS !!!

Quack, Quack….the Ducks are back to herald the onset of Spring and an all new season of showing off the city! Celebrating their 30th year taking guests from around the world to see our beautiful city while regaling riders with historical and fun facts about Boston, the tours are available in multiple languages with a GPS activated system providing commentary in Spanish, German, Mandarin, French, Japanese, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, Korean and Cantonese (available at its Museum of Science location). And most uniquely, this outstanding, one of a kind experience also splashes down and glides on the Charles River to provide an exquisite duck’s eye view of Boston’s panorama.

The company’s colorful fleet of 28 land/ amphibious transports annually carry guests on one of Boston’s most famous tourist activities. TripAdvisor.com (the largest travel website in the world  (with over 500 million user-generated reviews) named Boston Duck Tours one of the Top 10 Experiences in the entire United States. as well as the only attraction on TripAdvisor’s list in all of New England. Thus, Boston Duck Tours stands proudly with such other iconic experiences in the United States as the Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island Tour, The Hoover Dam Tour, The Washington DC Night Tour, Chicago Architectural Boat Tour and plantation tours in Louisiana. The original WWII vehicles were named “DUKW” corresponding to General Motors’ manufacturing code (“D” is “1942 model,” “U” is “amphibious,” “K” is “all-wheel drive,” and “W” is “dual rear wheels”). Soldiers just called them “ducks.”   Now, under the careful manipulation of their well trained and coast guard certified drivers, these “DUCKS” now  traverse Boston’s city streets.  simultaneously pointing out historical and other noted spots of interest while sharing often amusing anecdotes. 

  Cindy Brown, CEO of Boston Duck Tours stated, “Boston has been very supportive of our company, and has allowed us to share our amazing city with over 11 million guests…Our vehicles have carried championship teams, welcomed home returning military and carried students from all over the world throughout the years, all in the name of showing off our amazing, historical city. As a locally owned and run business, we are very proud of promoting Boston and supporting many local causes.” The hour and twenty minute adventure is as fun for locals as it is for visitors to Boston as they see what makes Boston a city of Freedom, Firsts and Fun. The “ConDuckTours” focus on providing all guests, young and old, to have an amazing and memorable experience.  Departure locations are located at the Museum of Science, Prudential Center and the New England Aquarium.  For tickets to get your “Quack” On and enjoy a ride on one of Boston Duck Tours special vehicles,  visit www.bostonducktours.com

ONGOING: SUNDAY JAZZ BRUNCH AT THE CITY WINERY BOSTON

This Berklee Ensemble Brunch Series is hosted in partnership with City Winery Boston, located at 80 Beverly St, between Haymarket and North Station in Boston. The Berklee College of Music is bringing live music performed by student ensembles from the world’s preeminent contemporary music school into the winery’s unique dining and entertainment venue. Each Sunday the series, curated by Berklee’s Ensemble Department, presents a different group representing a wide variety of genres, styles, size, and configurations playing music spanning from Afro-Pop to Broadway, Funk to Joni Mitchell and everything in between. Says Tyrone Chase, Berklee’s Assistant Chair of the Ensemble Department. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to team up with City Winery to present a beautiful experience with music while showcasing the talents of Berklee out in the community.” City Winery Founder & CEO Michael Dorf explains, “Starting out as a musician isn’t easy. We’re glad to provide an authentic (and paid!) performance experience for these students. Berklee is the ideal partner for this experiment, and we anticipate great success and incredible music!” Berklee’s roster of alumni includes such successful performers as Keith Jarrett, Pat Metheny, Branford Marsalis, Diana Krall, Melissa Etheridge, Charlie Puth, as well as John Mayer, and Esperanza Spaulding. The Sunday Brunch is from Noon-2pm (doors open at 11am) and is $45 per person including buffet. For more information visit www.citywinery.com/boston

ONGOING: SAMUEL SLATER EXPERIENCE

Come and be immersed in life as it once was. Feel the waves crashing on a boat crossing the Atlantic. Hear the strident sounds of massive machinery in the heart of a full-scale New England mill. And too, witness life on Main Street in Webster as it was at the turn of the 20th Century.     Situated in the former National Guard Armory building 31 Ray St. in Webster, MA, the building, built in 1935, has been completely rehabbed into a Historic American Industrial Revolution Museum replete with  state-of-the-Art 4-D digital Technology.  Four years in the making, the museum features more than twenty unique, immersive exhibits that transport visitors back to the early 1800s as the seeds of the American Industrial Revolution were being sown. Samuel Slater (1768 – 1835) is often referred to as the “Father of the American Industrial Revolution.”

      In 1811, Slater moved to Massachusetts and built new cotton mills as well as one of the first woolen mills in America, all powered by the French River and Lake Chaubunagungamaug, (now known as Webster Lake) in what was then called Oxford. The town was later renamed Webster after Senator Daniel Webster.  The exhibition  starts with a young and conflicted Samuel Slater and his immigration to America,. Guests can then  explore Slater’s positive impact on the local geography and his unique factory model that transformed manufacturing in America. Fast forward a century to a re-creation of downtown Webster in the early 1900s as it became a hub of commerce and industry.  Samuel Slater Experience founder Christopher Robert states, “It has been our vision to bring an interactive and dynamic experience that would engage students and families alike (and bring them) back to the roots of this town and area.“    Slater’s  innovations introduced the “factory system” to textile manufacturing which in turn attracted workers to the region and established the infrastructure that made Webster a thriving “boomtown. For more information and to obtain tickets visit  www.samuelslaterexperience.org

ACTION TOUR GUIDE…..BOSTON FREEDOM TRAIL GPS GUIDED WALKING TOUR      (HAVE IT YOUR WAY!)
404 Boston Freedom Trail Stock Photos, Pictures & Royalty-Free Images -  iStock
      Boston is a tourist’s mecca. The premier focal point among many things to do in the city is the fact that it is considered to be the major site for the “birth of our nation.” So much can be encapsulated in one tour of the well-marked Freedom Trail. Sixteen important sites in our “user-friendly” city can easily be accessed by walking. You could arrange a tour that runs or, runs you along the red brick marked Freedom Trail in about 1 1/2 hours as you strain to hear what the guide is saying while crowding on the heels of the other tourists.  Or, you could choose to take your time, hear everything about the site you are currently viewing, and possibly even access more information if you would like. Then you might like to snap a few memorable photos, buy that perfect souvenir you just saw in a window, take a break for a cappuccino and a cannoli at a local café, check out the shops in Faneuil Marketplace or spend more time exploring a particular site. You can even sidebar to something that sparks your interest that is not on the tour and then easily find your way back to the next site. A leisurely, customized tour like that would cost between $450 to $650. BUT NOT WITH 
Redeem Password – Action Tour Guide
      They have created a GPS-enabled tour through their app that allows you to enjoy all the facets of Boston’s Freedom Trail on your own terms and on your own schedule. There is also one that has been developed for Spanish speakers. A map comes up on your phone. As you approach a designated site, an audio narration starts that is also in text form on the phone. if you crave more information, many sites allow access to more in-depth audio stories. Adding earbuds to your phone is a good addition to enhancing your personal tour by shutting out the chatter of the city.
Boston, MASSACHUSETTS - Boston City Bicentennial - Freedom Trail Guide -  MAP | eBayThe Freedom Trail tour starts at the Boston Common and ends at the Bunker Hill Monument…but your self-customized tour would allow for a visit, just off the trail, to the Omni Parker House Hotel for a slice of authentic Boston Cream Pie, or find time to explore the Faneuil Hall area and pop into Daniel Webster’s favorite Union Oyster House for some oysters and maybe a pint.  You might decide to take it a step further and tour the inside of Paul Revere’s house (built-in 1680) or segue over and board the USS Constitution for a (free) look inside before the ambitious climb up the monument tower at Bunker HillBunker Hill Monument - Freedom Trail Stop 16 Overview | Steve's Travel Guide
      There are infinite things to see and experience on and around the trail if you do a bit of research. But your Action Tour Guide will provide the rich core focus that any person visiting that area could want. Once you purchase that tour or any Action Tour Guide tour it is valid forever. All Tours offers narrated navigation that will tell you to turn left/right or stop after you leave the starting spot.  Start at any time you want, take as many breaks as you wish, do a half-day and finish another day. It has lifetime validity. You can do the same tour every year or several times a year if you desire. If you replace your phone you can “Restore” your purchases in the app’s menu. Since GPS uses a lot of power it is recommended that your phone be fully charged before taking a tour. Oh!… And what does this customized, super lifetime, personalized in-depth tour cost in the App Store….$6.99? Best deal ever!   Locally Action Tour Guide offers a total of nine tours and tour packages in Boston and adjacent areas. They include the Boston Tea Party Harborwalk Self-Guided Walking TourThe Ghosts of Boston’s Self-Guided Walking TourHarvard Square (Cambridge) Self-Guided Walking TourScenic Cape Ann Self-Guided Driving Tour in Gloucester & RockportCape Cod and Provincetown Scenic Self-Guided Driving Tour (All priced at $6.99). The Salem Witch Trials (Salem, MA) Self-Guided Walking Tour (Priced at $9.99); and the Boston Bundle: Freedom Trail, Harborwalk, Harvard, & Cape Ann (A walking and driving tour priced at $16.99) and the All Boston and Newport Walking & Driving Tours Bundle (16 -18 hours at $ 29.99). Prices are subject to change so always check their website as they often offer specials. Tours can be found in 13 International locations as well as 60+ U.S. sites.  These do-it-yourself tours are a fabulous way to learn about where you are. For more information visit https://actiontourguide.com/

ONGOING: BOSTON SEGWAY TOURS

The wonderful city of Boston, visited by at least 23 million people annually, provides so many interesting aspects to explore. First there is the hugely famous as well as multiple historical details of the city. One can spend hours, if not days, concentrating on Boston’s history. They can traverse the Freedom Trail on their own, with a tour guide, and or even with a GPS guided system. But Boston’s history is much more expansive. Its uniquely historical posh streets of Beacon Hill, the massive Brown Stones of Back Bay, Trinity Church in Copley Square, the Boston Common, the Boston Garden with the 150 year old Swan Boat rides. Then there is the Italian North End and Boston’s own China Town. A plethora of museums, a shopping mecca on upscale Newbury St. and famous foods and beers to sample from a kaleidoscope of things to do and places to go.  A visitor can explore some of the city with a Trolley Tour, a Duck Tour or a bus/van tour. And for the more athletic, there are bike tours as well as Walking Tours.  But how can one truly get up close and personal with the user friendly city of Boston as a whole? How can a visitor get an amazing overview of the numerous things to do to ultimately choose from? Plus, how can they do it in one or two hours without expending a lot of effort. BOSTON SEGWAY TOURS is the way to go!

Starting its 8th season operating in the city, a Segway Tour is the perfect opportunity to acquire a snap shot of ‘the lay of the land’. Gliding along the streets of Boston on a Segway device under the care of a certified Segway councilor provides an amazing overview of Boston. It affords an opportunity to see what the city has to offer as guides regale riders with stories connected with the city and simultaneously point out possible sites an individual may wish to visit. In addition, the knowledgeable guides often indicate noted restaurants and bars to try. Guests from 10 to 80+ have quickly adapted to operating these battery operated vehicles on wheels.

SAFETY is the #1 word for the staff at Boston Segway Tours. Adventure Captains, such as Thomson, pictured above, start each participant with a quick video and then spend up to 30 minutes utilizing patient and encouraging training for each individual before taking them outside the facility and onto the road. These highly trained guides also artfully maneuver the riders through any and all traffic areas while diligently monitoring all individuals within their group.  The city wide installation of bike paths have further solidified the security of riders as they travel from one area to another. Due to the exemplary professionalism of the Segway Guides, in the eight years of operation there has never been a traffic accident with any rider.

Since utilizing your own camera or phone presents a hazard while riding, the Segway guide insists that you tuck them away for your own safety. He takes pictures of guests throughout their tour and then makes them available on the company’s online photo server to download at no charge. Segwaying has repeatedly gained five stars with Tripadvisor’s seal of approval and garnered hundreds of positive reviews posted from past guests.

Tours leave from Boston Segway Tours’ central location at 199 State Street, across from the N.E. Aquarium. The office is also a quick stroll from Faneuil Hall Marketplace as well as the Aquarium Station exit of the MBTA.  Depending on what tour is chosen, riders can glide from one side of the city to the other and even over into Cambridge. With safety in mind, the maximum number of guests in a group is 8 while the minimum of riders is 2. But interestingly, guides will graciously acquiesce for smaller numbers in a group if participants would like to restructure what they would like to see. For a uniquely unforgettable experience, whether visiting the city for the first time or even a long time resident looking to further explore the city or just searching for a fun, out of the box activity to do with family or friends, then book a tour now by going online to www.segwayinboston.com

ONGOING EVENTS OR ESTABLISHMENTS ARE LISTED  BELOW

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