March 2014 – Salem Happenings

Swimming in the Spring

Have you been counting down the days to summer thinking that you just can’t wait to dive into a pool? Are your kids already demanding a trip to the water even though your thermometer clearly says its cold enough to snow? Well, if you or your kids have been patiently (or not-so-patiently) awaiting all of the warm months that follow the spring, there’s nothing that actually says that you have to go swimming outside. In fact, if you’re looking for somewhere that you and your family can enjoy some time in the water without turning into kidcicles or adultcicles, there are three places that you should definitely check out.

First, if you’re looking for a water source North of Boston, there is no better place than the CoCo Key Water Park in Danvers. The CoCo Key Water Park, which is one of my nieces’ favorite places to go, is a 65,000-square-foot water park that features a lazy river, hot tubs, pools (including a zero-depth pool), water slides, water cannons, water basketball, a giant bucket that regularly dumps water on unsuspecting vict…err…attendees, and a whole lot more. For more information on the CoCo Key Water Park in Danvers, please visit the CoCo Key Water Park Boston North Shore website.

Secondly, if you’re hoping to enjoy the water in the city itself, the Salvation Army Kroc Center of Boston’s Aquatic Center is definitely worth checking out. The Aquatic Center at the Salvation Army Kroc Center is the largest (and, to my knowledge, one of the only) indoor water parks in Boston. This park features a lazy river, pools (including a zero-depth pool), a 150-foot water slide that winds around both the inside and outside of the building, water sprayers, and a whole lot more. For more information on the Salvation Army Kroc Center of Boston’s Aquatic Center, please visit the Salvation Army Kroc Center’s website.

Finally, if you’re in desperate need of an indoor swimming spot South of Boston, the Cape Codder Resort & Spa in Hyannis has you covered. The Cape Codder Resort & Spa’s Indoor Wave Pool & Fitness Center is a lot smaller than the facilities at CoCo Key’s or the Salvation Army, but it is still filled with a number of fun features. In fact, this 8,200-square-foot complex houses two saunas, an indoor wave pool, two waterslides, a whirlpool, and more. For more information on the Cape Codder Resort & Spa’s Indoor Wave Pool & Fitness Center, please visit the Cape Codder Resort & Spa website.

Photo credit: tom@hk | 湯米tomhk / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

Saint Patrick’s Day Revisited

If you read last week’s post and decided to attend the activities that I mentioned, there’s a pretty good chance that you spent your Saint Patrick’s Day weekend with your kids. Now, of course, there’s nothing wrong with spending a weekend with your kids, but Saint Patrick’s Day is often a time for adults (both young and not-so-young) to relax and unwind. As a result, if you were really dying to go out and enjoy your Saint Patrick’s Day by yourself or with other adults, it can be pretty disappointing when you just can’t find the time to actually do it. However, if you missed out on the celebrations last weekend, there’s really no reason to stay home and pine over times gone by because the party isn’t over yet.

In fact, if you’re looking for an Irish-themed activity this weekend, you may want to head on over to Cary Memorial Hall in Lexington, MA on Sunday (March 23, 2014.) This is because the Cary Memorial Hall is hosting the final Massachusetts performance of the Irish Rovers, a talented group of Irish performers who have been performing classic Irish songs for over 50 years. This means that if you have always been a fan or Irish music, you always wanted to see the Irish Rovers perform, and/or you just want to be able to say that you saw one of their last performances, this is a show that you really cannot miss. For more information on the Irish Rovers Farewell Tour and/or to order tickets for the show, please visit the Cary Memorial Hall website or visit the Irish Rovers Tour page.

If, on the other hand, you’re really not into Irish music (say, it isn’t so) or you really just prefer music when it’s in the background of a film, the Somerville Theatre may have a festival that’s more up your alley. This is because the Somerville Theatre, in partnership with Boston Irish Film Festival Productions, is hosting the 14h Annual Irish Film Festival. This festival, which runs until Sunday at 6:00 P.M., will feature a number of films from Irish filmmakers as well as awards for Best Documentary, Best Film, Best Short Fiction/Animation, Director’s Choice, and more. For more information on the 14th Annual Irish Film Festival and/or to purchase tickets (including the all access pass for the entire festival), please visit the Irish Film Festival, Boston website.

Photo credit: Bryan Maleszyk / Foter / CC BY

A Family Friendly Saint Patrick’s Day

Saint Patrick’s Day has always been a time for those of Irish descent to celebrate their heritage. However, like most celebrations, there’s always a few people that tend to overdo things and take the festivities to a whole new level. In fact, you would be hard pressed to find a year that doesn’t have some headline, rumor, or story about a group of people who delved into their green drinks a little too quickly and found themselves in far more trouble than they had ever expected. As a result, locating a family-friendly way to celebrate the holiday without the mischief can be a little more difficult than it should be. Fortunately, if you are looking for a way to enjoy Saint Patrick’s Day with your family, there are a number of family-friendly events this weekend.

First, if you’re looking for a way for your children to learn more about their Irish heritage or you’re just looking for a party without the alcohol, you may want to check out Old Sturbridge Village. Old Sturbridge Village is hosting a “Celtic Celebration” this Saturday and Sunday (March 15th and 16th) from 9:30 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. This old-fashioned Irish party will allow you and your family to enjoy traditional Irish dancing, food, music, and stories while you learn all about the Irish immigrants that made their way to the United States during the 1800’s. Best of all, Old Sturbridge Village has a special deal right now that children under the age of 17 can get in free as long as they are with an adult that is paying the normal admission price. This means that getting in may be a whole lot cheaper than it normally would be. For more information on the Celtic Celebration at Old Sturbridge Village, please visit the Old Sturbridge Village website.

Secondly, if you’re not Irish or you’re really just looking for something to keep your kids busy for a couple of hours, Wit and Whimsy may have exactly what you’re looking for. Wit and Whimsy, which is a children’s bookstore located in Marblehead, MA, is hosting a Cinderella Storytime with the Boston Ballet from 10:00 A.M. to 11:00 A.M. today (March 14, 2014.) This event will allow your children to hear the story of Cinderella told by some of the Boston Ballet dancers who are actually performing the ballet-version of Cinderella at the Boston Opera House. In fact, these ballet dancers will not just read the story, but will also teach your children some of the dance steps from the actual ballet. For more information on the Cinderella Storytime with the Boston Ballet, please visit the Wit and Whimsy Event page.

Finally, if the Cinderella Storytime sounds awesome, but you just can’t make it today, you may want to head over to the Gloucester Lyceum and Sawyer Free Library next Friday (March 21, 2014.) This is because the Gloucester Lyceum and Sawyer Free Library, which is also known as the Gloucester Public Library, is hosting Cinderella Storytime with the Boston Ballet from 10:00 A.M. to 11:00 A.M. For more information and/or to reserve a spot, please visit the Gloucester Lyceum and Sawyer Free Library’s Event Calendar.

Photo credit: Bryan Maleszyk / Foter / CC BY

Exploring a Little Piece of American History

A photograph of a famous poster depicting the events that occurred on March 5, 1770. — A photograph of a famous poster depicting the Boston Massacre.

The Old State House as it appears today.

Chances are, if you know anything about American History, you’ve probably heard of the Boston Tea Party. In fact, if you went to school anywhere in the United States, you probably had the story of a group of grown men dressed as Native Americans throwing tea overboard drilled into your head over and over again. However, even if you are familiar with the famous tea-related event that played a significant role in the years leading up to American Revolution, you may not be familiar with one of the other events that actually increased tensions between Great Britain and the colonies long before the tea went into the sea. Now, I know what you’re thinking. What event could he possibly be talking about?

Well, I’m talking about the Boston Massacre, and if you have no idea what the Boston Massacre is, you’re not alone. It is definitely one of the events in American History that is not widely taught in our schools. Fortunately, if you are interested in learning about the Boston Massacre and you are in the Boston area on Saturday (March 8, 2014), there is a group at the Old State House that will teach you everything that you could possibly want to know about this unfortunate incident and what actually happened on March 5, 1770. This is because the Old State House with the assistance of a dedicated team of re-enactors will be reenacting not only the incident in which five innocent civilians were killed and six civilians injured by British Soldiers, but also the trial that followed the massacre. For more information on the reenactment of the trial, which is scheduled for 11:30 A.M. and 2:00 P.M., and the reenactment of the Boston Massacre, which is scheduled for 7:00 P.M., please visit the Bostonian Society website.

If a reenactment of the Boston Massacre doesn’t really sound like your kind of thing, but you really would like to immerse yourself in some history, you may want to check out the USS Constitution Museum’s Best of the Best 2014 Ship Model Show. This exhibit, which is sponsored by the USS Constitution Museum and the USS Constitution Model Shipwright Guild, will give you and your family the opportunity to see over 100 model ships that are painstakingly handcrafted to show every detail of the actual ship. In fact, you will not only be able to see models of ships from a number of different time periods, but also be able to meet the people that built the models, see how each of the models are actually created and restored, and even purchase your own model ship kit. For more information on the Best of the Best 2014 Ship Model Show, which runs every day from now until March 22, 2014, please visit the USS Constitution Museum’s Exhibit page.

Boston Massacre Poster Photo credit: denisbin / Foter / CC BY-ND
Old State House Photo credit: ericodeg / Foter / CC BY-SA