I love chocolate and I can't think of a better way to kick off the weekend in the middle of what I…read morefind a gloomy, harsh winter. With some light entertainment (music troupe) and chocolate, what more can you ask for at this 10th year of the festival? Line started forming around 12/12:15PM. We were lucky that today was warmer in comparison to weeks ago but it easily could have been frigid. I do suggest being prepared attire wise in case. By the time I left with a full plate of samples (fudge, ganache, chocolate dipped bacon, tiramisu, Starbucks brownies, Crema Cafe brownie/chocolate cake, JP Licks hazelnut ice cream and more), the line extended over 5 blocks long. I wish I was able to document all the goodies and vendors but it was too crowded to take pictures of every stand. As per the event website (http://harvardsquare.com/events/legendary-10th-taste-chocolate-festival-harvard-square), these are the vendors: Benedetto Cabot's Candy DAVIDs TEA Flour Bakery Freepoint Hotel Harvest Henrietta's Table JP Licks Parsnip Pressed Juicery Roseadela's Seacoast Sweets Starbucks Tatte Bakery & Cafe Toscano Zinneken's Suggestions for a more organized event though I could see how some of these may be difficult to execute: - Have previous registration - Use a fenced in area to ensure that those waiting in line can get a fair chance at getting samples - it seemed like anyone off the street could just join in at lightly crowded vendors instead of waiting in line for a plate that organizers hand out at the beginning; vendors are too busy to regulate who waits in line or not - Token/raffle ticket system - i.e. give a string of 12 tickets and each patron can use their tickets how they choose; in this way, there are more samples to go around Overall, I enjoyed the event, recommend it, and would definitely come again.

Who doesn't love free chocolate? The Harvard Square Chocolate Festival is an annual tradition (now…read morein its 8th year) and occurs over one weekend in late January. The festival culminates in a one-hour free chocolate tasting event that is held in Brattle Square, usually from 1-2pm on a Saturday. I attended the one-hour tasting today, and it was fantastic! The lines start to form around 12:30pm, so getting there early is a must. Also note that the event is outside, so dress warmly since you will probably be standing in line in the cold for 30 minutes to an hour. Once the line starts moving, it goes fast. The event features a lot of local businesses like J.P. Licks, Ben and Jerry's, Crema Cafe, and so on, and you basically pick up a plate and then move along the line to different tents in order to grab free samples. Some of the goodies that I got today were: - cup of hot chocolate from Shake Shack - scoop of chocolate ice cream from Ben and Jerry's - scoop of chocolate ice cream from J.P. Licks - mini chocolate covered cannoli from Toscano (delicious! My favorite item) - chili chocolate mini cupcake from Crema Cafe - Chocolate chip cookie from UNO's - Bite-sized portion of chocoalte cake from Wagamama - Chocolate square with a dab of honey from Follow the Honey - Sponge cake from El Jefe's - Fudge from Cabot Candy Most of the vendors also have free coupons and discounts that you can grab to encourage you to visit their stores. There was also a music group that was playing, and it contributed to the festive atmosphere of the event. Overall, I was very happy with the event - I just wish it could happen during the summer when it isn't so cold to stand outside!

Literally a dance party in the streets. DJ is not as good as last year…read more Crowded near the streets but pretty nice on the lawn. Good clean fun. Almost.

Always lots of fun. I just came back from the festival today and am happy to say that it was a…read moresuccessful experience for me for a 5th straight year. The weather wasn't great this year, but the energetic and entertaining Haitian RaRa parade more than made up for it. It's free to attend, so I recommend stopping by for this fine once-a-year entertainment event.

what a fabulous way to spend an afternoon. Come hungry and…read moretry out some authentic food from all over the world, Jamaica, Senegal, Thailand, India, hot dogs and everything in between! Sit down on a street corner to eat your lunch and enjoy some mucis at one of the many stages. Let your kids enjoy amazing face painting and other craft making projects. Do a little shopping along the many set up tents. Finally get ready to dance and marvel at the colorful and loud parade. Full of feathers, colors and amazing costumes, the parade will astonish you. We stayed for the entire show and saw beautiful troups and lots of people having a grand time. Definitively a must do and see!

Lots of fun, music crafts If the weather is good its an awesome way to spend some time in Harvard…read moresquare.

MayFair is a city of Cambridge tradition. Note how I say city of Cambridge instead of Harvard…read moreSquare. That is because it's all local and none of that kitschy Harvard University touristy crap which is one of the reasons I love attending it every year. The city basically closes down several blocks in Harvard Square where businesses and the community set up shop in the streets selling various food, art, clothes and random things like home decor window treatment specialists. But it's not all business, there's always something to see from the Chalk Walk along Church street and concerts in front of the train station to kiddie trains and street performers busking. It's a lovely day filled with activities for all ages. Did I mention the food? There's all kinds of food here. While Harvard Square already has quite the array of restaurants it also draws some Mexican and Caribbean places from greater Boston as well. During the few hours I spent there I had a Belgian waffle, Spanish rice and beans with shrimp, jerk chicken, and I washed it down with a lychee tea. I probably ate too much but all that cost me only about $15. I should also mention the event itself is free. There's nothing but an upside to this.

This might have not been one the greatest festivals I've attended but it did give me something to…read moredo on Saturday evening. Most importantly, it was FREE and Chicago was performing! Still humming, Your the Inspiration.. Yep, my soul is old lol. Warren Street, such a small side street... They do provide carnival games, a few kid friendly rides and plenty of food. I did treat myself to some little neck and cherry stone clams. 6 for $8, why not?!? I also grabbed a sweet Italian sausage with peppers and onions for $8. If you are curious about food prices in general, what else can you expect from festivals besides overpriced? The performance stage is located all the way towards the end, where it was heavily congested. You basically had to push your way through.. Also, adjacent to the stage is where you'd find the roped off beer and wine stand. I did notice the older attendees who brought camping chairs. I didn't know where to stand as I did not want to obstruct their view. Awkward! I you decide to go, I would recommend looking over the the event details beforehand. You would think I was smart enough to do so! I didn't realize Chicago would be out at 9pm. After being there for roughly 1.5 hours, I was ready to leave... Ooh! And parking is free at the lot, follow the signs! Street parking is free after 6pm as well.

A MUST DO! A FREE EVENT! FREE ADMISSION, FREE PARKING & FREE TOP NAME ENTERTAINMENT FOR 3 DAYS &…read moreNIGHTS! The City of Cambridge MA. announces the 94th Annual Italian Feast of Cosmas & Damien September 6, 7, 8, 2019. This Feast is known for their GIANT SING ALONG at NIGHT - the whole audience sings along to the hit songs. BE PREPARED TO COME HERE & SING ALONG. If you don't know the groups or the songs go on YouTube & learn them. The FREE ENTERTAINMENT includes all groups who had huge hits on the radio over the decades. All-4-One ( I Swear, I Can Love You Like That, So Much in Love), Peaches & Herb (Shake Your Groove Thing, Reunited, I Pledge My Love), The Drifters ( Under the Boardwalk, This Magic Moment, Save The Last Dance for Me), The Manhattans (Kiss & Say Goodbye, Shining Star, It Feels Do Good to be Loved), Bonnie Pointer ( Heaven Must Have Sent You, Heaven, I Can't Help Myself). There is also Vinyl Groove, World Premiere, & others as well. Check the website for times & dates. There is a lot of Italian Food & Pastries you can buy, Carnival Rides & Trinkets. It is a smaller feast than the feasts in The North End Boston but they bring in Top Name Entertainment for Free. They shut down the streets & it is packed with People. FUN FUN FUN! It used to be, you had to have mega bucks & be really rich to have the Good Life, not anymore. The Game has changed. You've been Upgraded. Now You Can Live Like a King on a Limited Budget!

Wonderful community experience with good food you don't get very often…read more Festival only runs certain times of the year so check out the Cambridge Greek Community for info on when this occurs.

I love this festival in Union Square Somerville celebrating local invention marshmallow Fluff…read more It's a mix of food vendors, business/nonprofits & lots of family friendly entertainment. The crowds can get a bit overwhelming but are still pretty polite if you ask to get through. I highly recommend checking out the Fluff Festival next year.

Even though Fluff is not vegan (why gelatin?!?), the idea of a huge crowd coming together to…read morecelebrate this strange white substance is pretty amusing. The festival has many tents and booths offering strange combinations of fluff with foods that don't quite seem to work (pierogis?), but people seemed to enjoy it nonetheless. Of course, there was also no deficit of fluffernutter sandwiches and rice krispies treats going around. I count myself privileged to have witnessed the 100th year anniversary version of the fluff festival, because clearly that's a momentous occasion for the fluff fanatics out there. But if you're in Union Square the next time the festival comes around, go check it out.

As a member of the Soprano section, over the past 10+ yrs, I feel I can honestly say that this…read morechoir is a source of joy, to the community and its singers, in large part due to the excellent conductor (Pam Mindell for the past ~5? yrs; and eons ago, Jamie Kirsch - now at Tufts). It's a nice slice of the community, and I enjoy the outreach opportunities during the holidays (assisted living, Rosie's place, shelters/soup-kitchen). (and yes, this is a pseudonym, so hi, fellow choir members, this is not my actual name).

The Cambridge Community Chorus brings together a cornucopia of over a hundred music-lovers from all…read moreover Cambridge. The chorus is comprised of residents of all ages and backgrounds, delivering a fantastic variety of choral works to the community with enthusiasm. A truly great taste of local flavor, in a community that continually supports the arts.

Ms. Sassy and Ms. Kitty came to my hotel where I was throwing a Bachelorette. On time, friendly,…read morecomfortable...they were both super nice and led a brilliant class. The group learned how to walk, shimmy, trace, and bump according to our newly acquired personas and ended up in tassel-filled dance party. Reasonable private lesson rate and very professional. If you are having a party and want to do something different, hire Rogue Burlesque...they were amazing!

I loooooove Rogue Burlesque. I had a couple friends who were already in the troupe, and made…read moreseveral more after getting to know these kick-ass ladies. I'd been wanting to try burlesque for a while, and Rogue offers the Sassy, Classy and Brassy burlesque 101 class at Boston Center for Adult Education (BCAE) several times a year. They made what could have been an uncomfortable experience baring myself (literally) to strangers fun, sexy, and positive. These ladies are professional, sassy, supportive, and funny to boot! After my class, I became more involved in the burlesque scene and have helped out at several shows since then. I've even had the chance to compete in two of Rogue's Lucky 13 amateur shows, which are usually held every 3 months or so. Contestants have the chance to workshop their routine, no matter what stage of progress, to two Roguers for feedback. And let me tell you, if you're not used to performing, it's HARD. Especially when removal of clothing is involved! But these ladies are so supportive, and offer really encouraging, thoughtful, and useful feedback. You can tell the troupe puts a lot of love, sweat, tears, and sometimes (fake) blood into their work. I also love the diversity within Rogue; troupe members really embody a lot of different characters and archetypes, and manage to come up with creatively sexy routines that sometimes challenge us, as an audience, to think outside the box, usually make us laugh, and always make our hearts pound. I'm so proud to say I'm a (small) part of it.