I am quickly finding there are many fun and quality events in Jamaica Plain and this music festival…read moreis definitely one of them. I recently attended the 7th annual free Jamaica Plain Music Festival at the Pinebank Field (right by JP Pond). With two main stages, the festival featured 15+ local musicians from Jamaica Plain. They played from 12pm to 7pm. In addition to the music there were food trucks, food tents, and children's entertainment.

In Boston for weekend visiting family, tried to do something fun went to festival, and there was…read moreNOTHING.

This event was great! There were many many beer tenders offering tastings. A few food vendors for…read moresale.

Let me start by saying I'm obsessed with this concept. I love beer and I love the zoo. Fusing the…read moretwo? Genius. I was thoroughly impressed with how many different beer vendors there were (plus, some snacks vendors too). Plus, it felt exciting to explore the zoo at night, definitely a first. I think the only thing that could be improved for next year are the beer and snack portion sizes. Each attendee received a small plastic cup which would typically be filled with beer a quarter of the way by vendors (after oftentimes waiting in line). I understand it's a zoo, not a bar, but I would have loved a chance to truly enjoy the beer I was sampling. Also, the snack offerings could have been more generous. Don't get me wrong though, I had an amazing time and would definitely consider coming back next year!

According to its website, the Boston Veg Food Fest has been running for 23 years. I attended the…read morefestival for the first time in October. Oddly enough, there wasn't much online about what to expect here. The fest was held at Gillette Stadium and mostly featured commercial vendors (versus food vendors). While the indoor venue shielded festival goers from the cold, it made for really close quarters. The festival was jam packed from the moment we stepped in the door. That's the major drawback here. This venue is too small to hold such a widely attended event. I need room to breathe! The Veg Fest in Las Vegas mostly revolves around the food, so I was a little disappointed that there weren't more food vendors here. Don't get me wrong, there was Taco Party, Belmont Vegetarian Restaurant and Tofu Hut from Worcester, and 2 dessert vendors. The line for a world famous donut vendor was allegedly hours long - I skipped waiting in that line and got a cookie sandwich from the alternative dessert vendor with no line. Since there's so many commercial vendors there were plenty of freebies and samples to go around. I'll definitely come back next year, although I hope Veg Fest finds a larger venue. YELP'S 2018 REVIEW CHALLENGE: #34

From the owner: Best way to reach us is at info@bostonveg.org read more

I'm sure on a foggy day when astronauts can't spot the great wall from space, they will have no…read moreproblem spotting the JP Xmas Castle - this place is completely over-the-top with holiday festive-ness. Neighbors complain about the gaggle of voyers hanging out in front of the house every night, they complain about the fact that at 10:00 pm it is like noon outside in the neighborhood... but, isn't that why the town is called "Jamaica Complain" - I love the Christmas Castle - I break into a full on grin every evening when I pass it.

Wait, did someone REALLY make an entry for this HOUSE?…read more Well, just to clarify for the unknowing - this place is not a business. It is not a tourist attraction. It is not an amusement park ride. It is really someone's house. Where they live. And they decorate like crazy for Christmas. Essentially, that is what we're dealing with here. Is is awesomely lit and I'm sure it's caused a traffic situation or two over the years. There's even a post card at Harvest Co-op of the JP Christmas Castle available for sale and mail to all your besties! The castle (which the architecture resembles) is adorned in lights, blow up Santas, plastic reindeer, light-up trees, candy canes, fences, snowmen, penguins, etc. etc. etc. Enjoy the spectacle; it's refreshing to see in a city that is sometimes so uptight and too worried about perfectly matching themed Christmas arrangements...boo!

An old friend is a prominent member and instructor, Dale Savit. This past fall we drove east for…read morefall colors, clam chowder,and a couple of Dale's pieces. This is a great place to visit if you can, and hey, it's across a parking lot from Sam Adams brewery too!

I always stop in here during the JP Open Studios and this past weekend (Sept 2012) I actually…read morebought a small installation. Extremely fair price. You can wonder around the whole studio and see pieces in various states of creation. You can't miss the giant sculptures outside. If I ever have unlimited cash, I'll be back to buy one or two of those things. Check it out if you have any interest in metalworks. They have classes too! The piece I bought was by Walter Clark at outsideartist@live.com and www.outsideartist-inside2.com. I also uploaded a pic of the framed metal woman's head to encourage you to check them out!

Used as a venue for my wedding party - got married at home in the Midwest, but wanted to celebrate…read morewith our rather large friend group, so hosted about 150 of our pals at Spontaneous celebrations. Reviewing it as a venue for a large party - haven't taken any community classes there. The frustrating: ~SC isn't really owned by anybody - it has a board of directors. The guy who's supposed to respond to all the inquiries about reservations was not the most responsive by email, but was pretty responsive by phone. He's a stilt walker in a grateful dead coverband who manages a community art space in JP - he's a very salt-of-the-earth kind of guy, which worked for us, but you just need to know that that's what you're signing on for - someone who isn't going to get back to your emails right away, who you may have to track down a bit, but who is super nice and very laid back in approach. I am not laid back, but I came prepared with the questions I wanted answered and got all the answers I needed in writing on our contract. ~You never quiiiite know what you're walking into when you walk into the space. They host a ton of different kinds of community events, so how it's decorated when you see it one time might not necessarily be the way you see it when you visit it next. People are supposed to clean up after themselves, but there are varying extents of that. You never even really know which light switch is going to turn the lights on. The fantastic: ~Those frustrating points above are SO minor compared to the fact that for just a few hundred bucks you can have a wedding venue space (everywhere else I called was in the multiple-thousand dollar range and had a ton of restrictions on what you could bring in/restricted to their own catering/facilities/booze etc). It is a gorgeous space that kind of feels like a big summer camp recreation hall, with 2 floors, indoor balconies, a stage and a bar. It felt like a true barn-raising - we had a dozen of our friends show up early and help with setup, hanging lights from the ceiling, bringing my husband's dj equipment and speakers, a friend home-brewed 5 kegs of beer and brought another several cases of booze from the company he works for, and we fed our friends with beer, a big-batch order of pizzas from JP House of Pizza, and 150 Union Square Donuts. It was a 90s throwback dance party with a lot of games and a lot of love - low key and marvelous. I cannot have imagined a more ideal space than Spontaneous Celebrations, and to do it so affordably makes me want to scream to the world how worthwhile this place is. RECOMMEND! HIGHLY!

A great community center with wonderful staff! Enjoyed visiting and volunteering with the group…read more Great work with the annual Lantern walk and hosting events for the local community. Keep up the excellent work - the community appreciates it!

Wonderful crafts from New England. It's like visiting a dozen craft museums all at once! Wood…read moreworking, weaving, glass, metal sculptures. A lot of jewelry. Though there were quite a few repetitive crafts, they each had their own twist to their art. The exhibit hall isn't overwhelming, and if you get there early enough it's not yet crowded. There are a couple interesting highlights, with Steampunk sculptures from Steampunk Lighting to piggy banks with personalities from Three Wheel Studio. It's a fun, fairly quick step into the crafting world! Great ideas for gifting and those items to get someone who has "everything"! I'm very happy with my own purchases from Antrim Street Studio and Kommineni Art Glass.

The fact that I a. found a parking spot on the street and then b. got in for freezies with my Yelp…read morecheck-in totes made my day. The artists and artisans here are über talented, from all over the place, and very willing to tell you their stories and explain their methods. Inspiring. Awesome. Add to that Spindleworks, a nonprofit art center in Maine for people with disabilities, and Metalwerx, where I will be taking my next art metal class in Waltham (I hope), as well as displays by a woodworking cooperative and the Fuller Craft Museum, and we were happy campers. Prices range from totally do-able to going-to-have-to-save-up-but-will-do-so-willingly. So much cool stuff. I am a sucker for pottery and sparkly shiny jewelry and left totally satisfied and with a long wishlist. Well done! And thank you.

I can't believe Franklin Park had so many lights…read more IT's AMAZING ‼‼ The amount of detail and work that went into putting up these light displays is beyond even my imagination. It must take at least a month to install everything and then troubleshoot bulbs that don't work. If you have never been there, you have to go this is just an awesome site. I cannot believe that they only leave one month between the Boston lights and then the Christmas lights because they're gonna have to take everything down and then put all the Christmas lights up. I can't wait to go. I mean it's just gonna be amazing. Long in depth reviews, but for this one all I have to do is tell you to go and enjoy because it's amazing. I would like to tell everyone is to bring a snack with you or eat before you go because the concession stand is very expensive just a heads up. Put on a jacket and some gloves and get ready for the Christmas lights cause I am so excited to see what they look like if it was anything like the Boston lights you have to see it. It's amazing. !! I really didn't count to any staff actually I didn't even see any staff other than the girl that was in the booth and she was fantastic right on .

10 out of 10! We went at 5pm on a weekday and got to walk around 3 times with little to no crowds…read more It honestly worked out perfectly since the sun started setting at different points giving the light installation a different view each moment. Plenty of free parking. The staff were great and having pop up food and drink stations kept us plenty engaged. Pro tip: there is a red lantern riddle station, go there, answer 3 riddles at the white tent behind you correctly, and you'll get a small prize. The sohn is super small, but now you know! We will definitely be back again next year!

A small dog friendly art gallery in the heart of JP. It has great character and friendly staff…read more(who are also artists featured in the gallery). It's a great place to stop in and just take a look around. There is a range of art, but my favorite is definitely the jewelry featuring bird and tree designs. Beautiful stuff. Support your local artists.

I've been to all of the art galleries on Centre/South Streets in JP and I like this new one the…read morebest. It's hard to describe, but I just have an enjoyable time walking slowly around this gallery and checking out the art. The place feels like it has a heart. They're featuring local artists right now and have a handout they give you listing their day jobs. I thought it was a cool idea. You know, "That girl who served me those stiff drinks at the Behan painted this? Wow!" That sort of thing. It added something to my experience. They are also hosting musical and other events. Should be fun.

Midway cafe is exactly what Jamaica Plain needs -- an edgier, queer-friendly dive bar. From drag…read moreshows to karaoke to live music, Midway really does have everything. The space is pretty intimate which makes shows special. The bartenders are nice and the drinks aren't expensive. I don't think they serve food. Definitely stop by and support this neighborhood bar!

I can't stress enough how fucking awesome this place is. It is a safe place for young people to…read morehang out in a queer environment. The staff are experienced and have been looking out for the clientele for decades. And that music is off the hook! It gets mad hot though wear a T-shirt.