I LOVE the sheep shearing festival…read more I kind of wish they could have it every weekend. Of course, to have enough sheep to shear, we would probably all be knee deep in sheep everywhere in the Boston area. But that would be fine by me also! Then, maybe I wouldn't nearly be run over in crosswalks so often. You know, because traffic would have to stop for sheep also. But, I digress.... While the focus of this festival is purportedly sheep, other animals abound. There are also alpacas and goats and sheep-herding dogs (demonstrating their skills) and a barn full of bunnies. And fowl, I think. And for shoppers and gluttons like myself, be wary of the pretty sizeable craft fair and lots of decadent carnival-ish food. If you've never been, I hope you catch it next spring.

This festival is figuratively all over the place, so here is a stream of consciousness outline…read morereview to coincide with that fact: * Not sure how I haven't heard about this until this year. * Free parking. * Bring sun tan lotion and a hat. * Not many sheep being sheered. * Sheep herding dog demonstration was weak, organized chaos. Random ducks in the herding area. Dogs wanted to eat them. So did I. * Crafts. Wares. Food from Q's Nuts, Christina's Ice Cream, lots of etc. No booze. * Babies everywhere. * Chickens (multiple breeds), mini ponies, medium ponies, horses, goats, llamas, and sheep. * Some goats make funny noises when you pet them. * Some mini ponies pretend they are tough guys. * I bought syrup. * I wish there was a beef jerky booth.

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!

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.

The annual Jamaica Pond Lantern Parade with its Dutch cultural roots, started in Jamaica Plain in…read more1984, is a great community event and loads of fun!!! Open to everyone and anyone, as the sun starts to set on two evenings each year, hundreds if not thousands of people gather near the boat house at Jamaica Pond around 5:30pm for live music, hot freshly pressed cider, pastries, and empanadas. Some adults and many children arrive in their Halloween costumes. At 6:30pm the parade begins and continues around the pond with many people carrying lanterns. Lanterns were on sale for $5.00, $10.00, and $15.00 at the event. The lantern I purchased for $5.00 was a decorated two litter soda bottle with a candle glued to the bottom. Apparently there are lantern-making workshops occurring before the event in which you can make your own.

I think the lesson learned here is: go early. Jamie and I trailed our way down to Wareham to…read morepartake in the quintessential "fall in New England" experience that is a cranberry festival. Unfortunately, arriving at just before 3:30PM is far too late to enjoy nearly any part of what A.D. Makepeace put together for the 2016 Cranberry Harvest Celebration. Admission was $10 a piece for adults, with the option to pay either with cash or debit/credit card. With no map or guide to show you what to do or where to go, you may end up wandering around quite awhile. Upon entrance, we happened to see a sign that said "last bus to the bog 3:30". Since we weren't quite sure what else was going on, we walked briskly to the bus location, hopped on, and took a short ride to the bogs. The scenery upon arrival was exactly what you'd picture: a flooded bog with cranberries floating aloft, fall colors highlighting the trees, people in waders running their hands through this year's harvest. I saw several festival-goers in said waders, tromping through a sectioned off part of the bog, and got super excited. Could this be my next profile photo?? (trying to be hip, here). We disembarked the school bus and were abruptly greeted with a sign, pricing activities. The cost of a stereotypical "basic" girl's new FB photo? $25 per person. Groups of 4 or more get in for $90, which I guess is a nod towards families. Outrageous. You're provided with waders; for $25 you get to play in bog water and snap your own photos on your iPhone. We decided to skip it, which ended up being a moot point, as they stopped this activity at 3:30PM. If they decided to offer this for $10, I think that'd be a fair price. You'd have a line the entire time. We walked around, snapping photos of the bog, before spotting a couple of food stands and treating ourselves to $3 corn dogs. Everything appeared to be packing up. I stopped by a beer stand (which had been giving out free samples), only to be told they were out of cups, and then, that they were no longer giving samples as it was after their cut off time. We did get to enjoy one fun activity: bog in a cup! Ocean Spray provides a little hands-on experience for festival goers to start their own cranberry bog (in a plastic cup), which they get to take home. It was a cute, somewhat kitschy doing, but at least we got to participate in something. Since everything was shuttering its doors out on the bogs, we got in line to head back to the main festival, hoping there would still be things to do and see there. Nope. Once again, everything was closing down: food vendors, crafts booths, historical/educational opportunities, recreational activities. This was around 4:15PM or thereabouts. Apparently, according to their FB site, the event is done around 4PM. If we arrived at a few minutes before 3:30, don't you think someone would mention that they're wrapping things up? I drowned my disappointment in a sticky, chewy caramel apple, and we walked down the road back to the truck. I'm sure that, had we gone at 10:00AM when the gates were opened, we would have been inundated with a surging crowd of New Englanders, all jockeying to get the best position to watch a bog's harvest, or queuing up to pick through cranberries, or any number of other fun, interesting, and educational activities that were offered here. So, the moral of the story is: go early, enjoy all the offerings, but expect crowds (apparently, "tens of thousands of people" descended upon Tihonet Pond this weekend).

When we made plans to do a week in New England, this was the main thing we wanted to do (besides…read moreeat lots of seafood). The festival is so well organized with tons of volunteers & helpers to guide you around. They have buses to take folks from the parking lot to the entrance, and buses to take you out to the cranberry bogs. Everything runs timely & smoothly. There were lots of vendors giving out samples & tastes, so that everyone who wants some freebies can get some. They also have food trucks, crafts, baked goods, and more booths than we could visit. We donned waders & got in the cranberry bog. It costs $25, but I figure how many chances will I ever have to be in a cranberry bog?! It's a weird sensation & you can feel the vines under your feet. Warning: if you do the bog, be careful of your footing. It's slippery & we saw three people fall over so that their waders filled with water. But it's still quite a sensation & a unique photo op. Tip: get the lobster rolls & chips-- a tasty lunch & a pretty good deal! Friendly staff makes this festival all the more fun.

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.

I look forward to Japan festival Boston every year: fabulous food; Japanese, cultural…read moreentertainment; local Japanese exhibitors, and vendors. Only downside (not the festival's fault): for the first time this year, the college crowd has taken over with pushy, rude entitlement... The exact opposite of Japanese culture. THE DEAL: if you want to experience Japanese culture, right here at home, Boston's Japan festival is free and fabulous!

I volunteered at Japan Festival Boston. As a volunteer you can get T-shirt and quick pass. T-shirt…read morewas only large size: a bit disappointing. Most volunteers are Japanese, why is the T-shirt American large (equivalent to extra large in Japan) size? For food concession stands: there are many good stuff, okonomiyaki, takoyaki, ramen, udon, coffee, desert. A little expensive and very long line. There is room to improve. Probably to experience Japanese culture for non-Japanese people, it is a great opportunity.

One of the best run festivals I've been to in 30+ years. Easy in, easy out. Plenty of parking…read more(and free!). Not too crowded, plenty of space. The two stage set up was superb allowing everyone to see and hear every note of every performer without sprinting from place to place. Food and drink was plentiful, tasty, reasonably priced and with minimal lines. Non-profits, corporate sponsors and kid activities were friendly and fun. Vendors were a mix of crafts, apparel, and home goods Portalets were conveniently located with no lines. Everything ran like clockwork and it was a joy to be there. Staff and volunteers were all helpful and friendly. Well done..

This is a great opportunity to kick off summer on the beach. Rain or shine, it's indoors. Plenty of…read moreparking and a full bar. Food by Seaglass Restaurant was the stand out! You get 5 tickets with admission and can buy more tickets. Each sampling is one ticket. Good sized portions so you don't leave hungry, but don't get too full. There are beer distributors too like Goose Island and others to sample different products. They had Korean spice pulled pork sandwiches, Wagyu brisket tacos, chicken and waffles, and mac and cheese TOO DIE FOR! A couple other snacks and drinks. My favorite was the Sirachi chicken wings with ranch dressing and Belgium waffles! The waffles were perfectly cooked. Crispy on the outside, but properly cooked on the inside. Tender, and no raw dough! Drizzled with maple syrup. The waffles themselves stood on their own with good flavor, but the sweet/hot connection was excellent! Music more appropriate for cocktail hour played while the food booths were open and people socialized. But at 8:30, the lights turned down and a full show of musicians entertained until closing. Parker Wheeler, known from his Sunday night residency at the Grog in Newburyport hosted A-list musicians. Toni Lynn Washington headlined with features of Ricky King Russell, Johnny Blue Horn, and New Orleans' own, Amadee Castenell. A must see and be seen at event for next year!