We were in town for a celebration of life last year on Father's Day weekend and the town was…read morebuzzing about this Fiesta celebration. We decided that we wanted to come back this year to see what the fuss was all about. I have to say I didn't have any crazy expectations for this event and wasn't sure really what to expect but it was so much more fun than I thought it would be. Everything from the greasy pole competition on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, to the carnival rides, games and food, to the late night drinking celebrations at the various bars by the wharf to the parade. It was all so much fun! I love that this small fishing town gets together for this crazy tradition. Check it out if you haven't before. Look up the YouTube videos of the Greasy Pole and see why it would make for a fun weekend getaway.

Saint Peter's Fiesta is a staple of Gloucester, greasy pole competition included! It's a 5 day…read morefestival that brings out the whole family. It's absolutely packed, from the restaurants, to the vendors, to the rides, to the beach. I used to come to Fiesta when I was younger, and it had been 15 years or so since I've been, so I returned. * Your experience of Fiesta is completely dependent on who you know or go with. It is a very different experience for locals and tourists, and both have their pros and cons. I went on a couple rides, it was $20 and the ticket booths take cards for an extra charge. I had so much fun and I never went on the rides before. The staff were nice to let me get on as a single rider instead of waiting in long lines when there was space available. I went on Sunday, so the boat race was rescheduled for Monday since it was completely foggy. You could hear people cheering and partying from their boats but you couldn't see them. The weather was bizarre, but it didn't stop the crowd. I ended up trying Tonno's after, and it was the perfect place to end the evening.

For years I've been wanting to come to Revere beach to see the sand castles in the International…read moreSand Sculpting Festival and I finally got the opportunity this year. The parking that is closer to the beach was blocked off to allow for people to walk without worrying about getting hit by a car, but this did mean that it took longer to find legal parking in the residential area. We did see a car getting towed, so please take all signs seriously. It was about a mile walk from the car to the sand castles so at one point we got worried the event was cancelled since we kept walking and walking with no castles in sight. But keep going, and they will be there. On our walk there, we passed by about 30 + food trucks, and some tents which were giving away free drinks, and snacks. The price of the food trucks were anywhere around $10-$20 so about average. I was very impressed with the artists and how much detail they were able to add to the castles. They did allow us to take a picture with one of the castles. At some points we were poking our heads and gently pushing through people to get a good view of the castles. Although I didn't get a chance to stay for them, they did have a firework show in the schedule the day I went. Although not related to the event, something I loved most about this beach is that it is so close to Logan airport that while we were there, we watched planes coming and going very close to land.

Boston is lucky to have such a festival. There were about 12 sand sculptures lined up. They are…read morelit up so it is possible to view the sculptures without fighting the crowds. I always visit each year the festival, usually during the off hours. It is really remarkable what they can do with just sand. Never fail to be amazed. I usually look at the sand castles which won awards to see if I agree. Usually, they have made the right call. As an aside........... I always get lost cutting through Revere but it is worth the trip. I can't wait until the next one.

The Taste of Somerville is an event that happens every May to benefit Respond, which is a great…read morelocal organization that works to end domestic violence. Taste of Somerville raises money by us buying tickets and eating (and drinking) until we can eat no more delicious somerville foods! This is our second year attending, and everything was amazing. There was a great oyster bar from Island Creek Oysters, a make your own s'mores bar and chocolate station from the Holiday Inn (which is also where the event is held), delicious treats from Lyndell's, delicious shrimp tacos from Old Magoon's Saloon, and delicious gazpacho from Casa B. And grilled delicious kielbasa from Bronwyn! And that's just to name a few. We ended up with some delicious bread to bring home from Piantedosi Bread Shoppe, and we sampled some there, and it was amazing. Also there for 2013: Eat at Jumbos (love those guys!), Daddy Jones, The Independent, Redbones, El Potro, the soon to be at Assembly Row in 2014: JP Licks, and many, MANY more awesome restaurants. Go next year in 2014-it supports such a great cause, and it's an awesome way to spend a May evening! Read more about Respond here: http://www.respondinc.org/Home.aspx

Right across from Faneuil Hall over near City Hall we made our way over to do some sampling…read more There were free samples of juices and assorted chips that were all yummy. It was an extremely hot day so I was hesitant to try hot chowder. They had tents within an outside fenced area. We went to pay the $10 but found we couldn't bring our 9 lb pup into the gated area. We didn't really want to take turns since my husband and I wanted to do it together. It was a real bummer since it was all outside but I understand animals and food are a no no. 1 Star cuz I didn't go :( 3 Star cuz it did look like fun and I am sure we would have enjoyed it :)

If you like going to Costco to get free samples....this is the place for you. Except that it costs…read more$10....but that's for AYCE 2 oz. samples of seven different types of chowder mind you! As soon as you get off the T, you literally step right into the plaza at city hall where you are bombarded by lines at booths giving away free shit. We're talking Honey bunches of oat boxes, stickers, pens, little bottles of cholula...you name it; all the things you never thought you wanted on a Sunday afternoon, they're there for you to shove in your purse like the greedy person you are. After twenty minutes of this, you realize you haven't had any chowder yet. So it costs $10 but all the money goes to continuing Harborfest, and it's once a year so shut up! There was a bubble blower to add to the "ambiance" i guess.....then there is a cold drinks booth which has soda and water all for 2 bucks a bottle. Then there are seven booths lined up next two eachother serving up two ounce cups of chowder to big lines. the lines move really fast though, so it's not really annoying at all. We took it seriously: try each one, then choose the top two and try those head to head to make our choice. Some of the particiants were okay...none were really bad, except one, but I think I got a bad batch as my boyfriend's was okay. We had it narrowed down to Yankee Lobster Co. and Ned Devine's......in a head to head battle we voted for Yankee but Ned's took the whole thing....oh well. I think all in all we had a bowl and a half of chowder, a perfect afternoon treat. Maybe this is a tourist trap, but I like being trapped in an area overflowing with chowder and a four man folk band!

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

Great event! The lines were huge though. Please just take my money and give me food sooner! Perhaps…read morethe event numbers could have been calculated better. The line for what looked like the most popular stall- for street food, including lots of grilled meat on sticks, papaya salad, and tons of other yummy looking options stretched beyond the food designated area and into the carnival games area. A couple of lines were like that, and I just had to live with not getting food or drink from those stalls. I remember the egg roll cafe truck from a past year. Their fusion egg rolls do not disappoint! So crisp. Got the Buffalo chicken one. Also got Japanese curry fries, which definitely worked flavor wise- the curry had kind of a gravy quality, and there was a creamy sauce, seaweed, and scallions. Also tried Nigerian food for the first time, which I was surprised to find there. I appreciated the way all the flavors came together- the special rice, plantains, and spice encrusted thin piece of beef on a stick. I was stuffed, but I wish I could have kept eating. Also saw some awesome drinks in the drink section- including one AAPI owned brand, and boozy boba that had an awesome presentation (it lit up!) The carnival games were also a hit. I secretly would have loved to win a snorlax or a two sided octopus. I was one bean bag away from winning! I guess it just wasn't my day, because at the MUJI tent I also only won a gel pen- they had a wheel that you spun. I preferred a past year, where they gave everyone notebooks. Loved those notebooks- sadness. Will just have to buy them at the store, lol.

Visiting from California and this was a great treat! At the end we snacked on Apple cider and…read moretoasted almonds!

What a waste of time .....small same food stands top-notch security police officers all over the…read moreplace did not feel safe. Trying to find a feast was almost impossible. Finally, we went online and it told exactly where it was.

It's so much fun! Many , many people with lots of food, games, music, and dessert. It's fun to…read morepeople watch. We really enjoy it!

This was the first annual Boston Thai Taste, a food festival hosted on Boston Common... and we had…read morebeautiful sunny weather for it. There was a great variety of Thai food to sample, and a good crowd to do it. It was missing the energy created by live entertainment of any kind. I hope they add performers and artists next year. THE DEAL: if you want to try Thai food, from area restaurants, this is the Boston food festival to sample small portions all day!