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!

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.

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.

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

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!

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.

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.

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.

Why is this policeman band playing the same some over and over again? Why are there little girls…read morechanting in Italian? One is suspended over the crowd from a wire. AND SO MANY DOLLA BILLS. On ribbons and banners. Being passed through the streets and wrapped around a statue of the Virgin Mary. I'm confused. But admittedly intrigued. The Fisherman's Feast is an interesting cultural festival that you should experience at least once in your life. There's food and music and bursts of confetti fill the air (I don't envy the street cleaners the next morning). But the repetitive, drawn-out ceremony and crowded North End streets don't make me yearn to return next year. As with your typical North End festival, this Fishy Feast boasts the standard (overpriced) arancini/pizza/cannoli stands, some games for kids, and musical performances on the main stage. But if you want something unique, stick around for the closing ceremony. Sunday night is when the real action happens, as a statue of the Virgin Mary is processed through the streets of the North End. The statue is hoisted up and carried by some large, polo-wearing men who are accompanied by a band (playing the same song again and again and again). About an hour after commencing her journey in front of a church, Mary ends up in the middle of the festival where ribbons of money are rolled out of windows and wrapped around her. I'm not about to ask where these Italians obtained all the $1 bills, but those ribbons sure are long. The band's still playing. Some other ceremonial happenings take place (an old woman needed to go touch the statue for some reason). It takes a while. Then two girls in balconies on opposite sides of the street (lovingly called "side angels") begin chanting in Italian, complete with corresponding arm movements. Although we had no idea what they were saying, the "Marias" and "Reginas" made it pretty clear that Mary was the focus of their long, repetitive diatribes. Now it's time to fly! The band finally begins playing a different song as the smiling, air kiss-blowing main angel appears on her balcony and is hoisted into the air on a wire. She dangles above the crowd and is slowly moved to a position in front of the statue, where she too (amidst even more confetti) speaks to her for a while in Italian. And that's pretty much it! I have to admit I was impressed by these girls' memories, and they looked so happy and honored to be part of the ceremony (what little girl doesn't want to dress up like an angel and fly, after all?). The North End locals really drive the festival; their immense pride and sense of community is palpable. For that reason alone I would recommend checking it out. The Italian food and funny dollar bill obsession also help.

A wonderful annual Festival in the North end. They have the best live entertainment and food!!! Yes…read moreseafood and Italian. A lot of fun vendors which include games and local restaurants and products. Most importantly, buy a raffle ticket to support a great organization to make this fun neighborhood event.