Around the World in 5 Hours - The World Folk Fest!

Lynn:
October 10, 2009:
Lynn Heritage State Park was one loud and busy place yesterday, as the Friends of Lynn Heritage State Park put on the World Folk Fest. Postponed from last Saturday because of bad weather, the Friends made up for it this weekend with a show featuring music from all over the world.

From Russian to Spanish, Cajun to Mamadou, performances featured musicians and dancers who really brought each culture to life for their audiences. It was awesome to see people celebrating so many different cultures!











Click here for more info on Lynn Heritage State Park

Friends with Feathers

East Boston/Winthrop:
September 21, 2009: This Monday the Friends of Belle Isle Marsh introduced the public to the region's "Birds on the Beach" in an open forum. The bird-news is good: Two endangered species, the Piping Plover and the Least Tern, have nested in the area!

Everybody's coming back to the beaches...



To learn more about the Friends of Belle Isle Marsh, click here.

Endless Summer in Hull

Hull:
September 13, 2009: I wish summer could go on forever, and apparently, so does the town of Hull.



The Endless Summer Waterfront Festival by the Hull Nantasket Chamber of Commerce might not actually stretch out summer to December, but at least proves that the Beach Season doesn't end on August 31.

Nantasket Beach offered a warm, summery day, and the Festival featured Live Music, Hot Dog Eating Contests and Sand Sculpture Competitions.

Clearly, summer isn't over yet!



Click here for the Hull Nantasket Chamber of Commerce website and here for their Facebook group!

Summer Reading Nights

Dorchester:
August 30, 2009: The reading events in South Boston last year were so popular that other communities wanted to share them, too.
The Tenean Beach Association made a start with their reading event Books on the Beach on Tenean Beach.

I think these programs are a great way for kids to enjoy the beach and have an educational experience at the same time!




Learn more about the Tenean Beach Association on their Facebook page!

Boys and Girls and Family Fun

Dorchester:
August 28, 2009: Like the first event in June, the Boys and Girls Club of Dorchester's second Family Fun event on Malibu Beach was a real blast for the kids!

The event featured Moonwalks, face painting, refreshments and blubble machines.
Especially face painting and the bubble machines were a big hit.



The beach was alive with all the colors from the kids' face paintings.

What a great sight!





























Learn more about the Boys and Girls Club of Dorchester by clicking here!

Treasure Hunting at Winthrop Beach

Winthrop:
August 27, 2009:

Thanks to the Parks and Recreation Department and the Girl Scouts of Winthrop, kids of all ages made their way to Winthrop Beach last night to hunt for treasure with their parents and friends. The Harbor Islands-themed hunt was part of the Winthrop Collaborative's Expanded Summer Activities, and everyone got active and followed their maps from the Union Congregational Church to Winthrop Beach, looking for "X" marks. Every team celebrated when they reached their goal on the map and claimed their prize for finding the buried treasure! A sense of adventure and dedication really pay off when hunting for treasure!


Click here to learn more about Winthrop Beach

Dancing in the Sand

East Boston:
August 22, 2009: The weather could have been better, but enough guests attended the East Boston YMCA's "Beach Dance" to keep Constitution Beach bustling!



Aside from the dance, beach explorations for kids, arts and crafts and a Wiffle Ball Tournament made this day another great day at the beach!



Want to learn more about the East Boston YMCA? Visit their website and Facebook page!

Arts on the Shore - Beach Fest!

Quincy:
August 16, 2009: Friends of Wollaston Beach

Yesterday's "Arts on the Shore" brought close to 1,000 people out in droves to Wollaston Beach to do some arts and crafts projects and have a fun time with their friends and families. Artists were lined up along the beach, painting pictures of the scenery as spectators passed by. Some families built sand castles, while others made sidewalk chalk drawings. The kids also went crazy over the clown show, balloon animals, moon bounce and face painting.

And of course a beach event wouldn't be complete without beach games, courtesy of DJ K9 from Radio Disney!















Click here to learn more about the Friends of Wollaston Beach and their Facebook page

Go, Dorchester Beach Festival!

Dorchester:
August 8, 2009: The Dorchester Beach Festival has it all:

Canoeing, sailing, beach volleyball, a scavenger hunt, games, a kite flying demo, bands...

And all for free! Savin Hill and Malibu Beach are really great for a Beach Party, and I hope next year the Festival's hosts Friends of Savin Hill Shores, lots of Volunteers and sponsors will make this fun event happen again!



Visit the Dorchester Beach Festival website and Facebook page to learn more about this fun event.

Little Mermaids on Winthrop Beach

Winthrop:
August 6, 2009:

Thanks to the Winthrop Collaborative's "Extended Summer Activities," lots of kids and their families enjoyed a free puppet show on Winthrop Beach on Tuesday evening. The puppeteer put on an interactive, family oriented show for the kids, who all watched in fascination as mermaids and sailors came to life before their very eyes!




Click here to learn more about Winthrop Beach

Fun Nights on the Beach, Part 2

South Boston:
August 6, 2009: The second Family Fun Night on Carson Beach by the South Boston Neighborhood House had a "Make Way for Ducklings" theme, and the beach was yellow from all the kids dressed up as baby ducks.

Like the first event in July, this event featured games, reading performances and free books.















The little ducklings had big fun with reading performances, games like Duck races on the sand - even a ride on the SuperDuck!




For more information on the South Boston Neighborhood House and their programs, visit their website and Facebook page.

!!!SOUNDWAVES!!!

Boston Harbor, Peddock's Island:
August 1, 2009: What a party! Everybody's out on their boats, in their swimsuits, partying to free live music from the band boat! If the party gets too hot, you just take a plunge into the cold water.
Awesome!!!



SoundWaves is part of AquaPalooza, the world's biggest boating party. On Boston Harbor, SoundWaves/AquaPalooza took place at Perry Cove on Peddock's Island, and the Harbor was packed with lots of boats and even more party people.

Can't get enough of parties like that!



Want to be part of the party next year? Visit the AquaPalooza website and Facebook page!

Tot Lot Tuesdays Begin!

Quincy:
July 28, 2009:

The Friends of Wollaston Beach hosted their first "Tot Lot Tuesday" last night on Quincy Shore Drive, beginning the summer program with an underwater themed puppet show! Parents brought chairs and blankets to relax on the beach, while their kids watched in fascination, munching on their free ice cream, as Rosalita's underwater puppets came to life!

The Friends also ran a kite festival this spring, where kids of all ages learned how to fly kites and showed off their new skills to all their friends!











The Friends have some cool events planned for later in the summer, including a Sing Along with Jeff Jam on August 18 and a Story Night/Book Swap on September 1.

Be sure to check out their Facebook page and stay updated on their Tot Lot and other summer events! Based on last night, the rest of their events are going to be pretty awesome, don't miss them!

Be sure to visit their website and Facebook page

Tons of Fun on Tenean Beach Day!

Dorchester:
July 25, 2009: Tenean Beach Day is the big annual Beach Party on Tenean Beach, hosted by the Tenean Beach Association.



This year's party saw gorgeous weather, and everyone enjoyed a great day at the beach with music and ice cream!

You could rent canoes and participate in water races, and the younger kids got their faces painted.

It was a fun day at Tenean!





Don't miss the 2010 Tenean Beach Day! To stay up-to-date, visit the Tenean Beach Association's Facebook page!

Not so blue on the BluesBoat

Boston Harbor:
July 25, 2009: The Blues Festival SoundWaves takes place on the water!

The "Blues Boat" departed the wharf in front of the Boston Harbor Hotel to Spectacle Island, where it docked for a couple of hours so people could go for a walk or a swim before returning "home."
All this time while the bands were playing, I was rocked by SoundWaves and actual waves alike!

Summer Concert Series Featuring the Renowns!

Lynn:
July 19, 2009: Friends of Lynn Heritage State Park

Local residents and youth groups took advantage of the nice weather yesterday afternoon to help kick off the Summer Concert Series at Lynn Heritage State Park. Everyone brought their lawn chairs to see the Renowns, Boston's premiere vocal group, perform some of their favorite hits and songs. Some even brought their dancing shoes, grooving to the beat of the music with their friends and family members!













Click here to learn more about Lynn Heritage State Park

Revere:
July 18, 2009: You just can't take your eyes off the stunning sculptures - all made out of nothing but sand.

It's the New England Sand Sculpting Festival, an annual event on Revere Beach hosted by the Revere Beach Partnership, and it's the world biggest sand sculpting event!

People from all over the country come to Revere to turn sand into art, hoping to win the $5,000 for the first place in the competition.

The Festival, is definitely one of the highlights on Revere Beach. Visit the Festival's website to see the winning sculpture "Mirror" from this year's competition and
check out all the photos from the Festival to pick your own winner!







You can learn more about the Revere Beach Partnership and their events by clicking here.

Art at the Beach

Winthrop:
July 11, 2009:



The Winthrop Collaborative started their "Extended Summer Activities" today with the Winthrop Art Association's "Art at the Beach." As people walked along Shore Drive, they saw local artists create some mini-masterpieces on the spot, and even got to create some artwork of their own!


Some artists were painting seascapes and pictures of birds, others were decorating bird houses and chairs. But no matter what canvas the artists were using, all the observers had a great time watching them and seeing the finished masterpieces!

Click here to learn more about Winthrop Beach. Click here for information about the Winthrop Art Association.

On the Beach with Books and Beans

South Boston:
July 9, 2009: Beans on the Beach? Yes, please!

Over a hundred families had lots of fun with the Boston Baked Bean theme of the first of two Family Fun Nights on Carson Beach, South Boston.


The Family Fun Nights are an early books reading program by the South Boston Neighborhood House that features reading performances and free books for all kids.
At the Boston Baked Bean event, the kids also enjoyed guessing "how many beans are in the jar" and making their own Boston Baked Bean.

The South Boston Neighborhood House launched the Fun Nights last year, and they turned out to be a hit, which is no surprise to me: I am looking forward to the next Fun Night in August, and I'm sure so are the kids!


For more information on the South Boston Neighborhood House and their programs, visit their website and Facebook page.

Fireworks on the Beach!

Lynn/Nahant:
It's the night before the 4th of July, the band is playing and the beach at Lynn Shoredrive is illuminated by fireworks.




So begins the Red Rock Summer Concert Series, a series of free summer concerts by the Friends of Lynn and Nahant Beaches. Over 1,000 people have come to Red Rock Park to be part of this event, to enjoy the music and the amazing view overlooking Lynn Beach.

After the initial celebration, 7 more free concerts will rock Red Rock Park for the 14th year.

It's going to be a great summer!


To learn more about the Friends of Lynn and Nahant Beaches and their Concert Series, visit their website here.