Local Expert
Maria Olia
I am a freelance writer and the author of “The Little Black Book of Boston” (Peter Pauper Press). I fell in love with Boston when I was a kid, came to the city for college, and never left!…
I am a freelance writer and the author of “The Little Black Book of Boston” (Peter Pauper Press). I fell in love with Boston when I was a kid, came to the city for college, and never left!
Travel is my passion; and I have written dozens of articles about the various places that I have visited. My absolute favorite travel destination is Tuscany, the most “exotic” place that I have visited is Iran, and my dream vacation is Greece.
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The banners are up! Boston and Cambridge are getting ready for the 44th annual Head of the Charles Regatta on Saturday October 18 and Sunday October 19th.
This is an international rowing event and the world's largest two-day regatta. We are talking 55 race events, more than 7,000 athletes and as many as 300,000 raucous spectators crowds lining the banks of the Charles River to party and cheer on the crews!
The crews consist of both individual and team competitors from colleges, high schools, and club teams from across the country and around the world.
The races start from the Boston University boathouse and end more than 3 miles upstream near the Northeastern University boathouse. There is lots of room to mingle!
Throughout both days there will be a rower's expo, lots of food vendors, and sponsors giving out free product samples.
Many spectators will view the races from the seven bridges that cross the Charles River along the race course. Another option? The white dining tents of Reunion Village that line the Boston side of the river at the halfway point near the Weeks and Lars Anderson bridges. Various alumni organizations rent spaces (with hardwood floors and chairs!) for their members and their member's "friends". Entrance is only $1 (the money goes to local charities) and food and drinks are available to purchase. Special Note: Reunion Village is the only legal site along the race course that allows consumption of beer and wine!
And as with all big Boston events, there will be plenty of street closures ,so use the T and walk.
With a large population of graduate students and intellectuals, Boston supports the screening of many thought-provoking art films throughout the city.
One of the best movie houses in town that regularly screens independent and international film is the Remis Auditorium at the Museum of Fine Arts. for those watching their entertainment budge note that tickets are a relative bargain too- general admission for all screenings is just $10.
This fall, several international film festivals are scheduled. The Boston Palestine Film Festival is scheduled for October 4-October 12. This year's highlights include the screening of 10 films, many of which address the issues of the Palestinian diaspora. There will be a visit by filmmaker Michel Khleifi on October 11 and a concert by acclaimed international musician Simon Shaheen on October 10th.
Although the exact film and event schedules have not been finalized, the Boston Jewish Film Festival runs from November 5-Novenmber 16 and will screen recent film festival features and documentaries with Jewish themes. And finally, the Boston Festival of Films from Iran is planned for November 7-28 and always has an impressive line-up of internationally awarded art films made in Iran which offer an interesting perspective of modern-day Iranian society.
Boston's newest park system, the Rose Kennedy Greenway has had a staggered opening over the last two years or so, but Saturday October 4th is the big -deal inaugural celebration.
Throughout the day there will be children's activities, environmental exhibits, music and dance performances, and free carousel and ferris rides that will mark the official opening the Rose Kennedy Greenway. All events are free and activities are scheduled park -wide
The 1-mile ribbon of new parks and walkways along Boston's waterfront became possible when the Boston's old elevated Central Artery came down as part of the "Big Dig" highway project.
Boston reclaimed some prime waterfront real estate and created four new parks: Chinatown Park, the Dewey Square Parks, the Wharf District Parks and North End Parks.
Coinciding with the celebration will be Illuminale Boston 2008. Throughout the duration of the festival; October 1-5, several of Boston's landmarks including South Station, Rowes Wharf ,the Custom House Tower, and the Northern Avenue and Sumner Avenue bridges will be creatively and artistically lit. The festival will showcase the latest in energy-efficient lighting and highlight Boston's incredibly beautiful urban nightscape.
Like any world-class city, Boston is home to the "holy trinity" of performing arts organizations- symphony, ballet, and opera. Now that it is fall, the season-opening performances are about to get under way. Here’s an arts preview of the upcoming Boston Symphony, Boston Ballet and Boston Lyric Opera seasons.
The Boston Symphony Opening night at Symphony is always a highly- anticipated Boston event. This year, opening night is September 24th with an all-Russian program featuring music by Tchaikovsky and Mussorgsky. The BSO has a full season that runs until May 2nd . It is ambitious- with familiar works by Beethoven , Mozart and Brahms as well as world premieres of music by American composers Elliot Carter and Leon Kirchner. The BSO attracts the very best soloists too- featured artists this season include pianists Daniel Barenboim and Imogen Cooper, cellist Alban Gerhardt , and violinist Julia Fischer.
The Boston Ballet "Cinderella" opens the season on October 16th. This is an art-deco inspired, contemporary take of the classic fairy tale. Next is the Boston Ballet’s much-loved Nutcracker, which takes over the Opera House for the holiday season from November 28th -December 28th. "Black and White", Balanchine’s "Jewels" , "Sleeping Beauty" and a tribute to the Ballets Russes will be performed this season as well.
The Boston Lyric Opera Boston Lyric stages three lavish performances each season. Tales of obsessive love seems to be the theme this year. Offenbach’s "The Tales of Hoffman" opens on November 7th. In the spring, Dvorak’s fairy tale "Ruslaka" will be presented , followed by Mozart’s masterpiece "Don Giovanni". And don’t be intimidated- all the performances have "surtitles"- projected English translations
With the cost of travel increasing , everyone is looking for ways to stretch their vacation budget. Thrift is a New England virtue, so Bostonians know a thing or two about bargains! Here are three discounts and deals to help you see and experience Boston on a budget.
Boston CityPass . One money saving price- currently $44 for adults and $24 for kids ages 3-11- gives you admission to six of Boston's top attractions including the Museum of Fine Arts, the New England Aquarium , the Museum of Science, the Harvard Museum of Natural History, the JFK Presidential Libaray and the Prudential Center Skywalk Observatory. The pass is valid for 9 days from its first use. The City Pass represents an almost 50% savings over regular admission prices and there is the added advantage that you don't have to wait in line for tickets at each venue!
Go Boston gives you admission to over 60 of Boston's main attractions and sightseeing tours- including the very popular Duck Tours. The card is available in one,two, three, five or seven-day increments. The adult price for the card currently starts at $55 for the one-day card, $115 for the three day card. If you have an ambitious itinerary this may work for you!
Bos Tix- Now that it is fall, there is an amazing number of cultural events happening around the city. For same -day, half -price tickets to theatre, music, and dance performances check out one of the Bostix Booths -one is just off the Freedom Trail at Quincy Market, the other is in Copley Square. Tickets are sold in-person, and are cash only but you can check the website to see what's available that day.
Autumn and jazz. The Berklee School of Music hosts the 8th annual Beantown Jazz Festival September 26th and 27th - certainly one of the city's most popular outdoor events.
Some of the performances- like the kick off concert-are ticketed . This year, a Drum Summit on September 26th at the Berklee Performance Center featuring Berklee alumna Cindy Blackman and Terri Lyne Carrington will begin the festivities.
But the big-deal event occurs on Saturday September 27th from noon until 6 PM and is totally free. There will be three outdoor stages set up along Columbus Avenue between Burke Street and Mass Ave. The Beantown Jazz festival always has a terrific line-up of acts that cover jazz in all its incarnations - Latin, blues, world and gospel.
Throughout the day, national headliners like Kurt Elling, local favorites like Rebecca Cline, and quite possibly the jazz stars of tomorrow with the Berklee City Music All-Star Ensemble, will perform for a large and appreciative audience. The Beantown Jazz Festival is family-friendly event too- with a moon bounce, face painting , and an instrument petting zoo just for the littlest jazz fans.