SAT 10/1: Food, Art, Honk, Fests, Science, Rock

The Honk! Festival is so wonderful and really the highlight of the weekend. Above are a few pix from two years ago. (What happened last year? I don't remember.)

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SAT 10/1

11am to 5pm
2nd Boston Local Food Festival
outside Boston Children's Museum, about 308 Congress St, Boston (Seaport/Fort Point)
FREE

I saw a list of 10 ways to become a locavore; another good step would be to stroll along Fort Point Channel, and there will be plenty of tips. Why eating local? Less travel time, less fuel costs, more ripening, less processing, more good karma, and we might have to do it when civilization collapses...

There will be demonstrations on how to eat/cook locally like "Eating Local Without Killing Yourself" (11:30am) or "Baking with Local Food" (1:45pm) or "How to Eat Locally for Under $5" (11:15am). There are specific, practical sessions like pickling, dehydration, root cellars, soda making, etc.

I'm intrigued about seeing how one butchers a whole pig (11:15am) and other meats. Not exactly a home operation, but interesting to watch. There will also be demos for those who'd like to feel more comfortable cooking seafood.

Food samples should be available $5 or less. Of course, there will be information booths and the like; and there are bands as well..

The best tip I saw: Reduce waste by bringing your own shopping bag, napkin/handkerchief and eating utensils.

SAT 10/1 (and SUN 10/2)

11am to 5pm
Lowell Open Studios

11am to 6pm
Roxbury Open Studios

11am to 5pm
Watertown Open Studios

So we're in the middle of Open Studio season. Again, I like these things to talk to the artists and see their studios. Maybe you can do your holiday shopping early over the next couple months.

Which one to go to? Whatever works for you. Lowell has a handful of locations that are cluster with a couple outliers. Watertown's artists are mainly at the Arsenal Center, a building of artist studios, and a few single spots. Roxbury is dispersed, but there are trolleys to make it easier -- one could take the Orange Line or the "E" Line, then venture from there.

SAT 10/1 (and SUN 10/2)

Various Times
Honk! Festival & Parade
Around Davis Sq, Somerville & Harvard Sq, Cambridge
FREE

Saturday -- 1pm to 9pm
Sunday -- Noon to 6pm

Maybe I can't be objective about the Honk! Festival, because I live in Somerville and love New Orleans. Hey, am I ever objective? Honk!Fest is the best free event of the year!

Not all of these horn bands play in a New Orleans second-line style, but there's a blissful "bon temps" that's rolling all over the place for 9 hours. It's not just the music, it's the free spirits that frolic and dance along makes this a sublime experience.

About 30 bands from New England and around the country including Austin, a couple Northwest bands, and Young Fellaz Brass Band (2pm, 6pm) from NOLA. I wouldn't worry about seeing specific bands unless you want to see Austin's Minor Mishap or Seattle's Titanium Sporkestra. On second thought -- if you haven't seen Second Line Social Aid & Pleasure Society Brass Band or What Cheer? Brigade, you really should ASAP.

On Sunday, you can parade along with the bands to Harvard Square Oktoberfest. Many of the bands will perform on various stages.

SAT 10/1 (and SUN 10/2)

Noon
Annual CollegeFest
at Hynes Convention Center, 900 Boylston St, Boston (Back Bay)
$10

Saturday --Noon to 7pm
Sunday -- Noon to 6pm

College students: Grab shwag, get on mailing lists, and hear live music. I wouldn't have liked it when I was college-age, but people have told they had a good time.

Thousands of other students will be there, so it's another chance to meet people besides the people on your campus...?

SAT 10/1

1pm to 5:30pm
Franklin Park Fall Forest Festival
near Valley Gates Parking Lot, Circuit Dr, Boston (between Playstead and Golf Course)
FREE

1pm to 3pm -- nature hikes & activities
4pm to 5:30pm -- Fall foraging edible plant walk

Recently, someone said to me that the public space we were in was "underutilized". I had to point out that we were utilizing it at the moment.

Franklin Park is there everyday, and they have activities on a regular basis to encourage stuff like walking, biking, foraging, and climbing trees.

It sounds strange, but there will be organized tree climbers

SAT 10/1

1pm to 3pm
2011 Ig Nobel Awrards: Informal Lectures
at Room 100, Bldg 26, 60 Vassar St, Cambridge (MIT campus)
FREE

Did you ever hear of homosexual necrophiliac ducks? They are real, man... Every year, the most ridiculous scientific studies are recognized by the Ig Nobel awards.

This is a chance to hear science at its most ludicrous when researchers are recognized for strange studies they publish. In 5-minute lectures, the winners will describe their research in such topics as pee-time decision-making, beetles who love bottles, dizzy discus throwers, and more.

You know one of the late-night talk-show hosts will make a joke out of this year's wasabi fire alarm for deaf people.

Seating is limited.

SAT 10/1

9pm
Township, Sidewalk Driver, Andrea Gillis Band, Trabants
at Brighton Music Hall, 158 Brighton Ave, Allston
$10 / 18+

Are you ready to rawk? There is one really awesome cheap rock show, and I'm still listing it because I didn't notice there was a different price at the door.

Township has a new CD, and they're celebrating with an awesome bunch of bands that unofficially kick off Rocktober. This place should be big enough for everyone who wants to be there. It should just barely hold the Township's big riffs and the major vocals from the like of Andrea Gillis and Tad from Sidewalk Driver. If you miss Ketman who had their last gig a few weeks ago, they still pretty much play surf music together as Trabants.

There is way too much good music to quibble over $2. Boogie down, rip it up, and sway in various directions around the compass.

SAT 10/1

11:30pm
J. Cannibal's Feast of Flesh XI
at Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St, Brookline
$10 advance / $12 door

Feat: "Demons", Black Cat Burlesque, Acaro

Since I didn't quibble over $2 on the previous gig, I'm still listing this one.

I've been to the Feast of Flesh in the past, and the crowd really gets into it yet no one gave me a hard time for looking normal. We're there together to watch a horror film, live burlesque & heavy metal, and other stuff like a best-zombie contest.

It should be a full house, so be careful about showing up at the last minute.