SUN 10/23: Rowing, Halloween, Art, Lanterns, Flies

There is music tonight as well, but the day is about to begin.

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SUN 10/23

8am to 4:30pm-ish
Annual Head of the Charles Regatta
along the Charles River, Cambridge (and Boston)
FREE

Maybe it's more exciting if your alma mater is racing, or you know one of the guys. Neither applies to me, but it seems like one of those classic New England events that everyone should experience if only for a little while.

I hadn't thought of it, but a New Zealand rower suggested this race is more curved than others.

Do I have a good spot to suggest? Anywhere that's easy for you. I usually do my Red Line thing and roughly walk from the Central Sq point somewhere close to Harvard Sq.

So it's like a walk along the river on an autumn day with more rowers than usual.

SUN 10/23

Noon to 4pm
"Monster Mashed Up"
from Union Square to Porter Square, Somerville [PDF map]
FREE

Sometimes my reading comprehension fails, because it took me a while to figure this was bigger than the usual ghostly tour of the Milk Row Cemetery.

Between Union to Porter, 2 miles of Somerville Ave will be closed to traffic for all sorts of fall/halloween fun at various spots.

From noon-ish to 6pm, there's a Oktoberfest-like spirit with live music and beer garden. The music is organized by Sally O'Brien's, Bull McCabe's, and Machu Picchu; so bands like Kevin Byrne, The Johnnie Come Latelies, and probably some pan-flute.

Since the guy who sang "Monster Mash" was from Somerville, DJ's will begin a "Monster Mash Mash-up" competition around 4pm.

Besides the cemetery tour, people can watch the Artisan's Asylum crowd take pumpkin carving to extremes or competitively cornhole for cash.

More family-oriented stuff is happening at Conway Park with costume contests and puppet shows, etc.

On the Porter Sq end, there's tango dancing and worldly music and a craft fair.

There should be other miscellanea along the way for those who prefer a more urban autumnal scene to a river stroll.

SUN 10/23

Noon to 5pm
Dorchester Open Studios
Various Locations in Dorchester (near Uphams Corner and Lower Mills) [PDF map]
FREE

It's a bit spread out, and more information was available on another site, but my theory is that lower rent attracts dedicated artists.

The number of individual studios and group locations are about even, it seems like most of the locations are in 2 neighborhoods. Yes, there are some rough areas -- but Dorchester is a big place, and much of the violence happens in one square mile...

SUN 10/23

6pm
Annual Lantern Parade
at Jamaica Pond, 507 Jamaicaway, Jamaica Plain
FREE

Even though this looks like it’s mainly a family/kids-oriented type of activity, single adults with attitude can also enjoy themselves with or without irony.

Think of it as hundreds of people walking around Jamaica Pond (not in the pond) with handmade lanterns for your pleasure. You walk around and enjoy the different views.

Just sit back and enjoy the view (or buy one or make one in the afternoon).

This could be an easy event for discreet flask-handling or equivalents...

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SUN 10/23

7pm
"Lord of the Flies": Workshop Performance
at Jewels 2 Studio, Room 356, CFA Bldg, 855 Comm Ave, Boston (BU campus)
FREE

Besides lectures and classes, BU has a program of events meant to engender conversation on various topics like "violence". What a great story to cover the underlying violence and selfishness in modern society.

Someone better yell, "I have the conch!" because that's one of my favorite lines from the book.