She is an accomplished pianist and singer/songwriter and has been dedicating a lot of her time on that of late…We have chosen to have her as a featured video for a while to let you see how talented she is.  Tickets can be bought at Mechanics Hall website.

The holiday tree lighting is scheduled to take place at 5:45 PM and then children will have an opportunity to visit with Santa on the Worcester City Hall Plaza. The ceremonial first skate will be led by members of Special Olympics of Massachusetts, Greater Springfield and North Section Bowling, Sailing and Skating, as well as members of the Worcester Junior Sharks Youth Hockey, Skate Club of Worcester, North Star Figure Skating Club, Colonial Figure Skating Club, Why Me/Sherry’s House, Becker College Ice Hawks, the College of the Holy Cross Women’s Ice Hockey, Assumption College Ice Hockey Team and Finz. The Colonial Figure Skating Club’s 2013 New England Regional Champions and 2013 Eastern Sectional Competitors will cap-off the procession with a mini-skate show performance for attendees.

It will be pretty cold tonight with temperatures being forecast in the 20′s and low 30′s with possible snow flurries so dress accordingly.  Making sure the kids are ready for the weather will allow them to enjoy the events as well as the skating that will be open to the public from 6:30 to 8:00.  Also be sure to bring a toy gift for Toys for Tots if you are able.  One of the things I enjoy so much about the holidays is the spirit of giving so if you can, give.

Worcester’s City Manager Michael V. O’Brien touts this as “another success story for our Downtown”.  I can’t agree with him more.  Making downtown Worcester a destination for family friendly activities will keep people in town after work and will also attract people from other Central Mass towns.  For the ice skating please note that Skate Rentals will be available for $3, admission is $2 and children 6 and younger can skate for free.  More details about the Worcester Common Oval Schedule and tonight’s Worcester Festival of Lights can be found at the below links.

Worcester Common Skating on the Oval

 Worcester Mass Festival of Lights

Here is a video announcing the skating festivities for tonight’s opening of the oval and a quick view of the Worcester Oval as it stands today ready for skating.

Last week we gave you a heads up on the PumpkinFest and AppleFest events that took place the past weekend.  Both Ecotarium and Wachusett events are a good example of the family friendly events that take place each year during the Halloween season.

Each year we look to update our list of Halloween events and parties available in the Worcester area for both families and more adult focused fun.  This year we have a new event that adds to both categories.  Canalloween allows for both family fun during the day and some hot Halloween parties at a number of bars and clubs in the Canal District.

Canalloween features a Monster Dash for kids starting at 2:30pm on Saturday and a Halloween parade that begins at 4pm.  The kids race is only 1k whereas they also have a 5k starting a half hour later.  You can get more information about the race including registration and course info at a dedicated website www.scarymonsterdash.com.  There are fees to participate and online registration will need to be done by the end of October 24th.  The other option is you can register in person.

Since Halloween is in the middle of the week this year most events are taking place on Saturday.  Our 2012 update of the Halloween scene continues with another new event that takes place next Monday October 29th.  The Worcester entertainment store ThatsE is sponsoring a free showing of A Creature Double Feature at the Elm Draught House Cinema in Millbury.  They are billing it as the That’s E Halloween Bash.  The 2 movies are Ghostbusters and BeetleJuice and the event starts at 6pm.

Here is an updated listing of annual parties and events that take place in and around Worcester.  Another good list to check out for night parties is the list of establishments that have signed up to be part of Canalloween (look under Bars & Clubs).

More Family Friendly:

Haunted Higgins Higgins Armory Museum

Things that Go Bump in the Night Halloween Event Old Sturbridge Village

More Adult Oriented:

Haunted Mansion Halloween Costume Party The Palladium Takes Place this week Thursday October 25th!

Halloween SALSA Dance/Social Worcester Hibernian Cultural Centre

Halloween Party with Mass Octane Jillian’s – Worcester

The Deadites Halloween Extravaganza Lucky Dog Music Hall

Dogfish Head Halloween Bash The Dive Bar

Play for Blood Halloween Party Tammany Hall

As always we wish you a safe Halloween season.  We have included some of our past Halloween related posts that are good references for other things like planning your own Halloween party and places to buy costumes both online and off.

Worcester Halloween Events and Activities 2010

Worcester 2010 Halloween Planning Guide

Plan Your Halloween Party 2010

I also found a video to the old Creature Double Feature intro from Channel 56 (yes sadly I remember this):

We are doing a quick update for Halloween Season inspired events for this weekend October 20-21.  We will be updating our bigger Halloween related information next week but we didn’t want you to miss these earlier events.  The Worcester Ecotarium is putting on their annual PumpkinFest event that is not only fun for kids but educational as well.  We have included a video from the Telegram that does a great job spotlighting what to expect.  It takes place tomorrow from 12 noon to 9pm.  Tickets can be bought at the door.  More information including a full schedule can be downloaded at the Ecotarium website.

The second event we wanted to mention is Wachusett’s Applefest which includes a Pumpkin contest, Apple Pie contest and Hike just to name a few of the events scheduled.  More information can be found on their website as well.  The event takes place on both Saturday and Sunday to be sure to see their detailed schedule.

The Fall Foliage season is in full swing in New England so depending on where you want to go you want to make sure you haven’t missed the best.  The forecast for this week (Sept 30 – Oct 6th) most of Massachusetts based on the MassVacation foliage tool I use every year shows that they think most of Massachusetts is still turning.  I would have to agree since the weather has been more on the warmer side.  The tool has forecasts by week and the week of (Oct 7th to October 14th) shows that it thinks the peak for Western and Central Mass will be happening. So you might get some good views of the leaves this weekend.

An activity that might cover all of my Columbus Day weekend favorite activities would be a visit to the Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston.  Each year they hold a Shades of Autumn event that includes pumpkins, Apple Orchard Tasting Tours and Hayrides.  It is a great day trip to participate in their Family Celebration of the Fall Harvest Season.  For those not familiar with the area Boylston is just NorthEast of Worcester about 20 minutes by car.

For those that may prefer indoor activities you should check out the Ringling Brothers Circus which will close out it’s latest visit to the DCU center on Monday.  The circus is always a great hit for kids and adults alike and there still are tickets as of this writing.  Another indoor option would be catching the 3d version of FrankenWeenie.  A good way to get into the upcoming Halloween season.  As mentioned in a previous post the closest Imax 3D theater to Worcester is the Jordan’s Furniture IMAX in Natick.  They do have Frankenweenie showing this weekend too.

As usual whether you get a chance to catch the foliage or pick apples in the Central Mass area this Columbus Day Weekend or not you can always check out our previous posts to help you make the most of the Fall Season in and around Central Massachusetts.

Here are some related posts:

 Central Mass Actvities Columbus Day Weekend

Central Mass Fall Foliage Season 2010

Apple Picking in Stow, Massachusetts

As a preview here is the trailer from FrankenWeenie which is getting good reviews.  Tim Burton can be hit or miss for me but based on the reviews I’ve seen this movie plays to his strengths.

Fireworks always seem to symbolize American Independence Day to me so if you don’t get a chance to catch those that are scheduled today as part of Worcester’s annual Independence Day activities it is definitely worth checking out the Worcester Tornadoes Fireworks Friday schedule for the summer.

The 2 main Independence Day celebrations that we will highlight today are the annual Worcester Fireworks and Concert and the Old Sturbridge Village Fireworks displays that happen tonight, July 3rd.  You can also return to Sturbridge Village tomorrow to continue the celebration since they offer a full day of Patriotic activities that are great for families.  Here are the highlights of tonights event per their website:

Reading of the Declaration of Independence

19th-century magic with Robert Olson

Comedic juggling

Concert on the Common with the Blackstone Valley Bluegrass Band

Games and contests, including pie-eating, sack races, and quoits (similar to horseshoes, popular in early New England)

Food, beverage and souvenir tents – including beer and wine

And of course, FIREWORKS!

Worcester’s Fireworks Celebration also includes the Massachusetts Symphony Orchestra.  They have a few free summer concerts that they put on including this one.  The event will be held at Christoforo Columbo park on Shrewsbury Street with activities starting off at 6pm.  According to the Worcester Chamber of Commerce (a sponsor of the event) the schedule is a follows:

6:00 pm – Park opens – Kid’s Korner
7:30 pm – Festivities will begin with a flag raising ceremony
8:00 pm – Massachusetts Symphony Orchestra performs
9:30 pm – Fireworks Display

As of right now the weather seems to be on track to cooperate though given the weather lately being prepared for an errant thunderstorm might not be a bad idea.

For other Independence Activities and events in the Central Mass area the Worcester Telegram attempts to gather as much information about the Central Massachusetts towns that hold events.  I have found that sometimes it is hit and miss.  Going directly to the town website like the Town of Shrewsbury for example gets you the best information.

Keep safe and enjoy celebrating the birth of the United States!  If you are really lucky you may have a super long weekend too.

I think one of the things that continue to make these concerts popular is the range of performers.  From today’s jazz to indie rock , blues, irish folk rock, latin and reggae, there is something for everyone.  It is also a way of showcasing local talent like Dom which performs next week.  They are from Worcester and received a 2010 Boston Music Awards for Song of the Year.

The following is taken from Worcester’s press release for the schedule of performers:

June 29: Linda Dagnello Jazz Quintet
Led by the hip, mainstream vocals of Linda Dagnello, the quintet brings its jazz experience to the Worcester Common. Well-known for their appealing recreations of jazz standards, the series is happy to have the quintet for what is sure to be a sublime afternoon in the sun.

July 6: Dom
Dom has recently ascended to become one of the best indie rock bands in the nation. Having won Song of the Year at the 2010 Boston Music Awards, and having since opened for acts like Jane’s Addiction and Ratatat, Dom brings a renowned, popular and sunny rhythm to the City of Worcester.

July 13: Twangbusters
Boogie on down on this date to hear American roots music from a super group of well-known local musicians, including Paula Bradley, Dr. Z, and “Wild Bill” Nadeau who have played with luminaries Junior Brown and Tony Trischka. With drums, guitar, piano and even a ukulele, the Twangbusters are sure to rock the Common with their unique blend of music.

July 20: Delta Generators
This band, nominated for a Boston Music Award in 2011 for their contributions to the blues scene, creates a fun and unique atmosphere for their listeners. Employing musical devices from rock & roll, soul, funk and a smattering of country, the Delta Generators are sure to get the Common moving and swinging.

July 27: Dale LePage and the Manhattans
With all of the hits from the “Mad Men” generation, Dale LePage and the Manhattans are sure to be a crowd pleaser. Sounds from Sinatra and Elvis will radiate across the Common, bringing people back to well-loved and memorable pieces of music across a few decades. Dale LePage lends his vocal talents to a band that “swings with soul,” whenever they’re in town.

August 3: Stone Clovers
Bringing Irish Folk Rock to the masses by fusing it to their musical interests in jazz, reggae, rock and funk, the Stone Clovers, all from Worcester, have honed their skills playing all over New England to reach their current prowess. Punching out music inspired by the emigrant to America’s experience, the Stone Clovers are an impressive bunch you won’t want to miss.

August 10: Boogaloo Swamis
Boston Blues News called them “the best New Orleans music you’ll find outside the bayous.” Their infectious rhythm and song choice will have you on your feet in no time, grooving and clapping to the beat. Combining influences from Cajun zydeco and Americana strands, the Boogaloo Swamis bring a rarely seen rhythm and style to the Northeast.

August 17: Grupo Fantasia
Sounds of the Caribbean will ring out when Grupo Fantasia comes to the Common. After having netted the 2009 New England Urban Music Award for Best Latin Band, the band continues to produce and play live music. The group’s leader, Angel Wagner, began touring with a musical group at age eleven, and has even played at Madison Square Garden. With so many years of experience, their honed talents and large repertoire are sure to impress all who come to listen.

August 24: Dis-N-Dat
Reggae has come a long way since the days of Bob Marley, and Dis-N-Dat is here to prove just how far it’s come. With a four-time Grammy nominated band member in Rangotan, Dis-N-Dat brings its neo-reggae style to the Common for an afternoon fusing musical influences from dancehall, reggae and roots music. Known for their energetic performances, be sure to save the date for this band.

August 31: SPF-4
Kicking out the jams on one of the final days of the summer, SPF-4 is a surf band with great rock riffs and amazing instrumental talent. Delivering each measure with tremendous purity and tonal quality, the band is on the breaking lip of the new wave of surf music here in the United States. Don’t miss out.

As a testament to the popularity of the concert series is that 2 weeks were added and more vendors have signed on so you don’t necessarily have to pack up a lunch.

Here is a video of one of DOM’s live performances of Living in America(courtesy of VacantMoon on Youtube):

The beat is so contagious… Enjoy the summer concerts!

We put together some videos for Memorial day where we posted some Elementary School Students singing some wonderful American classics on YouTube. Though they were performed for Memorial Day they are very much a part of celebrating Independence Day.

This is the Oh Beautiful for Spacious Skies…. Enjoy!

Courtesy SharksVision on YouTube

Our favorite Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski made the trip out to Worcester last week to perform his famous spike move with a puck at the opening of the Worcester Sharks game.

Though some of us still are wincing at the Patriots loss to New York poor Gronk did the best he could with his hurt ankle.  Based on the video he has a positive attitude about the recovery of his foot surgery so we will all cross our fingers as we hope for return to the Super Bowl next year for the Patriots.

Though the Sharks lost to the Providence Bruins that day there is still plenty of hockey to be played with a stretch of five home games starting next Tuesday March 6th.  Check out the remaining schedule at the Sharks Website.

If you visit Bill Gibbons profile page you can see quite an impressive history with the Holy Cross basketball team which played competitively with both teams at the games we attended.  The first game was against Harvard that was played in Cambridge.  They won 73-68 in a game that I honestly was going to be a blowout since Harvard came out early with a strong lead.

Our kids love both basketball and Holy Cross ever since when we brought them over to see the football games featuring Dominic Randolph a couple of years ago.  They were quietly cheering for the Crusaders at Harvard’s Lavietes Pavilion and could not believe how red Bill Gibbons face was getting as the game went back and forth.  When the Crusaders came back into town we took them over to the Boston College game which started out well but was one where the Crusaders could not hold on.  The reality was that they played quite impressively though given that these were out of league games.

The team has 10 games left before the Patriot League Quarterfinals.  They all are in their conference so they can make a significant improvement in their record.  Given Bill Gibbons record of about 19 wins per season the team will have to run the table to beat the average since they only have 11 wins.

They are playing Bucknell tomorrow at 1:00pm tomorrow and are a great way of experiencing college basketball at a pretty reasonable price, especially for a family with kids ticket prices at $6.  This another example of Worcester Area Sports events that are pretty reasonable for families.

The question will be whether his record will hold scrutiny as something that supports his stance as an independent voice.  From my perspective it has been a bit of a mix which does support an independent streak.  One of the interesting things so far is that Senator Brown has remained a bit low key with his Democratic opponent Elizabeth Warren being much more “out there” trying to get her message across.

The key issue in the coming campaigns whether it is the national presidential campaign or the Senate race will be jobs and that is where Elizabeth Warren may have her Achilles Heel.  Job creation will take a bipartisan approach.  She will need to step forward with more than just ideals she will need to offer ideas to help not just the Massachusetts job market but the US job market as well.

Is Scott Brown an underdog in this race?  Well since Massachusetts has been such a blue state any Republican will always be faced with strong full out assaults especially after Martha Coakley’s lay low approach gave Senator Brown the seat in the first place.  What Senator does have though is at least a track record not just in Washington but in his interactions with his constituents as well.  Even though it is only 2 years it is more that Warren has.

Warren did also come to Worcester yesterday as well emphasizing that the people like those in Worcester and Central Mass represent why she got into the race.  It will be interesting to see how much more time she spends here as the campaign continues.

For more information about both campaigns be sure to visit there websites:

http://www.scottbrown.com

http://elizabethwarren.com

Here is a video courtesy of NECN.com which shows Scott Brown at his recent Job Fair here in Worcester at Worcester State University where more than 3000 people came in hopes of getting closer to their next job…

If you are out and about it’s a good time to visit the Massachusetts Vietnam War Memorial and the Korean War Memorial.  The Massachusetts Vietnam War Memorial is in Green Hill Park and is quite a sight.  It is “the most beautiful memorial outside of The Wall in Washington D.C.”.  They have planned a wreath laying ceremony at 3pm tomorrow(Veterans Day).  The Korean War Memorial is the one pictured here and faces Union Station.

You can also try to catch 3 other events that have come to our attention this year.  Old Sturbridge Village holds  a Veterans Day celebration with activities surrounding the history of our nation’s military.  They also are offering Veteran’s special discounts.

All active and veteran members of the military get FREE ADMISSION on Veterans Day for themselves and their families (up to 6 people).

The celebration takes place from 9:30 to 5pm.

The Worcester Sharks will be playing tomorrow and the military gets free admission with proper ID.  They will be playing Bridgeport at 1pm.

Lastly you can take part in the annual Worcester Veteran’s Day parade.  We have included a video that the Telegram shot last year of the parade.  Enjoy and make sure to Thank a veteran or two this weekend!

Great Pumpkin Fest

AppleFest

Haunted Higgins which is taking place at the Higgins Armory Museum highlighted in the picture is taking place this Saturday from 11am to 3pm.  They are also offering a discount of one free child dressed in a costume of course.  They have to be 12 and under to qualify.  Another setting that is more family friendly is Old Sturbridge Village that will host its’  Things that Go Bump in the Night Halloween Event on Saturday.

The Lucky Dog in Worcester will host the annual DEADITES Halloween Bash which will include the BLK Vampires as well.  The festivities will begin at 8pm to 2am.  Other parties and bashes in the area include:

Halloween SALSA Dance and Food Drive on Halloween night at the Worcester Hibernian Cultural Centre (you will need to call them for details since they have not updated their website)

Halloween Party with Mass Octane Jillian’s – Worcester

The Deadites Halloween Extravaganza Lucky Dog Music Hall

Dogfish Head Halloween Bash The Dive Bar

Play for Blood Halloween Party Tammany Hall

If Halloween is not your thing there may still be time to enjoy some of the fall activities in Central Mass.  There isn’t much time left for ApplePicking and foliage though since the weather forecasters are forecasting snow this week.

As a reference we are including links to last year’s post on Halloween that also included ideas for throwing your own parties and buying or making your own costumes.  They can serve as your 2011 Worcester Halloween Guide when taken together with this post that highlight Halloween events for 2011.

Worcester Halloween Events and Activities 2010

Worcester 2010 Halloween Planning Guide

Plan Your Halloween Party 2010

Have fun and stay safe!

As in the past we recommend you use some tools to plan your trips more easily.  For apple picking be sure to check out ApplePickingBoston.com.  Last year I thought they had not included the farm that we went to (HoneyPotHill) but it turns out it is on the edge of Middlesex County versus Worcester county.  Most of the apple picking orchards also have pumpkin picking as well but you should call to check if that is what you really want.

For Fall Foliage the tool we recommended last year has been updated.  The tool is maintained by the Massachusetts Office of Tourism and depending on where in Massachusetts you would like to go the Fall Foliage season is in full swing.  According to the tool the season started September 12th and is forecast to end November 13th.  Given the warm weather this year you might be better off waiting a week or 2 unless you are going way out to Western Mass this weekend.

Another cool function of the tool though is that it has an events option where you can see what events might be going on for a particular week.  For instance this weekend The Third Annual Blackstone Valley Fall Family Festival is going to be taking place in Whitinville, MA which is less than a half hour south of Worcester and north of Uxbridge.  Lastly closer to home at the DCU Center you can catch the Barnum and Bailey Circus.  They will be here through the weekend and tickets are still available.

Related Articles:

Central Mass Fall Foliage Season 2010

Apple Picking in Stow, Massachusetts

Blackstone Valley Mall

I recently found a video where Lt. Governor Murray highlighted the many things that Central Mass and Worcester have going for it.  The format is a bit dated since it was done back in 2007 but it does mention so much of what we in Massachusetts take for granted, “So Much, So Close”.