This might have not been one the greatest festivals I've attended but it did give me something to…read moredo on Saturday evening. Most importantly, it was FREE and Chicago was performing! Still humming, Your the Inspiration.. Yep, my soul is old lol. Warren Street, such a small side street... They do provide carnival games, a few kid friendly rides and plenty of food. I did treat myself to some little neck and cherry stone clams. 6 for $8, why not?!? I also grabbed a sweet Italian sausage with peppers and onions for $8. If you are curious about food prices in general, what else can you expect from festivals besides overpriced? The performance stage is located all the way towards the end, where it was heavily congested. You basically had to push your way through.. Also, adjacent to the stage is where you'd find the roped off beer and wine stand. I did notice the older attendees who brought camping chairs. I didn't know where to stand as I did not want to obstruct their view. Awkward! I you decide to go, I would recommend looking over the the event details beforehand. You would think I was smart enough to do so! I didn't realize Chicago would be out at 9pm. After being there for roughly 1.5 hours, I was ready to leave... Ooh! And parking is free at the lot, follow the signs! Street parking is free after 6pm as well.

A MUST DO! A FREE EVENT! FREE ADMISSION, FREE PARKING & FREE TOP NAME ENTERTAINMENT FOR 3 DAYS &…read moreNIGHTS! The City of Cambridge MA. announces the 94th Annual Italian Feast of Cosmas & Damien September 6, 7, 8, 2019. This Feast is known for their GIANT SING ALONG at NIGHT - the whole audience sings along to the hit songs. BE PREPARED TO COME HERE & SING ALONG. If you don't know the groups or the songs go on YouTube & learn them. The FREE ENTERTAINMENT includes all groups who had huge hits on the radio over the decades. All-4-One ( I Swear, I Can Love You Like That, So Much in Love), Peaches & Herb (Shake Your Groove Thing, Reunited, I Pledge My Love), The Drifters ( Under the Boardwalk, This Magic Moment, Save The Last Dance for Me), The Manhattans (Kiss & Say Goodbye, Shining Star, It Feels Do Good to be Loved), Bonnie Pointer ( Heaven Must Have Sent You, Heaven, I Can't Help Myself). There is also Vinyl Groove, World Premiere, & others as well. Check the website for times & dates. There is a lot of Italian Food & Pastries you can buy, Carnival Rides & Trinkets. It is a smaller feast than the feasts in The North End Boston but they bring in Top Name Entertainment for Free. They shut down the streets & it is packed with People. FUN FUN FUN! It used to be, you had to have mega bucks & be really rich to have the Good Life, not anymore. The Game has changed. You've been Upgraded. Now You Can Live Like a King on a Limited Budget!

I love chocolate and I can't think of a better way to kick off the weekend in the middle of what I…read morefind a gloomy, harsh winter. With some light entertainment (music troupe) and chocolate, what more can you ask for at this 10th year of the festival? Line started forming around 12/12:15PM. We were lucky that today was warmer in comparison to weeks ago but it easily could have been frigid. I do suggest being prepared attire wise in case. By the time I left with a full plate of samples (fudge, ganache, chocolate dipped bacon, tiramisu, Starbucks brownies, Crema Cafe brownie/chocolate cake, JP Licks hazelnut ice cream and more), the line extended over 5 blocks long. I wish I was able to document all the goodies and vendors but it was too crowded to take pictures of every stand. As per the event website (http://harvardsquare.com/events/legendary-10th-taste-chocolate-festival-harvard-square), these are the vendors: Benedetto Cabot's Candy DAVIDs TEA Flour Bakery Freepoint Hotel Harvest Henrietta's Table JP Licks Parsnip Pressed Juicery Roseadela's Seacoast Sweets Starbucks Tatte Bakery & Cafe Toscano Zinneken's Suggestions for a more organized event though I could see how some of these may be difficult to execute: - Have previous registration - Use a fenced in area to ensure that those waiting in line can get a fair chance at getting samples - it seemed like anyone off the street could just join in at lightly crowded vendors instead of waiting in line for a plate that organizers hand out at the beginning; vendors are too busy to regulate who waits in line or not - Token/raffle ticket system - i.e. give a string of 12 tickets and each patron can use their tickets how they choose; in this way, there are more samples to go around Overall, I enjoyed the event, recommend it, and would definitely come again.

Who doesn't love free chocolate? The Harvard Square Chocolate Festival is an annual tradition (now…read morein its 8th year) and occurs over one weekend in late January. The festival culminates in a one-hour free chocolate tasting event that is held in Brattle Square, usually from 1-2pm on a Saturday. I attended the one-hour tasting today, and it was fantastic! The lines start to form around 12:30pm, so getting there early is a must. Also note that the event is outside, so dress warmly since you will probably be standing in line in the cold for 30 minutes to an hour. Once the line starts moving, it goes fast. The event features a lot of local businesses like J.P. Licks, Ben and Jerry's, Crema Cafe, and so on, and you basically pick up a plate and then move along the line to different tents in order to grab free samples. Some of the goodies that I got today were: - cup of hot chocolate from Shake Shack - scoop of chocolate ice cream from Ben and Jerry's - scoop of chocolate ice cream from J.P. Licks - mini chocolate covered cannoli from Toscano (delicious! My favorite item) - chili chocolate mini cupcake from Crema Cafe - Chocolate chip cookie from UNO's - Bite-sized portion of chocoalte cake from Wagamama - Chocolate square with a dab of honey from Follow the Honey - Sponge cake from El Jefe's - Fudge from Cabot Candy Most of the vendors also have free coupons and discounts that you can grab to encourage you to visit their stores. There was also a music group that was playing, and it contributed to the festive atmosphere of the event. Overall, I was very happy with the event - I just wish it could happen during the summer when it isn't so cold to stand outside!

A wonderful annual Festival in the North end. They have the best live entertainment and food!!! Yes…read moreseafood and Italian. A lot of fun vendors which include games and local restaurants and products. Most importantly, buy a raffle ticket to support a great organization to make this fun neighborhood event.

Why is this policeman band playing the same some over and over again? Why are there little girls…read morechanting in Italian? One is suspended over the crowd from a wire. AND SO MANY DOLLA BILLS. On ribbons and banners. Being passed through the streets and wrapped around a statue of the Virgin Mary. I'm confused. But admittedly intrigued. The Fisherman's Feast is an interesting cultural festival that you should experience at least once in your life. There's food and music and bursts of confetti fill the air (I don't envy the street cleaners the next morning). But the repetitive, drawn-out ceremony and crowded North End streets don't make me yearn to return next year. As with your typical North End festival, this Fishy Feast boasts the standard (overpriced) arancini/pizza/cannoli stands, some games for kids, and musical performances on the main stage. But if you want something unique, stick around for the closing ceremony. Sunday night is when the real action happens, as a statue of the Virgin Mary is processed through the streets of the North End. The statue is hoisted up and carried by some large, polo-wearing men who are accompanied by a band (playing the same song again and again and again). About an hour after commencing her journey in front of a church, Mary ends up in the middle of the festival where ribbons of money are rolled out of windows and wrapped around her. I'm not about to ask where these Italians obtained all the $1 bills, but those ribbons sure are long. The band's still playing. Some other ceremonial happenings take place (an old woman needed to go touch the statue for some reason). It takes a while. Then two girls in balconies on opposite sides of the street (lovingly called "side angels") begin chanting in Italian, complete with corresponding arm movements. Although we had no idea what they were saying, the "Marias" and "Reginas" made it pretty clear that Mary was the focus of their long, repetitive diatribes. Now it's time to fly! The band finally begins playing a different song as the smiling, air kiss-blowing main angel appears on her balcony and is hoisted into the air on a wire. She dangles above the crowd and is slowly moved to a position in front of the statue, where she too (amidst even more confetti) speaks to her for a while in Italian. And that's pretty much it! I have to admit I was impressed by these girls' memories, and they looked so happy and honored to be part of the ceremony (what little girl doesn't want to dress up like an angel and fly, after all?). The North End locals really drive the festival; their immense pride and sense of community is palpable. For that reason alone I would recommend checking it out. The Italian food and funny dollar bill obsession also help.

Fantastic event!! This was made for me as I swear I'm pizza's biggest fan!…read more My husband and I bought tickets to the event online which included 2 pizza-slice-tickets per entry-ticket. You can buy additional pizza slice ticket packages at the event (we bought an additional 5 slice tickets). The ticket idea to "pay" for the slices at the stands is genius as it keeps the lines moving very quickly. We were able to try pizza slices from the following: Quattro Pizza a Vico Florina Pizzeria Pizza by Rocco Peppino's Pizza Little Steve's Pizzeria Daiya's vegan pizza Sally's A Pizza We couldn't pick a favorite as they were all different and excellent in their own right. We loved each slice for different reasons, however I will say our least favorite was the vegan pizza. That slice didn't stand a chance against what I like to call "pizza made from real ingredients." We were very impressed with Pizza a Vico (straight from Italy!) as they were making the pizza dough from scratch on site. I didn't see any other pizza vendor doing this and it paid off as they definitely had the best pizza crust, hands down. I already can't wait to attend this event next year! :)

Overall great event but WATER IS NOT ALLOWED IN, regardless if unopened. We witnessed manyyy people…read morein this 90+ degree humid day required to chug or toss bottles and no free water was provided. You had to pay money for all drinks. So you can host some vodka drinking contest but you can't provide water to your patrons? Huge no no. Otherwise, pizza is cheap and delicious. A few lines to wait but overall quick to grab a range of delicious slices. Everyone working was super friendly. Highly recommend but make sure you hydrate before and after!!

I have been to my share of local beer festivals, but I have to say after attending the 2014 Extreme…read moreBeer Fest this past March, I have to say it was far and away the best beer fest I have been too to date! Extreme is definitely what it sounds like - crazy varieties and collaborations, many of which have pretty high ABV. To me this is a great way to taste beers that I would not normally find in my local package store, taste beers from breweries I have not had the opportunity to try and best of all meet the brewers to talk all things beer! The folks at Beer Advocate (who put on the event) do a great job at getting a pretty wide variety of craft and "craft" breweries to attend this event. At no time did I ever feel that the event was overly crowded and although there was a bit of a wait for some of the more popular beers (like the Funky Budda French Toast), they moved quickly. In addition the fest had several food vendors set up - and let me tell you after several hours of beers nothing tasted better than that Roxy Grilled Cheese I scarfed down. A few tips for first time attendees - *If you are from out of state I would strongly suggest staying overnight. These beers are extreme and after you will be glad if all you have to do is head to your hotel rather than drive home. *There were food vendors but I also highly suggest having a bite to eat beforehand. The fest is located around the seaport so there are several dining options nearby. Remember this is an EXTREME beer fest. Nothing worst than being "that guy/girl" at the end having to be dragged out. *Before you go, make sure you check out www.beeradvocate.com for a listing of breweries/beers. Makes it easier to go in with a game plan then wandering around aimlessly. *Remember everybody is here for the same reason - BEER. Don't be pushy, there is plenty to go around!

The festival certainly sets itself apart from the rest of the beer festivals in Boston. Hosted in…read morethe seaport world trade center, it was easy to get to and the huge variety of vendors here was mind boggling. What makes it extreme though? The Brewers are encouraged to bring their most off the wall stuff, so you'll find few pils or hefeweizens here. Instead we sampled many sour, stouts, and sour stouts. The stand out to me was Burley Oak. There was a surprising amount of sour beers but we chalk it up to the recent rise in popularity of those types of beers. They were all pretty strong beers too! They had some food vendors here too, so if you get the munchies while sampling, you will find some tasty bites.

Love this place especially if you love some old school games. Love that you can play games for free…read more(ps5 or Xbox) just pull up to the bar an ask. Good drinks but it's about 75% ice in the large glasses. I've been here several times and the service is pretty good but it does get busy. The ambiance is nice and has an upscale arcade feel to it. Food is not bad for some burgers and dogs. I love that it's literally a hidden gem through the freezer.

This is such A FUN BARCADE! My friends and I went out for the night for drinks, mini-games, and…read moresilly laughter times! The service at the bar was fast and smooth, it got busy at times, but I didn't have to wait more than 3 minutes for a drink. When you come to the establishment, it is in the BACK, you have to go through a metal door, so it has a cool speakeasy like vibe. You have to provide some $$ to get arcade coins, but it wasn't expensive, we got to play a lot of different games like basketball or foosball or racing. The one downside is that at the time we went, the music was so loud, it was almost impossible to hold a conversation in the arcade, so I hope they would reduce the volume a little bit for future patrons. Otherwise, I would highly recommend this as a spot on a cold day with friends or even as a date night!

Incredibly long lines. Too many people. Ran out of ice cream hours before closing time, vendors…read morewere leaving early. This is for charity so I don't feel great about leaving a negative review, but this was a poorly planned and poorly run event. The most expensive two tiny scoops of chocolate ice cream I've ever had. In past years this experience was much better. Typically lines were only a few people and you wouldn't have to wait very long, there were more vendors, and vendors did not run out of supply. The people in charge of the event this year should have limited the crowd size and better controlled the space. The lines were so long they crashed into each other and it was impossible to even determine what line you were in. Very negative experience. Cannot recommend.

So glad to finally join in on the Scooper Bowl. I've always seen and walked by the Scooper Bowl in…read morepast years and this time around I couldn't pass up the opportunity for Scooper Bowl at Night a 21+ event. I will say the lines were quite long and if they were to do it again I wish they'd expand the perimeter of the 21+ event. The ice cream was delicious and I got to try plenty of flavors. I decided to attend because Bart's one of my favorite ice cream places from western mass was serving the Purple Cow. I can't recommend that highly enough if you're ever in Amherst. I liked the options for drinks as well. While I was originally in line for wine, their portions probably wouldn't be considered generous. So I ended up with with harpoons pale ale which was very good and perfect for the nice weather since it had a hint of citrus. It was a better bang for the buck, my friends got the hard seltzer drinks and said they were very good.

Hmm.. Hot Mess is rite. The past two Sundays I went here, I didn't make it to work on Monday…read more This is particularly embarrassing as I work a nite job... Oops. This nite was moved from Estate Sundays, and its home at Underbar seems much more comfortable. The decor is a tad cheesey, what with all the sea shells, blue paint, and driftwood style furniture, BUT this makes for some killer "Part of Your World" recreations that I swear will never get old ! YES! The drink prices aren't bad for a Theater District club. I think my drinks were $8, but .. after the 5th one I think I was just throwing all money at the bartender and asking if I gave enough. What seals the deal here is the MUSIC. They alternate DJs, but they play amazingly danceable remixes of random songs from the 80s and 90s. There is furniture all over the place that you can dance on, too. Dance boxes.. tables.. chairs.. couches.. nothing is safe. I think I saw someone put a cup on the ground just stand on that and dance. The swirling lights, loud music, fun crowd, (and yes.. maybe the drinks), all made for a rockin' good time. Unfortunately, I am running out of excuses as to why I am so "sick" on Mondays.. hrmm..

Horrified straight girl: OMG some girl is up on stage spilling her drink everywhere and throwing up…read moreon herself. I think she needs help! Bartender: Oh thank you! I'll let security know... *30 seconds pass, bartender returns* Bartender to me: Oh that was just Fena! Fena Barbitall is one of Boston's best drag queen performers. Hot Mess Sunday @ Underbar is by far my favorite and most tragic night in Boston. The kids who work the weekends or the ones who don't want it to ever stop extend their time off into the early hours of Monday morning boozing, cruising, and dancing to a crazy mash up of music. Every table, chair, box, face, etc is in danger of being danced on. PROCEED WITH CAUTION. I suggest you wear something that you're okay with being covered in alcohol because there is a 99 percent chance that someone including yourself is going to spill on you. There's hardly any cell service in this underground space so it's best to plan strategically with your friends at brunch earlier in the day what the game plan is. That's also a great opportunity to throw out any ideas for excuses why you need to call in sick to work the next morning.