Monthly Archives: January 2016

Weekly Event Summary (Jan. 29th – Feb 5th) – Family Friendly Boston Cambridge

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Weekly Event Summary (Starting Jan 29th)

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1) National Choreography Month Boston ‘Shorts’ (Tomorrow)
2) Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Keynote and Performance (Tomorrow)
3) Winter Panto 2016: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Jan 30)
4) Cardboard Tube Fighting Leauge – Boston (Jan 30)
5) Cambridge Winter Farmers’ Market (Jan 30)
6) Mindset of Success at Harvard (Jan 30)
7) Somerville Winter Farmers’ Market (Jan 30)
8) Travel Tuesday: China (Feb 2)
9) Drawing in the Galleries at the MFA (Feb 3)
10) Public Open Night the BU Astronomical Observatory (Feb 3)
11) Frog Pond Ice Skating (Feb 4)
12) ICA Free Thursday Nights (Feb 4)
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Detailed Listings
________________________________
1) National Choreography Month Boston ‘Shorts’ (Today)
When:
Friday, Jan 29, 2016 7:00p –
Sunday, Jan 31, 2016 6:00p
Where:
The Dance Complex
536 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139
Admission:
FREE
Free performances of dance by local artists for National Choreography Month Boston. Each year, dance artists gather in a series of workshops, feedback sessions and performances to focus on dance making for one month – January.
A series of shorts showcasing 3 NACHMO Artists each evening preceding CATALYST Performances
Friday January 29th, 7:00-7:45PM
Juliana Utz / Turning Key Dance
Josie Bray
Lily Cryan
Saturday January 30th, 7:00-7:45PM
Deadfall Dance
Meghan Carmichael
Carlee Travis
Sunday January 31st, 6:00-6:45PM
Heather Brown
Jordan Jamil
Claire Johannes
Penumbra:Movement/Eugenia Kim
What is NACHMO?
NACHMO is your yearly choreographic kick in the pants conceived by Sharyn Korey and Anna Brown Massey. We spur dancers to choreograph by challenging you to work against a deadline. You?ve got one rollicking month from January 1st to the 31stto forge new steps and complete your piece. Your work doesn?t have to be good, nor does it have to be public, but it does have to be done. For this one month each year, we put aside our excuses, our hesitations, and perhaps our day jobs to work intensely on making dance. Through the communal NACHMO blog, social media, and live events throughout January, we provide opportunities for individual artists to network and collaborate.
For more information visit http://www.nachmo.org/boston/ 
2) Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Keynote and Performance (Today)
When: Friday, Jan 29, 2016 7:00p – 9:00p
Where:
Berklee Performance Center
136 Massachusetts Ave
Boston, MA 02115
Admission:
FREE
This celebration features a performance by Ledisi and a keynote address by Beverly Morgan-Welch, the associate director of external affairs at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, opening on the National Mall in 2016.
3) Winter Panto 2016: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Jan 30)
When:
Saturday, Jan 09, 2016 1:00p –
Saturday, Jan 30, 2016 6:00p
Where:
BCA Plaza Theatre
539 Tremont St
Boston, MA 02120
Admission: $20
Regular price tickets $20 — get half price tickets here:
Hold onto your hats! imaginary beasts sweeps into town like a cyclone this January with a tale full of magic and wonder when they refashion an American classic into a fantasy of technicolor proportions!
When a terrible twister drops Dorothy and her little dog Toto somewhere over the rainbow, they must take a journey of discovery to the Emerald City in order to get ?Home, sweet home?. But when our young heroine realizes that her Auntie Em has followed her to the Land of Oz the adventures really begin.
L. Frank Baum?s beloved fairy tale receives the full Panto treatment when the beasts return to Boston with their favorite cold weather tradition, and audiences of all ages will want to follow the ‘yellow’ brick road to the Boston Center for the Arts.

4) Cardboard Tube Fighting Leauge – Boston (Jan 30)
When:
Saturday, Jan 30, 2016 11:30a – 2:00p
Where:
Boston Commons
139 Tremont St
Boston, MA 02116
Admission:
FREE
Create your best cardboard armor and come out to battle. Be sure to check out some pics from the 2009 CTFL – NYC battle for some creative armor design tips.http://gothamist.com/2009/07/13/cardboard_tube_war_ravages_mccarren.php#photo-1
It’s a free family event. It is recommended that only children above the age of 5 participate.
Location:
Boston Commons
Entry Fee:
FREE to the public!
What to bring:
Water, warm liquids, cameras, video cameras, drone cameras?, name tags & positive social attitude
Attire:
Cardboard armor, costumes are encouraged.
All tubes are provided by the group.
No outside tubes allowed, liability and cost are the drivers for this ruling.
5) Cambridge Winter Farmers’ Market (Jan 30)
When:
Saturday, Jan 30, 2016 10:00a – 2:00p
Where:
Cambridge Community Center
5 Callender St
Cambridge, MA 02139
Admission:
FREE
Join us for the 5th Annual Opening Day of the Cambridge Winter Farmers Market at the Cambridge Community Center! We will be open every Saturday from 10 am – 2 pm from January through April!
The opening day will feature local food and drinks, live music, an art project hosted by the Riverside Gallery, a photo booth, and face painting.
Our vendors for opening day:
Valicenti Pasta Farm Winter Moon Roots Copicut Farms Jubali BirchTree Bread Company Marblehead Salt Co. Sweet Lydia’s Apex Orchards El Recreo Estate Coffee, Inc. Fungi Ally Freedom Food Farm Levend Bakery Chickadee Farm Silverbrook Farm Narragansett Creamery The Soup Guy Honeycomb Creamery Kitchen Millie Lilac Hedge Farm Dan’s Power Plant Moose Cup Samira’s Homemade Just Add Cooking Soluna Garden Farm Jennifer Lee’s Gourmet Bakery
Our musicians:
JackKnife Valentines
JackKnife Valentines influences run from Bob Dylan and the Band to James Brown, Bill Withers and Gil Scott Heron. With two amazing lead singers in Jimmy James and Gene McAuliffe, their songs span roots americana, soul and country. Members of the band have played in prominent blues, rock, and alternative groups around Boston for several decades. Basically, it’s all about soul and playing from your heart.
James McCarthy
James McCarthy is a singer, pianist that performs upbeat pop music and catchy original songs.

6) Mindset of Success at Harvard (Jan 30)
When:
Saturday, Jan 30, 2016 1:00p – 5:00p
Where:
Harvard University
Harvard Hall 104
Cambridge, MA 02138
Admission:
FREE
Start your new year off with 8 thirty minute talks from successful people with a variety of backgrounds. The speakers range from a world famous DJ, someone who went from homeless to multi-millionaire, a Peak Performance coach for fortune 500 CEOs and more. 4 hours on January 30th of great content and great networking.
RSVP now on the provided link below!
Hope to seeing you there!
7) Somerville Winter Farmers’ Market (Jan 30)
When:
Saturday, Jan 30, 2016 9:30a – 2:00p
Where:
Center for Arts at the Armory
191 Highland Ave
Somerville, MA 02143
Admission: FREE
Presenting the very best variety of products from New England farms and specialty vendors including vegetables, fruit, meat, cheese, fish, baked goods, and lots more.
Live music, delicious treats in two cafe areas and a chance to meet friends — Chase away the chill of even the coldest winter day with us!
December through March at 191 Highland Ave, Somerville, MA. Every Saturday from9:30 AM to 2:00 PM (closed Dec 26, 2015)
For more information visit http://www.somwintermarket.org 

8) Travel Tuesday: China (Feb 2)
When: Tuesday, Feb 02, 2016 4:30p – 5:30p
Where:
Boston Public Library
700 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02116
Admission: FREE
The Norman B. Leventhal Map Center invites kids ages 5-11
to explore our world on Travel Tuesdays.
Join us in February as we enjoy crafts and activities and learn about
Chinese geography, culture, and wildlife, and celebrate the Chinese New Year!
The event will be held in the Learning Center in the Norman B. Leventhal Map Center at the Central Library.
*The first Tuesday of every month is Travel Tuesday at the Map Center.
For more information visit http://maps.bpl.org/events 

9) Drawing in the Galleries at the MFA (Feb 3)
When:
Wednesday, Feb 03, 2016 6:00p – 9:00p
Where:
MFA
465 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA
Admission: FREE
Every Wednesday evening the MFA hosts an opportunity to sketch from live models and/or from objects in their collections. A drawing instructor provides insights on drawing technique and the artist-model relationship as it informs the creation of artwork. Limited drawing materials are provided to encourage spontaneous participation.
Gallery location varies; ask at the Sharf Visitor Center.
Free with MFA Admission – AND GUESS WHAT – it’s free to get into the MFA on Wednesdays!
10) Public Open Night the BU Astronomical Observatory (Feb 3)
When:
Wednesday, Feb 03, 2016 8:30p – 9:30p
Where:
Coit Observatory at Boston University
725 Commonwealth Ave
Boston, MA
Admission: FREE
The Public Open Night at the Observatory is a chance for people to come observe the night sky through telescopes and binoculars and see things they otherwise might not get to see, and learn some astronomy as well. The Open Nights are held most Wednesday evenings throughout the year, weather permitting.
It is open to everyone. Starting times are 8:30pm during the spring and summer, and 7:30pm during the fall and winter. The program lasts about an hour.
For more information visit http://https://twitter.com/buobservatory<http://https:/twitter.com/buobservatory> 

11) Frog Pond Ice Skating (Feb 4)
When:
Tuesday, Dec 22, 2015 10:00a – Thursday, Mar 10, 2016 10:00p
Where:
Frog Pond
Boston Common
Boston, MA
Admission:
$5
The absolute best place to skate outdoors in Boston. Open to the public with skate rentals available. Weather permitting, ice skating returns to Boston Common Frog Pond mid-November of each year.
Open Daily starting Saturday, Nov 22, 2015:
Mon 10AM-4PM
Tue-Thu 10AM-9PM
Fri-Sat 10AM-10PM
Sun 10AM-9PM
Daily Admission:
Adult Admissions (14+): $5.00
Kid Admissions (13 & under): FREE
Rentals:
Adult Skate Rentals: $10.00
Kid Skate Rentals: $5.00
Locker Rentals: $2.00
Skate Sharpening
$8.00 per pair
#holiday
#NYE

12) ICA Free Thursday Nights (Feb 4)
When: Thursday, February 04, 2016, 4 ? 9pm
Where: The Institute of Contemporary Art
100 Northern Ave
Boston, MA 02210
Cost: Free
FREE for all every Thursday from 4 to 9 PM during ICA Free Thursday Nights. Special hours: From Oct, 10, 2015 to Jan 24, 2016, Free Thursdays will start early at 4 PM in conjunction with Leap Before You Look: Black Mountain College 1933?1957.
For more information visit http://https://www.icaboston.org/visit<http://https:/www.icaboston.org/visit> 

Family Friendly Boston/Cambridge – Unexpected Places to Visit on the MIT Campus – MIT Colored Floor Exhibit – Sol Lewitt: Bars of Color within Squares

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MIT is fairly well know for its long hallway that connects multiple buildings together (better known as the infinite corridor). Less well know, and what I actually think of more as a hidden gem is the Sol Lewitt: Bars of Color within Squares Art Exhibit.

You can find this giant exhibit by walking the infinite corridor to its east most end, where you hit a T shape and are forced to turn either north or south.  If you turn south and walk a few paces (maybe twenty) there is a short five foot entry on the west side of the hallway.  If you get there between 9am-5pm you can open the door to the MIT physics department and the gorgeous colorful U-shaped atrium.

The atrium is fairly empty during the day and a great spot to visit during the cold glum days of winter.  I have taken my son there multiple times during the winter when we were going crazy from being stuck in our apartment but he had a slight cold or runny nose and I didn’t want to go to the playroom or playgroups and risk infecting other kids.  This was at least a bright, warm space where he could move around a little bit and we could get out of the apartment.

Things to Note:

1) Price
Free

2) Kid Friendliness
Pretty kid friendly.  I brought my son there as a baby and toddler and he was more than happy to crawl/run around.  However the exhibit circles a bunch of class rooms so this is not a place to be super rambunctious, to scream, or be loud and crazy.  Also you’ll be walking across the art exhibit and they ask that you not do anything that might damage it so keep that in mind.

3) Stroller Friendliness
I’ve brought a stroller here many times.  I usually walk it on the outskirts of the tile exhibit and park it by the benches near the south wall while my son explores the colors.

Summary and Rating: ★★★☆☆

Three Stars.  It’s a nice place to go for some variety in the winter.  It’s free, warm and bright, but it’s not a place that is super interactive or a place that my 3 year old son can really let loose.  If you’ve got younger children, like crawling babies this makes for a fantastic afternoon visit.

Have you been here before?  If so I’d love to know more about your experience and any tips or tricks you have in the comments section below.

MIT Sol Lewitt: Bars of Color within Squares Art Exhibit
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
77 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139-4307

Website: http://www.mit.edu/~lvac/percent/lewitt.html

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Review – VTech Inno Tab 3S

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This review is 100% my own opinion and is not sponsored by Vtech or anyone but myself.

I first started seeing the Inno Tab when I was really into entering blog giveaways sometime around Thanksgiving of 2014.  I think that the VTech Company must have been working hard to promote it before Christmas because there were a ton of different blogs with reviews and giveaways going on at about that time.

The more I looked at the reviews and read about the product the more interested I became.  I knew that my family would be spending half the day flying home to our extended families over Christmas and the though of flying with a nearly two year old lap child was daunting.  I needed something new that would keep him entertained for at least some of the trip.

The more reviews I saw and the more I looked at this tablet (it had had kid safe WiFi, kid friendly games, ebooks, videos, a camera, and video camera) the more interested I became.  This toy looked awesome.

I weighed the pros and cons of a VTech vs. a regular tablet, but the kid friendliness was just so appealing to me.  When I didn’t win any of the giveaways I entered I eventually decided it would be worth my traveling sanity to buy one.

I bought one and before we flew out I tried to get it set up to maximize its usefulness. The first thing I wanted on it were videos.  We have a bunch of family videos my son was mesmerized by and I wanted a few of those on the Inno Tab.  I plugged it in and attempted to move over some of the videos, but it didn’t seem to matter what format I had them in (I have Bachelor Degree in Digital Media, converting video formats is 100% within my scope of knowledge) I could not get the videos to load or be recognized.  I ended up spending way to much time and reading forum after forum to try to find a way to get personal videos on this thing and the task seemed akin to climbing Mount Everest.  I ended up feeling super disappointed and giving up, video play had been one of my main reasons for buying the thing.

Next I got onto their Learning Lodge to start adding some of the Kid Friendly games to the Tab.  There were a handful that came preloaded, such as a magic bean stock game, an art pad, a type pad etc., and with purchase of the device you were given a few credits to download additional games.  It looked like they had a number of great games sorted by both topic and relevant ages and they cost between $3-5 to download per/game.  They also had a ton of character driven games (popular disney and TV characters) and these were a lot more expensive, $7-15/game.

I downloaded my free three and we set off on our adventure.

Now the real fun started.  The VTech was fairly slow to load up, but my toddler didn’t really care.  It came with a stylus which was a little hard for my two year old to use but he did a decent job.  He enjoyed moving through the different icons and used the Vtech Inno Tab similar to how he uses my smart phone.  Then we got to playing the games.  I had downloaded a Tracing ABC Game (Letter Pooch), a puzzle Game, and a Grab the Letter type game.

My son had played lots of tracing ABC games on my phone and I was excited about this one because it was lower case letters.  We opened it and he started playing it, but for the life of him he could not complete the letter.  The Inno Tab or maybe the game, was completely unforgiving, you either tracked the letter 100% completely correct, with a not very sensitive stylus, or you started over.  He got frustrated with it after a few tries and asked me to help.   I leaned over to comply and was honestly amazed that as an adult with adult like understanding and coordination I struggled to complete the different letters.  It was really annoying to me and made me wonder if the people who created this game had ever user tested it, since it worked so incredibly poorly.

In the end I felt fairly dissatisfied with most of the games.  There wasn’t much to them, they went fast or slow or ended after five rounds.  And the only games the Inno Tab can have on them are game created specifically for the Inno Tab.  I guess I had gotten used to and comfortable with getting on the Goggle Play or Apple stores and downloading great Apps for free.  Such was not going to be the case with this device.

With all that said my son still likes playing with it.  He likes the handful of games I’ve put on it, and being able to use it without mom’s supervision.  The video camera and camera are fun, though really low resolution. If you have multiple children there are up to four different accounts you can set up on the device so they can each have their own stuff.  The Inno Tab can be set up to track their play results and report back to mom and dad which may be a nice thing for older children who are using for education (?).

My feelings are that this was overpriced (about $65) and disappointing.   I wish I had spent that money on getting my son a cheap tablet instead.  One where there are thousands of toddler friendly games available to download for free, one that can play any video I choose, and one that is sensitive enough that it will respond to a toddlers chubby fingers.   For now I turn off the WiFi on my tablet and let him use it when we’re in a pinch.

VTech Inno Tab 3S

Pros: 

  • Multiple User Accounts
  • Sturdy Plastic Casing
  • Worry Free WiFi

Cons: 

  • Slow
  • Expensive
  • Hard to Use
  • Touch Screen Not Very Responsive
  • Only Supports VTech Apps Which Are $$
  • Cannot Have Personal Videos or Ripped DVD’s Added to It

Sharing is Caring… Want to share this post?  Check out this ready made tweet:

Click to Tweet: Thinking about getting a VTech Inno Tab for you kids? Don’t! Here’s Why: http://bit.ly/1ltfCuc #Vtech #vtechinnotab

Toddler A-Z – 100 Objects that Start With the Letter “B”

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A group of my friends started doing something we are calling Toddler Time and each week we choose a letter to focus on.  I realized that finding objects that start with the letter of the week can be a challenge and I thought it might be helpful to have a long list of “B” letter objects them on hand.  If I’ve missed something drop me a note in the comments, I would be thrilled to add even more letter “B” objects.

Disclosure: I want to give you a heads up that this blog does use affiliate links (which means I make a percentage of the sale if you buy something) and this post might be sponsored or contain affiliate links. In either case please know all opinions are my own.

  1. Baboon
  2. Baby
  3. Baby Bottle
  4. Baby Buggy
  5. Baby Oil
  6. Baby Powder
  7. Back
  8. Backhoe
  9. Backpack
  10. Bacon
  11. Badger
  12. Bag
  13. Bagel
  14. Baking Powder
  15. Baking Soda
  16. Ball
  17. Ballerina
  18. Balloon
  19. Bamboo
  20. Banana
  21. Banana Bread
  22. Banjo
  23. Bank
  24. Barbecue
  25. Bark
  26. Barley
  27. Barn
  28. Barnacle
  29. Baseball
  30. Basil
  31. Basket
  32. Basket Ball
  33. Bassinet
  34. Bat
  35. Battery
  36. Beads
  37. Bean
  38. Bear
  39. Beaver
  40. Bed
  41. Bee
  42. Beet
  43. Beetle
  44. Bell
  45. Belt
  46. Berries
  47. Bib
  48. Bicycle
  49. Bin
  50. Bingo / Bingo Cards
  51. Binky
  52. Binoculars
  53. Bird
  54. Biscuits
  55. Bison
  56. Black
  57. Black Bear
  58. Blackfly
  59. Blade
  60. Blanket
  61. Blazer
  62. Blocks
  63. Blue
  64. Blue Cheese
  65. Blue Whale
  66. Blueberries
  67. Boat
  68. Bok Choy
  69. Bone
  70. Bonnet
  71. Book
  72. Boot
  73. Bottle
  74. Bow
  75. Bowl
  76. Box
  77. Boy
  78. Bracelet
  79. Bread
  80. Bridle
  81. Brie
  82. Broccoli
  83. Broom
  84. Brown
  85. Brown Bear
  86. Brush
  87. Brussels Sprouts
  88. Bubbles
  89. Bucket
  90. Buffalo
  91. Bug
  92. Bulldozer
  93. Bullfrog
  94. Bunny
  95. Burrito
  96. Bus
  97. Bush
  98. Butter
  99. Butterfly
  100. Buttermilk
  101. Button

Sharing is Caring… Want to share this post?  Check out this ready made tweet:

Click to Tweet: Help teach the alphabet with objects! Here is a list of 100 objects that start with letter “B”. #LearningLetters http://bit.ly/1V6ZkUj

Can you think of any other letter “B” words?  If so please comment and let me know, I’d love to get them added to the list.

You May Also Be Interested In:

Weekly Event Summary (Jan. 22nd – Jan 29th) – Family Friendly Boston Cambridge

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Family Friendly Boston Cambridge Weekly Event Summary

1) Winter Wildlife Cruise (Jan 23)
2 Family Fun Day Saturday (Jan 23)
3) Henna Night (Jan 23)
4) Show of Strength: A Concert for Refugee Relief (Jan 23)
5) Cambridge Winter Farmers’ Market (Jan 23)
6) Somerville Winter Farmers’ Market (Jan 23)
7) Wreck Shop Movement’s Subway Cipher (Jan 24)
8) Cambridge Symphony Orchestra Family Concert: Peter and the Wolf (Jan 24)
9) Family Shopping Sunday (Jan 24)
10) “Waking in Oak Creek” Free Film Screening and Discussion (Jan 26)
11) ICA Free Thursday Nights (Jan 28)
12) Frog Pond Ice Skating (Jan 28)
13) Winter Panto 2016: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Jan 30)
________________________________
Detailed Listings
________________________________
1) Winter Wildlife Cruise (Jan 23)
When:
Saturday, Jan 23, 2016 11:00a – 2:00p
Where:
Long Wharf North
66 Long Wharf
Boston, MA 02109
Admission: $15 – 20
Grab your camera and join park rangers and local naturalists to observe animals who make their wintertime home in Boston Harbor and around the outer Harbor Islands. Guest naturalists include representatives from the National Park Service, New England Aquarium and Mass Audubon.
Boarding begins at 10:30am at Long Wharf North. Full cash bar, snacks and hot soups will be available for purchase onboard.
In the event of severe winter weather, this program will be rescheduled to January 30.
Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for kids and seniors. Space is limited, and reservations and strongly recommended! Reserve your seat online at bostonharborcruises.com/boston-harbor-cruises/winter-wildlife-cruise
For more information visit http://www.bostonharborislands.org 
2) Family Fun Day Saturday (Jan 23)
When: January 23rd 10am-1:30pm
Where: Peabody School Gym
70 Rindge Ave.
Cost: Free
Hey Cambridge Families!
Did you know our Family Fun Day is this Saturday, January 23rd from 10am-1:30pm at the Peabody School Gym (70 Rindge Ave.). Children ages birth?8 years old and their families are invited to join the Center for Families for a fun morning of arts & crafts all about Antarctica, moon bounces, face painting, book giveaways, toddler obstacle course, infant area, performer, a light lunch, and more! Call CFF at 617-349-6385 for more information.
The weather forecast is for a snow storm on Saturday. We usually don?t cancel Family Fun Day unless it is a State of Emergency. We will post updates on our website and listserv in case of cancellation.
We hope to see you there!
Christine
3) Henna Night (Jan 23)
When:
Saturday, Jan 23, 2016 6:00p – 9:00p
Where:
Turkish Cultural Center Massachusetts
500 revere st
Revere, Ma
Admission: FREE
Turkish Cultural Center invites you to experience a traditional Turkish Henna night. This is a free event and for ladies only. Turkish food will be served.
4) Show of Strength: A Concert for Refugee Relief (Jan 23)
When:
Saturday, Jan 23, 2016 5:00p – 8:00p
Where:
Aeronaut Brewing Company
14 Tyler Street
Somerville, Massachusetts 02143
Admission: FREE
Looking to listen to great music, drink delicious beer, spend time with awesome friends AND support an important cause? We’ve got it all right here! Plus, a raffle with great prizes and access to a playlist featuring songs from our performers with every donation of $5.00 or more! All ages!!!
Show of Strength: A Concert for Refugee Relief will raise money for the American Refugee Committee! It features several local musicians performing on two stages at the lovely Aeronaut Brewery.
The raffle includes prizes such as a gift card to Aeronaut Brewing Company, gift cards to Flatbread Somerville, Redbones and Diesel Cafe, a surprise gift from Comicazi, free classes at OnStage Dance Company, and a gift from Circle Socks, a free 60 minute message from Etant, A Spa for Well Being, 2 free tickets to Somerville Theatre and more!
The performers include: Proper Company, Bron Don, Yohannes, Ryan Sweezey, Prateek Poddar’s music, Mary Casiello & Dann Russo, Hannah Christianson,Choro Sincapado (Ansel Barnum in the mix!), Juan Dhas, Sean Peters and more!
For more information visit http://https://www.facebook.com/events/191214874560032/
5) Cambridge Winter Farmers’ Market (Jan 23)
When:
Saturday, Jan 23, 2016 10:00a – 2:00p
Where:
Cambridge Community Center
5 Callender St
Cambridge, MA 02139
Admission:
FREE
Join us for the 5th Annual Opening Day of the Cambridge Winter Farmers Market at the Cambridge Community Center! We will be open every Saturday from 10 am – 2 pm from January through April!
The opening day will feature local food and drinks, live music, an art project hosted by the Riverside Gallery, a photo booth, and face painting.
Our vendors for opening day:
Valicenti Pasta Farm Winter Moon Roots Copicut Farms Jubali BirchTree Bread Company Marblehead Salt Co. Sweet Lydia’s Apex Orchards El Recreo Estate Coffee, Inc. Fungi Ally Freedom Food Farm Levend Bakery Chickadee Farm Silverbrook Farm Narragansett Creamery The Soup Guy Honeycomb Creamery Kitchen Millie Lilac Hedge Farm Dan’s Power Plant Moose Cup Samira’s Homemade Just Add Cooking Soluna Garden Farm Jennifer Lee’s Gourmet Bakery
Our musicians:
JackKnife Valentines
JackKnife Valentines influences run from Bob Dylan and the Band to James Brown, Bill Withers and Gil Scott Heron. With two amazing lead singers in Jimmy James and Gene McAuliffe, their songs span roots americana, soul and country. Members of the band have played in prominent blues, rock, and alternative groups around Boston for several decades. Basically, it’s all about soul and playing from your heart.
James McCarthy
James McCarthy is a singer, pianist that performs upbeat pop music and catchy original songs.
For more information visit http://https://www.facebook.com/events/551489635018374
6) Somerville Winter Farmers’ Market (Jan 23)
When:
Saturday, Jan 23, 2016 9:30a – 2:00p
Where:
Center for Arts at the Armory
191 Highland Ave
Somerville, MA 02143
Admission: FREE
Presenting the very best variety of products from New England farms and specialty vendors including vegetables, fruit, meat, cheese, fish, baked goods, and lots more.
Live music, delicious treats in two cafe areas and a chance to meet friends — Chase away the chill of even the coldest winter day with us!
December through March at 191 Highland Ave, Somerville, MA. Every Saturday from 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM (closed Dec 26, 2015)
For more information visit http://www.somwintermarket.org 
7) Wreck Shop Movement’s Subway Cipher (Jan 24)
When:
Sunday, Jan 24, 2016 3:00p – 6:00p
Where:
Downtown Crossing MBTA Station
Washington St & Winter St
Boston, MA 02108
Admission: FREE
Wreck Shop Movement’s Subway Cipher brings together rappers, poets and listeners from all over the Boston area every Sunday afternoon at the Downtown Crossing T stop. Free and open to everyone.
Read more about the Subway Cipher and some of its regulars in Perry Eaton’s story on Boston.com: http://www.boston.com/entertainment/2016/01/20/some-boston-best-hip-hop-comes-alive-every-sunday-stop/ssnPrKIBNlgzazim5o1ezK/story.html
Wreck Shop Movement is a collective that aims to further Hip Hop culture by uniting, educating and empowering people and giving back to the community.
For more information visit http://www.wreckshopmovement.com/ 
8) Cambridge Symphony Orchestra Family Concert: Peter and the Wolf (Jan 24)
When:
Sunday, Jan 24, 2016 4:00p – 5:30p
Where:
Center for Arts at the Armory
191 Highland Ave
Somerville, MA 02143
Admission: $5-15
Please join us for our annual Family Concert!
We are proud to welcome special guest narrator Claude Woods, who will read the beloved story of Peter and the Wolf. We will also be featuring violinist Yoo Jin Ahn and there will be an audience sing-along to The Muppets.
We encourage families to bring children of all ages.
After the concert, children are invited to our instrument petting zoo, where they can try out violins and trumpets and many other instruments.
9) Family Shopping Sunday (Jan 24)
When:
Sunday, Jan 24, 2016 8:00a –
12:00p
Where:
Boston Public Market
100 Hanover Street
Boston, MA 02108
Admission:
FREE
Bring the family on your shopping trip to the Boston Public Market for a special family day and we?ll help teach kids that food can be fun! Enjoy kid-friendly recipe cards, a scavenger hunt, a sea life touch tank with Red?s Best, tote bag crafts, and specials or discounts from several Boston Public Market vendors.
For more information visit http://https://bostonpublicmarket.org/happenings<http://https:/bostonpublicmarket.org/happenings> 
10) “Waking in Oak Creek” Free Film Screening and Discussion (Jan 26)
When: Tuesday, Jan 26, 2016 6:30p – 8:30p
Where:
The Brattle Theatre
40 Brattle Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
Admission: FREE
Join the Pluralism Project for a free screening and discussion of Waking in Oak Creek, a film about community responses in the aftermath of the 2012 Sikh Temple shooting in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. The film will be followed by a panel discussion featuring filmmaker Patrice O’Neill and film subjects Pardeep Kaleka and Arno Michaelis. The conversation will be moderated by Dr. Diana Eck, director of the Pluralism Project.
The screening and panel are free of charge. This is the final event in the Religion Refocused film series, sponsored by the Pluralism Project and made possible by support from Mass Humanities, a state-based affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Event partners include Cooperative Metropolitan Ministries, Everett Gurdwara Sahib, Gurdwara Sikh Sangat Boston, Gurudwara Guru Nanak Darbar Medford, Milford Gurdwara Sahib (NESSC), and Sikh Dharma of Massachusetts (SDMA).
For more information visit http://www.pluralism.org/events/rr 
11) ICA Free Thursday Nights (Jan 28)
When: Thursday, January 21, 2016, 4 ? 9pm
Where: The Institute of Contemporary Art
100 Northern Ave
Boston, MA 02210
Cost: Free
FREE for all every Thursday from 4 to 9 PM during ICA Free Thursday Nights. Special hours: From Oct, 10, 2015 to Jan 24, 2016, Free Thursdays will start early at 4 PM in conjunction with Leap Before You Look: Black Mountain College 1933?1957.
For more information visit http://https://www.icaboston.org/visit

12) Frog Pond Ice Skating (Jan 28)
When:
Tuesday, Dec 22, 2015 10:00a – Thursday, Mar 10, 2016 10:00p
Where:
Frog Pond
Boston Common
Boston, MA
Admission:
$5
The absolute best place to skate outdoors in Boston. Open to the public with skate rentals available. Weather permitting, ice skating returns to Boston Common Frog Pond mid-November of each year.
Open Daily starting Saturday, Nov 22, 2015:
Mon 10AM-4PM
Tue-Thu 10AM-9PM
Fri-Sat 10AM-10PM
Sun 10AM-9PM
Daily Admission:
Adult Admissions (14+): $5.00
Kid Admissions (13 & under): FREE
Rentals:
Adult Skate Rentals: $10.00
Kid Skate Rentals: $5.00
Locker Rentals: $2.00
Skate Sharpening
$8.00 per pair
#holiday
#NYE

13) Winter Panto 2016: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Jan 30)
When:
Saturday, Jan 09, 2016 1:00p –
Saturday, Jan 30, 2016 6:00p
Where:
BCA Plaza Theatre
539 Tremont St
Boston, MA 02120
Admission: $20
Regular price tickets $20 — get half price tickets here:
Hold onto your hats! imaginary beasts sweeps into town like a cyclone this January with a tale full of magic and wonder when they refashion an American classic into a fantasy of technicolor proportions!
When a terrible twister drops Dorothy and her little dog Toto somewhere over the rainbow, they must take a journey of discovery to the Emerald City in order to get ?Home, sweet home?. But when our young heroine realizes that her Auntie Em has followed her to the Land of Oz the adventures really begin.
L. Frank Baum?s beloved fairy tale receives the full Panto treatment when the beasts return to Boston with their favorite cold weather tradition, and audiences of all ages will want to follow the ‘yellow’ brick road to the Boston Center for the Arts.