Contact: Lisa Simmons, MOTT
617-973-8508
Vicki Cimino, Connelly Partners
617-521-5428
For Immediate Release
BOSTON, April 13, 2012 -Massachusetts Worldfest 2012 brings a diverse slice of life and culture to residents and visitors across the Bay State. An annual series of festivals that run throughout the summer months, Worldfest events honor a variety of traditions with dancing, food sampling, sporting events, live music, and art exhibitions.
For more information visit massvacation.com/worldfest; and to get a more in-depth look at individual Worldfest events, check out the “MassFinds” blog at massvacation.com.
Greater Boston
North End Street Festivals
Experience Boston’s North End by attending a street festival. These events feature live bands, parades, and, of course, wonderful Italian food. The festivals take place on the weekends throughout June, July, and August. The time and place of the festivals vary.
Cape Verdean Festival
Take a break from the BBQs to sample delicious food, take in live music and witness the performance of martial arts on Independence Day. The festival will take place July 4th on the North Stage of City Hall Plaza right in the heart of Boston from 2:00 p.m. to 7 p.m.
August Moon Festival
Come be a part of the Chinese celebration of happiness, good health, and harvest. This event showcases martial arts, the dragon dance, Chinese opera, and vendor booths. The August Moon Festival takes place in Boston’s Chinatown from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Sunday, August 12. Free for all.
Caribbean Breeze
Get a taste of Caribbean culture on a midnight boat cruise. Boston Carnival Village’s annual Jouvert boat cruise is a Mardi Gras-style costume party that celebrates the culture of Trinidad. The cruise will feature live music from DJ Madman Maddy, beer from Carib Brewery, and a delicious catered meal from Rhythm Restaurant. Prizes will be awarded for best painted face, best costume, best mask, and more. The cruise departs from 60 Rowes Wharf in Boston on Friday, August 24, at midnight. Boarding begins at 11:00 p.m.
North of Boston and Greater Merrimack Valley
St. Peter’s Fiesta
Travel to beautiful Gloucester and take in St. Peter’s Fiesta, a five-day festival that honors the patron saint of fishermen. Put on by the Italian-American community, this event showcases religious activities, live music, tasty local cuisine, sporting events, and a parade, culminating with the Blessing of the Fishing Fleet from the Boulevard at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday. The festival takes place at St. Peter’s Park in Gloucester and runs from Wednesday, June 27, until Sunday, July 1.
World Folk Festival
Enjoy some of the best music around at the fourth annual World Folk Festival in Lynn. The festival draws its unique appeal from the cultural diversity of Lynn, where the residents speak more than 40 different languages. The event will feature a diverse range of ethnic food, a demonstration of cricket, and face painting. The folk festival will take place on June 30, from 12:00 – 8:00 p.m. at the Lynn Heritage State Park.
Salem Maritime Festival
Celebrate ships, sailors, and all things oceanic at the annual Salem Maritime Festival. This event features live music, tall ships, historical reenactments, interactive family programs and crafts. The festival takes place at the Salem Maritime National Historic Site, which is located at 193 Derby Street in Salem, MA. The concert portion of the festival starts at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, August 3, with the rest of the festival on Saturday, August 4, from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Free for all.
Yankee Homecoming Festival
The 52nd annual Yankee Homecoming Festival offers a variety of attractions and activities in scenic Newburyport. The festival features wine tasting, waterfront concerts, a craft show, heritage tours, and even a golf tournament. The event is spread across all of downtown Newburyport and takes place from Sunday, July 29, through Sunday, August 5.
Cape Cod and the Islands
Portuguese Festival and Blessing of the Fleet
Fishermen, their families, and townspeople join in this annual blessing of fishing boats in Provincetown. The festival includes dancing, soup tasting, food from local eateries and a children’s fishing contest. The event takes place from Thursday, June 21, through Sunday, June 24, at Macmillian Wharf. Tickets are $30 for adults and $7 for children.
90th Mashpee Wampanoag Pow Wow
The Mashpee Wampanoag Pow Wow pulls together a range of Native American cultural customs and goods. At the festival, attendees will find Native American art, jewelry, crafts, gifts, dancing, food, games, and more. The event is located at the Barnstable County Fair Grounds in Falmouth and runs from June 29 - July 1. Tickets cost $13 for adults and $8 for children and elders.
Martha’s Vineyard African-American Film Festival
The Martha’s Vineyard African-American Film Festival is four-day retreat dedicated to showcasing the works of independent and established filmmakers. Since its’ founding in 2001, the festival has grown quickly and caught the attention of many film enthusiasts. The festival takes place from August 7–11. There are two types of tickets: day passes for $85 and all-access passes for $280.
Central Massachusetts
Katsushika Hokusai’s “A Tour of Waterfalls in the Provinces”
The Worcester Art Museum is showcasing a rare collection of Katsushika Hokusai’s woodblock-print artwork, titled “A Tour of Waterfalls in the Provinces.” The Hokusai exhibit is part of the museum’s redesigned Japanese gallery, which also features ceramics and a 10th century wooden sculpture. The exhibit started on May 17, and ends on November 1. The museum’s general admission rates apply.
Out to Lunch Concert Series
Live music and good food is the name of the game. The Out to Lunch Concert series offers Worcester residents the chance to take in live music and choose from vendors, who are made up of local restaurants, farmers, and artists. The concerts take place at Worcester Common each Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 2 p.m. The concert series runs from June 29 until August 31. Free for all.
Worcester Latin American Festival
The Worcester Latin American Festival is the perfect event for someone who has a hankering for Latin music but isn’t interested in a long plane flight. This celebration of Dominican, Puerto Rican and Latin culture in general offers a variety of ethnic foods, a bustling beer garden, and live music. The event takes place on Saturday, August 18, at the Worcester Common and lasts from noon until 9 p.m. Admission is free.
Western Massachusetts
YidStock: the festival of new Yiddish music
Yidstock will feature some of the best new Klezmer around over the course of several nights. The event will include virtuoso violinist Itzhak Perlman, who will perform In the Fiddler’s House, a screening of A Tickle in the Heart, and Seth Rogovoy’s multimedia program Rockin’ the Shtetl: The Essential Klezmer. YidStock will take place at the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst from July 11 – 15. Tickets are $5 for members or students and $8 general admission.
Green River Festival
The Green River Festival, Franklin County’s music event of the year, is not the show to miss. This two-day event features music on three different stages in addition to great local food, fine crafts, and gorgeous hot-air balloons. The concert, which features Los Lobos, Ozomatli, and many others, takes place at Greenfield Community College from Saturday, July 14 – 15.
Glasgow Lands Scottish Festival
Dust off your kilt and head over to Northampton to enjoy the Glasgow Lands Scottish Festival. The festival offers a Highland dance competition, a Highland athletic competition, pipe and drum band competitions, Scottish food, and merchant vendors. Northampton’s Look Park hosts this event, which runs from 9 a.m – 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 21. General admission is $16, children 6-12 are $5, and children under six go for free.
About MOTT
The Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism (MOTT) is the state agency dedicated to promoting Massachusetts as a leisure-travel destination. An integral part of the state’s economy, tourism generates more than $915 million in state and local taxes and $14.4 billion in travel related expenditures and supports 121,500 in-state jobs. Web site: http://www.massvacation.com/
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For New England's largest theme park, head to Six Flags New England in Agawam. Experience the "Glow in the Park Parade", an all new nighttime spectacular with dramatic state-of-the-art floats, cirque-style music and thousands of sparkling lights! The Dept. of Conservation and Recreation presents Park Passport, a program where families are encouraged to continue to visit parks statewide in an effort to fill their passport with stamps from all the parks.
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