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Clockwise from top left: Cranberry harvest; Hancock
Shaker Village; Mayflower II/Plimoth Plantation; Christian Scott,
Mass Jazz/Berklee College of Music; D'Amour Museum of Fine Arts,
Springfield
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Massachusetts
is rich in arts & culture, so it's no surprise that exciting
events, exhibits and festivals are held in the state's 16 regions all
year long. Find out more!
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Syrup, Shamrocks
and Seven Gables
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Massachusetts
is never in short supply of reasons to celebrate. From agritourism
riches to heritage standouts, the seasonal shift kicks off with
syrup, shamrocks, and seven gables. Did you know that March is maple syrup month? With over 300
producers in MA and events like The Magic of Maple, agritourism
never tasted so sweet. It's also Irish Heritage month, punctuated by
the perennial favorite, St. Patrick's Day. Whether you're into parades, green beer, or the historic side of things, the
whole family is welcome to join in the fun on this
wear-all-green holiday. The House of the Seven Gables is marking a
special milestone this year, turning 350! This beloved mansion, known
to many by Hawthorne's book of the same
name, has produced a host of special
programs that carry throughout the year.
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Featured Region:
MetroWest
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In
MetroWest, spring is so close we can taste it! That's because the 8th
annual Taste of MetroWest, the region's
premier culinary showcase, is March 20. Presented by the MetroWest
Chamber of Commerce at the Framingham Sheraton, the Taste offers
generous samples from the region's newest eateries, as well as 50
other restaurants, wineries, breweries, caterers, and markets. Later
in March, feed your creative side at the Paradise City Arts Festival at
the Royal Plaza Trade Center in Marlborough. From March 23 to 25,
artists from all over the country will be displaying and selling the
finest in American jewelry, art, fashion, and furniture. And don't
forget to feed your child's curiosity at the Grand Opening Weekend of
the newly renovated Discovery Museum in Acton, March
3-4. Find more events and information for MetroWest.
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Nantucket
Island's 44th annual Daffodil Festival on
April 27-29 promises to banish your winter doldrums! From early April
to mid-May, daffodils burst forth across the island, adorning
roadsides, gardens, and window boxes. This beloved event is a jubilant
tribute to the advent of spring, and features an Antique Car Parade,
Tailgate Picnic, and more. People and hounds "strut their
stuff" for coveted awards at the whimsical Daffy Hat and Daffy
Dog Parade, while little tykes star in their own procession,
decorating bikes and hats Daffy-style. Find more events and
information for Nantucket
Island.
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Cape
Ann is known worldwide for its exciting concentrations of Winter
Seabirds. Join the Cape Ann Birding Weekend on
March 10 for a morning at sea, which will delight all levels of
Birders! Next up, Salem
Film Fest from March 22-29 is one of New England's
largest documentary film festivals, presenting a rich and diverse collection
of the year's best work from all over the world. Find more events and
information for North
of Boston.
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The Northeast Storytelling Conference &
Festival will be held at the Hotel 1620 Plymouth
Harbor in Plymouth on March 23-25. Join this fascinating look at
authenticity in storytelling! How can we maintain the cultural
integrity of historical and traditional tales? How can we develop a
powerful yet authentic relationship between teller and audience?
Featuring over 20 workshops, storytelling performances, Story Slam
and Swaps, Friday keynote performer Tim Tingle, and Sunday Performer
Motoko. Find more events and information for Plymouth
County.
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Join
AHA New Bedford for an all-day
free event to explore the city's arts, history and agriculture on
Thursday, March 8 in the heart of Downtown New Bedford! This month's
theme is "I AM NEW BEDFORD: HERSTORY, HISTORY, and
OURSTORY." There is a wide range of events across downtown
listed on their website, with live music, art
and shopping. New Bedford is where you come to learn, and explore
art, history and culture all in one! Find more events and information
for Southeastern
Massachusetts.
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The
Berkshires come alive in spring, making it the perfect time to
explore our world-class museums and take a hike. The barns at Hancock
Shaker Village will be bursting at the seams with
chicks, lambs, piglets, calves, and kids (young goats that is)! Bring
the whole family for Baby Animals on the Farm from
April 14-May 6. Also, join in the fun of Octoberfest in April on
April 27 at Shaker Up Sausage and Beer Night,
with a bit of fiddling on the side. Taste the best regional brews,
meet the makers and the shakers, and enjoy delicious food from the
region's finest. Find more events and information for The
Berkshires.
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Mark
your calendars for the "must attend" event of the region:
the 17th Annual Taste of Nashoba Valley! Nashoba
Valley Chamber anticipates over 40 vendors, offering everything from
tender and tangy bbq pulled pork sliders to crispy lobster dumplings
to dense and delicious whoopee pies. Event to be held on Tuesday,
March 20 at Lawrence Academy in Groton. Tickets and details at
nvcoc.com.
Find more events and information for Greater
Merrimack Valley.
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Discover
fun in Central Massachusetts this March! The Original Harlem Globetrotters
will have fans on the edge of their seats at the DCU Center in
Worcester on March 9-10. Join in the fun at Worcester's 35th Annual St. Patrick's Parade
on Sunday, March 11, featuring festive floats, bands, color guards,
clowns and boosters of Irish heritage. And see maple sugaring as it
was done in early 19th-century rural New England in Old Sturbridge
Village's working sugar camp during Maple Days, happening the
following weekends in March: March 3-4, 10-11, 17-18, 24-25. Find
more events and information for Central
Massachusetts.
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Piti
Theatre's SYRUP:
One Sweet Performing Arts Festival with Sandglass
Theater will be held on Sunday, March 11 at Shelburne-Buckland
Community Center in Shelburne Falls! The festival celebrates spring's
return with a pancake brunch from 11 am to 2:30 p.m., featuring local
syrups, a CD release party for Piti's new children's music album
"Greatest Bits, Vol. 1," and their internationally
acclaimed all ages musical "To Bee or Not to Bee" at 2:30
pm. Award-winning Sandglass Theater's beloved puppet tale
"Punschi: follows at 3:45 pm, and the festival wraps up with a
Sandglass puppet-making workshop. Find more events and information
for Franklin
County.
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MARCH
IN. DINE OUT. Quite possibly the best 2 weeks of Winter! Make plans
for DINE OUT BOSTON -
March 18-23 & 25-30 - when area chefs stir things up with
specially prepared prix fixe meals. Choose from the latest culinary
hot spots, nationally known chain restaurants or local chef-owned
bistros. Over 150 exceptional restaurants in the Greater Boston area
are ready to serve you delicious meals at equally delicious prices.
Check dineoutboston.com for
participating restaurants, menus and reservations. Add to your
experience by taking in a play, a concert, an exhibition or a game at
the Garden before or after dining. Find more events and information
for Greater
Boston.
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Don
your green for the annual Cape Cod St. Patrick's Day Parade
in Yarmouth on Saturday, March 10! Tim Kelley, meteorologist with New
England Cable News and a Cape Cod native, will lead this year's
festive parade as the Grand Marshal. The parade, which kicks off at
11 am on Route 28 in Yarmouth, features dozens of marching bands,
bagpipe units, floats, Irish Step Dancers, Clydesdales, antique cars
and family friendly entertainment. And on St. Patrick's Day itself,
March 17, sham(rock) the day away at one of these festive Cape Cod restaurants &
pubs! Find more events and information for Cape
Cod.
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The Holyoke
St. Patrick's Day Parade (NOTE - Held March 18 this
year, not the actual date of St. Pat's!) is one of the great annual
public spectacles in Western
Mass, drawing 400,000+ spectators from all over the
US. Bands, public service units, floats and colleens march the
streets of this proud city! Numerous restaurants and pubs hold
celebrations too; viewers are well-advised to visit the parade
site to learn about parking options and directions
beforehand. Find more events and information for Greater
Springfield.
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Spring
gets a running start in the hills and valley of western
Massachusetts. The first true sign is the billowing steam from the maple sugar shacks, where
you can watch the sap boiling, then sit down for a
maple-inspired meal (you boil 10 gal of sap to make 1 quart of maple
syrup!) Click here for a list of sugar
shacks in Northampton, Amherst and the hilltowns of western MA. Our
campus conservatories lovingly remind us of what's soon to come in
greenhouses bursting with color at the Smith College Bulb Show and the
"Gateway to Spring" Flower Show at nearby Mount Holyoke
College through March 18. Click here for a guide to Spring
and all seasons in our corner of western Massachusetts. Find more
events and information for Hampshire
County.
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They're
two great signs of Spring in New England: Maple syrup season and
Easter eggs - and in Johnny Appleseed Country, they come with flair,
starting with the Maple Sugar Tours at Hollis
Hills Farm in Fitchburg. Enjoy breakfast or lunch,
visit the sugarhouse and animal barn, take a horse drawn wagon ride,
or hang out by the bonfire. With Easter drawing near, stop by the Museum of Russian Icons in Clinton to decorate
wooden eggs to add to your Easter basket or give as gifts. Good-by
Winter, welcome Spring! Find more events and information for Johnny Appleseed
Country.
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Save
the date for the 18th annual Martha's
Vineyard Film Festival on March 15-18! It all started
with a group of friends who had never been to a film festival
deciding to create an alternative movie experience featuring
fantastic films, amazing food, art and music.
Eighteen years later, the Festival still sparks discussion, gathers
community and teaches kids in the rural Island town of Chilmark. See
the festival in action and get inspired by the schedule at tmvff.org/festival!
Find more events and information for Martha's
Vineyard.
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Historic
Deerfield will present its 2018 Patriot's Day
Revolutionary Muster on Saturday, April 14! Travel back in time and
rediscover the history behind the Patriot's Day holiday.
Revolutionary times will come to life through demonstrations of
period crafts and activities, fife and drum music, cannon and musket
firing, and a muster. Historic Deerfield guides and cooks will
interpret open hearth cooking and powder horn carving in the 1786
Hall Tavern. Horse-drawn wagon rides will transport visitors through
the village, and all historic houses will be available for touring.
10 am to 4 pm. Find more events and information for The
Mohawk Trail Region.
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