Post-Labor Day Fun, Son!

Image Courtesy of CambridgeCarnival.org

I know it feels like Summer is over, but there are still great events in Boston this weekend.  Get out there before Winter sneaks up and smacks you in the face!  Here are 3 suggestions to keep that Summer vibe going strong:

Friday Sept. 7 - Before I Die...

Before I die, I want to check out the Before I die... project's latest installation on the Rose Kennedy Greenway (Along Atlantic Avenue, Boston).  Basically it's a chalkboard wall with the phrase "Before I die I want to" followed by a blank space and chalk.  Visitors are encouraged to fill in the blank.  Inspire and be inspired.  Learn more about it's origins here .  Ok, that's less of an event, than a thing to do, but go do it anyway.

Saturday Sept. 8 - MixFest

Every year, radio station Mix 104.1 flexes is Light Rock muscle and brings the best of the genre to Boston.  This year the open air extravaganza features Train, Gavin Degraw, and Andy Grammer.  I KNOW, RIGHT?  It's at the Hatch Shell and, oh yeah, it's free!  Ba-Zing!  At the very least, it'll be nice background music as you paddleboard along the Charles!  Click for more MixFest info.

Sunday Sept. 9 - Cambridge Carnival

After all that fun in Boston, come on back to Cambridge for a real par-tay!  It's the 20th anniversary of the Caribbean style Carnival and parade.  Come shake your bon-bon, and revel in the colors.  Take some benadryl if you're allergic to feathers.  I'm just sayin'...  The parade starts at 12:30p, which is perfect for sleeping off the your MixFest wine cooler hangover (public drinking is illegal...so don't do that!!!).  Expect lots of bright colors, Caribbean food, music, and lots of people!  This event is rain or shine.  Let's pray for shine!  Check it out!

None of these events float your boat?  Sheesh, tough crowd.  Well, there's always the Freedom trail.

2 Brewery Tours in 1 Day - Recipe for Boston Awesomeness

The coolest thing about living in a town like Boston is playing tour guide for all my out-of-town friends.  Two dear friends, the Multers, dropped in on me when their cruise ship docked in Boston Harbor.  Like most shore excursions, they only had from 8am - 3:30pm to explore the town.  On a previous trip, they went to Sam Adams Brewery, and wanted to go back.  Well, since I had never been, I was happy to tag along!

The tours are free and incredibly informative.  They teach you all about how they make beer and how many competitions they've won.  They're understandably proud, but the absolute best part of the tour is the chugfest tasting.  I must say I have NEVER tasted such fresh tasting beer!  It was like pure YUM.  You'll never tolerate skunky yuck beer again.  BONUS: you get to keep your tasting glass!  W00t!

After Sam Adams, we realized that we needed to keep the buzz going, so after lunch at Quincy Market, we mosey'd on over to Harpoon Brewery for their 2pm tasting.  Also free.  Again, YUM-TASTIC.  If you're not familiar, these guys make tons of different varieties, including IPA, UFO, and special "100 barrel" varieties: meaning small batch special beers.  My fave: Pumpkin UFO.  Again, super fresh (duh, they just made it...), and not crazy overwhelming with the pumpkin and spice.  Subtle.  Yeah.

So, if you like beer, and are in Boston for the first time, or the 100th time, and you're not feeling Paul Revere's house or Cheers (really, just skip Cheers, it never was a real place!), definitely check out these two breweries.  It's even ok if you don't do them on the same day, though I'm not sure why you wouldn't!  Both are accessible by public transit, and have fun gift shops to help you stock your home bar.  Just DON'T forget your ID, like I did.  Luckily, with a few batted eyelashes, and a quick computer search, I was allowed to get my drink on.  Having your ID is better.

EXTRA: Here is some awesome art I saw on my way to the Sam Adams tour, courtesy of the Stony Brook Fine Arts School