Jack-o-lanterns, costumes and creepy cobwebs line the streets of the city this week. Due to the fact that it is a holiday designed for children, Halloween always gives me a twinge of nostalgia for October 31st's gone by. I remember running down the sidewalks of suburbia as a child: dressed to kill, leaves crunching underfoot. I remember being 14, “too cool” for Halloween, but still secretly going trick-or-treating with my younger neighbors. I remember my last Halloween before college, spent curled up on the couch with a new family puppy. These were all special days, devoid of any real spookiness but emotionally significant nonetheless.
With its history of witches and mysterious happenings, there’s no better place to be on Halloween than Salem. The city celebrates with the Haunted Happenings Festival, a day of spooky events and activities, including everything from haunted houses and cruises to performances and carnivals. The whole day is packed with equal parts fear and fun. The night draws to a conclusion with finale fireworks over the North River. Enjoy a prime viewing spot at the intersection of Washington Street and Bridge Street to watch the night close with a bang. Take the commuter rail, #450 or #455 bus, or the scenic Salem Ferry from Long Wharf.
For some, the Boston Book Festival (BBF) is a chance to meet favorite authors, professing “I just love you” at a book signing. For others, it’s a chance to meet with other readers or writers for discussions about what everyone at the festival has in common: a love of books.
“1st rule: If it’s your first lunch at Lunch Beat, you have to dance.
2nd rule: If it’s your second, third or fourth time lunch at Lunch Beat, you have to dance.
3rd rule: If you are getting too tired to actually dance at Lunch Beat, please have your lunch at some other place.”
Entire tendrils of trees are baring, and the ground is becoming a crunchy mesh of fall colors. Warm cider and pumpkin coffee is commandeering the menu at Dunkin’ Donuts, and parent’s weekend was highlighted with not-so-scary scare crows atop bales of hay.
Get out your best face paint and start practicing your “hungry for human brains” noises – it’s time for the Boston Zombie Walk. Join hundreds of other undead enthusiasts as they march through the streets wielding nerf guns, foam swords and other defensive devices. The route, marked with fake blood, begins at City Hall and continues throughout the government center area, ending at the Wild Rover pub. Some will be wearing full costume while others dress as survivors, or anything else related to the theme. Come bring the zombie apocalypse to life, or death. 1 City Hall Sq.; 6 – 11 p.m.; free; facebook.com/bostonzombiewalk.
Goodbyes are hard. That is one fact of life with which I’m slowly and begrudgingly coming to terms. Saying goodbye to my parents and Colorado friends every time I come back to Boston, saying goodbye to my Boston friends when I left to study abroad and saying goodbye to my study abroad friends when I went home are all goodbyes I don’t like thinking about.
With ethereal, electronic sounds, strobe lights, hipster glasses and tight pants, Neon Indian, who played at afterHOURS last week, is a rising star on the Indie music scene, according to Pitchfork, Rolling Stone and Spin.
Stubbornness always seems to screw us humans over. It’s stubbornness that causes our silly arguments to persist, and it’s stubbornness that causes helpful advice to fall on deaf ears. And let’s not forget one of the worst results of stubbornness: the United States Government shutdown.
Come experience an age-old Boston tradition and join the throngs of spectators at the Head of the Charles Regatta. Thousands of rowers will fill the Charles River as they compete in over 30 events for different age groups and skill levels. Get a great view from the popular spectating stretch between the Anderson and Weeks bridges, or move further down the river and skip the crowds. Enjoy food stands, merchandise vendors and a festive atmosphere as you cheer on your favorite competitors, including the men’s and women’s Northeastern rowing teams. It’s the most im-port-ant boating event of the year. Charles River, Cambridge; 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.; free; hocr.org.
The “Gravity” trailer, lacking a discernible plot, left viewers confused and a little unsure about the outcome of the newly released film starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney.
