Columnists :: Mombian
Fall family fun, with a side of activism by Dana Rudolph
contributing writerThursday Oct 1, 2009 One of the best ways to create positive change for LGBT families is simply to be visible in our communities as LGBT families. Here are a few events to get you out and about this fall.
Acme Theater in Maynard presents Schoolhouse Rock, Live! an adaptation of the classic 1970’s television shorts. Parents who remember "Conjunction Junction" and "I’m Just a Bill" will enjoy seeing it on stage, and chances are the kids will be dancing in their seats (mine was.) It’s not LGBT related, except insofar as musical theater is pretty gay in general, in the best sense of the word. (Not to mention that director Russell Greene thanks his husband in the program notes.) Catch it 10/9 at 8:00 p.m. or 10/10 at 3:00 p.m. See www.acmetheater.com for details.
The Adventures of Harold and the Purple Crayon on 10/17 looks to be another children’s theater winner. In the classic book, Harold creates an entire world for himself with just a crayon and his imagination. The Enchantment Theater Company has adapted it for stage using "life-size puppets, masks, magic, and music." Visit www.broadwayacrossamerica.com/Boston.
Enjoy the season’s last "Go Fly a Kite Saturday" at Boston Harbor Islands on 10/10 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Children may bring their own or pick one up at the Spectacle Island Visitor Center. The event is free, although you have to pay for the ferry. Since one fee covers the round trip to Georges Island or Spectacle Island, you could also plan a stop at Georges to let the kids climb around Fort Warren. It’s great for aspiring pirates, knights, and the like (wrong era, but kids have imagination.) See www. bostonislands.org for details.
Out in the ’burbs, the venerable Topsfield Fair is running now through 10/12, with all the classic trimmings: animal exhibits, craft demos, a giant pumpkin contest, a midway, musical guests, and of course, a giant butter sculpture. See www.topsfieldfair.org.
Salem shines during the Halloween season. Not all of the city’s events are suitable for children, especially the young ones, but many are, including the annual Children’s Costume Parade and Party on 10/24; Creepy Critters on 10/10, where children create a "zoo in a bag" out of recycled materials; a Kids Fun Run on 10/17; Halloween at Hogwarts on 10/17, where kids use art and science materials to help Harry solve the mystery of the horcruxes and save the world; and the Great Pumpkin Carving Contest on 10/17, a competition for kids and adults. See hauntedhappenings.org for times and details.
Those wanting an alternative to Salem’s Halloween excess might try Drumlin Farm in Lincoln. The Mass Audubon Society presents its annual Tales of the Night on 10/29 and 10/30, 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m., complete with a Haunted Hayride. Visit www.massaudubon.org.
A less scary choice is to go apple or pumpkin picking at any one of the many farms across the state. Do an online search for "Massachusetts apple [or pumpkin] picking" and you’ll find all you need. Don’t forget to pick up a pair of those potted fall flowers at the farm so you can tell people you’re "a two-mum family."
If you to prefer to walk about in nature without pounds of fruit in hand, check out the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s extensive information about how, where, and when to see the best foliage (www.mass.gov/dcr/fallfoliage.htm.) Mass Audubon also has a long list of family-friendly hikes and activities for various ages. I’ve got my eye on two events at their Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary: the Map and Compass Treasure Hunt on 10/10 and the Fall Foliage Ice Cream Paddle (combining three of my favorite things) on 10/17. Visit www.massaudubon.org.
For a more historical sort of walk, there’s the Boston By Little Feet Freedom Trail Tour. We all know the Trail, but this is a one-hour tour especially designed for walkers ages 6 to 12, who also get a free Explorer’s map. The tours run Fridays and Saturdays at 10 a.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. through 10/31. Visit www.bostonbyfoot.org.
If it’s raining, try the Museum of Science’s "Harry Potter: The Exhibition," which opens 10/25. The 10,000-square-foot exhibit showcases 200 authentic props and costumes from the films, displayed in reproduction settings. Visit www.mos.org.
If you prefer a cheaper museum experience, try the Harvard Museum of Natural History and adjacent Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, both of which are free to Massachusetts residents every Sunday if you arrive before noon. While the exhibits may not be as slick as those at the Museum of Science, the collections of dinosaur bones, bugs, rocks, and other animals should fascinate young naturalists. (And if they don’t, you can leave without worry, since it was free.) Visit www.hmnh.harvard.edu.
October is not just a great month to get out and about before the colder weather drives us indoors. It is also the month before elections, when our neighbors in Maine face a crucial challenge to marriage equality, and measures in other parts of the country also threaten LGBT rights. It behooves us to set aside some time for a bit of activism as well.
If you can’t dedicate a day to canvassing or working a phone bank for Maine through MassEquality, at least take a few minutes to spread the word online (or even via paper and phone) about measures that matter to you. Write to your elected officials; donate money; tell your friends on Facebook to do the same. Leave relevant comments on the mainstream parenting blogs that you follow. Then download the photos from your fall activities, look at your adorable children, and know why you are doing it.
Dana Rudolph is the founder and publisher of Mombian, a blog and resource directory for LGBT parents. She can be reached at drudolph@mombian.com.
|
|
|
Email
Print
Share
