Category Archives: Halloween

October 27, 2017

Fall Pumpkin Float (Boston, MA)

By New England Nomad

Date Of Visit: October 20, 2017

Location: Frog Pond, Boston Common, Boston, MA

Website: 2017 Fall Pumpkin Float

Highlights: family friendly pumpkin festival, carousel, bouncy house and other activities for children (and adults)

Nothing says Halloween like costumes, candy and floating pumpkins. Yes, floating pumpkins.

That is what was on display at Frog Pond last weekend as we ushered in the Halloween season.

But, these “floating pumpkins” weren’t floating in the air. No, these pumpkins were floating on Frog Pond at the Boston Common.

Visitors who wanted to participate in the pumpkin float were asked to bring a hollowed out 8 inch or smaller carved pumpkin.

The carvings and designs on the pumpkins ranged from spooky to funny.

The organizers of the event encouraged visitors to come to the event in costume. And they were not disappointed.

If you haven’t attended a pumpkin float before (it was my first time as well) and you want participate in the float event, each person drops off their pumpkin at one of the booths located by the pond. At the booth, one of the volunteers inserts an l.e.d. light bulb. I think it would have looked cooler with a candle. But, since it is going into water, well that wouldn’t work out too good. Then, the pumpkin is put on a piece of wood and pushed into the water so they all coalesce. Periodically, a worker walked in the water to make sure they all group together.

As the sun set, the lights from the jack o’ lanterns began to light up Frog Pond.

There was also a carousel, the Frog of Frog Pond, a d.j. from a local radio station, a bouncy house, bubbles, policemen on horses who took photos with visitors and other types of entertainment.

The Pumpkin Float, which was held at Pope John Paul Park in the past, was a dog friendly event. And, some of the dogs came in costume!

Porter is a 9 year old lion, I mean pit terrier.

Tiny is a 3 year old Chihuahua.

Winnie is 18 months old.

Bijo is an 11 year old mixed breed. Bijo is wearing a boot because one of his nails was injured.

Below is a video of the “bubble man” at Frog Pond. The kids loved popping the bubbles.

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8 Comments | tags: Boston, dogs, family friendly, Frog Pond, Halloween, Massachusetts, New England, photographs, Photography, photos, pumpkins | posted in Boston, dogs, Frog Pond, Halloween, Massachusetts, New England, photographs, photography, photos, Pumpkin Float, Uncategorized

October 25, 2017

Faint Of Art – Part I (Salem, MA)

By New England Nomad

Date Of Visit: October 8, 2017

Location: The Bridge at 211, 211 Bridge St, Salem, MA

Hours: Hours may vary

Cost: Free

Parking: There is limited parking available at the location. There is also metered street parking throughout Salem.

Highlights: art created by local artists

Tips:

Exhibit is up until October 29

Art and Halloween are the perfect combination for Salem. With a thriving art community and its dark history, the Salem Arts Association, “Faint Of Art” exhibit makes for a great display for this time of the year!

The exhibit, being displayed at the Bridge at 211, consists of art created mostly by people from Salem and the neighboring towns and cities such as Lynn and Peabody.

While there is more than just the Faint Of Art display at the Bridge, the Faint Of Art display is located in the foyer or hallway of the building.

The art mostly consists of mostly paintings, photographs and sketches. Some of the works had a glare reflecting off the glass they were framed in which I couldn’t avoid capturing unfortunately. Consequently, had to take some of these photos from unusual angles to cut down on the shadows and glare.

The first work I noticed was very scary and set the tone for the rest of the exhibit.

Nightmare is by Anne Benecke.. It is an oil on canvas painting.

Hera by Joey Phoenix. Color photograph.

Into The Night by Leo Vincent. Reverse oil painting on paper.

It’s Harvest Time by Charles Lang. Acrylic.

Heretic by Adrian Rodriguez. Ink on rag paper.

Masks by Adrian Rodriguez. Ink and watercolor on rag paper.

Gates Of Freedom by Raymond Gilbert. Oil on canvas.

It’s Alive by Kevin Kusiolek. Pastel.

One of my favorites is Here Comes The Bride by Carli Kusiolek. Yes, she is married to Kevin. That’s a lot of talent in one family.

History Of Flights And Fancy: Fish Food For Wild Thoughts by Brian Gordon. Cut paper, sewn zippers and thread.

Girl With The White Dress by Elizabeth Sheehan. Oil and cold wax.

Haunting also by Elizabeth Sheehan. Acrylic on canvas.

Nevermore by Sheila Farren Billings. Mixed-media.

Frighteningly Friendly by Cindy Allen. Acrylic. (Honorable Mention)

She Laughed by Maura McGonagle. Ink on paper.

Ghost Ship 2 by Rod Parker. Photograph.

I make that face a lot, too. Man In The Mirror by Leo Vincent. Reverse oil painting on paper.

Jenny by Joey Phoenix. Acrylic on canvas.

The Gargoyle by Nancy Barnes. Pastel.

Another one of my favorites. Monsanto by Heather Stewart. Acrylic on canvas.

Gargoyle Palace by Roberta Will. Sumi stick wash, pen, ink.

Raymond Gilbert. Oil on canvas.

Godzilla by Peter Grimshaw. Mixed-media.

The Creature From The Black Lagoon by Peter Grimshaw. Mixed-media.

Anything You Want But Nothing You Need by Raymond Gilbert. Oil on canvas.

Til Death Do Us Part by Carli Kusiolek. Watercolor, pen and ink.

Untitled by Heather Meri Stewart. Pen and ink.

While this concludes the photos from the “Faint Of Art” collection, there were many more works of art displayed in the other rooms at the Bridge at 211 which I will include in my next blog post.

Which one did you like best? Let me know in the comments below!

6 Comments | tags: art, Faint Of Art, Halloween, horror, Massachusetts, New England, photographs, Photography, photos, Salem, The Bridge at 211 | posted in art, Bridge at 211, Faint Of Art, Halloween, Massachusetts, New England, photographs, photography, photos, Salem, Uncategorized

November 3, 2016

Halloween In Salem (Salem, MA)

By New England Nomad

Date Of Visit: October 31, 2016

Location: Salem, MA

Parking: Parking is always difficult In salem during the Halloween season. Tourists and travelers are urged to take public transportation. Streets are also shut down during the day which makes parking even more difficult.

Handiscap Accessible: Yes

Dog friendly: Yes

Where else would anyone want to be on Halloween than Salem, MA?

Known world wide for its tragic history of the Salem Witch trials, Salem, MA, has turned a tragedy into a money maker. Each year, tens of thousands of people flock to Salem during October to get a taste of the spooky side of the city. But, as the photos below show, it’s not all witches and scares in Salem, although there were a lot of witches there duringmy visit!

For kicks, I took the train in to Salem. Normally, I prefer to drive. But, the workers at the visitors center stressed to me that it is better to drive. I like having my own vehicle because I can leave whenever I want to, I don’t have to wait for the scheduled trains and since I live very closse to Salem the drive is easily under one hour under normal circumstances. I timed my travel times and it takes a little longer going by train (about half an hour longer). I had to make two train transfers so that added to the travel time. Plus, I left during the day while everyone else would be at work or school. So, the driving and lack of parking wouldn’t have affected me as much since I left during in the morning. In the future, I would probably never go by train again but it may be useful for people coming from longer distances within Massachusetts.

Salem is a beautiful city and it was no different on Halloween. Salem was very festive for the big day. Many homes, businesses and other buildings were decorated.

Of course, there were lots of people dressed up for Halloween. The most common costumes were Donald Trump, witches, Mike Myers and, somewhat surprisingly, Jason.

Of course, what would the wicked witch be without her flying monkeys?

What’s great about the costumes is that people from all backgrounds, ages and sizes get dressed up and enjoyy the day!

Of course, the couples, friends and family that dressed up looked great.

The rest of the dressed up visitors were just as scary, pretty and funny. The costumes were very creative and, at times, kind of scary!

And what would a trip to Salem be without dogs? There were so many dogs dressed up for their big day!

Jazzmine proved that witches hats aren’t just for humans.

Sophie was a devilish dog!

Roxie the rufferee, a 2 and a half year old pittbull, lab, terrier mix, was very excited to be in Salem!

Zao “the man”, a 5 year old Brussels Griffon in a banana costume, posed like a pro . I think this is his Pinterest page:

Zao on Pinterest

Dodger, a golden retriever, proved you don’t have to wear a costume to look cute!

And some of the other dogs I saw in Salem…

Not all of the cute animals in Salem were dogs, though. Hamlet was in Salem to drum up support for Question 3 (a law that would expand the sizes of cages animals are kept in at farms and other places where they store livestock)

There were also street performers at Salem. This card magician, Darren Yong, attracted a lot of crowds.

You can find him here on the internet: Darren Yong Live

Here is a video of one of his tricks

Once again, Salem didn’t disappoint me this Halloween! I hope you all had a great Halloween!

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14 Comments | tags: costumes, dogs, Halloween, Massachusetts, New England, photographs, Photography, photos, Salem | posted in dogs, Halloween, Massachusetts, New England, photographs, photography, photos, Salem, Uncategorized

November 1, 2016

Happy Halloween (Salem, MA)

By New England Nomad

Dates Of Visits: October 22 & 29, 2016

Location: Salem, MA

Parking: Very limited during Halloween but you can find lots of parking at the New Liberty and Congress St parking garages and there is metered parkign available as well after Halloween season.

Handicapped Accessible: Salem’s streets are handicapped accessible and most buildings are as well.

October is full of scares and excitement in Salem, MA. And this year was no different. I saw so many cool, funny and, yes at times scary, people, pets and other things this year in Salem. Since I saw so many interesting things in Salem, I am breaking up my posts into several posts so I don’t go overboard with my images in each post since they can take a very long time to download, especially on mobile devices. And, believe it or not, there are so many interesting things in Salem all year round (not just during Halloween) but particularly during the fall. From the street performers, the, in some cases, elaborate decorations and the historical aspects of the city, tthere are so many things to post about. I will post the highlights from my Halloween day visit very soon.

Today’s post focuses mostly on the costumed people and the pets of Salem. I still have many more photos of costumed people that I will post soon. But, for the sake of time and space I am including these photos in chronological order from the earliest to the most recent. There were quite a few politicians at Salem (Donald and Hillary were even seen together). Poor Bernie was by himself and could only shrug his shoulders and say “Sure” when I asked for a photograph.

Some of the costumes are self explanatory, others not so much. I’ll help where I can.

The three women with sticks and shades on are the three blind mice. In the second to last row of photographs next to Jason and his monster friend are the 80s candy “Nerds.” In the bottom row to the left are the cat and “crazy cat lady.”

Throughout my visits to Salem this past month I saw so many cute dogs. Whether in costume or au naturel, they all looked very cute!

Lulu is an 8 year old Australian Sheepdog. I love the different colored ears and the way she looks likes she is smiling in the second photo.

What a wonderful pose Bella struck for me! The 1 year old Havanese (yes I had to look it up too) looks cute in her Stegosaurus costume.

Honey got into the festivities with her black and orange collar.

Eva is a 2 and a half year old mixed breed rescue dog. Another happy dog in the city.

Fenway is a 5 year old Papipoo (Papillon Poodle mix). He also has his own Facebook page at Fenway’s Aventures as well as an Instagran account @FenwaysAdventures a Twitter account @FenwayPuppy as well as a Snapchat account: @TheFenwayPuppy. He’s got more socal media accounts than I do!

Unfortunately, I when I washed my pants the list of dogs and their ages and breeds were still in my pants pocket and my memory isn’t what it used to be. So, I apologize for not remembering all of these beautiful dogs’ names.

It is also important to remember what Salem is largely known for by the public, besides the fun and scary stuff. Each year, descendants and others honor the victims of the witch hysteria that unexpectedly put Salem on the map for fun and friendly tourism. At the Salem Witch Trials Memorial on Liberty St, roses are placed on each victim’s granite stone memorials during the week of Halloween. Passerbys and those with a connection to the victim, through blood or otherwise, often leave notes, cards, flowers and other items as well. Coins are a common item left behind by tourists and others sympathetic to the victims of this dark time.

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4 Comments | tags: dogs, fun, history, Massachusetts, New England, photographs, Photography, photos, Salem, Witch Trials | posted in Halloween, Massachusetts, New England, photographs, photography, photos, Salem, salem Witch Trials, Uncategorized

October 31, 2016

Pumpkin Decorating Festival (Salem, MA)

By New England Nomad

Date Of Visit: October 29, 2016

Location: Salem Commons, Washington Square North, Salem, MA

Hours: They lock up the cart the pumpkins are stored in each night so they are not accessible to be viewed until around 9 or 10 a.m. and they lock them up in the evening.

Parking: Parking is available in the two main parking garages in Salem or you can try your luck with on or off street parking. Parking restrictions are strictly enforced this time of the year. It’s $20 a day to park in most garages and lots no matter how long you stay.

Cost: Free

Dog Friendly:Yes

Handicapped Accessible: Yes

Highlights: pumpkins decorated by children in various age groups

What would Halloween be without pumpkins? You do not have to worry about if you visit Salem, MA. Pumpkins are everywhere; in front of businesses, on people’s porches and in a little cart in Salem Commons.

The pumpkins, which were decorated earlier in October, have been on display in Salem Commons during the entire Halloween season as part of the Haunted Happenings festival in Salem.

The pumpkins, arranged by age group, range from the humorous to the (sort of) scary. I especially like the elephant pumpkin.

Salem Commons also has a variety of food trucks, amusement rides for children and Halloween decor. In fact, it may get overlooked with so many other things going on in the city.

During my stay in Salem, I saw lots of costumed beings, both human and pet.

Grayson, a Yorkie who will be 3 in December, was the bomb in his Galaxy Samsung Note 7 costume. If you want to see more of Grayson, and you really should, you can connect with him on Instagram @GRAYSON_THE_YORKIE (GRAYSON_THE_YORKIE)

I saw Grayson later that day on Essex in a different costume.

Ginny, a 6 year old Siberian Husky, looked like an angel with her wings on.

The K-9 police dog of the Salem Police Department below is Perky. I love the look of complete attention to his partner in his eyes.

The humans who dressed up for the day wore even more interesting costumes than their canine counterparts.

While I think some of the costumes may be self-explanatory or from sources I am not aware of, I will do my best to describe the costumes. Feel free to correct me or add to these descriptions in the comment field if there’s a costume I cannot identify.

first row (left to right): zombie, night of the living dead zombie, more zombies – pirate zombies maybe, Kramer

second row (left to right): colonial-era guitarist, pirates

third row (left to right) Jawa, Randy “Macho Man” Savage, zombie, wolf and little red riding hood

fourth row: man dressed as woman, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetle….I almost said it three times with Lydia (although I think she looks more Alice In Wonderland)

fifth row (left to right): headless horse person (I think it was a woman in the costume), not sure but it was a very cool costume

sixth row: “Alex” (from “A Clockwork Orange”), “Frank” from “Donnie Darko”, “Frankenstein” and I’m not sure about the last one (possibly Rusty Jones, Brawny, Grizzly Adams, OK now I know I’m dating myself here…)

And, yes, I have even more (many more) costumed people and animals to show you in future posts! Happy Halloween!

Here is a video of the decorated pumpkins:

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6 Comments | tags: costumes, dogs, Halloween, Massachusetts, photographs, Photography, photos, Salem | posted in costumes, dogs, Halloween, Massachusetts, New England, photographs, photography, photos, Salem, Uncategorized

October 12, 2016

2016 Howl-O-Ween Pet Parade

By New England Nomad

Date Of Event: October 2, 2016 (it is usually held every year during the first Sunday in October)

Location: 32 Derby Square (off Essex St), Salem, MA

Cost: Free (there may have been a registration fee if your pet participated in the event)

Hours: October 2, 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Parking: Serby Square and the surrounding area are pedestrian friendly, walking areas. cars are not allowed in this area. You need to park in a garage or find off street parking. There are two main parking garages on New Liberty St and Congress St within walking distance and there is metered off street parking.

Highlights: pets…in costumes!

Web Site: 2nd Annual Howl-O-Ween Pet Parade

Just when you thought Halloween couldn’t be any more fun, Salem Main Streets, working with a variety of local businesses and organizations, held the 2nd annual Howl-O-Ween Pet Parade.

The first pet parade was such a success they moved it from Artists’ Row to Derby Square. Having attended the first Howl-O-Ween Pet Parade, I think this was a good call. The other venue was too narrow and there didn’t seem to be enoug room for everyone to roam freely. Derby Square had more room but it also became crowded as well. Everyone loves a pet parade I guess.

There were a variety of dogs in a variety of costumes.

The group of dogs pictured above were, of course, The Scarecrow, Dorothy, the Lion and the Tin Man. They also brought a yellow brick road which the Scarecrow and Dorothy are sitting on.

Here are some of my favorite dogs and their costumes from the day.

The force was with this 4 month old Lab who was dressed as Bark Vader.

Aye Matey! Lady is a 10 year old Chihuahua.

As if she wasn’t cute enough already, Alexsei, an 8 year old Jack Russell Terrier, was dressed as a koala.

I’ve heard of dogfish sharks but this takes the cake. Willie, a 5 year old mutt, is a rescue.

Samie is a 6 year old Greyhound.

Blitzen, dressed as a purple monster, is a 1 year old Belgian Malinois (pronounced “mal-in-wah”). Yes, he’s 1 year old!

Mickey, I mean Riley, is a 2 year old Lab mix. I dare you to say “No” to that face.

Here comes the bride Persephone (the name of the daughter of Zeus), a 10 year old Golden Doodle.

Daisy the Lobster is a 2 and a half year old dog. Her mom isn’t sure of her breed. She is a rescue from Puerto Rico.

There were so many cute dogs at the pet parade. I was unable to get all of their names and breeds but I was able to photograph a lot of them.

There were actually a few very brave cats dressed as Dr Seuss characters at the parade.

The SalemSaurus T Rex also showed up with his own dog.

Even if they weren’t dressed in a costume, they were still cute. Lucy, a 14 year old Chow and Golden mix, just came by to hang out and watch the other dogs.

We also saw a family of bulldogs on the way to the event.

Below is a video of the pet parade.

Similar Events I Have Attended In New England:

2015 Salem Pet Parade

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26 Comments | tags: cats, costumes, dogs, Halloween, Massachusetts, New England, parade, pets, photographs, Photography, photos, Salem | posted in cats, costumes, dogs, Halloween, Massachusetts, New England, parade, pets, photographs, photography, photos, Salem, Uncategorized

November 1, 2015

Happy Halloween (Salem, MA)

By New England Nomad

It’s official. I’m a Salemholic. Today was my third visit to the Halloween Hub of America this October. But, what better place to spend this crisp autumn Halloween?

I have never been so happy while at the same time being packed in one concentrated area.

The costumes ranged from the absurdly cute

to the classics like witches

The “Ghost Busters”

Shrek

The creature from Where The Wild Things Are

The sharks and banana from the Katy Perry halftime Super Bowl show

Edward Scissorhands (probably the costume of the day)

Willy Wonka (with an Oompa Loompa and Violet Beauregard). I guess Violet still hasn’t learned her lesson about eating the “three course meal gum.”

Star Wars (I especially like how they mixed it up a bit and used Luke’s ty fighter costume rather than the robe you usually see him wear)

Darth Vader was understandably upset that he just missed Luke and company

Snape (I think he cursed me)

Alice Cooper

Jigsaw

Jason (he brought his mommy with him, isn’t that sweet?)

Or, is this the real Jason?

and his buddy Freddy

Snap, Crackle and Pop (in that order) took time from eating breakfast to pose

Father Time didn’t look a day over infinity

I found Waldo (actually quite a few Waldos). He wasn’t that hard to find!

The occult leader from the blockbuster hit, Eyes Wide Shut (or so I was told)

I told this guy I was curious if I could take his photo. He didn’t get the play on words but he was friendly nonetheless

And, of course, a Halloween festival isn’t the same without Frankenstein

One of the best things to see is when a family or couple or group of friends get dressed up together. After all, the couple that haunts together stays together. Or, something like that.

Some came dressed as familiar characters like Beetlejuice and Lydia (is she not a dead ringer for Winona?)

and Ron Burgundy with Veronica Corningstone (he’s Kind of a big deal)

Mario and crew

The Joker (in crocs) and nurse

Elliott, E.T. and Gertie

Dorothy, Glinda “the Good Witch” and the “Wicked Witch”

Alice in Wonderland

Little Red Riding Hood and the wolf (I guess they patched things up)

Fred, Wilma and Pebbles

And some came dressed in these other creative costumes

This guy was giving out free hugs

Believe it or not, he actually had a few takers

But, the dogs stole the show! Whether in costume or not, they all looked great!

Dogald Trump was there

Milo stood tall for his photo!

Goliath is a gentle giant

Named after the popular dish from New Orleans, Gumbo, a rescue from New Orleans, posed perfectly!

Sam, the “zombie dog” was the cutest zombie in Salem.

Zoe wished me a “Happy Halloween”!

Lucy was the fairest of them all

Due to the large crowds and the hectic atmosphere, I was unable to get the names of all the dogs from their moms and dads. But, I did want to share their photos.

A great day for everyone, 2 legged or 4 legged. I will be posting a few more Salem blogs later this week mostly dealing with the memorials, statues and impressive architecture from the area and probably a few more dogs ( : If I included all my photos from my trips in this blog it would have been even longer and I didn’t want to over do it. Until next year, Salem! Have a Happy and Spooky (well, not too spooky) Halloween!

20 Comments | tags: costumes, dogs, Fall, fun, Halloween, impersonators, Massachusetts, New England, Photography, photos, Salem | posted in costumes, dogs, Fall, fun, Halloween, massachusetts, photography, photos, Salem

October 12, 2015

Howl-O-Ween Costumed Pet Parade (Salem, MA)

By New England Nomad

Dressing up for Halloween is not just for humans.

And there were plenty of pets on display Sunday in Salem, Massachusetts, to prove this.

Sunday, the dogs, and a few cats, took over Salem at the Howl-O-Ween Costumed Pet Parade.

The costumes ranged from the scary, like this dog bone skeleton

and this shark

to the funny like this pooch dressed as Beetlejuice.

In fact, a lot of animals dressed up as other animals and insects. Like these bees

and these bat dogs

or this elephant

There were also an octopus, lobsters, a spider and even a squirrel riding a dog.

Some dogs decided to dress more like humans like Sherlock Bones.

and this working class dog

Some dogs wore more creative costumes, like this Chia-pet

and this wolf in sheep clothes

and Goldilocks

And for those of you who thought dinosaurs were extinct, think again

There were also a number of pets dressed as fictional characters such as Chewbacca and Superman/woman (with a tutu no less) and a super hero.

Sleeping beauty was also at the parade.

And of course, what would a Howl-O-Ween parade be without a witch?

There were also some sports themed costumes

And some food themed costumes like these hot dogs and taco

Dogs were not the only participants. There were these two brave cats. One was dressed as a sailor and the other cat, Briggs, was just a spectator

Although all the participants were winners winners, the prize for best overall costume went to “Max” from the his “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” outfit.

18 Comments | tags: cats, costume, costumes, dog, dogs, fun, Halloween, Massachusetts, New England, parade, pets, Photography, photos, Salem | posted in animals, cats, costumes, dog, dogs, Halloween, massachusetts, New England, parade, pets, photography, photos, road trip, Salem

New England Nomad

Category Archives: Halloween

Fall Pumpkin Float (Boston, MA)

Faint Of Art – Part I (Salem, MA)

Halloween In Salem (Salem, MA)

Happy Halloween (Salem, MA)

Pumpkin Decorating Festival (Salem, MA)

2016 Howl-O-Ween Pet Parade

Happy Halloween (Salem, MA)

Howl-O-Ween Costumed Pet Parade (Salem, MA)

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