Category Archives: Uncategorized

March 16, 2024

2024 Salem’s So Sweet (Salem, MA)

By New England Nomad

Date Of Event: February 10, 2024 (event is held annually the weekend of or before Valentine’s Day)

Location: Salem, MA (about 30 mins northeast from Boston, MA)

Cost: Free

Parking: There are 2 main parking garages and several other parking lots and metered parking available throughout the city. See below for parking information in Salem, MA.

Parking in Salem

Website: Salem’s So Sweet

Summary: 26 ice sculptures were placed throughout Salem, MA for the Salem’s So Sweet annual event.

Love and a little bit of ice was in the air in Salem, MA, last month. In celebration of the Salem’s So Sweet event, held each year around Valentine’s Day, 28 ice sculptures were unveiled for the Salem’s So Sweet annual event.

Due to the mild temperatures and some clumsy pedestrians, some of the ice sculptures did not fare well . But, of the 28 ice sculptures only only two sculptures were completely demolished.

I am listing the sculptures numerically as they are listed on the map for the event (which is attached in the link at the top). I stayed the entire day so I could photograph the ice sculptures before and after they were lighted. Looking through the photos, I am glad I photographed the ice sculptures before they were lighted because they did melt considerably throughout the day.

Each time I post photos of these events, a feeling of nostalgia sweeps over me and it makes me miss and want to visit Salem. So, posting these photos, although at times time consuming, can actually be fun.

1 Blackcraft Coffee – this ice sculpture was not available

2 One Piece Flag

3 Crystal Snowflake

4 Viking. A lot of people came by to take their photo in the opening of the Viking sculpture. Fun fact: the name of the sports teams for Salem State College is The Vikings.

5 Moon

6 Salem Loves Architecture.

7 Dog (only one of those dogs is a sculpture). Banks, a 3 year old Cream Golden Retriever, was nice enough to pose for the photo on the left.

8 Gummy Bear

9 Keith Haring, Untitled with Heart and Two Figures

10 Coraline

11 Witch. One of the things I appreciate about the Salem’s So Sweet event, and really any event in Salem, is they always keep a Halloween or historical element to their sculptures or other art. Because, as I and other notables have said, “it’s always Halloween in Salem.”

12 Camera

13 Candy Picture Frame. The sculpture has “It’s not the chocolate that matters, it’s the people you share it with” written on the banner. I agree wholeheartedly! As an added treat, Charlie stopped by the sculpture for a few photos!

14 Dragon. It’s the year of the Dragon (technically the Wood Dragon) and the Peabody Essex Museum, which is where this sculpture was located, held a Lunar New Year Festival earlier that day (which I attended). So, this was a particularly appropriate sculpture.

The Lunar New Year Festival at PEM (Peabody Essex Museum – isn’t weird I wrote it out anyway – why didn’t I just type Peabody Essex Museum in the first place?) was wonderful. But I didn’t get too many great photos (except for the back of the person’s head in front of me). I did, however, get this photo from the event.

15 Cat – The Witch House (aka the Jonathan Corwin House). They always have a cat sculpture here. But, it’s shape, type and posture of the cat does change. But, like some of the other places on the list, they have always placed a similar sculpture at their location ever since I’ve been photographing the event.

16 Crystal Ball. This crystal ball had melted quite a bit by the time I got to photograph it. But, I think I saw an eye in the sculpture if you look close and enlarge the photo.

17 World. This sculpture, sponsored by the Journeymasters, is much like the sculpture outside the Witch Bouse in that it is usually in the shape of a globe and only varies slightly over the years I have been lucky enough to photograph it. Like some of the other sculptures on this list, the lights for this sculpture changed colors

18 Lobster, This sculpture located outside of Turner’s Seafood is another sculpture that keeps a certain theme each year. It usually bears a resemblance to a lobster or some other seafood fare.

19 Skull.

20 Curly Girl. This sculpture always makes me smile. Located outside of Curly Girl Candy Shop, the Curly Girl sculpture changed some funky colors!

21 Fairy. It may be hard to see since this sculpture did melt quite a bit. But it looks like a fairy may be playing a harp.

22 Gayle The Snail. I think I was driving behind this sculpture on the way to the event.

23 Whale Tail

24 Cauldron

25 Anchor – this sculpture was not available.

26 Rocking Horse

27 Fall In Love With Salem

28 Bakery

There was also this bonus ice sculpture located outside Re-find which wasn’t part of the official Salem So Sweet ice sculpture event.

I also enjoyed the tasteful decor of the windows at Re-find and some of the other stores in Salem.

At the visitor center, guests could write their own valentine’s and post them for all to see. It was good to see people getting into the spirit of the event!

I now know whenever I go to Salem I’m not just photographing the event or display that is my main purpose of going there. There are always interesting things to photograph in Salem. Besides the ice sculptures, there were also light displays, decorations and even an interesting guest at the event.

This house on Derby St is always decorated for the various holidays and other special days throughout the year and I always make sure to stop by to see the new decorations. However, this photography session was different than my usual shoots. While taking photographs behind the fence at the residence, the owner and decorator of the display invited me on to the property to get a closer look and take some photos. So, I was able to get some photos of things most people don’t get to see, at least not up close. Again, like some of the ice sculptures, I appreciate the nods to Halloween and the darker side of things, especially during this romantic time of the year.

The pumpkins at Stardust kept with the Halloween theme seen throughout the city.

There was also some new art at The Point section of Salem.

And, of course it is Salem, so people don’t wait until October to dress up for Halloween.

Lastly, there was one special visitor at the event. Lucifer, the official cat of Salem, took in the sculptures.

11 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , | posted in Massachusetts, New England, photographs, photography, photos, Salem, Salems So Sweet, Uncategorized

February 8, 2024

Beyond Walls – Holyoke (Holyoke, MA)

By New England Nomad

Dates Of Visit: December 23, 2023

Locations: Throughout the city of Holyoke, MA

Cost: Free

Hours: The murals are available to view throughout the day

Parking: There is metered street parking available in the city. There are also two municipal parking lots in the city (see link below for more information)

Parking Information for Holyoke, MA

There always seems to be new works of art popping up throughout the various cities and towns all over New England. These works of art often have a special meaning or purpose behind them. The Beyond Walls mural project has been a big contributor to both exhibiting art and spreading their messages of heritage, pride and other important messages.

The Beyond Walls project features murals in several cities such as Massachusetts including Lynn, Haverhill, Lowell, Chicopee and the murals displayed in this post in Holyoke.

These murals are part of the El Corazon – The Heart of Holyoke from 2022 which I photographed and posted on my blog. But, the artists keep adding to the mural project or changing the murals over time. These murals were not made until after the initial murals were created. Some of the murals have a special meaning or message about the community or people from the community. Others are the free expression of art by the artist.

All of the locations for these murals are in Holyoke. I tried to list them in the order they can best be seen in case you want to make a trip to see them for yourself!

Holyoke Community College

303 Homestead Ave

While most of the murals are located near each other in the downtown Holyoke or South Holyoke area, this mural was located further away in the main campus at Holyoke Community College. Betsy Cananas was surprised and impressed with the diversity of the student population of Holyoke Community College, particularly the Latinx, particularly the Puerto Rican, population of the students. In this vein, she decided to create a mural depicting a bomba classroom. Betsy payed homage to the cultural roots of the audience as well as creating a visual narrative that resonates deeply with their experiences. There is more info about the mural and artist at the following link

Holyoke Health Center

230 Maple St

This mural is a mixture of many people and things that depict Holyoke. From the gorilla arms meant to show the strength of the community to the coquí, to old San Juan, to coconuts, jíbaro (farmer), salsa, plena, congas, food and tropical flowers there are many tributes to Holyoke and it’s people of Puerto Rican descent. The mural also gives a nod to the world famous Puerto Rican singer Hector LaVoe and, perhaps surprisingly, the Irish population of the area. To the right of the mural there is a portrait of John F Kennedy with the colors of the flag of Ireland. It really shouldn’t be a surprise, though. For over 70 years, they have held one of the most popular Irish Pride parades and Grand Colleen events in Massachusetts.

You can find out more about the mural and artist here.

284 Maple Street North Wall

No, this isn’t a mural of Abraham Lincoln, although the similarity may be uncanny. German artist, Case Maclaim painted this mural in honor of a former Pioneer Valley resident and well known abolitionist John Brown.

You can find out more about the mural here

284 Maple Street – South Wall

This mural by Alexis Diaz is a tribute to Boricuas and Latinos outside their homeland. Boricuas is a spirit, flavor, and rhythm that you’ll feel in every part of Puerto Rico. It is meant to honor all of those who left their homeland of Puerto Rico to seek a better future. According to the 2010 census, Holyoke, Massachusetts had the largest Puerto Rican population per capita of any city in the United States outside of Puerto Rico. So, Puerto Rico plays a central role in much of the art in of the city. There is more information about this mural and artist here.

100 Appleton St

The Amazing Ske painted this mural to emphasize the importance of preserving the marine environment and the harmony generated among the different beings that inhabit it. The sharks, depicted with armor ,are portrayed as protectors of the ocean and their ability to maintain balance within it is reflected in the mural. The mural also reflects the message that all species are important and the need to work together to preserve the environment. Click here to find out more about the artist and mural.

South Shore YMCA

171 Pine St

Repoe9 created this work of art to display the spirit of hope and resilience. The colors of the hands, reaching for the sky, are meant to express the hope of optimism and an uplifting energy. There is more information about the mural and artist here.

Lawler Insurance Agency

1 Main St

There was no information available for this mural.

Battleship Block

648 S. Summer St

and

660 S. Bridge St

Built in 1910, this housing complex and compound was built by German immigrant workers and sold to French-Canadian developers. The housing development was largely comprised of Yiddish-speaking Russians, Greeks, German-speaking Poles, and Germans, as well as native-born and French Canadian residents. Nearly all of the occupants were employees of paper, woolen, or thread mills. These murals were created by BKFoxx and CP1. Follow the link for more information and photos of the mural here.

University Products

517 Main St

While originally disappointed to have to take a photo of this mural behind a fence, I later thought the chain link fence gave the mural an added artistic value and perhaps even an unintended social commentary.

Created by GoFive and TakeOne, this mural, “Yo Soy…” or “I am…” is a mesage meant to extend out into this community, and all who see it, is a form of self affirmation. Yo Soy! I am anything and everything. The following poem was posted on the website for the mural:

I am a powerful force. 

I am light. 

I am beauty, undefined.  

I am capable. 

I am resilient.

I am, You are, We are

ENOUGH!

You can find out more about the mural and artist here.

Baustein Building

523 Main St

This vibrant tapestry of this mural by the artist Golden celebrates the rich history and enduring legacy of the American Thread Company which was a central part of Holyoke, Massachusetts. Each part of the mural represents artistic expression and the spirit that flourished within those walls. You can find out more about the mural, the artist and the the history of this building here.

Yellow Brick Management

346 Race St

This mural created on the the former Boy’s Club of Holyoke by Gleo and aptly titled “Child Flower” is meant to celebrate the youthful energy of the building’s history. Click here to find out more about the mural and the artist.

Battleship Block

648 S. Summer St – East Wall

This mural “The Master of Masks” by Don Raúl Ayala Carrasquillo, Loizeño, who learned his craft from his father Don Castor Ayala, is meant to show the very same masks he learned to make from his dad. Don Raul added more color and additional horns to his masks and has passed down this art to his own children to preserve the tradition.

These murals are only a few of the works of art in the Beyond Walls mural project. Many of these murals either had been painted over older ones or were new additions to the El Corazon/The Heart Of Holyoke Mural Project that I posted about in 2022. If you do want to see these murals, and I highly suggest you do, do try to get there before they may be painted over again in the future!

18 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , | posted in art, Beyond Walls, Holyoke, Massachusetts, murals, New England, photographs, photography, photos, travel, Uncategorized

January 2, 2024

2023 Rewind Part 3 – Holidays, Events And People

By New England Nomad

Date Of Post: January 2, 2023

Location: All over New England

Summary: I have photographed a lot of events and people last year. Below are some of my favorites!

Welcome to part 3 and the final installment of my 2023 rewind. In this post I will be showing my photos of events and people from a variety of places around New England.

2023 was a busy year for events and celebrations! One of my favorite annual events I like to photograph is the Salem’s So Sweet festival in Salem, MA in February. Two dozen ice sculptures were displayed throughout Salem. The sculptures are lit up each night which makes them even more fun to photograph! Below are just a few of my favorite sculptures.

Some of the sculptures had lights that changed colors.

Only one of these images is an actual sculpture. Grizzly was nice enough to pose for this photo.

Another event I was fortunate enough to photograph was the Celtic Celebration in March at Old Sturbridge Village. The Celtic Celebration was a celebration of how Sturbridge celebrated the holiday in the past. Lee (MA) Irish Dance performed Irish dances

And Celtic Harpist Cate Mahoney performed Celtic songs.

There were also quite a few sand sculpture attractions and competitions during the summer.

The annual Yarmouth Sand Sculpture Trail in Yarmouth, MA, featured 32 sand sculptures located throughout Yarmouth and Dennis. These are just a few of my favorites. All sculptures were made by Fitzy Snowman

The, of course there was the annual Hampton Beach Sand Sculpting Classic in June.

Melineige Beauregard won first place at the competition for her sculpture “Love Is A Universal Temple.”

Sadly, most of the sand sculptures at the Revere Beach sand sculpting competition were damaged or entirely destroyed by all of the heavy rain during the event. However, one sculpture did withstand the inclement weather conditions. Appropriately, it was the sculpture of King Kong.

I also came across a few sand sculptures in Rhode Island during the summer. They were sculpted in preparation for the Atlantis Rising sand sculpting event in October. Unfortunately, I could not make it to that one!

I made it out to Rhode Island again for the Green Animals Topiary Garden in July. The topiary featured a variety of animals sculpted out of the greenery.

In addition to the various sculptures of animals, the topiary also had a special exhibit by Sean Kenney. The Sean Kenney Nature Connects exhibit included several sculptures entirely made out of Legos!

I also made out to Newport, Rhode Island, to photograph the Umbrella Sky display.

And the Newport Kite Festival at Brenton Point, Newport, RI.

I also made it out to Salem MA, for my annual Halloween photos.

And I was able to photograph the Salem Zombie Walk.

But, one of the most fun and interesting photo shoots I did last year was the Beep Baseball event in September. Beep baseball is baseball played by visually impaired players.

After the game, I made it out to the Salem Lawn Vintage Party. Various dancers with various dancing skills cut a rug (lawn?) with music provided by Annie and the Fur Trappers.

Last but not least, I took in a trip to, of course, Salem, MA, to check out their Christmas decorations.

And, there were a few special visitors during my visit! And, I though, you weren’t supposed to be able to catch the Gingerbread Man!

The Gingerbread man was in Salem as part of an ad campaign by The Good Witch. Only in Salem.

And what would Christmas be without a trip to Yankee Candle Shop in Deerfield, MA!

So, as you can see, 2023 was a pretty busy year for me! And I look for to doing a lot more in 2024!

19 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , | posted in New England, photographs, photography, photos, travel, Uncategorized

October 24, 2023

Big E Circus Spectacular (Eastern States Exposition, West Springfield, MA)

By New England Nomad

Date Of Event: Sep 22, 2023

Location: Eastern States Exposition, 1305 Memorial Ave West Springfield, MA (1.5 hours southwest of Boston, MA or half an hour north of Hartford, CT)

Summary: A group of international performers came to the Big E Circus Spectacular to show off their talents

While most of the 1.4 million people who visited the Big E Festival in West Springfield this year came for the food, beverages and rides, my favorite attraction was the Circus Spectacular! Each year, a dozen or so performers come to put on a show for the 1,600 plus spectators.

Chu-Chuan Ho started off the Circus Spectacular with his Diablo act.

 Susan Vidbel kept the audience in suspense with her Cloud Swing act.

The Amazing Alec, a chair balancing extraordinaire from the Big Apple Circus, showed off his balance and strength.

The Italian performer Gimmi Fornaciari, also known as Laserman, kept the crowd captivated with his lightshow.

The Drazdov Trio mixed aerobatics, agility and strength in their Russian Bar show.

And, last but not least, the High Wire Sky Cycle kept everyone on the edge of their seats.

The annual Circus Spectacular is only one part of the Big E Festival. I am working on editing photos from the festival and hope to post them soon!

19 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , | posted in Big E, Massachusetts, New England, photographs, photography, photos, travel, Uncategorized, West Springfield

September 30, 2023

2023 Vintage Lawn Party (Salem, MA)

By New England Nomad

Date Of Event: September 17, 2023

Location: Salem Willows, Salem, MA (about 30 minutes northeast of Boston or 1 hour southeast of Concord, NH)

Cost: Free

Parking: There are several parking lots in the Salem Willows area

Universally Accessible: Yes

Dog Friendly: Yes

Summary: Antique cars, people dressed and vintage wear and music from a bygone era were in abundance at the Salem Vintage Lawn party.

If you yearn for a simpler time before social media, phones and Kardashians, then the Vintage Lawn Party in Salem, MA, is a must see!

The lawn party, which began in 2018, then took a break due to Covid, was back in full swing earlier this month.

From vintages dresses to fashionable headwear, people came dressed in their best 1920s wear.

Of course, I couldn’t resist adjusting my settings in post production and using sepia, black and white and other photo settings to bring the true feel of that era to life and to give them an aged feel.

Dancers from all ages and skill levels were welcome to the event.

Annie and the Fur Traders provided vintage music from an earlier era.

There were also antique cars and pop up shops selling items from an earlier era.

Now that the event has passed, we’ve all gone back to the modern world. But it’s always fun to take a step back in time!

Annie and the Fur Traders performing at the Vintage Lawn Party

14 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , | posted in Massachusetts, New England, photographs, photography, photos, Salem, Uncategorized, vintage lawn party

July 22, 2023

Donald F Haviland Memorial (Webb Park, Weymouth, MA)

By New England Nomad

Location: Webb Park, Weymouth, MA

Date Of Visit: July, 2023

We all consider ourselves brave, fearless and calm under pressure. But, what would we really do when faced with a life or death scenario? In all likelihood, we would fall short of our expectations.

Commander Donald F Haviland faced this very same scenario on February 23, 1945. He, however, made a much different decision.

While transporting Norwegian refugees from Russia on the SS Henry Bacon, the ship Haviland was on encountered a heavy gale. The ship had to be taken out of Convoy RA 64 to make repairs from the damage resulting from the gale. This left the SS Henry Bacon vulnerable and German air fighters took advantage. Twenty three German planes attacked the SS Henry Bacon. Despite the USS Henry Bacon shooting down several planes and warding off most of the attackers, the ship did sustain one hit which made the USS Henry Bacon founder.

As the ship was sinking, it was determined there was not enough life boats for all the refugees and personnel. Upon hearing this information, Chief Engineer Haviland, he forfeited his life boat so that a younger man could take his place on in the life boat. Haviland went down with the ship.

Haviland earned the Merchant Marine Distinguished Service Medal posthumously for his selfless act of heroism.

This memorial always gives me pause when I visit Webb Memorial State Park. What would we do in this situation? Would we have the same brave and selfless spirit? Likely no. But, Haviland and people of his ilk are a different breed. The valor he displayed is truly remarkable.

Each Fourth of July and other days of remembrance, flowers, flags, shells, rocks and other displays of tribute are left at Haviland’s memorial.

A photo of Haviland was also placed upon the memorial during my visit.

Admiral Emory Scott Land put it best in regards to Haviland’s sacrifice when he stated Haviland’s “unselfish action in sacrificing his life to save a shipmate constitutes a degree of heroism in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Merchant Marine.”

8 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , | posted in Massachusetts, memorial, New England, photographs, photography, Uncategorized, Webb Memorial State Park, Weymouth

June 4, 2023

Daffodil and Tulip Festival at Naumkeag (Naumkeag, Stockbridge, MA)

By New England Nomad

Date Of Visit: May 5, 2024 (this event has ended. It was scheduled from  April 22 to May 16)

Location: Naumkeag, Trustees, 5 Prospect Hill Rd
Stockbridge, MA 

Cost: $15 for non-member adults ($9 for members) on weekdays and $20 for non-member adults ($12 for members) on weekends. Tickets for children cost $5 each ($3 for members) no matter the day, and admission for children younger than two is free. Tickets are sold for timed entry and must be purchased online; Tickets were sold in a time based entry system.

Parking: Free parking is available on site with a nearby overflow lot

Website: https://thetrustees.org/place/naumkeag/

What better way to celebrate the beginning of spring than walking along the 8 acre gardens of the Naumkeag (pronounced “Nom-keeg”) estate? More than 130,000 colorful tulips, daisies and minor bulbs greeted the visitors at the garden of Naumkeag.

My 24 mm prime lens and 18-400 mm telephoto lenses helped me get some really great bokeh (background blur) in the photos accentuating the beauty of the flowers. It didn’t hurt that the flowers were arranged in a such a pretty array of colors.

There were also some beautiful backgrounds at Naumkeag that provided some beautiful photo opportunities.

I could spend all day photographing these beautiful displays of flowers!

While the daffodils and tulips and other flowers were the main attraction at the event, there were other pretty and impressive statues and structures at Naumkeag. And, yes, those are bubbles at one of the statues there!

There were also models of eggs that looked like larger versions of the eggs birds lay with the name of the bird that lays them.

The “summer cottage” at Naumkeag was bult in 1884 when Joseph Choate, a prominent New York attorney and U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain, and his wife, Caroline hired an architect to build the 44 room home. Tours are available on the first floor and, of course, you can purchase items in the gift shop also on the first floor.

There are additional events during the fall and winter seasons at Naumkeag. You can check out there website for more information.

5 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , | posted in flowers, Massachusetts, New England, photography, photos, Uncategorized

May 27, 2023

Kites Against Cancer 2023 (Hampton Beach, Hampton, NH)

By New England Nomad

Date Of Visit: May 21, 2023 (event is held annually the third Sunday of May)

Location: Hampton Beach, Hampton, NH in front of the Seashell Stage, 169 Ocean Boulevard

Parking: There is main parking lot area along the beach and various parking lots for overflow parking,

Parking rates vary depending upon the season. See the link below for more information.

https://www.hamptonnh.gov/630/Parking-at-Hampton-Beach

Cost: Free

The skies of Hampton Beach were full of parrots, ducklings and other colorful shapes last weekend at the annual Kites Against Cancer event. All proceeds from this annual event went to the Together We Can fund.

Each year the beach hosts the fund raiser event which as originally started by Anne-Marie Viviano, a former Exeter Hospital cancer patient. Benefits from this fundraiser went to the Together We Can campaign which helps fund innovative, progressive and compassionate healthcare at the hospital.

Volunteers and frolickers flocked to the beach to fly their kites and support this worthy cause. It’s so heartwarming to see people come together and having fun while supporting such an important cause.

The kites took center stage with an array of colors, shapes and designs.

It was the perfect conditions for kite flying, perhaps a little too perfect. The winds were particularly strong. But there were volunteers making sure the kites stayed in the air and didn’t stray too far from the beach.

Visitors could make their own kites and even write the names of loved ones or a special message for them on their kites.

While the kite flying took place all day long, the fundraiser event was from 12 to 3. The event included raffles, kite making and other activities.

There was also a special guest at the event. Ella Kate, the reigning Little Miss Hampton Beach stopped by to partake in the events.

The event is dog friendly. Bubbles, an 11 month old Great Dane, went to see the kites.

The Kites Against Cancer event is held annually each May, although the event was not held during the pandemic. So, barring any unforseen events, make sure to take your kite to Hampton Beach next year!

12 Comments | posted in Uncategorized

December 29, 2022

Christmas By Candlelight 2022 (Old Sturbridge Village, Sturbridge, MA)

By New England Nomad

Date Of Event: December 17, 2022

Location: Old Sturbridge Village, 29 Stallion Hill Road, Sturbridge, MA

Hours: Held annually, November 25, 26, 27, and December 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 23, 27, 28, 29, and 30. Christmas by Candlelight runs from 2:00 – 8:00 pm.

Cost: $32 for adults and $16 for youth (4-17)

Parking: Free ample parking is available on site

Summary Houses are decorated in traditional style while period style actors bake, make ornaments, play musical instruments of the day and tell stories of days of yore.

Website: https://www.osv.org/event/christmas-by-candlelight-2022/

Have you ever wondered how some of the earlier settlers of New England celebrated the holidays? Then Old Sturbridge Village has just the thing for you.

Luckily, you can see see an accurate display of how New Englanders celebrated Christmas during the 1830s, 1850s and 1870s (except for bonuses like having indoor plumbing and electricity in homes and other modern day comforts) at their Christmas By Candlelight event. One of the biggest attractions is the Center Meeting House, especially during the evening.

The Center Meeting house was used for meetings, elections and sermons. During my visit they were playing music at the Meeting House.

Many other homes were also decorated for the event.

Everything from the furniture and the way the curtains were hung was true to that era, Even the character actors were dressed in clothing of that time.

This worker at Sturbridge was making stockings

As the light was waning and I didn’t want to use a flash in this environment, even though it would have helped bring out some of the features of the people and the settings, I used a prime lens with a low aperture so I could photograph in the low light conditions.

There were also people making decorations, knitting hats and baking holiday treats

There were also musicians performing traditional holiday music

As the sun set on Sturbridge Village, I was able to capture

In case you got cold, there were open fires for people to warm up

Sturbridge Village also showcased acres of lights and decorations

But not all of the lights were on trees and houses. Visitors also wore festive lights to get in the spirit of the event!

Each year Sturbridge Village holds a gingerbread home contest. They have showcased some incredible works in the past and this year was no different. It was a nice way to end the visit

12 Comments   |  tags: , , , | posted in historical, history, Massachusetts, New England, photographs, photography, photos, Uncategorized

October 7, 2022

22nd Annual Hampton Beach Master Sand Sculpting Classic (Hampton, NH)

By New England Nomad

Date Of Event: June 19, 2022

Location: Hampton Beach, 169 Ocean Blvd, Hampton, NH

Cost: Free

Parking: Metered parking is available at Hampton Beach. Since this is a popular event, parking is also available at various lots usually for $20 for the day during this event, although prices fluctuate based on the time of day and parking availability

For more parking information see below

https://www.hahttps://www.hamptonbeach.com/directions-parkingmptonbeach.com/directions-parking

Universally Accessible: Yes

Dog Friendly: Yes

Websites:

https://hamptonbeach.org/events/sand-sculpture-event/

https://hamptonbeach.org/events/sand-sculpture-event/contestants/s:

Summary: Sand sculptors from all over the globe competed for the Hampton Beach Sand Sculpting grand prize

It may seem strange to talk to about sand sculptures and the beach during October. But, what better way to feel warm and cozy during these colder days than looking back to this annual summer event.

The theme for this year’s sand sculpture event, which began in 2000, was “The Greatest Show On Earth.” All of the competitors contributed to sculpting the main sculptures for this theme.

I made two visits to the beach to view the sand sculptures which may explain the difference in light and shade in the photos.

I am posting the photos in the order they were located on the beach and including info about each sculpture whenever background details were available..

“Transition” – Rusty Croft (Carmel, CA)

4th Place

As is evident by the gravestone like sculpture, this sculpture is a tribute to a loved one who has “transitioned.” This sculpture placed 4th in the competition. As I was photographing these works of art I found it

“Primal” – Chris Guinto (Captain Cook, HI)

Chris, originally from Florida but currently residing in Hawaii, is no stranger to the competition or to winning awards. He won the Sculptor’s Choice Award in 2021.

He described his dinosaur skeleton (or as he called it “spineasaurus”) coming to life. As you will see as a common feature of these sculptures, the attention to detail is incredible.

“I Am Life” – Melineige Beauregard (Hawaii)

1st Prize and People’s Choice

Melineige, who won the competition in 2017, repeated her standard of excellence with “I Am Life” bringing home first place.

She said the sculpture was based on the “flower of life” design that is present in all of nature and life. According to Melineige, this pattern connects us all through flowers and nature. The front side represents the “flower of life” while the back side represents the death and destruction that is also present in our lives.

“Knowledge Is Limited. Imagination Encircles The World” – John Gowdy (Italy/New Jersey)

This sculpture, based on a quote by Albert Einstein, uses symbols like books, an owl and pen and paper to show the different ways to express knowledge. Again, the attention to detail is amazing.

“Wyvern Whisperer” – Greg Grady (Derry, NH)

Governor’s Choice Award

Grady, another regular competitor and founder of the sand sculpture event, said the inspiration for the sand sculpture the Wyvern (pronounced (why-vurn) Whisperer was his son. His son asked him to make a dragon and they settled on a two legged dragon (wyverns are 2 legged dinosaurs) and he modeled the smaller figure on his son who likes to play “super hero.”

“Linked” – Bruce Phillips (San Diego, CA)

Bruce, from San Diego, CA, said his sculpture represents people and working together.

“Trolls” – Karen Fralich (Ontario, Canada)

2md Place

The meaning of this sculpture seems straight forward. Troll-like figures hug, offer treasures and act friendly to the crowned figure while they attempt to stab and mock him to his back

“Entropy” – Carl Jara (Lyndhurst, OH)

3rd Place

“Entropy”, in short a randomness or disorder in the system, certainly does show a disorder and randomness. Jara’s sculpture placed 3rd in the event.

“Let There Be Peace On Earth And Let It Begin With Me” – Justin Gordon (Groveland, MA)

“Hierarchy Of Needs” – Abe Waterman (Prince Edward Island, Canada)

Unfortunately, Abe’s sand sculpture collapsed due to weather conditions. So, a photograph of the sculpture was put in its place.

The sand sculptures are usually kept up for a week (in this case until June 26). The sculptures are also lit up for night viewing.

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