Tag Archives: cars

September 20, 2024

6th Annual Salem Vintage Lawn Party (Salem, MA)

By New England Nomad

Date Of Event: September 14, 2024

Location: Salem Commons , North Washington Square, Salem, MA (35 minutes northeast of Boston, MA)

Cost: Free

Dog Friendly: Yes

Universally Accessible: Yes

Summary: Salem Commons transformed into the days of the 1920s for a very special event.

It was a swinging good time last weekend at Salem Commons.

For the past 6 years, the Salem community Neighborhood Association has hosted the Vintage Lawn Party. The party included dancing, antique cars, music and vendors selling all things vintage.

On my way to the event, I noticed this sky writer. Only in Salem!

While dressing up for the event is not required, it is encouraged and appreciated! Many people came dressed up in their best vintage wear! In fact, it seems like each year more guests decide to don their best attire. I used some special settings such as black and white and sepia to give some of the photos an old timey feel.

Annie and the Fur Traders kept the people dancing with their swinging sounds.

And, of course, there was dancing.

If dancing isn’t your thing, there were some cool cars to check out. In previous years, there was only one or two cars at the party. But, over time as word about the party spread, more and more cars began to show up. I love the curves, shape and sleekness of the cars.

This 1966 Excalibur has a special connection to Salem. It was the very same car used in the Bewitched episodes filmed in Salem, MA. The owner of the vehicle, “Sid” posed with his car.

Below is a photo of the very same car from the Bewitched episode filmed in 1970.

There were also lawn games for everyone to enjoy. Although it may seem like a new sensation, cornhole has existed since the 1880s in different forms.

Croquet, another game that has been around since the 1800s, was also a popular game played by both the young and old.

This 5 year old is quite the croquet prodigy.

There were a number of merchants selling everything from clothing, art ceramics and everything in between.

After a long day of partying and dancing, this pooch was all partied out!

17 Comments | tags: cars, dancers, dancing, Massachuetts, New England, photograhy, photos, Salem, vintage lawn party | posted in cars, dancers, dancing, Massachusetts, New England, photographs, photography, Salem, Uncategorized, vintage, vintage lawn party

January 14, 2017

New England International Auto Show (Boston, MA)

By New England Nomad

Dates Of Event: January 12 – 16, 2017 (photos taken January 12)

Location: Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, 415 Summer St, Boston, MA

Cost: Adult (13 and older): $15, child (6-12): $6, children under 6 get in free

Hours:

Thursday, January 12, 4:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Friday, January 13, 12:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Saturday, January 14, 10:00 am – 9:00 pm
Sunday, January 15, 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Monday, January 16, 10:00 am- 6:00 pm

*Box Office closes 1 hour prior to the end of the Show each day.

Parking: There is ample parking at the Exhibition Center ($17 to self-park, $30 for valet parking) .

*you can also take the red line on the MBTA. The Convention Center is about a mile walk from South Station, or you can take the Silver Line to the World Trade Center stop. The Convention Center is a short walk from the World Trade Center stop*

Handicapped Accessible: According to the website for the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, the building is handicapped accessible and there is “ample” handicapped parking. There is also a golf cart that transports visitors from the entrance to the escalators.

Dog Friendly: Service dogs may be allowed

Web Site: New England International Auto Show

As a prelude to my post, I would like to acknowledge this as my 200th post. I wanted to thank everyone who has viewed, shared, liked and/or commented on my blog. I genuinely appreciate your support. Here’s to many more posts!

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Are you in the market for a new car? Do you have an extra couple hundred thousand to throw around? Then, I’ve got the place for you.

The Boston Convention & Exhibition Center is hosting the New England International Auto Showthis weekend. But, if you haven’t hit your number yet there is still sure to be a car for you.

There are cars of all makes and models for the taking. All the major car companies showcased their vehicles.

While there were many mid priced vehicles, there was a special section for exotic and special vehicles, thankfully. I tend to find most “mid priced” vehicles to look all the same (it’s the reason why I walk up to at least 2 other vehicles before I find mine in a parking lot but I digress). The vehicles below do have this issue.

This Porsche 911 Targa 4S can be yours for the rock bottom price of $151.

And that wasn’t even the most expensive car on the show room. Some of these Ashton Martins were priced at over $300,000. They’re still waiting for my check to clear.

Of course, I had to stop by and check out the Mustangs!

There were a few other classic cars at the show as well.

Randy is a bomb sniffing dog. This 2 year old Labrador did a great job keeping everyone safe.

6 Comments | tags: Boston, cars, dogs, Massachussetts, New England, photographs, Photography, photos | posted in Boston, cars, dog, New England, photos, Uncategorized

August 29, 2016

Westfield Fair (Westfield, MA)

By New England Nomad

Dates Of Event: August 19-21 (it’s usually held the third weekend of August of each year)

Location: 135 Russellville Rd, Westfield, MA

Hours: Friday 5-10 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m., – 10 p.m., Sunday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Cost: $8, $6 for seniors (over 65), Children under 12 get in free with an adult

Parking: There was ample parking on the fair grounds

Dog Friendly: No

Highlights: petting zoo, animals, tractor pull, demolition derby, arts and crafts

Westfield Fair

Summers bring to mind beach weather, vacations along the shore and, of course, fairs. In fact, fairs often mark the winding down of the summer vacation season. And no one may do city fairs better than Westfield, MA.

The 89th Westfield Fair had a very down home/country feel to it. From the sheep show (yes you read that right), to the arts and crafts fair and the tractor pull, everything seemed more like “country fun”than the city fun I am more accustomed to. I’m always game for new experiences, though, so I figured I give them a try.

Children from the Pioneer Valley (the section of the area that encompasses the Connecticut River in Massachusetts such as Westfield, Springfield and Chicopee to name a few cities and towns) showed off the animals they have been caring for. I was taken by surprise by how the sheep seemed to like to cuddle. It was remarkable how these little kids could handle and treat these animals with such care. They also seemed very proud of their animals and the work they put into caring for them.

The sheep were evaluated and prizes were awarded to the best in show.

There was also a cattle show. They take this show very seriously as you can tell by the care they were given.

The cows were also shown off and evaluated. Some of the cows did not want me to moove, though (sorry, I couldn’t resist that one). So, the children had to encourage them a bit. Prizes were awarded to the participants. Again, it is very cool to see some children who are barely as tall as the cows they were working with handle them so well. Many of the participants have grown up in families that farm so they have a lot of experience in husbandry. The pride they all take in their work is evident by their reactions.

Perhaps the most popular event during the day time was the tractor pull. The Western Mass Tractor Pullers Association sponsored the event which featured tractors of various styles and eras.

The highlight of the event for me was the petting zoo and alpacas.

The goats, pig and other animals took the food from everyone very gently and they were very friendly.

I’ve always marveled at the folksy ways of the Western MA community. Their down home, folksy ways are evident in so many ways, even their arts and crafts.

And no one knows how to bake like the folks in the western part of the state. Someone had the unenviable task of tasting all of the goodness on these shelves to decide the winner of the bake fair (the Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Cake won). Talk about pure drudgery!

There were several fun events and activities for children such as a climbing wall, a kiddie tractor pull event, musical performers, face painting (I went with the cat design), food trucks (the fries were to die for) and, of course, amusement rides (I declined). A play train was available to cart you around to the various events.

Vehicles, specifically trucks, are a staple of the fair. Everywhere you look there seems to be a souped up vehicle tricked out or a vehicle used for farming on display.

As we were leaving, we could see the participants of the scheduled demolition derby prepping for the event.

I can’t wait until next year’s fair!

Below is a video of the tractor pull event.

Tractor Pull At The Westfield Fair

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10 Comments | tags: animals, cars, fair, Massachusetts, New England, photographs, Photography, photos, trucks | posted in animals, fair, New England, Uncategorized, Westfield

August 19, 2016

Forever Young Cruisers (Westfield, MA)

By New England Nomad

Date Of Event: July 30, 2016

Location: Zuber’s Ice Cream And Deli, 98 Southwick Rd, Westfield, MA

Hours: Saturdays, 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m (until October 1)

Cost: Free (but make sure to stop in at Zuber’s for a cone or treat)

Parking: There are about 15-20 parking spots

Time To Allot For Visit: About 30 minutes to an hour

Dog Friendly: Yes

Fun For One: Yes

Highlights: Really cool antique cars, located in the parking lot of an ice cream shop/deli (Zuber’s)

Lowlights: Not a lot of cars

Summer means road trips, long days at the beach and car shows. Yes, car shows. Muscle cars and other hot rods are a staple of any summer road trip.

It was great seeing cars with the old gauges and front seat bench seating as opposed to the bucket seats we’ve all become accustomed to. It reminded me of the old Delta 88 I used to tool around in. I still miss that car.

Whenever I see older cars, I wonder what memories are attached to them. How many first dates were they driven on? How many times did different families pile in her en route to the destinations?

We attach so many memories and emotions to our cars. They’re more than just steel and iron to us (now they are more than just plastic and aluminum). Old cars, even if we never owned them or rode in them, bring us back to our earlier, more carefree days. I wonder how many special memories are attached to these cars.

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There were only about a dozen or so cars. So, if you’re looking to see a wide variety of cars you might be out of luck. But, what the event lacked in quantity it made up for in quality of cars like this 1970 Roadrunner, 440 engine.

One of the things I really liked was how the owners of the vehicles dressed up their vehicles and added decor and dolls from the era or that have something in common with their vehicle. For instance, the owner of the Road Runner pictured above has a bunch of Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote dolls in the backseat of his car.

The owner of this AMC 1973 Javelin dressed up his car with Bettie Boop collectibles.

This Buick Series 60 went with the traditional fuzzy dice motif

I have no idea what the motif of this decor is

This race car, which the owner still races, has a Chevrolet frame. But, it is made of mostly custom parts.

It did the Kessel Run in 7.88. Oh, sorry that was Han Solo I was thinking of. This car actually did a quarter mile in 7.88 (the number light up in the back side back window of the car) for a not so shabby 137 miles per hour.

This ’32 Roadster was the oldest vehicle that I could confirm at the car show. The owner was especially proud of the license plate.

A lot of the car owners are very proud of their vehicles and they have lots and lots of stories of their experiences in their cars (driving and otherwise). Often times, just talking to these people can be as entertaining as looking at the cars. It gives the cars some personality when you can talk to the people who drive them and hear about their driving experiences.

As an added bonus, you can stop by Zuber’s and get a cone or sandwich after looking over the cars!

Since it opened in 2006, Zuber”s has been serving up sandwiches, ice cream and a variety of other items to people from Westfield and surrounding areas. What makes the shop so cool is that it doesn’t just sell sandwiches and a variety of sweets. You can get your food to go or you can eat it in their outdoor dining area. They also sell everything from birdhouses to toys in their bargain section. You never know what you’ll find when you visit. And, if you’re like me and you like to collect things, you never know what you’ll end up going home with.

Similar Events In New England To Visit:

Mark’s Classic Cruise Night

4 Comments | tags: cars, Massachusetts, New England, photographs, Photography, photos, Westfield | posted in cars, New England, photographs, photography, photos, Uncategorized, Westfield

May 1, 2016

Annual Pawcatuck River Duck Race (Westerly, RI)

By New England Nomad

Date Of Event: April 30, 2016

Location: 37 Main St, Westerly, Rhode Island

Parking: Parking was very limited, especially with the huge turnout. I got there early so I was fortunate enough to snag a 3 hour parking spot near the event in the shopping area of the town.

Cost: Free

Annual Pawcatuck River Duck Race

Every year for the past 18 years, the Ocean Community Chamber of Commerce partners with several businesses and community members to raise money by dumping 20,000 ducks into the Pawcatuck River (don’t worry, they’re rubber ducks) and watching them race down the river. The event helps raise money for over 40 local schools and other non profit groups in the area.

Visitors to the duck race can buy “sponsor tickets” with a unique number of a duck for $5 a chance. Duck shaped whistles can also purchased, much to the delight of many spectators and parents. Vendors and a local radio station also sell items and entertain the visitors.

All 20,000 rubber ducks are dumped into the river from a bulldozer which has been filled with the toys prior to the race.

That’s a lot of ducks!

A short walk from the bridge, in Donahue Park, there are also fun stuff for kids (and even adults who feel young at heart) such as a bouncy house, face painting, balloon shaping and other activities. There also was a classic car, a ’47 Mac, owned by the parent of Bustah (one of the dogs below). Cool car.