Summary: A diverse group of skaters took to the pink rink at 401 Park to celebrate The Barbie movie!
Barbie on ice. Those are three words I thought I’d never type. But, that is exactly what took place in February at the 401 Park “Pink Rink” in Boston, MA.
The inclusive skating event at the Skate Kenway (aka Skate Fenway) featured some of the characters from the Barbie movie and pink. A lot of pink.
The inclusive group of skaters included some of the cast from the movie including Barbie who came out of her box and had to loosen up a bit.
There were some pretty aerobatic performers.
There were also some impressive feats of strength!
One of the things that stood out were there colorful costumes that seemed to make the skaters seem faster and certainly more flamboyant.
The family friendly event was a great way to celebrate the winter season at 401 Rink. And, when I’m sure the sequel will be made, hopefully there will be another Barbie skating event there to photograph!
Below is a video of all the participants skating in the final act of the show!
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)
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.
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!
Date Of Event: December 2, 2023 (event is held annually the first weekend of Dec)
Location: 1 Daniels St, Salem, MA
Cost: Tickets for Christmas in Salem are available online at www.historicsalem.org at a cost of $40 for non-Historic Salem, Inc. members and $35 for HSI members. Tickets purchased the day of the tour are $45. Tour tickets including the Friday night candle-lit preview are $120 for non-HSI members and $100 for members of Historic Salem, Inc. Christmas in Salem proceeds support the preservation mission of Historic Salem, Inc.
Hours: Sat & Sun 10-4
Parking: there are several parking lots and metered street parking throughout the city.
Summary: The Christmas In Salem event consists of a tour of historic homes and buildings in Salem, MA. Each year, home owners and building management open their doors to visitors to get a glimpse into what these historic homes look like and what stories they may have.
The ninth house, and really the *last* historic home on the tour (more on this later) is the Daniels House.
One of the oldest homes in Salem, MA, the Daniels House was constructed by Stephen Daniels I or Stephen Daniels II between 1667 and 1693. The home was occupied by mariners and shipbuilders until the mid 1800s. In the mid 1700s Stephen Daniel’s daughter Mary married into the Silsbee family and lived in the house until 1803. Mary’s son, Samuel Silsbee (who was a carpenter), remodeled and enlarged the house around the time of his marriage to Martha Prince in 1756
Silsbee’s heirs divided the house into two properties listed as numbers 1 and 3 Daniels Street in the mid 1800s. When Samuel’s daughters died in the 1860s, the properties were sold to other families. For about a century after the sale, the house went through what Samuel Chamberlain, a photographer who spent some of his life in Massachusetts, said was a period of “many vicissitudes. The house was subdivided into a double house of at least 4 apartments, served as a day nursery and boarding house. There was an ever rotating group of laborers, widows, railroad and shoe workers living in the house for the better part of 50 years. The house then went into foreclosure after the Great Depression and was vacant for almost 20 years. Eventually, the house was owned by Theodore Perry and Winifred Halter. They operated a historic tea room in the first floor. In 1962, the Halters sold the house to Thomas and Catherine Gill. Catherine “Kay” Gill operated the house first as a bed and breakfast and then an inn for 55 years until her death in 2018.
The house is a three story clapboard and wood frame home. It has a closed in front entrance that is covered by a half hipped roof. Over the years, the home has gone through a constant growth and changing architectural styles.
From the decorated Christmas tree to the tasteful decorations of the fruit bowls (no pun intended), the Daniels House was an especially fun home to photograph.
There was also an assortment of dolls, figurines and other holiday decor throughout the home.
This home had not one but two cozy fireplaces. I really wanted to sit by the fireplace and take in the warmth and history of this home.
As much as I wanted to stay there for a longer visit, I had to hurry off to the next and last home on the tour. Luckily, they did allow people to visit slightly after 4 pm which was the time the tours were supposed to end. In fact, I was one of the last people admitted to the last home on the tour. The tour lasts 2 days (Saturday and Sunday). But, I had plans for the following day. So, it all worked out! But, as I mentioned earlier, the last house on the tour was very…different. Hopefully, you’ll be able to see for yourself in the 10th and final installment of this series of posts!
Date Of Event: December 2, 2023 (event is held annually the first weekend of Dec)
Location: 78 Washington Square East, Salem, MA
Cost: Tickets for Christmas in Salem are available online at www.historicsalem.org at a cost of $40 for non-Historic Salem, Inc. members and $35 for HSI members. Tickets purchased the day of the tour are $45. Tour tickets including the Friday night candle-lit preview are $120 for non-HSI members and $100 for members of Historic Salem, Inc. Christmas in Salem proceeds support the preservation mission of Historic Salem, Inc.
Hours: Sat & Sun 10-4
Parking: there are several parking lots and metered street parking throughout the city.
Summary: The Christmas In Salem event consists of a tour of historic homes and buildings in Salem, MA. Each year, home owners and building management open their doors to visitors to get a glimpse into what these historic homes look like and what stories they may have.
Welcome back to the Christmas In Salem tour! The next house on the tour is the the Gilbert G. Newhall House.
Built in 1846, the Newhall house was built for Gilbert G. Newhall, the owner of a clothing store on Essex St in Salem. The house was occupied by the Newhall family for 40 years. Newhall’s son ran a livery out of the carriage house on the property. Originally built in the Gothic Revival style, the house now displays restrained Italianate details on its exterior. Serving as a single family home for many years, the house achieved its current footprint of over 6,000 square feet by the year 1900. The interior spaces were rented out during the 1980s and 90s in the “boarding house style” with individual bedrooms, shared baths and common areas. In 2001 it was renovated to create 6 individual units, although there 5 now.
Over the years, a succession of prominent Salem families such as Salem architect F.W. Belknap and Walter H. Simmonds, treasurer of the Salem Five Bank.
The Newhall house mixed a traditional decor with a little different feel. This decor was reminiscent of gravestone etchings.
I loved the darker Halloween feel the rooms had. As the tour guide mentioned, death wasn’t thought of the way we think of it today. It was an accepted part of our lives. People didn’t live as long and there was also the belief that we would move on to a better place. These cards were “death cards” people would send to each other.
There were some unexpected visitors in the rooms downstairs.
I also loved how they kept a Salem and Halloween feel to the decor. Since Salem is known for being such a huge Halloween attraction it does make sense they would add these types of decorations.
But, the decor of the house wasn’t all dark or geared towards Halloween. These lighting fixtures were very festive.
There were also decorative dinnerware and utensils displayed throughout the dining area. I don’t know about you. But, those plates and utensils look too nice to eat off!
By the fireplace and in the dining area, there was more traditional decor in the home.
This clock reminded me of the Prague Astronomical Clock at the Old Town Hall in Prague. It is the third oldest astronomical clock and the oldest working clock still in operation. Not this one. The one in Prague.
On the way out of the home, I was greeted by this 1930 Ford Cabriolet decorated for the holiday!
This home was so much fun to photograph. I love surprises and this home was full of them! just a few more homes left on the tour! Please join me for the next home on the tour!
Date Of Event: December 2, 2023 (event is held annually the first weekend of Dec)
Location: 23 Winter St, Salem, MA
Cost: Tickets for Christmas in Salem are available online at www.historicsalem.org at a cost of $40 for non-Historic Salem, Inc. members and $35 for HSI members. Tickets purchased the day of the tour are $45. Tour tickets including the Friday night candle-lit preview are $120 for non-HSI members and $100 for members of Historic Salem, Inc. Christmas in Salem proceeds support the preservation mission of Historic Salem, Inc.
Hours: Sat & Sun 10-4
Parking: there are several parking lots and metered street parking throughout the city.
Summary: The Christmas In Salem event consists of a tour of historic homes and buildings in Salem, MA. Each year, home owners and building management open their doors to visitors to get a glimpse into what these historic homes look like and what stories they may have.
Update – some of these photos may look familiar to you if you have been reading this series of posts. I mistakenly posted photos of this home (the Samuel Roberts House) in my previous post for the William Roberts House (there are too many Roberts homes in Salem!) In any event, I have updated that post with the correct photos which you can find at this link: Christmas In Salem 2023 Part 4 – The Williams Roberts House (Updated). Trust me, you’ll want to check it out!
The Samuel Roberts House on Winter Street is the fifth stop on the Christmas In Salem tour. The Greek Revival home with vertical flashboard plasters was built in 1827. A wide frieze with two-part architrave and modillions (an ornate bracket, more horizontal in shape and less imposing than a corbel if that helps) wrap around the house. The entrance, which was decorated beautifully for the holidays is covered with louvered panels and is capped by a semicircular transom.
Samuel Roberts, who was a mason by trade, built the the home 1827 and immediately deed the house to his son Nehemiah Roberts, a mariner. Nehemiah, who died at sea in 1841, sold the home to his brother David in 1835. David, who was a Harvard graduate and lawyer, would go on to have an illustrious career as a state representative in 1833 and mayor pf Salem from 1866-1867. The house remained in the Roberts family until 1912 when it was sold to Dr. Martin Field who was considered one of the leading surgeons in the North Shore of Massachusetts.
You can see that before you even enter the home the home and property was decorated with a tasteful touch. Based on the many beautiful plants around and inside the property, it may not be surprising to know the The Salem Garden Club decorated the house for the event.
The interior of the house kept up with the plant and horticultural theme. It was just as pretty and festive.
The house has some really interesting decor. I am always fascinated by the fancy decor and architecture of these historic homes, especially their walls and ceilings. I thought this was a very interesting type of decor in the ceiling.
In the dining area there was a very interesting lighting fixture. Believe it or not, this ornate chandelier does not turn on. It was never set up to have any current sent to it. Instead, the home owners use candles to light the room.
You may notice the wallpaper has an interesting pattern. The home owners wanted the wallpaper to show places they like to visit such as France and Africa I believe so they could still feel like they’re traveling even though they’re in their dining room.
As we entered the kitchen area, we found something interesting and unusual. This stove. It’s always on. Always.
The visitors on this tour wore their own holiday best! This nice lady was wearing very decorative glasses for the tour.
So, we’ve made it half way through the 2023 Christmas In Salem tour! I hope you’ve enjoyed the tour so far and I hope you join me on the second leg of the tour!
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
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.
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.
Summary: I have been lucky enough to photograph quite a few sunrises, sunsets, full moons and nature throughout the year. Here are few of my favorites!
Although it’s not particularly close to me (an hour north of Boston on a good traffic day), Hampton Beach, NH, is my favorite place to take sunrise photos. The beach is always clean, there always seems to be waves and, as a bonus, it is relatively close to my favorite wildlife sanctuary.
I took this photo on a more calm day at the beach in August. Although it was August, there was a slight chill in the air that morning.
I generally prefer to show calm, peaceful settings in my photos. That is one of the great things (pr not so great things depending on who you talk to) about photography. You can find and show serenity in even the most chaotic places and times. There’s enough chaos in the world.
You can see and hopefully feel the morning chill in these sunrise photos from Sep (at the top) and Nov (at the bottom)
Some of the best sunrise photos don’t show the actual sun. And, contrary to my earlier comments, it’s ok to show some chaos! These photos were taken during my visits to the beach in September (in the first group) and November (in the second group of photos). As I mentioned earlier, it always seems to be wavy there.
Of course, I also took a sunrise photo in Boston. But I don’t usually shoot from there. I tend to like photographing the cities and towns surrounding the Boston area. Like most big cities, there are so many photographs of Boston. So it’s hard to get photos from places that haven’t been taken in the city.
I do like to shoot sunrise photos at Independence Park in Beverly, MA. There’s a nice jetty you can walk on and take photos. This photo was taken in February. So, it was tricky to not slip on said jetty.
Although it may not seem to be the case, it’s actually not very easy to find places to photograph the sunrise from my location. Yes, Massachusetts, and New England for that matter, does have a pretty long coast line. But, it’s not always easy or possible to get to some of these locations before the sun rises or sets and some places are not accessible as they are on private property. The worst thing is arriving at a location with nowhere to park or with no public access. Combine these factors with my desire to shoot from lesser known locations and I end up with a smaller list of places to shoot from.
That being said, there are some places I can still get to in time for the sunrise and sunsets. Below are a few of my other favorite spots. As you will see, I’m more of an early riser. So I have mostly photos of sunrises. Also, there is something special and inspiring about a sunrise. All of the promise and opportunity in a sunrise is inspiring.
Castle Rock, Marblehead, MA
Fort Pickering Light, Salem, MA
Red Rock, Lynn, MA
Hingham, MA
Revere Beach, Revere, MA
Springfield, MA (sunset)
Wollaston Beach, Quincy, MA
Speaking of Wollaston Beach, I went to this beach in February of this year on the coldest day of the year and the coldest day in some time. The temperature was -9 with a windchill of -31. There were strange weather conditions. The best I could describe it was like “Hoth” from the Empire Strikes Back. Except colder. Weirdly, there was even some mist or “sea smoke” coming off the frozen water which usually only happens when warm weather conditions mix with cold.
This particular photo opportunity made me think of a question people ask when they find out I get up so early in various weather conditions. When people ask me is photography fun? I often say “sometimes” or “maybe”. Yes, it’s extremely fun in May or June with sunny skies and “shorts weather.” But, it’s not always shorts weather. At the same time, I like the challenge and I couldn’t imagine sleeping in or doing anything else. At best, I’d call it a “labor of love.” The end result makes it all worthwhile. Besides, what else am I supposed to do!? I suppose it’s something like an athlete or artist. I know I definitely don’t enjoy running or working out. But I appreciate the feeling of accomplishment afterwards and I welcome the challenge. Occasionally the actual process is “fun” like when you photograph an owl or some other beautiful bird or landscape. But, mainly, it’s a lot of work. “Fun work.” It may sound weird. But, iykyk.
One of my favorite, and sometimes challenging, photo shoots is photographing the full moon. Sometimes, like in this photo, the moon can be hard to get photos of behind the clouds. But, in this case, the clouds gave a mysterious and forbidding appearance.
Webb Park, Weymouth, MA.
I also got some nature photographs throughout the year. Spring, summer and fall give great backdrops for nature photography of course. I took these photos in Topsfield, MA, Manchester, CT, western MA among other places. Unfortunately due to my busy schedule and the fact leaves fell off their branches before foliage got into full swing, I didn’t get many foliage photos this year.
Thank you as always for stopping by viewing, liking and/or commenting! I always appreciate you all!
Date Of Event: December 2, 2023 (event is held annually the first weekend of Dec)
Location: 21 Washington Square North, Salem, MA
Cost: Tickets for Christmas in Salem are available online at www.historicsalem.org at a cost of $40 for non-Historic Salem, Inc. members and $35 for HSI members. Tickets purchased the day of the tour are $45. Tour tickets including the Friday night candle-lit preview are $120 for non-HSI members and $100 for members of Historic Salem, Inc. Christmas in Salem proceeds support the preservation mission of Historic Salem, Inc.
Hours: Sat & Sun 10-4
Parking: there are several parking lots and metered street parking throughout the city.
Summary: The Christmas In Salem event consists of a tour of historic homes and buildings in Salem, MA. Each year, home owners and building management open their doors to visitors to get a glimpse into what these historic homes look like and what stories they may have.
Welcome back to the Christmas In Salem tour! I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday season!
Not all of the historic homes on the Christmas In Salem tour are obvious. One could walk by this house and not realize they are walking past a house so rich with history and decorated so beautifully. To the uninformed, it may look like just another house.
Right from the entrance to the home, you can see the Christmas decor.
Built in 1837, the Captain Nathaniel Weston House is a Greek Revival style home. It was in the Weston family until the turn of the (20th) century. Before the new owners purchased the home, it had been used as a single family home, a doctor’s office and a hotel. It is now being used as a multi family home.
The wooden structure still holds much of the charm of its earlier days.
The house was renovated and restored by Seger Architects on 2020 and was awarded a Historic Salem Inc Preservation Award. And it’s easy to see why. It was simple yet tasteful and elegant in its design and decor.
Rumor has it, that artwork above is a classic. But, that is yet to be confirmed.
We were only allowed access to the first floor. But, there was some more decor outside.
Make sure to follow me on my tour and as we move on to the next historic home.
In the meantime, you can follow me on Facebook and at Instagram at new.england.nomad_
You can also post and view photos from all over New England at my Facebook photography group at: Photographers Of New England
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
Location: Corner of Clapp Rd North, Windsor, CT Route 159 (10 minutes north of Hartford, CT or 1.5 hours southwest of Boston, MA)
Cost: Free
Parking: There is no parking lot or places to park at Drastic Park. But, you can park on the shoulder of the road on the corner of Clapp Road North.
Summary: Three sculpted monsters in the shape of dinosaurs are located on the corner of Clapp Rd North.
You don’t have to go to Universal Studios or the museum to see dinosaurs. They’re “alive and well” in Windsor, CT!
But, these dinosaurs don’t have bones, tusks or horns. The dinosaurs at Clapp Rd North are made of railroad ties, excavator buckets, air tanks, and other bits of scrap metal welded together.
The sculptures all have names loosely based on the names of actual dinosaurs.
The first dinosaur-like creature is called Erysocialismop.
The second sculpture is called Alloliberalsaurus.
And the third sculpture in the group is called Tuoujangocommunisaurus.
The sculptures were made by a heavy equipment contractor named Lon Pelton. Over the years, they have gone through some transformations. But, luckily, they have just been re-painted recently before my visit.
While these dinosaurs may seem friendly, don’t pet them or try to feed them! They seem to do just fine finding food on their own!
New England Nomad 