Tag: graduation season

What’s Happening in June 2015 Around Boston
We always call June the quiet month and our favorite month in Boston. Most of the students are gone, the big summer tourist season is a few weeks away, the city is filled with fresh blooms, the temperatures are usually moderate, and we can enjoy a staycation in our favorite city.

(Giant allium in June in the Boston Public Garden.)

Events and Holidays in June

Dragon Boat Festival, June 13-14: The Dragon Boat Festival takes place along the Charles River and is a fun spectator event. You can pack a picnic and take a nice long walk along the river bank or set out a blanket and let the fun pass by your spot.

June 18th is International Picnic Day: We include International Picnic Day only because we think of June as picnic month, so pick your own day to celebrate al fresco dining in one of your favorite Boston Spots.

Father’s Day is June 21st: Taking Dad out for Father's Day does not seem to be as popular at taking Mom out in May. But there will be a few places offering special menus and later this month we'll have a post with a few recommendations.

Summer Solstice is June 21st: While this may not be given its proper due as a holiday, we recognize it and there will be a few celebrations around the area.

(Dragon Boat Festival: Our favorite team is Wellness Warriors.)

Conventions

Here are a couple of happenings that will impact hotel pricing and availability.

Graduation Season ends with MIT’s Commencement on June 5th. That makes June a much better time to travel to Boston.
- June 6-8 will see a convention with an estimated 15,000 on hand
- June 13-17 will see three conventions with just under 10,000 estimated attendees
What Are Your Favorite June Pastimes?

Add your thoughts in the comments below. Tweet them to @BostonZest or send us an email and we'll add your suggestions to our upcoming post with some of the things we are looking forward to doing.

Some of our favorite summer "appointments" are with the talented musicians performing as a part of the Boston Public Library’s 2015 Concerts in the Courtyard Series that opened on Wednesday June 3rd. We'll have more about those in an upcoming post.

And, for a wider list of event including those things we don't enjoy, recommend, or even think about, head over to this link on the Boston TripAdvisor forum where a group of volunteers with much wider tastes add to a conversation that Penny begins each month.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2011-2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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What’s Happening Around Boston in May 2015

May in Boston is dominated by what we call “Graduation Season.” This is the time of year when students graduate from more than 100 colleges and universities in the Greater Boston area. Friends and families arrive to attend the ceremonies and treat the new grads to meals around town.

Families also come to Boston to pick up and move out many of the 250,000 students who spend the academic year around here. That can mean traffic issues and parking headaches in some neighborhoods.

All year long, the locals who volunteer to assist visitors over on the Boston Trip Advisor forum explain that these May happenings and other events explain the scarcity and high cost of hotel rooms.

Here is our post with all dates for many of this year’s graduations.

Boston Area Commencement Dates, Spring 2015

Farmers Markets Start Opening In May

This is one of the very best things about May. We look forward to great local food and the wonderful community that exists at our local farmers markets. The tremendously popular and busy Copley Square Farmers Market opened on May12th.

We have a post with all the dates: Market Report: Summer Farmers Markets Opening Dates 2015

Make May Restaurant Reservations

Reservations at area restaurants will be harder to find May 8th through 11th with Mother's Day and 5 commencements, and scarce May 15th through 18th when 15 schools, including BU and BC, will hold ceremonies. Harvard commencement is May 28th and MIT June 5th – each of these schools is large enough to have an impact on its own.

Holidays in May

Mother’s Day is Sunday May 10th. You have a short time to make plans to celebrate if that day is on your calendar. On Mother’s Day, you'll find special menus in many restaurants. If you have suggestions for places not doing this or alternative dining suggestions for Mother’s Day please add them. Here's a link to our post with suggestions for places to dine on Mother's Day.

Memorial Day is Monday, May 25. That means the long weekend to kick off summer will begin on Friday May 22nd. If you are staying in Boston consider taking advantage of the Museum of Fine Arts annual Memorial Day Open House with free admission and special programs throughout the day.

Conventions that Impact Hotel Pricing & Availability

April 29-May 2: American College of Physicians Internal Medicine 2015, estimated attendees: 7,000

May 6-7: UBM Canon – BIOMEDevice / Design & Manufacturing New England / Electronics New England 2015, estimated attendees: 6,050

May 14-16: Heart Rhythm Society – 2015 Annual Scientific Sessions, estimated attendees: 15,000

May 26-28: NAFSA: Association of International Educators 2015 Annual Conference & International Education Expo, estimated attendees: 7,000

Watch for our upcoming post on what we’re looking forward to in May. We'd love to include some of your suggestions. Add your thoughts in the comments below. Tweet them to @BostonZest or send us an email.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2012-2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino, Graduation photo from iStockphoto.com

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What’s Happening Around Boston in May 2015

May in Boston is dominated by what we call “Graduation Season.” This is the time of year when students graduate from more than 100 colleges and universities in the Greater Boston area. Friends and families arrive to attend the ceremonies and treat the new grads to meals around town.

Families also come to Boston to pick up and move out many of the 250,000 students who spend the academic year around here. That can mean traffic issues and parking headaches in some neighborhoods.

All year long, the locals who volunteer to assist visitors over on the Boston Trip Advisor forum explain that these May happenings and other events explain the scarcity and high cost of hotel rooms.

Here is our post with all dates for many of this year’s graduations.

Boston Area Commencement Dates, Spring 2015

Farmers Markets Start Opening In May

This is one of the very best things about May. We look forward to great local food and the wonderful community that exists at our local farmers markets. The tremendously popular and busy Copley Square Farmers Market opened on May12th.

We have a post with all the dates: Market Report: Summer Farmers Markets Opening Dates 2015

Make May Restaurant Reservations

Reservations at area restaurants will be harder to find May 8th through 11th with Mother's Day and 5 commencements, and scarce May 15th through 18th when 15 schools, including BU and BC, will hold ceremonies. Harvard commencement is May 28th and MIT June 5th – each of these schools is large enough to have an impact on its own.

Holidays in May

Mother’s Day is Sunday May 10th. You have a short time to make plans to celebrate if that day is on your calendar. On Mother’s Day, you'll find special menus in many restaurants. If you have suggestions for places not doing this or alternative dining suggestions for Mother’s Day please add them. Here's a link to our post with suggestions for places to dine on Mother's Day.

Memorial Day is Monday, May 25. That means the long weekend to kick off summer will begin on Friday May 22nd. If you are staying in Boston consider taking advantage of the Museum of Fine Arts annual Memorial Day Open House with free admission and special programs throughout the day.

Conventions that Impact Hotel Pricing & Availability

April 29-May 2: American College of Physicians Internal Medicine 2015, estimated attendees: 7,000

May 6-7: UBM Canon – BIOMEDevice / Design & Manufacturing New England / Electronics New England 2015, estimated attendees: 6,050

May 14-16: Heart Rhythm Society – 2015 Annual Scientific Sessions, estimated attendees: 15,000

May 26-28: NAFSA: Association of International Educators 2015 Annual Conference & International Education Expo, estimated attendees: 7,000

Watch for our upcoming post on what we’re looking forward to in May. We'd love to include some of your suggestions. Add your thoughts in the comments below. Tweet them to @BostonZest or send us an email.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2012-2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino, Graduation photo from iStockphoto.com

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What’s Happening Around Boston in April 2015
April is a busy month with the Boston Marathon and other events making hotel rooms expensive and restaurant reservations scarce.

Easter Sunday April 4th & Passover April 4th-11th

On Easter Sunday, you'll find special menus in many restaurants. If you have suggestions for places not doing this or alternative dining suggestions for Easter, please add them. And, Passover is a great time to enjoy some of the special kosher foods that are easier to find at this time.

Related BostonZest Post: Where to Dine in Boston on Easter, April 5, 2015

Do you have a favorite place to buy chocolate for Easter Baskets?

Patriots Day Weekend/Boston Marathon & other BAA races 18th to the 20th

The Boston Athletic Association is expecting 30,000 runners and half a million spectators for the Marathon on April 20th. There are other races and marathon related events all weekend.

There will be road closures and changes in MBTA routes surrounding the Marathon course. Here are some links to information on those aspects of the race.

If you need to get somewhere on Marathon Monday – before the roads close – try to place yourself on the side of the course that will allow you to get where you're going.

Related Posts: A collection of tips for Marathon Weekend, some from past years, that we'll be updating between now and Marathon Monday.
Other Events

For a long list of events for people with varied tastes, check out The Boston Calendar for April 2015.

For free and budget events, follow along with Kate from Boston On Budget.

For a curated list of historic events, you can depend on historian Liz Covart.
- April 1st – New Food Truck Schedules go into effect with a few new trucks and new spots for some of your old favorites.
- April 3-5 is the Anime Boston event at the Hynes Convention Center. This is a fun time to walk the area and take photos of the people dressed as their favorite characters. Most of them love to pose. If you're in town for some other reason, this is just a short lived event, not how Bostonians dress.
- April 18 – Greenway Spring Food Festival: Noon to 4:00 p.m. Some of our favorite food trucks will be on hand.
- April 18 – The Swan Boats will sail out from under the bridge onto the Boston Public Garden Lagoon
- April 26 – 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. - Fresh Paint, Sunday! "View Copley Society artist members at work creating their "fresh" canvases around the city."
Who Are all These Conventioneers?

Here are the dates of conventions that will impact hotel pricing and availability:
- April 9-10 – Boston National College Fair, estimated attendees – 15,000
- April 16-18 – National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Annual Meeting 2015, estimated attendees – 17,000
- April 29-May 2 – American College of Physicians Internal Medicine 2015, estimated attendees - 7,000
Graduation Season kicks off on April 25th

Every year, we publish a list of the spring graduation dates that make hotel and restaurant reservations harder to find in the weeks ahead. This year, we've added Wentworth Institute of Technology on April 25, 2015. If you need restaurant reservations or hotel rooms for friends and family from that date to June 5th, make them now.

You're up Next

What are your favorite April events or things you look forward to doing in Boston in April? Add your thoughts in the comments below. Tweet them to @BostonZest or send us an email and we'll add your suggestions to this post as an update.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2012-2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino (graduation caps are from istockphoto.com)
.

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Mother’s Day Dining 2013, Reserve Now for May 12th!

UPDATE: Mother's Day Dining 2014, Reserve Now for May 11th!

Time to make reservations, if you plan to treat Mom to a meal out on Mother's Day, May 12, 2013.

Keep in mind that this "treat Mom to a great meal day" falls at the beginning of graduation season in Boston with Simmons College, Emmanuel College, Fisher College, Emerson College, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, and Berklee College of Music holding commencements that weekend. (Here's the full list of Spring 2013 Commencement Dates for planning purposes.)

If your budget is tight, take Mom out for breakfast or treat her to breakfast in bed!

For Mother's Day dining ideas, here are two excellent lists of restaurants with special menus and hours for May 12, 2013.

Don't be surprised if some places require a credit card to secure the reservation. This is the type of holiday when people may book multiple restaurants and decide where to go at the last moment. That can make the restaurant turn away other potential customers, so a guarantee may be needed to reserve.

OpenTable always does a great job of guiding you to the right reservation. What's more, you can just click through and reserve from this list.

Boston Chefs has a list of specials for the day from their members.

As more great Boston Food sites publish their recommendations, we'll post updates here! Follow us on Twitter ( @BostonZest ) for notice of those additions!

Update 05.07.13: from the North Shore Dish Team here are places to take Mom North of Boston.

Update 05.10.13: From Grub Street Boston: Grub Guide: Where to Hang Out With Mom If You're Not Into Brunch Buffets

Update 05.10.13: From Lisa DeCanio : Treat Mom to One of These 12 Mother's Day Brunches

Our picks

For a gathering of family members with different food preferences, it's great to know about a place like Eastern Standard where they can please the cocktail lover, the meat-and-taters brother, and the family epicure.

Sometimes, family meals can use a bit of entertainment mixed in. The Top of the Hub is perfect for this. They'll have prix fixe, 4-course brunch and dinner menus on Mother's Day with live jazz in the lounge for both meals. You'll also receive complementary passes to the Skywalk Observatory above the restaurant on the 50th floor. That will give part of your day a 360 degree view of Boston and the surrounding area.

If Mom is a seafood lover, call now to secure a table at Island Creek Oyster Bar. This Kenmore Square restaurant has established itself as the best fine dining seafood restaurant in Boston. Your family will enjoy the best in seafood in a big, comfortable room with reservations and service that will make Mom feel spoiled.

And, for the best gift, let her choose something from her wish list. Get an Amazon gift card! You can send it by email or print it out to tuck into a greeting card.

Details:
Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photo: istockphoto.com

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.

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April 17, 2013
Mother’s Day Dining 2013, Reserve Now for May 12th!

UPDATE: Mother's Day Dining 2014, Reserve Now for May 11th!

Time to make reservations, if you plan to treat Mom to a meal out on Mother's Day, May 12, 2013.

Keep in mind that this "treat Mom to a great meal day" falls at the beginning of graduation season in Boston with Simmons College, Emmanuel College, Fisher College, Emerson College, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, and Berklee College of Music holding commencements that weekend. (Here's the full list of Spring 2013 Commencement Dates for planning purposes.)

If your budget is tight, take Mom out for breakfast or treat her to breakfast in bed!

For Mother's Day dining ideas, here are two excellent lists of restaurants with special menus and hours for May 12, 2013.

Don't be surprised if some places require a credit card to secure the reservation. This is the type of holiday when people may book multiple restaurants and decide where to go at the last moment. That can make the restaurant turn away other potential customers, so a guarantee may be needed to reserve.

OpenTable always does a great job of guiding you to the right reservation. What's more, you can just click through and reserve from this list.

Boston Chefs has a list of specials for the day from their members.

As more great Boston Food sites publish their recommendations, we'll post updates here! Follow us on Twitter ( @BostonZest ) for notice of those additions!

Update 05.07.13: from the North Shore Dish Team here are places to take Mom North of Boston.

Update 05.10.13: From Grub Street Boston: Grub Guide: Where to Hang Out With Mom If You're Not Into Brunch Buffets

Update 05.10.13: From Lisa DeCanio : Treat Mom to One of These 12 Mother's Day Brunches

Our picks

For a gathering of family members with different food preferences, it's great to know about a place like Eastern Standard where they can please the cocktail lover, the meat-and-taters brother, and the family epicure.

Sometimes, family meals can use a bit of entertainment mixed in. The Top of the Hub is perfect for this. They'll have prix fixe, 4-course brunch and dinner menus on Mother's Day with live jazz in the lounge for both meals. You'll also receive complementary passes to the Skywalk Observatory above the restaurant on the 50th floor. That will give part of your day a 360 degree view of Boston and the surrounding area.

If Mom is a seafood lover, call now to secure a table at Island Creek Oyster Bar. This Kenmore Square restaurant has established itself as the best fine dining seafood restaurant in Boston. Your family will enjoy the best in seafood in a big, comfortable room with reservations and service that will make Mom feel spoiled.

And, for the best gift, let her choose something from her wish list. Get an Amazon gift card! You can send it by email or print it out to tuck into a greeting card.

Details:
Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photo: istockphoto.com

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.

Related articles

No Fooling! A New Boston Food Truck Schedule, April 1st

Things to Eat during LinkLove Boston 2012

Zagat Releases "America's Most Iconic Restaurants" – Find Your City!

Boston's next dining hot spot: The Financial District (really, here's why)

April 17, 2013
Mother’s Day Dining 2013, Reserve Now for May 12th!

UPDATE: Mother's Day Dining 2014, Reserve Now for May 11th!

Time to make reservations, if you plan to treat Mom to a meal out on Mother's Day, May 12, 2013.

Keep in mind that this "treat Mom to a great meal day" falls at the beginning of graduation season in Boston with Simmons College, Emmanuel College, Fisher College, Emerson College, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, and Berklee College of Music holding commencements that weekend. (Here's the full list of Spring 2013 Commencement Dates for planning purposes.)

If your budget is tight, take Mom out for breakfast or treat her to breakfast in bed!

For Mother's Day dining ideas, here are two excellent lists of restaurants with special menus and hours for May 12, 2013.

Don't be surprised if some places require a credit card to secure the reservation. This is the type of holiday when people may book multiple restaurants and decide where to go at the last moment. That can make the restaurant turn away other potential customers, so a guarantee may be needed to reserve.

OpenTable always does a great job of guiding you to the right reservation. What's more, you can just click through and reserve from this list.

Boston Chefs has a list of specials for the day from their members.

As more great Boston Food sites publish their recommendations, we'll post updates here! Follow us on Twitter ( @BostonZest ) for notice of those additions!

Update 05.07.13: from the North Shore Dish Team here are places to take Mom North of Boston.

Update 05.10.13: From Grub Street Boston: Grub Guide: Where to Hang Out With Mom If You're Not Into Brunch Buffets

Update 05.10.13: From Lisa DeCanio : Treat Mom to One of These 12 Mother's Day Brunches

Our picks

For a gathering of family members with different food preferences, it's great to know about a place like Eastern Standard where they can please the cocktail lover, the meat-and-taters brother, and the family epicure.

Sometimes, family meals can use a bit of entertainment mixed in. The Top of the Hub is perfect for this. They'll have prix fixe, 4-course brunch and dinner menus on Mother's Day with live jazz in the lounge for both meals. You'll also receive complementary passes to the Skywalk Observatory above the restaurant on the 50th floor. That will give part of your day a 360 degree view of Boston and the surrounding area.

If Mom is a seafood lover, call now to secure a table at Island Creek Oyster Bar. This Kenmore Square restaurant has established itself as the best fine dining seafood restaurant in Boston. Your family will enjoy the best in seafood in a big, comfortable room with reservations and service that will make Mom feel spoiled.

And, for the best gift, let her choose something from her wish list. Get an Amazon gift card! You can send it by email or print it out to tuck into a greeting card.

Details:
Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photo: istockphoto.com

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.

Related articles

No Fooling! A New Boston Food Truck Schedule, April 1st

Things to Eat during LinkLove Boston 2012

Zagat Releases "America's Most Iconic Restaurants" – Find Your City!

Boston's next dining hot spot: The Financial District (really, here's why)

April 17, 2013
Mother’s Day Dining in Boston 2012

Time to make reservations, if you plan to treat Mom to a meal out on Mother's Day, May 13, 2012.

This is an outdated post, click here for our Mother's Day Dining 2014, Reserve Now for May 11th

Keep in mind that in Boston, this "treat Mom to a great meal day" falls at the beginning of graduation season in Boston with Emmanuel College, Boston Conservatory, Fisher College, Emerson College, and Berklee College of Music holding commencements that weekend. (Here's the full list of Spring 2012 Commencement Dates for planning purposes.)

If your budget is tight, take Mom out for breakfast or treat her to breakfast in bed!

For Mother's Day dining ideas, here are three excellent lists of restaurants with special menus and hours for May 13, 2012.

Don't be surprised if some places require a credit card to secure the reservation. This is the type of holiday when people may book multiple restaurants and decide where to go at the last moment. That can make the restaurant turn away other potential customers, so a guarantee may be needed to reserve.

OpenTable always does a great job guiding you to the right reservation. What's more, you can just click through and reserve from this list.

Boston Chefs has a list of specials for the day from list from their members.

Gayot lists favorite brunches.

Our picks

With a gathering of family members with different food preferences, it's great to know about a place like Eastern Standard where they can please the cocktail lover, the meat and taters brother, and the family epicure.

Sometimes, family meals can use a bit of entertainment mixed in with the food. The Top of the Hub is perfect for this. They'll have prix fixe, 4-course brunch and dinner menus on Mother's Day with live jazz in the lounge for both meals. You'll also receive complementary passes to the Skywalk Observatory above the restaurant on the 50th floor. That will give part of your day a 360 degree view of Boston and the surrounding area.

If Mom is a seafood lover, call now to secure a table at Island Creek Oyster Bar. This Kenmore Square restaurant has established itself as the best fine dining seafood restaurant in Boston. Your family will enjoy the best in seafood, in a big comfortable room, with reservations, and service that will make Mom feel spoiled.

And, for the best gift, let her choose something from her wish list. Get an Amazon gift card! You can send it by email or print it out to tuck into a greeting card.

Details:
Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photo: istockphoto.com

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often those add a great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.

April 26, 2012