Time for a short winter month! 8 Great Things in February

The temperatures are hovering in the teens and we are ready to say goodbye to January. You want us to distract you from the thermometer? Here’s a list of 8 Great Things to while away the hours in February — walks, wine, chocolate, community building, music and more —  as we wait for glimpses of spring.

1. Superb-Owl Walk

Hey guys, we love this cleverly named walk! Our sincerest congratulations to the Sippican Land Trust for truly outdoing themselves. If the actual walk lives up to its name, it’ll be a great way to work off some pre-game jitters (Go Pats!). The walk will head along the railroad beds in search of early evening owls. The hope is to hear some calls, although organizers warn that owls are very busy this time of year with their nesting (as we all are, really. Super Bowl viewing parties don’t plan themselves!). The walk promises to end by 5:30, leaving you plenty of time to get home before kick-off.  February 3rd, 4:00 p.m, departing from the Marion Institute parking lot, 202 Spring Street, Marion. More here. 

2. Super Bowl Sunday Violin Recital

We can’t come up with a punny name for this one that matches the Sippican Land Trust’s efforts. Still, we give it a big thumbs up! Jesse Holstein of the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra and pianist Jeff Louis are presenting works including Mozart’s two-movement sonata in G-major, Beethoven’s “Kreutzer Sonata,” and Maurice Ravel’s “Tzigane” (and these are just some highlights!) on the violin and keyboard. As Tom Brady probably said: “No tailgate is complete without some Beethoven.” February 3rd, 2-4 pm, Rotch-Jones-Duff House & Garden Museum, New Bedford. Tickets $25 non-members, $20 members. More here. 

3. Chocolate. Festival.

Chocolate Festival. Two simple words that make us giddy. Picture this: getting all your Valentine’s Day needs taken care of while surrounded by free chocolate samples, wine tasting, and live music. It’s like a party, but with more wine and more chocolate. Convinced? We are too. February 9th, 11am-2pm, Portugalia Marketplace, 489 Bedford Street, Fall River.

4. 19th annual Frederick Douglass Read-A-Thon

There are few events that have the distinct honor of being featured year after year in our 8 Great Things blogs. We’ll be honest, a good read-a-thon always gets us. Missed last month’s Moby Dick Marathon fun at the Whaling Museum? Ready to go for round two? Head on over to join the New Bedford Historical Society in reading the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. The Read-a-thon is in its 19th year, and this is the end of the Douglass bicentennial. If you haven’t yet been, now is the perfect time to go! February 10th, 2-6 pm, First Unitarian Church, New Bedford. More here. 

5. (non) Polar Plunge!

Now this is our kinda polar plunge! The Gleason YMCA is opening up its indoor pool to kick off your February vacation week fun, giving participants a polar plunge with all of the glory and none of the frigid outdoor  temps! Jump on in for an evening of swimming with the Y’s great water slide and tide pool open, all while enjoying a winter light show and music! Free for members, $5 for non-members. February 15th, 6:30-8 pm, Gleason Family YMCA, 33 Charge Pond Road, Wareham.

6. Roses and Thorns

The New Bedford Symphony Orchestra is back at it again! After last month’s stunning Fema Plays Beethoven performance, the Orchestra is joining up with guest cello musician Christine J. Lee to bring you another fantastic night, with a theme in keeping with the spirit of Valentine’s week! Insider tip: ticket holders also can attend a pre-concert talk in the Penler Space to hear conductor Yaniv Dinur discuss the program and find out why this concert is titled Roses and Thorns. Tickets $30-$65. February 16th, 7:30pm (pre-concert talk at 6:30), The Zeiterion, 684 Purchase Street, New Bedford. More here. 

7.   Hootenanny (say, what?)

Weatherlow Farm is hosting a hosting a hootenanny — don’t know what that is? We didn’t either and had to turn to Wikipedia. It’s an old country word for party, folks! This party is particularly special as it is a fundraiser for the beloved Cluck & Trowel Farm in Westport, which had a devastating fire on January 12.  Food, music and fun will be accompanied by a healthy serving of generous community building — quite literally — as neighbors help to raise the funds to bring Cluck & Trowel back. Keep an eye out for more details by checking Cluck & Trowel’s Facebook event page where you can also find other ways to help out (juice it up, yoga, etc.)

8. Westport Dawning Photo Exhibit

Westport Library, the Westport Fishermen’s Association and the Buzzards Bay Coalition have partnered together to bring us Westport Dawning, showcasing Greg Stone’s beautiful photographs of Westport’s rivers and the Westport – Buzzards Bay – Atlantic Ocean connection. Stone’s collection of photographs, including some new drone shots, features the natural beauty of Westport and underscores the importance of preserving this beauty. February 2 – 28, Westport Free Public Library, 408 County Road, Westport. Free. More here. 

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