Blog - South Coast Almanac

August 1, 2019

8 Great Things for August on the South Coast

Goodbye July, Hello August! We’re ready for you with a smorgasbord of activities for a balanced, well-lived month: eating, drinking, cycling, movies, music & butterflies. Our 8 Great Things for the South Coast this month…

1. Feast ‘Til You Drop

The largest Portuguese Feast in the US fills four days with live entertainment, parades, music, dancing, and delicious food. To give you a sense of the size of the party: the event features a 40 foot barbecue pit where attendees can watch their skewers of beef cooking. Head over to Madeira Avenue in New Bedford any day this weekend to take part in the festivities. August 1-4 (Thursday starting at 6pm, Friday-Sunday starting at 12pm). 50 Madeira Ave, New Bedford. More here.

2. Shake(speare) It Up!

Summer Shakespeare is back! There are 7 chances in August to catch the Glass Horse Project’s production of Much Ado About Nothing for FREE! Load your beach chair, some snacks (and maybe some bug spray) and head to the park to enjoy the show! After opening in Onset last weekend, the show will be touring 4 more parks on the South Coast in August. You can catch it at the Fairhaven Town Hall, Shipyard Park in Mattapoisett, Tabor Academy in Marion, and Wings Court in New Bedford. Weather delay info can be found on their Facebook page. August 3, 1 pm, and 5 pm in Fairhaven; August 4, 1pm in Mattapoisett; August 9, 5 pm in Marion; August 10, 1pm and 5pm and August 11, 1 pm in New Bedford

3. Take an Arty Road Trip

The Art Drive, in its 12th year, is the bar crawl of local art studios. This year, over 20 artists with studios spanning 15 miles on the south coast will be opening their doors. Meet some local artists, see their studios, and explore new parts of the South Coast. Check out the map of participating artists right here and start planning your trip! August 9-11

4. Cycling and Wine Tasting

The Appalachian Mountain Club is leading a 30-mile bike ride through Westport and Dartmouth. Get outside and enjoy the stunning views along the way of farmland, rivers, and beaches along the South Coast. No better way to celebrate the accomplishment than with a glass of Chardonnay, and conveniently the finish line boasts just that! The ride will culminate in a private wine tasting at Westport Rivers Winery. $15 per participate. Register here. August 17, 10-3.

5. Two Shows for the Price of None!

The New Bedford Symphony Orchestra is teaming up with Fall River’s Movie in the Park to bring you a free concert (part of NBSO’s Free Summer Pop Up Series, see a full list of their dates here) followed by a screening of Captain Marvel. What a double header! August 21, 6:30pm Music followed by 8pm movie. Heritage State Park, Fall River.

6. Illumination Night

UPDATE: Illumination Night has been cancelled this year due to concern over the EEE virus. There’s no better way to cap off a wonderful summer than with Onset’s Annual Illumination Night. Roam the flare lit beaches for gorgeous views of Onset Harbor, glowing along the shore line in every direction. Bonus tip: be at the beach by 9 pm to hear the horn signaling volunteers to light the thousands of flares and watch as the volunteers sprint the beach, one flare to the next, lighting up the harbor as they go! August 24, activities beginning at 7:30pm, flares lit at 9 pm. Onset Beaches. Paid Parking available at the Onset Pier. Free parking at Hynes Field. More here.

7. Barn Bash

We love the Dartmouth Natural Resource Trust! And their biggest party of the year is just around the corner! Celebrate the great work of the DNRT at this super fun event, complete with live music, dancing, an auction and food and drink vendors. Tickets starting at $90 to support the DNRT’s work. August 24, 5:30 pm. 23 Horseneck Rd, Dartmouth. More here.

8. The Butterfly Effect

The Mass Audubon is calling on butterfly watchers and enthusiasts of every level to make sure no butterfly is left behind! The experts of Massachusetts Butterfly Club will lead teams of volunteers to identify the different species living in the Sanctuary. Spend the day enjoying Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary, learning about native butterflies, and cataloguing butterfly encounters. The event is free, but pre-registration is required! August 31, 10 am-12:30 pm. Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary, 1280 Horseneck Rd, Westport. See more here.

Wanna keep up with the coolest happenings each month on the South Coast?! Sign up for our free monthly newsletter right here!

Cover photo by James Mahaney, Fairhaven

Our August Best of the South Coast is out and you’ll find it on newsstands now. It’s popping with great content (100s of our readers’ local favorites, some rockin’ local athletes, woodworkers and lots more). If you want a copy delivered to your door with things you won’t see online, subscribe right here! Or just help us spread the word about South Coast Almanac by sharing this post with your friends on facebook, twitter or by email.

June 28, 2019

8 Great Things in July on the South Coast

Welcome to July! It’s that month with so much pizzazz: fireworks, heat & sunshine! After you enjoy your Independence Day festivities, here are some special things to make the most of the month ahead. [Drum roll for this month’s 8 Great Things]

Samantha Fish

1. We Love Paloozas

Fall River is the place to be on July 11. Block-A-Palooza is back this summer featuring blues rocker Samantha Fish who has been called “a blues tornado.” The free festival hosts Fish and opening band The National Reserve in front of the courthouse in downtown Fall River. July 11, starts at 6 pm. 186 S. Main Street, Fall River. More here.

2. Ahoy There!

The Buzzards Bay Coalition gives adults a FREE introduction to sailing, accompanied by a sail in the very lovely Onset Bay (we’re partial to Onset Bay!) on their 14-foot RS Quest sailboats. July 11, 5:30 to 7 pm. Onset Pier, 184 Onset Avenue. Free but pre-registration is required. More information and registration info is here: https://www.savebuzzardsbay.org/events/adult-intro-to-sailing-jul-11-2019/

3. Free Fun Fridays

The Highland Foundation is offering free admission to over 100 Massachusetts museums this summer. Locally, Battleship Cove is free on July 19. Take advantage of the Highland Foundation’s generosity by visiting these South Coast treasures free of charge. And check out the list to see if there are some other places you may like to visit further afield. (See the list here.). Battleship Cove, 5 Water Street, Fall River.

4. NOLA on the South Coast

We love the South Coast Brass Band! Join them for some New Orleans jazz and funky stuff at Gilda’s Stone Rooster. 8 to 11 pm, July 18, 27 Wareham Road, Marion. More here.

5. Oysters, Up Close & Personal

If you enjoyed David Paling’s account of becoming an oyster farmer at 63 years old in our Early Summer issue (check it out here), then join David and some of his Crooked River Farm crew as we motor over from Onset pier to his Wareham shellfish grant. A 2 hour trip will be filled with entertaining commentary from the farmers, shucking fresh oysters and tasting their oysters, which David calls the “oceanic version of the perfect Manhattan.” July 20, leaving on the Miss Chris from Onset Pier, Onset Avenue. 4 to 6 pm. $49 per person includes boat ride & oyster tasting ($44 for subscribers of our print magazine). Email [email protected] for more information and to reserve your space.

6. Mamma Mia!

We are already humming Dancing Queen. In its 30^th season, the New Bedford Festival Theater presents the show that’ll have you smiling the whole way home. July 19 – 28. Tickets range from $39 to $65. The Zeiterion Theater, 684 Purchase Street, New Bedford. Buy tickets here.

7. Classic Movies

Mayor Jon Mitchell kicks off his summer movie series at the Zeiterion Theater with the original Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, starring Gene Wilder. Just like the old days: enjoy a movie on the big screen in plush velvet seats. The prices are like the old days, too. Just $3 per person. Thanks, Mayor Mitchell. July 31 at 7 pm. The Z, 684 Purchase Street, New Bedford. More here.

8. Outdoor Zen

During those deep winter months, we dream of tree pose with a salt water vista. It’s the time of year to store up those views for the year. There are several classes that take advantage of the South Coast’s lovely historic areas & vistas. For instance, check out Zen Revolution at Fort Phoenix. $5 drop in fee Mondays, Wednesday and Thursdays at 6 or Saturdays at 8:30. Fort Phoenix, Fairhaven. See more here.

There you have it, our top picks for July on the South Coast! Wanna keep up with the coolest happenings each month on the South Coast?! Sign up for our free monthly newsletter right here!

Photo: Josh Souza

Our early Summer issue is on newsstands now. It’s popping with great content (a Tiverton farmhouse that flirts with industrial style, the sport of Azorean whaleboating and the people behind it, behind-the-scenes with local dairy and oyster farmers, a fashion shoot in Padanaram Harbor, and lots more). If you want a copy delivered to your door with things you won’t see online, subscribe right here!

Or just help us spread the word about South Coast Almanac by sharing this post with your friends on facebook, twitter or by email.

June 20, 2019

Hello Oysters! Reflections from a Wareham Oyster Farmer

At 63 years old, Wareham’s David Paling decided to embark on a second career as an oyster farmer. He shared his story with us in the current print issue of South Coast Almanac and we’re reprinting it here. Settle in and read his story (and join us for a boat ride to his shellfish grant on July 20th — details below)…

On good days being an oyster farmer can feel like you’ve got the best job in the world. When cool weather and low tides sync, and your boat is running well, and the tasks that day are not back-breaking, and all around you have hundreds of thousands of happy oysters suspended in their floating bags silently gobbling up planktonic food and growing like crazy, it is easy to reach the level of happiness that is elation. The miracle of farm raising Crassostrea virginica — Eastern oysters — can do this. Bliss comes in many forms: an hour or two wading in quiescent water and finding nothing wrong with gear, nor any evidence of human or natural predation; the freedom of being the master of your own liquid domain, driven by tide and weather rather than artificial schedules imposed by more traditional occupations; the thrill of seeing your crop — fingernail sized when you bought them from a hatchery — achieve the three-inch length, deep-cupped status required by today’s market forces; the wonder of nature all around you with cobalt skies and shimmering sun overhead and teal water below giving life to the likes of so many species. The list is simply too long to capture. In times like these, the work doesn’t seem like work, and you feel lucky to be amidst these marvels, a part of the ecosystemic, global spin.

David & Steve with the All In

But there are bad days as well, and it becomes quite clear that oyster farming is not easy money and physically not something that anyone can get up from their chair and do. To wit: Steve Patterson and myself, general partners and owners of Crooked River Shellfish Farm, have accidentally dumped our oysters on the substrate by miscalculating the mesh size of our containing bags. We’ve had closure flaps fail, spilling yet more of our young spat along the shallow bottom. We’ve bounced our boat — the ‘All In’ — off the docks. We’ve gone home bleeding from contact with razor-sharp barnacles and oyster shell edges. There have been other low points. The first day we found dead oysters, natural victims of the expected mortality rate dealing with them, I got a whiff for the first time of this necrotic slop and it smelled as bad as, no worse than, a dead oyster. The constant repetitions of hoisting some 183,000 oysters in and out of the boat for culling purposes has escalated degeneration and my arthritis has me hurting from topgallant mast to stern. And once, when replacing the drain plug after emptying the boat of sea water at full throttle, I threw myself, my wife and oldest daughter Carly all out of the ‘All In’ when it took a violent right turn the moment I let go of the wheel.

May 31, 2019

8 Great Things for June on the South Coast

“I wonder what it would be like to live in a world where it was always June.” Anne Shirley, Anne of the Island

Well folks, we have the next 30 days to pretend we live in a world where it’s always June, that lovely doorway into summer days! And just to add a little icing on the cake of this great month, we give you 8 Great Things to check out in June.

1. Row, Row, Row Your Boat

If you’ve seen our current print issue, you know that Azorean whaleboats create great fun and community. Here’s your chance to check them out, up close and personal. They’ll be at Onset Beach this Saturday for the Onset Rowing Challenge to support the Buzzards Bay Rowing Club’s Scholarship Fund. Watch the teams compete in a 3-mile row that takes you out to the mouth of the canal, by way of Wickets Island and returning on the opposite side of Wickets Island. Kayaks, canoes, rowboats and dories can join in the fun. June 1, 2019. Onset Beach, Onset. 10 am. More info here. $20 per race participant. Free for spectators! (Bonus: South Coast Almanac will be there with our current issue!)

2. Turtle Love

An evening walk through the Southeastern Massachusetts Bioreserve will likely yield some great turtle sightings as this is the right time of year for laying eggs. And — who knew?! – when female turtles are laying their eggs, ain’t nothing going to mess with their focused efforts to reproduce, which allows for a closer approach. June 8 at 7 pm. Participants will meet at Fighting Rock Corner at the intersection of Wilson, Blossom, and Bell Rock Roads, Fall River for a 1 mile walk in the Southeastern Massachusetts Bioreserve. See more here. Free!

3. Spindle City Fest

We just love the Narrows’ new take on weekend festivals. They got together to decide what they liked to do on Saturdays (eat, drink some wine, visit a farm stand, listen to good music) and decided to put it all together for a festival, free and open to the public. Go between 12 and 1:30 for the Boardwalk Ramble to stroll along the waterfront listening to live musicians play genres ranging from jazz and blues to rock and folk. June 8, 10 to 3. Narrows Center for the Arts, 16 Anawan Street, Fall River. More here.

4. Nutritional Sanity

Paleo. Whole 30. Ketogenic. Who even can keep up with all the diet trends? Let’s forget about all of them and get some thoughts on nutrition from Fred Provenza, a big deal in the animal behaviorist’s world who comes to the South Coast courtesy of the Marion Institute. He’ll reflect on feeding body and spirit in a world of change (after we appropriately feed on some light refreshments at the pre-talk reception). June 13. 6 to 8:30 pm. Weatherlow Farm, 845 Sodom Road, Westport. More here. $15 before the event/$20 at the door. Tickets may be purchased here.

5. Walking Book Club Shenanigans

We had a rollicking good time at our first walking book club last November (see a recap here). We start our 2019 series of walking book clubs at Betty’s Neck in Lakeville where author Susan Bernhard joins us for a little walking, talking and reading from Winter Loon, her debut novel. Join us as we explore the novel by immersing ourselves in an outdoor space that evokes some of the novel’s critical scenes.

Participants need not have previously read the book to enjoy the tour. Saturday, June 15, 2 to 4 pm. Betty’s Neck, 59 Long Point Road, Lakeville. In case of bad weather, we’ll meet at the Lakeville Library at noon. Free thanks to our sponsors: Partners Village Store and the Friends of the Lakeville Public Library but we ask that you pre-register on our Facebook event page or by emailing us at [email protected]

6. Wine, Cheese & Chocolate Festival

Can you imagine a festival celebrating everyone’s favorite things? The Coastal Wineries did and it’s taking place this month at the Westport Fairgrounds where they’ll gather ALL 13 Coastal Wine Trail wineries under one roof, along with samples of cheese, chocolates. We’ll say it again: wine, cheese, chocolate — we really don’t think we need to add anything to this description. 200 Pinehill Road, Westport. Saturday, June 15, 11 to 8:30. Various prices, starting at $17.50. For more information, see here.

7. Get In Shape!

Fairhaven starts its annual free fitness in the park series on Tuesdays (yoga) and Thursdays (summer boot camp). This yearly event keeps growing and for good reason. The instructors, the setting, the community are all great! Tuesdays & Thursdays, 8:30 a.m., Cushman Park, Green Street, Fairhaven. June 18 thorough August 22. Free thanks to generous sponsors! See more here.

8. Knock Something Off Your Bucket List

We’ve got a South Coast Almanac team in this year’s Buzzards Bay Coalition annual swim. Come cheer us on! We’ve always wanted to swim across New Bedford’s Harbor and when we heard that the Coalition tries to time it so the currents push you along, we thought we’d give it a shot. More importantly, we hear there’s a great party on the other side. Fun fact: you can go to that shindig whether you swim or not! June 22, leaving at 7 a.m from the beach at the former Edge Restaurant, 1480 East Rodney French Blvd., New Bedford. Finish line celebration is from 7:30 to 11 a.m. at Fort Phoenix State Park in Fairhaven (though we want to know if any swimmers will be there by 7:30?!) See more here.

Wanna keep up with the coolest happenings each month on the South Coast?! Sign up for our free monthly newsletter right here!

Photo: Josh Souza

Our May issue is on newsstands now. It’s popping with great content (a Tiverton farmhouse that flirts with industrial style, the sport of Azorean whaleboating and the people behind it, behind-the-scenes with local dairy and oyster farmers, a fashion shoot in Padanaram Harbor, and lots more). If you want a copy delivered to your door with things you won’t see online, subscribe right here!

Or just help us spread the word about South Coast Almanac by sharing this post with your friends on facebook, twitter or by email.

May 3, 2019

Small Business Week: Stars of the South Coast

Thanks to our sponsor, First Citizens’ Federal Credit Union, we are celebrating Small Business Week by showcasing two local family businesses who help to make life better (and more fun!) here on the South Coast. Meet the Chases and the Carlsons…..

Let the Good Times Roll!

When you’re in high school and your parents are out of town, the first thing you may think is: party! The last thing you’d think: career path.

Forty years ago, teenagers Dan and Andrew Chase held a Fourth of July party at their Mattapoisett home. With a little Yankee ingenuity, they built a tent for the party, using sailcloth and wooden poles they built themselves. That was their first tent, not their last.

Today, Chase Canopy is the place to go for full-service event rentals. From their home base in Mattapoisett, they handle several hundred special events each year with thousands of pieces of equipment moving in and out of their doors. When the opportunity arose to buy land right next to their showroom, they jumped at the chance. They turned to Wayne Carvalho and Susan Geista at First Citizens’ for financing to build a warehouse for all that party equipment.

Dan says he got the “warm fuzzies” from the First Citizens’ bankers. “The package they put together was unlike anything I’d ever seen in terms of affordability. Then they worked with us through the whole process. It was a tremendous amount of work and they were right there with us.”

Fore-ward Progress!

The Carlsons are keeping golf alive and well along the South Coast.

Bruce and Sue Carlson have spent 30 years of married life around golf courses as Bruce built his career in the industry. At a time when many would be thinking of retiring, the Carlsons decided to add on to their responsibilities (running the Marion Golf Course and Acushnet’s Meadowbrook Driving Range) by taking the helm at the Whaling City Golf Course last year.

Bruce had fond memories of the Donald Ross-designed course from playing there as a teenager. With no houses in sight, you’re surrounded by nature despite the city address. Further, the Carlsons are passionate about the game of golf. They didn’t want to see a small course with character closing its doors, and they saw much potential in the New Bedford course.

They worked like crazy to get it up and running in time for last season’s opening but hit a snag at the 11th hour when their financing from a national bank fell through. That’s when Bruce told Sue, “we have to go local, because they’ll realize the value.” First Citizens’ Susan Geista returned their call immediately.

A big thank you to our sponsor First Citizens’ for introducing us to the Chase and Carlson families!

First Citizens’ believes that small business is the backbone of our economy. For National Small Business Week, we salute our business clients—people like the Chases and the Carlsons— who contribute to making the South Coast a better place to live. We are inspired by our business clients and are passionate about collaborating with them as they grow and expand.

May 1, 2019

8 Great Things for May on the South Coast

MAY we point you in the right direction for fun things to do this month? We’ve got our 8 Great Things list right here! Feeling MAYnic? Put all 8 things on your To Do list!

Still Going Strong!

We know we mentioned it last month but the Marion Art Center’s ArtWeek is still going strong and there’s still time to enjoy it. There’s plenty on tap, including: a New Orleans style jazz jam session; a Whitman v. Dickinson poetry duel; a community art project led by artist Tracy Silva Barbosa (featured in our May 2017 issue here) where participants will decorate the surface of Main Street in front of the MAC with designs based on the famous blue and white tiles known as “Azulejos” in Portugal. Through May 5. Marion Art Center, 80 Pleasant Street, Marion, See the schedule and more information here.

Eat the Invasive Weeds!

Wow, they’ve done it again! The DNRT can make even a dull chore like weeding into something brilliant. Join them on Friday, May 3 to pull up the Garlic Mustard weed. You’ll be saving countless wildflowers from being crowded out by the invasive weed. Plus, you’ll be encouraged to take a bag home to make your own garlic mustard pesto (take that, ya nuisance weed!!) which is apparently quite delicious. Check out a recipe here. They’ll also provide yummy snacks and follow it up with some pizza to celebrate evereyone’s hard work. May 3, 9 to noon. Helfand Farm, 318 Chase Road, Dartmouth. See more here.

Sweet Spot

We happened to wander into the Wild Honey Cafe last week for some delicious breakfast sandwiches and we were happily greeted by live music. It was an unexpectedly lovely way to spend a Saturday morning. Steve Pelland will be there on Saturdays from 11-1 throughout May with his acoustic guitar (and voice) and he sounds wonderful. The cover charge is a simple cup of coffee (though we recommend the sandwiches too!) Saturdays in May, Wild Honey Cafe, 1228 Russells Mills Road, Dartmouth.

Airport Cruisin’

New Bedford’s airport introduces the first of this season’s Airport Cruise Nights with food, music, cars and airplanes. Free for spectators, $5 for show car entry. May 12, 3-7 pm. New Bedford Regional Airport, 1569 Airport Road, New Bedford. Find out more here.

Tasty Saturday

20 Restaurants, 3 breweries, 1 winery all under a tent on Pier 3 in New Bedford. Attendees get to taste from all the vendors AND they get to vote for their favorites. Ahhh, the power! May 19, 12 – 5 (tasting from 12 – 3:15, Awards 4:30, Music throughout!) $20 at door/$15 in advance (kids 6-12 are $5. Under 6 are free). City Pier 3, New Bedford, MA. See more here.

Friskie Fries

If there’s anything we like more than a good food truck, it’s lots of good food trucks! Head over to Fall River for the third annual Fall River Food Truck Festival on the waterfont. You’ll have all kinds of delicious options: barbecue, asian fusion, cannolis, seafood, and lots more, including friskie fries (don’t you want to find out what friskie fries are?!) May 25, noon – 4 pm. Gates of the City, Ponta Delgada Boulevard, Fall River. See their facebook page here. Bring your lawn chairs!

Reggae on the Beach

So your Jamaican vacation is just a pipe dream? No worries. The Reggae on the Beach series is giving you all the tools to make you feel like you’re on a Jamaican holiday. The first in the series happens this month with a couple of DJs spinning the best reggae styles of rocksteady, roots, rubadub, and dancehall. Patty Makers will be there with Jamaican patties, jerk chicken rice bowls and hibiscus iced tea. And, of course, you’re right at the beach! Everything you need to imagine you’re in Jamaica. May 26, 3-7 pm. West Beach, 215 West Rodney French Boulevard, New Bedford. More here.

Stonewall Celebration

It’s a once in a lifetime chance to meet some veterans of the Stonewall Riots that took place in 50 years ago. The Stonewall Riots became a symbol of resistance to the social and political discrimination that inspired solidarity among LGBT individuals and communities. It’s an amazing opportunity to experience living history (plus you can check out the new New Bedford Harbor Hotel). $25 per person. May 31, 6-9 p.m., Harbor Hotel, 222 Union Street, New Bedford. Find out more here.

Wanna keep up with the coolest happenings each month on the South Coast?! Sign up for our free monthly newsletter right here!

Our May issue is just hitting mailboxes later this week and should be on newsstands soon. It’s popping with great content (a Tiverton farmhouse that flirts with industrial style, the sport of Azorean whaleboating and the people behind it, behind-the-scenes with local dairy and oyster farmers, a fashion shoot in Padanaram Harbor, and lots more). If you want a copy delivered to your door with things you won’t see online, subscribe right here!

Or just spread the word about South Coast Almanac by sharing this post with your friends on facebook, twitter or by email.

April 1, 2019

8 Great Things To Do on the South Coast in April

We’re not fooling! April is packed with great things to do on the South Coast — and not just gobbling down that delicious cinnamon roll from Ella’s Wood Burning Oven Restaurant (though that’s high on the list!). Welcome to our monthly 8 Great Things List for the South Coast, listed in order of their dates….

1. Work Hard, Work Hard

It’s time for spring cleaning! That goes for outside, too. The Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust gives us many opportunities this month to give back and help clean up their various properties to maximize enjoyment for all in the coming months. They’ll be cleaning up the following places: Wernick Farm (April 2); Smith Farm (April 11); Destruction Brooks Farm (April 16); Shingle Island and Faunce Reserves (April 22); and Allen’s Mill (April 25). There’s gotta be a date and place that works for you. Get outside, breathe the fresh air and feel good about helping the community. See here for more information.

2. A Quarter Century Ride

Get your bike tuned (we recommend Velofix Southcoast who comes straight to your door!) and hit the roads with the Appalachian Mountain Club. They’re doing a 25 mile loop through cranberry bogs, lakes, ponds and country roads in Rochester, Lakeville, and Freetown. April 6, 9 am start. You have to preregister — information to do that is here.

3. Hell on Wheels!

Mass Attack Roller Derby is back in action this month. In honor of their season opener, we’ve reprinted our 2017 story featuring Emily Nolan, one of its team members — you can check that story out right here. Then head on over to Fairhaven on April 6 to see them in action. $10. Saturday, April 6, doors open at 5:15 first whistle at 6:20. Carousel Family Fun Center, 4 David Drown Blvd., Fairhaven. Tickets can be purchased here.

4. Ending Racism in an Hour (!)

We’d say a a comedic, topical exploration of racism in America is super important. We’d also say that the revival of the New Bedford Lyceum (which brought such luminaries as Frederick Douglass, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Charles Dickens, and Abraham Lincoln to New Bedford in the 19th century) is a worthwhile endeavor. Support both by attending an evening with Emmy-nominated comedian W. Kamau Bell, host of CNN’s United Shades of Color, presented by the New Bedford Lyceum. April 6, 8 pm. The Zeiterion Theater, 684 Purchase Street, New Bedford. Tickets from $25. See more here.

5. A Secret for the Year Round Folks

Pssst. When the summer people are away, Ella’s Wood Burning Oven Restaurant opens its doors on Sunday mornings for a delicious brunch. You’ve got two more months to take advantage of this! There’s everything from classic breakfast loves like omelettes and buttermilk pancakes to inventive takes on brunch like smoked prime rib red flannel hash and kimchi fried rice. Get in there! 3136 Cranberry Highway, Wareham. Sundays in April (and May too!) See the brunch menu here. (Did we mention they make the cinnamon rolls in house?!)

6. Killin’ it at the Kilburn

You know how you get kids to be more open-minded about eating their vegetables by mixing veggies in with other things? (Mac & cheese was what we used in our household as the vegetable delivery system). Sort of in that same vein, the New Bedford Symphony is reaching out to broaden their audience by hosting an innovative Symphony on Tap. Here’s what’s you can expect:

• free munchies before & free desserts after the concert;

• cash bar open all night with craft beers, signature cocktails and fine wines;

• 60 minutes of live music by 61 musicians;

• in the hottest new venue in New Bedford, the Kilburn Mill, with killer views of the harbor.

No stage, no seats, no rules — just fun! All this for just $10 (Way, way, WAY better than broccoli in your macaroni and cheese!) April 13 at 7 pm, Kilburn Mill at Clarks Cove, 127 W. Rodney French Blvd., New Bedford. Tickets may be purchased here.

7. Get Cooking

We’ve been enjoying Jean Lanahan’s cooking classes on Wareham community television and picking up lots of tips there (watch an episode here). Learn with Jean in person before her cooking series takes a hiatus for her busy summer season at East Wind Lobster & Grille. This month, her class features seasonal soups (cream of vegetable soup, wedding soup and seafood stew). $50 (includes dinner, adult beverages and additional soup to take home), April 17, 7:15 to 9:15. East Wind Lobster & Grille, 2 Main Street, Buzzards Bay. Call Chef Jean at 508-759-1857 to register and pay by phone. (Note: her April 11 class is already sold out, so don’t dally!) See more here.

8. ArtWeek!

Local volunteers have been planning a wonderful array of events to take part in the Commonwealth’s ArtWeek (although there’s so many events, it’s actually 2 weeks!!) Visit the Marion Arts Center for everything from Irish Step Dancing to visual arts, from poetry duels to live music and theater. An amazing line-up of cool and exciting things to do, check it all out here!

Wanna keep up with the coolest happenings each month on the South Coast?! Sign up for our free monthly newsletter right here!

We’re getting ready to send our May issue to the printer. It’s popping with great content (a Tiverton farmhouse that flirts with industrial style, the sport of Azorean whaleboating and the people behind it, behind-the-scenes with local dairy and oyster farmers, a fashion shoot in Padanaram Harbor, and lots more). If you want a copy delivered to your door with things you won’t see online, subscribe right here!

Or just spread the word about South Coast Almanac by sharing this post with your friends on facebook, twitter or by email.

March 31, 2019

Roller Derby on the South Coast

HELL ON WHEELS

by JACQUELYN MYSLIWIEC

BY DAY, EMILY NOLAN IS A STUDENT at Brandeis University working toward two master’s degrees. Before she went back to school full-time, she was working in fundraising and operations at a charter school in Dorchester. Prior to that, she was conducting a Fulbright research project on financial services for women in Niger, West Africa.

By night, she is known simply as Malice Paul, a member of the Mass Attack Roller Derby (MARD) in Fairhaven. The derby name Nolan chose is a tribute to her favorite suffragist, Alice Paul. Nolan wears the number 1920 (the year the 19th amendment was ratified), and right above her numbered armband on her left arm is where you’ll find a picture of her idol’s face in ink.

Roller derby is no longer the theatrical sport popular from the ‘50s to the ‘70s played on a banked track. It is now a serious athletic endeavor on a flat track with professional league rules laid down by the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) in 2005.

It didn’t take long for these changes to spark interest in hundreds of women, like Nolan, seeking an active outlet in their adult life, and to share a bond between other strong women of all walks of life.

Opposing teams travel around a track, with a designated jammer earning a point each time she laps an opposing skater, while teammates block, or protect her along the way. “Despite its rough objective, my favorite part about roller derby is the support and camaraderie between all players,” says Nolan, who has skated with MARD for a little more than two years. “I don’t know how many times I’ve congratulated someone for getting a good, clean hit on me and knocking me on my butt!”

For more on how to join or become involved with local roller derby, visit www.massattackrollerderby.com

This story originally appeared in our May 2017 print issue. Do you want to get our next print issue delivered straight to your door? Subscribe right here. Just $19.95 brings you our next 4 issues!

February 28, 2019

8 Great Things in March

March forward with our round-up of the 8 Top Picks for the South Coast this month!

Not winter, not spring. This is that sneaky month in New England where we don’t know quite what to expect. Don’t worry about the weather and take the month in stride by marking your calendars with these 8 fun things to do.

Sex in the Woods

We knew that would grab your attention! For 3 Saturdays in March, the Mass Audubon Society is introducing us to the courtship mating rituals of the American woodcock (check out some of their moves on youtube here) on its Wild, Wild Woodcock Walk at dusk at Allen’s Pond, Register for March 2 here. Register for March 9 here. Register for March 16 here. 5:30 to 7:00. Stone Barn, 786 East Horseneck Road, South Dartmouth. $10 members/$12 non-members.

January 31, 2019

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.