'Tis the season! ... for festivals

To anyone who knows me, it will come as no surprise that summer is my favorite season. It's not just the weather - although it's mostly that - but it's also the activities. Namely, festivals. I love festivals: live music, art, picnics and barbecues, dogs, kids, that happy community vibe. I am thrilled that it's May now because there's a festival pretty much every weekend.

Last weekend, the first weekend in May, was MayFair in Harvard Square. Harvard Square is always packed, and normally I try to avoid it for exactly that reason. And yet, throw in a few bands, some vendors, and some chalk art, and I don't care that there are 100,000 people crammed into a few blocks. I watched a dance performance and walked through a bunch of vendors' booths, but the chalk art was the best part. Local companies sponsor a square on the street, and artists (of varying abilities) color the squares. At the end of the street is a large blank area where children can color for a fee (donation to the city).

Chalk art lining Church St.

This was one of my favorites, perhaps because it depicts my favorite summertime activity: hanging out on the banks of the Charles River.

Another favorite: Degas dancers.

MayFair was conveniently held on the hottest day of spring so far. After 100+ inches of snow this winter, Boston decided to skip spring and go straight to summer. We had a few weeks of temperatures in the 50s, then all of a sudden it was 85 last Sunday. Since then, it's barely dropped below 70. Festival or not, I couldn't let such a beautiful day pass without getting on the water. So after hanging out at MayFair, I headed down to CBI for the first time in six months. I was almost skipping with excitement!

My friend Emily and I met at CBI to go kayaking, taking advantage of the fact that the sun doesn't set until 7:45 these days. We showed up after the afternoon crowds had left, but it was still warm enough and sunny enough to feel like spring. The river is still frigid (wetsuits were required until a couple days ago), but it was a perfect day for paddling. I wish I had brought a camera on the water because the cherry trees lining the banks of the lagoons were bursting with blooms, scattering petals over the water. I had no idea Boston had so many cherry trees! It was incredible. You'll have to take my word for it.

My first view of CBI in action!

Three things that make me happy: flowers, green leaves, and CBI's "Open" sign.

Then, this weekend was Cambridge Open Studios. This is one of my favorite festivals because it's so different! For one weekend, art studios all over the city are free and open to the public. Some of the studios are actual galleries; others are displays in the artist's living room or a tent in their driveway. The city waives residential parking permit restrictions in several areas so that visitors can park near the studios, and they also put together a self-guided bike tour. Last year I didn't learn about the Cambridge event until after it was over, but I went to Somerville Open Studios the weekend after. This year, the events switched weekends, so I didn't go to Somerville's but I made sure to go to Cambridge's. It's impossible to see everything, so I just pick a neighborhood and visit anything within walking distance. This year, I picked my own neighborhood. Lesley University opened a new arts center right next door to me in February, so I was curious to see inside. There were seven artists displaying their crafts (everything from jewelry to painted furniture to watercolors) inside, plus the rest of the building was filled with student work. Then, I walked to see the work of two artists living in my neighborhood. Both were impressive: one woman painted a little of everything but her landscapes were my favorite, and the other painted fun, science-inspired watercolors. My last stop was a community arts center, reminiscent of Craft Alliance in UCity. Like Lesley, the center had several artists displaying a variety of crafts, from ceramics to textiles, drawings, and paintings.

And then, because it was again a gorgeous day, I went to the river. (If you're sensing a theme, you're right. Festival + river = my perfect day.) Between the river and walking around Cambridge, I ended up with a ton of photos of flowers. The world is just exploding with color right now! It's so appreciated! But it would make for a very long blog post if I shared those with you, so I'll leave that for another day. Needless to say, today was another perfect day.

Teaser: this was how the Esplanade looked today. Amazing!