Friday, May 16 from 10:00am-1:00pm
Cost: Free with zoo admission

Celebrate National Endangered Species Day at the Zoo! Take a walking tour of our current and former endangered species, grab an endangered species coloring sheet and visit a discovery station to learn the stories of some of these rare animals.

Zoo Nights

Fridays, May 23, June 27, July 25, and August 22 from 5:30pm-8:00pm
Cost: Zoo Members: free; Non-members: $4/child; $8/adult

Zoo Nights are designed to offer families an opportunity to enjoy the Zoo on cool summer nights, experience keeper chats and participate in children’s activities. Look for further details at www.bpzoo.org.

World Oceans Day

Saturday, June 7 from 1:00-4:00pm
Cost: Free with zoo admission

Buttonwood Park Zoo is joining forces with The Ocean Project to create a splash for World Oceans Day!

Zoo Crew- Summer 2014

• Ages 5 & 6: Half day programs run 9:00am-noon or 1:00pm-4:00pm: July 14-18, 2014, August 4-8, 2014 and August 11-15, 2014
• Ages 7 & 8: Full day program runs 9:00am-4:00pm July 21-25, 2014: July 28-August 1, 2014, and August 11-15, 2014
• Ages 9 & 10: Full day program runs 9:00am-4:00pm July 14-18, 2014: July 28-August 1, 2014, and August 4-8, 2014

Join us to learn about animals, explore zoo careers, and much more. Each week long program has a balance of outdoor and classroom learning, educational games and activities, and crafts. Programs are offered for ages 5-10. Half day (9:00am-noon or 1:00-4:00pm) programs are offered for 5 & 6 year olds and full day (9:00am-4:00pm) programs are offered for 7 & 8 and 9 & 10 year olds. Full day pricing for Zoo Members is $200/week and $225/week for Non-Members. Half day pricing for Zoo Members is $125/week and $250/week for Non-Members. For additional information, please visit www.bpzoo.org.

Free Fun Friday

Friday, August 29 from 9:00am-5:00pm, with the last admission at 4:15pm
Cost: Free admission

The Zoo will be open free to the public on Friday, August 29, thanks to the Highland Street Foundation Free Fun Friday program. The Zoo will be open regular hours with last entry at 4:15pm. Train and Carousel rides will be available for standard ticket prices. Visit www.bpzoo.org for further information on the Highland Street Foundation and the Free Fun Friday program.

Feast in the Wild

Thursday, August 14, 2014 from 6:00pm-10:00pm
Ticket Information: Zoo Members: $65/person; Non-Members: $75/person
Feast on local restaurant’s specials while strolling through the Zoo. Enjoy entertainment and animal encounters at the Zoo’s wildest night of the year. Tickets can be purchased at www.bpzoo.org. 21+ event. Proceeds from Feast in the Wild go to support the Zoo’s mission.

Weekly Favorites

Toe Jam Puppet Band
Every Monday at 10:00am & 11:30am
Cost: Zoo admission + $5/family
Sing, dance and play the hour away with New Bedford’s favorite, the Toe Jam Puppet Band at the Buttonwood Park Zoo every Monday morning.

Toddler Tales

Every Thursday at 10:30am
Cost: Free with zoo admission
Enjoy a zooper fun story time at the zoo! Includes a snack and a craft/activity. Recommended for ages 3-5. Please note there is no Toddler Tales on Thursday, August 14.

Buttonwood Park Zoo

Open 9:00am-5:00pm, with the last admission at 4:15pm.
425 Hawthorn Street, New Bedford, MA 02740
Phone: (508) 991-6178 | Website: www.bpzoo.org
Daily keeper chats and animal enrichments are scheduled throughout the day. Please visit www.bpzoo.org to see our daily Keeper Chat Schedule.

The month of June will be “Celebrating Success Month” in the New Bedford Public Schools. Superintendent Pia Durkin and the New Bedford School Committee launched the initiative this week to identify and highlight success stories from the current school year.

“Too often, we hear only about what is wrong with our schools,” said Dr. Durkin. “The School Committee and I recognize that there is much room for improvement, but at the same time, we must discover and share the good news about effective teaching and learning taking place across the district. ‘Celebrating Success Month’ is an opportunity to learn about those successes and trumpet them throughout the community.”

Parents, teachers, students, and community partners may submit suggestions (one per person) about “points of pride” from this school year, including stories about individual student achievements, young people who have overcome obstacles to achieve success, staff accomplishments, innovative instructional practices, and other examples of positive things happening in the schools. Selected entries will be featured throughout the month of June on the district website, in local media, and other means.

Entries must be 300 words or fewer (and may include 1-2 photo attachments) and can be emailed to success@newbedfordschools.org. Please include your name and telephone number. Entries selected for publication will be entered into a drawing to win an iPad. The deadline for submissions is Friday, May 30.

For more information, visit www.newbedfordschools.org.

The concert takes place at the school’s main campus, 190 Ashley Boulevard in New Bedford. It will include performances, raffles and refreshments. The event will feature the Larry Brown Swinglane Jazz Orchestra with special appearances by the GLCPS Band and Jazz Band.

“The auditorium will be set up like a jazz club with tables and chairs for the guests,” said Ian Gollub, GLCPS Band leader and music teacher. “It’s a wonderful way for music lovers to relax,
have some fun and hear some great music.”

The popular swinglane orchestra was formed over 12 years ago by former Navy Band Leader and Master Chief Musician Larry Brown. Swinglane consists of a group of professional musicians playing jazz, swing and big band music.

“We’re very fortunate that the Larry Brown Swinglane Jazz Orchestra has agreed to play for our scholarship fundraising event,” said Gollub. “It’s a great group of musicians who make music
enjoyable for all ages.” A grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council allowed GLCPS to hire Loren Palmer as an artist-in-residence to work with the band members throughout the year. Mr. Palmer is a former band director and a 35-year veteran of music education in public schools. He is also a member of the Larry Brown Swinglane Jazz Orchestra.

Also performing at the event is the GLCPS school band and the student jazz combo. The student bands will be the opening acts for the evening. Despite the fact that both bands were only
formed during the current school year and that most of the students had little to no previous experience playing an instrument, the 40 members are looking forward to playing in front of an
audience.

“Under the direction of Mr. Gollub, these students have grown tremendously as musicians and performers,” said Dr. Stephen Furtado, executive director of GLCPS and a former professional
musician himself. “They have already performed several times at school events and at a Providence Bruins game earlier this year. The Student Jazz Combo was also a highlight of our Global Gala in March.”

Following the performances, raffle winners will be announced. Organizers of the event are still accepting items for the raffle. Also, tickets are on sale at $10 apiece. Interested businesses or individuals who would like to donate a raffle item or purchase a ticket can contact Mr. Gollub at the school at 508-991-4105.

All proceeds from the event will go into a scholarship fund for music lessons and workshops for music students at GLCPS.

“We have many promising musicians who would benefit greatly from more instruction if there were some way to pay for it,” said Gollub. “This fund will be used for that.”

The band members are also preparing for two other events this year. On June 7th, they will visit the Boston Conservatory where they will take a tour, participate in a workshop and speak with
faculty and students of the esteemed music school.

“This is a very special event,” said Gollub. “The Conservatory has gone out of its way to plan this day especially for our students.”

The students have a culminating performance planned for the year. On June 13th, the Band and Jazz Combo will play at Custom House Square as part of the Lunchtime Jazz Series launched
by the office of Mayor Jon Mitchell last fall and resuming now that the weather is getting warmer. The GLCPS students will play for about an hour beginning at 12PM.

“The kids are really excited about this, especially because it is a way for us to give back to the New Bedford community,” said Gollub.

GLCPS offers a small, personalized, college preparatory learning environment in which students are encouraged to realize their full potential, both academically and personally. The
school, open to New Bedford residents, is a tuition-free public charter school that serves students in grades 5-12.

For more information, please visit www.glcps.org, or the school’s Facebook page.

Last I checked the saying was “April showers bring May flowers.” Apparently, just for New England it’s been modified: “April showers bring May showers.” Harumph. After a shower or two on Friday we’ll have some morning rain followed by a cloudy day. We’ll take it! Sunday there will be a “stray” afternoon shower. Overall temperatures will be perfect in the upper 60s. These showers are nothing that will hold any of us who have fun stuff to do and exciting events to attend! Bring that umbrella and have at it!

As always, click on the title for more or detailed information on the event. Most of the events were pulled from our event calendar where you can find hundreds of local area events each month. The event calendar is FREE, so if you are a local business, and not taking advantage of FREE publicity, shame on you! Are you a local business and want to sponsor this high traffic, weekend guide? Contact info@newbedfordguide.com for more details. Have an event to add? Check out our tutorial. For more info, you can click on each title. Know of another event this weekend? Post a reply!

Friday, May 16th

Your Theatre Inc.: “Squabbles” (8:00pm)
A Never-Too-Old-For-Love Comedy pitting father-in-law against mother-in-law. Tickets $15, $13 senior, students and military. For further information call (508) 993-0772.

Saturday, May 17th

26th Annual Scrimshaw Weekend at the Whaling Museum (9:00am-9:00pm)
This year’s event will kick-off on Friday, May 16, with the 5th Annual Nautical Antiques Show. The Nautical Antiques Show features an exclusive, high quality sale of marine antiques including scrimshaw, nautical instruments and tools, whaling logbooks, ship models, photos, paintings, prints, New Bedford memorabilia and much more. The Antiques Show runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Jacobs Family Gallery. Admission to the show is $5 and is free of charge for Scrimshaw Weekend attendees, Museum members, and with daily admission to the Museum.

Annual Plant Sale (Acushnet) (9:00 & 12:00pm)
Rain or shine at the Acushnet Senior Center, 59 1/2 So. Main St. Perennial, herbs annuals, shrubs, vegetables and more. Proceeds benefit the Greater New Bedford Garden Club Scholarship Fund. Phone: 5089980280. Email: acushnetcoa@acushnet.ma.us.

Dollar-a-bag book sale (Fairhaven) (9:00-10:00am)
Oxford Book Haven and Cafe. Coffee and desserts also available, All proceeds go to the Church of the Good Shepherd. 357 Main St.

1st Annual Ricketson’s Day (10:30am-3:00pm)
Guided nature walks throughout the day will include the opening of a new trail system at the park. Participants will learn to identify native plants and learn how native ecosystems support the bird population including the migrating birds traveling through our area now. Families can also participate in Nature Scavenger Hunts, and “Rural Calendar” counts by recording bird counts and bloom times continuing a Ricketson tradition. The Marion Institute is sponsoring a talk on proper pruning of fruit trees at the site of the newly planted orchard. Read more…

Westport Historical Society presents “The Mills of Westport.” (Westport) (2:00-3:00pm)
Hosts Tony Connors who will present “The Mills of Westport.” Connors will provide an overview of the development of the Westport Manufacturing Company and Mill No. 2. A walk around Forge Pond Conservation area will follow program. Suggested donation $5. Space limited, pre-register at www.wphistory.org or at (508) 636-6011.

Painting with a Splash: Van Gogh Colorful Sky w/ Ann (3:00pm)
Welcome to Painting with a Splash Where you are the artist! Painting with a Splash is the newest addition to Historic Whaling City Downtown New Bedford. Bringing you an experience of art as entertainment. Add a little wine (BYOB) that will surely tap into your creative side. With step by step instruction and a little music, you and your friends will create the evenings featured painting with a splash of your own uniqueness. NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY! Just a desire to have fun.

Sunday, May 18th

26th Annual Scrimshaw Weekend at the Whaling Museum (9:30am-12:30pm)
This year’s event will kick-off on Friday, May 16, with the 5th Annual Nautical Antiques Show. The Nautical Antiques Show features an exclusive, high quality sale of marine antiques including scrimshaw, nautical instruments and tools, whaling logbooks, ship models, photos, paintings, prints, New Bedford memorabilia and much more. The Antiques Show runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Jacobs Family Gallery. Admission to the show is $5 and is free of charge for Scrimshaw Weekend attendees, Museum members, and with daily admission to the Museum.

Painting with a Splash: Moonlit Tree & St. James St. John School Fundraiser (2:00 & 5:30pm)
Welcome to Painting with a Splash Where you are the artist! Painting with a Splash is the newest addition to Historic Whaling City Downtown New Bedford. Bringing you an experience of art as entertainment. Add a little wine (BYOB) that will surely tap into your creative side. With step by step instruction and a little music, you and your friends will create the evenings featured painting with a splash of your own uniqueness. NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY! Just a desire to have fun.

The 55th annual Acushnet Art Show (Acushnet) (1:00pm)
Takes place at the Council On Aging located at 29 1/2 Main St. Acushnet. Admission is free and refreshments will be served.

15th Annual Pet Fest (11:00am-3:00 pm)
The Coalition for Animals needs your help to raise money for the benefit of injured, sick, homeless, abandoned and neglected animals! Join them for the 15th Annual Pet Fest and Walf for animals with the Future of Health Expo at Buttonwood Park, 745 Rockdale Avenue. Rain or shine!

Crescent Moon Holistic Therapy Shoppe Tea Social (1:00-2:00 pm)
Head to Crescent Moon for an afternoon of tea, pastry, and spirit-fueled conversation. This is a great opportunity to look at the intersections of spirituality, religion, health, meditation, and healing modalities.

Want to sponsor this weekend guide? Contact info@newbedfordguide.com for more details.

In October 2007, District Attorney Sam Sutter launched a unique volunteer initiative within his office to make a difference in communities throughout Bristol County. To date, his staff has contributed more than 19,000 hours of service!

Each year District Attorney Sutter conducts a volunteer fair for his staff to meet with organizations and learn about volunteer opportunities. This year District Attorney Sutter would like to once again extend this volunteer fair to the general public. Representatives from a variety of non-profit organizations will staff tables in the middle of the mall
and provide patrons with information about their mission, volunteer positions, and
sign up individuals who are interested in volunteering.

Please come out and join us –you can shop around for a volunteer opportunity that matches your passion, learn new skills, share your experience, and make a difference within your community!

This is also a great opportunity for teens and young adults to fulfill community service requirements and build a resume or college application.

For the community of New Bedford, there are a few reasons why 2014 is a special year.  For one, it will mark the homecoming of the whaling ship the Charles S. Morgan.  It will also mark the 100th New Bedford Feast of the Blessed Sacrament.

The New Bedford Feast of the Blessed Sacrament, a.k.a. the Portuguese Feast, a.k.a. Madeira Feast is the largest event the city has every year. More than that, it is the largest Portuguese feast in the world and the largest ethnic festival in New England. The feast was founded in 1915 by four Madeiran immigrants who wanted to recreate the festivities of their home island.

Between my own experience with the feast, some careful research and some very helpful guidance from Ed Camara, the Director of Media and Public Relations for Clube Madeirense S.S. Sacramento, I have come up with an overview of the feast which has become a major attraction for visitors from all over who come to celebrate the Portuguese culture through food, drink and entertainment.

Every year thousands of people attend the Feast, but the big 100th is anticipated to draw the largest turnout in the Feast’s long and storied history. If you are considering being one of this year’s attendees, here are some things you should know about the feast:

1. Time and Location

If you have never been to the feast it naturally makes sense to let you know where to go and when to be there. The feast is a four-day event, officially kicking off at 6:00 PM on Thursday, July 31st. The grounds close at midnight each night.

This year the gates will open early on Friday for the big 100.  The grounds will open at noon and close at 11:45 PM, serving food and supplying entertainment the whole night!  By opening earlier on Friday this will provide an opportunity to attend to those who are hoping to avoid the large crowds.

Saturday festivities begin at 10 AM for the 5k road race followed by Kid’s Day afternoon. The last day of the feast is Sunday, which starts off at noon and will feature a parade at 3:00 PM. For more information on when and where events will be taking place, go to the Portuguese Feast Entertainment Schedule.

Most of the events take place at Madeira Field, which is permanent location in New Bedford’s north end, which comes to life one weekend a year for the festivities.

The address of Madeira Field is 50 Madeira Avenue, New Bedford, MA (88 Tinkham Street on your GPS). Parking can be a bit tricky, you may have to plan to search a bit to find a spot and walk a few blocks, or pay to park in a nearby private lot.

2. Costs

There is no charge for addmission and the entertainment is free thanks to the hard work of the committee members who comprise the 2014 Feast of the Blessed Sacrament Committee.  Feast members come from all over the country to plan the feast each year, some as far away as California and Florida.  Due to the fact that this will be the 100th feast, the committee is much larger than it has been in years past, consisting of over 280 members from all over the world.  Some of the members will be traveling from across the U.S., Canada, Europe, and South Africa to attend the feast, but in the meantime they have had family members representing them at the committee meetings.

While admission is free to walk around and watch the entertainment, there are also many vendors at the grounds selling everything from handmade Madeiran souvenirs to cigars.  Of course, food, carnival rides and beverages are also an additional cost.

Tickets may also be purchased to buy authentic Portuguese cuisine or, if you’re over 21, an impressive selection of alcoholic beverages. Tickets cost a dollar each and can be purchased at ten machines located throughout the grounds by placing a five, ten or twenty dollar bill inside. Tickets are non-refundable. There are also stands with employees who sell the tickets.

Prices of food are kept reasonable, and there is a great deal of variety to choose from. To give you a general idea of the prices of items at the feast, a full meal is 12 tickets (which equates to 12 dollars), most sandwiches are around four tickets, and a soda or a water goes for one ticket.

3. Food

One of the greatest features of the feast is the delicious Portuguese fare. There are many food stands located throughout Madeira Field that serve your favorites from the simple delights of linguica and cacoila sandwiches to full on Portuguese cuisine plates of chicken, beef, goat or tuna with potatoes, rice and vegetables.

Another major culinary draw is the Carne de Espeto, a massive, 40-foot barbecue pit where beef sirloin cubes can be cooked over an open flame on massive skewers. This is hard to miss since the aroma is absolutely mouth watering. Visitors are able to buy the meat for eight tickets a pound and a delicious aromatic salt is provided to cook with.

Visitors are then able to roast their own dinner over the gas-fired lava rock grill. Mr. Camara, (who has been a part of the organization since 1982) advised me that if someone tells you to pour Madeira wine on the meat it is not advisable (it does not help the flavor and causes the meat to burn faster!)

New items that will be featured at the feast include Milho Frito, fried cornmeal, garlic and finely shredded kale make this the perfect treat to go with Carne de Espeto.  There will also be ice-cold fresh fruit cups, the perfect way to cool down for health conscious attendees.

In case you are not accustomed to the flavorful cooking style of Portuguese cuisine, go to the Food & Drink page of the Portuguese Feast website for definitions of some of the food you might expect to see.

4. Drink

One of the draws of the feast is the consumption of Madeira wine, which is a central part of the festivities as it is part of a long tradition. Madeira wine is a sweet, fortified red wine. Genuine Madeira wine is made on the island of Madeira, and exportation of actual barrels are restricted due to regulations. However, thanks to a special agreement made between feast officials and the President of Madeira, casks are able to be delivered to New Bedford and served for the weekend, making this a very rare treat for those who attend.

For those who don’t find that the taste of Madeira wine suits their pallet, there are a great variety of additional options including a full liquor bar for mix drinks and frozen drinks. Alcohol stands also serve sangria and white wine and Budweiser beer is on tap.

If you wish to partake in the consumption of alcoholic beverages, you will need to have your ID scanned when you enter the feast grounds in order to receive a wristband that proves you are legally old enough to be served.  There will be additional ID stations at this year’s feast due to the anticipated increase in numbers of attendees.

5. Entertainment

There is a great deal of quality free entertainment at the feast each year from Portuguese and American cultures. There are three stages throughout Madeira field, and each host a variety of performance types throughout the weekend. In addition, the Museum of Madeiran Heritage will be featuring musical performances each night of the feast. These performances will be featuring fado music, a Portuguese genre of music that can be traced back to the 1820s but is believed to be even older than that.

One of the cultural acts that you may see take the stage at Madeira field is Groupo Folclorico Clube Madeirense S.S. Sacramento. This group of dancers presents traditional dancing performances to authentic Madeiran music and in traditional clothing. These performances are always very spirited and interesting to see.

There will be many bands on the smaller stages during the feast, but the largest stage is reserved for a special performance at 10:00 each night. Thursday night the band Gin Blossoms will take the stage. Gin Blossoms was a popular rock band in the ‘90s with hits like “Hey Jealousy”, “Found Out About You”, “Follow You Down” and “Till I Hear It From You”.

Friday night will feature Blood, Sweat and Tears with lead singer Bo Bice.  Formed in the late 1960s, Blood, Sweat and Tears has continued to perform their contemporary jazz/rock music with numerous iterations of band personnel and musical styles.  The band’s owner selected Bo Bice, a runner up in American Idol Season 4, as the new front man after he heard Bice perform Blood, Sweat and Tears’ famous “Spinning Wheel” on the show.

Saturday will feature the Starlight Band, a Portuguese Musical group.

Sunday night will feature country music artist Phil Vassar.  Vassar emerged on the country scene in the late 90s, co-writing singles for famous country stars like Tim McGraw. Shortly after he released his own debut album, “Phil Vassar”, which featured five songs that placed on Billboard’s Country Singles Chart.  His most popular tunes include, “Just Another Day in Paradise”, “Love is a Beautiful Thing” and “I’ll Take that as a Yes.”

6. Families

Since Madeira feast involves alcohol consumption, some readers may be wondering if it is a family appropriate event. You will be glad to know that family values are integral to the foundation of the feast. While it is probably not advisable to bring young children later in the night due to large crowds and loud music, it should be mentioned that there are many features of the feast that children will love. Also, the feast takes great measures to prohibit underage drinking. All who wish to consume alcoholic beverages are required to undergo a license verification process in order to receive a specially printed wristband.

Additional security precautions are being taken for this year’s Feast due to its size and significance. Mr. Camera mentioned to me that few people realize this, but the Feast grounds are wired with such advanced cameras that all feast goers are on at least two cameras at any given time.

A cool part of the feast is that it features carnival rides and games all weekend. Saturday is probably the best day for families with young children thanks to Kids Day Afternoon, which follows the 13th annual 5k road race. Kids day kicks off at noon and ends at four, featuring special live entertainment for children.  Kids under twelve can also receive a free hot dog or hamburger, fried and a soda at Kids Day Afternoon.

For senior citizens in the community, there is “Senior Citizen Afternoon” which also takes place on Saturday from noon to 4 pm. During this time a shuttle is being offered (courtesy of the City of New Bedford) from the parking lot of Lincoln Elementary on Saturday so that seniors can attend the event without having to worry about parking. On this day they are also offered a special deal of half price meals for only 6 dollars instead of 12 (eat in only). Special entertainment is featured as well.

7. History

The Feast of the Blessed Sacrament gains its roots from the island of Madeira which is located 390 miles off the coast of Morocco. Traditionally, each Roman Catholic parish in Madeira would observe a festival to celebrate their patron saint. A committee of four men called festeiros would be responsible for preparing the village for the celebration by decorating the streets, contracting entertainment (often in the form of a brass band and fireworks) and holding a ceremonial meal after mass on Sunday.

There are many versions of the tale of why the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament was first begun in New Bedford 97 years ago. What is certain however, is that the feast was initiated as a means of preserving basic values of the Madeiran culture. Of course, since it was first begun the feast has changed in many ways to accommodate thousands of eager participants and modern elements of celebration.

While there have been many changes in the feast, many aspects still remain central to the celebration. The tradition of Madeira wine is a very old one, dating back to the 15th Century when the Malvasia vine was planted on the island of Madeira to see it would yield an alternative supply of wine for England. When growth was successful Madeira wine quickly took to the market, but did not become a major export until many years later. It wasn’t until the 16th Century that the flavor we know of today was created when they discovered that the flavor of the wine was actually improved by being repeatedly heated up. Follow the link for more information on the history of Madeira wine.

The religious aspect of the feast also remains a part of proceedings. As it did in 1915, the feast still takes place near Our Lady of Immaculate Conception, which is located on the corner of Earle and Madeira Street in New Bedford. The Portuguese feast pays homage to its religious traditions by beginning the weekend festivities with a procession to the church where Father Daniel O. Reis gives a Benediction to the Blessed Sacrament. The last day of the feast starts with Sunday Mass at Our Lady of Immaculate Conception and “the Festeiros, Club Madeirense S. S. Sacramento, Inc. members, and all of the many volunteers receive the blessings of the church for their many hours of work devoted to achieving a successful Feast and for being respectful of its religious origins”. Throughout the weekend the church also hosts a wonderful musical series of organ music and vocalists. The details of this schedule are still being finalized.

8. Madeira Field

The grounds on which the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament takes place are quite expansive and easy to lose people in. Be sure you have a plan for finding lost party members whether it be by cell phone or a designated area to meet up at.

When entering the feast you will need to get in line for a wristband if you wish to purchase alcoholic beverages. One of the most prominent features you will notice upon entering the festival grounds is the Santana House. The house is designed after the colorful architectural styles of the homes in the village Santana, Madeira and is where the Madeira wine is served from.

Across from the Santana House is Stage One, which is massive and where the main attractions will be hosted throughout the weekend. There are also two other smaller stages, one that is inside the gates and the other which is outside and amongst the souvenir vendors. You will also see many food and drink stands throughout the grounds, and towards the back you will find the barbecue pits for Carne de Espeto (or just follow your nose).

When: Wednesday May 21st, 2014 – 1:30pm-6:30pm
Where: Fairhaven Rec Center, 227 Huttleston Ave, Fairhaven, MA 02719

Fairhaven, MA: The George H. Taber Masonic Lodge and the Red Cross are teaming up for another blood drive at the Fairhaven Rec Center. It will take place on Wednesday, May 21st 2014, from 1:30pm to 6:30pm.

For the fastest service, please call 1-800-RED-CROSS to make an appointment.

With your participation we can all help the Red Cross to fulfill its mission of ensuring the availability of a safe and reliable blood supply to all area hospitals.

Neighborhoods United is an organized group of residents who work together to represent the interests of our neighborhoods. Neighborhoods United is made up of 8 to 10 neighborhood groups throughout all 6 wards in the city of New Bedford. Since our inception in 1993, our groups have been committed to making our city a great and safer place to not only live and work but to raise a family. We believe that effective neighborhood associations can build stronger neighborhoods by being advocates and organizing activities throughout our city. In order to achieve these goals we work very closely with the Mayor of New Bedford, the City Councilors, law enforcement, city department heads and residents to identify and help resolve issues (crimes to quality of life issues) within our neighborhoods throughout our very diverse community.

We need YOUR help this Saturday morning to work at the Serenity Garden. Cleaning, weeding, and fixing some of the beds. If each person brings one of the the following it would help so much:

• Rake
• Wheel barrel
• Pointed shovel
• Flat shovel
• Push broom
• Cordless screw guns
• GARDEN Hoe Edger
• Hand rake

Head to Serenity Gardens at Bedford St and South Sixth St. 10am till around 1-2 pm. Children are also welcome. Please text Jerry at 508.889.1752 with any info and what you are able to bring. I’ll also be giving community service letters to who ever needs them.

Thank you. Jerry J. Pinto
President of Neighborhoods-United.info

Are you a business that would like to reach a potential 150,000+ customers over the course of a weekend? The 46th Whaling City Festival is coming and the iconic city even is currently accepting applications for vendor tables. The event which takes place at the Veteran’s Memorial Buttonwood Park July 11-13, is a city-wide favorite that features dozens of musical acts, fun events, mouth watering food, amusement rides and more.

Last year’s event brought in 150,000 people to watch the piglet races, martial arts demonstrations, Zumba, wrestling, Mad Science, and many musical acts like Likk, Voices In Time, Buzzard’s Blues Band. Fanelli’s Traveling Amusements provided the exciting rides and games to put smiles on faces. The many food vendors keep bellies full and people happy, happy, happy.

With the extended hours this year, the festival is expected to draw and even greater crowd and and this will ultimately provide a greater opportunity for vendors to generate further revenue. Prices for the ENTIRE weekend are as follows:

• Prime: $300
• Food: $1,000
• General: $250
• Arts & Crafts: $200

If you are a non-profit, food, arts & crafts or general vendor and you would like to participate in this year’s Whaling City Festival download and print the application directly here.

45th Annual Whaling City Festival

Website: WhalingCityFestival.com
Facebook: facebook.com/WhalingCityFestival