The Port of New Bedford will be the focus of the next episode of New England Boating TV, a new television series on the New England Sports Network (NESN) that showcases the best recreational ports in the region. The episode highlighting New Bedford as a destination for recreational boaters will air next Monday, July 29th at 5:30 p.m. and again on August 22nd, at 7:00 p.m.

New England Boating TV explores the region’s ports, bays, harbors and lakes, and provides viewers with useful boating information and interesting things to do. The show, produced and directed by Eugene Allen, focuses on one boating destination each week. “The show is a blend of entertaining travelogue and informative boating guide,” explains Allen. “It appeals to all types of boaters, from fishermen to sailors, paddlers to cruisers.”

Each episode of New England Boating delivers advice from local experts on a variety of topics, including good places to fish, kayak, water ski, fuel up, grab a mooring or slip, or simply drop anchor and hit the beach. Viewers will also get historical background on each locale, as well as the scoop on restaurants, shops and attractions. The New Bedford episode will feature a dockside interview with Mayor Jon Mitchell as well as a close look at the city’s working waterfront, its rich history and a taste of several local restaurants.

“New England Boating TV’s coverage of New Bedford as a destination port will highlight our unique attractions, culture, events and authentic working waterfront, said Dagny Ashley, Director of Tourism & Marketing for New Bedford. “Tom Richardson & Parker Kelley are amazing hosts, providing entertaining tours, behind the scenes experiences and savory advice on local food. We are very excited to be featured on New England Boating TV and are grateful for the opportunity to share the New Bedford experience with New England,” she continued.

New Bedford Harbor Development Commission Executive Director Jeffrey Stieb said, “There are few authentic places left in this world. New Bedford is one of those truly authentic places. Visit New Bedford and find out for yourself!”

The 2013 Thursdays in the Park Concert Series continues its weekly summer series with a performance of maritime music featuring Jerry Bryant. The free concert takes place Thursday, August 1 from 6:30-7:15 in the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park garden (33 William Street). In the event of inclement weather, the performance will be moved indoors. The Thursday Evenings in the Park concerts take place each week during the summer, with the last concert taking place on August 29.

A native of the State of Maine, Jerry Bryant has been performed throughout the United States for over 30 years. A multi-instrumentalist, his repertoire includes hundreds of traditional and contemporary folk songs, with a particular interest in the music of sailors. Jerry enjoys giving people a glimpse of our maritime heritage through the songs he presents. He carefully researches the material, so that his performances are not only full of good music but are peppered with historical insights as well. Jerry has been featured in the San Francisco National Maritime Historic Park’s sea music concert series, Mystic Seaport Museum’s annual Sea Music Festival, South Street Seaport in New York, and many others.

The weekend outlook, will start off as a wet one (60%), take a break, and then return to being wet. 🙁 It will rain throughout the day today, and be in the mid 70s. Saturday will be sunny and warmer, before returning to rain on Sunday (50%). As we’ve mentioned in the past, we are hardy New Englanders and that is what raincoats and umbrellas are for. Sitting on the coach isn’t living! However, if you simply don’t like rain, there are plenty of indoor activities too!

Click on the title of each event for detailed information. 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, July 26th

“A Voyage to Health” Exhibit (9:00 am-5:00 pm)
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park is currently hosting “A Voyage to Health,” a traveling exhibit developed and produced by the National Library of Medicine. This six-panel exhibit explores the recent revival of the ancient arts of navigation and voyaging that first brought the people of Hawai‘i to their island homes. The Hokulea, a native people of Hawai’i, have embarked on a seven-year journey in traditional canoes around the world to reacquaint themselves with the traditional ways of navigation and to seek ways to restore the collective soul of the people.

Sail on the Tall Ship, Kalmar Nyckel  (4:00 pm-7:00 pm)
This week you won’t want to miss Kalmar Nyckel tall ship as it steams into New Bedford Harbor. She stands 105-feet to the top of her mast and is fully rigged ship, a replica of the 1625 Kalmar Nyckel of Sweden.

Buttonwood Park Zoo “New Zoo Nights” (5:30 pm-8:00 pm)
Do Zoo animals behave differently on summer nights as the sun goes down? On this second Zoo Night, DJ Steve of Music and Motion will entertain with tunes for the whole family to enjoy, and youngsters can create a totally awesome turtle. For members, admission cost is $6/adult and $3/child; non-memers $10/adult, $6/child.

New Bedford Summer Sound Series – Ritmo Masacote
A 13 piece Cuban Salsa Orchestra Powerhouse comprised of some of Berklee’s most talented professors/alums/students and NY & Boston’s finest musicians. Many of the members are in their early twenties, but don’t let them fool you. This young, charismatic cast produces commanding presentations full of life, spirit, and contagious energy. The orchestra was created with the purpose to bridge the growing divide between the music and dance genres by making listeners want to move and dancers want to play.

Saturday, July 27th

SUP Buzzards Bay – Learn to Stand Up Paddle Board (Fairhaven, MA) (9:00 am – 11:00 am)
Learn a new skill and explore Nasketucket Bay in Fairhaven during this unique Bay Adventure. SUP – stand up paddleboarding – is easy to learn, great exercise, and a fun way to experience Buzzards Bay. With our partners at Osprey Sea Kayak, we’ll provide the boards, instructors, and everything else you need to have a comfortable experience. The cost is $60 for Buzzards Bay Coalition members and $70 for the general public. We will meet at the end of Edgewater Street, off Sconticut Neck Road. Registration is required. For more information or to RSVP, contact Alicia Pimental at 508-999-6363 x226 or pimental@savebuzzardsbay.org.

Padanaram Village Festival & Sidewalk Sale (9 am – 4 pm)
Saturday will be a great day to head to Padanaram in South Dartmouth and do some shopping. There will be festival activities and vendors selling items. If you get hungry swing by the Black Bass, The Sail Loft or The Beach Plumb

Herman Melville Family Day (10:00 am – 2:00 pm)
Herman Melville Family Day celebrates the 194th birthday of the famed author of “Moby-Dick” at the New Bedford Whaling Museum on Saturday, July 27 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. with free children’s activities indoors and out, and it ends as all birthdays should – with cake.

The annual celebration takes place in the Jacobs Family Gallery and on the museum plaza, with programs throughout the museum galleries. It features special guests, art, music, and story reading for children 12 years and younger. Regular admission applies to museum galleries.

Bennett Farm Concert Series
Matt Cusson, Mieka Pauley, Melissa Polinar, Kevin So, Rebecca Correia and J Kelley will perform at Bennett Farm in Rochester. All ages are welcome. Details: Bring your picnics, blankets, lawn chairs, eyes & ears for this year’s Bennett Farm Concert Series 2013! Tickets and full details here: http://us4.campaign-archive1.com/?u=d73b09dbf74f9d9597cfaf68c&id=d644a21498

Sunday, July 28th

Acoustic Sunrise – Morning Glory Cafe 9:30 am – 12:30 pm In what is perhaps the most unique breakfast next to Leggs ‘n Eggs, you can enjoy breakfast and live music every Sunday at Morning Glory Café, in the South End. Amanda Rae will serenade you from 9:30-12:30 while you enjoy the best breakfast in town!

Bay Sox vs. Ocean State Waves 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Most people in the SouthCoast know, by now, that there is a baseball team called the New Bedford Bay Sox playing ball around here someplace. Many folks don’t know what kind of team the Bay Sox are and just how good the baseball is.Join us at Paul Walsh Field and cheer on your New Bedford Bay Sox as they challenge the Ocean State Waves! Tickets are $5 for adults, $3 for seniors and children 16 years and younger.

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

New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park is currently hosting “A Voyage to Health,” a traveling exhibit developed and produced by the National Library of Medicine. This six-panel exhibit explores the recent revival of the ancient arts of navigation and voyaging that first brought the people of Hawai‘i to their island homes. The Hokulea, a native people of Hawai’i, have embarked on a seven-year journey in traditional canoes around the world to reacquaint themselves with the traditional ways of navigation and to seek ways to restore the collective soul of the people. “A Voyage to Health” will be on display in the National Park visitor center from July 15 through August 24, 2013, and is free and open to the public. The park visitor center is located at 33 William St., New Bedford, MA. For more information on their voyage, go to www.hokulea.org.

The connection between New Bedford and Hawai’i goes back centuries. While many people are familiar with the variety of people involved in New Bedford’s whaling trade in the 19th century, it is not widely known that up to 20% of the New Bedford whalemen were Hawai’ian. This longtime connection between the two locations has linked them socially, culturally and, of course, financially.

Jen Nersesian, superintendent of New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, remarked, “The exhibit’s focus on navigation and health of our water and earth is quite naturally linked to New Bedford, which has always made its living from the ocean. The Hokulea voyages underscore our collective need to find our way, literally and figuratively, to a path of stewardship for our oceans and our world.”

This week you won’t want to miss Kalmar Nyckel tall ship as it steams into New Bedford Harbor. She stands 105-feet to the top of her mast and is fully rigged ship, a replica of the 1625 Kalmar Nyckel of Sweden.

Watch her come in late Wednesday or early Thursday—the arrival time is wind dependent. There was a 20-knot wind keeping them at the dock in Provincetown on Tuesday. Close to shore it uses both wind and engines. But offshore New England is rocky, Captain Sharon Dounce said, and they keep the engine at neutral just in case while sailing.

Deck tours will be available for $5 starting at 8 p.m. Thursday, July 25.

Six public sails are available starting Friday, beginning with a Pirate Sail into Buzzards Bay. Leave your umbrella at home—tall ship sailors are highly superstitious—and dress for an adventure.

The original Kalmar Nyckel made four ocean crossings beginning in 1638—and founded the first settlement in Wilmington, Delaware. The Kalmar Nyckel Foundation is a maritime-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that promotes education while preserving the Kalmar Nyckel’s amazing history.

Come to Buttonwood Park Zoo on Saturday, August 17th, for the first ever Feast in the Wild event. “It’s going to be a fun party to show off the Zoo as one of the region’s greatest treasures,” said Zoo Director Keith Lovett. “What better way to spend a summer evening than strolling through the Zoo and enjoying delicious food and drink, live entertainment, a unique silent and live auction, and special hands-on encounters with our amazing animals. In addition to having a good time, you’ll be helping to ensure that the Zoo can continue to provide quality programming.”

Tickets can be purchased online at www.bpzoo.org, in person at the Zoo or at the Gourmet Outlet for $60/person until August 16 or $70/person at the door.

Entertainment will be provided by El Caribe’ Steel Drum and Endless Summer. Participating restaurants include: 3rd Rock Coffee Company, 99 Restaurant, Bear’s Den Café, Cravings Café and Cakery, Cork Wine and Tapas, Davy’s Locker, Domino’s Pizza, End Zone Sports Pub, Fay’s Restaurant, Fernando’s Grille and Bar, The Gourmet Outlet, Homlyke Bakery, Lebanese Pita Pocket Restaurant, Mad Good Cookie Company, Milk & Honey, Not Your Average Joe’s, Oxford Creamery, The Rose Alley Ale House, Sunrise Bakery & Coffee Shop, Ten Cousins Brick Oven, Texas Roadhouse, Top Shelf, Wicked Kickin’.

Cash Bar sponsors are Sam Adams and Douglas Wine & Spirit. Buttonwood Park Zoo features over 250 animals and 30 exhibits. Accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the Zoo has been called “one of the finest small zoos in the United States” by that organization. For more information, visit www.bpzoo.org.

The 2013 Thursdays in the Park Concert Series continues its weekly summer series with a performance of Polynesian and island music and dance featuring Napua O’Polynesia. The free concert takes place Thursday, July 25th from 6:30-7:15 in the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park garden (33 William Street). In the event of inclement weather, the performance will be moved indoors. The Thursday Evenings in the Park concerts take place each week during the summer, with the last concert taking place on August 29.

Based in Rhode Island, Napua O’ Polynesia was founded in 1988 by artistic director Carolyn Castro. Performing at various events throughout the New England area, the dancers, drummers, & musicians bring you on a cultural tour of the Polynesian Islands of Hawaii and New Zealand, as well as Tahiti and the Philippines. Troupe members have competed three times at the International Hula Competition in Honolulu, Hawaii. Performances include Kahiko (Ancient) and Modern hula.

New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park was established by Congress in 1996 to help preserve and interpret America’s nineteenth century whaling industry. The park, which encompasses a 13-block National Historic Landmark District, is the only National Park Service area addressing the history of the whaling industry and its influence on the economic, social, and environmental history of the United States. The National Park visitor center is located at 33 William Street in downtown New Bedford. It is open seven days a week, from 9 AM-5 PM, and offers information, exhibits, and a free orientation movie every hour on the hour from 10 AM-3 PM. For more information, call the visitor center at 508-996-4095, go to www.nps.gov/nebe, or visit the park’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/NBWNHP

Do Zoo animals behave differently on summer nights as the sun goes down?

Visit Buttonwood Park Zoo from 5:30-8:00PM on Friday, July 26th for a nighttime Zoo experience.

“Our zookeepers tell us that the animals feel the heat like we do,” said Zoo Director Keith Lovett. “With the exception of the Emily and Ruth, our animals are native to North America. When the weather cools, some animals become more active.”

On this second Zoo Night, DJ Steve of Music and Motion will entertain with tunes for the whole family to enjoy, and youngsters can create a totally awesome turtle. For members, admission cost is $6/adult and $3/child; non-memers $10/adult, $6/child.

“We are very excited about this new program,” Mr. Lovett added. “We’re looking forward to seeing lots of families strolling through the Zoo in the cool of the evening.”

Buttonwood Park Zoo features over 250 animals and 30 exhibits. Accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the Zoo has been called “one of the finest small zoos in the United States” by that organization. For more information, visit www.bpzoo.org.

Herman Melville Family Day celebrates the 194th birthday of the famed author of “Moby-Dick” at the New Bedford Whaling Museum on Saturday, July 27 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. with free children’s activities indoors and out, and it ends as all birthdays should – with cake.

The annual celebration takes place in the Jacobs Family Gallery and on the museum plaza, with programs throughout the museum galleries. It features special guests, art, music, and story reading for children 12 years and younger. Regular admission applies to museum galleries.

Meet children’s book illustrator Andrew Glass. A New York City author and illustrator of many books for children, Andrew’s singular, distinct style has graced the pages of books of colorful historical and folkloric figures from Jesse James to Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane to Billy the Kid. Read along with Andrew from his latest book, “Moby Dick: Chasing the Great White Whale.” Books will be available for sale and signing.

Children’s arts and crafts activities scheduled from 10:00 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. include creating soap scrimshaw, little logbooks, paper sailors’ valentines, whale hats, bookmarks and whale magnets.

Kids can make their own floatable toy model of Captain Ahab’s ship, Pequod. Wading pools on the plaza will allow young shipwrights to test their vessels’ seaworthiness before they take them home.

Kids can also test their aim in the harpoon throwing contest; hit the target and win a prize. Take your photo in our authentic Beetle whaleboat on the museum plaza. At the “touch table” examine sperm whale teeth, baleen and scrimshaw.

At 1:30 p.m. visitors of all ages are invited to join in a “Happy Birthday” sing-along and enjoy a slice of birthday cake.

Special activities include: 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. – Moby-Dick tour; 10:30 to 11:00 – Read along with Andrew Glass and his new book, “Moby Dick: Chasing the Great White Whale”; 11:30 to noon – Learn sea chanteys while raising and lowering the jib sails on the Lagoda; 12:00 to 1:00 – Go below deck on the Lagoda; 12:30-1:30 – All aboard the Lagoda! Kids’ program; 1:00-1:30 – Read along with Andrew Glass; 1:30 – “Happy Birthday” sing-along and birthday cake. Regular admission rates apply to museum galleries, including the Moby-Dick tour Lagoda programs.

Children must be accompanied by an adult. Drawings to win family memberships will be held throughout the day. The Museum Store will also hold a summer tent sale.

Herman Melville Family Day is sponsored in part by the Grimshaw Gudewicz Charitable Foundation and the Helen E. Ellis Charitable Fund.

With more the 750,000 items in its collection, the New Bedford Whaling Museum is the world’s most comprehensive museum devoted to the global story of whales, whaling, and the history of New Bedford and the region. Cornerstone of New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, the Museum campus is located at 18 Johnny Cake Hill, encompassing a city block in the heart of New Bedford’s historic downtown. The museum’s 20 galleries of art and science exhibits are open daily and wheelchair accessible. For more information, visit the Whaling Museum online at www.whalingmuseum.org.

Authors of Spinner Publications’ new book, A Picture History of New Bedford, Volume 1 (1602-1925), will be on hand to sign books at “Spinner Loves New Bedford” book signing party at Gallery X, 169 William Street, New Bedford, Massachusetts on Saturday, August 3 from 6 to 10 p.m. The five authors, Joseph D. Thomas, Alfred H. Saulniers, Natalie A. White, Marsha L. McCabe and Jay Avila, will available throughout the evening to sign limited edition cloth covered signed and numbered books as well as sturdy paperback books. The public is invited free.

Guests will enjoy light refreshments and entertainment at the festive “Spinner Loves New Bedford” book signing party The event coincides with Gallery X’s Swain School of Design Alumni Show.

A film, “New Bedford Through the Years,” including never- before- seen vintage footage of New Bedford will also be shown.

For more information, contact Spinner Publications at (508) 994-4564, visit www.spinnerpub.com or look up Spinner Publications on Facebook.