Find lots of pumpkin-dred spirits at Lawn on D
This weekend at the Lawn on D, it’s time to get your pumpkin on. After a fun-filled summer and spring, it’s time for the Lawn to shut down for the season — but not before pulling out all the stops for the annual Halloween spectacular, the “Pumpkin Palooza.” All through the weekend, the Lawn comes alive with family-friendly music, games, circus performers, costumes and, of course, plenty of pumpkins.
The weekend begins with a TGIF that runs all day Friday. No formal events are scheduled, but it’s the season’s last chance to sample the food and drink, take a ride on the famous LED colored swings, and watch a sunset while the weather’s still friendly. You can also try the popular lawn games — bocce, ping-pong, Jenga and cornhole — before they’re put away for the winter.
The Halloween celebration formally starts Saturday at noon. The Lawn is bringing in thousands of pumpkins for the occasion, all available free for carving. Kids will also be able to take a train ride around the lawn starting at noon, and to bop around on an inflatable jump house, provided by Citizens Bank and Boston Medical Center. Both days will offer a range of entertainment, with circus shows for the kids through the afternoon and live music for everybody in the evening.
If you’ve been to Quincy Market recently, you’ve likely been stopped in your tracks by juggler, jokester and acrobat Brent McCoy, who brings his “Real McCoy Show” to the Lawn, Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. His stunts range from scaling a 10-foot wall to getting down on the floor and breakdancing, and he always gets the audience involved. It should be worth the trip just to catch his finale, which he describes as “a boy on a board on a ball on a bench.” He’ll be followed at 3 p.m. both days by the Red Trouser Show, a pair of daredevils who perform juggling stunts atop a 10-foot ladder and atop each other’s heads.
Music begins early both evenings with a local stop from the All You Got Tour. The locally based organization aims to inspire and empower young musicians, and has brought more than 60 young-adult performers to shows around the region and the country. Lately the group has been working with “American Idol” on casting for its upcoming season. They’re followed on Saturday by Triple Tantrum, a three-voice cover band whose all-acoustic lineup doesn’t prevent them from churning up some volume and energy. They’re followed on Sunday night by Never in Vegas, a four-piece, high-energy band that can cover any hit tune under the sun. Their version of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” is guaranteed to get your fists waving.
After Pumpkin Palooza wraps up on Sunday evening, the Lawn will fold up and shut down … until next spring of course, and we look forward to seeing you then.