Featured

Did you know that you can pick cranberries and beach plums at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge?

Well, you can, but you need to obtain a free permit before you do. The permit may be obtained free of charge at the Refuge headquarters and visitor center located at 6 Plum Island Turnpike, Newburyport or at the Refuge entrance gatehouse on Sunset Avenue, Newbury. Failing to obtain a permit prior to berry picking may result in a citation and fine.

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When: Sunday, August 31 and Monday, September 1, 11:00am - 5:00pm
Where: Downtown Newburyport and Market Square

If you’re looking for something to do this weekend and you want to be outdoors in Newburyport, then check out the 2008 Newburyport Buskers Festival, sponsored by the Greater Newburyport Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The two-day festival takes place on Sunday, August 31 and Monday, September 1 in Market Square and downtown Newburyport from 11:00 am - 5:00 pm.

What is a busker and what is busking? A good question. The short answer is “street performers.”

Wikipedia defines “busking” as follows: “Busking is the practice of performing in public places for tips and gratuities. People engaging in this practice are called buskers. Busking performances can be just about anything that people find entertaining. Buskers may do: acrobatics, animal tricks, balloon modelling, card tricks, clowning, comedy, contortions & escapes, dance, fire eating, fortune-telling, juggling, magic, mime and a mime variation where the artist performs as a living statue, musical performance, puppeteering, snake charming, storytelling or recite poetry or prose as a bard, street art (sketching and painting, etc.), street theatre, sword swallowing, or even present a flea circus.”

And we have seen most of these types of performances at the annual Newburyport Buskers Festival. Not sure about the snake charmer and actual flea circus events, but most of the others we have seen performed in Newburyport.

Newburyport’s Buskers Festival celebrates the American busking tradition. It is one of the only Buskers Festivals in the United States. Other great festivals are located in Canada, and international festivals in Italy, Singapore and New Zealand. 

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Sports

Here is the public skating and stick time schedule for the Graf Rink, Low Street, Newburyport for the rest of the month of September, 2008.

Sunday public skating at the Graf Rink returns starting September 7th from 2:00 to 3:45 p.m.

Note: The Graf Rink will be closed on Monday, September 1 for the Labor Day holiday.

Public Skating:

10:00 a.m to 11:45 a.m. - Monday through Friday
3:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. - Wednesday and Friday
2:00 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. - Sunday

Stick Time (16 and over):

12:00 p.m to 1:45 p.m. - Tuesday, Thursday and Friday

Fall Skating Lessons:

The Graf Rink, Low Street, Newburyport, is now accepting applications for its fall Learn to Skate and Tiny Tots programs beginning in September.

Classes will run on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday. Classes are available during the day, evening and on weekends. Spaces are limited!

For detailed information such as class times and cost please visit the Graf Rink website or call the office and request to have an application sent to you. Applications are also posted in the Graf Rink lobby.

All classes are taught by professional coaches who have been hired by North Shore Rink Management.

Birthday party packages as well as advertising opportunities are available at the Graf Rink. Please contact the rink at (978) 462-8112 or visit the Graf Rink website for more information.

When: October 19th (Kids Fun Run, 11:30am;
5K Run and Walk, 12 noon)
Where: Perley School, Georgetown, MA
Cost: $15 before Oct. 1 ($20 after)

The 2nd Annual Mike Donohoe Memorial 5K Run/Walk for Melanoma will be held Sunday, October 19 at the Perley School in Georgetown. The event raises money to benefit the Melanoma Foundation New England and the Michael J. Donohoe Scholarship Fund.

Parking for the race is available at Georgetown Middle/High School, located on 11 Winter Street.

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Coastal Naturalist

Did you know that you can pick cranberries and beach plums at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge?

Well, you can, but you need to obtain a free permit before you do. The permit may be obtained free of charge at the Refuge headquarters and visitor center located at 6 Plum Island Turnpike, Newburyport or at the Refuge entrance gatehouse on Sunset Avenue, Newbury. Failing to obtain a permit prior to berry picking may result in a citation and fine.

Read more »

When: Monday, September 1, 2008: 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m
Where: Meet at the Joppa Flats Education Center, One Plum Island Turnpike, Newburyport
Cost:  Pre-registration fee of $5 for Mass Audubon members: $7 for non-members.
Minimum age: 8 years. A parent or guardian must accompany children.

What’s That Bird?  Birdwatching For Beginners.

On Labor Day, Monday, September 1, Mass Audubon’s  Joppa Flats Education Center is offering special birdwatching trips for entry-level bird watchers. It happens to everyone. Something feathered flies by, shows up at your feeder, or lands by your beach towel, and suddenly it hits you: What is that bird?

You’re invited to ask that question and all the others you have about our avian friends on this guided trip around one of the best locations for seeing birds in New England.

This program is especially good for people who have little to no experience identifying birds, but everyone is welcome. 
Read more »

Events

When: Sunday, August 31 and Monday, September 1, 11:00am - 5:00pm
Where: Downtown Newburyport and Market Square

If you’re looking for something to do this weekend and you want to be outdoors in Newburyport, then check out the 2008 Newburyport Buskers Festival, sponsored by the Greater Newburyport Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The two-day festival takes place on Sunday, August 31 and Monday, September 1 in Market Square and downtown Newburyport from 11:00 am - 5:00 pm.

What is a busker and what is busking? A good question. The short answer is “street performers.”

Wikipedia defines “busking” as follows: “Busking is the practice of performing in public places for tips and gratuities. People engaging in this practice are called buskers. Busking performances can be just about anything that people find entertaining. Buskers may do: acrobatics, animal tricks, balloon modelling, card tricks, clowning, comedy, contortions & escapes, dance, fire eating, fortune-telling, juggling, magic, mime and a mime variation where the artist performs as a living statue, musical performance, puppeteering, snake charming, storytelling or recite poetry or prose as a bard, street art (sketching and painting, etc.), street theatre, sword swallowing, or even present a flea circus.”

And we have seen most of these types of performances at the annual Newburyport Buskers Festival. Not sure about the snake charmer and actual flea circus events, but most of the others we have seen performed in Newburyport.

Newburyport’s Buskers Festival celebrates the American busking tradition. It is one of the only Buskers Festivals in the United States. Other great festivals are located in Canada, and international festivals in Italy, Singapore and New Zealand. 

Read more »

When: Monday, September 1, 2008: 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m
Where: Meet at the Joppa Flats Education Center, One Plum Island Turnpike, Newburyport
Cost:  Pre-registration fee of $5 for Mass Audubon members: $7 for non-members.
Minimum age: 8 years. A parent or guardian must accompany children.

What’s That Bird?  Birdwatching For Beginners.

On Labor Day, Monday, September 1, Mass Audubon’s  Joppa Flats Education Center is offering special birdwatching trips for entry-level bird watchers. It happens to everyone. Something feathered flies by, shows up at your feeder, or lands by your beach towel, and suddenly it hits you: What is that bird?

You’re invited to ask that question and all the others you have about our avian friends on this guided trip around one of the best locations for seeing birds in New England.

This program is especially good for people who have little to no experience identifying birds, but everyone is welcome. 
Read more »