5 Spring Music Festivals in New Orleans

January 27th, 2012 by Lissa No comments »

The New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau wants you and your family to put on your dancing shoes for an exciting music-filled spring in the Big Easy at one of its five best music festivals.

1. Big Easy Blues Festival
February 11 kicks off the festival season with the 5th annual, one-night event featuring Southern Blues bands and musicians.

2. Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series
Marathoners descend upon New Orleans on March 4 for their big run benefitting the American Cancer Society, and they’ll encounter a band at every mile. Spectators can also enjoy the music, including jazz, blues, soul and rock and hit the Finish Line Festival for the headliner fun.

3. Foburg: A Music Festival
As alternative rock bands pass through the south en route to the SXSW Music Festival in Austin, Texas, they’ll make a three-stop at the Foburg festival. More than 200 bands will perform in 20 venues across the Faubourg Marigny neighborhood.

4. French Quarter Festival
April 12 through 15 bring the largest free music event to the city with live performances occurring on stages across the famous French Quarter.

5. New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
The granddaddy of all the music festivals is the renowned Jazz Fest, taking place April 27 through May 6. More than 100 performers will be on hand, including The Beach Boys, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, and Bonnie Raitt.

To find a family-friendly hotel in the Big Easy, visit New Orleans Family Resorts and Hotels. Read more about New Orleans and what it offers for family vacations, and learn about more family-friendly music festivals in 8 Excellent Music Festivals for Families, which features the New Orleans Jazz Fest.

–Lissa Poirot


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Star Wars Extreme Sleepover

January 26th, 2012 by Lissa 1 comment »

My son is a huge Star Wars fan — it doesn’t matter that the movies first came out decades before he was even born. Granted, he’s more a fan of the newer films and I did have to sit him down for a Star Wars movie marathon in order to explain to him who Luke, Leia and Han were, but he’s a fan. It’s a fun passion we can share together and he loves that his mom is a Star Wars geek.

That said, this one is for all the parents with Star Wars-loving kids!

As Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace debuts in 3D in theaters next month, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Odditorium in New York’s Times Square is hosting an epic, space-themed sleepover. On February 10, join the Star Wars Extreme Sleepover that will include a character meet and greet, Ripley’s Impossible LaseRace, Yoda mask making, Wookie cookie decorating and more. Jedi Warriors and Stormtroopers can also explore Ripley’s 18,000-square-foot “Odditorium” filled with oddities, artifacts and interactive exhibits during the event. Fans are encouraged to attend dressed as their favorite character.

Admission is $145 per person and also includes pizza dinner, snacks and breakfast at Applebees, a Ripley’s scavenger hunt, gift bag, games and prizes throughout the night. A portion of proceeds will go to Brooklyn-based non-profit Puppetry Arts.

One adult is required to attend with up to four children, who must be 6 and up. The sleepover begins at 7 p.m. on Friday, February 10, and ends at 8 a.m. the next morning.

Visit Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Times Square to book.

–Lissa Poirot


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Milestones in Massachusetts Travel

January 25th, 2012 by Lissa No comments »

Visit Massachusetts is inviting travelers to dust off their party hats for a year of celebrations. 2012 features a number of milestones for the New England state — a great reason to plan a trip or two with the kids!

Fenway Park Turns 100
The first pitch thrown at Fenway Park in Boston took place 100 years ago and this year the historic park will be highlighting its past century throughout this year’s Red Sox season. Hotel Commonwealth often features Red Sox hotel packages, and is within walking distance of the great park, so consider a stay there if you go!

War of 1812 Bicentennial
Tall ships and naval vessels from around the world will sail into Boston June 30 through July 6 to mark the bicentennial of the 1812 war. The USS Constitution, which is docked in the Charlestown Navy Yard, just across the Charles from Boston, played a role during the conflict, and visitors can tour the ship at any time of the year.

Lexington’s 300th Anniversary
Just outside of Boston is the infamous town of Lexington, which played a role in Revolutionary War history. The town celebrates its 300th anniversary with a nine-month celebration that will include the town’s 300th Patriots Day Parade in April.


Chatham’s 300th Anniversary
The charming Cape Cod town also celebrates 300 years with a year of celebrations. Having lived on the Cape for a year, I personally recommend a visit to Chatham — it’s my favorite town on the Cape! Chatham is also home to two of the Cape’s best resorts: Chatham Bars Inn and the Wequassett Resort & Golf Club (technically just over the town line in Harwich but close enough!).

Tanglewood’s 75th Anniversary
Music lovers should head to the Berkshires this summer for Tanglewood’s 75th season. Concerts began playing here in 1936 when the Boston Symphony Orchestra performed its first concerts in the Western Massachusetts mountains.

–Lissa Poirot


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Orlando’s 12 for 2012

January 24th, 2012 by Lissa No comments »

Visit Orlando has announced 12 notable additions coming to Orlando in 2012. Being the family-friendly destination it is, of course we must share this list with you!

ATTRACTIONS
1. SeaWorld Orlando’s TurtleTrek. This spring, families visiting SeaWorld will be able to visit two new habitats, and this one features 1,500 saltwater fish and more than a dozen sea turtles. The exhibit will also feature a 3D/360-degree dome theater film showing the underwater journey of a sea turtle.

2. SeaWorld Orlando’s Freshwater Oasis. The second new habitat at SeaWorld offers hundreds of freshwater fish and the gentle giants of Florida: manatees. The tropical rainforest environment also debuts this spring.

3. Universal Studios Florida’s Despicable Me. Launching this spring, thrill-seekers can visit Universal Studios for the new attraction that puts riders in the middle of a high-tech 3D digital adventure with characters from the film.

4. Universal’s Islands of Adventure’s Amazing Adventures of Spiderman. Already a popular ride for roller coaster enthusiasts, the attraction has been refurbished to include hi-def visuals, animation and other enhancements to transform the ride.

5. Universal Orlando Resort. The CityWalk portion of the resort is opening two 18-hole miniature courses at Hollywood Drive-In Golf. The courses will incorporate Sci-Fi flicks from the 1950s and will debut in early 2012.

6. Magic Kingdom’s Fantasyland. Doubling in size, Phase 1 of Disney’s Fantastyland opens in early 2012 with new attractions like Storybook Circus, Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Enchanted Tales with Belle, and Princess Fairytale Hall.

7. Downtown Disney’s Splitsville. This 31-lane retro bowling alley will open in fall, featuring billiards, dining, dancing and an outdoor patio.

8. Walt Disney World Speedway’s Exotic Driving Experience. This month, Downtown Disney welcomes a new experience for drivers: the opportunity to drive a Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche or other supercars.
9. Fun Spot Action Park. The Orlando park will open the first section of its 10-acre expansion this year, including family-friendly racetracks, rides and a water park.

10. LEGOLAND Florida’s Water Park As we’ve already reported earlier this month, the new LEGOLAND theme park’s newest addition debuts in 2012. It will include wave pools, a build-a-raft lazy river, waterslides and a toddler splash area.

ACCOMMODATIONS
11. Disney’s Art of Animation Resort. The newest in the Walt Disney World Resort family will open its suites in May and standard rooms in late December. Suites will be designed after popular Disney movies.

SPORTS & RECREATION
12. 2012 NBA All-Star Weekend. Orlando hosts the 61st NBA All-Star Game on February 26, and beginning the 23rd, a number of events will bring basketball fans closer to their favorite players.

Before heading to Orlando, find family-friendly hotels we love in our Orlando Family Hotels.

–Lissa Poirot


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Give Your Kids a New York City Theater Experience

January 23rd, 2012 by Guest Blogger No comments »

In this age of instant gratification, movies and television programs on demand, many of us parents may be losing sight of the importance and value in an old-fashioned form of entertainment, one that we grew up cherishing but might not be exposing our kids to. So what am I referring to? The magic of a live, staged theater production with real actors and actresses! Most of our kids would rather get their teeth cleaned than go see a show, but as parents, it is incumbent upon us to give them that experience — even if it takes a bit of coaxing on our part and maybe just a wee bit of kicking and screaming.

Why, you ask, am I on this “Get your kids to the theater” soapbox? Well, because it’ll ignite an untapped spark in your child and, not to sound totally cliché, open their eyes to a whole new dimension. Case in point: My 6-year-old had never been to a live stage show of any kind when our neighbor bought us tickets to a Staten Island-based “Enrichment Through the Arts” show. The production was outstanding, filled with puppets, characters dressed up in colorful costumes, a live band, special lighting effects and lots of audience participation. As kids danced in their seats, the excitement and energy even managed to infect my normally reserved son, who soon enough was dancing in the aisles, too!

So if you’re a family visiting New York and eager to get your kids excited about a live staged production keep reading for a few of my favorite places to go!

New York Live Arts: These “unplugged, anything goes” performances give kids a real dose of what’s out there in the world of contemporary performance art without watering it down. A perfect opportunity to expose your kids to innovative, performance art with your kids.

Manhattan Children’s Theatre: With its 74-seat playhouse, complete with comfy padded benches arranged in a stadium-style configuration, this theater provides affordable, high-quality entertainment to children. The theater’s compelling stories and exceptional production values will engage grown-ups, too; I promise. Since the action is so close, your kids may feel inclined to jump in onstage. The intimacy of the space will make your child feel as if he/she is actually a part of the show.

The New Victory Theater: This performing arts theater for families presents a 10-month season of adventurous multidisciplinary works from both around the globe and close to home. It seeks out sophisticated, thought-provoking professional productions that are as artistically rich as they are entertaining. Intrinsic to the New Victory mission is that its performance season and education programs combine to create a unique artistic and learning experience that complements student development by using the performing arts as an educational resource and inspire kids to explore their imaginations and the world around them.

Playtime!: If you and your spouse want to see an adult Broadway show, Playtime! is the first program to provide childcare during theatrical shows in New York. Playtime! was established to bring parents back to the theater by providing excellent childcare at (or steps from) the theater at an extremely affordable rate. The service is available to any type of ticket buyer for participating shows, regardless of the price paid for the ticket, and is just $15 per child. Sitters Studio is fully bonded and insured, and their rigorous background checks and training ensure that they provide not only an artistic and fun experience for children, but also one that complies with top-notch safety standards. Currently, Playtime! is available for children ages 4 to 12 and mostly takes place during weekend performances. An opportunity for parents to have an incredible theatrical experience at some of the best, most high-profile Off-Broadway theaters in town while their children have a cultural experience of their own playing and being creative with real-live New York City artists, musicians, actors, dancers and more. A real New York cultural experience for parents and kids alike, and at an incredibly affordable price.

Before heading to New York, find family-friendly hotels we love in our New York City Family Hotels.

–Melissa Chapman

Melissa Chapman blogs about her marriage and everything in between at MarriedMySugarDaddy.com and spotlights Staten Island Family Fun. Her work has appeared in The Staten Island Advance, Care.com, ABC News, BlogHer, Baby Center, Momtourage, Lifetime Moms, Babble,The Washington Post, Time Out NY Kids and iVillage.


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A Weekend at Smugglers Notch

January 20th, 2012 by Lissa No comments »

Spending a weekend at Smugglers Notch didn’t leave us with much time to do all of the many things the resort offers for families — we should have stayed a full week! Outside of the skiing and snowboarding lessons for the kids, and the green, blue and black trails for parents, there is so much more to do at the Notch.

After the slopes, parents can enjoy Apres Ski live entertainment, trivia and games at 2:30 while kids have fun with movies and games. For the entire family, afternoon Hot Chocolate Warm-Up with a bonfire and music occurs at 3:30 daily. An indoor play area, called the FunZone, is perfect for kids 12 and under, with slides and ladders, and a special Open House party on Sunday nights and a Jamboree on Friday nights. Tubing is offered nightly on weekends, with a special family tubing party complete with hot chocolate and a bonfire on Saturday nights. For teens, there are two teen centers: Teen Alley, for kids 13 to 15, and The Outer Limits, for kids 16 and up.

For me, my favorite activity was the snowshoe guided hike. It was so peaceful in the woods, far removed from the downhill slopes. Our guide explained the various animal tracks and tree types on our journey that lasted an hour and a half. I enjoyed it so much that I went back for more after lunch. One mother on my hike had gone on the evening dinner hike held during the week and exclaimed about the black sky filled with stars. She enjoyed the hike so much she was back for the day hike with us.

Our trip to Smugglers was over Martin Luther King, Jr. Weekend, and if you’d like to enjoy a holiday in Vermont, the resort is offering a special Presidents’ Week package. Families purchasing six nights February 17 to 23 receive their seventh night free, with rates beginning as low as $199 per adult, per night, and $169 per child, per night. The package includes accommodations, lift tickets, the indoor FunZone, teen centers, snowshoe and cross country trails, indoor pool and hot tubs, and special family entertainment. During that week, the resort will have a special torchlight parade and fireworks, a Vermont specialty foods tasting, and a family carnival with games, prizes and an outdoor BBQ. Visit the resort’s deals page for more information.

Check rates at Smugglers Notch for other weekends and weeks by visiting the resort review.

–Lissa Poirot


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Posted in Snow Destinations