Excitement is building for the 7th Annual International Azorean Whaleboat Regatta in New Bedford, MA. Don’t miss the thrilling rowing and sailing races, engaging lectures, and opportunities to meet sailors and visitors from the Azores.

Join us for the launch of Xico (pronounced “She-coo”) and meet the author and illustrator! Sail away on an adventure with Xico, a young Azorean boy who stows away aboard a 19th century whaleship. As he and the crew of the Moonbeam search for whales in the Pacific and Arctic, he learns the ropes, encounters new cultures, and makes a most unusual friend along the way. An educational and entertaining read for the whole family! Author and illustrator David Blanchette will do a public reading and book signing. He will also talk about his art and the studio methods he employs.

Regatta Schedule

Wednesday, September 4th
6:30 p.m. Free Public Film Premier: “Whales to Whalers” directed by Luís Filipe da Silva Bicudo. Whaling Museum Theater

Thursday, September 5th
6:00 p.m. Free Public Lecture: “The Sea of the Azores,” by Filipe Mora Porteiro, Ph.D., Director of the Observatório do Mar dos Açores. Whaling Museum Theater.

Friday, September 6th
10:00 a.m. – Early Afternoon. Azorean Whaleboat Rowing Competitions, Men’s & Women’s, Clark’s Cove

6:00 p.m. Free Public Lecture: “The Azores – A destination where the days are never the same” by Rui Amen, Azores Promotion Board. Are you considering a trip to the Azores? Don’t miss this presentation! Whaling Museum Theater

Saturday, September 7th
9:00 a.m – Early Afternoon. All Sailing, Men’s and Women’s, Competitions, Clark’s Cove

Sunday, September 8th
9:00 a.m – Early Afternoon. The DABNEY CUP – Azorean vs. Yankee Whaleboat Race. This race will feature three Azorean whaleboats racing against three newly constructed Yankee whaleboats, including the Museum’s own Beetle whaleboat. Come cheer on the Whaling Museum crew! Clark’s Cove

5:00 p.m. Awards Party with buffet and entertainment at the Whaling Museum. $15.00 per ticket, which must be reserved in advance. For tickets, call Luzo Auto at (508) 997-3941.

The races are in Clark’s Cove, New Bedford and best viewed from the Coral St. Boat Ramp on West Rodney French Blvd. The regatta tent is located near the boat ramp and restroom facilities are available. Bring a lawn chair. Related programs and the award ceremony will take place at the Whaling Museum.

Museum programming for the Regatta is sponsored by the William M. Wood Foundation. 2 page flyer in .pdf format can be found here.

YMCA Southcoast has partnered with the Southcoast Blood Bank to offer donors a healthy incentive. Anyone who donates blood at the Southcoast Blood Bank at St. Luke’s Hospital, or at any of the community blood drives hosted by the Southcoast Blood Bank, will receive a complimentary family guest pass to any YMCA SOUTHCOAST facility, and the Y will waive the joiner fee for any donor interested in a new YMCA membership (up to a $90 savings).

“We are extremely appreciative to the YMCA for partnering with the Southcoast Blood Bank for this ongoing promotion,” said John Laverty, MD, Medical Director of the Southcoast Blood Bank. “This new initiative provides our donors with a healthy incentive in appreciation for their support of the local blood supply.”

YMCA SOUTHCOAST facilities include the Dartmouth YMCA, the Fall River YMCA, the Gleason Family YMCA in Wareham, the Mattapoisett YMCA and the New Bedford YMCA.

You have a choice! Donate local.

The Southcoast Blood Bank is the only blood donation venue that directly supports the South Coast communities’ blood supply. When you donate blood at a Southcoast-sponsored blood drive you are helping to keep your local blood supply strong — so it is there when you need it.

Where to donate
Community Blood Drives: Southcoast hosts blood drives throughout the region on the Southcoast Health Van and at local businesses. To schedule a free blood drive, please call Catherine Alegria, Southcoast Blood Donor Coordinator, at 508-993-0430 or by email at alegriac@southcoast.org.

The following is a full list of community blood drives taking place during the month of September:

NORTH DARTMOUTH
Thursday, September 5
Bristol County House of Correction
400 Faunce Corner Road
Blood Drive
10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

WAREHAM
Friday, September 6
Tobey Hospital
43 High Street
Blood Drive
8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

FALL RIVER
Sunday, September 15
St. Bernadette Church
529 Eastern Avenue
Blood Drive
8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

WAREHAM
Sunday, September 22
St. Patrick’s Church
82 High Street
Blood Drive
7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

FAIRHAVEN
Wednesday, September 25
Southcoast Center For Cancer Care
206 Mill Road
Blood Drive
10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

FALL RIVER
Friday, September 27
Charlton Memorial Hospital
363 Highland Avenue
Blood Drive
8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

NEW BEDFORD
Sunday, September 29
Sharon’s Walk
Fort Taber Park
Blood Drive
9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Southcoast Blood Bank: Individuals can also donate at the Southcoast Blood Bank located at St. Luke’s Hospital, 101 Page Street, New Bedford, off the main lobby. Walk-ins are welcome Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesdays 9 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 to 2:30 p.m. The Southcoast Blood Bank will be closed on Monday, September 9. We apologize for the inconvenience.

For more information or to make an appointment, call 508-961-5320 or visit, www.southcoast.org/bloodbank/.

It’s sad to say, but we can feel summer slipping away as schools reopen and the air cools off. Yet, even as we watch the final weekends of summer dwindle away, there is still much to look forward to for the fall. One fall festivity that has become incredibly successful and is a must-attend community event of the year is the annual New Bedford Seaport Chowder Festival. Taking place on Sunday October 13th, the Chowder Festival always draws a big crowd eager to try samples from 25 local eateries. This year it will take place at Pier 3 of New Bedford’s Historic Working Waterfront.

If the idea of taste testing dozens of seafood chowder, kale soup, stuffed quahog and clam chowder samples sounds like something you’d enjoy, here’s the 101 on the New Bedford Seaport Chowder Festival:

1. When, Where and Costs

For the first time the Chowder Festival will take place at Pier 3 on the waterfront. As always, it will be hosted under a massive tent which will allow for the event to resume come rain or shine. This year the Festival will be on Sunday October 13th, which is the day before Columbus Day. The combination of a three day weekend and cool early fall time weather should allow people to enjoy themselves all day long.

The festival starts at noon and ends at 5 PM. Tickets for this event tend to sell fast, and the tent is often very crowded so buying tickets in advance or getting there early is recommended. TICKETS are $15 in advance, $18 day of, $5 for children 6-12, free for 5 and younger.

2. Chowder Showdown

For those of you who have never been, the Chowder Festival is a competition between the twenty-five participating restaurants. Over the past six years, local eateries have faced off to win 1st, 2nd or 3rd place in either the People’s Choice Award or the Judge’s Choice Award in five categories. The categories are; best clam chowder, seafood chowder, kale soup, stuffed quahog and table presentation. This year a new category has also been added; signature soup.

As with any similar food festival, participants are given a voting card to fill out once they have sampled to their heart’s delight. The votes are submitted (usually at the center of the tent) and tallied later to determine the winner. The Judge’s Choice award is determined by a blind taste test, which eliminates the issue of favoritism. New judge this year is “2012 Chopped Champion” Chef  Joe  Rego.  Returning Judges are Michael Rock, Henry Bousquet and Devon Byrnes.

Since 2006 the New Bedford Seaport Chowder Festival has amassed an impressive Hall of Fame of past winners. Last year’s coveted Best Clam Chowder People’s Choice Award went to The Pasta House. Freestone’s earned Best Seafood Chowder according to the people, Southcoast Hospitals Group was elected Best Stuffed Quahog, and Best Kale Soup went to The Madeira Cafe.

3. Food & Drink

As previously mentioned, there are 25 booths that will be participating in this year’s New Bedford Seaport Chowder Festival. The booths are set up in a circle around the perimeter of the tent so that traffic can flow from one station to the next. So far, participants are still being announced.

Autumn Glen at Dartmouth
Brandon Woods
Cafe Mimo
Cedars Assisted Living
Cotali Mar Restaurante
Cork Wine & Tapas
Emeritus Senior Living
Fish House
Freestone’s City Grill
Maderia Cafe
Mike’s Restaurant
Olive Garden Restaurant
Pa Raffa’s Italian Restaurant
Pub 6
Rose Alley Ale House
Russell Morin Fine Catering
Seaport Inn Grill
Ten Cousins Brick Oven
Tia Maria European Cafe
Urban Grille

For those with a sweet tooth, Cafe Arpeggio will be selling coffee, homemade ice cream and desserts as well as an assortment of sandwiches. There will also be drink vending available outside of the tent, which features local beers and wines as well as soda and mixed drinks. All food and drink items besides the samples are not included in the ticket price. Most up-to-date info: http://www.downtownnb.org/chowderfest.html.

4. Entertainment

The Chowder Festival can get quite crowded, but it is also dedicated to family fun for those with young children. The YMCA Lobster Races are always a big draw for children, and there will also be craft activities organized by the New Bedford Ocean Explorium and Global Charter School.

This year’s musical entertainment will be provided by the Craig DeMelo Band, which is a local favorite. Craig DeMelo is an artist with a varied and eclectic sound that can range from ballads to rock. He has been playing nationally since 2008 and has opened for such bands as Howie Day, Hootie and the Blowfish, Matchbox 20, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Less Than Jake.

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Date: AHA! Night ~ September 12
Time: 6 − 9pm
Where: Spinner Publications, 164 William Street
What:

• Have your books signed and personalized
• Meet and chat with the authors
• View a display of historical photographs and
• Watch a presentation of historical New Bedford films
• Enjoy light fare and refreshments.

“There is no excess meet on the bones here—every word is interesting. In all, this is more than a great coffee table book. It’s the story of SouthCoast.”
— Lauren Daley, “BookLovers,” Standard-Times

Spinner Publications celebrates its new book, A Picture History of New Bedford, Volume 1 (1602-1925), with a book signing at our offices on 164 William Street, New Bedford, on AHA! Night, September 12 from 6 to 9 PM. Throughout the evening, the book’s five authors, Joseph Thomas, Alfred Saulniers, Natalie White, Marsha McCabe and Jay Avila, will sign both cloth-covered and paperback books.

A Picture History of New Bedford is the first extensive city history to appear in decades. Its two volumes capture the city’s journey through hundreds of photographs and stories.

A Picture History of New Bedford was published with generous support from the Bristol County Savings Bank. Spinner Publications is a New Bedford-based, non-profit cultural organization whose mission is to record and promote the history and culture of Southeastern Massachusetts. For more information, please contact us at 508-994-4564 or visit www.spinnerpub.com

The New Bedford Cultural Council (NBCC) invites the public to attend its Slide Slam and Information Night on Thursday, August 29, 2013 from 5:00pm – 8:00pm at ArtWorks! (384 Acushnet Avenue).

The 2012-2013 NBCC grant recipients will present slides and provide an overview of their projects and their contributions to the cultural life New Bedford. NBCC members will be on hand with information about the upcoming 2013-14 NBCC grant cycle. The event will be open to the public and light refreshments will be provided.

An additional NBCC Grant Information meeting will be held at the New Bedford Public Free Library on September 9 from 6:00pm – 8:00pm. Members of the NBCC will be on hand to answer questions regarding the NBCC 2013-14 proposals and grant cycle.

All NBCC 2013-14 grant applications and accompanying materials are due by Oct. 15, 2013. These may be mailed to the NBCC P.O. Box 2027 New Bedford, MA 02740, postmarked no later than Tuesday, October 15, 2013, OR may be hand delivered to the Mayor’s Office on the 3rd floor of City Hall, before 4:00pm on October 15th. No late applications will be accepted. For more information and to download an application, visit www.mass-culture.org/New-Bedford or email newbedfordcc@gmail.com.

Save the Date! The 1st Annual New Bedford Pedal Party is on Saturday, on September 21st from 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. at the Andrea McCoy Recreation, 181 Hillman St, New Bedford. Bring your bike, your family, and your friends out for the 1st annual New Bedford Pedal Party! Activities will include:

• Bike Rodeo: A bicycle skills event designed to teach young bicyclists the skills they need in order to be better riders. By learning bike handling and traffic skills, one can enjoy bicycling more and reduce the chance of injury. This event is made up of a series of stations, each dealing with an important aspect of safe cycling. Participants will have their bicycles inspected and will then learn about and practice bicycle-handling skills that will increase their enjoyment of bicycling and could some day save their lives.
• Bicycle Parade
• Kids helmet giveaways compliments of Yesteryear Cyclery and Mass In Motion
• A number of community organizations and businesses will be on hand to do demonstrations and bike repair clinics.
• Fun bike games and events such as a slow race, and adult pit bike races.
• Music, prizes, giveaways and much more!

This free event is great for families to enjoy together! Brought to you by New Bedford Parks, Recreation, and Beaches, Mass in Motion New Bedford, The New Bedford Bicycle Committee, Yesteryear Cyclery, Gifts to Give and Trips for Kids.

The Gratitude Festival Team is thrilled to announce the first Annual Gratitude Harvest Festival taking place on Saturday, September 7, 2013, opening at 12:00 pm. The Gratitude Harvest Festival will be held at the Holy Ghost Grounds (2 Allen’s Neck Rd, South Dartmouth, MA 02748).

The Gratitude Harvest Festival is an all-ages event, featuring a wide variety of musical performances, local food, art exhibits, and recreational activities. The festival is a benefit for the regional non-profit, Southeastern Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership (SEMAP). 50% of proceeds from Gratitude Harvest Festival will be donated to SEMAP, which has been dedicated to preserving and expanding access to local food and sustainable farming in the South Coast. Through research, campaigns, and education, SEMAP promotes local farmers’ markets in the South Coast region, works with public schools to bring healthy food to students, and supports local farmers, restaurants, and local food vendors.

Gratitude Harvest Festival Highlights:

• Live music on four stages, featuring the best in regional and national talent, with everything from Folk and Blue Grass, to Soul and Funk, through Rock, Hip-Hop, and Electronic Dance Music
• A Local Food Bazaar presenting farm-to-table food tastings by the area’s finest local chefs
• Live dance performances and art installations
• Speakers and educators presenting on a variety of sustainability and wellness topics
• Overnight camping on the pristine grounds of Round the Bend Farm
• Yoga, Rock Climbing, Bouncy Houses, A Beach Bus, Birding, Farm Tours and many more fun family-friendly activities!
• Musical performances by: Dumpstaphunk, The Nth Power, Jennifer Hartswick, Lifted Crew, Rebecca Correia, Putnam Murdock, Richard James, Dynasty Electric, Tem Blessed, BassWave, and many more!

Please join us for a celebration of all that makes the Southcoast beautiful, fun, appetizing and sustainable! There is something for everyone here as the Gratitude Harvest Festival appeals to all music and art lovers, foodies, campers, thrill-seekers and community supporters.

Tickets are $40 per person. Children 12 and under are free. Please visit www.gratitudeharvestfestival.com to purchase your tickets securely online. Find us on Facebook, for updates and additions to our line-up.

The 2013 Thursdays in the Park Concert Series continues its weekly summer series with a performance of folk punk shanty music by Sharks Come Cruisin’. The free concert takes place Thursday, August 29 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.

Sharks Come Cruisin’ plays an energetic mix of original and traditional sing-along songs, keeping the themes of audience participation and celebration at the center of their music and live performances. SCC has played several festivals up and down the East Coast, from Florida to Maine. They have played with the Dropkick Murphys, The Loved Ones (Fat Wreck Chords), and Lemuria (Bridge Nine Records). They have been compared to Flogging Molly, The Pogues, and Against Me! and have been described as sea shanty punk, Irish punk, and folk punk.

Fort Taber~Fort Rodman Historical Association, Inc. (FTFRHA) will host the Second Annual Autumn Revelry on Saturday, October 12. The fundraiser will benefit FTFRHA and the Fort Taber-Fort Rodman Military Museum.

The annual event will feature a buffet dinner catered by M&C Café and will include a fall salad, chicken with Madeira sauce, garlic mashed potatoes, a fall vegetable and rolls. The dinner will take place at the Fort Taber Park Community Center with dinner seatings available at 5 p.m., 6 p.m., or 7 p.m.

The Fort Taber ~Fort Rodman Military Museum will be open from 5 to 9 p.m. that evening offering dinner guests tours of the museum, musical entertainment and a silent auction. Dinner guests are invited to visit the museum before and after their meal to enjoy lite hors d’oeuves, cup cakes provided by Emma Jeans Cupcake & Ice Cream Shoppe, and coffee and tea. A cash bar provided by Freitas Package Store will also be available to guests at the Community Center and at the Military Museum.

“We are very excited to announce the date for the Second Annual Autumn Revelry, an event that showcases the Military Museum and beautiful Fort Taber Park,” said Joe Langlois, President of Fort Taber~Fort Rodman Historical Association. “We invite the community to join us for an evening of great food, good conversation and camaraderie as we celebrate the military history of New Bedford and the South Coast region.”

Tickets for the event are $20 per person and are purchased by dinner seating time. Tickets are available at the Fort Taber ~Fort Rodman Military Museum, 1000c South Rodney French Boulevard in New Bedford, by calling 508-994-3938, or online at http://forttaber.org/autumn-revelry/. Reservations are strongly recommended to ensure seating availability.

Teams of students who participated in the 2013 Mayors Learn and Serve Summer Youth Program will present their completed summer projects to the public on Monday, August 26th at 5:30 p.m. at the New Bedford Art Museum.

The Mayor’s Learn and Serve Program is a summer project-based learning and community service program for 14-15-year old New Bedford residents. The program engaged five teams of approximately ten teens in meaningful, real-world projects that build basic work skills such as teamwork and collaboration, task management, goal-setting, and responsibility; encourage leadership development; allow for deep engagement in a particular content area; and foster an ethic of civic engagement and community service.

One group of students studied marine biology and created a large ceramic fish mural and other groups participated in programs to promote healthy living and eating. Another group developed a marketing and tourism campaign geared at families with kids who visit New Bedford.

The program allowed the teens to explore a diverse array of skills such as visual art, science, basic research, marketing, design, program development, and subject areas such as fishing, farming and food, healthy lifestyles and environments, tourism, downtown, and more. Youth who successfully complete the summer program will receive a $300 stipend.