Red Hatters for April 2019

With April Fool's day behind us we started our April outings on...

April 6th where we began the day in Lowell at the Western Avenue Studios. Western Avenue in Lowell is home to the largest artist community on the eastern seaboard of the U.S. The 5 acre complex and its varied brick mill buildings host 250 work only studios, 50 live/work lofts , over a dozen teaching artists,the Loading Dock Gallery- a cooperative artist run gallery and the Onyx Room Performance Space.

On the first Saturday of each month Open Studios was a great way to see artist in their workspace and learn about their work.

Of the five floors we visited there were works done in beautiful paintings, glassware, and sculptures. There are shops with outstanding photographs,jewelers,metal workers, potters,printers, woodwork's and many more; just an array of wonderful works done in many venues. The artists were helpful in answering all our questions about how they arrived at their finished works of art. It was overwhelming to see the crafts created in so many forms and colors.

In order to actually see everything,(and I am not sure you can), you would have to spend the whole day on each floor.

If you want something original, by a local artist this is the place to go.

The food truck outside gave us our lunch; and we were off to Tewksbury Memorial High School to enjoy the Massachusetts Spring Ring.

Hand bell ringers and directors have come together from across the state along with participants from Maine, New Hampshire,Rhode Island and Vermont.

For one hour we listened to powerful and beautiful music played by the groups from all around New England. There were almost 100 ringers playing in unison as the music filled the hall with joyful sounds.

Oh, by the way both of our trips today were free! It is, of course, the RED HAT way; whenever possible.

April 17 and it was back to being kids again.

We had a wonderful, fun filled day at the Shriner's circus in Wilmington. There were clowns and high flyers; elephants and zebras, and even a man being shot out of a cannon.

There was popcorn and hotdogs and elephant rides. The three rings were busy with acts that brought us back to our childhood.

We watched as little kids pointing at everything going on around us.

With our popcorn almost gone and the feeling of years gone by, we drove to North Reading to enjoy a grown up meal at Kitty's. It was a day we should all go back to with a light heart and a song in our souls.

April 28 and a small group of Red Hatters were heading to The Melrose Highlands Congregational Church. The Beethoven Society of Melrose where preforming an "Opera Afternoon" at the church today.

Because of the starting time of the concert (3:00pm) we decided to have lunch before the show so we met at Liberty Bell, here in Melrose, to enjoy our meals of salads and sandwiches. We caught up on our schedule for the next few months and headed for the Church to enjoy the music.

The pianist for this performance was Regan Siglin and she was amazing to be able to keep up with six opera singers that performed individually.

The compositions were songs by Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Puccini and others.

The voices of the four female sopranos and the two male baritones filled the hall without the aid of microphones.

It was a lovely afternoon that ended our April excursions.

Look for us as we head into May for more of our Red Hat outings.