Boston.com’s Matt Rocheleau reports that 21 acts are scheduled to show up for the first JP Music Festival, set to go off on August 20 from 1-7 p.m.

The event is free, and organizers have set up a 75-minute “mix tape” to preview the acts.

The line-up includes:

• The Angelic Slugs
• Brief Awakening
• The Chris North Dream Quartet
• Coyote Kolb
• Deta
• Erin Harpe & The Delta Swingers
• Lenny Lashley
• Little Bones
• Malicious Intent
• James Merenda
• The Model Planes
• Mr. Sister
• The Needy Visions
• The Nickel & Dime Band with Rick Berlin
• The Old Edison
• Opposite People
• Molly and Tess Pope
• Shepherdess
• Sweatshop
• Tallahassee
• Timinandi

The festival will be held at the Pinebank Field near Jamaica Pond. Parking is limited.

Historic Rhode Island charm. Breathtaking waterfront views. Gourmet food and wine. Shaded, outdoor lounges. Next weekend, wine enthusiasts will flock to the cool Rhode Island seashore for the second-annual Newport WineFest, a lush outdoor bash that boasts cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs, wine seminars, and hundreds of wine, beer and spirit tastings.

The founder and executive director of the Boston Wine School, Jonathan Alsop, will lead wine seminars, while locally loved food talent, renowned gourmet chefs, reality TV stars and cookbook authors share their secrets during cooking demonstrations.

Here’s a look at the culinary talent taking on this year’s WineFest:

NEW YORK — For 11 days every September, the narrow streets of New York’s Little Italy are transformed into a grand carnival.

The Feast of San Gennaro has celebrated the Patron Saint of Naples with food, games and festivities for 84 years. Celebrators feast on Ferrara’s famous cannoli, sausages from Island Sausage & Pepper Co and other Italian fare like braciole and zeppole. Italian immigrants first celebrated this religious festival in the 1920s, and although the festival has changed in modern times with sidewalk karaoke and food trucks featuring cuisine from other cultures, it retains the festive spirit of its origins.

Photos by Nancy Kim for Blast Magazine

It’s officially fall in New England, and it’s time to celebrate.

That’s right, it’s Oktoberfest season, and we’ve gathered information about the up-and-coming New England festivals that will have you dancing to Oompah music, chugging German beer from your stein, playing keg bowling, and…chicken dancing?

Connecticut

October 1: Oktoberfest at the Beach, Ocean Beach Park, New London

The event will feature live music, a chowder competition, over 100 types of domestic and imported beer from 30 microbrew companies, and ahh, that fresh sea air!

6 p.m. to 9 p.m., tickets $30 in advance/$35 at door.

October 1: Tapping Into Twain Oktoberfest, Mark Twain House & Museum, Hartford

Twain said it himself: “Never refuse to take a drink — under any circumstances.” The event will feature live music, food, and samples from more than 20 microbreweries for beer-loving history buffs.

5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., tickets $40 in advance/$45 at door. Discounted prices for members and designated drivers.

Maine

October 9: Acadia Brewfest, Smuggler’s Den Campground, Southwest Harbor

Celebrate the season surrounded by foliage on Mount Desert Island, sampling dozens of brands of beer from 20 Maine breweries while listening to live music, eating food, and perusing 30 craft booths to satisfy your need for homemade trinkets. It’s the way a weekend should be, eh?

11:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., $25 full admission/$10.00 admission for an alcohol-free day (but who would want that?).

Massachusetts

October 1-2: Harpoon Octoberfest, Harpoon Brewery, Boston

There will be chicken dancing, a keg bowling game, live German Oompah bands, German food, and plenty of Harpoon and UFO beer for everyone! So grab your stein, your lederhosen or your cute beer maid outfit and say, “Prost!”

5:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. on October 1 (doors close at 9:30 pm), and 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Saturday (doors close at 7:30 pm). $20 cover and cash bar.

October 15: Boston Cares Oktoberfest, Samuel Adams Brewery, Jamaica Plain

Support the non-profit agency Boston Cares by drinking complementary Sam Adams brews (including rare and unreleased beers!), enjoying food, competing in games for prizes, and listening to Oompah music. Unfortunately, we’ll never know how long Sam could hoist a beer stein, but he was probably better at it than you.

6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., tickets $40 in advance/$50 at door. VIP tickets are $100 and include a special beer tasting in the Beer Barrel room from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

October 16: Wormtown Oktoberfest, Union Station, Worcester

Brought to you by the Wormtown Brewery, this Oktoberfest will feature live music from local bands, German grub, and lots and lots of beer. Hurra f¼r bier!

6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., $10 cover.

October 30: CBC Great Pumpkin Festival, Cambridge Brewing Company, Kendall Square

They don’t call it a pumpkin festival for nothing! This event — kind of like a haunted house for adults — will offer pumpkin-inspired food, over 22 different pumpkin ales, a giant beer-filled pumpkin, and a whole lot of costumed party-goers.

4 p.m. to 1 a.m., tickets $10.

New Hampshire

October 2: New Hampshire Brew Fest, Redhook Ale Brewery, Portsmouth

Get in the Granite State spirit in the backyard of the Redhook Ale Brewery, where you can listen to live bands and sample over 90 New England beers from over 30 breweries. Get a complimentary tasting glass and pour to your heart’s content.

1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. matinee session, tickets $25 in advance/$35 at door; 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. evening session, tickets $30 in advance/$40 at door. VIP tickets available.

October 9-10:Oktoberfest, Attitash Resort, Bartlett

Even die kinder can enjoy this Oktoberfest, with face painting, games, a bouncy house, and more! For die erwachsenen, there will be a stein holding competition, a keg toss, a best brew competition, and bier galore. For everyone, there will be German food and live Bavarian music from the world renowned King Ludwig Band.

12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. October 1, 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. October 2, tickets $10 ages 21+/$5 ages 6-20/under age 6 free

October 9-10: Oktoberfest, Loon Mountain, Lincoln

Ah, Loon Mountain: gondola skyrides, mountain biking, a climbing wall, a bungee trampoline, horseback riding…and an Oompah band? That’s right; it’s Oktoberfest at the mountain. Enjoy German beer, lots of German food, and a stein-holding contest. The best part? The event is FREE to enter!

Festivities begin at 11:00 a.m. on both days.

Rhode Island

October 9-11 Oktoberfest, Newport Yachting Center, Newport

Beer lovers unite! This Oktoberfest prides itself on its great variety of beers — and its two biergartens. Also brag-worthy is its 65-foot-long Big Taste Grill, making this event a gigantic tailgate party at 2,500 bratwursts per hour! Also expect yodeling, folk dance performances, live music, and a kid-friendly area.

12 p.m. to 9 p.m. October 9, tickets $20; 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. October 10, tickets $20; 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. October 11, tickets $10 in advance/$12 at door. Weekend pass $40 in advance.

Vermont

October 2: Killington Brewfest, Killington Resort, Killington

With advanced tickets already sold out, over 60 beers to sample, live music, and plenty of food, this mountain brewfest should be one to remember!

1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., tickets $25/$5 for designated drivers

October 9-10: Harpoon Octoberfest, Harpoon Brewery, Windsor

Like its Boston counterpart, this Octoberfest will feature Harpoon and UFO beer, Oompah music, German food, chicken dancing, and a keg bowling game. There will also be a road race and free tours of the brewery offered all weekend long!

12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., tickets $15.

CANTON — On a cool, cloudy, early September weekend, Boston-based clothing label, Life is good, hosted the Life is good Festival in their home state at Blue Hills.

This year’s festival followed up last year’s, which took place on the Boston Common. However, even with a different location, the goal of the festival stayed the same: to spread good vibes, provide a good time, and raise as much money as possible for charity. With three stages of music this year, numerous vendors, and other attractions, the festival brought the feeling of a small-scale, modern day Woodstock.

Life is good Festival spanned two days, September 11-12, with an expansive list of performers and activities scheduled for each day. Musical acts at the festival over the two days ranged from OK Go to Ziggy Marley to Jason Mraz, with countless other acts mixed in among them. Activities included tug of war, seed spitting contests, face painting, freestyle BMX competitions, and even a dog show. From small children to adults, anyone could find something to interest themselves at the festival.

That statement proved to be true, as over 25,000 people flocked to Canton in order to attend the festival. The crowd had a diverse age range, from toddlers, to college students, to senior citizens. People from all over attended the festival, which helped Life is good raise over $600,000 for charity through merchandise sales, donations and ticket sales.

This year’s benefiting charity was the brand’s own organization; The Life is good Kids Foundation, which helps children to overcome life-threatening challenges. Those challenges include anything from natural disasters to extreme poverty. Of all the funds raised over the weekend, highlighting those was a $25,000 check, which was presented to the foundation by Chase Freedom.

Founded by brothers Bert and John Jacobs in 1994, the company has grown tremendously over the years to sell a wide variety of products which are branded with Life is good’s logo, in addition to raising millions of dollars for charity. Their website can be seen here; http://www.lifeisgood.com/.

Hey everyone! Happy Diwali! Even if you aren’t Hindu, take a second to light a candle, a diya (a small earthenware candle), or if you’re really ambitious, a firecracker.

Diwali’s roots vary throughout India. As one traverses India’s gorgeous landscape, one can uncover a plethora of different mythological tales to explain Diwali’s origins.

Many see it as a day to celebrate Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, by adorning her alter at the temple with money or pictures of material goods. Some gamble on Diwali too, because, as the legend goes, the goddess Parvati played dice with her husband on Diwali and declared anyone who gambled on the same day would fair extremely well.

The most popular tale

The most widely told Diwali tale goes like this:

Prince Rama was chosen by his father to become the new king of Ayodhya. The Queen Kaikeyi however, though initially ecstatic, is poisoned by her servant and begins to fear for the future of Rama’s brother, Bharata. The servant leads her to beleive Rama will do terrible things to Bharata to keep power in the kingdom. Because Kaikeyi saved her husband’s life earlier, the king promises to comply with her wish that he banish Rama from Ayodhya.

Rama obeys and, along with his wife Sita, descends into the dark, gloomy and ominous forest. While there his‚ wife is kidnapped by the demon Ravan, the ten-armed, ten-headed king from Sri Lanka. Rama, devastated and depressed, sets out on a mission to find his lost wife. When he eventually does, after conquering several emotional and physical obstacles over the course of years, he kills Ravan and retrieves his wife. Rama and Sita then journey back towards Ayodhya.

As the two near their kingdom, it is pitch black out. No moon and, of course, no street lights. Villagers hear of their approach and, to help them find their way, light candles outside their homes so they could safely find their way home.

When the two finally find their way back, with the help of kind villagers, Rama is crowned as king.

And thus began the celebration of Diwali; the festival of lights.

I’m off to celebrate. Happy Diwali!