Ghosts of the Tilt-A-Whirl

July 16, 2018











Ghosts of the Tilt-A-Whirl

There is something about carnivals and fairs that I just love, perhaps it is my nostalgic bent, but the colors, sights, sounds, smells and about everything about fairs large and small, I pretty much love. I try to go to as many as I can, everything from tiny carnivals held in parking lots to huge State Fairs covering massive fairgrounds, I love them all. This visit to Kathy’s childhood home of Marshfield, Massachusetts offered an opportunity to check out yet another carnival.











The carnival was on the smaller parking lot sized range on the spectrum, but that did not mean that it wasn’t fun. We went there as part of a night out with Kathy’s childhood friend Pam. It was held in nearby Scituate in a large parking lot along the harbor and featured all manner of food, games, rides and fun. I had the opportunity to have a delicious Elephant Ear, or Fried Dough as it is known in these parts, a fair favorite for me.











It was colorful and exciting and fun to see the local teens hanging out in their cliques enjoying the fair, it brought back a lot of memories of my sometimes misspent youth, but was also enjoyable as a new memory. The fair closed out with a cool fireworks display which we were able to catch as we were leaving. We had eaten dinner at a waterfront restaurant called Riva.





Pam and Michael



We had begun the evening at the Grand Opening of a brand new brewery that was opening in Marshfield, The Stellwagen Beer Company. The craft beer boom has been a bit slower to hit the South Shore, but the brewery scene is continuing to grow and Marshfield now has its own craft brewery. There were five brews available at the opening including a dry hopped session ale named Whale Watcher, a pale ale named Cymbals, because the space the brewery occupies was previously a Sabian Cymball plant, and an IPA named Invisible Airwaves.



Pam and Kathy





The beer was really good and the beautiful space in the former Cymball factory warehouse was even better. There is a large seating area with furniture made from trees that were felled during some bad winter storms earlier in the year and a large family friendly outdoor area, no food but food trucks were on hand and it was a great evening.









To coincide with their grand opening the radio station WATD which is located next door sponsored a Clash cover band, Charlie Don’t Surf playing outside in the parking lot and a decent crowd was out to watch them. We watched a couple of songs then opted to head inside, finding the brewery scene preferable.









As cool as it is that Marshfield now has a brewery, it is the beautiful natural settings of the Marsh and South River that is the real draw. Kathy and I would walk down the short beautiful path through the woods and marsh to the banks of the river, where we would swim in the cool river waters and float along with the tidal flow, whichever way it was flowing.







It is just a beautiful and amazing place, one that makes Kathy as happy as she can get. I think swimming in that river brings back so many happy memories for her, it is so cool to be able to be a part of new memories as well. As much as we seem to do all the time, many of the best times are just simple moments hanging out together or with family and friends.



https://www.stellwagenbeer.com/