Things to Do in Malden

For Annissa Essaibi George, sewing has not just been a lifelong passion, but also a means of getting what she wants. At age 6, her mother taught her to sew so that she could make her Barbie a new outfit. In college, she and her roommate stitched together scrunchies, selling them to fund take-out and nights out. She even designed her own wedding dress. Today, sewing is the fuel behind her business, through which she furnishes sewers and knitters with the supplies to craft their projects and the skills they need to clothe every statue in the park. Annissa's pink-walled shop houses patterns, fabrics, knitting kits, and cubbies overflowing with polychromatic spools of yarn. Classes run on a five-day schedule and cover such stitching styles as knitting, crocheting, and pattern sewing for crafters of all levels.

While navigating segways around the Alamo during a spring vacation, Brad Biscornet and his brother-in-law, Jeff Langone, realized that their hometown of Salem, with its rich history and picturesque views, was ripe for just this sort of experience. And thus, Witch City Segway was born—allowing visitors and locals alike to explore the historic town on a thoroughly modern mode of transportation.

After briefly training up to six helmeted guests in segway piloting at the company's 2,000-square-foot indoor facility, two guides—one up front, one bringing up the rear—lead their flock onto the streets for one-hour jaunts. As the guides casually relay notable anecdotes about jail sites and cemeteries without the aid of megaphones or earpieces, guests obtain a deeper understanding of the 17th-century witch trials and the lesser-known black-cat mistrials.

Wielding a flickering lantern, one of Haunted Boston Ghost Tours’ 10 guides leads groups through the streets and alleyways of Beantown, illuminating dark corners to expose any lingering apparitions. Beginning at Central Burial Ground, groups stroll through some of Boston’s most historically haunted areas, including the Boston Athenaeum, Boston Commons, and Freedom Trail, ultimately ending at the Omni Parker Hotel. Along the way, a knowledgeable guide explains the history of the various specters lurking about, as well as the stories behind their demises, which date back to colonial-era Boston. Guides lead these tours every night of the week, rain or shine, for tour takers as young as 6 years old in groups of all sizes, excluding any ex-Ghostbusters.

At the head of Stage Hill Polo, owner and instructor Peter Poor—who has been featured in The Boston Globe—draws on more than 50 years of polo experience to teach the game to students of all skill levels. After guiding students to their provided horses and mallets, Poor teaches his students all about polo strategies and the game's terms and phrases, such as "chukkers," "bumps," and "that's a football." He holds lessons in a small paddock so that riders can learn the sport in a low-intensity atmosphere. Poor welcomes all skill levels and oversees friendly scrimmages during which students can put their newly acquired skills to the test.

Summertime breezes sneak through fork prongs and rustle across napkins at the 15th annual Taste of Allston, where community foodies unite under a banner splattered with international ingredients. Thirty restaurants introduce taste buds to some of the city's best eats, from the Far East fare of Korean Garden to the smoky brick-oven flavor of Regina Pizzeria’s pies. In between bites, live music, beer samples, and raffle prizes plate up entertainment for adults, and kid-friendly attractions, such as face-painting stations, keep young'uns from trying to sneak away between oversize hoagie buns. All profits raised by the festival go straight to the Allston Village Main Streets, a nonprofit revitalization effort working to keep the community safe.

In the year of America’s bicentennial, the fervor for American history was at an all-time high, and few cities are as full of patriotic landmarks as Boston. As floods of citizens came to see and experience America’s roots, Polly Flansburgh decided to gather together experienced locals to educate visitors and newcomers on the stories in which the city is steeped. Nearly four decades later, her non-profit, Boston By Foot, Inc., still pairs curious patrons with enthusiastic volunteers schooled by the company in the city’s lore and architecture.

This diverse selection of tours allows patrons to learn more about the aspects of Boston that interest them most. Specialized excursions might visit the scenes of the city's most infamous crimes and diseases, the buildings important in the revolution, the homes of Boston’s greatest literary heroes, and places where somebody found an onion that looked sort of like Robert De Niro. The staff even lead one tour specifically designed for children, which helps illustrate lessons from history class without too much walking for little legs.