Things to Do in Westford

On 31 acres of tree-rimmed paddock, the trainers at Chase Farms work to mold horses into show champions and students into confident riders. Owner and trainer Colleen Fitzpatrick and her team personally tend to each of the horses, keeping the noble beasts healthy and happy with run-in sheds, large stalls, and customized tack rooms. During riding lessons, they teach students how to properly tack and groom steeds before focusing on achieving the individual’s riding goals. Riding programs accommodate students of all abilities, helping them work toward accomplishments such as competing in national shows or properly communicating with horses instead of just occasionally commenting on their status updates.

When Malcolm and Mandy Sim welcomed two children into the world, the veterans of both the animation and theme-park industries visited numerous indoor play centers in Los Angeles, hoping to find the one that best suited their kids. Nothing quite clicked, however, which inspired the parents to call upon their entertainment backgrounds and develop their own indoor facility. Since relocating to the Boston area, the Sims have opened Jam Time, where youngsters ages 3 months to 6 years can surmount climbing structures, leap about in a bounce house, or shop in a pretend grocery market before whipping up faux soufflés in the playhouse kitchen. Classroom sessions further engage tykes with art projects, science classes, and princess-etiquette lessons, where young ladies learn to detect whether evil witches have booby-trapped their science projects. Soft play toys engage visiting toddlers and infants, while adults surf free WiFi, sip gourmet coffee, or enjoy a treat from the organic snack bar.

Lady T’s relationship with the occult is hardly a new one. She got her first set of tarot cards at age 9 from her father Richard, an avid historian, and since then, she has explored her powers as a psychic, a scryer, and a witch, eventually opening her own magickal boutique. The shop is welcoming, eschewing shadows and secretiveness in favor of bright colors and mystical wall art. Shelves covered in gauzy fabrics hold bottled spells and candles, and packets of herbs hang from the walls. Lady T and her fellow conjurers offer their services in psychic and tarot readings and the casting of spells, and also teach classes in building wands.