Massachusetts City One Of Best For Single Dads To Live

Single dads are superheroes in their own right. With strength, love, and determination, they tackle the challenges of parenting solo and create a loving, nurturing environment for their children. These incredible men take on multiple roles, from chef to chauffeur, teacher to cheerleader. They embrace the ups and downs of fatherhood with open arms, proving that a single parent's love knows no limits.

In celebration of Father's Day on June 18, LawnStarter has ranked the Best and Worst Cities for Single Dads to Live. They took a close look at the 200 biggest cities in the US and compared them across six categories like Affordability and Work-Life Balance. From childcare costs to public school quality and support programs, they considered 35 different factors.

According to the site’s rankings, small yet prosperous cities like Bellevue, Washington (No. 1), and Irvine, California (No. 2) have claimed the top spots. Big cities like San Francisco (No. 7) and Seattle (No. 8) also made the list. These cities have plenty of high-income opportunities and college-educated residents.

When it comes to achieving that perfect work-life balance, working dads can find their haven in Boston (No. 10) says the site’s rankings. Not too far behind, Worcester (No. 19) and Springfield (No. 63) also have their fair share of work-life harmony. These cities prioritize shorter average work weeks, allowing dads to dedicate more time to their families. The Bay State takes it up a notch by providing the longest maximum paid family leave allowed, alongside a job protection policy. Moreover, Massachusetts state law even enables parents to take sick leave specifically for childcare purposes.

There is room for improvement in cities with significant populations of single fathers, such as Newark, New Jersey (No. 116), Columbus, Georgia (No. 132), and Dayton, Ohio (No. 123). Unfortunately, these cities find themselves in the bottom half of the rankings. The study found that they struggle with limited access to baby supply stores, higher rates of child poverty, and just average public schools.

Check out the full ranking of cities here to see where they stand.

When you think of music festivals in Massachusetts, your mind most likely goes to Boston Calling, which takes place next month. However, the Bay State is filled with various other music and arts events throughout the Spring, Summer, and Fall. The most unique music festivals in Massachusetts happen all over the Bay State.

Although Boston Calling over Memorial Day weekend is the largest, it's not the first festival weekend to kickoff the season. There's the Grass is Greener this coming weekend. It's followed by Town and City Fest taking place in Lowell at the end of next week.

Music Festival Wizard calculates that there are 11 music festivals alone in Massachusetts between now and the end of 2023. Jambase shows 13. With the ever-popular festival format, it had become more challenging to determine what actually qualifies as a music festival now.

For the sake of our list, we will focus on the arts specifically in the state of Massachusetts. However, our New England neighbors host some incredible and longstanding events like Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island, and Sound on Sound Festival in Connecticut.

Then there's also celebratory festival events outside of the arts space throughout the year. The Tulip Festival in Holland, MA can draw up to 600,000 visitors per year during their May weekend. It's the largest of its kind in the country. The Castleberry Fair Arts and Crafts Festival is always a holiday hit, and the Boston Book Fair averages 30,000 attendees each year. Furthermore, although the theme of these wide range of festivals vary, most are do feature live music.

Looking specifically at Massachusetts's most unique music festivals, you will notice almost every genre is accounted for. It's very rare that an act will be aligned to more than one here per season. Whether it's a renowned local artist like Bill Janovitz (Buaffalo Tom) playing in Lowell or a national act like Foo Fighters playing Boston Calling, Massachusetts has become quite the festival destination for both fans and artists.

Action Bronson and Wyclef Jean headline this two-day event in Hadley. It's billed as New England's premier 4/20 festival. It features four stages with music starting at noon each day. A two-day pass is in the $130 range (plus fees).
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This weekend is one of a kind in the area. Town and City is 2-day music and arts festival takes place in various event spaces, bars, cafes, and galleries throughout downtown Lowell. It features an eclectic lineup this year that includes Buffalo Tom, Dalton and the Sheriffs, Rhett Miller, John Doe Folk Trio, and Ted Leo. It is completely walkable. Single show tickets are offered in addition to wristbands that allow you to hop from venue to venue.

By name and lineup, it's fair to say this is the main event on the card. The twelfth edition of Boston Calling proves to be one of the largest - with Foo Fighters, The Lumineers, and Paramore headlining the three nights. It has grown to be an interactive experience since its launch in 2013. The three main stages and one local stage are spread throughout the Harvard athletic grounds. Local food from lobster rolls to gourmet grilled cheese is also onsite.

Three days of camping and music at western Massachusetts's Green River Fest. There's a strong focus on the handmade craft fair portion, in addition to the family games and activities on the grounds. Little Feat, Wood Brothers, and St. Paul and The Broken Bones are just some of the musical acts you'll hear this year as well.

2023 marks the tenth edition of this south shore weekend. The Levitate Fest literally grew out of a surf shop. Levitate surf store is around the corner from the Marshfield fair grounds where Brandi Carlile and Trey Anastasio will perform this year. This is one of the more kid-friendly affairs that includes tents to learn instruments, art walls, and surf style activities.

Terptown describes themselves as an event, "centered around the legal cannabis industry in the Northeast region." Dub-rock acts, Pepper, The Movement and Tropidelic are a few of the names you'll see rocking the Spencer stage this summer.

Veterans Memorial Stadium, the former home of the Boston Cannons, is the place to be to see the likes of Modest Mouse, Lord Huron, and Sunny Day Real Estate on the same summer weekend this year. Known as a premier indie music scene, In Between Days also features vintage record stores and an arcade onsite. This is second year of this festival that also shares a name with a song by The Cure.

A setting on-island like nothing else. You have to take a boat or puddle jumper plane to see Mumford & Sons, Bon Iver, and Leon Bridges headline this island party. New England's destination event of the summer is full of craft beer. In addition to tickets, they offer hotel packages to help you make this an unforgettable weekend experience.

With a particular focus on grassroots music, FreshGrass is produced by the nonprofit FreshGrass Foundation. Hometown heroes Dropkick Murphys will perform acoustically. Lukas Nelson and Allison Russell are also on the bill. 3-day GA or 3-day VIP are the ticket options.