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2020NEWENGLANDGUIDE The Champs Are Here ’s Winning Sports Events Historic New England Museums and Attractions to Explore Site InSpections of Event-Ready 8Destinations

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We’d like to welcome you to the world of New England sports and to our uniquely beautiful corner of America.

With deep roots in America and longstanding patriotic traditions, New England stages and supports thousands of sporting events each year. Rhode Island, , , New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine all welcome you to venues large and small, indoor and outdoor.

With 6,100 miles of coastline and hundreds of lakes, ponds and rivers, our natural wonderland is home to many of the world’s leading rowing and sailing competitions. Take for instance ’s Riverside Boat Club, which celebrated its 150th anniversary this year with its annual Cromwell Cup Regatta, the largest summer regatta held on the Charles River. Or Newport, Rhode Island, which hosts sailing events all summer long and celebrated the 35th Annual Newport Regatta this past July.

Let’s not forget the world’s most famous outdoor running event, the Boston Marathon, which takes place each year on the streets of Boston, passing numerous historical landmarks along the way including the Old North Church and Freedom Trail.

Throughout New England, facilities like the Mass Mutual Center in Springfield, Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford and Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence host thousands of , gymnastics, dance, cheer and volleyball teams throughout the year in addition to hundreds of other sports and events.

Hockey is the top dog of New England sports and is played on over 200 rinks throughout the region, including the incredible New England Sports Center in Marlborough, which boasts eight hockey rinks under one roof. Plus, with all that ice, we get a lot of love from the figure skating community as well.

No matter what time of year you play, New England has facilities and people ready and willing to make your event a success. Call any of our destinations and discover that no matter where your event is in New England, you’re only a short drive from picturesque mountains, miles of seashore, excellent cuisine and rich historical landmarks that have endured since our country was founded.

Sincerely, Your New England Sports Destinations

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he East Coast of the is the most populated of our country’s regions. It is also the locale of numerous sports-friendly communities that cater to all types of events. TNot only do these destinations feature impressive sports facilities, they have an abundance of amenities and attractions off the field that will keep the entire family entertained. With experienced staff members offering the dedication and expertise to make your tournament prosper, these destinations are ready to host you.

4 BEST IN SHOW NEW ENGLAND 10 REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

6 Mohegan Sun, CT 7 Connecticut Convention Center, CT 8 Rhode Island 12 Central Massachusetts, MA 13 Greater Merrimack Valley, MA 14 MetroWest, MA 16 Western Massachusetts, MA SI 18 North Central Massachusetts, MA

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2020 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE t’s no secret that the New England area has wielded an elite hold WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT over the sporting landscape for much of the 21st century. The Boston IRed Sox, and University of Connecticut Annually held at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, Women’s basketball program have all dominated their relative sports in the American Athletic Conference sees 12 teams vie for an automatic recent times, while the and are two of the bid into the 2020 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament. most iconic teams represented within the NHL and NBA, respectively. With the competition at the Mohegan Sun taking place from March 6-9, The oldest professional ballpark and indoor rink call the fans are usually treated to the University of Connecticut’s dominant New England area home. women’s basketball program putting on a show in their home state. With so many accolades awarded throughout the years, naturally the The tournament will be televised on the ESPN family of networks. area has become a hotbed for tournament action and sporting events, with BOSTON MARATHON tournament and sports planners drawn to the fantastic facilities the region has to offer. While 2020 could very likely see even more title games held Located southwest of Boston, the town of Hopkinton claims the in New England, here are nine great events, attractions and spectacles starting line for the Boston Marathon, which has been held annually on that definitely should be on your radar this year when visiting the area. Patriots’ Day since its inception in 1897. The starting point for this historic run is gorgeously framed thanks to the scenic beauty found throughout the town. Check out the Garden of Hope, explore the town’s shops and Boston Marathon find the best spot to witness the iconic start of the race, which will be held on Monday, April 20, in 2020. Then head over to catch the finish on Boylston Street in Boston’s spectacular Copley Square. CONNECTICUT GOLF SHOW

Golf fans will be sure to flock to Hartford's Connecticut Convention Center for three days in March when the Connecticut Golf Show comes to town from March 20-22. A ticket to the show will ensure a free round of golf and access to more than 110 exhibitors from the local, regional and national golf industry, including golf club manufacturers, product inventors, golf courses, private clubs, destination resorts and more. Enjoy family-friendly contests and tests of skill, like the long drive, putting, chipping and closest-to-the-pin games, all the while getting a first look at the newest clubs, attending instructional seminars and enjoying free lessons.

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HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS SPECIAL OLYMPICS MASSACHUSETTS WINTER GAMES

The Original Harlem Globetrotters will return to the XL Center in Held by Special Olympics Massachusetts each March in Central Hartford, Connecticut on February 15, and then continue on to the Massachusetts and the Greater Worchester Area, the Winter Games are Tsongas Center at the University of Massachusetts Lowell on February a multi-weekend set of -ending state tournaments. Competition 19 as part of the high-flying squad’s Pushing the Limits World Tour. will begin with a Juniors Basketball Tournament on March 1, 2020, for Experience these electrifying athletes in person and get as close to the ages 8-15 and will conclude with an alpine skiing competition held on action as possible with the Magic Pass, which lets fans learn tricks, March 14-15. The Games will also feature action in floor hockey and shoot hoops and take pictures directly on the court before the game. ten pin bowling, with play spread across three age groups: juniors, The crowd will also be treated to the gravity-defying feats of the Flying seniors (ages 16-21) and masters (ages 22-plus). Globies trampoline dunk team during breaks in game action. SPRINGFIELD SPORTSMEN’S SHOW NEW ENGLAND SALTWATER FISHING SHOW As the undisputed king of pure sportsman shows in the Northeast, The largest saltwater fishing show in the Northeast returns to the the Springfield Sportmen’s Show will take place February 21-23, 2020 Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence from March 27-29, at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, Massachusetts. 2020. Event participants can register to win a free fishing charter trip The 37th annual edition of this prestigious event features the best from with B.J. Silvia through Flippin’ Out Charters, while the show features the realms of sports fishing, hunting, boating and adventure recreation. two free non-stop seminars with field experts throughout each of the Get hunting and fishing tips from the pros, including big game hunter three days, who’ll be on hand to present topics like lure-making, fluke and TV star Dick Scorzafava, author of Bowhunter, Radical Bear Hunter fishing tactics, how to fish from a kayak, the best spots to fish on Cape and Spies in the Deer Woods. Join the “Carp King” David Pickering or Cod and more. Stock up for the season with the latest innovations and top bass pro Sheron Brown. The show will provide hunting and fishing bring the family along, where kids will love learning at the Kids Casting seminars and plenty of opportunities to scoop the latest and greatest Area, available for the final two days of the show. gear for your next adventure. ROWING AT LAKE QUINSIGAMOND U.S. SYNCHRONIZED SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Worcester, Massachusetts’ Lake Quinsigamond is home to some of The national champions of the United States will be determined at the finest collegiate rowing events in the nation. The lake will play host to the U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships, held at the Dunkin’ both the New England Rowing Championships and the National Invitational Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island from February 26-29, 2020. Rowing Championships in early May 2020. Held annually since 1961, the Teams who qualify for the competition compete at one of eight levels New England Rowing Championships offer 14 events for men and women between juvenile, intermediate, novice, junior, senior, collegiate, adult from qualifying colleges throughout the entirety of New England’s six states. and masters. Wednesday, February 26 will serve as a free skate official More than 1,200 competitors and 36 schools participate in the regatta practice day for the novice and masters levels, with the competition each year. Both events are core parts of the USRowing Collegiate Series. beginning in earnest the next day. SPG

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Mohegan Sun, CT MOHEGAN SUN’S RANGE OF HIGH END FACILITIES AND OUTSTANDING ACCOMMODATIONS MAKE IT A LEADING MEETING DESTINATION PLANNER PERSPECTIVE “The events over the past weekend at Mohegan Sun were two of the most successful events we have had the pleasure of coordinating. Uncas Ballroom and Sky Convention Center The catering staff did a beautiful job setting up the ballroom for dinner. Presentation Services did an excellent job with the awards show and we enjoyed working with the entire crew.”

— Jill McConville , NASCAR Touring Series Banquet & Events Coordinator

Earth Expo & Convention Center

The Mohegan Sun is located FACILITY SPOTLIGHT Uncas Ballroom and Sky Convention directly off Interstate 395, which Mohegan Sun Arena Center runs southwest from Boston. Basketball, hockey, MMA, Multipurpose indoor If you’re flying into the area, multipurpose indoor An additional first-rate convention center Hartford’s Bradley International As one of the world’s most prestigious at Mohegan Sun delivers dynamic settings for Airport as well as Providence’s arenas, Mohegan Sun Arena brings the events. In the heart of the Sky Convention Center T.F. Green International Airport sports experience to life in New England. is the Uncas Ballroom. This 37,000-square-foot are just short drives away. This multipurpose arena has played host pillar-less ballroom accommodates up to 5,300 to Grammy-award winning performers, people and features 23-foot ceilings and built- POPULAR ACTIVITIES championship boxing, MMA matches and in technology. With 20 added meeting rooms ▶ GAME ON is a 23,000 square-foot professional basketball. Mohegan Sun Arena is in the center’s lobby and 4,922 square feet entertainment hub featuring an the home court for the Connecticut Sun of the of contemporary pre-function space, the Sky interactive restaurant and 65-foot WNBA and the New England Black Wolves. Center Lobby is ideal for gatherings. bar, an eight-lane bowling alley, 15 hi-definition TVs, karaoke, arcade Earth Expo & Convention Center and tabletop games, shuffleboard, Multipurpose indoor cornhole, darts, live entertainment The innovative Earth Expo & Convention and more. Center offers 125,000 square feet of column- MOHEGAN SUN free exhibit space, a 20,000-square-foot Earth Kevin Barosso ▶ The Mystic Aquarium is one of only Ballroom and 15 meeting rooms, making it Director of Convention Sales two American facilities housing a premier host for volleyball, basketball and 860-862-5309 Steller sea lions, and it has the only gymnastics tournaments. [email protected] beluga whales in New England. www.mohegansun.com

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Connecticut COnvention Center SET IN DOWNTOWN HARTFORD, THE NORTHEAST’S PREMIER MEETING DESTINATION HOUSES TOP OF THE LINE INDOOR TOURNAMENTS, TRADE SHOWS AND CONVENTIONS

Northeast Regional Volleyball Association

Overlooking the Connecticut FACILITY SPOTLIGHT New England Region Volleyball Association River, the Convention Center Connecticut Convention Center Winterfest from January 12-20. is ideally located where Multipurpose While you’re in Hartford, explore one of the Interstates 84 and 91 intersect The award-winning Connecticut Convention oldest cities in New England, one which is both at the gateway to New Center affords a great location in the heart historical and cosmopolitan. From cultural England. of downtown Hartford’s Front Street District, museums to sporting arenas, Hartford has a overlooking the Connecticut River. With varied array of things to see and do for all ages. 540,000 square feet of space including If you’re coming to Hartford for a tournament or POPULAR ACTIVITIES 140,000 square feet of exhibition space, a an event at the Convention Center, consider a stay ▶ The oldest public museum in 40,000-square-foot ballroom and 25,000 square at the connected Hartford Marriott Downtown, a the United States, Wadsworth feet of flexible meeting space, it is the largest 409-room upscale accomodation within walking Atheneum, was founded in 1842 convention facility between New York and distance of top local attractions. Or if you’d prefer and features 50,000 works of art, Boston. to stay elsewhere, consider the 1,400 committable including notable collections of With such ample room to maneuver, rooms in downtown Hartford, all of which feature baroque and surrealist paintings. the Center naturally is a must-stop on any choice comforts and amenities. tournament planner’s list and is a mainstay ▶ Explore the original artefacts and for top-of-the-line indoor events. As such, the furnishings at the Mark Twain center is routinely a host site for some of the top CONNECTICUT CONVENTION CENTER House & Museum, including events in the country and Andrew McCauley manuscripts, photographs, a hosts CES MMA competition with regularity. Senior National Sales Manager Venetian bed, a carved mantel The venue also housed a CES Boxing event 860-728-2608 from a Scottish castle and Tiffany in October, headlined by a fight between Chad [email protected] glass. Dawson and Denis Grachev, as well as the www.ctconventions.com

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RHODE ISLAND IMPRESSIVE FACILITIES AND NUMEROUS BUDGET FRIENDLY OPTIONS CAN BE FOUND THROUGHOUT THIS NEW ENGLAND SPORTS HUB

Dunkin’ Donuts Center

I-95 is the major thoroughfare FACILITY SPOTLIGHT played host to major tournaments such as the that bisects the state, connecting Dunkin’ Donuts Center NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament, visitors to the Basketball, cheerleading, hockey, and is open to sports planners looking to think area (about an hour away) and multipurpose, volleyball big. As an added bonus, the center is perfect New York City (3 hours). While Providence has no shortage of for event planning, as it connects directly to Providence and other cities impressive sporting venues, the Dunkin’ the Rhode Island Convention Center and the within Rhode Island are served Donuts Center stands out as “the” destination adjacent Omni Providence hotel. by Amtrak and regional train for sports in Rhode Island. The center features services like Boston’s MBTA. This a 31,000-square-foot arena floor and a Rhode Island Convention Center provides visitors with plenty of 25,000-square-foot concourse and can house Cheerleading, dance, gymnastics, extra travel options. a whopping 13,000 spectators. Though it , multipurpose was built in 1972, the center underwent an If you’re looking for space, and lots of it, look $80 million renovation in recent years. It has no further than the Rhode Island Convention

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POPULAR ACTIVITIES Center. Inside you’ll find a 100,000-square-foot or access to the boathouse situated along ▶ Pa y a visit to over 160 animals at exhibition hall, a 20,000-square-foot grand the Seekonk River, ’s athletic the Roger Williams Park Zoo, one ballroom and 23 multipurpose meeting rooms. facilities are top notch and a favorite among of the nation’s oldest zoos. For added convenience, visitors can connect sports planners. directly from the RICC to the Omni Providence ▶ Check out the Providence hotel and Providence Place mall. Over the Providence Career and Technical Children’s Museum, where years, the RICC has hosted major events in Academy children can build bridges and cheerleading, dance, roller derby and much Basketball, cheerleading, soccer, track plan a city in the Iway exhibit, more, so the sky’s the limit when planning your and field, wrestling scale a two-story high climbing next event. This school is home to some of Providence’s maze in The Climber, delight in most state-of-the-art athletic facilities, and offers the joys of water play at the Water Brown University seating for around 1,800 people in a 65,000-square- Ways exhibit and more. Basketball, crew, football, , foot fieldhouse. Inside the gorgeous steel and soccer, swimming, water polo and glass building you will find space and amenities ▶ The Rhode Island School of much more for sporting events such as track and field meets, Design is one of the world’s Providence is home to Brown University, basketball games/tournaments, cheerleading leading institutions for art and one of the nation’s eight prestigious Ivy competitions and much more – all just steps from design and offers visitors a chance League schools. While it is renowned for its the center of downtown. to explore its unique museum academics, the university also boasts a variety collections from around the world. of outstanding venues that host regional and national events and allow sports planners RHODE ISLAND SPORTS COMMISSION ▶ Hop aboard an 18-passenger plenty of options to meet their needs. Whether John Gibbons vessel at the Providence River it’s the four newly renovated multipurpose Executive Director Boat Company and learn about outdoor fields (three turf and one natural 401-456-0240 the sites from a knowledgeable grass), a pool rental in the new state-of-the-art [email protected] tour guide. aquatics center, use of the 20,000-seat stadium www.gosportsri.com

Rhode Island Convention Center PLANNER PERSPECTIVE John Gibbons and his team at the Providence Warwick CVB have been great to work with and has been a tremendous partner of ours. We have grown from six teams in 2008 to 155 teams in 2019 due to their help. We are expanding operations into softball for 2020 here in Rhode Island to have the biggest tournament on the East Coast at 225 teams in these communities by 2020! — Mark Cooke, Firecracker

Providence Career and Technical Academy Brown University Field

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The New England Revolutionary region is teeming with museums and attractions telling the famous story of the country’s founding

s members of the original Thirteen Colonies, Connecticut, Mas- markers, the trail tells the story of Boston’s influence and impact upon the sachusetts and Rhode Island played a vital role in the formation American Revolution. The wonders of the trail include Faneuil Hall, an of theRoad United States of America. A visit to the New England region important meeting place for revolutionaries and abolitionists, as well as is one that is rich in character and teeming with historic sites, museums, the Old State House, home to the colony’s government and the location villagesA and more that embrace the nation’s growth from its earliest days where the Declaration of Independence was first proclaimed to the as a fledgling upstart. Here are some historical sites across the region that people of Boston. The Paul Revere House along the trail was constructed tournament planners, families, athletes and more will love exploring when around 1680 and is one of the city’s oldest remaining structures. it’s time to take a break from the game action. THE HOUSE OF THE SEVEN GABLES IN SALEM, MA BOSTON TEA PARTY SHIPS AND MUSEUM IN BOSTON, MA Constructed in 1668 for Captain John Turner, the head of one of the most powerful maritime families within the New England colonies, this Afloat on a barge near the Congress Street Bridge, this interactive, seaside mansion earned a National Historic Landmark District designation high-tech floating museum narrates the events of the legendary Boston in 2007. The House of the Seven Gables is perhaps best known as the Tea Party. Interactions found at the museum include restored tea ships, setting of acclaimed American novelist ’s 1851 novel historical interpreters and artifacts which tell the fabled tale of events that of the same name. The present-day museum that persists on the site of took place on December 16, 1773, when the American colonists dumped the mansion is thanks to the efforts of Caroline Emmerton, a renowned 342 chests of British tea into Boston Harbor. philanthropist and preservationist, who purchased the property in 1908 FREEDOM TRAIL IN BOSTON, MA and restored it. NATHAN HALE HOMESTEAD IN COVENTRY, CT A trip to Boston isn’t complete without a thorough exploration of its 2.5-mile-long Freedom Trail, which winds through the city’s streets to Birthplace to Revolutionary War hero Nathan Hale, the homestead connect 16 historically important sites. Highlighted by a red line which is next to the Nathan Hale State Forest. The homestead features a leads to museums, churches, meeting houses, parks, a ship and historical collection of items owned by the Hale family, as well as other private

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OLD STURBRIDGE VILLAGE IN STURBRIDGE, MA

Located in Sturbridge, some 60 miles west of Boston, Old Sturbridge Village is one of Massachusetts’ most visited attractions. More than 40 historic homes, craft shops, stores, mills and farm buildings line the streets of this 200-acre site, where costumed interpreters act out life as it was in the early 1800s. You’ll find blacksmiths, farmers, housewives and craftspeople milling about the village as they demonstrate daily tasks that colonists were faced with, while hands-on activities are available for children. The village is even complete with a fully-functional farm that depicts early farming and gardening practices, with livestock and heirloom plant varieties on hand. PLIMOTH PLANTATION IN PLYMOUTH, MA

A trip to Plymouth yields fantastic history lessons when viewing the Mayflower II, a replica of the 17th-century ship Mayflower, which trans- ported the pilgrims to the New World. The ship is located at the living history museum Plimoth Plantation, where costumed interpreters recreate the experience of living in early colonial America. The plantation additionally contains exhibits which tell the interwoven stories of two distinct cultures, as it also includes a recreation of a Wampanoag village. SALEM MARITIME NATIONAL HISTORICAL SITE IN SALEM, MA

Harkening back to the days when the United States was young, merchant sailors and privateers ventured all across the known world to bring riches home to Salem. This nine-acre park enables visitors to follow the route taken by British regulars as they marched from Boston Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, MA in the opening moves that began the American Revolution. The site offers guided tours, special events, harbor cruises and more and will host the 32nd Salem Maritime Festival in August of 2020. TOURO SYNAGOGUE IN NEWPORT, RI

The historic influence and practices of religious cultures that 18th-century colonists like the Quakers, Baptists and Jews brought to the fledgling nation that would become the United States is well documented. Today, this influence is perhaps best reflected by the architecture and buildings that have stood the test of time, including the Touro Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island, the oldest surviving synagogue in the country. Jewish colonists began building the synagogue in 1759 and completed it in 1763. When the British occupied Newport during the Revolutionary War, the synagogue was spared from destruction because it was being used as a hospital. The beautiful columns, chan- collections and a gift shop. Learn more about the infamously hanged deliers and candles can be seen on a tour, while the synagogue still spy for the Continental Army, a Yale graduate who taught school in East acts as a house of worship. SPG Haddam and New London before the war and Connecticut’s state hero. Visitors to the homestead will love coming in October, when friends of the Jenney Pond, Plymouth Hale Homestead put on a haunted corn maze. The homestead is additionally the site of the Coventry Farmers’ Market from the first Sunday in June until the last Sunday in October. MINUTE MAN NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK IN CONCORD, MA

The first engagement of the American War of Independence is brought to life when visiting this historical park, located 25 miles west of Boston. Explore the battlefields and structures associated with the actions of April 19, 1775, when British troops marched out of Boston to nearby Concord in an attempt to seize an arms cache and were intercepted by colonial militiamen. The park is additionally the site of , the first literary site added to the National Park Service. The property has been home to three prominent literary families and housed (Little Women), Nathaniel Hawthorne (The Scarlett Letter) and Harriett Lothrop (Five Little Peppers).

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Central Massachusetts DISCOVER CENTRAL MA! HERE YOU WILL FIND A ROBUST COLLECTION OF FACILITIES AND VENUES TO FIT YOUR SPORTING EVENT NEEDS

DCU Center 508 International

Central Massachusetts is FACILITY SPOTLIGHT England’s only Spartan Super and Sprint Races conveniently located in the DCU Center and Tough Mudder in 2020. heart of the Northeast and is Hockey, basketball, indoor football, easily accessible by all modes cheerleading, wrestling, family shows Fidelity Bank Worcester Ice Center of transportation. The region Home to the Hockey Team Ice hockey, figure skating, curling, is the home to Worcester of the ECHL and the open skating Regional Airport and is located Football Team of the National Arena League, Located in Worcester’s Canal District, this 50 miles west of Boston Logan the DCU Center offers a 14,400-seat arena and $18 million facility provides a state-of-the International Airport. 100,000 square feet of event space. The arena art multiuse dual ice rink used as a practice will host the NCAA Division I Men’s Northeast facility for the Worcester Railers and home Regional Tournament in March 2020, continuing to Worcester State University, POPULAR ACTIVITIES its record-breaking legacy of hosting the most and WPI Hockey Teams. The center also offers ▶ Han over Theatre for the NCAA regional games in the country. a fitness center, Railers Team store, a healthy- Performing Arts food-to-go café and will be home to Bay State ▶ 508 International Brewing Company in early 2020. ▶ Wachusett Mountain Adventure racing, action sports, ATV ▶ Old Sturbridge Village racing, cycling, motorcross, snocross ▶ Southwick’s Zoo Nestled in a secluded forest setting in Central DISCOVER CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS ▶ Shops, restaurants, breweries and Mass, this 22-acre ‘sports playground’ is a hub Dustin Boucher nightlife for action sports and events. The venue is Sales Manager ▶ Cyprian Keyes Golf Club open for renting private events and is home 508-753-1550 ext. 253 ▶ Indian Ranch Amphitheatre & to adventure racing, motocross, ATV runs and [email protected] Campground more. 508 International will play host to New www.discovercentralma.org

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Greater Merrimack Valley, MA CONVENIENT AND COMPACT, THIS COMMUNITY JUST NORTH OF BOSTON IS IDEAL FOR SPORTS TOURNAMENTS

Edward A. LeLacheur Park Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell

The Greater Merrimack Valley FACILITY SPOTLIGHT seating for 5,00 people, lots of concession area is served by two airports, Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell stands, restrooms, a press box and dugouts. Manchester-Boston Regional Hockey, basketball, wrestling, tennis, Parking is available in the East Campus parking Airport and Boston Logan cheer and dance, figure skating garage, which is adjacent to the ball park. International Airport. For Home to UMass Lowell’s men’s and women’s those driving, two Interstates – basketball teams and to the men’s college Cawley Memorial Stadium Complex Interstate 93 and Interstate 495 hockey team, the Tsongas Center is one of the Football, soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, – traverse the Valley region. area’s premier sports venues. With a seating softball, baseball capacity of 6,500, this multi-purpose arena has This popular sports complex can seat up to POPULAR ACTIVITIES also hosted high school wrestling tournaments, 6,000 fans and offers lit fields for nighttime ▶ Visit Lowell National Historical cheerleading tournaments and other sporting play. It is the home field for Lowell High School’s Park for a boat or trolley tour to events. The spacious lobby, LED signage, a football team as well as the Lowell Nor’easter, explore Lowell’s water-powered video board and new sound system provide a a minor-league football team. The facility textile mills that helped drive the professional feel. Guests will enjoy viewing the includes separate areas for field hockey, softball, Industrial Revolution. game from comfy chairback seats; five luxury soccer and track as well as practice areas. suites are also available. ▶ Hop on the Liberty Ride to explore historic Lexington & Concord, Edward A. LeLacheur Park GREATER MERRIMACK VALLEY CVB the birthplace of the American Baseball Tom Fitzmaurice Revolution. LeLacheur Park is home to the minor league Executive Director Lowell Spinners baseball team, and the park 978-459-6150 ▶ Visit Walden Pond, the epicenter of itself was named one of that league’s best fi[email protected] the transcendentalism movement. in 2017. The park comes fully equipped with www.merrimackvalley.org

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MetroWest, MA WHILE METROWEST IS KNOWN AROUND THE WORLD AS THE STARTING LINE FOR THE BOSTON MARATHON, IT IS ALSO AN OPTIMAL LOCATION FOR ANY SPORTS TEAM’S NEXT EVENT

New England Sports Center Boston Badminton

Bowditch Athletic and Cultural Complex

Sitting at the crossroads of major FACILITY SPOTLIGHT to the Skating Club of Boston, Minuteman interstates, MetroWest can be New England Sports Center Flames, Junior Bruins and Becker College reached by the Massachusetts Hockey hockey teams, making it an ideal place for Turnpike (I-90), running from Located on 22.3 acres of suburban land, the hockey teams to host their next tournament. Boston west through the two-story, 306,000-square-foot New England Berkshires and New York. Sports Center in Marlborough contains eight New England Baseball Complex Serving approximately 30 million full-sized ice skating rinks, 76 locker rooms, Baseball, softball passengers per year, Logan a hockey pro shop, ice skate sharpening, ice Home to the New England Ruffnecks, the International Airport in East skate rentals, function rooms, a full service 30-acre New England Baseball Complex in Boston is the 17th-busiest airport restaurant and a snack bar, making it the Northborough holds several conferences in the U.S. largest ice skating arena in the U.S. Host to and tournaments throughout the year for the Haydenettes. The center is also home both college-level and youth teams. With

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three different playing fields, dugouts and POPULAR ACTIVITIES concessions, this fully equipped complex has ▶ Challenge the team to ▶ Ev eryone can enjoy the ▶ Hand-pick your own everything you’ll need when looking for that obstacle courses, zip lining, Apex Entertainment produce and taste craft beer perfect tournament location. laser tag and more at Center in Marlborough, and hard cider at Natick’s Urban Air Trampoline and which offers bumper cars, Lookout Farm. Bowditch Athletic and Cultural Adventure Park, where go-kart racing, bowling and Complex groups can experience other adrenaline-inducing Tennis, basketball, track, baseball, outdoor adventures with activities. football indoor comforts. Hosting multiple sporting events for three local high schools, two area colleges, various youth leagues and semi-professional teams located within and near MetroWest, Bowditch Athletic and Cultural Complex in Framingham consists of four tennis courts, two basketball courts, a baseball diamond with spectator MetroWest seating, a six-lane track and the multi-use playing surface Bowditch Field. MA SSACHUSETTS Boston Badminton Badminton Built to promote the growth of badminton in the Greater Boston area, Boston Badminton in Westborough offers teams a world class, eight-court facility, training program and several tournaments throughout the year. With a 32-plus-foot ceiling, Boston Badminton also provides Ultralux High Bay lighting with BlueMax lamps, locker rooms with a shower, heating, air-conditioning and 56 parking spaces. The facility even has a Robbins Bio- Channel Classic maple sports floor, the same premium anchored sports floor that eight Ivy League universities use for competition. 25 minutes from Boston:

Fore Kicks • 8 full-size ice rinks at the New England Sports Center Multisport With a 135,000-square-foot indoor sports • 3 fully lit turf elds at New England Baseball Complex megaplex, two outdoor lighted full-size • 8 additional indoor soccer, lacrosse & hockey facilities synthetic grass fields and an eight-bay indoor • More than 150 soccer and 200 baseball/soball elds outdoors golf driving range, this indoor and outdoor sports complex provides amenities for • 45 hotels, world-class shopping and dining experiences practically any sport imaginable. Forekicks in • 8-court, world-class badminton facility Marlborough offers state-of-the-art amenities with free wi-fi throughout the facility, an • Home of the Boston Marathon starting line elevated spectators observation lounge, large screen televisions and private player showers 508-361-9881 and lockers. There are also full concessions and [email protected] restaurant seating facilities, professional fitness www.metrowestvisitors.org/sports training programs, a conference facility and training and meeting rooms.

METROWEST VISITORS BUREAU 508-361-9881 [email protected] metrowestvisitors.org

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Springfield, MA SPRINGFIELD IS HOME TO SEVEN FACILITIES THAT ARE SURE TO SUIT EVERY SPORTS PLANNER’S AND ATHLETE’S NEEDS

MassMutual Center PLANNER PERSPECTIVE “The WMSC provided the MAAC with a small town atmosphere with big city amenities.”

— Rich Ensor, Commissioner, Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference

Eastern States Exposition

Mullins Center

Springfield is an easily FACILITY SPOTLIGHT an 18x4-foot LED video scoreboard and an accessible location, sitting at MassMutual Center 85-foot LED board. MassMutual also offers the confluence of Interstate 90 Hockey, basketball accessible seating and 11 concessions stands and I-91. Amtrak additionally The MassMutual Center, home to the during games, such as Center Grille and Chick- serves the area, while those Springfield Thunderbirds, seats 8,000 people Fil-A. More dining options are conveniently who are traveling by air need and hosts a variety of hockey and basketball located nearby. only to drive the relatively tournaments in its modern arena. A 2003 short distance from Bradley renovation significantly expanded the facility Eastern States Exposition International Airport, located to become Western Massachusetts’s largest Equestrianism around 18 miles south in convention center, with 100,000 square- Famous for its year-round horse shows, Connecticut. feet of event space in addition to the arena. the Eastern States Exposition, or Big E, is the Another renovation in 2015 upgraded the ideal facility for riders and their 1,500-pound arena’s technology to add new LED lighting, teammates. Adjacent to the horse show field is

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POPULAR ACTIVITIES ▶ Enjoy the thrills of a day spent on roller coasters at Six Flags a barn equipped with stables and horsemen’s accessible entrance is available to anyone with New England. supplies. Also known as “New England’s Great special needs. State fair,” the exposition grounds also hosts ▶ The Springfield Museums the country’s seventh-largest fair and the East Three County Fairgrounds combine science, history and art coast’s largest agricultural event. Visitors will Equestrianism into one enjoyable ticket. Get a find a variety of fair food on-site, plus plenty of Northampton’s Three County Fairgrounds behind-the-scenes look into some parking space. is well-equipped to host any equestrian of history’s classic children’s books tournament. Planners can rent out an indoor with a visit to the Amazing World Mullins Center 250 x 150-square-foot arena and warm up ring of Dr. Suess Museum. Hockey, ice skating, racquetball, for horse shows and competitions, as well as basketball up to five horse barns with on-site crews and ▶ Find the perfect scent and a The Mullins Center, located on the University equipment. Also available are six outdoor rings special souvenir when you visit of Massachusetts Amherst campus, provides and grandstand seating for up to 1,800 people. the Yankee Candle Village. exceptional spaces for various sports. Inside, Visitors can find parking and fair grounds planners will find the William D. Mullins concessions nearby. ▶ Walk through hoops history or Memorial Center, the university’s prime get inspired to become the next sports complex with a basketball court great one at the Basketball Hall that seats 9,493 people and a 200 x 95-foot WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS SPORTS of Fame. hockey rink that seats 8,387. Neighboring Alicia Szenda, Director of Sales the Memorial Center is an ice rink for novice 413-755-1346 ▶ The MGM Springfield casino skating and college-level hockey. The building [email protected] features world-class gaming, additionally houses three racquetball courts www.westernMasports.com entertainment and dining in the for recreational and competitive teams. An heart of downtown Springfield.

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North Central Massachusetts HIGH QUALITY VENUES AND A STRONG COMMUNITY HAVE MADE THIS REGION OF NEW ENGLAND A BIG CONTENDER IN THE SPORTS WORLD

Mass Youth Soccer Fields

Wachusett Mountain

North Central Massachusetts FACILITY SPOTLIGHT are carefully and meticulously maintained so is located about one hour GameOn Fitchburg that each player who steps onto the field can northwest of downtown Boston Basketball, lacrosse, soccer, volleyball be sure they are playing on the highest quality via MA-2, and about 30 minutes Set to open in Winter 2019, this new, state-of- grass or turf. north of Worcester on I-90. MA-2 the-art facility will feature nine lighted outdoor and I-90 both bisect the states fields and a 115,000 square foot structure Rogers Field Complex in opposite directions and are along with four turf fields, three full volleyball Lacrosse, soccer ideal for visitors coming from courts, batting cages, a restaurant, a sports On any given weekend you will find athletes near and far. By air, Boston bar, a fitness center and conference space. hitting the fields of the Rogers Field Complex Logan International Airport is The addition of GameOn to the North Central for games, tournaments, practices or camps. just over an hour away. Massachusetts is a great boost to the sports Soccer and lacrosse are the most popular field community. sports played in this complex, which is located just off MA-2 in Devens. Across 44 acres of POPULAR ACTIVITIES Mass Youth Soccer Fields carefully maintained field space there is plenty ▶ In winter, hit the slopes of Soccer of room to host large-scale tournaments. Wachusett Mountain, which Sports planners looking to host a soccer boasts 25 trails. event in North Central Massachusetts are in luck. The Mass Youth Soccer Fields in Lancaster VISIT NORTH CENTRAL ▶ In fall and summer, Red Apple aren’t just one of the premier soccer complexes MASSACHUSETTS Farm is popular among visitors in the state, but they are highly regarded across David Ginisi who enjoy picking a variety of fruit the country. The complex features 11 natural 978-353-7600 x240 such as raspberries, blueberries, grass and five turf fields, each meeting FIFA [email protected] pears and more. regulations at 110 yards by 75 yards. These fields www.visitnorthcentral.com

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Just because you might be able to play anywhere doesn’t mean you should. Bring your next sporting event to Rhode Island for the outstanding courts, fi elds and arenas. But stay for so much more – hundreds of miles of coastline, world-class dining, and fun family activities. We’re more than a sporting destination. WE’RE A SPORTING VACATION. GoSportsRI.com

The RI Sports Commission is a division of the Providence Warwick CVB.

401.456.0240 | [email protected] | @GoSportsRI