10 things to do in Boston this weekend
BosTen is your weekly guide to events and cool happenings in and around Boston.
Skip Netflix this weekend — here are 10 ways to get out of your home and not be bored in the city. If you’d like BosTen delivered to your inbox every Thursday, click here. Want more things to do? Check out our events calendar at boston.com/events. You can also learn even more about awesome events around Boston by joining the BosTen Facebook group.
Cayetana
Philadelphia power trio Cayetana has put out some of the top pop-punk albums of the last decade, all while keeping up a relentless touring schedule. The band is calling it quits at the end of their current set of dates, and one of their final stops will be Thursday’s show at the Sinclair, with fellow Philly group Katie Ellen and Boston pop/rock outfit Lilith serving as openers. (Thursday, Aug. 1 at 8 p.m.; The Sinclair, Cambridge; $14-$16; all ages)
Free Fun Fridays with the BSO and more
Another summer Friday means another round of free admission to museums and attractions across the state thanks to the Highland Street Foundation. Two Boston institutions will be free to the public this Friday in the Old State House and Franklin Park Zoo, as will eight other attractions across the state, including the Concord Museum in Concord and a free concert from the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. (Friday, Aug. 2 at various times and locations; free; all ages)
Free Ice Cream Sandwiches
It’s National Ice Cream Sandwich Day on Friday, and HP Hood is celebrating the frozen treat’s 120th birthday by giving away ice cream sandwiches on Boston Common near the Frog Pond this Friday. Along with its traditional vanilla flavor, Hood will offer new, limited edition unicorn confetti ice cream sandwiches, plus kid-friendly games, face painting, and a visit from Wally the Green Monster. (Friday, Aug. 2 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; Boston Common, Boston; free; all ages)
ICA First Fridays: White Hot Vol. 6
Don your most dapper all-white outfit and head to the Institute of Contemporary Art this weekend for the museum’s annual 21-plus waterfront party. Partygoers also can check out the exhibits while listening to live music, sipping on cocktails, and noshing on for-sale snacks. (Friday, Aug. 2 from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.; The Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston; free for members, $25 at the door; 21+)
“Jaws” Screening at The Anchor
This Friday, sail over to Charlestown open-air wine and beer garden The Anchor weekend for an outdoor screening of the 1975 blockbuster “Jaws,” presented by Narragansett Beer. The Rhode Island brewery will bring back its 1975 retro lager cans so that viewers can attempt to “Crush it like Quint” during the screening. You’ll also be able to enter a costume contest based on the movie, so break out those dorsal fins. (Friday, Aug. 2 from 8:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.; The Anchor, Boston; free; all ages)
“Valley of the Dolls” in 35mm
Thanks to Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” there’s been a spike in interest regarding the career of actress Sharon Tate, who was murdered in Los Angeles almost exactly 50 years ago by disciples of cult leader Charles Manson. The Coolidge will screen two of Tate’s films this weekend, including Friday’s midnight showing of “Valley of the Dolls,” a campy female-fronted film from 1967. It focuses on a group of women navigating the cutthroat world of 1960s showbiz. Tate’s performance – one of her last – earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Most Promising Newcomer, a nod that’s deeply tragic in retrospect. (Friday, Aug. 2 at 11:59 p.m.; Coolidge Corner Theatre, Brookline; $13.25; rated PG-13)
Salem Maritime Festival
If catching occasional glimpses of Old Ironsides isn’t enough for you, head up to Salem for your ancient ship fix at the town’s annual maritime festival this weekend. A select number of visitors will get to ride through the harbor on antique vessels, and all attendees will enjoy checking out a Tall Ship and Viking Ship, both docked in Salem through Sunday. There will also be a full weekend slate of live music, family-friendly activities, food, and historical demonstrations. (Saturday, Aug. 3 from 10 a.m. to 8:45 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 4 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m; Salem Maritime National Historical Site, Salem; free; all ages)
Roaring Twenties Lawn Party
Say what you will about the 1920s — its economy wasn’t very good, all the movies were in black-and-white — but no other decade has inspired such iconic themed parties. Case in point: the annual Roaring Twenties Lawn Party in Ipswich, which expanded to two days after more than 3,000 people showed up in era-appropriate garb a few years back. The party will be in full swing starting this Saturday at the Crane Estate. A note of caution: Tickets must be bought at least one day in advance, and none will be available at the door. (Saturday, Aug. 3 and Sunday, Aug. 4 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Castle Hill on the Crane Estate, Ipswich; $44 – $105, free for children 10 and under; all ages)
Boston Seafood Festival
Boston’s annual celebration of its most treasured cuisine will return to Boston Fish Pier this Sunday with clambakes, chef demos, a Harpoon beer garden, and an oyster-shucking contest. (Sunday, Aug. 4 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Boston Fish Pier, Seaport District; free for children 5 and under, $5 for children ages 6-12, $15-$85 for adults; all ages)
Queen with Adam Lambert
On the heels of the 2018 Oscar-winning biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Queen is back on tour, with “American Idol” alum Adam Lambert once again stepping into the frontman role once occupied by the late Freddie Mercury. If the movie theater version of Queen wasn’t enough for you, head to the Xfinity Center this Sunday. (Sunday, Aug. 4 at 8 p.m.; Xfinity Center, Mansfield; $180; all ages)
