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.
Saint Anthony’s Feast
This Italian religious festival and “feast of all feasts” will return to the North End for its 100th year starting Thursday with a mix of parades, live entertainment, contests, religious services, and 100 pushcarts serving Italian fare. The festivities will culminate on Sunday with a 10-hour procession of the statue of Saint Anthony, where it will be carried through the streets alongside marching bands, floats, and a color guard. (Thursday, Aug. 22 through Sunday, Aug. 25 at various times; Endicott, Thacher, and North Margin streets, Boston; free; all ages)
River Fit Sunset Yoga
Center yourself while basking in the glow of a summer sunset with a free yoga class on the Esplanade this Thursday. Instructor Sara DiVello will guide you through a series of poses as you admire the sun shimmering on the Charles, thanks to the Esplanade Association. (Thursday, Aug. 22 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Fiedler Field, Boston; free; all ages)
An Evening with Anthony Fantano
With the widespread use of review aggregation websites like Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic, it’s become tougher for pop culture critics to make their voices stand out among the crowd. One personality who has found a way to succeed in the digital age is Anthony Fantano, the self-proclaimed “internet’s busiest music nerd.” The Connecticut native is primarily known for posting lengthy video reviews of recent albums on his YouTube channel The Needle Drop, which boasts nearly two million subscribers. Fantano will be at the Sinclair on Friday for an evening of jokes, rants, and thoughtful music discussion. (Friday, Aug. 23 at 8 p.m.; The Sinclair, Cambridge; $20-25; all ages)
Free Fun Fridays
With only two more Fridays left in August, locals only have two more chances to take advantage of free admission to museums and attractions around the state thanks to the Highland Street Foundation. Highlights this week include a trio of Boston institutions: The Boston Athenaeum, Mary Baker Eddy Library & Mapparium, and the ICA. (Friday, Aug. 23 at various times and locations; free; all ages)
Mark Knopfler
As the lead guitarist and songwriter for Dire Straits, Mark Knopfler gave us some of the hottest riffs in the classic rock canon with tunes like “Money for Nothing” and “Sultans of Swing.” Knopfler has been pretty successful as a solo act as well, releasing 10 solo albums and soundtracking films like “The Princess Bride” and “Wag the Dog,” which means he’ll have plenty of material to choose from when he performs at the Rockland Trust Bank Pavilion on Friday. (Friday, Aug. 23 at 8 p.m.; Rockland Trust Bank Pavilion, Boston; $125 and up; all ages)
Films at the Gate Festival
The Asian Community Development Corporation (ACDC) will host the 14th annual Films at the Gate Festival this weekend, which brings three nights of free movies and more fun to Chinatown. Topping the festival bill on Friday is 2015’s “Tyrus,” an award-winning documentary about Chinese-American artist Tyrus Wong. Before screenings, attendees can enjoy family-friendly games and activities, as well as martial arts demonstrations. While the festival is free for all three nights, the ACDC will be asking for donations to support the organization’s cultural programming. (Friday, Aug. 23 through Sunday, Aug. 25 from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.; Chinatown Gate, Boston; free; all ages)
British Cars Days
The British coming to downtown Boston isn’t historically the best idea, but we’ll make an exception for British cars. The Boston Area MG Club will wheel some of its distinctly British autos into the Faneuil Hall area for motorheads and car rookies alike to view and enjoy, free of charge. (Saturday, Aug. 24 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Boston; free; all ages)
Joey Bada$$ and Flatbush Zombies
The Brooklyn hip-hop scene of the early 2010s was shaped by a flood of mixtapes from artists like Joey Bada$$ and Flatbush Zombies, who are sharing the stage across the nation this summer on the Beast Coast: Escape from New York Tour. The show rolls into town on Saturday at Rockland Trust Bank Pavilion, with The Underachievers, Kirk Knight, and others in support. (Saturday, Aug. 24 at 7 p.m.; Rockland Trust Bank Pavilion, Boston; $31 and up; all ages)
Open Newbury Street
For the second time this summer, the City of Boston will make Newbury Street a pedestrian-only thoroughfare on Sunday. Check out local businesses, listen to live music, and play a few lawn games on the car-free stretch from Berkeley Street to Massachusetts Avenue. (Sunday, Aug. 25 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Newbury Street, Boston; free; all ages)
Reggie Watts
Since his emergence on the New York comedy scene in the late aughts, Reggie Watts has continued to climb the showbiz ranks despite a distinctly oddball sensibility that falls well outside mainstream tastes. During a typical performance, the “Late Late Show with James Corden” bandleader uses musical looping technology and a surrealist wit to create 100 percent improvised songs that are equal parts catchy and humorous. Watts will bring his one-of-a-kind act to the Wilbur on Sunday. (Sunday, Aug. 25 at 7 p.m.; The Wilbur, Boston; $37; all ages)
