10 things to do in Boston this weekend
BosTen is your weekly guide to not-lame events in the city.
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. To see our picks for the 10 can’t miss events at HUBWeek, which kicks off Sunday, click here.
Copenhagen Beer Celebration
Even though Boston Calling isn’t happening this fall, you’ll still have a chance to drink beer and listen to awesome music at City Hall Plaza this weekend with the Copenhagen Beer Celebration, a craft beer festival that is coming to the U.S. for the first time. Founded by Denmark brewer Mikkel Borg Bjergsø, the festival will feature hundreds of rare beers from some of the world’s best breweries, as well as music from Yo La Tengo, Lucero, The Barr Brothers, and more. (Friday, September 23 from 6:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Saturday, September 24 from 12 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.; City Hall Plaza; $40-50 GA or $95-$125 VIP per session, $125 GA or $250 VIP for a three-session combo; 21+)
Star Wars on the Common and the Somerville 70 mm & Widescreen Film Festival
If the films in our fall movie preview aren’t enough for you, there are plenty of special screenings this weekend. They include a free showing of Star Wars: The Force Awakens at the Frog Pond on Friday, September 23 at 7:30 p.m., and the final days of Somerville Theatre’s 10-day 70 mm film festival. The theater is screening 35 mm or 70 mm prints of classics like West Side Story, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and The Ten Commandments, showcasing the films the way their creators intended them to be seen. (Thursday, September 22 through Sunday, September 25, various times; Somerville Theatre and the Boston Common; $15 GA, $12 seniors, $10 children 12 and under)
Free Admission to 40-Plus Massachusetts Museums
This Saturday is a special one for museums nationwide, as Smithsonian Magazine’s annual “Museum Day Live!” event offers free admission to participating institutions. More than 40 of those museums are in Massachusetts alone, including the Harvard Museum of Natural History, the USS Constitution Museum, and the Mary Baker Eddy Library. (Saturday, September 24, all day; various locations; free; all ages)
Oktoberfest at Night Shift Brewing
Despite its name, the original Oktoberfest in Germany always starts in mid-September and ends the first weekend of October. As such, it’s perfect timing for Night Shift Brewing to hold their daylong version of the festival, with an outdoor beer garden, live music, and tons of German-style beers, plus a new ale brewed in a style nicknamed “Polish Champagne.” Those who can’t make it Saturday can taste a sneak preview at Brownyn in Somerville on Thursday night. (Saturday, September 24 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Night Shift Brewing, Everett; free; 21+)
Lowell Kinetic Sculpture Race
The Red Bull Flugtag gave Bostonians a chance to watch weird flying machines crash into the Charles River. Now, you can watch similarly flashy machines race through the streets and riverways of downtown Lowell during the city’s first ever kinetic sculpture race. Unlike some of the lesser Flugtag entrants, competitive kinetic sculpture machines are built to run on both land and sea, while maintaining the Flugtag’s flair for creative design. (Saturday, September 24 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; the corner of Market and Palmer Street, Lowell; free; all ages)
Phantom Gourmet Food Festival
The weekly TV show that profiles the New England restaurant scene has its own food festival on Landsdowne Street, where you can sample more than 60 dishes from local eateries. The show is known for highlighting restaurants that offer traditional fare for a great value rather than fancy gourmet chefs, and the food on hand Saturday will reflect that. (Saturday, September 24 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.; Fenway Park; $30 for AAA members, $40 GA; all ages)
Fluff Festival 2016
Bostonians with a sweet tooth can check out the 11th annual What The Fluff? Festival in Somerville’s Union Square, where the gooey confection was originally invented almost 100 years ago. Those who make the trip can expect fluff-filled treats from local eateries like Union Square Donuts and Gracie’s Ice Cream, a cooking contest, and family-friendly games of Blind Man’s Fluff, Fluff Musical Chairs, and Marshmallow Toss. (Saturday, September 24 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Union Square, Somerville; free; all ages)
Pure Barre Pop-Up Class in Copley Square
Before the weather gets too cold, you can take at least one more outdoor exercise class with this free Pure Barre workout class in Copley Square. Though most classes typically make heavy use of the ballet barre, instructors will show you can how to do a barre workout without one. You are asked to bring your own yoga mat and water. (Saturday, September 24 from 3 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.; Copley Square; free; all ages)
Boston Symphony Orchestra Opening Night
The BSO is kicking off its 136th season with an all-Russian program conducted by BSO Music Director Andris Nelsons, and highly acclaimed Chinese pianist Lang Lang performing “Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3” as a special guest. Attendees who arrive early will be able to enjoy a glass of wine or champagne at the pre-show reception. (Saturday, September 24 at 6 p.m.; Symphony Hall; $90-300; all ages)
South End Open Studios
The United South End Artists are celebrating the thriving South End arts scene with their 30th annual open studios event. More than 200 artists (local, national, and international) will show off their work at studios across the South End. Gallery maps are available at almost every studio, and free shuttle service will be available to transport visitors to major galleries. (Saturday, September 24 and Sunday, September 25 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; SOWA Artists Guild; free; all ages)
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