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.
Boston Book Festival
The ninth annual Boston Book Festival will bring literature lovers together all across the city this weekend. The fun will start with Thursday night’s Lit Crawl, a grab-bag of 15 book-themed events scattered around Copley Square and the surrounding area, including spooky literary trivia and a literary Mad Libs event. Friday and Saturday will offer plenty to do as well, with authors like M.T. Anderson, Tom Perrotta, and Dennis Lehane making appearances. For a full schedule, check out the BBF website. (Note: The Boston Globe, which shares ownership with Boston.com, is one of several presenting media sponsors for the event.) (Thursday, October 26 through Saturday, October 28 at various times; various locations; free; all ages)
Boston Grownups Museum Fright Night
Boston Children’s Museum Grownups nights are always a blast, with adults finally given a chance to run wild in the museum without the younger set getting in their way. Some of the diversions this Thursday will include a costume contest, fort-building exercises, and a cash bar. Tickets must be bought in advance. (Thursday, October 26 from 7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.; Boston Children’s Museum, Boston; $25; 21+)
Sam Adams Octoberfest in Boston
October is almost over, but Boston isn’t quite done with Octoberfest. Sam Adams will host one of the last localized Octoberfests of the season Friday at the World Trade Center Boat Concourse. The party will have the usual food, drink, and stein-hoisting contests, but the live music will be an extra-special treat, with local ska legends The Mighty Mighty Bosstones closing out the evening. (Friday, October 27 from 4 p.m. to 12 a.m.; World Trade Center Concourse, Boston; $45; 21+)
Alien and The Thing Double Feature at Brattle Theatre
Earlier this year, Alien: Covenant provided a new generation of horror and sci-fi fans a chance to latch onto Ridley Scott’s beloved franchise. Even though the film was well-reviewed, it couldn’t match the greatness of 1979’s Alien, a classic movie that introduced audiences to Sigourney Weaver. The Brattle Theatre is holding a screening of the OG film on Friday, with an option to buy a double feature with another beloved horror flick, John Carpenter’s The Thing. (Friday, October 27 at 7 p.m.; Brattle Theatre, Cambridge; $8-13; rated R)
A ‘Stranger’ Halloween Evening
If you’re a huge Stranger Things fan but aren’t planning to spend Friday evening binge-watching the new season (which debuts on Netflix that day), Kimpton Hotel Marlowe is the place to be. Its Halloween weekend bash will be a love letter to Stranger Things, with decor matching the 1980s Midwest setting of the show and menu items like Eleven’s beloved waffles available for purchase. (Friday, October 27 from 7:11 p.m. to 11:11 p.m.; Kimpton Hotel Marlowe, Cambridge; $25-65; 21+)
Boston Costume Dash 5k
Scare yourself fast Saturday morning during a costumed 5k in the heart of Boston. Racers will run from Copley Square over to Boston Common for an after-party, followed by a bar crawl sponsored by Harpoon. Registration ends Thursday at midnight. (Saturday, October 28 at 9 a.m.; Copley Square, Boston; $45; 21+)
Zoo Howl at Franklin Park Zoo
If you missed last weekend’s Boo at the Zoo event at the Stone Zoo, the Franklin Park Zoo is hosting a Halloween-themed weekend of its own Saturday and Sunday. Children can trick-or-treat among the animals, as well as enjoy creepy crafts, ghoulish games, a costume contest, a haunted maze, face painting, and other spooky activities. (Saturday, October 28 and Sunday, October 29 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Franklin Park Zoo, Boston; $16.95 GA, $14.95 for seniors ages 62 and up, $11.95 for kids ages 2 to 12, free for kids ages 2 and under; all ages)
Dorchester Brewing Trick-or-Beer Bash
For its weekend bash, Dorchester Brewing will roll out a specialty Halloween beer, a kettle-soured Irish Stout with a name that draws inspiration from Edgar Allan Poe. The brewery will also have adult trick-or-treating, live music, and a costume contest. (Saturday, October 28 from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Dorchester Brewing Company, Boston; free; 21+)
Halloween Pet Parade and Costume Contest
The Halloween season includes more than a few pet-in-costume events, but one of the top dogs is probably the annual Halloween Pet Parade at Faneuil Hall Marketplace. Pets will stroll through the marketplace in style with their owners, and judges will award prizes for best in show, best owner and pet combo, best local representation, and most creative. To compete in the contests, you must register in advance, but audience members can show up whenever they want, dog or no dog. (Saturday, October 28 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.; Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Boston; free; all ages)
Central Scare at the Central Flea
This will be the last Central Flea of the year, and organizers are sending out the street market in style. Along with a cash prize costume contest, there will be free treats, live music, free pumpkin painting, and even more vendors than usual, bringing the grand total up to 160. (Sunday, October 29 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Central Square, Cambridge; free; all ages)
