10 things to do in Boston this marathon 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.
826 Half Half Half Half Half
While it may seem like the whole city will be submerged in a blue and yellow wave of fitness this weekend, some people do understand that not everyone has awoken from their winter hibernation yet. You can join other exercise-reluctant Bostonians at the Half Half Half Half Half Marathon by walking, jogging, or, if you’re an overachiever, running the roughly 0.826 mile “race” around the Common, which benefits 826 Boston, a nonprofit youth writing and publishing organization that seeks to empower underserved students. Register in advance, and if you donate $25 or more, you’ll receive a free drink ticket and a runner’s bib, with 100 percent of proceeds going directly to 826 Boston’s free writing programs. (Thursday, April 13 from 6:30 to 8 p.m.; Boston Common, Boston; donations encouraged; all ages)
Late-Night Jazz at Scampo
This Thursday, Scampo will introduce its first Jazzy Cocktail Night, a weekly evening of live jazz music and new cocktail and late-night menus. Exhibit A: The Prohibition Milkshake, a shareable treat made with vodka, chocolate ice cream, crème de cacao, Kahlua, and bubbles will be served with freshly made mini bacon doughnuts. Each week, the Liberty Hotel restaurant will also feature a different jazz act. First up: Ark, a duo that takes popular songs and transforms them with Latin beats. (Thursday, April 13 at 10 p.m.; Scampo, Boston; menu prices vary; 21+)
John Hancock Sports and Fitness Expo
If you do want to catch a case of marathon fever, head to the annual John Hancock Sports and Fitness Expo. Runners, fitness enthusiasts, and the general public can enjoy more than 200 exhibits showcasing the newest fitness products, services, and technology, as well as seminars from industry elites. The expo is also the place where runners can pick up their official numbers for Monday’s race, so you can expect the entire Hynes Convention Center to be abuzz with marathon excitement. (Friday, April 14 to Sunday, April 16 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Hynes Convention Center, Boston; free; all ages)
Sci-Fi Weekend at the Brattle Theatre
As part of the Cambridge Science Festival, the Brattle Theatre is holding a weekend-long marathon of films that celebrate all things alien. The theater will show both classics, like The Iron Giant, and new flicks, including multiple screenings of 2016’s critically acclaimed Arrival. Tickets are available for advanced purchase for all screenings for $11 each. (Friday, April 14 to Sunday, April 16 at various times; Brattle Theatre, Cambridge, $11 per ticket; all ages)
Ladyfest Boston
Ladyfest will combine good music with great causes for a weekend of lady love. The three-day music festival is a community-based, volunteer-run event held in cities across the country to showcase underrepresented artists. Proceeds benefit local organizations; Boston’s will benefit both the Girls Rock Campaign Boston and Rosie’s Place. Check out the lineup of bands and their set times on the event’s Facebook page. Both single-day tickets and weekend passes are available for advanced purchase. (Friday, April 14 from 5 to 9:30 p.m., Saturday, April 15 from 12 to 9:30 p.m., and Sunday April 16 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; YMCA Cambridge Theatre, Cambridge; $15 for single-day tickets, $35 for weekend passes; all ages)
Zoom Multisport “Boston” Run
This weekend is all about Boston pride, and what better way to run this town than to legitimately run this town? Confused? Take a look at this map of the route for Zoom Multisport’s fifth annual Boston Run, which spells out the city’s name. Run through the streets of the Back Bay bright and early on Saturday in order to finish before the road closures begin for the city’s official 5K. The run, held to honor those affected by the 2013 bombings, is free, but you can still register in advance on Eventbrite. (Saturday, April 15 at 6:30 a.m.; Starts at the corner of Charlesgate Road and Newbury Street, Back Bay, Boston; free, all ages)
Patio Farmers Market at Precinct
Two words: baby goats. This Saturday afternoon, Precinct is bringing back its patio farmers market featuring local produce, live music, and yes, tiny animals. The adorable Nigerian dwarf goats from the Sentas Family Farm will be available for you to snuggle with while you sip on Precinct cocktails, listen to live music, and shop for local goods on the Loews Hotel’s subterranean patio. (Saturday, April 15 from 12 to 4 p.m.; Precinct, Boston; prices vary; all ages)
City Tap House and Avery Brewing Company’s Hawaiian Luau
and Avery Brewing Company are bringing the tropics to Boston with a Hawaiian luau this Saturday. To celebrate the opening of City Tap House’s new patio, the restaurant is transforming the space into a “Polynesian paradise complete with a pig roast, the piped in sounds of twinkling guitars and ukuleles, [and] games of cornhole.” The Avery Brewing team will also be on hand to distribute seasonal brews like their Liliko’i Kepolo, a spicy witbier with a tropical touch. In addition to the pig roast, kabob skewers, pineapple and pork tacos, and coconut and pineapple shrimp will be served alongside a selection of Polynesian-themed cocktails. (Saturday, April 15 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; City Tap House, Boston, free admission, food prices vary, 21+)
Beer Brunch with Union Square Donuts at Bone Up Brewing Company
Union Square Donuts will bring an assortment of their famous treats to Bone Up’s taproom for a Sunday morning of beer and sugar. Orange cardamon poppy, sea salted bourbon caramel, and brown butter hazelnut crunch are just three of the tantalizing flavors the doughnut shop will offer as pairings for some of Bone Up’s fresh brews. The brewery will also serve their usual Sunday soft pretzels for those who want to balance out the sweet with some salt. (Sunday, April 16 from 12 to 4 p.m.; Bone Up Brewing Company, Everett; free admission, doughnuts are $3.50 each or two for $6, 21+)
Midnight Marathon Bike Ride
Ride off into the sunset—er, darkness—with the Midnight Marathon group bike ride. This nighttime ride joins over 1,000 bike riders for a 30-mile stretch. But don’t be discouraged by the distance—much of the ride is downhill, and the “marathon” is super low-key, meaning no registration, no official start or finish time, and no race leaders (so bikers are responsible for their own safety). Bikers meet up at Southborough Station, many arriving via the commuter rail or carpool, before embarking on the ride, which follows the Boston Marathon route throughout the city. You can also have your bike delivered by the organizers if lugging it out to the suburbs sounds like a workout in and of itself. (Sunday, April 16 at 12 a.m.; Southborough Station, Southborough; free; all ages)
