Events

10 things to do in Boston this weekend

BosTen is your weekly guide to the best events and coolest things to do in Boston.

ZooLights at Franklin Park Zoo in Boston. Zoo New England

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Welcome to BosTen, your weekly guide to the coolest events and best things to do in Boston this weekend. Sign up for our weekly email newsletter here. Have an idea about what we should cover? Leave us a comment on this article or in the BosTen Facebook group, or email us at [email protected].

Enjoy free admission to 4 museums

In previous years, the Highland Street Foundation hosted Free Fun Fridays, a summer-long program that provided free admission to dozens of the state’s museums every Friday. This year, the non-profit is taking a different approach, offering free admission to a new museum or cultural institution each day during the month of August in what it’s calling August Adventures. This weekend’s participating locations are ICA Boston (Thursday), the Museum of African American History Boston (Friday), the Marconi Maritime Center and RCA-Wireless Museum in Chatham (Saturday), and Pilgrim Hall in Plymouth (Sunday). To see a full calendar for the month of August, visit the Highland Street Foundation’s website. (Daily through August 31 at various times and locations) — Kevin Slane

Catch a free outdoor movie (or two)

With the sweltering heat we’ve been experiencing this summer, watching a movie in an air-conditioned theater sounds like a perfect activity. But for those who prefer to see their movies for free while breathing fresh air, the Boston area will once again offer a robust number of free outdoor movies. All summer long, you’ll be able to catch a mix of fairly recent films and certified classics at pop-up outdoor movie screenings — free of charge. On Thursday, catch ’80s classic “The Outsiders” at Seven Hills Park in Somerville at 8 p.m., or last year’s smash hit “Barbie” at Revere Beach at 8 p.m. Or you can wait until Saturday, when the Prudential Center will screen “National Treasure” on its lawn at dusk, and Alamo Drafthouse will show “The Goonies” on Boston Common at 8 p.m. If you’re looking for midweek options, Mayor Wu’s Movie Nights series starts on Monday, bringing free screenings to every Boston neighborhood. (Various times and locations) — Kevin Slane

Bask in the glow of Franklin Park Zoo

Everything is illuminated at the Franklin Park Zoo for the next couple of months thanks to the return of its seasonal exhibit, “Boston Lights: A Lantern Experience.” The dazzling display has proved such a success for the zoo over the years that Zoo New England has expanded it to a new area of the 72-acre property for 2024, letting visitors stroll through a forested area full of immersive walkthroughs and Instagrammable moments aplenty. Among the glowing animals on hand are a 115-foot octopus, a 76-foot “Kun” fish, and other undersea brethren. Timed entrances to the zoo grounds are available daily every half hour from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., and can be booked on Zoo New England’s website. (Daily through September 30 from 6-10:30 p.m., Oct. 1-Nov. 3 from 5-10:30 p.m.; 1 Franklin Park Rd., Boston; $25.95 and up) — Kevin Slane

Salute the sun from Revere Boston Hotel’s rooftop

The Revere Boston Hotel continues its free Summer Fitness Series yoga classes on its rooftop with a Saturday morning flow at 10 a.m. this weekend. Bring your own mat (although guests of the hotel can use the provided mats) and enjoy practice led by Equinox instructors. Can’t make it this weekend? Reserve your spot for Aug. 17, 24, or 31 via Eventbrite, weather permitting. (Saturday, August 10 at 10 a.m.; 200 Stuart St., Boston; free) — Cheryl Fenton

Grab a bite on a budget during Dine Out Boston

Boston’s restaurant week is back, giving Boston diners a taste of some of the most acclaimed, newest, or neighborhood staple restaurants in the metro area now through August 17. In its 24th year, the summer program of Dine Out stretches across every Boston neighborhood, several suburbs, and every type of food — from French and Italian to sushi and Indian. More than 150 restaurants will offer up their own prix fixe menus with several courses, usually designed to showcase the restaurant’s typical offerings for those who have never dined there or guests that don’t typically shell out for an appetizer and dessert with their entree. And with prices running from $22 for lunch to $55 for dinner, you’re most likely paying less than you would normally for multiple courses. Check out a full list of restaurants participating on Meet Boston’s website, or check out our Dine Out Boston guide for some handpicked, locally sourced recommendations. (Now through August 17 at various times and locations) — Katelyn Umholtz

Reserve your seat at a new restaurant

With all of the opening and closing announcements in the Greater Boston restaurant industry, keeping up with the deluge of new restaurants in the area is a challenge. To help, we’ve built an updating guide to the most notable new and upcoming restaurant openings, which you can revisit any time for the latest and greatest in Boston-area dining. Some of the most exciting new spots include Althea, which brings a “backyard party” vibe to Cambridge from the Viale team, and the first Boston location for Lakon Paris Patisserie, the French bakery that just opened a storefront in Brighton to complement its Newton and Brookline cafes and will soon expand to the Seaport. (Various locations) — Katelyn Umholtz

Unravel the secrets of ‘Clue: A Walking Mystery’

Combining the thrills of an escape room with the sights of Boston, “Clue: A Walking Mystery” is a new interactive experience that takes visitors on a guided scavenger hunt through the city’s most popular landmarks. The mystery begins at Quincy Market, where you’ll step into the shoes of one of the board game’s colorfully named characters and seek clues to solve the murder of Boddy Black. Instead of the rooms of Boddy Mansion, pieces of furniture from the rooms will be scattered across Boston, with a guide helping you move from location to location as the mystery unfolds. Tickets are on sale now for the immersive experience, which runs five days a week through Labor Day weekend. (Wednesday through Sunday until September 8 at various times; 206 S. Market St., Boston; $31.50 and up) — Kevin Slane

Schedule a playdate at Gabby’s Dollhouse

Since 2021, Netflix’s “Gabby’s Dollhouse” — a live-action/animated series from “Blue Clues” veterans Traci Paige Johnson and Jennifer Twomey — has entertained young audiences with the adventures of Gabby (Laila Lockhart Kraner) and her cats. In celebration of the show’s 10th season debuting this week, preschoolers will be able to experience a real-life, interactive version of the show with “Gabby’s Dollhouse,” a traveling exhibit that visits two Boston-area malls this weekend. Hang out with Marty the Party Cat, explore character-themed rooms, and play in the “cat-tastic” party room. Thursday’s event at the Wal-Mart in Walpole is already full, but you can still make a free timed reservation for Saturday and Sunday’s experience at Market Street Lynnfield. (Saturday, August 10 and Sunday, August 11 from 12-7 p.m.; 600 Market St., Lynnfield; free) — Kevin Slane

Celebrate hip-hop in Boston at GLD FSTVL

Pinpointing the precise start of a cultural movement down to the day is nearly impossible. But for commemorative purposes, the largely agreed-upon birth of hip-hop occurred on August 11, 1973 at a house party in the Bronx. Following a successful celebration of hip-hop’s 50th birthday last year, the city of Boston is reviving its daylong GLD FSTVL for a second annual celebration of the genre. From noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday at City Hall Plaza, some of Boston’s finest MCs will take the stage, including Dutch ReBelle, Michael Christmas, and the festival’s namesake group STL GLD. The festival will finish off with a headlining set from Ghostface Killah, whose work with the Wu-Tang Clan and solo albums like “Ironman” and “Supreme Clientele” remain some of the high watermarks of ’90s hip-hop. (Saturday, August 10 from 12-10 p.m.; 1 City Hall Square, Boston; free) — Kevin Slane

Visit the annual Chinatown August Moon Festival

For the 54th year, the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (CCBA) of New England will host the August Moon Festival in Chinatown this Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Second only in importance to the Chinese New Year, the August Moon Festival celebrates a successful harvest, similar to American Thanksgiving. Vendors will line the streets for this free event around the Chinatown Gate — Beach, Tyler, and Hudson Streets, and Harrison Avenue. Along with purveyors of Chinese cuisine, arts and crafts, Chinese calligraphy, and other merchandise, eventgoers can expect cultural performances like lion dancing, traditional folk dance, and martial arts. (Sunday, August 11 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; 70 Beach St., Boston; free) — Natalie Gale

Kevin Slane

Staff Writer

Kevin Slane is a staff writer for Boston.com covering entertainment and culture. His work focuses on movie reviews, streaming guides, celebrities, and things to do in Boston.

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