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10 things to do in Boston this weekend
BosTen is your weekly guide to the best events and coolest things to do in Boston.
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].
Catch a free outdoor movie (or two)
Setting aside last weekend’s wet weather, summer weekends in the Boston area offer a veritable bounty of free outdoor movies for all ages. This Thursday, visit Revere Beach for a sunset showing of “The Karate Kid,” or visit Lincoln Park in Somerville for a 9 p.m. screening of the “Despicable Me” prequel “Minions: The Rise of Gru.” Then on Saturday, the Prudential Center will open up its lawn for a showing of “Matilda” at dusk. Finally, on Sunday Christopher Columbus Park will kick off its summer movie series with a showing of “Midnight in Paris” — which, despite the film’s title, will be held at 8:30 p.m. — Kevin Slane
Celebrate Bastille Day in style
You won’t need a ticket to France to find a festive Bastille Day celebration. At Rochambeau, join the Bastille Day Patio Party this Friday. The party will be thrown in honor of the 1789 storming of the Bastille during the French Revolution. There will be small bites such as mini croque monsieurs and French onion dip with veggies and frites, cocktails, wine and beer, and live music, all in a beautiful outdoor setting. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. — Shira Laucharoen
Join a DJ beach party at Salisbury Beach
Salisbury Beach is a happening place throughout the summer, with fireworks shows, concerts, and other daily activities centered around the ocean-front boardwalk just South of the Massachusetts-New Hampshire border. On Friday nights throughout the summer, the Salisbury Beach stage plays host to a DJ Beach party, beginning at 7:15 p.m. Enjoy oldies music on the beach with DJ Ralphie B., including Motown, doo-wop, and more. — Kristi Palma
Drag yourself out of bed for this Disney Villains Drag Brunch
The world is cruel, the world is wicked — so let’s have fun while we can, right?Have some fun at the cruelty’s expense during Disney Villains Drag Brunch, coming up July 15 at Summer Shack in Back Bay. Boston-based performer Neon Calypso is getting a gang together to thrill the brunch crowd with characters inspired by classic bad girls (and guy): Expect to get a visit from Cruella, the Evil Queen, Ursula, and Scar (rawr!). Costumes are encouraged for attendees and everybody is welcome. Tickets are $20 for seatings at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. All attendees must order an entree and beverage. — Jacqueline Cain
Enjoy ‘Perfectly Good Food’ with Irene Li
James Beard Award-winning chef Irene Li and her sister Margaret are the creative forces behind acclaimed Boston restaurant Mei Mei Dumplings. Irene is also the July/August 2023 Roslindale Book Ambassador, and will join the library branch (along with Margaret) to discuss the duo’s new book, “Perfectly Good Food: A Totally Achievable Zero Waste Approach to Home Cooking.” The free event, which begins at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, will provide insights from the cookbook, which was written with the thrifty cook in mind. — Zipporah Osei
Head to Fields Corner for the Boston Little Saigon Night Market
Any day of the year, visitors to Dorchester’s Fields Corner will find Boston’s Little Saigon. The neighborhood is an official cultural district representing the city’s sizable Vietnamese population — and the vibrant cuisine and culture that it brings to the area. But on Saturday, July 15, be truly transported during the second annual Boston Little Saigon Night Market. Inspired by chợ đêm, a traditional type of after-hours bazaar popular in Southeast Asia, East Asia, and Chinatowns across the world, the Little Saigon Night Market will feature local vendors offering Vietnamese-inspired street food, like chicken wings, skewers, and crawfish. Expect a beer garden plus live entertainment, photo opportunities, games and activities for all ages, and more. The event is free to attend with pay-as-you-go options from individual vendors. For more info on the participating restaurants, check out the Little Saigon Market website. — Jacqueline Cain
See country star Vince Gill at TD Garden for free
Country Music Hall of Famer Vince Gill will join Indianapolis Colts owner and CEO Jim Irsay and his all-star band for a free performance on July 15 at Boston’s TD Garden. The one-night concert celebrates The Jim Irsay Collection’s only stop in New England, which fills the venue’s concourse with the traveling museum’s prized iconic artifacts from rock music, American history, and pop culture. Garnering fanfare from musical memorabilia fans around the globe, Irsay’s exhibition includes world-famous instruments used by the greatest artists in music history, including Bob Dylan, The Beatles, James Brown, Prince, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Elton John, Johnny Cash, Jerry Garcia, Les Paul, David Gilmour, Jim Morrison, Pete Townshend, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, John Coltrane, The Edge, and other icons, as well as signed photos, handwritten lyrics, and other historic music memorabilia. While the event is free, guests may donate to Kicking the Stigma, an initiative to raise awareness about mental health, when they register. — Cheryl Fenton
Get a scoop of ice cream at Harvest’s pop-up
If you’re looking for a cool way to beat the heat, visit Harvest’s Sunday pop-up, the Ice Cream Cart. Every Sunday through August 27 this summer, from 1-4 p.m., you’ll be able to hang out on their Brattle Street patio in Harvard Square, choosing from a rotating selection of ice creams, served in housemade waffle cones and cups and arriving with different toppings. Flavors could include espresso chip — using La Colombe ingredients, kettle corn, watermelon hibiscus, bergamot sage sorbet, and berry swirl frozen yogurt. There will be new options every week. — Shira Laucharoen
Heal your soul with First Aid Kit at Roadrunner
Sometimes you feel like a band, sometimes you don’t. Fans of Swedish sisters Klara and Johanna Söderberg — a.k.a. First Aid Kit — know that although they started out as a duo, they now usually travel with a four-piece band. Yet there are segments in the shows where the band sits back, and the siblings take the spotlight. Their harmonies are outstanding, they can play (Klara on acoustic guitar, Johanna on electric bass), and while earlier original compositions were contemplative, their albums, especially last year’s “Palomino,” have steadily developed a more poppy flavor. And it shouldn’t surprise any devotees if, during their 8 p.m. show on Sunday at Roadrunner (supported by Weather Station), they sneak in covers of Simon & Garfunkel or Kate Bush. — Ed Symkus
Dial up your Sundays with live, local music at The Dial
Central Square has sprouted a “Groove Garden” this summer. That’s the vibe this Sunday at The Dial, which hosts a Summer Music Series weekly through September on its hidden gem of an outdoor patio. The Dial, located on the ground level of Cambridge boutique hotel 907 Main, has a funky outdoor bar fashioned out of a shipping container, which features a retractable roof. This summer, it will host rotating weekly entertainment every Sunday evening, spanning live DJs spinning vintage disco to local bands. This Sunday, Ryan McHugh brings his pop-alt cover act, Hit Play, for a free, all-ages show. To keep up on the latest programming updates, follow the restaurant on Instagram. — Jacqueline Cain
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