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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].
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 difference approach, offering free admission to a different museum or cultural institution each day during the month of August in what it’s calling August Adventures. This weekend’s participating locations are Historic Deerfield (Thursday), the Children’s Museum of Greater Fall River (Friday), the Worcester Art Museum (Saturday), and the Edward Gorey House (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, there are three options: “Godzilla 2000” on the Rose Kennedy Greenway at 8 p.m. courtesy the Coolidge Corner Theatre, “Finding Dory” 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 “The Princess and the Frog” on its lawn at dusk, preceded by children’s entertainment that begins at 6 p.m. (Various times and locations) — Kevin Slane
Sweat it out on the Greenway
Each summer, the Rose Kennedy Greenway turns into a high energy workout zone, with free fitness classes almost daily as part of the Fitness on the Greenway. There will be more than 130 fitness classes scheduled, including yoga, Zumba, HIIT, bodyweight circuit, and strength classes, so there’s something for every level of fitness. August’s offerings include recurring classes, such as Intro to Parkour every Thursday from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., and Pilates Movement with Jill this Sunday from noon to 1 p.m. There are also one-time events happening this weekend, including SoulFire Movement on Thursday at 5:30 p.m., and a HIIT class from UFC Gym on Friday at 5:30 p.m. Be sure to check out the Fitness on the Greenway website for a full list of activities. (various locations on the Greenway, Boston) — Cheryl Fenton
Mangia your way through a North End feast
During more than a dozen summer weekends, various Italian societies honor the patron saints of ancestor towns with masses, processions, food and music during Boston’s historic North End Feasts. This weekend marks the return of one of the largest feasts, dedicated to St. Agrippina di Mineo. From Thursday through Sunday, the streets are adorned with lights, the air is rich with the smell of sausages, and traditional song has every toe tapping. (Thursday, August 1 through Sunday, August 4; Hanover St., Boston; free) — Cheryl Fenton
Step into an episode of ‘Bluey’
You might say Burlington Mall is going to the dogs. Or at least one special dog is going to the mall this summer, and you’ll want to be there. Every day through October 29, everyone’s favorite Blue Heeler dog Bluey is getting in on the summer fun with a new immersive adventure hosted by CAMP, the Family Experience Company. Guests at Bluey x CAMP will be able to play their favorite “Bluey” games, show off their dance moves in Bluey’s playroom, sleuth all the hidden clues throughout the house, and venture into a two-story pillow fort and a cardboard box castle (complete with slides), among other activities. Tickets are already quite limited this weekend, so be sure to reserve timed entry tickets here. (Daily through October 29; 75 Middlesex Turnpike, Burlington; $42) — Cheryl Fenton
‘Ride the Lightning’ with Metallica
More than 40 years after first forming in Los Angeles, Metallica remain one of the most reliable metal acts in the business, consistently selling out stadiums to legions of fans who know every lick of Kirk Hammet’s guitar and kick of Lars Ulrich’s drums by heart. The thrash metal pioneers are currently in the midst of an ambitious world tour dubbed No Repeat Weekend, during which the band plays two shows in each city with no overlap in songs between the two sets. As of now, you can still buy individual tickets to Friday or Sunday’s show at Gillette Stadium, and resale tickets for two-day passes are available starting at $100. (Friday, August 2 and Sunday, August 4 at 6 p.m.; 1 Patriot Place, Foxborough; $80 and up) — Kevin Slane
Attend the Roaring Twenties Lawn Party
Held this Saturday and Sunday and presented by Boston Swing Central and The Trustees of Reservations with the theme of “Reimagine the Jazz Age,” the Roaring Twenties Lawn Party is a two-day celebration of all things vintage at Castle Hill on the Crane Estate in Ipswich. Attracting thousands in Gatsby-esque apparel, this retro picnic features live music and dancing, performances, lawn games, a vintage faire, a poetry brothel, Vintage Girl Photography, a Charleston contest, Dances by Isadora, Florence’s Fashion Stroll, and more — all set on the lavish swoon-worthy grounds of the Crane Estate. Explore the formal gardens with 1920s jazz in the air, stroll the antique auto show, march in a suffragette parade, take a dance lesson, and enjoy a drink at the Bootlegger’s Garden featuring Mill River Winery, 1634 Meadery, Del’s Lemonade, and True North Ales. Vintage attire is suggested but not required. Remember: a string of beads, a boa, and a fascinator or hat can transform a regular outfit into 1920s chic. (Saturday, August 3 and Sunday, August 4 from 2-8 p.m.; 290 Argilla Rd., Ipswich; $48-60, free for children 11 and under) — Cheryl Fenton
Attend a free classical concert at the Hatch Shell
The Fourth of July isn’t the only day of the year to experience classical music on the Esplanade. Throughout the summer, Boston Landmarks Orchestra will play a series of free concerts at the Hatch Memorial Shell, including one this Saturday at 7 p.m. Under the musical direction of Christopher Wilkins, Saturday’s show is “Brahms & Dvořák: Songs without Words,” and will feature Aron Zelkowicz on cello. If you’d like a preview of the compositions set to be performed during the hour-long concert, the Landmarks Orchestra has a Spotify playlist on its website. (Saturday, August 3 at 8 p.m.; 47 David G Mugar Way, Boston; free) — Kevin Slane
Catch a ’70s movie classic at Somerville Theatre
Following the passing of legendary actor Donald Sutherland in June at the age of 88, the Somerville Theatre moved quickly to acquire a 35 mm print of one of the actor’s rare lead roles, 1971’s “Klute,” for a midnight screening. Jane Fonda won a Best Actress Oscar for her performance in this psychological thriller, playing a high-end New York call girl named Bree who may be the key to unraveling the disappearance of a rich executive. Sutherland plays the titular Klute, a detective investigating the case who spies on Bree as she turns tricks, before eventually developing a romance with her. With its use of phone taps, recordings, and surveillance, “Klute” was oddly prescient about the era of paranoia about to be ushered in by Watergate a year later. (Saturday, August 3 at 11:59 p.m.; 55 Davis Sq., Somerville; $13-15) — Kevin Slane
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. In its 24th year, the summer program of Dine Out will run for two weeks starting this Sunday, stretching across every 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. (Sunday, August 4 through August 17 at various times and locations) — Katelyn Umholtz
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