Weekends

10 things to do in Boston this weekend

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

Hot dog at Fenway Park
Opening Day at Fenway Park is on Friday, April 4. South Street Diner is serving all-you-can-eat Fenway Franks that day to celebrate. Jim Davis/Boston Globe

By Gia Orsino

4 minutes to read

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].

Watch local bartenders throw down

For bartenders, speed and accuracy are the names of the game. But who’s the speediest and most accurate of them all? Find out tonight when Speed Rack, the touring all-female and femme bartending competition, comes to The Royale. Bartenders will compete live on stage to stir and shake as fast as they can. The best part? All the proceeds go to fight breast cancer. (Monday, March 31 at 5 p.m.; 279 Tremont St., Boston; $25)

Laugh all week long

The annual Boston Comedy Festival is back for its 25th year this week. Throughout the week, 72 rising comedians will be duking it out in a series of live, high stakes rounds at venues across the city. Winners will advance from the prelims on Tuesday and Wednesday, to the semi-finals on Thursday and Friday, to the finals on Saturday at the Somerville Theatre. Previous winners and finalists include Nate Bargatze, Joe List, and Kelly MacFarland. (Tuesday, April 1 to Saturday, April 5; various times and locations; tickets start at $20)

Put your taste buds to the test

Tired: Wine tasting on a Saturday. Wired: Blindfolded April Fools-themed wine tasting on a Tuesday. That’s exactly what’s going down at BRIX wine shop for its latest Sip & Tell class. Participants will sample a wacky array of wines — some surprising, some deceptive — test their wine knowledge, and hopefully learn a little something new. (Tuesday, April 1; 6 to 7 p.m.; 1284 Washington St., Boston; $25)

Shop small ‘til you drop

New season, new wardrobe. Lucky for us, Small Mart’s Vintage, Vinyl & Art Mart is hosting a special night market at the Crystal Ballroom. Not only will there be vintage clothing curators to peruse, but vinyl collectors and artists and makers of all kinds. Don’t want to shop? Check out the local DJ set and bar bevs. (Friday, April 4, 5 to 9 p.m.; 55 Davis Square, Somerville; free)

Add a little magic to your week

There’s only one spot in the city where magicians can test their new material, open mic-style: The Magic Lab in Roslindale. Every month, local magicians and guest stars from afar show up and show out with their best new material. Get there early for good seats! Note: Though kids are welcome at the show, it’s best suited for teens and up. (Thursday, April 3, 7 p.m.; 5 Basile St., Boston; $12)

Spend your Friday night at the museum(s) 

First up is MFA’s First Fridays, a late night bash with music, dancing, drinks, bites, and art-making. Tickets sell out fast, so act soon. Meanwhile, SoWa also throws down for the first Friday of the month for free with over 80 artists, galleries, shops, and showrooms opening their doors to the public for a night of community. Grab a bite at one of the food trucks on site. (Friday, April 4, various times, locations, and prices)

Savor your first Fenway Franks of the season

The Red Sox are back and better than … the past few years, anyway. This Friday marks their home opener at Fenway against the St. Louis Cardinals. There are still a few tickets for just under $100 a pop, but if you don’t want to swing that price, you can gorge on South Street diner’s all-you-can-eat Fenway Frank promotion on Opening Day. All you have to do is buy a drink. (Friday, April 4; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., 178 Kneeland St., Boston; prices vary)

Sip your way into spring

Tired of $20 cocktails? This weekend, you spend the day sampling the city’s best cocktails, mocktails, seltzers, wines, and more for basically the same price at Time Out’s Cocktail Mocktail Challenge. After you’ve tried all the drinks (and maybe a few snacks) you and your pals can vote for the best ones for the chance to win prizes. (Saturday, April 5; 1:00 to 8:00 p.m., 401 Park Ave., Boston; $19)

Hear Lana Del Ray like you’ve never heard her before

Get your red dress on, do your hair up real big beauty queen style, and head to Crystal Ballroom in Somerville to hear Lana Del Ray’s discography as played live by the 11-piece “Born to Die Orchestra” and sung by Niki Luparelli. For one night, they’ll work their way through Lana’s discography from her nostalgic hits like “Summertime Sadness” to the depths of “Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Boulevard.” (Saturday, April 5; 8:00 to 11 p.m.., 55 Davis Sq, Somerville; tickets start at $31)

Relive your book fair memories — with a glass in hand

Remember those book fairs in elementary school? Well, picture that, but add booze. Word on the Street Bookstore is bringing some hot titles and niche picks alike to Castle Island’s South Boston Taproom for a sip-and-shop boozy book fair. (Sunday, April 6; 2:00 to 5:00 p.m., 10 Old Colony Ave. Boston; free)

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