BosTen is your weekly guide to the best events and coolest happenings in and around 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].
Sing along to Disney favorites at the Boston Pops season opener
For its first in-person spring season at Symphony Hall since 2019, the Boston Pops is ready (and more than willing) to invite audiences back together for spectacular musical performances. From film nights celebrating Boston Pops Conductor Laureate John Williams’ 90th birthday year to star-studded tributes to Broadway, jazz, and gospel, the dynamic 2022 Boston Pops spring season offers audiences the very best across a variety of genres, beginning with a grand season-opener — “The Magical Music of Alan Menken” (May 19 and 21). Under the direction of Keith Lockhart, the evening features Broadway stars Susan Egan (“Beauty and the Beast,” “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” “Cabaret”), Telly Leung (“Glee,” “Aladdin,” “Rent”), and Alton Fitzgerald White (“The Lion King,” “The Color Purple,” “Ragtime”) performing favorite songs by the legendary composer of “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Little Shop of Horrors,” and much more. Tickets are available now on the BSO website. — Cheryl Fenton
Toast to spring with the Boston.com Cocktail Club
Springtime is a great time to get outside and invite some friends over for a floral cocktail. If your mixologist skills are a little rusty, join the Boston.com Cocktail Club this Thursday at 7 p.m. as host Jackson Cannon (The Hawthorne, Eastern Standard) and guest bartender Van Hongthong (Baldwin Bar) teach you how to make two vernal cocktails — a Spring Collins and a Mai Tai. Attending the Zoom is free, and you can find a full list of necessary ingredients here. — Kevin Slane
Get back in the dating game with Bumble IRL
Dating during the pandemic has been tough on a lot of people, and no one knows that better than Bumble, the dating app that allowed thousands of singles to exchange “Sorry, I’m quarantining” messages over the last two years. To herald a return to (somewhat) normalcy, Bumble has launched Bumble IRL, a year-long activation in 10 cities around the country, including Boston. This Thursday, you can work up a sweat at SoulCycle in Newton, then on Saturday, mingle with environmentally conscious singles while planting pollinator-supporting vegetation in the Emerald Necklace. — Kevin Slane
Pedal your way to free breakfast in Boston
Whether you’ve fully returned to your offices or just have enough time to hop on your bike and head downtown, the City of Boston wants to reward environmentally friendly commuters this Friday on National Bike to Work Day. Grab your helmet and pedal over to Downtown Crossing from 7-9 a.m. for a free breakfast and coffee, as well as free cyclist swag from a number of participating companies and organizations. If you want to make some new two-wheeling friends on the way, check out the city’s website to find out about one of several convoys departing from various points in the city and beyond. — Kevin Slane
Raise a glass at HarpoonFest
While fall might corner the market on fairs, spring is clearly the season of fests. Beloved local brewery Harpoon gets in on the action with the return of its much-anticipated HarpoonFest — a two-day festival with live music, food trucks, and Harpoon beer (along with a few other faves). Grab-and-go your favorite foods from local meals-on-wheels (Friday’s food trucks include Chubby Chickpea, Moyzilla, and Tenoch, while Saturday adds Chicken and Rice Guys, Pennypacker’s, and Stoked Pizza to the mix), then hit the bars for draft suds from Harpoon (including their iconic IPA, Camp Wannamango, Summer Style, Big League, Rec. League, and Craft Cider) and UFO (White, Georgia Peach, Blueberry, and Watermelon World), along with cans from Artic Chill, Clown Shoes, and Whistle Pig. While the beer and food is enough to hold your attention, live music kicks it up a notch. Friday night’s fest (which runs from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.) includes performances from Carissa Johnson, Dan Blakeslee, Justin Nash Fisher, ToriTori, Gatch, Comanchero, El Scorcho, and DJ J-Wall, while Saturday’s fest (which runs from noon to 7 p.m.) features Latrell James, Lady Pills, Tim Hall, Lightfoot, Senseless Optimism, Samantha Farrell, Rolling Nectar, Muzzins, Lilah, Jill McCracken, Savoir Faire, and Howl At The Moon Dueling Pianos. — Cheryl Fenton
Make friends in low places with Garth Brooks at Gillette Stadium
After a series of COVID-related delays, country legend Garth Brooks will make his long-awaited return to Gillette Stadium for a pair of stadium shows this weekend. The seven-time CMA Entertainer of the Year will perform at the home of the Patriots on Friday and Saturday night, his first performances in New England in seven years as part of his long-running Garth Brooks Stadium Tour. There are more tickets available for the more recently-added Friday show, but both nights still have seats up for grabs via Ticketmaster. — Kevin Slane
Gather ’round at Jack’s Abby Mayfest
Oktoberfest comes but once a year, but German beer culture abounds with celebrated seasonal sips. German-inspired, Boston-area beer hall and garden Jack’s Abby throws a Mayfest each year with all the bells and whistles. Spanning Friday through Sunday, the indoor/outdoor festival brings back its Keller Series: Maibock beer with ceremonial keg tappings, live music, German food specials, costume contests, and more fun throughout the weekend. Mayfest is free to attend and reservations are available. There are also ticketed VIP experiences on Friday and Saturday nights which include buffet snacks upon arrival, a private tour and tasting with brewery owner Jack Hendler, and a four-pack of Jack’s Abby Keller Series Maibock to take home. — Jacqueline Cain
Climb aboard for Free Ferry Day
As part of the Boston Harbor Islands’ 25th anniversary as a National Park (and 50th anniversary as a State Park), the Boston Harbor Islands nonprofit is bringing back its annual Free Ferry Day this Saturday. Along with free ferry rides to Spectacle or Georges Island, visitors will be able to check out speaking sessions, arts, music, and children’s activities. The tickets are first-come, first-serve, and will be available at Long Island Wharf starting at 8 a.m. — Kevin Slane
Enjoy free admission to the Peabody Essex Museum and a street music festival
In August 2021, the Peabody Essex Museum unveiled a very pandemic-appropriate exhibition by Cuban contemporary artist Carlos Garaicoa: Partitura, a reimagined orchestra created by combining 40 recordings of musicians of various skill levels from around the world. This Sunday from noon to 6 p.m., the Peabody Essex Museum will celebrate the spirit of Garaicoa’s work with an outdoor music festival featuring a lineup of street musicians (curated by Garaicoa) spread across eight stages on Essex Street. There will be food trucks, a beer garden, and free admission to the museum all day long as well. — Kevin Slane
Shop local at Seaport x Black Owned Bos. Market
Following successful pandemic-era markets held in 2020 and 2021, the Seaport x Black Owned Bos. Market will return to Seaport Common (85 Northern Ave.) on a monthly basis through October starting this Sunday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. More than 50 Black-owned businesses from the Greater Boston area will sell their work at the spacious outdoor market, with customers being able to find art, skincare lines, house plants, adult and children’s clothing, and more. — Kevin Slane
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