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]
Watch David Ortiz, Michelle Wu, and more discuss the future at Globe Summit 2022
Back for another year of thought-provoking conversation, Globe Summit 2022 unites speakers from across Massachusetts for future-focused panel discussions and fireside chats with Globe journalists from Sept. 14-16. Featured speakers include Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, Red Sox legend David Ortiz, actor Sam Waterston, and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07). This event has 30+ virtually streamed sessions that focus on beats from entrepreneurship and technology to climate, healthcare, education, lifestyle, and more. To register for any of the free discussions, visit globe.com/summit — Ria Goveas
Join a sticky celebration at Somerville Fluff Festival
Since the mid-2000s, Somerville has played host to “What the Fluff?,” a wildly creative celebration of marshmallow fluff, which was invented in the city more than 100 years ago. After two years of socially distanced celebrations, the festival will be back in Union Square this Saturday from 3-7 p.m. with more Fluff than you can imagine. Fluff cooking contests, Fluff jousting, Fluff hairstyling, and Fluff limbo are just some of the activities planned for the afternoon, which is free to attend. For a full schedule and a list of nearby participating businesses, visit the Fluff Festival website. — Kevin Slane
Celebrate the spirit of New England at The Big E
After taking the year off in 2020, The Eastern States Exposition (known by all as The Big E) returned to Springfield in 2021 with a bang, welcoming nearly 1.5 million visitors to its Hampden County grounds. For its 2022 edition, which starts this Friday and runs through October 3, New England’s largest fair will have even more live musical acts (including Dropkick Murphys, Nelly, and Lynyrd Skynyrd), all of its beloved competitions, the return of its circus spectacular, and plenty of the deliciously deep-fried treats visitors have come to expect. New this year are a new “Front Porch” shopping and relaxation center, more than a dozen new food vendors joining an already large selection, and a 150-foot “Sky High Super Wheel” ferris wheel that organizers say is the largest of its kind in North America. Tickets for the various events can be purchased at the fairgrounds or in advance on The Big E’s website. — Kevin Slane
Enjoy free admission to these New England museums in September
More than 50 New England museums will once again offer free admission this Saturday, thanks to Smithsonian Magazine’s 18th annual Museum Day. The nationwide event’s theme this year is “The American Experience,” and will feature museums and cultural institutions “that make America so special,” according to Smitshonian Media CRO Amy Wilkins. Guests can download tickets on the Smithsonian Magazine website, which also features a searchable list of every nearby participating museum. Among the 26 Massachusetts museums and cultural institutions participating are Buckman Tavern in Lexington, the Fruitlands Museum in Harvard, the Harvard Art Museums in Cambridge, the Gardner Museum in Gardner, and the William Hickling Prescott House in Boston. — Kristi Palma
Join ‘Impractical Jokers’ star Joe Gatto for a night of comedy
Despite his departure from the hilarious and cringe-worthy truTV hidden camera show “Impractical Jokers,” Joe Gatto is still making us laugh. His Night of Comedy is a three-month tour that starts in Wisconsin and ends in Ohio, making a stop in Boston this Thursday at 6:30 p.m. While Gatto split from the “Jokers” crew earlier this year to focus on his family life, he hasn’t put show business completely behind him: He is currently the co-host of the podcast ”Two Cool Moms” with Steve Byrne, and is now taking his own comedy on the road. There is also a meet and greet that event-goers can purchase tickets for if they’d like to experience Gatto up close and personal. — Ria Goveas
Celebrate creativity at Revere Beach Art Festival
This Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Revere Beach Partnership will hold its fifth annual Revere Beach Art Festival, a free exhibit at Revere Beach between the Markey Bridge and Wonderland Station. The event will include live music and artists selling their wares, along with plenty of art activities. During the Live Art Competition, artists compete for prizes ranging from $500 to $1,500 for creating a piece of artwork on the spot that embodies the charm of Revere Beach. Proceeds from the festival go to scholarships for Revere High School art students pursuing higher education in art. For more info, visit the festival’s website. — Natalie Gale
Treat your tastebuds at the Caribbean Rum and Food Festival
Wish you were sipping a Caribbean cocktail in your dream Caribbean destination? This can become a reality right here in Boston, during the fifth Caribbean Rum and Food Festival, which will be held this Saturday from noon to 8 p.m. at Roxbury Community College. Showcasing products, rum, arts and crafts, jewelry and entertainment, take yourself on an immersive journey through the Caribbean. Dance to music from a live reggae band and live DJ as you sample rum and cocktails from vendors and two bars. Attendees are greeted with a welcome drink, Caribbean rum punch, and can even learn how to make and sample a variety of Caribbean cocktails by watching their demonstrations. — Ria Goveas
Catch some tunes at BU’s Global Music Festival
This Saturday, Boston University will host its annual Global Music Festival, an all-day outdoor festival celebrating international music. True to the festival’s theme, acts performing this weekend hail from all over the globe, including Mexican marimba-punk band Son Rompe Pera, Malawian street musician duo Madalitso, and Indonesian percussion/dance troupe Saung Budaya. For a full list of educational activities and set times, check out BU’s website. — Kevin Slane
Sample beer at the Blackburn Brew Fest
With live music, local food, and other vendors, the Blackburn brew fest celebrates the Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce’s 100th anniversary this Saturday from 1-5 p.m. at Stage Fort Park in Gloucester. Attendees can sample hundreds of beers, ciders, and meads brewed by nearly 40 Massachusetts breweries. Over the Bridge, a reggae-rock band, will perform, and attendees can get food from The Lobster Roller, Meat & Sweet, Rhea Pizza Napoletana, and 5 Star Phresh Phood. Non-alcoholic beverages will also be available. Parking is free, and designated driver tickets are $10. Tickets for regular attendees are available online via Eventbrite. — Ria Goveas
Taste local cuisine at the Boston Local Food Festival
The Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts (SBN) will host its 12th annual Boston Local Food Festival this Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Located on the Greenway, the festival celebrates locally made and grown food around Boston, with vendors, games, and demonstrations. This year’s more than 75 vendors include farms and food purveyors like Little Leaf Farms, Barry’s Hot Sauce, Taza Chocolate, Red Apple Farm, Nirvana Restaurant, and Tasting Counter. (Find the full lineup of vendors here.) The day will also include cooking demonstrations from some of New England’s top chefs, and two chefs will even compete in front of a live audience for the best seafood dish at the Seafood Throwdown. The Family Fun Zone by the fountains will have face painting, educational booths, and games, while the New England Village will include vendors selected to represent their state for embodying the ideals of a green, local, and fair economy. — Natalie Gale
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