Things to do in Boston this weekend: Jan. 18-21, 2024

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].

Explore interactive art in Downtown Boston

Did you see that story about the giant floating clown heads that mysteriously appeared in downtown Boston last week? The unsettling inflatables were actually part of an ongoing outdoor art exhibit known as Winteractive, which dots the Downtown area with eight eye-catching artworks and interactive play elements. Produced by a trio of Canadian curatorial partners, Winteractive also features a giant whale sculpture (“Echoes — A Voice From Uncharted Waters”), an urban bonfire” of hundreds of lights (“Island of Warmth”), and a creepy diorama (“Territory 2.0”), among other oddities. To see a full map of artwork locations, visit the Winteractive website. (Now through April 14; Downtown Crossing, Boston; free) — Kevin Slane

Learn about local indigenous people with BPL

This Thursday, you can learn about the history, culture, and traditional arts of Southern New England tribal communities during the presentation “Indigenous Traditions & Lifeways of Southern New England” by Silvermoon LaRose, a member of the Narragansett Tribe and the assistant director of the Tomaquag Museum in Rhode Island. LaRose will be at the Boston Public Library’s Hyde Park branch, offering her first-person perspective at this fre event from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. (Thursday, Jan. 18 at 6:30 p.m.; Boston Public Library, 35 Harvard Ave., Hyde Park; free) — Cheryl Fenton

Catch up on the best movies of 2023 at the Brattle

When Oscar nominations are announced on Tuesday, there will be plenty of movies you can see in theaters right now (“Poor Things,” “American Fiction”) and others that almost everyone saw over the summer (“Oppenheimer,” “Barbie”). But many more of the best movies of 2023 aren’t readily available, having already left theaters but not yet arrived on streaming services. For the next two weeks, the Brattle Theatre is bringing back some of the staff’s favorite films from 2023, many of which have already been racking up wins during awards season. The series kicks off on Thursday with my personal favorite movie of 2023, Celine Song’s “Past Lives,” and continues with incredible films all weekend. Friday brings “Killers of the Flower Moon” star Lily Gladstone in “The Unknown Country” and indie horror hit “Talk to Me”; Saturday has the kid-friendly “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” and a double feature of “Barbie” and Emma Seligman’s bizarre lesbian fight club comedy “Bottoms”; and Sunday has a double bill of Kelly Reichardt’s pensive art film “Showing Up” and the German drama “Afire.” (Thursday, Jan. 18 through Thursday, Feb. 1 at various times; Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Cambridge; $12.50) — Kevin Slane

Crack up with Jay Pharoah at The Wilbur

You need no further proof of Jay Pharoah’s hilarious gift for impressions than his classic “Saturday Night Live” sketch “Comedians Meeting.” (Although you should watch “Rappers Meeting” too, just because.) But he had plenty more to offer during his six years on “SNL,” and since then has become a breakout actor in films like this year’s “Spinning Gold” and 2022’s horror comedy “The Blackening.” And those of us of a certain age particularly appreciated his take on J.J. in the “Good Times” installment of “Live in Front of a Studio Audience.” (Friday, Jan. 19 at 7:30 p.m.; The Wilbur, 246 Tremont St., Boston; $30) — Peter Chianca

Catch a midnight screening of ‘Poltergeist’

In the midst of an incredible run of box office success, Steven Spielberg often co-wrote or produced movies that he would flip to director pals still seeking their big break, such as Joe Dante (“Gremlins”) and Robert Zemeckis (“Back to the Future”). Originally intended as a horror sequel to Spielberg’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” Spielberg was too busy directing “E.T.” to helm “Poltergeist,” but still co-wrote the suspenseful ghost story while “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” director Tobe Hooper got behind the camera. While “Poltergeist” is significantly creepier than most of Spielberg’s filmography, you can still sense the director’s personal touches on the script if you know where to look, making it the perfect film to check out this weekend for a midnight screening at Coolidge Corner Theatre. (Friday, Jan. 19 at 11:59 p.m.; Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St., Brookline; $15.50) — Kevin Slane

Share some laughs with Amma Marfo & Friends

You’ve got to give Amma Marfo credit — as any armchair comedian can tell you, there’s a big difference between writing about comedy and performing it. But after years of covering comedy for sites like The Interrobang, the Boston writer finally took to the stage herself, and has since wowed crowds in New England and throughout the U.S. (and in Canada!). She also does a mean Ted Talk. Marfo has gathered some of her “funniest friends” to join her when she comes to Nick’s in January. (Saturday, Jan. 20 at 8 p.m.; Nick’s Comedy Stop, 100 Warrenton St., Boston; $22) — Peter Chianca

Sing along with Grace Potter at MGM Music Hall

Well before the release of her fifth studio album — “Mother Road” — over the summer, Grace Potter had long been known for her songwriting, her guitar playing, and her Hammond B-3 prowess. But it was always that powerful voice that earned the most raves, going back to the days when she led her band the Nocturnals, and right up through today. A Vermont native who pretty much lived on the road for many years, but is now back in her home state, Potter has never been an easy artist to pin down as far as any specific kind of music, as she’s put out tracks that include roots rock, country, blues, and various combinations. She can be mellow and she can be raucous. On “Mother Road,” there’s even a leaning toward classic rock. (Saturday, Jan. 20 at 8 p.m.; MGM Music Hall, 2 Lansdowne St., Boston. $60-$200) — Ed Symkus

See a new exhibit from Steve McQueen

Steve McQueen’s photograph “Lynching Tree” will hang in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum’s Fenway Gallery for two weeks, starting this Saturday. The “12 Years a Slave” director took the shot while filming the 2013 movie — depicting a Southern landscape focused on an oak, this bucolic scene was the site of several lynchings between the Civil War and the 1950s. The exhibit brings the opportunity for conversations about slavery and race in the U.S. While lynching happened most often in the south, it took place in Massachusetts, too. (Saturday. Jan. 20 through Sunday, Feb. 4 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 25 Evans Way, Boston; $13-20, free for ages 18 and under) — Natalie Gale

Get ideas for your next home renovation

Planning home improvements in 2024? The Suburban Boston Spring Home Show at Shriners Auditorium in Wilmington is an interactive event full of home products and professionals where guests can ask questions, peruse products, and get inspired. The two-day event is $10 at the door, but you can get an unlimited number of free tickets if you register in advance online. (Saturday, Jan. 20 from 11-8 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 21 from 11-5 p.m.; 99 Fordham Road, Wilmington; free with advance registration, $10 at the door) — Kristi Palma

Learn about the science of snow

Had enough of the snow yet? If not, head to the Boston Nature Center and Wildlife Sanctuary in Mattapan to see Mass Audubon’s “Science of Snow,” a family-friendly event that explores the fascinaing science beyond the fluffy precipitation. Intended for families with children ages 5-12, guests will examine snow crystals with magnifying glasses and microscopes, as well as learn about how snow is a crucial support system for animal life in winter. (Saturday, Jan. 20 from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Boston Nature Center, 500 Walk Hill St., Boston; $10-13) — Kevin Slane

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