While Massachusetts businesses and cultural institutions remain partially open amid reopening rollbacks, many residents are continuing to stay home due to the coronavirus pandemic. With that in mind, this week’s BosTen offers a mix of in-person and virtual things to do this weekend. 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].
See virtual “Faces and Places” with the ICA
The ICA doesn’t reopen until next month, but the museum is keeping its art front and center this Thursday during a Zoom discussion with South African artist and activist Zanele Muholi. ICA chief curator Eva Respini will join Muholi for a discussion of their portraiture series Faces and Phases, which celebrate Black queer communities in South Africa. Registration for the 6:30 p.m. chat is free on the ICA website, but a $5 donation is suggested.
Listen to some Broadway tunes for a good cause with “Broadway Smashes COVID!”
On Thursday, Health Care Without Walls, a nonprofit serving women and children in the Boston area homeless community, will host “Broadway Smashes COVID!,” a lineup of musical stars raising money for the organization with virtual performances. Expect appearances from Adam Pascal (“Rent”), Heather Headley (“The Lion King”), John Lloyd Young (“Jersey Boys”), and more. Registration for the 7 p.m. event can be completed on the HCWW website.
Learn more about the lasting impact of Donald Trump’s foreign policy
On Thursday, the Boston Book Festival hosts a discussion on the continuing repercussions of former president Donald Trump’s foreign policy decisions. CNN national security expert Jim Sciutto will join Harvard Kennedy School of Government’s Juliette Kayyem to discuss his recent book “The Madman Theory,” and how Trump’s actions have significantly altered U.S. relations with China, North Korea, Syria, Iran, Afghanistan, Turkey — and of course, Russia. Tickets for the 6:30 p.m. discussion start at $15, with proceeds supporting the Boston Book Festival.
Sip Pimm’s with the Boston.com cocktail club
Ever buy a liqueur to mix a single cocktail and had almost the bottle left over at the end of the evening? Pimm’s No. 1 may be a longtime inhabitant of the dusty back corner of your liquor cabinet, but the gin-based fruit cup aperitif has plenty of delicious uses. Join Boston.com at 7 p.m. Thursday for its weekly cocktail club as host Jackson Cannon (The Hawthorne, Eastern Standard) and guest Gina Richard Sargeant (formerly of Island Creek Oyster Bar and Select Oyster Bar) will teach you their versions of two Pimm’s cocktails, the Dartmouth Highball and the Pimm’s Cup. Attending the Zoom is free, and you can purchase a kit with all the ingredients you’ll need here. Proceeds from the event benefit Off Their Plate.
Become a certified regular at Artifact Cider Project
More of a cider fan than a beer drinker? Artifact Cider Project’s The Regulars launches this weekend, a membership program that runs until Dec. 1. For $54, members receive a growler, early access to new releases, special pricing on cases and kegs, 30 percent off Artifact merchandise, and more. At your first pick up — available this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday — you’ll get a membership card, an exclusive long-sleeve T-shirt, and a growler filled with the cider of your choice. Pick up is available at both the Florence and Cambridge locations.
Look back at Boston’s historic jazz scene at the Museum of African American History
The Museum of African American History’s new exhibit, “Jazz Scene in Boston: Telling the Local Story,” is a look back in time at the city’s jazz history from the 1940s to the 1980s. Presented in an exhibit designed to evoke the jazz clubs of yore, the museum has collected dozens of photographs, handbills, and posters from the era to tell its story. Beyond the new exhibit, the museum, which was named one of 15 unmissable Black history museums across America, also features the African Meeting House, the oldest Black church building in the nation; and the adjacent Abiel Smith School, the oldest building in the country created for the education of Black children. The museum is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and guests must reserve timed tickets 24 hours in advance online.
Order discounted hot dogs at Sullivan’s Castle Island
You know it’s the (unofficial) start of spring when Sullivan’s Castle Island in Southie opens for the season. The Pleasure Bay landmark makes its 2021 debut on Saturday, offering 50 percent off hot dogs for its first week back in business. If hot dogs aren’t your thing, there’s plenty to choose from on the menu: lobster rolls, onion rings, fried fish, and swirls of soft serve. Bring a mask, pay attention to social distancing measures, and line up for a Boston spring rite of passage.
Head to the Fenway for a cake and wine tasting
You don’t need to be celebrating a special occasion to take advantage of Big Heart Hospitality’s cake and wine tasting on Saturday. Stop by one of their Fenway restaurants, Fool’s Errand, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., where you’ll be greeted at the takeout window with a menu of cakes from pastry chef Dee Steffen Chinn: Chocolate-Chocolate, A Toast to Sprinkles, Dunk Dunk the Oreo, Coconut Delight, and Cake Me Out to the Ball Game. Wine pairings are available for one, three, or five slices of cake, with options that include PX Sherry, Brachetto D’Acqui, Malmsey Madeira, and more. All cakes and wines are packaged to go.
Enjoy an illuminated evening walk through the Emerald Necklace
With the city finally breaking out of a weekslong freeze, now is a great time to get outside. If you’re out for an evening stroll, swing by the Emerald Necklace, where the sprawling chain of parks has been living up to its name by illuminating several of its bridges in a bright green light. You’ll be able to spot the glowing bridges in the Back Bay Fens, the Riverway, Olmsted Park, and Franklin Park every night from dusk until 9 p.m. For a full list of locations, check out the Emerald Necklace website.
Hear from Black leaders in Boston over a virtual brunch
Talk about a powerhouse trio. On Sunday, Douglass Williams (MIDA), TJ Douglas (The Urban Grape), and Segun Idowu (Black Economic Council of MA) will join forces for a virtual brunch” “Wine, Pasta, Brunch & Conversation: Being Black in Boston’s Hospitality Community.” Attendees will be able to enjoy a three-course brunch for two — short rib lasagna, zeppole, insalata mista, and a half bottle of wine — accompanied by a discussion on hospitality, community, and the importance of Black leadership in Boston. Tickets for the event are $90, and all proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to the Greater Boston Food Bank.
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