While more and more Massachusetts businesses and cultural institutions are reopening as COVID-19 vaccination efforts continue, many residents are still staying 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].
Starting Saturday, the Merrimack Repertory Theatre will be presenting an online version of playwright Dael Orlandersmith’s latest work, “Until the Flood,” which centers around the 2014 killing of Michael Brown by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, as well as the protests, indignities, and change that followed. Tickets for the play, which runs through May 2, can be purchased on the theatre’s website.
Celebrate Earth Day with the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture
In honor of Earth Day on April 22, the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture have been offering free virtual events all week long. Still to come is a discussion about innovations in agricultural practices on Thursday at 6 p.m. and a roundtable focusing on ecology and spirituality on Friday at 4 p.m. Advance registration is required and can be completed on the museum’s website.
Sip non-alcoholic drinks with the Boston.com cocktail club
Abstaining from alcohol doesn’t mean you need to give up the complex flavor pairings created by mixologists. This Thursday at 7 p.m., Boston.com Cocktail Club host Jackson Cannon (The Hawthorne, Eastern Standard) and guest Nick Pratt (Hojoko) will teach viewers how to make a Garden Mule and an Eastside using Seedlip, a non-alcoholic distilled spirit. 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.
Enjoy movie night with Matt Damon and MIT scientists
If you found yourself watching Matt Damon’s 2015 sci-fi flick “The Martian” and wondering whether Damon’s astronaut Mark Watney could have really survived on the red planet, MIT is here to answer your questions. In a 3-hour live Zoom webinar starting Friday at 6:30 p.m., MIT researchers who have worked on real Mars missions will watch “The Martian” along with viewers at home and chat throughout the movie, as well as host a Q&A after the credits roll. While the talk is free with prior registration, viewers must watch “The Martian” on their own. For more info on streaming and rental options, click here.
Tune in virtually for the 10th annual Arlington Jazz Festival
While we are getting closer to the return of regular concerts, Massachusetts isn’t quite there yet, so the 10th annual Arlington Jazz Festival will be conducted online. For its milestone anniversary, the festival has scheduled a series of one-hour concerts that will be live-streamed from the PBS studios in Westwood on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. For more info on the artists, check out the festival’s Facebook event, and livestream the show directly on the Arlington Jazz Festival Facebook page.
Check out Cafe Beatrice’s new weekend brunch service
Tucked inside The Lexington at Cambridge Crossing, Cafe Beatrice is a bastion for pastry chef Brian Mercury’s baked goods. Starting this weekend, you can now stop by for brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., when five specialty items will run alongside the cafe’s regular menu. Order a mimosa, an egg sandwich, and some chocolate bread pudding, then head to the patio for a sunny start to the day.
Celebrate the spring beer series at Haley House Bakery Cafe
Roxbury’s much-loved cafe is kicking off its spring beer series on Saturday with 67 Degrees Brewing, a Franklin-based microbrewery. From noon to 4 p.m., settle on the patio for small bites and a selection of the brewery’s most popular beers, including As One, a New England IPA created by 67 Degrees Brewing, Arcpoint Brewing, Crue Brew Brewery, and White Lion Brewing to help fund a scholarship for students of color enrolled in Holyoke Community College’s beer, cider, and winemaking program.
Stream the Best Picture Oscar nominees before Sunday’s Academy Awards
With movie theaters sitting largely empty in 2020, there’s a chance you haven’t caught up on all seven films that will compete for Best Picture at the 93rd Academy Awards this Sunday on ABC. Luckily, all seven Best Picture nominees are available to stream or rent at home via streaming services or on-demand platforms. If you’re short on time, “Nomadland” is the odds-on favorite to take home the top prize, with “Trial of the Chicago 7,” “Minari,” and “Promising Young Woman” also in contention. To see where you can stream each movie, check out our Best Picture Oscar streaming guide.
Get your Sandwich Boy Co. fix at Ruckus
There are sandwiches and then there are sandwiches. The folks at Sandwich Boy Co. have nailed down some pretty perfect sandwich creations, and they’re bringing them to the masses with a pop-up at Ruckus in Chinatown on Saturday. Place your order for a jerk chicken topped with pineapple salsa and jerk sauce, or a Sandwich de Pernil, made with Puerto Rican-style pulled pork, coleslaw, and big boy sauce. Dine in or pick up from 2 to 8 p.m.
Shop local at Seaport x Black Owned Bos. Market
Following successful one-day pop-ups last August and October, the Seaport x Black Owned Bos. Market will return to Seaport Common (85 Northern Ave.) on a monthly basis starting this Sunday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. More than 30 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. Due to COVID safety guidelines, capacity will be limited to 100 guests at a time, and customers must RSVP via Eventbrite.
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