Things to do in Boston this weekend: August 17-20, 2023

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].

Catch a free outdoor movie (or two)

Assuming you don’t melt from the summer heat, this weekend’s forecast calls for another round of free outdoor movies in the Boston area. On Thursday, you can catch “The Lion King” at Revere Beach or the ’90s classic “Clueless” at Seven Hills Park in Somerville. Then on Saturday, the Prudential Center will open up its lawn for a showing of “Spider-Man: No Way Home” at dusk. Finally, on Sunday you can see “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” at Christopher Columbus Park. — Kevin Slane

Watch ‘Jaws’ at a clambake movie night

Summer Shack in Cambridge is holding a viewing party where you can watch “Jaws,” even in the aftermath of Shark Week. A $65 admission ticket will also let you join a clambake, which includes clam chowder and a seasonal dessert. Special cocktails will be served, such as the “Shark Attack,” made with white rum, passionfruit, and more, and the “Shark Bite,” a blue raspberry Jell-O shot with a shark gummy. Purchase tickets here. — Shira Laucharoen

Go ‘Knee Deep’ with Zac Brown Band

Looking for a little bit of chicken (fried) and cold beer on a Saturday night in Boston this summer? Zac Brown Band has just the ticket. The group will be back at Fenway Park for a Saturday evening show at 7:30 p.m., keeping the country flavor going following three sold-out shows from Morgan Wallen. The “From the Fire Tour” is the group’s 10th North American tour, and kicked off on June 30 in Columbus. Joining Zac Brown Band at Fenway is country group King Calaway, who are one of the acts set to open for ZBB throughout the tour. (The others, Marcus King and Tenillie Townes, will not be in Boston this weekend.) Though Zac Brown Band remains hopeful they can extend their sellout record at Fenway to a 14th consecutive show, as of now, tickets are still available. — Kevin Slane

Feel the neighborhood rhythm at JP Porchfest

More than three months after Somerville kicked off the Porchfest season, Jamaica Plain is winding down the summer with its own version of the neighborhood musical celebration. More than 150 artists in JP will take to porches across the Boston neighborhood this Saturday from noon to 6 p.m., with a rain date of Sunday. You can see a full list of bands and set times and download a printable map and schedule at the JP Porchfest website. — Kevin Slane

Enjoy free admission to these 3 museums

Before the kids head back to school, why not take them to a museum free of charge? Every day in the month of August, the Highland Street Foundation provides free admission to a different museum or cultural institution in Massachusetts. This Friday, head to the Berkshires for a day of dance performances at Jacob’s Pillow. Then on Saturday, learn about how the Industrial Revolution shaped Massachusetts at the Samuel Slater Experience in Webster. Round out your free experiences on Sunday at the Amelia Park Children’s Museum in Westfield. — Kevin Slane

Celebrate a North End tradition at the Fisherman’s Feast

The 113th annual Fisherman’s Feast returns to the North End this weekend, honoring the long fishing tradition of Boston’s Italian-American population. The four-day festival, running from Thursday through Sunday, will see streets packed with food vendors and live entertainment — shutting down North, Fleet, and Lewis Streets to car traffic. While Boston’s Fisherman’s Feast is well over 100 years old, it remains largely the same today as when it was first celebrated, with street food, music, lights strung from the buildings, and a procession of the Madonna through the streets of the North End. Food vendors will sell Italian favorites like sausages, calamari, pasta, pizza, and arancini, and live entertainment will include cover bands playing old rock favorites and newer pop hits, along with some traditional Italian music. The feast culminates on Sunday with a seven-hour procession of the Madonna through the streets, and finally the grand “Flight of the Angel,” where two girls dressed as angels recite an Italian devotion and a third angel flies down from a third-story window to meet the Madonna. — Natalie Gale

Tap your foot at the Salem Jazz and Soul Festival

Back in the 1920s, Salem Willows Park was home to one of the hottest jazz clubs on the North Shore, attracting the likes of Duke Ellington to its Charleshurst Ballroom. In honor of the city park’s musical history, each year the Salem Jazz and Soul Festival brings two days of live music to residents, with this year’s lineup including Krewe de Skunk, TapRoots, and Diane Blue All Stars. The festival is free, but donations are welcomed, and benefits local music education. — Kevin Slane

Escape to Margaritaville with North Shore Music Theatre

Find your beach in Beverly this weekend, as the North Shore Music Theatre puts on an energetic, upbeat performance of Jimmy Buffett’s Escape to Margaritaville. The 2018 show features the songs of Jimmy Buffett, known for his island escapist pop music like “Margaritaville,” “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” and “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere.” The jukebox musical follows free-spirited bartender and singer Tully, who works at a small hotel on a small Caribbean island and is perfectly content with the laid-back, playboy lifestyle he’s chosen. Rachel, a beautiful, career-minded scientist, is visiting the hotel with her best friend Tammy before Tammy’s wedding. But when Rachel meets Tully, she makes him suddenly not so sure about his easy life at Margaritaville. Written by Greg Garcia and Boston native Mike O’Malley (“Glee”), NSMT will play the musical for daily through August 27. — Natalie Gale

Check out the newest exhibit at the MFA

This Sunday marks the debut of a new exhibit at the MFA by Providence, R.I.-based artist Sheida Soleimani, an assistant professor at Brandeis whose photography often incorporates sculpture and collage. “Banner Project” uses photographs of Soleimani’s parents, who are refugees, alongside photos of various objects to tell their story and encourage viewers to draw their own conclusions and connections. Soleimani focuses on history and politics, mostly of Iran, and she also touches on media trends, incorporating popular social media or press images into her work. “Banner Project” focuses on both history and politics, drawing connections between her parents’ experiences and the political unrest happening in Iran today. — Natalie Gale

Do your shopping alongside a tall ship

A special pop-up market will be appearing this Sunday along the water. The market will be held near The Tall Ship Boston, a majestic vessel moored on Pier One in East Boston, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Vendors from and friends of the Boston Public Market, including George Howell Coffee, Red Apple Farm, Blaq Star Soaps, Beantown Pastrami Co., and Laurel Greenfield Art, will be selling their wares. Admission is free, and you’ll be able to eat, drink, and shop, while taking in spectacular views. – Shira Laucharoen

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