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- Things to do in Boston this weekend, August 14th - 17th
Things to do in Boston this weekend, August 14th - 17th
What Was Your Favorite Summer Discovery in Boston?Did you find anything new? |
THURSDAY - AUGUST 14th
After Dark @ MIT Museum @ 6PM Enjoy an adult-only lively evening of entertainment, science, and tinkering.
Harborwalk Sounds @ ICA @ 6PM
Grab a drink, enjoy the cool ocean breeze, and hear some of Berklee College of Music’s outstanding musicians perform on the waterfront.
Concerts in the Courtyard: Zak Electrik @ MFA @ 7:30PM
Enjoy MFA’s summer music tradition showcasing the hottest talents from Boston and around the globe.
VOLBEAT @ Xfinity Center @ 7PM With Halestorm & The Ghost Inside
Jake Scott @ Paradise Rock Club @ 6:30PM With MaRynn Taylor
The Armed @ The Sinclair @ 8PM With Prostitute
In This Moment @ The Palladium @ 6:30PM With Wargasm, Kat Von D, & The Pretty Wild
Phillip-Michael Scales @ City Winery @ 7:30PM With Tim Hall
FRIDAY - AUGUST 15th
WWE Friday Night Smackdown @ Toyota Center @ 7:30PM Featuring undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, LA Knight, The Street Profits, and others!
Red Sox vs Marlins @ Fenway Park @ 7:10PM Promotion: Big Al’s Block Party
Vinyl Nights @ ICA @ 5PM
A summer favorite returns! Enjoy an all-vinyl DJ set, selection of natural wines, and seafood.
Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, & Shaw in Concert @ Koussevitzky Music Shed @ 8PM Hear Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4 and selections from Tchaikovsky and Caroline Shaw performed by the BSO and acclaimed cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras.
Candlelight: ‘Rings and Dragons’ Concert @ Simons Theatre @ 9PM Hear beloved soundtracks from ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘Game of Thrones.’
The Doobie Brothers @ Xfinity Center @ 7PM With The Coral Reefer Band
Rob Thomas @ Leader Bank Pavilion @ 7:30PM With A Great Big World
Ben Rector @ MGM Music Hall @ 7:30PM With The National Parks
INFEKT @ Royale @ 10PM With Moody Good & Flozone
Ramirez @ The Sinclair @ 8PM With Jason Joshua & Soulzay
Mighty Mystic @ City Winery @ 7:30PM With Al’s Hwy 50
SATURDAY - AUGUST 16th
Red Sox vs Marlins @ Fenway Park @ 4:10PM Promotion: City Connect Sling Bag
Boxing: Mass Chaos @ Royale @ 4PM Presented by Nolan Bros Promotions, this star-studded event features top talent from throughout New England, including Anthony Vieira and Julien Baptiste.
Watershed Block Party @ ICA @ 12PM
Visit the ICA Block Party in the East Boston Shipyard and Marina for live music, performances, food tastings, art activities, and more!
Brahms, Schumann, & Tchaikovsky in Concert @ Koussevitzky Music Shed @ 8PM Enjoy the BSO and violinist Augustin Hadelich perform Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, Schumann’s Symphony No. 4, and Brahms’ ‘Tragic’ Overture.
Cody Jinks @ Leader Bank Pavilion @ 7PM With Tanner Usrey
The Black Keys @ MGM Music Hall @ 7:30PM With Gary Clark Jr.
Architects @ House of Blues @ 6PM With Erra & Holywatr
Cousin Stizz @ Paradise Rock Club @ 7PM With Tyler Loyal & Bouvé
Yellow Cup Weekend Party @ Big Night Live @ 5PM Get ready for games, art, music, food, and super cool vibes at this 21+ DJ based event with house party vibes.
Toad The Wet Sprocket @ Chevalier Theatre @ 7PM With KT Tunstall & Six Pence None The Richer
Harbour @ The Sinclair @ 8PM With The Orphan, The Poet
The Tumbling Paddies @ Crystal Ballroom @ 8PM Don’t miss a night of song and dance with one of Ireland’s most popular entertainment acts.
SUNDAY - AUGUST 17th
Red Sox vs Marlins @ Fenway Park @ 1:35PM Promotion: On Field Photo Day
The Boston Margarita Festival @ The Great American Beer Haul @ 12PM Join 2,500 margarita lovers for a flavor-packed showdown to crown the best margarita in Boston! Plus enjoy street food vendors, DJ music, contests, and more.
Fenway Flea @ Time Out Market @ 12PM Swing by the lawn at 401 Park Drive to shop the curated selection of small business creations, vintage finds, records, art, collectibles, and more.
Eyehategod + CROWBAR @ Brighton Music Hall @ 7PM With Colin of Arabia
Vincent Neil Emerson @ The Sinclair @ 8PM With Kassi Valazza
ALL WEEKEND
FRIDAY & SATURDAY - ‘Guys and Dolls’ Musical @ Hanover Theatre
Get ready to see Broadway’s perfect musical comedy about gambling men and the women who long to tame them.
SATURDAY & SUNDAY - African Festival of Boston @ Boston Common The AFOB is a massive New England, multi-cultural celebration featuring the best of the African arts, food, and culture.
SATURDAY & SUNDAY - Gloucester Waterfront Festival @ Stage Fort Park Get ready for a weekend of art, flavor, and seaside charm at this beloved festival that features an array of 200+ juried booths of American-made arts, crafts, specialty foods, and more.
All weekend - 113th Annual Fisherman’s Feast
Fisherman’s Feast is Boston’s oldest continuous Italian Festival that includes traditional Italian food, music, dancing, and vendors market!
All weekend - 187th Marshfield Fair @ Marshfield Fairgrounds This traditional American country features amusement rides, a midway, fair food, and farm and animal exhibits. Ends 8/24.
All weekend - Dine Out Boston Make sure to take advantage of delicious deals at this year’s participating restaurants. Ends 8/16.
All weekend - Soulfest @ Franklin County Fairgrounds Enjoy 60+ amazing faith-inspired performers & speakers from multiple genres!
All weekend - The Boston French Film Festival @ MFA The BFFF returns with a hand-picked lineup of the year’s most lauded Gallic cinema, ranging from stirring dramas to star-studded comedies. Ends 8/24.
All weekend - Wong Kar Wai Program @ Somerville Theatre See special screenings of ‘Chunking Express,’ ‘Ashes of Time,’ and ‘Days of Being Wild.’
All weekend - ‘The Wiz’ Musical @ Citizens Opera House This groundbreaking twist on ‘The Wizard of Oz’ features an iconic score packed with soul, gospel, rock, and 70s funk and stirring tale of Dorothy’s journey to find her place in a contemporary world. Ends 8/24.
All weekend - ‘Reefer Madness’ Musical @ The Rockwell Based on the cult-classic satire musical, this production is a side-splitting comedy with one-of-a-kind catchy repertoire. Ends 8/23.
All weekend - ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ Musical @ Company Theatre The gentle Quasimodo, the courageous Esmeralda, the conflicted priest Frollo, and the people of Paris come to life in this musical adaptation inspired by Victor Hugo's classic novel. Ends 8/17.
All weekend- ‘Grease’ Musical @ North Shore Music Theatre Get ready for a time-traveling, hip-shaking, heart-pounding extravaganza with ‘Grease’ - where the ’50s come alive in a rollicking, electrifying journey! Ends 8/24.
ONGOING
Ongoing - Open Market @ SoWa @ 11AM Sundays* One of the largest open-air farmer and artist markets returns this summer season! Ends 10/26.
Ongoing - Artisan Market @ Rose Kennedy Greenway @ 11AM Saturdays* Run by Somerville Flea, this summertime market features talented area artists, crafters, and independent designers. Ends 10/25.
Ongoing - Summer Market @ Seaport Seaport’s summer bazaar returns with a mix of popular returning artisans and new entrants, all offering a unique assortment of products from clothing to home décor, pet goods, food, and much more. Ends 9/21.
Ongoing - Downtown Boston Arts Market @ Summer Street Plaza Thursdays & Fridays* - Located in the heart of the city, the Arts Market features artisans, crafts people, and local creative talent selling their wares in Downtown Boston. Ends 10/24.
Ongoing - Farmers Market @ Copley Square Fridays* - The largest market in the city, Copley Square Farmers Market offers a cornucopia of local produce, meats, dairy, baked goods, and prepared meals, as well as some non-edible products. Ends 11/25.
Ongoing - Charlesgate Farmers Market @ Emerald Necklace Conservancy Sundays* - Come out to support your local farmers, small businesses, and musicians. Ends 10/5.
Ongoing - Summer in the City @ Harborwalk Terrace This Boston tradition lets you enjoy sundrenched days, waterfront views, and breezy nights with live music and al fresco dining. Ends 8/28.
Ongoing - Boston Lights: A Lantern Experience @ Franklin Park Zoo
Prepare to be dazzled by the magic of all-new lantern displays, immersive walkthroughs, enchanting interactive displays and Instagrammable moments at every turn. Ends 9/30
Ongoing - ‘Moonwalkers: A Journey with Tom Hanks’ Immersive Experience @ The Castle at Park PlazaExperience the story of humanity’s reach for the Moon in a 360° immersive journey through space and time narrated by Tom Hanks. Ends 8/31.
Ongoing - Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience @ Mercantile Center LAST CHANCE - This captivating 360º digital art exhibition invites you to step into the universe of the Dutch genius, Vincent van Gogh. Ends 8/17.
Ongoing - ‘Monsters of the Deep: Between Imagination and Science’ Exhibition @ MIT Museum Using historical prints, this exhibit traces the scientific process of observing, measuring, and describing that turned whales from monsters into mammals. Ends 1/2026.
Ongoing - ‘The Visionary Art of Minnie Evans’ Exhibition @ MFA Experience Minnie Evans’ imaginative and intricately detailed drawings inspired by the artist’s religious beliefs, interest in mythology and history, and the landscapes in her native North Carolina. Ends 10/26.
Ongoing - ‘Van Gogh: The Roulin Family Portraits’ Exhibition @ MFA Displaying 23 works by the artist, this exhibition explores Van Gogh’s tender relationship with one family who became subjects of his groundbreaking portraits. Ends 9/7.
Ongoing - ‘Qi Baishi: Inspiration in Ink’ Exhibition @ MFA Renowned for his modernization of Chinese ink painting, Qi Baishi’s works convey rural sentiments with bold landscapes, lifelike animals and plants, and lively and amusing figures. Ends 9/28.
Ongoing - ‘Deep Waters: Four Artists and the Sea’ Exhibition @ MFA Weaving together artworks by four artists made over centuries and across the Atlantic, this exhibition follows a genealogical thread united by the sea. Ends 11/9.
Ongoing - ‘Rituals for Remembering’ Exhibition @ MFA This exhibition brings together works by influential Cuban artists María Magdalena Campos-Pons and Ana Mendieta whose art explores the notions of displacement, exile, and nature as transformative tool. Ends 2/15/2026.
Ongoing - ‘Ming Fay: Edge of the Garden’ Exhibition @ ISG Museum The Gardner Museum springs to life with the large-scale sculptures of Ming Fay, constructing a space of wonder that calls on visitors to view the world around them with new appreciation. Ends 9/21.
Ongoing - ‘The Solomon Collection: Dürer to Degas and Beyond’ Exhibition @ Harvard Art Museums LAST CHANCE - The exhibition spotlights over 135 works, including paintings, sculptures, drawings, and prints by some of the most significant artists from the Renaissance to the 20th century, and offers visitors an intimate view into the highly personal yet inherently collaborative nature of art collecting. Ends 8/17.
‘Jung Yeondoo: Building Dreams’ Exhibition @ Peabody Essex Museum Photographing ordinary families and individuals, Artist Jung Yeondoo’s work invites viewers to take a closer look at those strangers we don’t notice and imagine their dreams. Ends 1/25/2026.
Ongoing - ‘Draw Me Ishmael: The Book Arts of Moby Dick’ Exhibition @ Peabody Essex Museum ‘Draw Me Ishmael’ is the first exhibition focused on the book arts of the hundreds of editions of Herman Melville’s Moby Dick - the most persistently pictured of all American novels. Ends 3/29/2026.
Header image credit to Mike Norris on Pexels.