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- Things to do in Boston this weekend, August 21st - 24th
Things to do in Boston this weekend, August 21st - 24th
Thank you to everyone who replied to my poll last week! There were tons of great responses giving me a whole list of new spots to checkout and lots of new restaurants to try.
Should I cover more restaurant events and news?You can leave a comment after voting. |
THURSDAY - AUGUST 21st
Brighton Bazaar Night Market @ Charles River Speedway @ 5PM
Brighton Bazaar is a beloved pop-up market in Boston for art, vinyl, vintage & more!
Nick at Night: Pop-Up Portraits @ MFA @ 6PM Get your very own portrait drawn by local artist Nick Shea, inspired by the MFA’s Vang Gogh exhibition.
Concerts in the Courtyard: Pedrito Martínez @ MFA @ 7:30PM
Enjoy MFA’s summer music tradition showcasing the hottest talents from Boston and around the globe.
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.
Flawed Mangoes @ Brighton Music Hall @ 7PM With Emma Harner
The Smiths Tribute NYC @ The Sinclair @ 8PM With Staring at The Sea: Tribute to The Cure
FRIDAY - AUGUST 22nd
Lucy Darling Magic Show @ City Winery @ 7PM / 10:15PM Don’t miss the chance to see extraordinary comedy magician Lucy Darling and her unbelievable tricks in an intimate setting of City Winery. With Mark Ettinger
GASH Drag Performance @ Crystal Ballroom @ 7:30PM Gash is the celebration of creepy artisans, monster drag from favorite local performers, gorelesque, and screening of the cult classic film ‘Ghost Ship’!
Youth Edition: ‘Footloose’ Musical @ North Shore Music Theatre @ 10AM / 2PM
Featuring songs from the original smash-hit movie, ‘Footloose’ is a high energy and excitement filled good time the whole family will love.
Jazz + Live Concert @ Hanover Theatre @ 6PM Enjoy the cool sounds of live jazz as the area behind the theatre is transformed into an outdoor, picnic-style concert venue to include food trucks and cash bars.
The Keith Lockhart 30th Anniversary Concert @ Koussevitzky Music Shed @ 8PM
Featuring special guests, this one-of-a-kind concert celebrates 30 years of Keith Lockhart at the helm of the Boston Pops!
Vinyl Nights @ ICA @ 5PM
A summer favorite returns! Enjoy an all-vinyl DJ set, selection of natural wines, and seafood.
Get The Led Out @ Indian Ranch Amphitheatre @ 7PM GTLO delivers the music of Led Zeppelin with authenticity and energy reminiscent of the rock legends.
Randy Nota Loca @ House of Blues @ 7PM With DJ Adoni
Snarky Puppy @ Roadrunner @ 7:30PM With Sungazer
Kissing Other Ppl @ Passim @ 8PM With Rachel Baiman and Viv & Riley
SATURDAY - AUGUST 23rd
Boston’s Caribbean-American Carnival Parade @ Franklin Park @ 12PM A long standing tradition, the carnival is a celebration of culture, providing a platform for Caribbean artists, musicians, and entrepreneurs to showcase their talents and businesses.
Northeast Tea Festival @ Arts at the Armory @ 10AM Find something to excite your taste buds, spark your curiosity, and get an unforgettable experience from the vibrant cultures of tea from around the globe!
Wicked Local Wares Pop-Up Market @ Time Out Market @ 12PM Explore a wonderland of creativity and craftsmanship, and discover the perfect gifts while supporting local LGBTQ+-owned businesses.
The Jury Experience @ Calderwood Pavilion @ 6PM / 8:30PM Enjoy an immersive theatre courtroom drama where you make tough decisions, dissect evidence, and give the final verdict.
Riverfest Music Festival @ Salisbury Beach @ 12PM Featuring Buffalo Tom, Belly, The Far Out, & Gavin Marengi
Jonas Brothers @ Fenway Park @ 6:30PM With Marschmello & Boys Like Girls
Billy Idol @ Xfinity Center @ 7:30PM With Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
The Starting Line @ Paradise Rock Club @ 6:30PM With Oso Oso & Macseal
Hermitage Green @ Brighton Music Hall @ 6PM With Gerald Ahern
HABSTRAKT @ Royale @ 10PM With Nostalgix & Andthenjuan
New England Sadness & Failure Music Festival @ The Palladium @ 5PM Featuring The Acacia Strain, On Broken Wings, Bodysnatcher, No Cure, Tribal Gaze, & more
Hankey Ho-Down: Queer Party @ Crystal Ballroom @ 8PM *Presented bt Boston Ironsides
SUNDAY - AUGUST 24th
Twin Peaks: Conversation with The Stars @ The Wilbur @ 7:30PM Celebrate the iconic TV series with its cast!
Chevelle @ MGM Music Hall @ 7PM With Asking Alexandria & Dead Poet Society
Wisp @ Royale @ 7PM With Dream Ivory & ALDN
Portraits of Past @ The Sinclair @ 8PM With Kathryn Mohr & Spirit Hotel
Red Jumpsuit Apparatus @ Crystal Ballroom @ 8PM With Tokyo Rose & Losers Club
ALL WEEKEND
[FRIDAY & SATURDAY - Morgan Wallen @ Gillette Stadium @ 5:15PM(https://www.gillettestadium.com/upcoming-events/) With Miranda Lambert, Corey Kent, & Czech John King
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 - 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 ‘In The Mood for Love,’ ‘2046,’ and ‘Happy Together.’
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- ‘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 - ‘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.
‘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.