Things to do in Boston this weekend, September 18th - 21st

September 18, 2025

Hello my dear readers! There is an absolutely gorgeous weekend ahead of us as we take our first step into fall, let us make the most of it.

THURSDAY - SEPTEMBER 18th

Boston Bazaar: Knight Carnival @ Charles River Speedway @ 10PM This special Renaissance-themed event features 90+ vendors, entertainment acts, photo ops, food trucks, and more!

Latinx Heritage Night @ MFA @ 5PM Catch live music, dance performances, talks in the galleries, and reduced admission in celebration of Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month.

‘Indigenous Knowledge and Climate Change’ Lecture @ MoS @ 7PM Enjoy an evening of powerful dialogue exploring how Indigenous communities are leading efforts to combat climate change.

Seacoast Stilettos Show @ Crystal Ballroom @ 8PM Enjoy a night packed with high energy, featuring a live DJ, full bar, raffle, exclusive merch, photobooth moments, and iconic stage performances.

Garbage @ Roadrunner @ 8PM With Starcrawler

Night Moves @ Brighton Music Hall @ 7PM With Raybody & DJ Carbo

The Bouncing Souls @ Royale @ 7PM With H2O & Smoking Popes

Cochise @ The Sinclair @ 8PM With Pradabagshawty

Knifeplay @ The Rockwell @ 8PM With Euphoria Again

FRIDAY - SEPTEMBER 19th

Small Mart @ Crystal Ballroom @ 4PM
This market brings together an epic lineup of vintage curators, vinyl collectors, and independent artists & makers - all under one roof.

Akira Kurosawa Program @ Somerville Theatre @ 7:30PM / 9:20PM Don’t miss the screenings of ‘Rashomon’ and ‘Yojimbo.’

Choir! Choir! Choir! @ Chevalier Theatre @ 8PM Prepare to laugh, dance and sing your hearts out to the music of Queen in this fully interactive, participatory concert.

The Australian Pink Floyd Show @ Hanover Theatre @ 8PM Hailed as one of the best and most popular tribute bands globally, TAPFS brings Pink Floyd’s greatest music to life.

YUNGBLUD @ Roadrunner @ 8PM With Sawyer Hill

Frankie Cosmos @ Brighton Music Hall @ 7PM With Fantasy of a Broken Heart

Russian Circles @ Royale @ 6:30PM With Blackwater Holyright

SATURDAY - SEPTEMBER 20th

Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series Boston @ ICA @ 10AM Watch divers free-fall from up to 90 feet in the air, into the Boston Harbor, all while performing awe-inducing acrobatics.

What The Fluff Festival @ Union Square @ 2PM Honoring the invention of Marshmallow Fluff, the festival celebrates Somerville’s proud tradition of innovation with live music, fluffalicious food, sticky games, and much more!

The Music of Lin-Manuel Miranda in Concert @ Symphony Hall @ 7:30PM Experience the electrifying music of a contemporary Broadway titan like never before performed by Mandy Gonzalez.

Dalton & The Sheriffs @ Leader Bank Pavilion @ 7PM With Tommy Scully, Nate Ramos, & Jinty McGrath

Turnstile @ The Stage at Suffolk Downs @ 6:30PM With Mannequin P**sy, Speed, & Jane Remover

Dabin @ Roadrunner @ 7:30PM With Chyl & Frostop

Cartel @ Paradise Rock Club @ 6:30PM With Hunny & Landon Conrath

New England Metal and Hardcore Festival @ The Palladium @ 12:30PM Featuring Lorna Shore, Cannibal Corpse, Kublai Khan TX, Despised Icon, & more

SUNDAY - SEPTEMBER 21st

Cambridge Science Carnival @ Kendall Square @ 12PM A family-friendly science extravaganza, Carnival is a beloved yearly event that features 100+ activity booths and demonstrations, live music, and installations, including the ever-popular Robot Petting Zoo!

Cars and Critters @ Stone Zoo @ 10AM This fun-filled fall event for the whole family showcases high-end and vintage cars, exciting animal encounters, music, and more!

Black Owned Bos. Market @ Seaport @ 12PM From gifts and apparel to packaged foods and beauty & skincare products, the market features Black-owned businesses from the Greater Boston area.

ALL WEEKEND

FRIDAY & SATURDAY - Boston Fuzztival @ Arts at the Armory Boston’s celebration of local and regional music returns for its 11th edition!

FRIDAY & SATURDAY - Taiwan Film Festival of Boston @ Various Locations
Enjoy a carefully curated selection of Taiwanese films rich in authenticity and diverse in perspective. Ends 9/25.

SATURDAY & SUNDAY - Salem Food Truck & Craft Beverage Festival @ Salem Common Expect 40+ of New England's (& Salem's) most popular food trucks, plus local, regional & national craft beers to wash it all down!

SATURDAY & SUNDAY - Oktoberfest @ Aeronaut Brewing Company Celebrate the best beer season with German-inspired beers, mouthwatering festive foods, and live music.

All weekend - The Big E @ West Springfield The New England tradition is back for another two weeks of big rides, big animals, big food, and big fun! Ends 9/28.

All weekend - Oktoberfest @ Sam Adams Downtown Boston Taproom Get ready for German-style beer and food specials, live music, and more Oktoberfest extravaganza!

All weekend - Boston Film Festival @ Various Locations The 41st Boston Film Festival is featuring a dynamic and diverse program that spotlights some of today’s most groundbreaking filmmakers.

All weekend - ‘Passengers’ Performance @ Loeb Drama Center Montréal’s acclaimed physical-theater troupe The 7 Fingers is pulling into American Repertory Theatre to perform its unique blend of circus, music, dance, and superhuman skills. Ends 9/26.

All Weekend - ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ Musical @ Emerson Colonial Theatre Based on the beloved film, ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ tells the hysterical and heartfelt story of an out-of-work actor who will do anything for his kids. Ends 9/21.

All weekend - ‘The Hills of California’ Play @ The Huntington Theatre Complex family dynamics take center stage as the four Webb Sisters return to their mother’s run-down guest house in this compelling, tender, and savagely funny award-winning play. Ends 10/12.

All weekend - ‘My First Ex-Husband’ Play @ Calderwood Pavilion Featuring a cast of stars from theatre, TV, and film, this bold and heartfelt play is based on true life stories by the legendary Joy Behar, comedienne and co-host of ‘The View.’ Ends 9/28.

All weekend - ‘Our Town’ Play @ Lyric Stage Capturing the themes of love, community, and the passage of time, this beloved production explores everyday lives of residents in a fictional New Hampshire town in the early 20th century. Ends 10/19.

All weekend - ‘Primary Trust’ Play @ Calderwood Pavilion Touching, funny, and quietly profound, this Pulitzer Prize-winning play explores how even the smallest acts of kindness can shift a life—and maybe even save one. Ends 10/11.

All weekend - ‘Silent Sky’ Play @ Central Square Theater Based on a true story of 19th-century astronomer Henrietta Leavitt, this play explores a woman’s place in society during a time of immense scientific and heart-bound discoveries. Ends 10/5.

All weekend - ‘Doubt: A Parable’ Play @ Hanover Theatre Two-time Tony-nominated Broadway star Johanna Day and acclaimed actor and playwright Jamie Wax bring John Patrick Shanley’s ‘Doubt: A Parable to life.’ Ends 10/5.

All weekend -‘POTUS’ Play @ Footlight Club Inspired by real-life events, this roaring comedy follows the many women who work together to prop up one less-than-smart man...in The White House. Ends 9/27.

ONGOING

Ongoing - New England Renaissance Festival @ King Richard’s Fairgrounds Saturdays & Sundays* - King Richard’s Faire is the premiere fall entertainment event for all things Renaissance. Ends 10/30.

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 - 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 - ‘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 - ‘Rachel Ruysch: Artist, Naturalist, and Pioneer’ Exhibition @ MFA This exhibition brings together 35 of the finest works by pioneering Dutch artist Rachel Ruysch, whose still life paintings invite viewers to reflect on the beauty of the natural world and women’s role in 18th century Netherlands. Ends 12/7.

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 - ‘Sketch, Shade, Smudge: Drawing from Gray to Black’ Exhibition @ Harvard Art Museums This exhibition celebrates the act of drawing using familiar tools—charcoal, chalk, crayon, and graphite, showcasing how simple tools can be powerful vehicles for artistic expression. Ends 1/18/2026.

Ongoing - ‘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.