Things to Do
BosTen is your weekly guide to the best events and coolest things to do in Boston.
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].
Get spooked at Wicked Haunt Fest
Spooky season is here, and this first-time event promises a scary good time for more than a month this fall. The Wicked Haunt Fest debuts this year at Charlestown’s Hood Park, with three immersive haunted experiences that are described as “Hollywood caliber.” If being scared isn’t your thing, there will also be a beer garden, pumpkin painting, mock trick-or-treating, and plenty of food and drink vendors. (Now through Nov. 3; 10 Stack St., Boston; $25 and up) — Katelyn Umholtz
Support the National Ballet of Ukraine
The National Ballet of Ukraine comes to town for one night only this Thursday as part of the country’s official ballet company’s first tour of the US in over 30 years. The company of 44 artists puts on pieces of iconic ballets like “Swan Lake,” “Don Quixote,” and “Giselle,” while vibrant Ukrainian Shumka Dancers and their colorful folk costumes and athletic choreography also make an appearance. The Shubert Theatre show is set against the backdrop of a massive 3D LED screen, bringing Ukraine and its culture and scenery to vivid life. A portion of the show’s proceeds go to Humanite, an aid organization helping restore the lives of Ukrainian families affected by the war. (Thursday, Oct. 10 at 7:30 p.m.; 265 Tremont St., Boston; $69-$139 — Natalie Gale
Space out at a sci-fi rock opera in Arlington
The world premiere of “Beasties: A Sci-Fi Rock Opera” is coming to Arlington’s Regent Theatre this Thursday and Friday. The show, featuring 18 songs, tells the story of a battle against evil to save the planet. Grā, a retired singer, gets a job working as a stage manager for Voice, the lead singer of a rock band, ahead of the band’s concert in Central Park, but Grā becomes inhabited by an alien, Impulse, as a corrupt politician tries to take over the show. The show is written and produced by Boston-based musician Gary Sohmers, who says “Beasties” is “a live, immersive, sci-fi graphic novel, a visual-storytelling, rockin’ and rollin’ musical theatrical experience all rolled into one.” (Thursday and Friday, Oct. 10-11 at 7 p.m.; 7 Medford St., Arlington; $25 and up) — Lindsay Shachnow
‘Get By’ with Talib Kweli at City Winery
He’s long been known as a solo hip-hop artist, but Talib Kweli has some significant collaborations in his past. In the late-’90s, he worked with the rapper Hi-Tek in Reflection Eternal, and then with his old high school friend Mos Def (known back then as Dante Smith, and now as Yasiin Bey) in Black Star. With the 2002 release “Quality,” he established himself as a solo performer, and his follow-up albums moved him up on the charts. But he wasn’t through with his former rapper pals, and he got back together with Hi-Tek for the Refection Eternal follow-up “Revolutions Per Minute,” and with the members of Black Star for “No Fear of Time.” For his City Winery show this Thursday, Kweli is back in the solo groove (though with a full band behind him) and, as usual, will be spitting intricate rhymes featuring socially conscious messages. (Thursday, Oct. 10, 6 p.m., City Winery, 80 Beverly St., Boston. $45-$65) — Ed Symkus
Escape with Sarah Kinsley at Royale
The breezy, emotive vocals of Sarah Kinsley grace “Escaper,” the first LP in a discography that includes the four EPs that appeared between 2019-2023. Raised in Branford, Conn., the 24-year-old Columbia graduate co-produced the record with John Congleton, whose previous clients include Angel Olsen, St. Vincent, and Sharon Van Etten. Kinsley is equally inspired by the classical music that she heard and studied in her youth as by the ’70s and ’80s rock and pop that she learned of in later years. Describing her music ahead of Sunday’s show at Royale, Kinsley says, “I think it’s the classical musician in me who loves symphonies and the magnum opus effect.” (Sunday, Oct. 13 at 7:30 p.m.; 279 Tremont St., Boston; $20) — Blake Maddux
Get silly at the Festival of Laughs
What’s better than a great comedian? A whole bunch of great comedians. (Trust us, the math works.) That’s what you’ll get from the Festival of Laughs, which hits the Wang Theatre this Friday. The showcase stars Sommore (the “Queen of Comedy” who strutted her stuff in last year’s stellar Netflix special “Queen Chandelier”), and features Lavell Crawford (Huell Babineaux on “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul”), Tony Roberts (not the one from “Annie Hall,” the one from BET’s “Comic View”), and Tony Rock (“Think Like A Man”). (Friday, Oct. 11 at 8 p.m.; 270 Tremont St., Boston; $59-$129) — Peter Chianca
Laugh along with Tracy Morgan at The Wilbur
As anyone who’s watched him on “Saturday Night Live” and “30 Rock” knows, Tracy Morgan had a skewed worldview even before he was almost killed by a Walmart truck. Now, he’s positively unhinged — but in a good way. Since his series “The Last O.G.” ended in 2021, he’s been doing a lot of cartoon voices — you can hear him in “Green Eggs and Ham,” “Bubble Guppies,” and “Squidbillies,” if you’re so inclined — so you can count on him relishing a chance to let loose with some decidedly adult humor when he hits the Wilbur. (Saturday, Oct. 12 at 7 p.m.; 246 Tremont St., Boston, $69) — Peter Chianca
See natural landscapes at the MFA’s new exhibit
Starting this Sunday, the MFA will open a new exhibit showcasing the works of American painter Georgia O’Keeffe and British sculptor Henry Moore’s work “together in conversation” for the first time. According to a museum description, the new gallery uses “compelling visual juxtapositions” to explore O’Keeffe and Moore’s “common ways of interpreting nature’s landscapes.” The exhibit, organized by the San Diego Museum of Art, showcases about 90 works by Moore and 60 by O’Keeffe. See the show on opening day, or wait until Monday if you want to enjoy free admission. (Sunday, Oct. 13 through Jan. 20; 465 Huntington Ave., Boston) — Lindsay Shachnow
Sing along with Billy Bob Thornton & the Boxmasters
Many people are surprised to learn that actor Billy Bob Thornton was a musician long before he thought of stepping in front of a camera. He’d been landing small movie parts since the mid-’80s, and started to catch on in 1991’s “One False Move” and 1996’s “Sling Blade,” eventually hitting it big in films as diverse as “Friday Night Lights” and “Bad Santa.” But he’d been a drummer since he was 12, later working in bands that covered ZZ Top and Creedence Clearwater Revival songs. So, in the midst of his Hollywood success story, he sang and drummed on his first album, 2001’s “Private Radio,” which fused rock and country and folk sensibilities. Half a dozen years later, he formed The Boxmasters and delivered a self-titled album in the alt-country category, featuring a batch of Thornton originals and a few covers. The group hasn’t veered far from their rootsy genre – well, except for one Christmas album – and they’ll be at City Winery this Sunday in support of their upcoming “Love & Hate in Desperate Places.” (Sunday, Oct. 13 at 7:30 p.m.; 80 Beverly St., Boston; $45-$75) — Ed Symkus
Celebrate Indigenous People Day with free museum admission
Honor Indigenous American peoples and commemorate their histories and cultures on Oct. 14 with free access to museums around Boston. The Museum of Fine Arts (MFA), whose collection of Native American artworks is one of its hidden treasures, is offering free admission and special events during an open house that day, while the Institute for Contemporary Arts (ICA) also offers free admission to view its galleries. (Monday, Oct. 14 at various locations around Boston; free) — Cheryl Fenton
Need weekend plans?
The best events in the city, delivered to your inbox
Leave a Comment