Things to do in Boston this weekend: June 6-9, 2024

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].

Enjoy live music on the water at Summer in the City

Today marks the return of the Boston Harbor Hotel’s Summer in the City Series, which brings live music to the floating barge sitting just offshore from the hotel four nights a week (Tuesday through Friday). Whether you’re dining on the hotel’s outdoor patio or strolling along the Harborwalk, the music provides a lovely atmosphere for any summer evening. The series kicks off with Groove Authority, and continues Friday with Soul City. To see the full summer lineup, check out the Boston Harbor Hotel’s Summer in the City website.  (Tuesday through Friday from June 6-August 29 starting at 6 p.m.; 70 Rowes Wharf, Boston; free) — Kevin Slane

Enjoy a sweet treat on National Doughnut Day

We’re not sure by whose authority National Doughnut Day was established, but we thank them for their service, and for the opportunity to score free doughnuts. Dunkin’ customers can score a free doughnut with the purchase of a drink in-store, while Union Square Donuts customers will receive scratch tickets with every purchase that offer a chance to win free coffee, doughnuts, merch, or a $25 Union Square Donuts gift card. If you’re ordering for your office, Kane’s Donuts offers a free coffee and honey dip doughnut when you order a dozen doughnuts. And for the lunch crowd or post-work fun, Loretta’s Last Call is offering free doughnuts to its first 100 customers of the day from Back Door Donuts. (Friday, June 7 at various times and locations) — Kevin Slane

Enjoy art of all types at Salem Arts Festival

Head to Salem for three days of arts, culture, and community fun starting this Friday during the 16th annual Salem Arts Festival. Spanning dozens of downtown venues, the festival will feature outdoor art, live music, theatre performances, and kid-friendly crafting activities. Visit the Salem Arts website for a full schedule of events. (Friday, June 6 through Sunday, June 8 at various times and locations; free) — Kevin Slane

Celebrate Pride with MFA First Fridays

MFA’s First Fridays, a 21+ event offering after-hours admission to the museum from 6-9 p.m. on the first Friday of select months, will have special programming this Friday in honor of Pride Month. Along with being able to visit all of the museum’s galleries after-hours, the MFA will host a drag story reading, art-making workshops, and tunes from DJ Dayglow, among other activities. The event is free for MFA members, while the general public will pay the standard admission price. (Friday, June 7 from 6-9 p.m.; 465 Huntington Ave., Boston; $27 GA, free for MFA members; 21+) — Kevin Slane

Rock out with Gary Clark Jr. at MGM Music Hall

Texas guitarist-vocalist Gary Clark Jr. has been practicing his craft since he was 12, initially making waves as a young bluesman, but eventually incorporating music from a number of other genres, including funk and straight-up rock. Some landmark moments in his career have included him acting and playing in the John Sayles film “Honeydripper,” winning a Best Traditional R&B Performance Grammy for “Please Come Home,” and first entering the charts with his cover of the Beatles’ “Come Together.” His most recent album, “JPEG RAW,” features tunes from a couple of his heroes, Stevie Wonder and George Clinton and, while remaining a guitar-based blues-rock offering, also brings in tastes of jazz and hip-hop. (Friday, June 7 at 8 p.m.; 2 Lansdowne St., Boston; $66-$180) — Ed Symkus

Flip out at the athleticism of Red Bull Cliff Diving

Boston is the only U.S. stop for the annual Red Bull Cliff Diving exhibition, which will see two dozen of the world’s elite divers launch themselves through the air, twisting, turning, and flipping for an audience of thousands outside the ICA this Saturday. The acrobatic displays start at noon, but the gated viewing areas open at 10 a.m., and because the event frequently reaches capacity, arriving early is recommended. (Saturday, June 8 from 12-4 p.m.; 25 Harbor Shore Drive, Boston; free) — Kevin Slane

Be loud and proud at the Boston Pride parade

On Saturday, Boston gets loud with pride during a parade, festival, and more celebrating its LGBTQ+ community through Boston Pride for the People (BPFTP). Starting in Copley Square at 11 a.m. and moving through the city’s South End, the strolling celebration will come to its end at Boston Common at 12:30 p.m., where the party will already be underway with a festival of performances from local and national entertainers. For the 21+ crowd, City Hall Plaza will also host a Block Party from 2-8 p.m. featuring musicians and performers like DJ Zoilarosa and Stabitha Christie. (Saturday, June 8 from 11-8 p.m. at various locations; free) — Cheryl Fenton

Feel the groove at a pair of Porchfests

It’s been more than a decade since Somerville held the Boston area’s first Porchfest, bringing hundreds of talented musicians to the city’s porches, decks, and yards.  More and more towns and neighborhoods are getting in on the fun, and this Saturday, you can choose between pair of Porchfests in Boston’s Northwest suburbs. Winchester Porchfest (12-5:30 p.m.) has more than 60 artists on the schedule, followed by a finale performance by the group Sounds Like Chicken on the town common from 6-7:30 p.m. Over at West Concord Porchfest (1-5 p.m.), 50 sets are planned all over town, with Harvey Wheeler Community Center serving as the starting point as well as a one-stop shop for paper maps, public restrooms, parking, and performances. To see a full list of Porchfests happening over the next few months, check out our full Porchfest guide. (Saturday, June 1 from 12-6 p.m. at various locations; free) — Kevin Slane

Laugh it up with John Cleese and the Holy Grail

Let’s face it, a night out seeing 1975’s “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” on the Chevalier Theatre’s big screen would be a fun enough activity for a Saturday night. But accompanied by a talk and Q&A with Sir Lancelot the Brave himself, John Cleese? That’s a no-brainer. (Extra points for the first person to ask, “What … is your favourite colour?” complete with the extra U’s.) According to the Chevalier, the Monty Python veteran — not to mention “Fawlty Towers,” “A Fish Called Wanda,” and a personal favorite, “The Great Muppet Caper” — has requested “absurd and/or ridiculous questions only,” so please come prepared. (Saturday, June 8 at 7:30 p.m.; 30 Forest St., Medford; $49-$254) — Peter Chianca

Hear comedy and compassion from Jimmy Tingle

Off Cabot is promising “comedy, compassion and common sense” from Boston-based political comedian Jimmy Tingle, and if there was ever a time we needed all three of those, it’s right now. Tingle has been offering his thoughtful and gut-busting takes on the political scene for decades, and comes by his positions honestly, having received a master’s in public administration from The Kennedy School of Government at Harvard in 2010 and running for lieutenant governor in 2017. We know neither of those things sound particularly funny, but in Tingle’s hands even the thorniest of political issues become the source of heartfelt guffaws. (We laugh that we may not cry, as Roger Ebert and Abe Lincoln said.) (Saturday, June 8 at 6:30 p.m.; 9 Wallis St., Beverly; $30) — Peter Chianca