Friday, Sept. 22

“Blue: The Celebration of a Color” exhibition from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Somerville Museum, 1 Westwood Road, in the Spring Hill neighborhood (and continuing Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays through Dec. 2). $5. This brand-new exhibit curated by collector Martha Friend invites visitors to explore different meanings and uses of blue through art, artifacts, household objects, fashion and concepts. Information is here.

Negin Farsad presents “The Case for American Exceptionalism by a Lady Muz” from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s W97 Theater, 345 Vassar St., Area II, Cambridge. Free, but registration is required. The film director, author of the memoir-meets-social-justice-comedy manifesto “How To Make White People Laugh” and host of the political comedy podcast “Fake the Nation” describes this as “an evening of standup-comedy-meets-TED Talk-meets-ethnic-lady that through (occasionally dumb) jokes and (surprisingly elegant) PowerPoint, defines patriotism, deconstructs Dave Matthews fans and solves the curse of soggy sandwich bread.” Information is here.

Dancing on the Row from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on the green space near Smoke Shop BBQ at 325 Assembly Row, Assembly Square East, Somerville. Free, but register. MetaMovements’ artist collective members from Cuba, Dominican Republic and the United States created “animaciones” (choreographed group dances/follow-alongs) for this year’s dance series. The evening begins with a Cuban-style mini-class with special guest Yoandry followed by DJs spinning Latin music for social dancing, ruedas and timba line dances. Information is here.

Black in Design 23: The Black Home from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Piper Auditorium of Gund Hall, 42 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge (and continuing from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Sunday). $45 to $100. During this fifth biannual conference organized by the Harvard Graduate School of Design African American Student Union, keynote panels, workshops and conversations discuss the Black home as a literal structure that shelters, as a reflection of culture and traditions, and as spaces that are not entirely physical. Information is here.

Christopher Paul Harris reads from “To Build a Black Future: The Radical Politics of Joy, Pain and Care” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Harris, of the University of California, Irvine, outlines a new political culture tracing back to the Black slave. Charisse Burden-Stelly, author and Harvard visiting scholar, joins the conversation. Information is here.

The Natural Wonders from 7 to 9 p.m. at Starlight Square, 84 Bishop Allen Drive, Central Square, Cambridge. Free. Dance to ’60s and ’70s R&B, soul, gospel and rock ’n’ roll with this six-piece band as your guide. Information is here.

Son Rompe Pera at 8 p.m. at the Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square. $35 all ages. The Gama brothers of Son Rompe Pera bring a punk-rock edge to classic cumbia rhythms with dance-worthy modern interpretations of Mexican, Peruvian and Colombian classics as well as original material. Information is here.

Spotlight Series presents: Chris Pureka at 8 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. $20. The folksinger and songwriter is touring with opener Kym Register of Meltdown Rodeo. Tonight local roots music favorite Rachel Sumner also opens. Information is here.

Singer Mali album release concert at 8 p.m. at Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second St., East Cambridge. $20. “Lodestone” has songs written while the Boston-based singer, songwriter and composer has been on hiatus from the avant chamber pop/art rock band Jaggery. The concert, which features full instrumentation including a string quartet, opens with writer, musician and teacher Charles Coe sharing songs and poems. Information is here.

Boston Swing: Jack Soref Swingtette from 8 to 11:45 p.m. at Q Ballroom, 26 New St., Suite 3, Fresh Pond, Cambridge. $13 to $20. A gypsy jazz band plays for this social partner dance with a lesson for beginners in the first hour. No partner required; no street shoes. Information is here.

Crossfaded Improv comedy at 9 p.m. at the Rooted Café at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. $10. The After School Snacks troupe fronts two teams – one being drunken and the other high, with one “designated driver” each – to see which substance produces better improv. At the end, the teams perform as a Crossfaded super team. Featuring Passion Academy. Information is here.

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Saturday, Sept. 23

MIT Great Glass Pumpkin Patch annual sale from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Kresge Auditorium oval, 48 Massachusetts Ave., Area II. Free. Check out more than 2,000 handblown glass pumpkins from the MIT Glass Lab on sale for $35 to more than $350 (with the proceeds going back to the lab). Information is here.

Danehy Park Family Day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Danehy Park, 99 Sherman St., in Neighborhood 9 just east of Fresh Pond. Free. This annual celebration includes music and other performances, children’s amusement rides and arts and crafts, as well as free food, T-shirts and kites while supplies last. The event, sponsored by the city, attracts more than 8,000 people annually. The 55-acre Danehy Park can be reached by the 74 or 78 bus from Harvard Square; the 83 bus from Central Square; or by shuttle bus from the Alewife MBTA Station. Picnics and lawn chairs are encouraged. Information is here.

Small Mart from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square. Free. Vintage vendors, artisans and makers will sell at this small market. Information is here.

Bouffon-Style Clowning Master Class with Nathaniel Justiniano from 11:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. or from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Building W97, Room 106, 345 Vassar St., Area II, Cambridge. Free, but registration is required. This Emerson professor and founder of the Naked Empire Bouffon Co. teaches the basics of bouffon, which he describes as “a realm rooted in satire and mockery. It is often physically grotesque, confrontational, hilarious and harnessed to point out and revel in society’s ills.” Accessible to beginners; no movement or clowning background required. Information is here.

18th Annual “What the Fluff” Festival from 3 to 7 p.m. on Somerville Avenue from School Street to Warren Ave., near Union Square, Somerville. Free. Delicious and horrible Marshmallow Fluff was invented in Somerville in 1917, when a local named Archibald Query made it in his kitchen and sold it door to door. The festival honors the concoction in most every way imaginable, drawing more than 12,000 people to its music, games and, of course, lots of Fluff-related foods. (The classic Fluffernutter is just the start.) Information is here.

Mandarin social from 4 to 5 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge (and continuing every Saturday except for Sept. 30). Free. Chinese-language learners and speakers of all ages enjoy Chinese story time for kids, kids games, mahjong, folk dancing and more. Sponsored by the Chinese American Association of Cambridge. Information is here.

Revels RiverSing: Two Dragons Dancing at 5 p.m. on the Cambridge side of the Charles River at the John W. Weeks Memorial Bridge near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Celebrate the change of seasons with a reimagined version of this traditional outdoor event featuring communal and choir singing, dancing, music from sax, accordion and brass band players and Night and Day dragons leading everyone in the Equinox waltz. Information is here.

Mount Auburn artist-in-residence music showcase from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. in Hazel Dell (off Central Avenue) at Mount Auburn Cemetery, 580 Mount Auburn St., West Cambridge (and repeating Sunday). Free, but registration is required. This first-ever music showcase in the artist-in-residence program features alumni Mary Bichner and Ira Klein plus current participant Eden Rayz performing original compositions ranging from classical to folk. Information is here.

Roya EFX open word slam from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at Starlight Square, 84 Bishop Allen Drive, Central Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. The Boston-based arts and culture nonprofit hosts this third annual event of spoken word by artists, poets, writers and, in an open-mic segment, enthusiasts (including those who’d like to share song and dance). A bar accepting payment by cash or card raises funds for Starlight Square. Information is here.

Poetry reading: “Who Do You Think You Are?” from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the CAA@Canal Gallery, 650 E. Kendall St., Kendall Square, Cambridge (and repeating Sept. 29). Free. Poets and poetry teachers Judson K. Evans, Linda Carney-Goodrich, Deborah Leipziger and Anne Elezabeth Pluto read in conjunction with the gallery’s five-artist exhibition (which runs through Oct. 11). Information is here.

Juventas “Song in Flight” concert at 8 p.m. at the Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second St., East Cambridge. $35. The Boston ensemble, which performs works by living composers, takes a nature theme this season starting with this homage to the wonders of avian life, including a commissioned piece by Mari Kotskyy, “The Birds Suite,” which sets to music three poems by Christina Rossetti. The evening includes a 6:30 p.m. preconcert talk with five of the composers featured. Information is here.

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Sunday, Sept. 24

Somerville Dog Festival from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Trum Field, 541 Broadway, Somerville, near Magoun Square. Free. Bring your pup of any age to this event sponsored by the Somerville Foundation for Animals, which is raising funds for a mobile X-ray machine. Includes fun training classes and obstacle courses, more than 20 vendors, food trucks and more. Information is here.

Mass Ave Mixer from noon to 3 p.m. at Starlight Square, 84 Bishop Allen Drive, Central Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. Network with local leaders, community organizers and Cambridge constituents while shopping from Popportunity vendors and enjoying local food and music. Information is here.

Mount Auburn Cemetery artist-in-residence music showcase (continued) from 1 to 2:15 p.m. in Hazel Dell (off Central Avenue) at Mount Auburn Cemetery, 580 Mount Auburn St., West Cambridge. Free, but registration is required. Information is here.

Let’s Go Bugging! pollinator survey workshop from 1 to 2:30 p.m. meeting on site at the Lusitania Meadow at 615 Concord Ave. in West Cambridge at Fresh Pond, Cambridge. Free. Join participatory scientists from Earthwise Aware and park ranger Tim Puopolo to learn how you can help document arthropod activity around Fresh Pond and your neighborhood. No expertise required, but prepare by downloading the Anecdata app and joining the EwA Buggy project. Information is here.

“Objects of Addiction”: perspectives on the opioid crisis in New England from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at Harvard Art Museums, Menschel Hall, 32 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Before this roundtable, tour the exhibit upstairs (which runs through Jan. 14) then listen to specialists in addiction medicine, harm reduction and public health policy discuss the opioid crisis in New England. Information is here.

Hillbilly Holiday performs at 3 p.m. at Aeronaut Brewing, 14 Tyler St., near Union Square, Somerville. Free. This “punky country cowboy outfit led by a Taiwanese singer” has indie rockers countrifying any tune that tells a good tale (“sad, glad or strange,” they say). Hence their twangy cover of “Tomorrow Never Knows” – trippy in a whole new way! Information is here.

Bachata by the River from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Mass Audubon Nature Center at Magazine Beach, 668 Memorial Drive, Cambridgeport. Free. An introductory class on this easy-to-learn partner dance, applicable to many music genres, followed by another hour of dancing. No need to bring a partner. Information is here.

Black Biz Ball at 6:30 p.m. (awards at 5:30 p.m.) at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. $50 to $150. Dress to impress in your best African or elegant garments during this third annual celebration of Boston-area Black-owned businesses that exemplify the seven principles of Kwanzaa. Within the whole Foundry space enjoy music (live and from DJs), networking, food and dancing. Among those speaking at the awards ceremony are Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley and Boston Foundation president and CEO M. Lee Pelton. Sponsored by the Boston-based Black Biz Development Group. Information is here.

The Cambridge Jazz Foundation celebrates the music of John Coltrane at 8 p.m. at the Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second St., East Cambridge. $35. Come early for the reception with cash bar, then enjoy Grammy-nominated saxophonist and Berklee professor Tia Fuller and friends playing Coltrane classics. Information is here.

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Monday, Sept. 25

Cambridge Science Festival, running all day through Sunday mainly in The MIT Museum, 314 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge, and in museums and other select locations around town. All festival zone activities are free. Among the many, many events in themed categories and searchable by a variety of tags are talks on nuclear fusion, wildfire science, decoding the brain, the movement of pollutants in the jet stream, green roof technology, gravitational waves, brain-computer interface scenarios, microplastics in India, the neuroscience behind magic tricks and ways to manufacture large structures in orbit; workshops on propagating plant clippings, making your own moving art, making data a multisensory experience and using seaweed-derived polymers to make multicolored string; performances of compositions written based on the vibrations of amino acids, of improvised music played along with electronically rendered spider web sonification, of dramatic readings of absurd-sounding but genuine research studies; kids activities involving Slapstick Science, everyday physics, ice cream science, entomology adventures and ultracold science demos; tours of The Broad Discovery Center, of the MIT Sea Grant Marine Biology and Robotics Labs, of the MIT Spatial Sound Lab, of The Center for Astrophysics and of the inside of a life-sized inflatable whale. Some events will have you walking 4.6 billion years in kilometers or paddling to a floating wetland or passively watching play readings and film screenings. As for art installations and exhibits, the immersive 360-degree artwork called the “One Sphere” returns in its new incarnation as a place to connect people with critical resources; an outdoor exhibit arranges 30 3D-printed statues of contemporary women innovators; an exhibit charts the legacies of women astronomical computers at Harvard; an artist duo tackles the impacts of sugar refinement and silver use in analog photography, and a light-installation project launches Boston Fashion Week. Some hot topics have multiple events, such as the uses and ramifications of artificial intelligence; aging and longevity; textile sustainability; diversity and inclusion in Stem fields; health equity regarding race; plus lots on uses of light (lasers, photonics, in fashion, in art). You can roll up your sleeves and make your own optical illusion, create light paintings in a photo booth or just plain fix broken stuff. Teen topics include research about AI around justice and equity, clean-energy careers for young people, the future of beauty, a high school science story slam, and all about circuits with the Society of Women Engineers. Just for fun there’s a science trivia night at a brewery and on Sunday the huge Science Festival Carnival. Information is here.

Climate Forward information session and discussion from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Community Room of the Somerville Public Library West Branch, 40 College Ave., near Davis Square (and repeating on Thursday at the Somerville main library). Free, but register. Somerville’s climate change program manager will explain how and why the city is updating its climate action plan and invites citizens to provide their ideas and suggestions. Information is here.

Nick McDonell reads from “Quiet Street: On American Privilege” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The bestselling author and foreign correspondent taps his own upbringing as a jumping-off place to honestly examine America’s 1 percent, asking “Who are these people?” “How do they cling to power?” “What would it take for them to share it?” Pulitzer-winning journalist and author Matthieu Aikins joins the conversation. Information is here.

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Tuesday, Sept. 26

Cambridge Science Festival (continued), running all day through Sunday mainly in The MIT Museum, 314 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge, and in museums and other select locations around town. All festival zone activities are free. Information is here.

Daron Acemoglu reads from “Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity” from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Wong Auditorium in Building E-51, also known as the Tang Center, 2 Amherst St., Cambridge. Free. Co-author Acemoglu discusses digital technologies and artificial intelligence: In the next decades will they serve the narrow interests of an elite or become the foundation for widespread prosperity? Joining in conversation for this Starr Forum is Fotini Christia, director of MIT’s Sociotechnical Systems Research Center. Information is here.

Robert Boyers reads from “Maestros & Monsters: Days & Nights with Susan Sontag & George Steiner” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Boyers, the founder and editor of the international quarterly magazine Salmagundi, discusses his memoiristic book that’s a dual portrait built around intense friendships with leading public intellectuals who achieved celebrity status. Author and former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky joins the conversation. Information is here.

Fierce Reads “Thrills & Chills” author tour at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 25 White St., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free. The Fierce Reads author group, featuring accomplished YA horror authors Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, Jamison Shea, Tomi Oyemakinde and Kalyn Josephson, will answer questions during a panel moderated by Parker-Vincent Alva and Aphrodite Anais Allen, teen fellows of the Young Adult Writers Program of GrubStreet, this event’s co-sponsor. Information is here.

The Moth Story Slam at 7:30 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. $15. This monthly open-mic storytelling competition is open to anyone who can share a five-minute tale on the night’s theme – this time, “Luck,” about calamities averted, windfalls or wipeouts, miracles or miseries that can claim no cause. Information is here.

Frankie and the Witch Fingers at 8 p.m. at the Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square. $20 and all ages. A reviewer declares this Bloomington Indiana-by-way-of Los Angeles band’s new album “a garage rock, heavy psych and rock ’n’ roll master stroke.” As for the show, the band describes it as “an ebb and flow of flowery-poppy horror.” All this editor knows is their song “Futurephobic” has a video with Ronald McDonald in it and a strobe-effect trigger warning. Also performing: Iguana Death Cult. Information is here.

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Wednesday, Sept. 27

Cambridge Science Festival (continued), running all day through Sunday mainly in The MIT Museum, 314 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge, and in museums and other select locations around town. All festival zone activities are free. Information is here.

Triangle Park opening celebration from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 200 First St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free. Enjoy light refreshments while checking out this new public park with 300 freshly planted trees, different types of seating and a deck that can double as a stage for small performances or community events. Information is here.

Bev Stohl reads from “Chomsky and Me” from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in The Nexus community space on the first floor of the Hayden Library Building at 160 Memorial Drive at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge. Free, but register. As the longtime office manager for renowned linguist and social critic Noam Chomsky, Stohl wrote this memoir with the approval of its subject and with affection, insight and a gentle sense of humor. Joining in conversation is Suzanne Flynn, professor of linguistics and language acquisition at MIT. Information is here.

Helen Elaine Lee reads from “Pomegranate” at 5 p.m. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Building 4, Room 270, 182 Memorial Drive, Cambridge. Free. Lee, author of “The Serpent’s Gift,” discusses her novel about a Black woman’s journey out of addiction and incarceration and her efforts to regain custody of her children and heal from early trauma, all while discovering her true queer identity. Information is here.

Luna McNamara reads from “Psyche and Eros” at 6:30 p.m. at Pandemonium Books & Games, 4 Pleasant St., Central Square, Cambridge. $5. Wit and lyricism breathes life into the story of Psyche and Eros in this debut novel exploring notions of trust, sacrifice and what it truly means to be a hero. Information is here.

Valente Branch book group from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. at the Cambridge Library Valente Branch, 826 Cambridge St., Wellington-Harrington, Cambridge. Free. This new group will meet monthly to discuss a mix of fiction and nonfiction books. September’s title: “The Last Great Road Bum” by Hector Tobar. Information is here.

Strummerville Ukulele from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Café at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville, and every fourth Wednesday. Free. Amateur musicians invite you to join in as they sing and strum the hits. Information is here.

Rainbow Showroom at 7 p.m. at The Burren, 247 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $15 to $20, all ages. The debut of this “reimagined” queer variety series promises a lineup of New England’s best drag, noise, alternative, performance art, DIY and underground musicians. This time, Skylar Simone hosts the bands Heathmonger and Bachelor Speedy and “the confused sound collective” qu33r bait. Information is here.

Ian Johnson reads from “Sparks: China’s Underground Historians and Their Battle for the Future” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Johnson describes how some of China’s best-known writers, filmmakers and artists have recently overcome crackdowns and censorship to forge a nationwide movement that challenges the Communist Party on its most hallowed ground: its control of history. Reporter, columnist and entrepreneur Annie Jieping Zhang joins the conversation. Information is here.

Poets Jeffrey Harrison and Grace Schulman read from 7 to 8 p.m. at Grolier Poetry Book Shop on 6 Plympton St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $10, but registration is required. Information is here.

Devon Gilfillian performs at 8 p.m. at The Sinclair, 52 Church St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $20 and 18-plus. The Philadelphia-born, Nashville-based singer-songwriter plays songs from his album “Love You Anyway” that span soul, hip-hop, R&B and rock, all under the banner of Black joy. Information is here.

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Thursday, Sept. 28

Cambridge Science Festival (continued), running all day through Sunday mainly in The MIT Museum, 314 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge, and in museums and other select locations around town. All festival zone activities are free. Information is here.

Mapping the Future of Health Care with Korean Innovators from 4 to 8 p.m. at Venture Café, CIC Cambridge, One Broadway, fifth floor, Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free. Hear pitches from Korean digital health companies, explore a showcase of a dozen Korean medical technology companies ranging from screening to therapeutics and enjoy Korean food and pop culture. Information is here.

Harvard Art Museums at Night from 5 to 9 p.m. in the Calderwood Courtyard at Harvard Art Museums, 32 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Wander the galleries and browse the shop while enjoying sounds from DJ C-Zone and snacks and beverages from chosen local businesses. Information is here.

“Skirts and Slide Rules: Women at MIT from The Nichols Sisters to Now” panel discussion from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in The Nexus community space on the first floor of the Hayden Library Building at 160 Memorial Drive at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge. Free, but register. Two daughters of the Nichols family of Beacon Hill were among the first generation of women to study at MIT, hence the Nichols House Museum co-sponsoring this event. An archivist and panel discuss women at MIT up through the 2000s with a focus on Black women, Asian women and women in engineering. Information is here.

Cambridge Premiere of “It’s Basic” documentary from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the American Repertory Theater, 64 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Join Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui and other members of Mayors for a Guaranteed Income for a premiere screening of the documentary “It’s Basic,” which looks at pilot programs launched in the United States that test the effects of giving everyday people an extra $500 to $1,000 monthly with no strings attached. As part of the Guaranteed Income Works National Tour, the event starts with food and refreshments and concludes with a discussion with participants in the Cambridge Rise income program. Information is here.

Mindy Seu discusses “Cyberfeminism Index” from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Bartos Theatre, 20 Ames St., Building E-15, atrium level, Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free. Designer, professor and researcher Seu discusses her book’s design features and some of its 700 short entries of radical techno-critical activism; among them are academic articles, profiles of digital rights activist groups and depictions of feminist net art compiled with the aim of documenting the long-ignored origins and expansive legacy of cyberfeminism. Hosted by the MIT List Visual Arts Center with Kendra Albert, a public interest technology lawyer, joining Seu in conversation. Information is here.

This Is How We Roll! from 6 to 9 p.m. at Starlight Square, 84 Bishop Allen Drive, Central Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. Laraland Roller Disco hosts this skate party – BYO skates, as none will be available to rent, but you are welcome to dance if you don’t have wheels. Music from DJs Nomadik and Manny Reese. Information is here.

Climate Forward Information Session and Discussion (continued) from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Somerville Public Library, 79 Highland Ave., Central Hill. Free. Information is here.

Michele De Lucchi on “Earth Stations: Future Sharing Architectures” from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in Piper Auditorium of Gund Hall, 42 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Known for a wide range of architectural projects in Italy and abroad, architect Michele De Lucchi discusses the need to create spaces that foster relationships. Information is here.

Dr. Brian H. Williams reads from “The Bodies Keep Coming: Dispatches from a Black Trauma Surgeon on Racism, Violence and How We Heal.” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Williams’ memoir details the rising grief and anger he felt as Black doctor during a fateful night in surgery that retrained his surgeon’s gaze on structural ills, asking, “What if racism is a feature of our health care system, not a bug?” “What if profiting from racial inequality is exactly what it was designed to do?” Joining the conversation is Amber Payne, publisher and general manager of The Emancipator. Information is here.

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Friday, Sept. 29

Cambridge Science Festival (continued), running all day through Sunday mainly in The MIT Museum, 314 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge, and in museums and other select locations around town. All festival zone activities are free. Information is here.

Art at Night: Lemelson-MIT Open House from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. Free. Enjoy light refreshments and learn about invention education programs for K-12 through community college, including the national high school grants initiative called InvenTeams, the “Bridge to Invention and Inclusive Innovation” program piloted with Cambridge high school students this past year and continuing with My Brother’s Keeper Cambridge this fall, plus neighborhood after-school programs and the upcoming Steam It Up Night. Information is here.

Ross Gay reads from “The Book of More Delights” at 6 p.m. The Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $29.75 (includes book). The award-winning author of the essay collections “The Book of Delights” and “Inciting Joy” discusses his latest collection which continues to delve into the small joys and pleasures that connect us and give us meaning, many of which arise from experiences outdoors in nature. Sponsored with Harvard Book Store. Information is here.

Joshua Bennett reads from “Spoken Word: A Cultural History” and “The Study of Human Life” from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at The MIT Museum, 314 Main St., Bldg. E-28, Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free. Author, MIT professor and artist Bennett reflects on the craft of storytelling, the art of the spoken word and his journey as a writer and educator during this Cambridge Science Festival event. Information is here.

Kalliope in Blue concert from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Somerville Museum, 1 Westwood Road, in the Spring Hill neighborhood. $10. In conjunction with the exhibit “Blue: The Celebration of a Color,” running through Dec. 2, the Kalliope Reed Quintet joins forces with Mezzo Soprano Carrie Cheron and composer Francine Trester to perform 20th and 21st century works inspired by the color, including works by Berklee’s Trester, Peruvian Daniel Cueto, Columbian Luis Calvo, Joni Mitchell and George Gershwin. Information is here.

Falling into the Rhythm and Blues from 6 to 9 p.m. at Starlight Square, 84 Bishop Allen Drive, Central Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. R&B performances by Boston-based women Melissa Mills, ToriTori and Aldra. Information is here.

Novuyo Rosa Tshuma reads from “Digging Stars” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Following her award-winning “House of Stone,” Tshuma’s novel chronicles the transformation of Rosa, an adoring daughter of a brilliant astronomer, in whose memory she pursues similar academic success for herself. But friendships with other young ambitious scientists cause Rosa to rethink identity, the ethics of technology and, most painfully, her father’s legacy. Joining the conversation is Noviolet Bulawayo, author of the novels “Glory” and “We Need New Names.” Information is here.

Poetry Reading: “Who Do You Think You Are?” (continued) from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the CAA@Canal Gallery, 650 E. Kendall St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free. Information is here.

Palaver Strings: A Change is Gonna Come from 8 to 9:30 p.m. at Longy School of Music’s Pickman Concert Hall, 27 Garden St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $10 to $20. This program by the musician-led string ensemble based in Portland, Maine, explores our country’s legacy of protest songs and features Grammy-nominated tenor Nicholas Phan. Information is here.

Immersive Afrofuturism Experience from 8 to 10 p.m. at the Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second St., East Cambridge. $45 to $60. Discover the powerful cultural movement that combines elements of African diaspora, science fiction, technology and imagination as it’s explored in this presentation of visual art, dance performances, music and fashion. Information is here.

“T: An MBTA Musical” from 9:30 to 11 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $25 to $39 and 21-plus. This snarky play by John Michael Manship (book) and Melissa Carubia (music and lyrics) pulls back into the station for a twice-monthly staging. Three 20-somethings whose lives have been derailed by the MBTA’s incompetency discover a secret map that will enable them to overthrow the transit system’s corruption. Songs include “The Shuttle Bus Song (We Can’t Handle It),” “The People on the T” and “The Bro Song.” Information is here.

Dääd performs at 10 p.m. at The Middle East Corner, 480 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. Free and 21-plus. No, Dääd is from Boston, not Copenhagen. And yes, it’s a dad band. And they play hard-hitting power rock from the ’80s and ’90s through today. And they’re loud and they’re in your face – but not about your grades. Information is here.