Friday, Feb. 9

Black History Month business pop-up from noon to 7 p.m. at One Brattle Square, Harvard Square, Cambridge (and continuing Feb. 10). Free, but RSVP to say in the loop. Support local Black-owned businesses by shopping this showcase of a diverse range of products and services including vegan treats, soaps, sauces, bags, jewelry, fine art, dog treats, artisan food, trendy fashion and more. Information is here.

Celebrating Amy Lowell’s 150th anniversary at 1 p.m. at Mount Auburn Cemetery, 580 Mount Auburn St., West Cambridge. Free. The renowned poet’s legacy is carried on locally by the New England Poetry Club, which she co-founded in 1915. Club and cemetery representatives walk to Lowell’s grave to lay a wreath with brief remarks and poetry reading. Information is here.

Community-Based Yoga for Beginners from 6 to 7 p.m. at CultureHouse, 64 Union Square, Somerville. Free, but register and ages 12-plus. Join local environmental educator and yoga instructor-in-training Natalia Bayona for a series of all-levels yoga classes. Bring a yoga mat if you have one. Information is here.

Cuban Dance with Boston Rueda from 6 to 8 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge (and continuing every Friday). $15. No partner or experience necessary to learn this group dance to Cuban and other salsa music involving the changing of partners. Information is here.

Contemporary Dance Class from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge (and every Friday through March 1; no class Feb. 23). Free to $15. Learn a fusion of contemporary, lyrical and modern dance style. Information is here.

Architect Marlon Blackwell discusses “Radical Practice” from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Gund Hall, 42 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The Fayetteville, Arkansas, designer and architect will talk about the projects documented in his 2022 book and describes the core principles evolving at his firm since he founded it more than 30 years ago. Information is here.

“Joyland” screening with Saim Sadiq at 7 p.m. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Building 26-100, also known as the Compton Laboratories, at 60 Vassar St., Cambridge. Free. A moderated Q&A with the director and writer of the first Pakistani film to screen at the Cannes Film Festival follows its screening at MIT. Set in inner-city Lahore, the 2022 film explores love and desire in a patriarchal society. Information is here.

Shit-Faced Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew” from 7 to 8 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville (and continuing tomorrow and next weekend). $30 and 21-plus. A one-hour version of the bard with one actor randomly selected to drink before and during the performance, leaving sober castmates to incorporate, rectify, justify and generally improvise around the drunkenness. Information is here.

Nebulous String Quartet performs at 7:30 p.m. at the Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second St., East Cambridge. Free, but RSVP. Violinists Claudius Agrippa and Fabienne Jean, violist Noah Leong and cellist Kely Pinheiro often create arrangements and compositions from an improvisational and nebulous state. Sponsored by Celebrity Series of Boston. Information is here.

World Premiere of “Bumbled” at 7:30 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge (and continuing through Sunday). $32. In this “one-person, bee-twerking, Irish slow-dancing, sex-dodging odyssey,” performed and co-written by Colin Hamell, an Irish honey bee embarks on a hilarious and poignant journey to tell the world about the importance of bees, save the planet and to find true happiness with his French girlfriend. Information is here.

Harvard College Opera Society presents “Falstaff” at 7:30 p.m. at Agassiz Theater, 5 James St., Harvard Square, Cambridge (and continuing through Feb. 10). $10 to $20. Based on Shakespeare’s play “The Merry Wives of Windsor,” Giuseppe Verdi’s final opera is full of romance, hijinks and magic. Performed in Italian with English supertitles. Information is here.

“Machine Learning” at 8 p.m. at Central Square Theater, 450 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge (through Feb. 25). $24 to $78. A play by Francisco Mendoza about an AI nursing application that increases its learning as the health of the man it cares for deteriorates. The application’s creator must confront his responsibility; he’s also the man’s son. Produced in partnership with Teatro Chelsea. Information is here.

Dance Friday: Celebrate Lunar New Year’s Eve from 8 to 10 p.m. at St. Mary Orthodox Church, 8 Inman St., Central Square, Cambridge. $10 to $15 and all ages. Dance barefoot in an atmosphere of friendship, acceptance and trust to a wide range of music. Sponsored by the Movement Collective. Information is here.

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Saturday, Feb. 10

Black History Month Celebration Weekend from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Museum of Science, 1 Science Park, Boston, on the Cambridge border (also Feb. 11). Free. Speakers, special activities and performances with headliners including Oompa, Jeneé Osterheldt with her “A Beautiful Resistance: Family Edition,” Cliff Notez, Dutch ReBelle and OrigiNation. Plus the premiere of the special exhibition “ReRooted: What’s Hair Got to Do With It?” Information is here.

Small Mart, Valentine’s Edition from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square. Free. Vintage vendors, local artisans and makers sell, plus specialty cocktails and mocktails and music. Information is here.

Black History Month business pop-up (continued) from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at One Brattle Square, Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free, but RSVP to stay in the loop. Information is here.

Galentine’s Drag Brunch from noon to 3 p.m. at The Painted Burro, 32 Church St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $18 ticket plus $25 for bottomless brunch. A party in honor of friendships and all other forms of platonic love hosted by Linda Maripossa and featuring her friends Saint, Adriana and Lilly Rose. Information is here.

Besties & Brews Galentine Party from noon to 4 p.m. at Aeronaut Brewing, 14 Tyler St., near Union Square, Somerville. Free. Bring a gal pal and shop local women-founded small businesses for handmade goods, make and mail valentines, paint pottery, get a psychic reading, design a BFF bracelet and register for a floral design workshop. Information is here.

Mapping Cities in Motion discussion from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at The MIT Museum, 314 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free with museum admission. MIT Senseable City Lab co-founder Carlo Ratti and Harvard architecture historian Antoine Picon discuss their new book “Atlas of the Senseable City” and how the growth of digital mapping, spurred by sensing technologies, affects cities and daily lives. Information is here.

Community Land Trust 101: Preventing Displacement from 1 to 3 p.m. at CultureHouse, 64 Union Square, Somerville. Free, but register. Learn how land trusts have supported neighborhoods since the 1960s civil rights movement and watch a screening of “Arc of Justice” describing the work of the Somerville Community Land Trust. Information is here.

I Heart Science from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford St., in the Baldwin neighborhood near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free with museum admission. Meet scientists who study and collect fossils, mushrooms and meteorites. Talk with experts who build telescopes, track invasive species and grow carnivorous plants. Try finding bugs or exploring sand. Craft art from polarized light and watch an ice sculpture be made in front of the museum. Information is here.

Introduction to plant and wildlife monitoring for conservation from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at The Growing Center, 22 Vinal Ave., near Union Square, Somerville. Free, but register. Earthwise Aware co-founder Claire O’Neill teaches how to observe and record the plants, insects and animals of the Somerville Growing Center. No expertise required, but prepare for the event by creating a free account on the iNaturalist app. Information is here.

Harvard College Opera Society presents “Falstaff” (continued) at 3 p.m. at Agassiz Theater, 5 James St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $10 to $20. Information is here.

“Machine Learning” (continued) at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. at Central Square Theater, 450 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. $24 to $78. The evening performance begins with a 45-minute discussion “Who are the Innovators” with C. Brandon Ogbunu and Sam Scarpino discussing identity, motivation and access, and how AI has entered the world of evolutionary biology and is being used to study viruses to potentially prevent outbreaks as well as lead us down paths to vaccines. Information is here.

The Curated Fridge Winter 2024 Opening Party from 4 to 6 p.m. at 281 Medford St., Somerville, just behind the Somerville Public Library. Free. It’s an exhibit of shots on Yorgos Efthymiadis’ refrigerator, but also a way for photographers to connect with one another. This show’s theme is Storytime and Jessica Burko of the Photographic Resource Center is the curator and will attend. Information is here.

Streets & Avenue: A Hip-Hop Celebration from 6 to 10 p.m. at MIT Theater Arts, 345 Vassar St., in the MIT/Area II neighborhood, Cambridge. Free, but register. An evening dedicated to the pillars of hip-hop: style and sound. Street poet Amanda Shea MCs during the street fashion runway backdropped by Sobek’s set design and muralist graffiti art, and Boston rapper Clark D performs. Dance after the small concert to tunes from DJ Troy Frost. Information is here.

“The Unknowable”: An Operatic Ballet at 7 p.m. at Sanders Theatre, 45 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge (also Feb. 11). $12 to $24. This mix of dancers and singers hasn’t been a thing since the Baroque era – from about 1600 to 1750 – but 2023 Harvard graduate Benjamin T. Rossen is bringing it back in a two-act Lowell Opera House production with choreography by Emily Parker and additional music by Berlioz and Mahler. Rossen thinks this reinvention of the art form will help make opera more accessible to more people, and so will the story “The Unknowable” tells about an artist making a tough decision. Information is here.

Shit-Faced Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew” (continued) from 7 to 8 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $30 and 21-plus. Information is here.

Mardi Gras Grand Carnival Ball from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second St., East Cambridge. $50 suggested donation and 21-plus. A festive blend of Mardi Gras and Caribbean and Brazilian arts entertainment with live music, costumes, food, drinks and dancing sponsored by the Carnival Society of Boston. Information is here.

“Bumbled” (continued) at 7:30 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. $32. Information is here.

Yoham Ortiz performs at 7:30 p.m. at Aeronaut Brewing, 14 Tyler St., near Union Square, Somerville. Free. The composer, guitarist and vocalist fuses classical, jazz, Caribbean and South American styles and sings in English and Spanish. Information is here.

Hubbub Comedy at 7:30 p.m. at Lamplighter CX, 110 North First St., North Point, Cambridge. $15 to $20 and 21-plus. Write a question at the door and the comics may answer it live on stage. Information is here.

MIT’s Musical Theater Guild presents “Chicago” at 8 p.m. in La Sala de Puerto Rico in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Stratton Student Center, 84 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge (also tomorrow). $10 to $20. Go back in time to the Roaring ’20s for this Kander and Ebb classic (then ponder what adjective will describe the current decade in 100 years). Information is here.

Taryn Newborne & The Real Deal perform for Boston Swing Central from 8 to 11:45 p.m. at Q Ballroom, 26 New St., Fresh Pond, Cambridge. $18 to $25. This special Valentine’s theme social partner dance with live music, which starts with a lesson for beginners in the first hour, will feature custom-designed valentines delivered by dancing Cupids. Dress to impress and bring a clean pair of shoes to dance in to prevent winter sand and salt damage on the floors. Information is here.

Love Strukk Indoors from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. at the American Legion Marsh Post 442, 5 Greenough Blvd., West Cambridge. $17.15 to $34.30. Dance into the wee hours at this underground electronic music event featuring sounds from Hooni, Werme and Route710. Creative dress encouraged, no backpacks. Information is here.

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Sunday, Feb. 11

Black History Month Celebration Weekend (continued) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Museum of Science, 1 Science Park, Boston, on the Cambridge border. Information is here.

Half Time Drag Brunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Summer Shack, 149 Alewife Brook Parkway, Alewife, Cambridge. $20. Have a meal and sing and dance along as drag performers pay tribute to iconic performances from the best halftime shows from the big game – Prince, Beyoncé, Gaga, Madonna, Shakira, JLo. Hosted by Neon Calypso. Information is here.

Lunar New Year Celebration for the Year of the Dragon from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School’s cafeteria and Fitzgerald Auditorium, 459 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free to $10. A 90-minute Chinese culture fair in the high school’s cafeteria precedes the two-hour performance in the theater (starting at 2 p.m.) of Peking opera and Asian ballet at this event organized by the Chinese American Association of Cambridge. Information is here.

Silents, Please! presents a screening of “Peter Pan” at 2 p.m. at the Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square. $12 to $17. Original big-screen adaptation of the magical fantasy classic, a major 1924 hit, is part of the theater’s series of vintage silent classics (usually 35 mm prints) shown with live music. Information is here.

“Machine Learning” (continued) at 2 p.m. at Central Square Theater, 450 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. $24 to $78. Information is here.

Alex2e performs at 3 p.m. at Aeronaut Brewing, 14 Tyler St., near Union Square, Somerville. Free. The Western Massachusetts singer-songwriter’s actual name is Alex Tuohey and he’s toured nationally supporting Matt Nathanson, Everclear (solo), Howie Day, Michigander and Shawn James. Information is here.

Orchestra Book Club: “Homeland Rivers” from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. Free to $25. Musical pieces “The Moldau” by Bedrich Smetana and “Mississippi River Suite” by Florence Price, whose flowing melodies invoke rivers, are performed and discussed to add context (like a book club). Information is here.

Ecstatic Fantasy Dance from 3 to 5 p.m. at The Dance Complex, 536 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. $20 to $30 and all ages. Embody your inner enchantress, sorcerer or faerie through movement and mystic meditation. Features a virtual reality station and music by Handle Slide. Costumes encouraged. Information is here.

“Re/Un Making” exhibit and reception from 3 to 6 p.m. at Gallery 263, 263 Pearl St., Cambridgeport. Free. The one-day pop-up goes on view at 1 p.m. and features artists whose practices are in flux, unresolved or actively renegotiated in the face of significant life changes. Some skirt the boundaries of art. Information is here.

“The Unknowable”: An Operatic Ballet (continued) at 4 p.m. at Sanders Theatre, 45 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. $12 to $24. Information is here.

“Bumbled” (continued) from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. $32. Information is here.

MIT’s Musical Theater Guild presents “Chicago” at 6 p.m. in La Sala de Puerto Rico in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Stratton Student Center, 84 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. $10 to $20. Information is here.

Second Sun Rising Fusion Dance from 7 to 11 p.m. at Q Ballroom, 26 New St., Fresh Pond, Cambridge (and the second Sunday of each month). $5 to $20. Social partner dancing to styles ranging from electronica to pop. A lesson for beginners in the first hour. Bring dance shoes, top-tier maskage and a water bottle. Information is here.

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Monday, Feb. 12

Lawrence Lessig reads from “How to Steal a Presidential Election” from noon to 1 p.m. at the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Ethics, 124 Mount Auburn St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. The co-author discusses where and how mischief can be done in presidential elections and how to reform them. Includes lunch. Information is here.

MIT’s Artists Beyond the Desk performance at noon at Killian Hall in the Hayden Library Building at 160 Memorial Drive at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge. Free. Alums and musicians clarinetist Ray Jackendoff and pianist Lois Shapiro perform with New England Conservatory of Music faculty member violist Gillian Rogell. Information is here.

Author Talk: “Russia and Ukraine: Entangled Histories, Diverging States” from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the Center for Government and International Studies, South Concourse, S354, 1730 Cambridge St., Harvard Square. Free, but register. Authors Oxana Shevel (Tufts University) and Maria Popova (McGill University) talk with the Davis Center’s Alexandra Vacroux about their book explaining how since 1991 Russia and Ukraine have diverged politically, ending up on a collision course. Information is here.

10 Million Names, Slavery and Descendant Communities of New England talk from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at First Church in Cambridge, 11 Garden St., Harvard Square. Free, but register. Three members of the 10 Million Names scholars council share histories and legacies of slavery in New England and discuss their research and ways to get involved. Co-sponsored by Longfellow House and the Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site. Information is here.

A/V Comedy Club from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. Free, but not kid-friendly (material runs PG-13 to R). Drop in to watch members of the local comedy community do interactive stand-up bits with PowerPoint slides and (occasionally) music. Information is here.

Jonathan M. Metzl reads from “What We’ve Become: Living and Dying in a Country of Arms” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The author of “Dying of Whiteness” explores what happens to the soul of a nation that’s normalized gun violence. Beth Simone Noveck of Northeastern University joins the conversation. Information is here.

Laura Beretsky reads from “Seizing Control: Managing Epilepsy and Others’ Reactions to It” at 7 p.m. at Somerville Public Library West Branch, 40 College Ave., near Davis Square. Free, but register. In her new memoir, Somerville’s Beretsky chronicles her challenges managing epilepsy. Somerville Disability Commission members join the conversation and discuss employment protections offered by the Americans with Disabilities Act for people with invisible and perceptible disabilities. Information is here.

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Tuesday, Feb. 13

Branko Milanovic reads from “Visions of Inequality: From the French Revolution to the End of the Cold War” from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at Adolphus Busch Hall, 27 Kirkland St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The author probes the evolution of economic inequality among ages and societies. Harvard’s Peter A. Hall and MIT’s and Harvard’s Kathleen Thelen join the conversation. Information is here.

“Everything Was Forever Until It Was No More” artist talk and installation dedication at 6 p.m. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Building 54, also known as The Green Building, Room 100, access via 21 Ames St., Cambridge. Free, but register. Swiss-born Julien Charrière’s first major public art commission in the United States is the new lobby and grand entryway to the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, the Environmental Solutions Initiative and the MIT-Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute Joint Program. Information is here.

Outdoor Pub Sing from 6 to 8 p.m. at The Growing Center, 22 Vinal Ave., near Union Square, Somerville. Free. A pub-style singalong in which anyone is welcome to lead – drinking songs, sea chanteys and any song with a singable chorus is appreciated. There will be a propane fire pit and marshmallows to toast; other snacks are welcome. Information is here.

“Sweeter Than Wine” poetry reading and discussion from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free, but register. Relish the intersection of poetry and love with poets Jill McDonough, Rachelle Toarmino and Tawanda Mulalu, who will each read for 20 minutes and then discuss love poetry with moderator Zachary Bond. Information is here.

Somerville Local Cultural Council Grant awards celebration at 6:30 p.m. at Warehouse XI, 11 Sanborn Court, Union Square, Somerville. Free. Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and the Arts Council host a celebration of the process resulting in 71 projects (from 155 applications) getting $170,647 in total. Information is here.

Budgeting and Smart Spending from 6:30 to 7:30 at the Cambridge Public Library Valente Branch, 826 Cambridge St., Wellington-Harrington, Cambridge. Free, but register. Learn how to make a budget and get better at managing finances with this workshop sponsored by East Cambridge Savings Bank. Information is here.

The Craft of Writing Sex Scenes at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 25 White St., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. Authors Steve Almond, Aube Rey Lescure, Andrea Meyer and Sara Shukla discuss the pitfalls and delights of writing love scenes – and read steamy scenes from their own work. Michelle Hover, author of “Bottomland,” moderates. Information is here.

Marie-Helene Bertino reads from “Beautyland” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The author of “Parakeet” talks about her new novel about a child born in Philadelphia with innate knowledge of a faraway planet and eventually can communicate about life on earth with her extraterrestrial relatives. “The Third Hotel” author Laura Van den Berg joins the conversation. Information is here.

Romance book group from 7:15 to 8:15 p.m. at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free, register. A book discussion group for teens and adults. This month: “Lunar Love” by Lauren Kung Jessen. Information is here.

Point01 Percent at 7:30 p.m. at Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge. $15. A cross-pollination of area musical improvisers. At 7:30 p.m., Noah Campbell (sax), Andrew Neumann (electronics), Nathan McBride (bass) and Eric Rosenthal (drums). At 8:30 p.m., Pandelis Karayorgis (piano), Jeff Platz (guitar) and Luther Gray (drums). Information is here.

Mr. Ho’s Orchestrotica Quintet perform at 8 p.m. at the Somerville Music Spaces, 1060 Broadway, Suite C101B, Somerville. $30. Composed and improvised music intersect for “a story-driven mashup of global jazz and classical adaptations.” Information is here.

Longy faculty debut recital at 8 p.m. at the Longy School of Music, 27 Garden St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. Tyler Duncan, baritone at Longy, with Erika Switzer, pianist at Bard College, present song cycles that reflect the quarter-century they’ve spent together collaborating on and off the stage as marrieds who just produced the album “A Left Coast.” Expect Beethoven, Habibi, Morelock and Ryan and the poetry of Zwicky, Ashton, Khayyam and Jeitteles. Information is here.

Mardi Gras Party with Haley Jane and The Sensi Allstars from 9 p.m. to midnight at La Fabrica Central, 450 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. $20 to $50. The Burlington, Vermont, singer-songwriter performs with the Massachusetts funk-reggae/hip-hop band during this Sensi magazine event. Information is here.

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Wednesday, Feb. 14

Midday Music and Soup with the Kendall Square Orchestra from 12:15 to 1 p.m. at the MIT Welcome Center, 292 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. Sip free, hot soup from Souper Roll Up Café (bring your own mug and get a sweet treat) while listening to chamber music. Information is here.

The 49th Boston Science Fiction Film Festival and Marathon at 3 p.m. at the Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square (and through Feb. 19). $16 to $20 (per film) to $100 (for a marathon pass) to $200 (for an all-access pass). This multiday sci-fi feast, which organizers say is the longest-running genre film festival in the country, includes features, some premieres, programs of shorts, panels, director appearances, parties and more. The 24-hour marathon from Feb. 18-19 is has film ranging from great, good, no-so-great to downright laughable. Information is here.

Bipoc-owned business market from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Building 32, also known as the Ray and Maria Stata Center, at 32 Vassar St., Cambridge. Free. As part of MIT’s 50th Annual MLK Celebration, browse and buy from locals: Moss by Cee; Zette’s Healing; Ms. Bonafide Creation & Yoga; Waisted by Yaya; Jahzara Fashion House; Garcia Cristina; Lifebloom Candles; Bites of Boston; and Queen’s Treasures. Information is here.

A Jarring Experience: Fermentation Workshop Series from 6 to 8 p.m. at CultureHouse, 64 Union Square, Somerville (also Feb. 14 and 21). Free, but register. Discover the science and types of fermentation, fermenting vs. pickling and canning, history of fermented foods and safety and cleanliness – plus make sauerkraut! Bring an 8- to 16-ounce jar with lid. Information is here.

Tunefoolery at 7 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. Free. Monthly coffeehouse with open mic for the mental health recovery community and general public. Information is here.

“Duet to Me One More Time” bands at 7 p.m. at The Burren, 247 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $15 to $20 and all ages. Two of the local scene’s longtime musical couples (Devotion, with Andrea Gillis and Marc Pinansky; and Anywhere But There, with Danielle Miraglia and Tom Bianchi) get together for a Valentine’s special. Information is here.

Anna Motz reads from “If Love Could Kill: The Myths and Truths of Women Who Commit Violence” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The forensic psychologist and psychotherapist writes about violence by women – more widespread than most realize and exposing deeply held, centuries-old beliefs about women and their value. Carol Gilligan joins the conversation. Information is here.

Poets Mary Buchinger and Eileen Cleary read from 7 to 8 p.m. at Grolier Poetry Book Shop on 6 Plympton St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $10, but register. With an introduction by Richard Hoffman. Information is here.

Cyberpunk Sweetheart’s Ball at 7:30 p.m. at Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square. $20 to $25. This opening night party of the Boston Sci-Fi Film Festival features music from DJ Sir Richard Wentworth. Information is here.

“Machine Learning” (continued) at 7:30 p.m. at Central Square Theater, 450 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. $24 to $78. Information is here.

’90s Valentine’s Cabaret at 7:30 p.m. at Sonia, 10 Brookline St., Central Square, Cambridge. $35 to $52 and 21-plus. An aerial cabaret produced by Nista Heart Studio and emceed by Severity Stone to counter this sticky-sweet holiday. Information is here.

Gil Aharon Trio performs from 8:15 to 10 p.m. at Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge (and every Wednesday). $10. A mix of influences inspires composer and pianist Aharon, founder of the Lilypad performance and event space. The trio includes bassist Jef Charland, guitarist Andrew Stern and drummer Randy Wooten. Information is here.

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Thursday, Feb. 15

Thursday Morning Talks: “Why Disability Matters to All of Us” from 10:15 a.m. to noon at Holy Trinity Armenian Church, 145 Brattle St., West Cambridge. $20 or $125 (suggested donations for individual talk or series subscription), and registration is required. William P. Alford and Michael Ashley Stein founded Harvard Law School’s Project on Disability. The January and February lecture series is a fundraiser for Mount Auburn Hospital in its 87th year. Information is here.

The 49th Boston Science Fiction Film Festival and Marathon (continued) at 3 p.m. at the Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square. $16 to $20 (per film) to $100 (for a Feb. 18 to 19 marathon pass) to $200 (for an all-access festival pass). Information is here.

Solar Unleashed: A Night of Energy Innovation from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Venture Café, CIC Cambridge, One Broadway, fifth floor, Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. Learn who’s doing what with solar energy, and how they’re storing it. Information is here.

Mathias Énard reads from “The Annual Banquet of the Gravediggers Guild” at 5:30 p.m. at Harvard University’s Barker Center, Room 114, 12 Quincy St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The author discusses his riotous novel set against a Rabelaisian backdrop of excess, newly translated into English. Information is here.

Forest Futures: Will the Forest Save Us All? conference from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Gund Hall, 42 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge (also tomorrow). Free. A two-day exploration of planetary survival through stewardship of forests worldwide. Information is here.

Mako Yoshikawa reads from “Secrets of the Sun” at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 25 White St., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. The novelist, critic and director of Emerson’s MFA program discusses her new memoir focused on her extraordinarily complex late father, whom she adored and feared, and her mission to uncover his secrets to find closure in the shadow of genius, mental illness and violence. Novelist and Harvard Continuing Education instructor Daphne Kalotay joins the conversation. Information is here.

Shit-Faced Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew” (continued) from 7 to 8 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $30 and all ages. Information is here.

Blues Union Black History Month dances from 7 to 11 p.m. at Dance Union, 16 Bow St., Union Square, Somerville (also Feb. 22 and 29). $10 to $25. Includes a lesson in the first hour followed by an hour to socialize, rest or practice with a partner before two hours of social dancing. This month features some lessons around Black vernacular dance elements. Masks required; no need to bring a partner. Information is here.

“Machine Learning” (continued) at 7:30 p.m. at Central Square Theater, 450 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. $24 to $78. Information is here.

City of Four performs at 7:30 p.m. at Aeronaut Brewing, 14 Tyler St., near Union Square, Somerville. Free. Information is here. Enjoy your beer with a side of modern groove-based jazz, funk and fusion. Information is here.

“Welcome to Forever” prerelease with author Nathan Tavares at 7:30 p.m. at All She Wrote Books, 75 Washington St., Prospect Hill, Somerville. Free, or $19.11 with book preorder. The local novelist reads an excerpt from his new sci-fi novel featuring artificial realities, queer romance, secret cabals and edited memories. The book comes out in early March. Information is here.

Lauren Henderson performs from 7:30 to 8:45 p.m. at Regattabar, 1 Bennett St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $15 to $25. The singer paints reflective and impassioned stories with her haunting voice and enchanting compositions. Information is here.

Session Americana with Eleanor Buckland present “The Rattle and Clatter: 20 Years (So Far)” at 8 p.m. at Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Harvard Square, Cambridge (and also Feb. 16 and 17). $25 and $28. You’ve got just a handful of chances to see the band that had their first jam at the back of Toad in Cambridge, then progressed to a residency, launched a touring collective and made nine albums – inspiring many other musicians along the way. Information is here.

Anti-Valentine’s Fight Cabaret at 8:30 p.m. at Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square. $30 to $42. A fight-themed aerial cabaret with pole dance, hoop, acro and heels performances. Emceed by Maxine Harrison. Information is here.

The Croaks, Will Davila, Winkler and Chris Normann perform at 9 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $17. If you can’t be with the one you love, four Boston bands playing on top of each other may help. Information is here.

Emo Night from 9:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. at The Sinclair, 52 Church St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free and 21-plus. Relive the sadness. Information is here.

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Friday, Feb. 16

Forest Futures: Will the Forest Save Us All? conference (continued) from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Gund Hall, 42 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Information is here.

The 49th Boston Science Fiction Film Festival and Marathon (continued) at noon at the Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square. $16 to $20 (per film) to $100 (for a Feb. 18-19 marathon pass) to $200 (for an all-access festival pass). Information is here.

Sour Power Party with Climable from 5 to 9 p.m. at Lamplighter Brewing, 284 Broadway, The Port, Cambridge. Free and 21-plus. Enjoy the brewery’s new Sour Power beer brewed with pineapple and passionfruit, play cornhole and water pong and learn about local nonprofit Climable, whose mission is to make climate science and clean energy understandable and actionable for all. Information is here.

Cuban Dance with Boston Rueda (continued) from 6 to 8 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. $15. Information is here.

Contemporary Dance Class (continued) from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. Free to $15. Information is here.

A Trike Called Funk presents “Juxtaposed Flows: Bhangra and Waacking” from 6:30 to 8:30 at The Dance Complex, 536 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. $5. Part of a mini series designed to bring together the local street/club dance scene and internationally rooted heritage dance scene. This time, its Bhangra with Kit Tempest and Waacking with Yyoyo Devi Green Escada. Information is here.

Writers-in-Residence Welcome Reading at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 25 White St., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free. Michelle Ajodah’s writing centers on ritual and myth in Guyanese families like her own. Mia Tong’s YA pan-Asian mythology-inspired fantasy adventure involves a deity who must battle fantastical foes for an antidote to her caretaker’s malady. Both read selections from their works in progress as the store’s writers in residence for the year. Information is here.

Sumac performs at 7 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. $19.50. American/Canadian post-metal. Also playing: Scarcity and Forbes Graham. Information is here.

Benjamin E. Park reads from “American Zion: A New History of Mormonism” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The historian drew on sources that have become available only in the past two decades to write his fresh and character-driven history of American’s most significant homegrown religion and its internal conflicts, including around sexuality and gender. Megan Kate Nelson joins the conversation. Information is here.

“Faat Kiné” screening at 7 p.m. at Harvard Film Archive at The Carpenter Center, 24 Quincy St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $10. Described as “an endlessly charming meditation on African women’s independence” and the first in a trilogy of films the Senegalese novelist and filmmaker Ousmane Sembène dedicated to the heroism of everyday life. Information is here.

Shit-Faced Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew” (continued) from 7 to 8 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $30 and 21-plus. Information is here.

Celebrating Blues and Swing from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at the Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second St., East Cambridge. $35. Soulful melodies and infectious beats from The Cambridge Jazz Foundation and Bobby Broom on guitar, Greg Groove, Jr., on sax, vocals by Farayi Malek and accompaniment by The Ron Savage Trio with Ron Savage on drums, Ron Mahdi on bass and Consuelo Candelaria-Barry on piano. Information is here.

“Becoming a Man” world premiere at 7:30 p.m. at Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $35 to $55 (and continuing through Mar. 10). A play about one man’s gender transition amid a pivotal political moment in America. From memoirist P. Carl and Tony Award-winning director Diane Paulus. Information is here.

“Machine Learning” (continued) at 8 p.m. at Central Square Theater, 450 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. $24 to $78. Information is here.

Session Americana with Eleanor Buckland present “The Rattle and Clatter: 20 Years (So Far)” (continued) at 8 p.m. at Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $25 and $28. Information is here.

“The Manic Monologues” at 8 p.m. at Arrow Street Arts, 2 Arrow St., Harvard Square, Cambridge (and continuing through Feb. 25). $45. A play by Zachary Burton and Elisa Hofmeister showcasing true stories of mental illness to disrupt stigma. Directed by Brad Reinking. Information is here.

Hole Queer Event: Television Theme at 8 p.m. at Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square, Somerville. $25 and 21-plus. Bear witness to freaky and fantastical drag acts at this queer art party while moving your own super cool body to the music. Includes vendors, interactive art stations and friends you haven’t met yet. Information is here.

Show Me Your Bits improv show from 8 to 9:30 p.m. at the Café at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. $10. Jonathan Anderson and friends from Union Comedy and Boston’s Improv Asylum do stand-up, characters, music and sketch comedy so “silly and thought-provoking” it prompts follow-up questions from the audience. Information is here.