Thursday, Sept. 19
Belarusian art historian and fiction writer Victor Martinovich on “How to Let Paintings Talk” from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at Harvard University’s Center for Government and International Studies, South Concourse, S354, 1730 Cambridge St., Harvard Square. Free. In light of how the news media can so easily create emotional distance about recent traumatic developments in Belarus, Martinovich ponders new ways of talking about Belarus’ traumas that employ oral histories, creative nonfiction, paintings – or all three at once. Information is here.
Meet Jibo from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the Cambridge Public Library’s Central Square Branch, 45 Pearl St. Free. Kids 5-plus can meet a device from the Personal Robots Group at the MIT Media Lab. Information is here.
“On Giving and Taking Offense” lecture from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at Harvard University’s Barker Center, 12 Quincy St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. University College London professor of political philosophy Emily McTernan examines mistaken beliefs about offense by using as an example jokes that have caused offense; she then discusses what does – and what doesn’t – make for a good apology for having offended someone. Also via Zoom. Information is here.
Catherine D’Ignazio’s “Counting Feminicide” book launch and signing party from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Building 9, also known as the Samuel Tak Lee Building, at 105 Massachusetts Ave., Room 255, Cambridge. Free, but RSVP. D’Ignazio documents the creative, intellectual and emotional labor of feminicide data activists across the Americas. Information is here.
Rollerama DJ Nights from 5 to 8 p.m. at Rollerama at Kendall Common, Broadway and Third Street, Kendall Square, Cambridge (and continuing Thursday). Free. Dance or skate for free to weekly DJ sets from DJ Collective Spin The Bottle; tonight features AL-B and Stealth Mode. Information is here.
Adrie Kusserow reads from “The Trauma Mantras” from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Center for the Study of World Religions, 42 Francis Ave., in the Baldwin neighborhood near the Somerville border, Cambridge. Free, but register. A look at a memoir from a medical anthropologist who’s worked with refugees and humanitarian projects in Bhutan, Nepal, India, Uganda, South Sudan and the United States. Poets Yena Sharma Purmasir and Zia Polis join. Information is here.
Riverside Naturalists: Fungus and Lichen from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Mass Audubon Nature Center at Magazine Beach, 668 Memorial Drive, Cambridgeport (also Sept. 26). Free, but register and adults only. Explore flora, fauna and fungi and the connections between them and us during two guided walks per month: one on the seasonal changes and the other on nature journaling (documenting observations – no art experience required). Information is here.
The Poetry Porch reading at 6:30 p.m. at First Church in Cambridge, 11 Garden St., Harvard Square. Free. Poetry and prose read by 16 contributors to this edition of The Poetry Porch online literary magazine edited by Joyce Wilson. Mike Steffen hosts. Information is here.
“Perfect Days” (2023) film screening from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Gund Hall, 42 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. In this Wim Wenders film, a Japanese man who spends each day cleaning the artfully designed public toilets in that country discovers ways to find beauty in the world. So you don’t forget you’re at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, there’s a pre-screening introduction by GSD instructors Chris Reed and Laila Seewang, who teach the course “Flush: Waste and Intimacy in Berlin’s Civic Realm.” Information is here.
“The Mental Load of Meal Prep” workshop from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Mosaic room at the Cambridge Innovation Center, 245 Main St., Kendall Square. Free with a suggested donation of $25 to the Women’s Lunch Place in Boston. Experts offer tips around parental support, food and nutrition for parents who want to lessen decision fatigue and stress when feeding their families. Co-sponsored by Feast & Fettle. Information is here.
Andrius Zlabys presents “Echoes of Light” at 7 p.m. at the Longy School of Music, 27 Garden St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free to $20. Zlabys says the core of his faculty debut recital piece is a texture he stumbled upon during an improvisation, with two fragments from Mozart’s “Requiem” at the center and a paragraph of Carl Sagan’s writings as an influence. Information is here.
John Hanson Mitchell reads from “The Sweet Revenge of Marcus Aurelius” at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 25 White St., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free. The award-winning writer and founder/editor of the Massachusetts Audubon Society magazine Sanctuary discusses the amazing account – based on a true story – of a talented and ingenious runaway plantation slave in the late 19th century who sold his master. Information is here.
“Romeo and Juliet” at 7:30 p.m. at Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge (and continuing through Oct. 6). $104 to $150. American Repertory Theatre’s reimagined staging of Shakespeare’s classic tale of star-crossed love reunites “Jagged Little Pill” collaborators artistic director Diane Paulus and choreographer Sidi Larbi. Information is here.
“The Hound of the Baskervilles” at 7:30 p.m. at Central Square Theater, Cambridge, 450 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge (and continuing through Oct. 6). $27 to $103. Tickets are selling apace for this gender-bending and pun-filled farcical spin on the classic Arthur Conan Doyle mystery tale. A cast of three actors led by award-winning Aimee Doherty inhabit comical caricatures of more than a dozen characters, absurd accents and all. Lee Mikeska Gardner directs. This performance is followed (at 9:30 p.m.) by a talk by Victorian literature and culture scholar Laura Green of Northeastern University, who compares the “categorization” of women in Doyle’s works with female characters in detective fiction today. Information is here.
Bria Skonberg performs at 7:30 p.m. at Regattabar, 1 Bennett St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $35 to $45. The New Yorker and Canadian-born singer, trumpeter and songwriter is a Juno Award winner who “has stormed onto the jazz scene with her smoky vocals, blistering trumpet and compelling compositions and arrangements.” Information is here.
Atomic Comedy Indie Improv Night from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at the café at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. Free, but register. An independently produced monthly improv show featuring new and veteran local talent. Information is here.
Third Thursdays jazz with Dave Bryant and Friends at 8 p.m. at Harvard-Epworth United Methodist Church, 1555 Massachusetts Ave., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. $10. This month, the keyboardist and composer presents improvised music with avant-garde slide guitarist David Tronzo, saxophonist Neil Leonard, bassist Max Ridley and Bryant’s past colleague in Ornette Coleman’s Prime Time band, drummer James Kamal Jones. Information is here.
A Long-Expected Party (Second Breakfast!) burlesque, drag and musical tribute to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien at 8 p.m. at Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square. $25 to $50 and 18-plus. Join Gollum, Frodo, Gandalf and other beloved “Lord of the Rings” characters during this celebration of Frodo and Bilbo’s birthday. Presented by Mx Macabre and Belladonna Bienvenue. Information is here.
Indie Bohemia: Artists of Berklee from 8 to 11 p.m. at Massasoit Elks Lodge, 55 Bishop Allen Drive, Central Square, Cambridge. $5 to $10 and 18-plus. Four cutting-edge indie acts from the Berklee College community (Saul Paul, Yurrn, Cecilia Reyes and One Mann Band) are showcased. Information is here.
Friday, Sept. 20
“Cambridge Mosaic” documentary film screening from 5:30 to 7:10 p.m. at The Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. A 30-minute film interviewing Cambridge trailblazers Marvin Gilmore, Glenn Koocher, Artis Spears, Michael Sullivan and Tim Toomey preceded by a red carpet walk with free popcorn and drinks and followed by a Q&A. Film by Mutsuko Ohnishi. Afterward, there’s a 100th birthday party reception for Gilmore from 7:30 to 9 p.m. on the fourth floor of The Atrium, 50 Church St., Harvard Square. Information is here.
Dancing on the Row: Latin Dance Series final event from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on the green space near Smoke Shop BBQ at 325 Assembly Row, Assembly Square East, Somerville. Free. Learn choreographed group dances and follow-alongs, plus dance lessons and social dancing to music curated by DJ D. Martinez. Snacks from Somerville’s Tribos Peri Peri. Information is here.
Candlelight: Best of Video Game Music at 7 p.m. at First Church in Cambridge, 11 Garden St., Harvard Square. $33 to $59 and 8-plus. The Rasa String Quartet, illuminated by glowing candles, plays selections from the themes of more than 15 video games and closes with a Super Mario Bros medley. Information is here.
Comedian Casey Crawford at 7 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $20 to $25 and 21-plus. The 2024 Boston Comedy Festival co-champ records his debut comedy album and is joined by Rob Crean and Janet McNamara. Information is here.
Benji Backer reads from “The Conservative Environmentalist: Common Sense Solutions for a Sustainable Future” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The founder and executive chairman of the American Conservation Coalition presents a climate change strategy that takes care of the planet while putting the economic interest of the American people first. Backer is joined by Christopher Robichaud of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and the Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Ethics. Information is here.
“Romeo and Juliet” (continued) at 7:30 p.m. at Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $80 to $150. This performance is followed (at 10 p.m.) by a talk with Charmain Jackman about the themes of love, family, healing and reconciliation. Information is here.
“The Hound of the Baskervilles” (continued) at 7:30 p.m. at Central Square Theater, Cambridge, 450 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. $27 to $103. Information is here.
Improvisational pianist Ran Blake performs “Ghosts” at 7:30 p.m. at Regattabar, 1 Bennett St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $25 to $35. Blake spent more than 40 years teaching at the New England Conservatory of Music and is known for his unique style that combines blues, gospel, classical and film noir influences into an innovative and dark jazz sound. Information is here.
Comedian Brian Posehn at 7:30 p.m. at Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square. $34. If you like to laugh, at some point you’ve chuckled from the work of this longtime writer, actor, voice actor and comic who just finished recording his fourth stand-up special. Also performing: J.T. Habersaat and Tooky Kavanagh. Information is here.
Ancient Tunes and New Melodies: Sing for the World in Harmony concert from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Distler Performance Hall, Tufts University, 20 Talbot Ave., Medford. Free. The Student Art Troupe of Beijing Normal University in China performs traditional Chinese music, dance, Beijing opera, a Hanfu fashion show and Chinese kung fu. Information is here.
Saturday, Sept. 21
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 (rain date: Sept. 28). Free. This annual celebration includes music and other performances, children’s amusement rides and arts and crafts, as well as free food and giveaways while supplies last. The event, sponsored by the city, attracts more than 10,000 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 free shuttle buses running on four scheduled routes throughout Cambridge. Picnics and lawn chairs are encouraged. Information is here.
Charles River (Quinobequin) Exploration Day with Canoemobile from noon to 4:30 p.m. at Mass Audubon Nature Center at Magazine Beach, 668 Memorial Drive, Cambridgeport. Free. Spend a 90-minute session paddling the Charles River in 10-person canoes captained by experienced leaders from Wilderness Inquiry and learning about the natural history, plants and animals that live in the area from experts from the Charles River and Mystic River Watershed Associations. Information is here.
Cambridge Arts Open Studios from noon to 6 p.m. around Cambridge (and continuing Sunday). Free. More than 70 artists open their doors or join group exhibitions at dozens of venues throughout Cambridge to show off (and maybe sell) paintings, prints, clothing, ceramics and all sorts of locally made creations. Information is here.
“Join or Die” documentary screening plus panel discussion from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free. A film about why you should join a club – and why the fate of America depends on it. The lauded “Bowling Alone” research by Harvard social scientist Robert Putnam, who coined the term “social capital,” underpins this 2023 film that examines America’s half-century of community decline and civic unraveling while also following Putnam’s quest to identify the beating heart within our democracy and ways we can bring it out of its current crisis. The event features a special prescreening appearance by Putnam and a panel afterward with community partners focused on civic engagement, volunteering and fostering connections within Cambridge. Information is here.
“The Cat’s Meow: How Cats Evolved from the Savanna to Your Sofa” lecture from 2 to 3 p.m. at Geological Lecture Hall, Harvard Geological Museum, 24 Oxford St., in the Baldwin neighborhood near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. Evolutionary biologist Jonathan Losos, author of the 2023 book “The Cat’s Meow,” describes how researchers use modern technology to unravel the secrets of the cat – one of our planet’s most successful and diverse species – and explore the future for Felis catus and Homo sapiens. Information is here.
19th Annual “What the Fluff” Festival from 2 to 6 p.m. on Somerville Avenue from School Street to Warren Ave., near Union Square, Somerville (rain date: Sept. 22). 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.
“Romeo and Juliet” (continued) at 2 and 7:30 p.m. at Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $65 to $150. Information is here.
“The Hound of the Baskervilles” (continued) at 2 and 7:30 p.m. at Central Square Theater, Cambridge, 450 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. $27 to $103. Information is here.
Silent films screening with live musical accompaniment from 2:30 to 4 p.m. at Killian Hall in the Hayden Library Building at 160 Memorial Drive at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge. Free. MIT musicologist Martin M. Marks, who specializes in the study of film music, provides introductory commentary and piano accompaniment during screenings of “A Trip to the Moon” (Georges Méliès, 1902) and “Sherlock Jr.” (Buster Keaton, 1924). Information is here.
For This Earth: Echo Arts Festival from 6 to 9 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. $20. This celebration of nature’s resilience, beauty and environmental challenges features an eco-arts gallery with the work of five visual artists, a communal project on a recycled canvas –a sailboat sail – and an international screendance festival. Hosted by Liquid Spine. Information is here.
Exchanging Notes: Dance and Drums from Somerville and Tbilisi, Georgia at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. at SomArt@The Hive, 561 Windsor St., Somerville. Free, but register. Works of dance and music fusion in two 90-minute performances featuring Somerville and Georgian artists: dancers Claire Lane and Lasha Mdzinarashvili and percussionists George Oniani and Marcus Santos (with others). Co-presented by The Program on Georgian Studies at Harvard University. Information is here.
Mom* one-woman absurdist circus show about motherhood at 7:30 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville (and continuing Sunday). $35. With a comedic twist, Shir Livne spills her truth as stepmom, potential bio-mom and daughter by digging into her teenage journals – fantastical realms of aerial rope and tightwire – and asking “What did we expect things to feel like, and how do they actually feel?” Information is here.
Pianist Joany Lincoln’s “Musical Adventures on Four Continents” at 8 p.m. at the Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second St., East Cambridge. Free to $30. Through live piano improvisation, original compositions and other performative elements, Lincoln expresses her insights about music and culture from living four decades on four continents. Information is here.
The Popp Boutique Comedy Show from 8 to 9:30 p.m. at Popp Boutique, 301 Massachusetts Ave., The Port, Cambridge. $15. Laugh among “beautiful artwork, handcrafted scented goods, crystals, body oils and more” at this Black-owned business that once a month becomes a comedy venue. Tonight’s local lineup: April Emily, Beba, Sam Mangano, Ira Claybourne, Jamie Aird and Cordova. Hosted by Chef Phil. Information is here.
Candlelight Tribute to Nirvana at 9 p.m. at at First Church in Cambridge, 11 Garden St., Harvard Square. $33 to $59 and 8-plus. The Rasa String Quartet, illuminated by glowing candles, plays the grunge hits that broke the boybands in a way you have’t heard. Come as you are. Information is here.
Fruitstand presents “Crop Tops for Education” from 9:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. at a Cambridge or Somerville location revealed with your RSVP. $10 and 21-plus. School’s in session so crop your top off, grab your composition notebook and don’t forget your permission slip. DJ Frazzo leads the class-y queer dance party with the help of Gwen Stefani, Lil Jon, Britney Spears, Lady Gaga and more. Information is here.
Sunday, Sept. 22
Cambridge Arts Open Studios (continued) from noon to 6 p.m. around Cambridge. Free. Information is here.
“The Hurricane That Changed Mount Auburn” lecture and tree tour from 1 to 3 p.m. meeting at the Story Chapel at Mount Auburn Cemetery, 580 Mount Auburn St., West Cambridge. $10 to $15. Walk and talk with arborist Jim Gorman, who describes how Mount Auburn Cemetery replanted, expanded and diversified its tree stock after The Great New England Hurricane of 1938, which caused nearly 700 fatalities, left 63,000 people without homes and toppled 275 million trees – with 800 trees lost and 1,000 severely damaged at the cemetery. Information is here.
¡Celebremos El Salvador! 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. Celebrate El Salvador’s culture and natural history: tour Mario Quiroz’s photographic video essay “Pupusas, Tamales and a New Salvadoran American Identity,” watch folk dance performances, paint copinol-seed pendants, learn about ancient Salvadoran pottery with an archaeologist and savor Salvadoran cuisine (available for purchase). Interactive kids activities and a free raffle, too. Information is here.
“The Hound of the Baskervilles” (continued) at 2 p.m. at Central Square Theater, Cambridge, 450 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. $27 to $103. Information is here.
“Crisis on Campus: Antisemitism, Zionism and the Future of Higher Education” summit from 2 to 5 p.m. at Sanders panel at Sanders Theatre, 45 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. $9 to $22. A discussion of the events of the past year with hope to promote changes that will lead universities away from divisive extremism and back to their core mission of educating the next generation. Confirmed speakers include Dara Horn, Einat Wilf, Eylon Levy and ambassador Deborah Lipstadt as well as students and faculty. Presented by the Harvard Jewish Alumni Alliance. Information is here.
“Romeo and Juliet” (continued) at 2 and 7:30 p.m. at Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $75 to $150. Information is here.
“Scenes and Tales: A Resplendent Tuba Recital” presented by Eric Goode from 3:30 to 5 p.m. at Somerville Music Spaces, 1060 Broadway, Somerville. Free. Works by Crespo, Larsen, Smith, Piazzolla, Kummer and McKee presented by the principal tuba player for the Boston Festival Orchestra and Cape Ann Symphony, who’s also appeared in elite musical ensembles in Boston and further afield and serves as a music director for secondary education programs and at the university level. Information is here.
Sound Bowl Vibe Session from 4 to 5 p.m. at Mass Audubon Nature Center at Magazine Beach, 668 Memorial Drive, Cambridgeport. Free, but register. A melodic sound bath vibe session with instructor Malaika Bonafide, who has a background in Vinyasa Flow and restorative yoga. Bring a comfy blanket or yoga mat. Information is here.
“Dolls on Tour” from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at The Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge. $12. A variety show by Violet Stanza and Sunny Laprade, “two of the most famous trans women out performing today,” who each have hundreds of thousands of online followers and fans who flock to their stage shows. Combined, their singing-songwriting and stand-up and storytelling skills serve up a performance “equal parts gut-busting comedy and heartfelt ballads and bangers.” Information is here.
Comedy for Peace with Erik Angel at 7 p.m. at The Comedy Studio in the basement at 5 John F. Kennedy St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $25 to $30. “No politics, just laughs” is the motto of this project, founded in 2019, that aims to unite Jewish and Muslim communities by bringing together the best Muslim, Jewish and Christian stand-up comedians for accessible, inspiring, funny and unforgettable shows. Information is here.
Mom* one-woman absurdist circus show about motherhood (continued) at 7:30 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. $35. Information is here.
Scottish folk trio The Langan Band at 7:30 p.m. at Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square. $20 to $28. “Conventions are abandoned with a recklessness that borders on the insane … That a few guys from Glasgow could conspire to create such an immense sound between them is not unprecedented, but to achieve this with such lyrical and instrumental flair is a rare, rare thing,” (says Folk Radio U). Information is here.
Monday, Sept. 23
Cambridge Science Festival, all day every day through Sunday mainly in The MIT Museum, 314 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge; The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge; and museums and other select locations around town. All festival zone activities are free. There are more than 275 events all told, with special curated themes including the 23 categorized under “Frontiers: the new era of space exploration” (Sept. 27-28) and the 28 events under “Electric Skin: the future of fashion” (Sept. 28). The culminating Science Festival Carnival at the Kendall/MIT Open Space is an adventure playground with more than 100 activities (Sept. 29). Among the many other events are talks on cyborgs, heat pumps, brain science research, cool roofs, online security, encouraging participation in the AI economy and how AI can increase participation in democratic processes; workshops on the science of beaded artwork, the prehistory of clothing, teaching biology with art and how to set up a telescope; film screenings of “Switch On” about energy access in developing countries, “Pathways to Invention” about young inventors and “Moons: Worlds of Mystery” free at the Hayden Planetarium; performances of the MIT Laptop Ensemble, a science comedy fashion show, a neuroscience magic show and a theatrical portrayal of nuclear physicist Lise Meitner; kids activities that involve creating 3D insects, crafting space aliens, drawing Chinese dragons and using OctoStudio for animation or making a game; tours of the Broad Institute, the MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center, MIT’s AeroAstro, MIT’s Space Robotics Lab, Harvard’s Center for Astrophysics and The Thorlabs Mobile Photonics Lab. As for art installations and exhibits, there’s the Steam Habits of Mind listening gallery, an Ancient Assyria exhibit experienced through augmented reality and illuminated mathematical art. You can roll up your sleeves and team-solve biotech challenges, make balanced sculptures, kayak to the Charles River floating wetland and design robots in simulation using AI. Teen events include a science story slam, a game-design workshop, a talk with YA author Karen Jialu Bao, an outer-space-themed “After Dark” event at the MIT Museum and a session on how photonics and lasers improve our lives. Just for fun there’s s science trivia night at Lamplighter Brewing, a “Discovery After Dark” party at the Broad Institute, game playing at the MIT Museum, an astronaut talk at Aeronaut and a fashion show with DJs, digital art and a cash bar (but no catwalk). Information is here.
Banned Book Readout from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Cambridge Public Library Central Square Branch, 45 Pearl St. Free. Celebrate Banned Books Week with the library and the Cambridge LGBTQ+ Commission by bringing your favorite banned or challenged book to share and read aloud (or a librarian will be happy to read it aloud for you). A selection of banned or challenged books, snacks and pizza provided! Information is here.
Jordan Rudess of Dream Theater from 5 to 7 p.m. at Killian Hall in the Hayden Library Building at 160 Memorial Drive at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge. Free. This masterclass explores composition, improvisation and student performances of the work of this MIT visiting artist and keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist for the platinum-selling Grammy–winning rock band. Information is here.
Clara Bingham reads from “The Movement: How Women’s Liberation Transformed America 1963–1973” with panel discussion at 6 p.m. in the lecture hall at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free, or $34.53 with book. The award-winning journalist and author of “Witness to the Revolution” talks about the first oral history of the decade that built the modern feminist movement. “Our Bodies, Ourselves” co-authors Judy Norsigian, Joan Ditzion, Jane Pincus and Norma Swenson join. Sponsored with Harvard Book Store. Information is here.
The Environment Forum: Ranjan Ghosh on “Plastic Nature” at 6 p.m. in the Thompson Room of Harvard University’s Barker Center, 12 Quincy St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The University of North Bengal English professor calls for a massively revised philosophy of seeing a material and nature: “Hasn’t nature changed itself and plasticized plastic in ways that are startling and unique?” Moderated by Harvard professor of photography Robin Kelsey. Information is here.
Anne Duk Hee Jordan lectures on “World Building in Times of Ecological Disruptions: Embracing Artificial Stupidity, the Digital Gaze and the Power of Analog Movements and Natural Intelligence” from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the List Visual Arts Center, 20 Ames St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. The Berlin artist’s installations and sculptures use video, sound, kinetic objects and robotics that deliberately incorporate glitches and errors. Information is here.
Jami Attenberg reads from “A Reason to See You Again” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The bestselling author of seven books of fiction discusses her new novel of a widow and her three daughters spanning 40 years through motherhood, the American workforce, the tech industry, the self-help movement and more. “Friends and Strangers” author J. Courtney Sullivan joins. Information is here.
“Fat Matters: Phase Transitions in Chocolate” with Janice Wong at 7 p.m. in Hall C at the Harvard Science Center, 1 Oxford St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The Science and Cooking Public Lecture Series brings in the award-winning Singaporean artist, chocolatier, chef and entrepreneur known for her multiple restaurants and edible art installations. Information is here.
Brad Stank performs at 8 p.m. at Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square. $25 to $30. The English singer-songwriter from Liverpool combines bedroom pop, psychedelic rock and a warm sensuality into a musical style often referred to as “sexistential.” Also playing: Ron Gallo and Snoozer. Information is here.
Tuesday, Sept. 24
Cambridge Science Festival (continued) from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. mainly in The MIT Museum, 314 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge, in The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge, and in museums and other select locations around town. All festival zone activities are free. Information is here.
Starr Forum: The Israel Gaza crisis and U.S. policy from 4 to 5:15 p.m. at Huntington Hall (10–250) at 222 Memorial Drive at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge. Free, but registration required. Dennis Ross of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy in conversation with Harvard University’s Melani Cammett. Co-sponsored by the Institute Community and Equity Office and the Center for International Studies. Information is here.
“Defending Democracy and Safeguarding the Planet: A Dual Imperative” lecture from 4 to 5:15 p.m. at Adolphus Busch Hall, 27 Kirkland St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. A discussion on climate change and democracy with Luisa Neubauer, youth climate justice activist and lead organizer of “Fridays for Future Germany.” Part of the new “Democracy and its Critics Initiative” launched by the Center for European Studies this fall. Information is here.
“The Russian Economy 2½ Years Into the War Against Ukraine” discussion from 5 to 7 p.m. at Harvard University’s Center for Government and International Studies, South Concourse, S010, 1730 Cambridge St., Harvard Square. Free, but register. Russian investigative journalist, political scientist, author, radio host and visiting scholar Yevgenia Albats talks with economists Oleg Itskhoki (Harvard) and Sergei Guriev (London via Zoom) in this series of interviews and discussions. Information is here.
Sumana Roy on “The Quest for the Plant Script” from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Center for the Study of World Religions, 42 Francis Ave., in the Baldwin neighborhood near the Somerville border, Cambridge. Free, but register. The author and creative writing professor at Ashoka University in India examines why writers, artists and scholars for the past 100 years have pursued “the handwriting of plants,” the “language of flowers,” the “syntax of the falling leaves,” creating a “tree alphabet” and more. Part of the CSWR’s “Thinking with Plants and Fungi” series. Information is here.
Boston Originals: Poetry reading and party from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Woodberry Poetry Room at Lamont Library, Room 330, 11 Quincy St., Harvard Square. Free. A dynamic marathon-reading (and Poetry homecoming party) with readings by Sean Cole, Octavio González, Antonio Ochoa, Ted Pearson, Trace Peterson and Eleni Sikelianos. A casual party with food follows. Information is here.
Harvard Square Book Circle from 6 to 8 p.m. at Faro Café, 5 Arrow St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. For Harvard Book Store’s monthly book discussion group, Faro Café extends its hours (and espresso-making). This time: “Trust” by Hernan Diaz. Information is here.
“Cemetery Cinema” screening of “The Seventh Seal” and “Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey” at 7 p.m. at Mount Auburn Cemetery, 580 Mount Auburn St., West Cambridge. $36.75. This mind-bending double-feature journey where existential dread meets excellent adventures marks the return after five years of Coolidge Corner Theatre to the cemetery for its outdoor film program. Information is here.
Joan Wickersham reads from “No Ship Sets Out to Be a Shipwreck” at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 25 White St., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free. The author of the lauded “The Suicide Index” discusses her book about the unpredictability of fate with its personal contemplation on the 17th century Swedish warship Vasa, which was so flawed it sank only minutes into its maiden voyage, but which was reborn to greatness 300 years later after being raised and turned into a museum. Cambridge’s Laura Zigman, author of “Separation Anxiety,” joins. Information is here.
Aislinn Brophy reads from “Spells to Forget Us” from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at All She Wrote Books, 75 Washington St., Prospect Hill, Somerville. Pay-what-you-can or $22.30 with the book. The Harvard-educated actor and arts administrator discusses their second book, a romantic YA fantasy novel about a witch and a nonmagical girl, with Sacha Lamb, author of “When the Angels Left the Old Country.” Information is here.
“Romeo and Juliet” (continued) at 7:30 p.m. at Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $104 to $150. Information is here.
Sidy Samb and AfroFlamenco at 8 p.m. at Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square. $25 to $52. Acclaimed Senegalese musician Sidy Samb has made his home in Spain. His Afroflamenco project explores the subtle connections and divergences between the sounds of his two homelands. Information is here.
Wednesday, Sept. 25
Cambridge Science Festival (continued) from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. mainly in The MIT Museum, 314 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge, in The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge, and in museums and other select locations around town. All festival zone activities are free. Information is here.
“Rethinking Multilateral Governance: Securing Our Future” lecture from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at Harvard University’s Center for Government and International Studies, South Concourse, S010, 1730 Cambridge St., Harvard Square. Free, but register. Social scientist Noeleen Heyzer draws on her United Nations experiences to talk rebuilding the power of alliances, with a focus on engaging women leaders. Information is here.
Uncommon Concerts: Neon Lighthouse at 5 p.m. at Rollerama at Kendall Common, Broadway and Third Street, Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free. For the final Rollerama concert for the season, a party and dance that performs all over New England (and was formerly known as Redline). The band boasts that each of its seven members is a lead vocalist and multi-instrumentalist. Information is here.
“Climate Forward” Photo Gallery with SustainaVille exhibition opening reception from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at Gallery@SPL in the Somerville Public Library, 79 Highland Ave., Central Hill. Free. Interactive art is commissioned to envision what what Somerville will look like in 2050 if everyone is safe and healthy in the face of climate change. Information is here.
Plant walk from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Cambridge Public Library O’Neill Branch, 70 Rindge Ave., North Cambridge. Free, but register. Take a stroll with herbalist Mo Katz-Christy to meet the plants in the neighborhood around the library and explore botany and medicinal uses. Information is here.
Poets DeWitt Henry, Matthew Lippman and Jacob Strautmann from 7 to 8 p.m. at Grolier Poetry Book Shop on 6 Plympton St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $5 to $10, but register. With an introduction by Nicole Graev Lipson. Information is here.
Cambridge “Women and Words!” discussion series from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at City Hall Annex, 344 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free. Share what you think matters to women and girls in Cambridge at this quarterly Cambridge Women’s Commission event. Light snacks provided. Information is here.
Las Mariposas Galácticas perform from 7 to 10 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $20 to $25. The eight-piece cumbia klezmer punk band and cultural project of Philadelphia, inspired by members’ South American and Jewish ancestries. The self-dubbed “doombrass” band Eight Foot Manchild also performs. Information is here.
“Romeo and Juliet” (continued) at 7:30 p.m. at Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $70 to $150. Information is here.
“The Hound of the Baskervilles” (continued) at 7:30 p.m. at Central Square Theater, Cambridge, 450 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. $27 to $103. This performance is followed (at 9:30 p.m.) by a talk by crime and detective fiction scholar Charles Rzepka, who discusses the origins of detective literature, how Sir Arthur Conan Doyle changed the game and where we’ve come since Sherlock Holmes became a household name. Information is here.
“What Fresh Hell” parenting pod tour at 8 p.m. at Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square. $25. Amy Wilson and Margaret Ables bring their funny examination of parenting pains. Information is here.
Deerhoof performs at 8 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. $21.50. The indie band’s latest album, “Miracle-Level,” is its 19th, but its first recorded wholly in a professional studio (and also the first in Japanese). Ekko Astral opens. Information is here.
Thursday, Sept. 26
Cambridge Science Festival (continued) from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. mainly in The MIT Museum, 314 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge, in The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge, and in museums and other select locations around town. All festival zone activities are free. Information is here.
Grow Native Massachusetts plant pop-up market from noon to 6 p.m. at the Kendall Square Farmers Market at 1 Broad Canal Way, Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free. Native plants brought in for purchase from Bluestem Natives (Norwell), Checkerspot Farm (Colrain), Butterfly Effect Farm (Westport) and Hilltop Natives (Norwood). Information is here.
Signe Nielsen on “Parks and Monuments: A Cultural Evolution” from 12:30 to 2 p.m. at Gund Hall, 42 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The landscape architect discusses strategies to address controversial monuments. She focuses on New York’s Little Island park, which embodies recent trends in design around art, nature and culture. Information is here.
Brazilian theater artist Geo Britto on “Augusto Boal and a Theater of Political Activism” from 3:30 to 5 p.m. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s W97 Theater, 345 Vassar St., Area II, Cambridge. Free. Talk about theater as a force for social change and political revolution from the author of 2023’s “The Making of The Theater of The Oppressed: Augusto Boal and the Marxist Tradition.” Local theater artists and educators Pati Hernández and Nikita Pesswani join. Information is here.
“Wetlands to Waste” multimedia documentary screening and reception from 4 to 6:30 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. Those interested in Jerry’s Pond may want to see this new documentary from the Southeast Chicago Archive and Storytelling Project. The film chronicles activism against industrial pollution. Information is here.
Rollerama DJ Nights (continued) from 5 to 8 p.m. at Rollerama at Kendall Common, Broadway and Third Street, Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free. Information is here.
Saxophonist Godwin Lewis from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Building W18, also known as the Music Building, Room 4305, 201 Amherst St., Cambridge. Free. A masterclass with a Grammy-nominated alto saxophonist, composer, arranger, educator, philanthropist, humanitarian and entrepreneur who was born in Harlem, New York, and raised in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and Port Au Prince, Haiti. Information is here.
Mapping Feminist Cambridge: Central Square Walking Tour from 6 to 7:30 p.m. meeting in Central Square. Free; registration provides meeting location. The activist past of Central Square from the 1970s to 1990s revealed. Sponsored by the Cambridge Commission on the Status of Women. Information is here.
“Manifest: Thirteen Colonies” book launch and conversation from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the lecture hall at the Harvard Geological Museum, 24 Oxford St., in the Baldwin neighborhood near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. Artist Wendel A. White’s photographs of objects, documents and books in public collections form a book on the complexities of U.S. history, slavery, abolition and more. Part of an activities night related to the book and exhibition. Information is here.
Opera on Tap Boston presents “Latinísimo” concert from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free. To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, a showcase of the musical contributions of Hispanic and Latino composers to opera, art song, folk music and more, including a rare opportunity to experience contributions of Latin American composers to classical music. Information is here.
Carol Bove on “Fragments of a Faith Forgotten: The Art of Harry Smith” exhibition with reception from 6 to 9 p.m. at The Carpenter Center, 24 Quincy St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The sculptor whose assemblages and installations engage with traditions of modernist abstraction, 20th century popular media and commercialism discusses her practice and her long-standing engagement with Smith’s work. Information is here.
Climapalooza from 6 to 9 p.m. at Warehouse XI, 11 Sanborn Court, Union Square, Somerville. $25. The seventh climate action fundraiser by the Cambridge nonprofit Climable, which works with environmental justice communities, includes live music by Dutch Tulips and food and drinks from breweries Lamplighter, Portico and Remnant, plus chances to win prizes from Patagonia, Lush, Chipotle, Coolidge Corner Theatre and others. Information is here.
Karen Kirsten reads from “Irena’s Gift” at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 25 White St., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free. The Australian American author and Holocaust educator discusses her memoir of discovering the story behind her mother being smuggled out of German-occupied Warsaw in 1942 when she was a baby, and that the couple who raised her were actually her aunt and uncle. Harvard Review editor Christina Thompson joins. Information is here.
Noah Whiteman reads from “Most Delicious Poison: The Story of Nature’s Toxins – From Spices to Vices” at 7 p.m. at Jefferson Laboratory Room 250, 17 Oxford St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free, or $31.88 with book. The University of California at Berkeley professor of genetics, genomics and evolution discusses the strange chemicals lurking on the surfaces of plant foods, their origins and how animals including humans evolved to overcome them. Harvard’s Ryan Nett joins. Information is here.
“Disrupt the Narrative,” an experiential conversation series at 7 p.m. in the blue wing at the Museum of Science, 1 Science Park, Boston, on the Cambridge border. Free with preregistration and 18-plus. The premiere of this series centered on radical narrative change features creator Catherine Nakato in conversation with rapper, activist, business owner, Harvard fellow and Tufts professor Dee-1. Information is here.
Witch-Craft Cinema from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at Side Quest Books & Games in Bow Market at 1 Bow Market Way, Union Square, Somerville. $25. Knit or crochet a witch hat (patterns and full kits provided by Homebody DIY) and watch the 1998 film “Practical Magic.” Popcorn provided and midnight margarita (or nonalcoholic beverages) from Nook available for purchase. Information is here.
“The Hound of the Baskervilles” (continued) at 7:30 p.m. at Central Square Theater, Cambridge, 450 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. $27 to $103. This performance is followed (at 9:30 p.m.) by a conversation with the cast and creative team of the play. Information is here.
“Romeo and Juliet” (continued) at 7:30 p.m. at Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $80 to $150. This performance is followed (at 10 p.m.) by a talk with Boston Globe “Love Letters” advice columnist and podcast host Meredith Goldstein and “Love Letters” podcast producer and independent film producer Christine Ahanotu about why young love can seem to matter more than anything. Information is here.
Radius Ensemble’s “Emerge” concert at 8 p.m. at the Longy School of Music, 27 Garden St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $15 to $35. The ensemble-in-residence opens its 26th season with “Rêverie” and “Arabesque” by Claude Debussy for oboe and harp; “Creation du Monde” by Darius Milhaud for piano quintet; “Submerged” by Miguel del Aguila for flute, viola and harp; and “Tzigane” by Valerie Coleman for wind quintet. Information is here.
A stronger
Please consider making a financial contribution to maintain, expand and improve Cambridge Day.
We are now a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and all donations are tax deductible.
Please consider a recurring contribution.