Thursday, Oct. 3
“Rewrite, Organize, Remix: Visions of Feminist Organizing” curator-led tour from 3 to 4 p.m. at the Poorvu Gallery in the Schlesinger Library in Radcliffe Yard, 3 James St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. A tour led by librarian Mimosa Shaw. Information is here.
Tour the Old Powder House from 5 to 7 p.m. at Nathan Tufts/Powderhouse Park, College Avenue and Broadway, Somerville (and various dates through October). Free. A docent opens and gives tours of the old stone building from which the British removed gunpowder 250 years ago this year, resulting in the Powder Alarm. Information is here.
Sy Montgomery and Matt Patterson discuss “Of Time and Turtles: Mending the World, Shell by Shattered Shell” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The acclaimed naturalist (and author of “The Soul of an Octopus”) and the wildlife artist discuss their portrait of injured turtles and the Turtle Rescue League members who help them recover. Information is here.
Fiber Arts Circle from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Cambridge Public Library Central Square Branch, 45 Pearl St. Free. Bring your own project and drop in to crochet, sew, embroider, knit, cross stitch, spin, mend and more with other crafters. 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 $95. Final weekend 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. 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). $114 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.
Big Boston Baritone Benefit at 7:30 p.m. at Regattabar, 1 Bennett St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $20 to $30. A set of compositions by some of the master baritone saxophonists of Boston as well as a jam session with invited baritone guests, all to help crowdfund for baritone saxophonist Claire Daly, who’s been battling cancer. Information is here.
Mamadou Ensemble at 7:30 p.m. at The Burren, 247 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $20 to $25 and all ages. Boston Music Award winner Mamadou Diop is a Senegalese rhythm guitarist. Information is here.
“Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” musical at 7:30 p.m. at Arrow Street Arts, 2 Arrow Street, Harvard Square, Cambridge (and continuing through Oct. 20). $55 to $65. Moonbox Productions presents the music-filled farce based on the 1988 film of the same name that follows two con artists in the French Riviera who compete for the heart – and wallet – of a beautiful yet gullible heiress. Audience members are required to wear masks for all Thursday performances. We wrote about it here. Information is here.
The Lemon Twigs perform at 8 p.m. at Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square. $25 to $28. A New York City rock band fronted by brothers Brian and Michael D’Addario who combine elements of the Merseybeat sound, the California Beach Boy harmony sound and bubblegum. Information is here.
Candlelight: Best of the Beatles at 9 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 16 songs by the Fab Four with “Here Comes the Sun” first, “Hey Jude” last and “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” at the midpoint. Information is here.
Friday, Oct. 4
Honk! Festival lantern parades and band showcase at 4 p.m. at Hodgkins-Curtin Park, Holland St., Somerville (and continuing through Sunday). Free. The 19th Honk! Festival features activist-oriented bands, some local, some from across the country and some with dozens of players. This annual event has spawned more than 20 similar festivals around the world. The kickoff has optional lantern-making workshops followed by lantern parades (at 6:30 p.m.) on six routes from Hodgkins-Curtin Park. Information is here.
National Juried Exhibition: “Storytellers” opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. at Mudflat Pottery School, 81 Broadway, East Somerville. Free. Works by 41 clay artists from around the country in a show running through Nov. 3. Juried by Celia Feldberg. Light refreshments served. Information is here.
Japanese wagashi demonstration, tasting and Q&A from 6 to 7 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. $45 and ages 16-plus. Shoji Yamaguchi of Suetomi from Kyoto, Japan, demonstrates this painstakingly crafted traditional Japanese confection that’s often served with tea and is made from plant-based ingredients such as mochi, anko bean paste and fruit. Tea and samples of small wagashi are provided. Information is here.
“The Archaeology of Tenochtitlan: An Overview” lecture from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Harvard Geological Museum, 24 Oxford St., in the Baldwin neighborhood near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. An archaeological history talk by Leonardo López Luján of the National Institute of Anthropology and History in Mexico City, sharing iconographic and symbolic details of the recently uncovered Tlaltecuhtli stone, the largest Aztec sculpture ever found. 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. (This event was originally scheduled for Sept. 20). Information is here.
“Black Reflections” faculty debut recital at 7 p.m. at the Longy School of Music, 27 Garden St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free to $20. Baritone Cailin Marcel Manson and pianist Christina Wright-Ivanova perform art song by Black composers: the “Six Sorrow Songs” by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (texts of Christina Rossetti); “Border Line” by Robert Owens (a set of 16 vignettes to the poetry of Langston Hughes); and “The Saracen Songs” by Henry Thacker Burleigh (texts of Fred G. Bowles). Information is here.
Adam Nagourney reads from “The Times: How the Newspaper of Record Survived Scandal, Scorn and the Transformation of Journalism” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The longtime journalist who’s worked at The New York Times since 1996 discusses his book that examines four decades of the newspaper’s history (through Donald Trump’s election in 2016). Stat executive editor Rick Berke joins. Information is here.
“Monogamy? In This Economy?” book release celebration with author Laura Boyle from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at All She Wrote Books, 75 Washington St., Prospect Hill, Somerville. Pay-what-you-can or $21.20 with the book. The relationship coach discusses her practical guide to polyamory’s next stages of commitment (i.e., long-term stuff such as finances and childrearing) with fellow relationship coach Joli Hamilton. 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 $95. Information is here.
True Repertory Theatre presents “Ellen’s Boys” at 7:30 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge (and continues Oct. 6 and 7). $25 to $30. James Sullivan’s new play focuses on the Flaherty family, living in their Dorchester triple-decker, in 1965. Directed by Donald Sheehan. Information is here.
“Romeo and Juliet” (continued) at 7:30 p.m. at Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $114 to $150. Information is here.
“Love: Black Boy Unseen” dance performance at 7:30 p.m. at the Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second St., East Cambridge. Free to $35. This inaugural artist-in-residency project of choreographer and dancer Dalin Celamy, who was born and raised in Mattapan and Hyde Park, connects themes of queer black male love and masculinity within a Haitian identity. Information is here.
We ❤️ Brasil from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. at Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge. $10 to $15. Modern versions of traditional Brazilian genres – including choro, samba, maxixe and ijexá – performed by Harvey Wainapel (clarinet/sax), Paul Lieberman (flute), Jason Ennis (acoustic seven-string guitar) and Lucas Casacio (percussion). Information is here.
“Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” musical (continued) at 8 p.m. at Arrow Street Arts, 2 Arrow Street, Harvard Square, Cambridge. $55 to $65. Information is here.
The Rare Occasions at 8 p.m. at Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square. $20 to $25. A Los Angeles indie rock band (with roots in New England) known for explosive garage rock anthems with catchy vocal harmonies. Also playing: Bel (Isabel Whelan). Information is here.
Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers with special guest Judy Blank at 8 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. $20. A funk-pop band from Michigan focused on its own brand of “post-Motown folk rock” performs with a singer-songwriter from the Netherlands. Also playing: Superpink. Information is here.
JohnnyG and the Dynamites debut at Boston Swing Central from 8 to 11:45 p.m. at Q Ballroom, 26 New St., Fresh Pond, Cambridge. $13 to $20. Saxophonist, producer and arranger John Lindsay leads this jazz, swing and soul music–inspired band, which plays live for this social partner dance with lesson for beginners in the first hour. No partner required; no street shoes allowed. Information is here.
Saturday, Oct. 5
Book sale from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Somerville Public Library East Branch, 115 Broadway. Free. The Friends of the Somerville Public Library sells books for $1 each to fund programs and passes for museums and cultural attractions. Information is here.
“From Blank Page to Stage” stand-up comedy workshop from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free, but register. Write and feel comfortable presenting your first funny bit with Constellation Comedy’s Jack Simon, who teaches joke structure basics, performance etiquette and stand-up history between iterative writing sessions. Information is here.
Exhibition Tour: “The place where the creek goes underground” at 11 a.m. at the Johnson-Kulukundis Family Gallery, Byerly Hall, 8 Garden St., west of Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. Artist Anthony Romero and Harvard Radcliffe Institute curators discuss each element of this multimedia installation, which centers on the region that the artist and collaborators Deanna Ledezma and Josh Rios call home and honors “what the ground tells us to remember.” Information is here.
Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month special weekend from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Museum of Science, 1 Science Park, Boston, on the Cambridge border (and continuing Sunday). For free museum admission, redeem online code HLHM24. Two days of science offerings (and planetarium shows) in English and Spanish; guest speakers, family activities, live presentations and Boston-area performance and community groups; free evening screenings of “A Million Miles Away” about NASA flight engineer José Hernández; and free regularly scheduled Mugar Omni Theater films (Oct. 5 only). Information is here.
Honk! Festival from noon to 9 p.m. which includes an hourlong opening ceremony in Seven Hills Park in Davis Square, Somerville, followed by performances by more than 25 brass bands branching out through the square. Free. Information about today’s schedule is here.
Fall party from noon to 4 p.m. at Kendall/MIT Open Space at 292 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. Music from Fly By Brass Band, Brassterisk and Jazz World Trio; food trucks with meals and treats for purchase; free hot cocoa and chai; plus lawn games, face painting and kids activities by MathTalk. 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.
“Romeo and Juliet” (continued) at 2 and 7:30 p.m. at Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $119 to $150. Information is here.
“Activist Legacies” film screenings in conjunction with the “Made in Germany?” exhibition from 2 to 4 p.m. at Harvard Art Museums, Menschel Hall (lower level). Free, but register. Three films on three activists’ work against racism, violence and social inequality: Maria Binder’s “Hope in My Heart: The May Ayim Story” (1997); Cana Bilir-Meier’s “Semra Ertan” (2013); and Hito Steyerl’s “November” (2004). Information is here.
“Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” musical (continued) at 2 and 8 p.m. at Arrow Street Arts, 2 Arrow Street, Harvard Square, Cambridge. $55 to $65. Audience members are required to wear masks for all Saturday matinee performances. Information is here.
Duck Duck Goofs stand-up comedy grand opening weekend at 6 and 10 p.m. at Duck Duck Goofs, 432 McGrath Highway, Prospect Hill, Somerville (and continuing Sunday). $18 to $50 and 21-plus. Ryan Howe’s new home for comedy, built to specs, offers a full bar and Wade BBQ. Shows begin with a musical guest followed by a handful of comics, including a unnamed nationally touring headliner. (This event was originally scheduled for June 14-15.) Information is here.
Somerville Songwriter Sessions at 7 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. $15. Three singer-songwriters, and they all have new CDs: Erin Ash Sullivan, Colette O’Connor and Beth DeSombre. Information is here.
Longy’s Instrumental Studies department presents “Peripheries” program of orchestra repertoire at 7 p.m. at the Marran Theater, 34 Mellen St., on Lesley University’s Doble Campus in the Baldwin neighborhood near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free to $20. An innovative performance by Longy School of Music instrumentalists of works by Jules Massenet, Fanny Hensel, Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson, Jean Sibelius and Amy Beach. Information is here.
Malefica Detritus Dance from 7 to 8 p.m. at SomArt@The Hive, 561 Windsor St., fourth floor, Somerville. $15 to $20. “Through a focus on cultural tropes of witches, Malefica explores the scapegoating of women and gender nonconforming people and the oppression of their bodies in contemporary culture.” Information is here.
True Repertory Theatre presents “Ellen’s Boys” (continued) at 7:30 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. $25 to $30. Information is here.
“Lost & Found” dance fashion show from 7:30 to 8:45 p.m. at Boston Figurative Art Center, 285 Washington St., Suite 102, near Union Square, Somerville. $12 to $20. A performance featuring professional dancers and models wearing entirely secondhand clothing celebrates the meaning and even emotion attached to clothing and getting dressed in the morning. Information is here.
“Seeing Red on the Runway” fashion show and dance party at 8 p.m. at the Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second St., East Cambridge. Pay-what-you-can to $45. The MAC’s artistic director Najee Brown explores the visual power of the color red with a showcase of designs from Lady Ice of Blvk Ice Market and Wavvz Concepts. Music by Knszwrth. Information is here.
Zach Zimmerman at 8 p.m. at The Comedy Studio in the basement at 5 John F. Kennedy St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $8 to $32. The stand-up also writes funny stuff, such as New Yorker “Shouts & Murmurs” columns and a Barnes & Noble Best Book of 2023 titled “Is It Hot in Here? (Or Am I Suffering for All Eternity for the Sins I Committed on Earth?).” Information is here.
“Unchosen” showcase of choreographic projects from 8 to 9:30 p.m. at The Dance Complex, 536 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge (and continuing Sunday). $17 to $25. Carmen S. Rizzo and Dancers present an evening of contemporary dance by women choreographers. Information is here.
Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 from 8 to 10 p.m. at Sanders Theatre, 45 Quincy St., near Harvard Square. $25. The Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra opens its 217th season with help from the Radcliffe Choral Society and mezzo-soprano Alexis Peart. Federico Cortese conducts. Information is here.
Swing City Boston Swing Lesson and Dancing at 8 p.m. to midnight at the West Cambridge Youth Center, 680 Huron Ave. $17 to $20. An hourlong lesson on East Coast/six-step swing followed by social dancing to live music from Compaq Big Band, which features 14 horns, four in the rhythm section and vocalist Aviana Gedler. An optional free lesson on Charleston footwork, combination steps and styling starts at 6:30 p.m. Information is here.
Midnight Massholes comedy at 11:30 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $10 to $15 and 21-plus. It makes sense this comedy-variety show is not safe for work, because it’s late-night entertainment, and most of us shouldn’t have to work at this hour. (No late seating.) Information is here.
Sunday, Oct. 6
Deep Listening workshop from 10 a.m. to noon meeting outside Story Chapel at Mount Auburn Cemetery, 580 Mount Auburn St., West Cambridge. $10 to $15. Nomi Epstein leads an outdoor workshop using listening, meditation, movement and imagination to open the senses. Wear comfortable clothing and walking shoes and bring a notebook, a writing utensil and a small mat or blanket to sit on. Information is here.
Falling for Plants Market from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. Free. Support and shop 40 local artists and small businesses and chat with others who share passion for plants. Includes “take a plant, leave a plant” anonymous plant swap table (pest-free only, please). Information is here.
Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month special weekend (continued) from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Museum of Science, 1 Science Park, Boston, on the Cambridge border. For free museum admission, redeem online code HLHM24. Information is here.
45th Annual Oktoberfest from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Harvard Square (rain date: Oct. 13). Free. Food from all over the world, arts, crafts, vintage goods, free samples, sidewalk sales and one-of-a-kind gifts are packed in with beer gardens, the “Chalk on the Walk” art installation plus stages showcasing the dozens of Honk! festival bands and rock and jazz performers. Returning are a wine garden hosted by the Commonwealth Wine School and The Filipino American Festival (in the Church Street parking lot). New this year: a dog-friendly wine garden. The event has been known to draw more than 100,000 people. Information is here.
Honk! parade and festival (continued) from noon to 6 p.m. starting with the famous parade from Herbert and Day streets in Davis Square, Somerville, that ends (at 2 p.m.) at Winthrop Park in Harvard Square, and is followed by short sets by more the more than 25 bands on the main stage of the Harvard Square Oktoberfest plus a drum jam session with Summer Street Band in Winthrop Park. Free. Information is here.
Nature Drawing workshop: birds from 1 to 3 p.m. meeting in Story Chapel at Mount Auburn Cemetery, 580 Mount Auburn St., West Cambridge. $10 to $15 and ages 10-plus. In the first of four workshops, held indoors, naturalist, author and illustrator Clare Walker Leslie teaches basic ways for drawing nature. Bring a drawing pad, several pencils and an eraser; no drawing experience required. There will be materials provided, as well. Information is here.
True Repertory Theatre presents “Ellen’s Boys” (continued) at 2 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. $25 to $30. 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.
“Romeo and Juliet” (continued) at 2 p.m. at Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $95 to $150. Information is here.
“Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” musical (continued) at 3 p.m. at Arrow Street Arts, 2 Arrow Street, Harvard Square, Cambridge. $55 to $65. Information is here.
Chance of Rain performs at 3 p.m. at Aeronaut Brewing, 14 Tyler St., near Union Square, Somerville. Free. A new pop group made up of Berklee College Of Music students who pull influence from jazz and alternative rock. Information is here.
Elyse Graham reads from “Book and Dagger: How Scholars and Librarians Became the Unlikely Spies of World War II” at 3 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 25 White St., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free. The historian and Stony Brook University professor discusses the untold story of the academics who became OSS spies and invented modern spycraft. Harvard assistant professor of English Anna Wilson joins. Information is here.
Japanese dye technique two-session class from 3 to 5 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge (and continues Oct. 13). $30 for both sessions; ages 15-plus. Learn to colorfully dye fabric using the Japanese Shibori technique. Information is here.
The Parker Quartet plays from 3 to 5 p.m. at Harvard’s John Knowles Paine Concert Hall, 3 Oxford St., just north of Harvard Square, Cambridge, and Harvard Yard. Free, but register. Founded and based in Boston, the Grammy-winning quartet of violinists Daniel Chong and Ken Hamao, violist Jessica Bodner and cellist Kee-Hyun Kim perform Mozart’s String Quartet No. 15 in D minor, K. 421; Prestini’s “The Red Book”; and Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 12 in E♭ major, Op. 127 as part of the Blodgett Chamber Music Series. Information is here.
First Sunday Blues with The Willie J. Laws Band at 7 p.m. at The Burren, 247 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $18 to $23. Listen to “The Last Prophet of the Funky Texas Blues” after a half-hour blues dance lesson with the folks from Blues Union. Information is here.
“Unchosen” showcase of choreographic projects (continued) from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at The Dance Complex, 536 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. $17 to $25. Information is here.
Opening Night: Concert I “New Beginnings” at 7:30 p.m. (with a 6:30 p.m. preconcert talk) at the Longy School of Music, 27 Garden St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free to $35. World premieres of works by Wang Lu, John Harbison and new artistic director Eric Nathan mark Collage New Music’s season opener, interspersed with pieces by Vijay Iyer, Juri Seo and J.S. Bach. Information is here.
Duck Duck Goofs stand-up comedy grand opening weekend (continued) at 8 p.m. at Duck Duck Goofs, 432 McGrath Highway, Prospect Hill, Somerville. $18 to $50 and 21-plus. Information is here.
Monday, Oct. 7
“Facing Athens Again: New Encounters with the Modern City” lecture at 5:30 p.m. at Harvard University’s Barker Center, Room 114, 12 Quincy St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. George Sarrinikolaou, the executive director of the Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability at Harvard University, reflects on the social developments in Greece since the publication of his book 2004 book “Facing Athens: Encounters with the Modern City.” Information is here.
Atif Akin on “Morph, Mutant, Myth” at 6 p.m. in the ACT Cube (E15-001) of MIT’s Wiesner Building, 20 Ames St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free. The Turkish artist delves into his decadelong research on radiation, mutation and archaeology, offering a narrative on the intersection of art, science and politics. Information is here.
“Techno, Art and Music Robots” with Moritz Simon Geist from 6 to 8 p.m. at The MIT Museum, 314 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. $5 to $15. The German artist and robotics engineer, well-known for wildly viral videos such as the “Popcorn Jazz Robot,” gives insight into his art practice, shares how he stopped working with human musicians to work with robots and explains “why AI music robots will not replace human musicians (soon).” Information is here.
Germane Barnes on “Where This Flower Blooms” from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Gund Hall, 42 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. In his Wheelwright Prize lecture, the Chicago-born architect and University of Miami professor discusses his “Columnar Disorder” solo show at the Art Institute of Chicago looking at North African influence on some classical architecture. Information is here.
Clair Wills reads from “Missing Persons: or, My Grandmother’s Secrets” at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 25 White St., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free. The University of Cambridge English literature professor and author of “Lovers and Strangers: An Immigrant History of Post-War Britain” discusses her new memoir-crossed-with-social history that explores the holes in the fabric of modern Ireland. “Choice” author Neel Mukherjee joins. Information is here.
“Rainbow Tales” 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. An evening of live stories and talks from the Boston LGBTQIA+ community centered on themes of diversity, equity, inclusion, gender identity and expression, trials and triumphs, wellness, climate sustainability and shared experience. Information is here.
Richard Powers reads from “Playground” at 7 p.m. at First Parish in Cambridge Meeting House, 3 Church St./1446 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square. $40 with book. During this Harvard Book Store event, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “The Overstory” discusses his sweeping new novel of four lives who meet on an island in French Polynesia where humanity’s next adventure involves sending floating, autonomous cities out onto the open sea. Robin Young, host of NPR’s “Here & Now,” joins. Information is here.
Picture + Panel: Women in History with Glynnis Fawkes and Leela Corman from 7 to 8 p.m. at Aeronaut Brewing, 14 Tyler St., near Union Square, Somerville. Free to $15 and 21-plus. The monthly confab of graphic-novel creators sponsored by Aeronaut, Porter Square Books and the Boston Comic Arts Foundation this time explores how women have been portrayed, overlooked and reimagined throughout time. Fawkes is the author-illustrator of “Charlotte Brontë before Jane Eyre”; Corman wrote “Unterzakhn” about immigrant life on New York’s Lower East Side. Comics scholar Hillary Chute moderates. Information is here.
Breabach performs at 7:30 p.m. at Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square. $30 to $35. One of Scotland’s most skilled and imaginative contemporary folk acts, the five-person group manages to unite their roots in Highland and Island tradition (bagpipes!) with the innovative Scottish music scene. Local fiddler Jenna Moynihan joins. Information is here.
Poet Robert Pinsky from 8 to 9 p.m. at Cambridge Center for Adult Education, 56 Brattle St., Harvard Square. $5. Pinsky reads from his new collection, “Proverbs of Limbo.” Sponsored by the Blacksmith House Poetry Series. Information is here.
Tuesday, Oct. 8
“Putin’s Military Might: Bluff and Reality” discussion from 5 to 7 p.m. at Harvard University’s Center for Government and International Studies, South Concourse, S020, 1730 Cambridge St., Harvard Square. Free, but register. Russian investigative journalist, political scientist, author, radio host and visiting scholar Yevgenia Albats talks with military analysts Dmitry Gorenburg of The Center for Naval Analyses and Aleksandr Golts (via Zoom) of the Swedish Institute of International Affairs about Russia’s military capacity and its limits. Information is here.
Founders Live pitch competition from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. Free to $10. A happy hour contest for startups in which you get to know local entrepreneurs and vote for what you think will be the next big thing. Light food provided. Information is here.
Anna Von Mertens reads from “Attention Is Discovery: The Life and Legacy of Astronomer Henrietta Leavitt” at 6 p.m. at Jefferson Laboratory Room 250, 17 Oxford St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free, or $37.13 with book. The visual artist and researcher discusses her portrait of the remarkable woman who laid the foundation for modern cosmology. Harvard professor of applied astronomy Alyssa Goodman joins. Information is here.
Learn knife skills with Shiso Kitchen from 6 to 7 p.m. in the community room at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free, but register. Jess Roy of Boston’s Shiso Kitchen teaches essential culinary knife skills. Information is here.
“Education and AI Ethics” discussion from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Thompson Room of Harvard University’s Barker Center, 12 Quincy St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Charalambos Tsekeris of the Greek National Center for Social Research talks with Harvard lecturer Ofrit Liviatan about the use of artificial intelligence in education (including tutoring systems) and the latest opinion issued by the Greek National Commission for Bioethics and Technoethics. Information is here.
Poet Dunya Mikhail reads from “Tablets: Secrets of the Clay” from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Somerville Public Library, 79 Highland Ave., Central Hill. Free. The Iraqi American reads poems from her latest collection. She’s written fiction, nonfiction and poetry books including “In Her Feminine Sign,” one of the 10 best poetry books of 2019 as chosen by The New York Public Library. Information is here.
Froca Fitness workout from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Lewis Room at the Cambridge Public Library Central Square Branch, 45 Pearl St. Free, but register. Groove with Froca Fitness founder Sylver Rochelin, dancer from Madagascar. Information is here.
“The Forced Migration of Butterflies” film screening with director from 6:30 to 9 p.m. in the Tsai Auditorium at the Center for Government and International Studies, South Concourse, 1730 Cambridge St., Harvard Square. Free, but register. The tagline for the 2023 lighthearted tragicomedy by Nana Jorjadze is “Butterflies die if you move them elsewhere. But artists without a living can’t stay together in their commune in Tbilisi forever.” Information is here.
Todd Stern reads from “Landing the Paris Climate Agreement: How It Happened, Why It Matters and What Comes Next” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The former special envoy for climate change during the Obama administration describes how 195 nations finally agreed, after 20 years of trying, to establish an ambitious, operational regime to address the greatest civilizational challenge of our time. Harvard Kennedy School’s Robert Stavins joins. Information is here.
International Comedy Night with Katie Boyle from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Smith Campus Center, 1350 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The Irish comedian returns to the East Coast after performing at Skankfest 2024 in Las Vegas. Information is here.
The Ben Cote Band from 7 to 10:30 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $15 to $20. The Berklee College of Music-trained four-piece rock band with five albums out is inspired by artists such as Van Halen, Poison and Guns ‘N’ Roses. Information is here.
“Sing for Science” live podcast: Patricia Cornwell reads from “Identity Unknown” at 7:30 p.m. in the blue wing at the Museum of Science, 1 Science Park, Boston, on the Cambridge border. $30 with book and 18-plus. The author’s latest installment of her blockbuster “Scarpetta” detective series involves discovering a dead body (her former lover!) that may have been dropped from an unidentified flying craft(!). Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb, author of “Extraterrestrial” and “Interstellar,” joins. Moderated by musician host Matt Whyte. Information is here.
Hanneke Kassel’s Texas Fiddle Meltdown at 7:30 p.m. at Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $30 to $35. The Scottish-American fiddler hosts a night of Texas fiddle music featuring some of the greatest Texas-style practitioners – Wes Westmoreland, Matt Hartz, Luke Price, Tashina Clarridge and Tristan Clarridge – plus special guest old-time fiddle master Bruce Molsky. Information is here.
“A Feminist’s Guide to ADHD” book launch with author Janina Elbert Maschke from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Connexion, 149 Broadway, Somerville, Cambridge. Pay-what-you-can or $18.01 with the book. The psychologist, researcher and ADHD coach discusses how women with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder can “thrive and find focus in a world built for men.” Professional organizer Tina Jellinek, founder of Tidy by Tina, joins. Information is here.
Bilal performs at 8 p.m. at Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square. $35 to $40. Bilal Sayeed Oliver tours behind his sixth studio album, “Adjust Brightness.” He’s a member of the Soulquarians, an experimental music collective active from the late 1990s to early 2000s. Information is here.
Wednesday, Oct. 9
Fresh Pond Bug Walk from 3:15 to 5 p.m. at Fresh Pond’s Lusitania Meadow. Free and all ages; registration provides meeting location details. This collaborative event with the Boudreau Library branch involves a short walk to observe and learn about this dazzlingly diverse class of animals. Information is here.
City of Cambridge Women’s Business Month Kickoff from 4 to 6 p.m. at Mestizo Modern Mexican, 10 Broad Canal Way, Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. Mestizo co-owner Emily Tenreiro shares her experience as an owner-operator and explains her menu, which includes dishes with Oaxaca heritage and from other Mexican and Spanish regions. Information is here.
Dance Party at the Cube from 5 to 9 p.m. in Jill Brown-Rhone Park, near Central Square, Cambridge. Free and all ages. A DJ dance from 5 to 7 p.m. followed by a silent headphone party from 7 to 9 p.m. when you’ll vibe to your choice of hip-hop, soul, reggae, disco or house music wearing headphones, with DJ Nomadik and friends orchestrating the playlist. ID is required for headphones (RSVP for headphones to czarazua@cambridgema.gov). Information is here.
Sage Intergenerational LGBTQ+ Dinner from 6 to 8 p.m. in the community room of the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free, but register. It’s time for the second Sage Table hosted by Cambridge’s LGBTQ+ Commission: a dinner with tables arranged for conversation guided by facilitators. All ages, identities, abilities, caretakers, parents and guardians welcome. Information is here.
Michael Sandel on “Democracy and Urban Form” from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Gund Hall, 42 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The author of “Democracy’s Discontent” analyzes the forces that will decide the 2024 election and proposes a bold project of civic renewal to reimagine the economy and empower citizens as participants in a shared public life. Information is here.
An evening with guitarist Dave Rubin from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Somerville Public Library West Branch, 40 College Ave., near Davis Square. Free. The Berklee grad’s solo set lists weave together Grateful Dead and other jam band tunes, classic country-folk Americana, classic rock and originals from his band “Daydream.” Information is here.
Canadian pianist and composer Tony Ann at 6:45 p.m. at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. $25 to $30. Ann’s yearlong world tour launched at the end of September with São Paulo and Santiago before heading straight here, where he may look up old friends from his Berklee days. The electroacoustic duo Arkai accompanies. Information is here.
Tunefoolery at 7 p.m. at the café 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.
Walk Me Home band at 7 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $15 to $20. The American-Canadian rock band formed in Boston. Also playing: faves The Croaks and Christian Pace. Information is here.
Maurice Isserman reads from “Reds: The Tragedy of American Communism” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The award-winning author and Hamilton College history professor focuses on the deeply contradictory nature of the history of the Communist Party USA, “a movement that attracted egalitarian idealists and bred authoritarian zealots.” Gary Gerstle, author of “The Rise and Fall of the Neoliberal Order,” joins. Information is here.
“Mind the Gap: Disparities in Women’s Heart Health” panel discussion at 7:30 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 Boston Globe’s Jeneé Osterheldt hosts an evening discussion with globally renowned experts in women’s heart health about the persistent and inequitable gap in outcomes for women, especially for women of color. Information is here.
AJ Lee and Blue Summit at 9:30 p.m. at Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $22. The roots music group from Santa Cruz, California, met as teenagers, picking and jamming together at local music festivals, and now crisscross the country performing hundreds of shows a year. Information is here.
Thursday, Oct. 10
Nina Guilbeault reads from “The Good Eater: A Vegan’s Search for the Future of Food” at 6 p.m. in the lecture hall at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free, or $29.74 with book. The sociologist, author, educator and cofounder of the nonprofit Plant Futures discusses paths to a more plant-based world. Michael Pollan, Harvard professor and author of nine books, joins an event co-sponsored with the Harvard Book Store. Information is here.
Other Influences: A Feminist Avant-Garde Poetry Reading from 6 to 7:45 p.m. at the Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts, lower level, 24 Quincy St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The Woodberry Poetry Room presents readings by Carla Harryman, Erica Hunt, Tracie Morris, Hoa Nguyen, Prageeta Sharma and Anne Tardos to celebrate the forthcoming anthology “Other Influences: An Untold History of Feminist Avant-Garde Poetry” with editors Marcella Durand and Jennifer Firestone attending. Information is here.
“Patterns in Nature” art opening from 6 to 8 p.m. at CAA@Canal, 650 E. Kendall St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free. Artists from around New England are part of this Cambridge Art Association show about the patterns that appear everywhere in nature. The exhibit is up until Jan. 8. Information is here.
After Dark Series: Vision from 6 to 9 p.m. at The MIT Museum, 314 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. $10 to $20 and 21-plus. Explore the mysteries of vision: Best your friends in a blindfolded Lego build-off, catch a talk with visual neuroscientist Pawan Sinha and challenge your perceptions with a camera lucida. Barbecue from Scott Brothers and local beer from Winter Hill Brewing are available for purchase. Information is here.
Natural dye workshop from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Mass Audubon Nature Center at Magazine Beach, 668 Memorial Drive, Cambridgeport. $12 and adults only. Learn about the use and a brief history of natural pigments and create some of your own out of natural materials such as black walnut husks, onion skins, birch bark and invasive weeds. Information is here.
An Environmentalist’s Guide to the Supreme Court at 7 p.m. at Patagonia, 39 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. Students from the Harvard’s Emmett Environmental Law and Policy Clinic unpack the potential environmental impacts of the upcoming session and explain how past courts have influenced, or neglected, environmental law, with a special focus on the “good neighbor” provision in the Clean Air Act being challenged in the court. Early comers can be first at the snack table and enter a raffle for gear. Information is here.
Poet Matthew Zapruder reads from “I Love Hearing Your Dreams” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The editor at large at Wave Books and author of six collections of poetry discusses his “startlingly beautiful and deeply vulnerable book where lives journey into a mystifying place and emerge transformed.” Steve Almond, author of 10 books of fiction and non-fiction, joins. Information is here.
Poets Linda Norton and Fanny Howe 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 Chloe Garcia Roberts. Information is here.
Evening yoga at the CPL from 7 to 8 p.m. in the community room at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free, but register. With Shayla Tate of M.U.D.D. Flower Yoga. Bring a mat and whatever items your practice requires. Information is here.
Researching Your Family History: Genealogy 101 from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Somerville Public Library, 79 Highland Ave., Central Hill. Free. History librarian Kevin O’Kelly presents basic strategies and principles in researching historical materials and teaches about resources available from the library and federal government as well as Internet resources. Information is here.
Candlelight Tribute to Taylor Swift at 7 p.m. at First Church in Cambridge, 11 Garden St., Harvard Square. $33 to $59. A Taylored song experience in the gentle glow of candlelight. Information is here.
Eastern Mass Abortion Fund’s community concert from 7 to 10 p.m. at Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge. $10 to $30 suggested donation. Support abortion access while listening to bands Layzi, Stella Starfox, High Tea and special guest Hunter Paris Cartier. Free masks and ear plugs provided. Information is here.
“Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” musical (continued) at 7:30 p.m. at Arrow Street Arts, 2 Arrow Street, Harvard Square, Cambridge. $55 to $65. Audience members are required to wear masks for all Thursday performances. Information is here.
Vibraphonist Joel Ross at 7:30 p.m. at Regattabar, 1 Bennett St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $25 to $35. The Brooklyn, New York, vibes player and composer performs with pianist Jeremy Corren, bassist Kanoa Mendenhall, drummer Jeremy Dutton and tenor saxophonist Maria Grand. Information is here.
Harvard Baroque Chamber Orchestra “Prelude” program from 8 to 10 p.m. at Memorial Church, 1 Harvard Yard, Cambridge. Free. Winner of the prestigious Erwin Bodky Award for excellence in early music, this small chamber orchestra performs its fall concert featuring the work of Johann Sebastian Bach, including Canta No. 82 “Ich habe genug.” Information is here.
Mariposa After Hours Concert from 8 to 10 p.m. at Mariposa Bakery, 424 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square. $5 to $10 suggested donation. The return of the After Hours series hosted by favorite Cambridge baristas ushers in the spooky season with new acts, pastries and drinks. Tonight’s line-up: Wayside Sounds, Silly Band (a barista explosion) and Superpink. Information is here.
A stronger
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