Thursday, Oct. 24
“Accelerating the Transition to Zero-Emission Transportation” lecture from noon to 1 p.m. in the multipurpose room at Curtis Hall, Tufts University, 474 Boston Ave., Medford, near the Medford/Tufts MBTA station. Free. Jordan Stutt from the California Air Resources Board Clean Transportation describes technologies, policies, business models and partnerships supporting the shift away from gas- and diesel-powered vehicles. Also via Zoom. Information is here.
“Is Latino Becoming a Racial Category?” lecture from noon to 1:15 p.m. at the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, 9 Bow St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. New York University’s Maria Abascal discusses in-progress social scientific and population research. Also via Zoom. Information is here.
Materials Lab Workshop: The Origin and Evolution of Fabricated Colored Chalks (Pastels) from 1 to 4 p.m. at Harvard Art Museums, 32 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. $15 materials fee and 14-plus. Timothy David Mayhew, scholar of traditional drawing materials and techniques, answers the hows and whys of pastels’ development and guides participants in making their own pastel sticks. Supplies provided and beginners warmly welcome. Information is here.
Walking Tour of Harvard’s Psychedelic History from 5 to 7 p.m. meeting in front of the Center for the Study of World Religions, 42 Francis Ave., in the Baldwin neighborhood near the Somerville border, Cambridge. Free, but register. A two-mile traipse through sites related to the interest in psychoactive drugs at Harvard from the 1940s through the 1960s noting heroes, felons, fugitives and academics. Led by Jeffrey Breau and Paul Gillis-Smith of the Psychedelics and Spirituality program at the Center. Information is here.
Arts Thursdays: “Sea Monsters: Wonders of Nature and Imagination” from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford St., in the Baldwin neighborhood near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. A “Sea Monsters” exhibit inspires an evening of arts: create a felt creature; participate on a community art piece about the impact of plastics on marine animals; learn about octopuses from scientists from Harvard’s Bellono Lab; check out unusual – even spooky – marine specimens in the Museum of Comparative Zoology; plus enjoy interactive kids activities and a cash bar. Information is here.
MIT’s Art, Culture, and Technology Program Lecture: Artist Lucy Orta at 6 p.m. in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Long Lounge (Building 7-429), 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. Free, but register. The artist makes wild but meaningful “refuge wear” and “body architecture.” Also streamed online. Information is here.
Poet Cecilia Vicuña from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts, lower level, 24 Quincy St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The Woodberry Poetry Room honors the “consummate creator, word-weaver, wavemaker and interdisciplinary visionary” who’s written more than 30 volumes of poetry and produced related visual art (a pop-up installation of selected “palabrarmas/word-weapons” is temporarily on view). Information is here.
Baritone Brian Major at 7 p.m. at the Longy School of Music, 27 Garden St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free to $20. This year’s Gessner-Schocken concert features Major, accompanied by Longy’s Noriko Yasuda, performing “Mortal Storm,” a song cycle by Robert Owens with text by Langston Hughes. Information is here.
Mapping Feminist Cambridge Community Celebration at 7 p.m. at Commonwealth Wine School, 35 Dunster St., first floor, Harvard Square. Free, but register. A wrap-up celebration of those who contributed research and stories to tours highlighting the impact local individuals and organizations had on the feminist movement from the 1970s to 1990s. Sponsored by the Cambridge Commission on the Status of Women. Information is here.
Riley August reads from “The Last Gifts of the Universe” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The speculative fiction writer’s debut novel centers on a space-exploring archivist who scours dead worlds for technology and cultural rituals – anything useful to a home world’s survival – and discovers a surviving message from an alien. Rebecca Fraimow, author of the sci-fi rom-com novel “Lady Eve’s Last Con,” joins. Information is here.
Pitch a Friend from 7 to 9 p.m. at Aeronaut Brewing, 14 Tyler St., near Union Square, Somerville. Free. Prepare a three-to-five minute slide presentation to pitch your amazing single pal to a room full of other singles and onlookers. “Like Shark Tank, but for love and friendship.” Information is here.
“Bumbled” at 7:30 p.m. at Central Square Theater, Cambridge, 450 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge (and continuing through Nov. 3). $27 to $52. In this “one-person, bee-twerking, Irish slow-dancing, sex-dodging odyssey” performed and co-written by Colin Hamell, an Irish honey bee journeys to tell the world about the importance of bees, save the planet and find true happiness with his French girlfriend. Information is here.
Walter Sickert and the Army of Broken Toys Halloween Happening at 7:30 p.m. in the Charles Hayden Planetarium at the Museum of Science, 1 Science Park, Boston, on the Cambridge border. $20 to $25 and 18-plus. The eight-member rock-goth-and-punk band from Boston has designed “an apocalyptic party” through “surrealist multiverses into rabbit black holes straight through the psychedelic Planetarium maw.” Cash bar with complimentary light snacks opens at 6:30 p.m. Information is here.
Asha Thanki reads from “A Thousand Times Before” from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Narrative, 387 Highland Ave., Davis Square, Somerville. $5. The debut novelist discusses her multigenerational saga following the women of one family from the partition of India and Pakistan to the present-day United States who can magically access their ancestors’ memories through an inherited tapestry. “Loudmouth Ladkis” podcast co-host Saniya Soni joins. Information is here.
“Spurned: A Wild West Tale of Love, Revenge and Assless Chaps” musical from 7:30 to 9:50 p.m. at Agassiz Theater, 5 James St., Harvard Square, Cambridge (and continuing through Oct. 27). $10 to $15. An original student-written work performed by the Harvard-Radcliffe Dramatic Club about “a young woman reeling from heartbreak, a nun wishing for a taste of adventure, an outlaw suffering from success, an ex framed for robbery and a sheriff out to bring them all down: what could possibly go right?” Information is here.
Cirque of the Dead at 8 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville (and continuing Oct. 25, 26 and 31). $43 to $65 and 18-plus. Boston Circus Guild’s show blends aerials, acrobatics, contortion and more with creepy camp and humorous horror; this year’s story involves the “Cirque of the Dead Historical Society” as they bring to life the eerie and captivating world of the 1920s spiritualist movement with its psychic mediums and seances. Information is here.
Otis Shanty album release at 8 p.m. at Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square. $15 to $18. The dream pop band performs songs from “Up the Hill” supported by other local bands (Small Pond, Lost Film and Night Moth). Information is here.
Friday, Oct. 25
East Branch Book Group from 11 a.m. to noon at the Somerville Public Library East Branch, 115 Broadway. Free. The group discusses “The Mercies” by Kiran Millwood Hargrave. Pick up a copy in person or download the audio or e-book copy on Libby and Overdrive. Information is here.
Deep Dive Tour: Poetry Experience from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at Longfellow House and the Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site, 105 Brattle St., West Cambridge. Free. For the final time this season, park rangers explore some of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s best works in the home that inspired him. Information is here.
Steina’s “Playback” exhibition panel and opening reception from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at MIT’s Bartos Theater, 20 Ames St., Building E-15, atrium level, Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. The first solo presentation in more than a decade by a pioneering media artist whose playful work uses video, music and technology. A discussion with List Center curator Natalie Bell, media curator Chris Hill and Northeastern University professor Gloria Sutton is followed by a reception with the artist at 6:30 p.m. Information is here.
2024 Ivory Prize Housing Innovation Summit from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Gund Hall, 42 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. Entrepreneurs, public sector innovators, policymakers, researchers and industry practitioners present best ideas for housing affordability and scalability. Plus, a naming of the four Ivory Prize finalists for construction and design, policy and regulatory reform and finance, and the winner of the Hack-A-House 2024 virtual hackathon competition. Information is here.
Halloween Night Market from 6:30 to 11 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. Free and all ages. Live art, tacos, cocktails and mocktails and more than 35 local vendors sell crafts, clothes and creations. DJ Coleslaw keeps the energy high all night. Prizes for best costume (with a runway at 10 p.m.). Information is here.
GlobeDocs Film Festival at 6:45 and 9 p.m. at The Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge (and continuing through Sunday). $15 per film. The screening fest of documentaries featuring conversations with Boston Globe journalists and filmmakers shifts tonight to Cambridge from Brookline and Boston with “Porcelain War,” about Ukrainian artists-turned-soldiers “defiantly finding beauty amid destruction,” and Asif Kapadias’ sci-fi hybrid film “2073” starring Samantha Morton, connecting modern-day journalists conveying current global crises with a dystopian future outlook (its tagline is “This is not a documentary. It is a warning”). Information is here.
“Bumbled” (continued) at 7:30 p.m. at Central Square Theater, Cambridge, 450 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. $27 to $52. Information is here.
“Junebug: An Improvised Space Western” from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at the café at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. Free, but RSVP to save your seat. Inspired by the short-lived mid-2000s series “Firefly” as well as “Cowboy Bebop,” “The Expanse,” “Battlestar Galactica” and other on-screen sci-fi, this show follows the crew of a Junebug class ship as they try to make a living on the outskirts of inhabited space. Information is here.
“Spurned: A Wild West Tale of Love, Revenge and Assless Chaps” musical (continued) from 7:30 to 9:50 p.m. at Agassiz Theater, 5 James St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $10 to $15. Information is here.
Cirque of the Dead (continued) at 8 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. $43 to $65 and 18-plus. Information is here.
The Post Meridian Radio Players present “The Unseen Worlds of H.G. Wells” at 8 p.m. at Guild Church, 52 Russell St., Cambridge, near Davis Square (and continuing Saturday). $15 to $20. Radio-drama adaptations of the writer’s classic stories “The Cone,” “The Stolen Body,” “The Inexperienced Ghost” and “The Invisible Man” with sound effects from live Foley artists on stage. A concessions stand is provided. Information is here.
“Stand Up to Save Lives: An Evening with Comedian Alex Borstein” at 8 p.m. at Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square. $45 to $125. The Emmy-award winning actor, comedian, writer and producer best known for voicing Lois Griffin in the animated comedy series “Family Guy” and her role as Susie Myerson in the series “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” performs stand-up with local comedians to benefit the Danvers nonprofit Save One Life. Information is here.
“Detention” stand-up comedy at 8 p.m. at Duck Duck Goofs, 432 McGrath Highway, Prospect Hill, Somerville (and every Saturday and Sunday). $20 to $50 and 21-plus. Ryan Howe’s new home for comedy offers a full bar (drinks start at $4) and a Wade BBQ menu. Shows begin with a musical guest followed by a handful of comics, including a nationally touring headliner. Information is here.
Noteables Fall 2024 Concert from 8 to 10 p.m. at Harvard’s Lowell Lecture Hall, 17 Kirkland St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $7 to $10. The nonaudition show choir made up of Harvard undergrads sings songs from Broadway and Disney. Information is here.
Harvard Bands’ annual Montage Concert from 8 to 10 p.m. at Sanders Theatre, 45 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Alumni from every decade from the 1950s through the 2020s join the Harvard University Band in concert to commemorate its 105th anniversary, followed by the Band’s wind ensemble joining in to perform Harvard football songs. Information is here.
MIT’s Annual Family Weekend Concert: “Where the Word Ends – Celebrating Music’s Power to Unite” from 8 to 10 p.m. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Kresge Auditorium, 48 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. Free. The MIT Wind Ensemble performs works by American composers Leonard Bernstein, Florence Price, William Schuman and Derek Jenkins. The MIT Festival Jazz Ensemble performs pieces by Puerto Rican composers including Tito Puente and Miguel Zenón and music by Herbie Hancock, Duke Ellington and Horace Silver. Information is here.
KDF Big Band at Boston Swing Central from 8 to 11:45 p.m. at Q Ballroom, 26 New St., Fresh Pond, Cambridge. $14 to $22. Bandleader, bassist, saxophonist and composer Kira Daglio Fine leads this 16-piece jazz ensemble with a repertoire drawing from the swing tradition and Fine’s Latina heritage. This social partner dance begins with a lesson for beginners in the first hour. No partner required; no street shoes allowed. Information is here.
Gay Bash’d x Boudoir Crossover Party at 9:30 p.m. at The Sinclair, 52 Church St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $23.50 to $30 and 18-plus. Boston’s favorite queer parties join forces again for a spooky and magical evening on the dance floor. Information is here.
Saturday, Oct. 26
Cambridge LGBTQ+ visionaries walking tour from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. meeting near the rainbow benches outside Cambridge City Hall, 795 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square. $44 to $49 (under age 18 free). Learn about many of the “firsts” in LGBTQ+ organizing and the rights movement from guide Kimm Topping by visiting historic sites and exploring the stories of early activists. Information is here.
GlobeDocs Film Festival (continued) at 11 a.m. and 2, 4:30 and 7 p.m. at The Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $15 per film. Information is here.
Opera on Tap Boston presents “Ghost Stories and Fairy Tales” Halloween brunch at noon at The Burren, 247 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $25 to $30. Classical vocalists journey through the best of opera’s ghoulish and fantastical, with stories and songs of proud witches, vengeful queens, fanciful fairies and more. Information is here.
FitRow Gauntlet for Good at 2 p.m. starting at Pure Barre, 363 Revolution Drive, Assembly Square, Somerville. $50. Participate in four mini workouts to benefit The Ellie Fund with sessions at Pure Barre, Title Boxing Club, CycleBar and YogaSix. The cost includes discounts and perks from Sweathouz, Squeeze Massage and Heyday and one ticket for a raffle that’s open to everyone. Information is here.
Around Hear’s “Eeyore Has a Birthday” concert from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the Mystic Activity Center, 530 Mystic Ave., Somerville. Free. A public concert providing music, refreshments and materials for music-inspired art-making and writing. Program features a prelude by the Around Hear all-ages violin and piano classes; Franz Schubert’s Rondo in B minor for violin and piano, D. 895; Jon Deak’s “Eeyore Has a Birthday” for viola, double bass and piano, with text by A.A. Milne; and “A Moondog Mixtapestry” by Louis “Moondog” Hardin, arranged by Jacob Barton. Information is here.
“Spurned: A Wild West Tale of Love, Revenge and Assless Chaps” musical (continued) at 2 and 7:30 p.m. at Agassiz Theater, 5 James St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $10 to $15. Information is here.
Ginger Ibex with Lars Wicklund from 2:15 to 3:15 p.m. at Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge. $15. Original classical and world-influenced pieces with Sharon Crumrine (piano), Betty Widerski (six-string mezzo viola), Melika Fitzhugh (violin and guitar) and Natalie Shelton-May (percussion). Wicklund’s a singer-songwriter from Medford. Information is here.
Halloween Party and Pet Spooktacular from 3 to 6 p.m. at Chuckie Harris Park at Cross Street East between Broadway and Blakeley Avenue, East Somerville (rain date: Oct. 27). Free. Watch cute pets and their owners in a costume contest and enjoy live music, games, photo ops and tasty food. Plus, storytelling with All She Wrote Books and martial arts with Master Brad. Information is here.
Pandemonium’s 35th Anniversary Celebration Party from 3 to 8 p.m. at Pandemonium Books & Games, 4 Pleasant St., Central Square, Cambridge. Free. Enjoy pick-up-and-play board games, game demos and refreshments, plus a 6:30 p.m. screening of the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society’s 2011 film “The Whisperer in Darkness.” Information is here.
Cirque of the Dead (continued) at 5:30 and 9 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. $43 to $65 and 18-plus. Information is here.
“Sono Lino” documentary film screening with filmmaker Q&A from 6 to 8 p.m. at The MIT Museum, 314 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. $5 to $15. MIT computer science professor Erik Demaine and MIT Glass Lab artistic director Peter Houk introduce this feature about a glassblower in Murano, Italy, grappling with age, identity and the struggle of watching his protégés continue his legacy as his 77-year career comes to a close. A Q&A with filmmaker Jacob Patrick follows. Information is here.
“Magic Late at Night” with Jonathan Vale at 7 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $25 to $30. Inspired by 1970s and ’80s late-night TV and its obsession with psychics, ESP and telekinesis, Vale’s new retro show blends his signature humor with mind-bending experiments, eerie encounters and supernatural spectacles. Information is here.
Harvard Undergraduate Bhangra presents “Raunak: Rewind” South Asian dance from 7 to 9 p.m. at Harvard’s Lowell Lecture Hall, 17 Kirkland St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $15. Teams from around the Northeast Region showcase garba/raas, fusion, classical, bhangra and more. Information is here.
“Bumbled” (continued) at 7:30 p.m. at Central Square Theater, Cambridge, 450 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. $27 to $52. Information is here.
Robert Sapiro presents “From Away” at 8 p.m. at the Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second St., East Cambridge. Pay-what-you-wish or $35. An often funny exploration of manhood and belonging in America as seen through the eyes of “a white man raising a white son in an increasingly complex world.” Information is here.
“Detention” stand-up comedy (continued) at 8 p.m. at Duck Duck Goofs, 432 McGrath Highway, Prospect Hill, Somerville. $20 to $50 and 21-plus. Information is here.
The Post Meridian Radio Players present “The Unseen Worlds of H.G. Wells” (continued) at 8 p.m. at Guild Church, 52 Russell St., Cambridge, near Davis Square. $15 to $20. 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: Joe Froeber, Meredith Boyce, Nancy Sen, Tyler Tuttle, Arianna Magee, Mo Mussa and Matt McArthur. Hosted by Chef Phil. Information is here.
Harvard Choruses presents “Within Our Reach” from 8 to 9:30 p.m. at Sanders Theatre, 45 Quincy St., near Harvard Square. Free to $15. The Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum with guest artist tenor Fred VanNess along with the Radcliffe Choral Society present choral music works by Undine Smith Moore, Reena Esmail, Adolphus Hailstork, Zoltán Kodály, Rosephanye Powell and others. Information is here.
“Di Fayerdike Libe – Passionate Love” strings concert from 8 to 10 p.m. at Killian Hall in the Hayden Library Building at 160 Memorial Drive at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge. Free, but register. Showcase of Derek David’s recent works for solo viola and string quartet integrating elements of Yiddish folk songs. Features guest violist Jesse Morrison, the Semiosis Quartet and the composer as vocalist. Information is here.
Rave Yard Smash to benefit Dance for World Community from 8 to 11 p.m. in the sanctuary theatre of José Mateo Ballet Theatre, 400 Harvard St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $60 includes one drink. Don your best spooky Halloween costume and enjoy dance music via DJ Zeke; pop-up performances of tap, flamenco, swing, heels and more from local groups; a silent auction; and cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Information is here.
Union Comedy Presents “The Kerfuffle” at 9:30 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $20 and 21-plus. A vaudeville variety show hosted by Jackie Arko and Tess Varney with a mix of sketch, interactive and completely undefinable comedy. Information is here.
Gay Bash’d Halloween Bash at 9:30 p.m. at The Sinclair, 52 Church St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $23.50 to $30 and 18-plus. The seventh annual edition of Boston’s biggest 18-plus Halloween dance party. Information is here.
Sunday, Oct. 27
All She Wrote x Juliet Book Club from 10:30 a.m. to noon at Juliet Social Club, 257 Washington St., Somerville. $5 to $21. An exploration of “Rainbow Black” by Maggie Thrash, a thrilling tale that’s part murder mystery, part gay international-fugitive love story. Information is here.
Third Annual Somerville Monster Dash 5K Race from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., meeting at the amphitheater at Sylvester Baxter Riverfront Park at Great River Road and Assembly Row, Somerville. $10 to $30. Youth and adult race awards, costume awards and goodies and treats – all to benefit the Somerville High School Track Parents and Alumni Club. Information is here.
GlobeDocs Film Festival (continued) at 11 a.m. and 1, 4 and 6:30 p.m. at The Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $15 per film. Information is here.
“Rocky Horror” drag brunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Summer Shack, 149 Alewife Brook Parkway, Alewife, Cambridge. $20. Neon Calypso and other performers remind you that it’s just a jump to the left … and then a step to the right. Sing and dance along. Information is here.
Spooky Swap XI from noon to 4 p.m. at Warehouse XI, 11 Sanborn Court, Union Square, Somerville. Free. A clothing swap, vintage and arts vendors, live local bands (Aysha Luiza, Call From Earth, Bug Wife), tooth gems, temporary tattoos, onsite alterations and more. Information is here.
Spooky Geek Faire from noon to 6 p.m. at Pandemonium Books & Games, 4 Pleasant St., Central Square, Cambridge. Free. A Halloween artisan market in celebration of Pandemonium’s 35th anniversary. Information is here.
Hassle Flea from 12:30 to 5 p.m. at the Cambridge Community Center, 5 Callender St., Riverside. $2. A flea market featuring handmade artwork, prints, patches, records, tees, pins, ceramics, jewelry, zines, body care, tea, fiber art, vintage clothing, accessories and books as well as tarot readings. Music is from Augrah, Push Back, Staubitz and Waterhouse, Vomit Dolls, Abdul Sherzai and others. Information is here.
“The Bat” (1926) silent film at 2 p.m. at the Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square. $18 to $20. A comedy mystery, newly reissued and getting its first-in-Boston presentation with a live score by Jeff Rapsis. Information is here.
“Bumbled” (continued) at 2 p.m. at Central Square Theater, Cambridge, 450 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. $27 to $52. Information is here.
“Spurned: A Wild West Tale of Love, Revenge and Assless Chaps” musical (continued) at 2 p.m. at Agassiz Theater, 5 James St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $10 to $15. Information is here.
Young Professionals in Energy’s “Climate Change and Cities” panel from 3 to 5 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 1815 Massachusetts Ave., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free. Panelists include Boston Globe climate reporter Erin Douglas, Boston College professor Courtney Humphries, author of the forthcoming “Climate Change and the Future of Boston” and City of Boston senior climate resilience project manager Catherine McCandless. As part of the bookstore’s “Be the Change” event, 20 percent of sales throughout the store during the two-hour discussion benefits Massachusetts Climate Action Network. Information is here.
Boston Chamber Symphony: An Afternoon of Beethoven at 4 p.m. at First Church in Cambridge, 11 Garden St., Harvard Square. $10 to $30. A performance of Beethoven’s “Violin Concerto,” “Symphony No. 1” and “Overture to The Creatures of Prometheus” with guest soloist violinist Joshua Brown and conductor Avlana Eisenberg. Information is here.
The Harvard University Choir celebrates the Music of Gustav Holst from 4 to 6 p.m. at Harvard Memorial Church, 1 Harvard Yard, Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. A concert for the 150th anniversary of the birthday of the English composer featuring his music and music by his daughter, Imogen Holst. Information is here.
Macuco Quintet from 4:15 to 6 p.m. at Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge. $10. Music inspired by Brazil, nature, ’70s jazz and more, plus arrangements of music by Hermeto Pascoal, Julius Hemphill and Paulinho da Viola. Information is here.
Rasik classical Indian dance series at 5 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. $15 to $50. The second of two performances with soloists from Greater Boston performing dance: Anjali Nath (Kathak), Parvathy Nair (Bharatanatyam), Priya Bangal (Odissi) and Soumya Rajaram (Bharatanatyam). Information is here.
Wicked Queer Puppet Theater presents “The Cemetery Swingers” and “A Worm’s Wings” from 5 to 7:15 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $20 to $25. A troupe from Massachusetts’ South Coast brings a two-act show: zombies from another dimension sing songs of horror and humor followed by a 13-song production with a full live band, large-scale papier-mâché puppetry and movement set to artist Hooly J. Chan’s latest music album. Information is here.
“Nina Pelton: In the Key of Me” from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at The Dance Complex, 536 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. $25. The New York cabaret diva and powerhouse soprano sings songs from Oleta Adams to Jill Scott to Brandi Carlile to benefit Our Space in Belmont. With support from pianist Jody Shelton and vocalist Kellie Ishmael. Information is here.
Boston League of Wicked Wrestlers presents “I, Blowwbot: Gays Against the Machine!” from 7 to 10 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. $25 to $45. For Blowwloween 7, an evening of queer existential wrestling. Information is here.
Debashish Bhattacharya Trio at 7:30 p.m. at Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square. $30 to $58. Global Arts Live brings the two-time Grammy-nominated master of Hindustani slide guitar, who performs with his vocalist and swarmandal-playing daughter Anandi (Sukanya) Bhattacharya and his percussionist brother Subhasis Bhattacharya. Information is here.
Red Flags: A Punk House of Comedy & Music at 9 p.m. at The Comedy Studio in the basement at 5 John F. Kennedy St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $8 to $24. Stand-up with a punchy punk rock flavor hosted by Hollywood comedy veteran Raven Hyde and the Red Flags band along with rising Boston comic Jackson Watts. Information is here.
Monday, Oct. 28
Lihi Ben Shitrit discusses “The Gates of Gaza: Critical Voices from Israel on Oct.7 and the War with Hamas” from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. at the WCC complex 3007, Harvard School of Law, 1585 Massachusetts Ave., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The New York University educator discusses the book he edited chronicling the reactions of intellectuals and scholars in Israel to unfolding events. Harvard Law School’s Salma Waheedi moderates. Information is here.
Deep Dive Tour: Washington Reexamined at 12:30 p.m. at Longfellow House and the Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site, 105 Brattle St., West Cambridge. Free. The final tour of the season that explores George Washington’s legacy and the lives of enslaved and free people at his headquarters. Information is here.
Pollinator Biodiversity and Climate Citizen Science opportunity from 2 to 3 p.m. at Fresh Pond’s Lusitania Meadow at 615 Concord Ave., Cambridge (and every Monday) Free. Get training to help with Earthwise Aware’s national research surrounding the impact of climate change on the life cycles of plants, insects and more. Information is here.
“Debunkbot.com: Reducing Conspiracy Beliefs through Dialogue with AI” lecture from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at The MIT Museum, 314 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free with museum admission. MIT professor David Rand explores how developments in artificial intelligence might help create a better-informed public. Information is here.
“Catastrophic Dilemmas: Ethical and Political Dimensions of Climate Change” panel at 4 p.m. at the Knafel Center of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University, 10 Garden St., west of Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. Panelists include the University of Buffalo’s Holly Jean Buck, Northeastern University’s Serena Parekh and Georgetown University’s Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò. Moderated by Harvard’s Lucas Stanczyk. Also via Zoom. Information is here.
Ernesto Londoño reads from “Trippy: The Peril and Promise of Medicinal Psychedelics” at 6 p.m. in Room 113 at Sever Hall in Harvard Yard, near Broadway and Quincy Street, Cambridge. Free. The New York Times journalist discusses his book about psychedelic enthusiasts with the New York Times’s Ellen Barry. Sponsored by Harvard’s Mahindra Center. Information is here.
“Gods, Warriors and Stars: A Close Relationship in Chichén Itzá” lecture from 6 to 7 p.m. at Geological Lecture Hall, Harvard Geological Museum, 24 Oxford St., in the Baldwin neighborhood near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. Mexican researcher and author María Teresa Uriarte discusses clues to the political, social and religious unrest of Mesoamerica from 600-900 AD. Information is here.
Creativity Collective art and craft meetup from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Somerville Public Library, 79 Highland Ave., Central Hill (and the last Monday of every month). Free, but register. Social learning or quiet work for those who draw, paint, sculpt, knit, crochet, sew, make paper crafts or fabric art. Light refreshments served. Information is here.
PSB Book Club with author at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 1815 Massachusetts Ave., Porter Square, Cambridge (and held monthly). Free, but RSVP. This month’s selection: “Sam,” with author Allegra Goodman joining in the discussion. Information is here.
“Viscosity and the Art of the Perfect Sauce” with Karen Akunowicz 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 chef and owner of Fox & The Knife Enoteca in Boston. Information is here.
Jedediah Berry reads from “The Naming Song” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The co-owner of Ninepin Press and author of “The Manual of Detection” discusses his fantasy novel about how the absence of words reveals dangerous truths. Fantasy writer Holly Black, author of the Elfhame novels, joins. Information is here.
Elan Mehler Trio from 7 to 8 p.m. at Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge (and every Monday). $15. The jazz pianist and composer performs with Max Ridley and Dor Herskovits. Information is here.
“Rocky Horror Picture Show” with a live shadow cast from 7 to 10 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville (and continuing Oct. 31 at the Somerville Theatre). $25. The Teseracte Players of Boston and audience members bring an interactive screening of the 1975 musical comedy horror cult classic. Costumes and call backs are highly encouraged. Information is here.
PawPaw Rod at 8 p.m. at The Sinclair, 52 Church St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $20. The Hawaii-born, Oklahoma-raised rapper and singer’s vibey music has been featured in popular shows on Netflix and HBO as well as commercials for Apple and Nike. He debuted at Lollapalooza, Lightning in a Bottle and Austin City Limits this year performing “Hit Em Where It Hurts.” Information is here.
Poets Teresa Cader and Cammy Thomas read from 8 to 9 p.m. at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education, 56 Brattle St., Harvard Square. $5. Cader’s book is “At Risk”; Thomas’ is “Odysseus’ Daughter.” Sponsored by the Blacksmith House Poetry Series. Information is here.
Tuesday, Oct. 29
MIT Reads: A Conversation with Davarian L. Baldwin about “In the Shadow of the Ivory Tower: How Universities are Plundering Our Cities” from 5 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, but register. The Trinity College historian and cultural critic describes those who benefit from unchecked university power within our cities and those made vulnerable. MIT historian Craig Steven Wilder joins. Information is here.
“Horticulture and Climate Change” lecture from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Bigelow Chapel at Mount Auburn Cemetery, 580 Mount Auburn St., West Cambridge. $50. The cemetery’s vice president of horticulture Ronnit Bendavid-Val describes the effects of the changing climate on the landscape, what to anticipate in the future and how horticulturalists can adapt. Begins with a catered reception. Information is here.
Greg M. Epstein reads from “Tech Agnostic: How Technology Became the World’s Most Powerful Religion, and Why It Desperately Needs a Reformation” at 6 p.m. in the lecture hall at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free, or $31.82 with book. During this event co-sponsored with the Harvard Book Store, the MIT and Harvard humanist chaplain argues we must collectively demand that technology serve our pursuit of human lives that are deeply worth living. University of New Hampshire’s Chanda Prescod-Weinstein joins. Information is here.
Berlin filmmaker Hito Steyerl on “Germany and Identity” from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Harvard Art Museums, Menschel Hall (lower level). Free, but register. Steyerl discusses her essay films addressing the rise in racist, xenophobic and antisemitic violence after German unification, three of which are in the exhibition “Made in Germany? Art and Identity in a Global National” on view through Jan. 5, 2025. Information is here.
Anne Whiston Spirn on “Restoring Nature, Rebuilding Community” from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Gund Hall, 42 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The MIT landscape professor describes initiatives that combine concerns for the environment, poverty, race, social equity and educational reform and leverage university resources to address them. Information is here.
Candle Making and Intention Setting Workshop from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Dark Mode, second floor, Bow Market, 1 Bow Market Way, Union Square, Somerville. $50. Make (and leave with) your own 14-ounce coconut wax candle, customized with your choice of flowers, herbs and fragrance – and your own unique intentions. Guidance and all materials provided. Information is here.
Aran Shetterly reads from “Morningside: The 1979 Greensboro Massacre and the Struggle for an American City’s Soul” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The narrative historian and author of “The Americano” describes one of the largest investigations in FBI history and its aftermath that encapsulates racial conflicts and economic anxieties that threaten American democracy even today. GBH News senior investigative reporter Phillip Martin joins. Information is here.
Alicia Svigals’ “Fidl Afire” album release at 7 p.m. at The Burren, 247 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $25 to $30. The Grammy-winning Klezmatics founder promotes the long-awaited followup to her groundbreaking 1997 album “Fidl,” which sparked a worldwide klezmer fiddle revival. Five top Boston klezmer players provide backup with keys, drums, bass, trombone and trumpet. Information is here.
LGBTQ History with Sarah Boyer from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Cambridge Public Library Central Square Branch, 45 Pearl St. Free. For LGBTQ History Month, the local historian and author of “Coming Out, Becoming Ourselves: Lesbian Stories from the Boston Daughters of Bilitis, 1969-1999,” discusses Cambridge’s LGBTQ+ history followed by a Q&A. Refreshments provided. Information is here.
The Vadrózsa Hungarian Folk Dance Ensemble’s “Legacy USA” from 7 to 9:45 p.m. at the Morse Elementary School, 40 Granite St., Cambridgeport, Cambridge. $10 to $20. The 40-member group, the preeminent nonprofessional folk dance ensemble in Hungary, visits as part of a five-city tour. A dance workshop follows the 70-minute show. Information is here.
Comedian Luke Kidgell’s “Happy Hour” at 7:30 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. $27. The Australian comedian serves up clever observational humor and witty storytelling. Information is here.
Spooky Fusey Bluesy Tuesy social dance from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. at the New England Science Fiction Association clubhouse at 504 Medford St., Magoun Square, Somerville. $5 to $25. The annual Halloween extravaganza for this weekly partner blues dance event that includes a lesson for beginners in the first hour. No partner required. Information is here.
The Poetry Brothel Boston presents “Scream, Queen!” from 7:30 to 11 p.m. at Bow Market Upstairs, 1 Bow Market Way, Union Square, Somerville. $40 to $80 and 21-plus. An immersive literary cabaret fusing poetry, activism, vaudeville, burlesque and magic with one-on-one poetry readings. A portion of proceeds go to the Boston Sex Worker and Ally Coalition. Information is here.
Drag Tribute to “Shrek 2” at 8 p.m. at Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square, Somerville. $20 to $35 and 18-plus. Full Spin salutes the animated classic with 10 drag performers singing the entirety of the soundtrack. Hosted by Just JP. Information is here.
Ensemble Uncaged performs at 8 p.m. at the Longy School of Music, 27 Garden St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free to $20. The group performs works that “honor the familiar, invite the unknown and challenge the conceptual limits of concert music in the 21st century.” This time, works by Nilou Nourbakhsh, Harrison Birtwistle, Bright Sheng, Ya-Jhu Yang, Kaija Saariaho and five others. Information is here.
Wednesday, Oct. 30
Frontier AI Safety and Policy Panel: Perspectives from the U.K. on Where We’re Headed from 4 to 6 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, but register. A panel with perspectives from government and academia in the United Kingdom on “How will we control and govern AI agents?” Also online. Information is here.
Marwan Kaabour discusses his book “The Queer Arab Glossary” from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at Harvard’s Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Room 102, at 38 Kirkland St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. From the founder of the online archive Takweer, the first published collection of Arabic LGBTQ+ slang with more than 300 terms in English and Arabic and essays by leading queer Arab artists, academics, activists and writers. Information is here.
“Get Out the Vote” panel + film screening from 5 to 7 p.m. at Aeronaut Brewing, 14 Tyler St., near Union Square, Somerville. Free, but register. The Alliance for Climate Transition president (and former Somerville mayor) Joe Curtatone invites professional skier Torey Lee Brooks; activist, writer and adventurer Mardi Fuller; and Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts CEO Rahsaan Hall to emphasize the importance of the upcoming elections for Northeast outdoor recreation. Before the panel, a screening of “Purple Mountains: Live Free or Die” by snowboarder and Protect Our Winters founder Jeremy Jones. Information is here.
Walking Tour of Harvard’s Psychedelic History from 5 to 7 p.m. meeting in front of the Center for the Study of World Religions, 42 Francis Ave., in the Baldwin neighborhood near the Somerville border, Cambridge. Free, but register. A 2-mile traipse through sites related to the interest in psychoactive drugs at Harvard from the 1940s through the 1960s noting heroes, felons, fugitives and academics. Led by the center’s Jeffrey Breau and Paul Gillis-Smith. Information is here.
William Egginton reads from “The Rigor of Angels: Borges, Heisenberg, Kant and the Ultimate Nature of Reality” at 6 p.m. in Hall C at the Harvard Science Center, 1 Oxford St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free, or $34 with book. The Johns Hopkins University humanities professor discusses his “sprightly intellectual history” that “plumbs some of the most profound questions of physics and philosophy: the limits of knowledge, the structure of space and time, free will” (says The New Yorker). He’s joined during this Harvard Book Store–co-sponsored event by Harvard humanities professor Homi Bhabha. Information is here.
Writers Speak: Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah at 6 p.m. in the Fong Auditorium of Boylston Hall, Harvard Yard, Cambridge. Free. The Bronx, New York, writer won multiple awards and accolades for his debut story collection (“Friday Black”) and debut novel (“Chain Gang All-Stars”) and is a National Book Foundation “5 Under 35” honoree. Harvard’s Laura van den Berg joins. 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 Julian Charrière’s first major public art commission in the United States is the new lobby and entryway to the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, the Environmental Solutions Initiative and the MIT-Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute Joint Program. (This event was originally scheduled for Feb. 13). Information is here.
“Aura” exhibition opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. at Cambridge Art Association’s Kathryn Schultz Gallery, 25 Lowell St., West Cambridge, and at CAA@University Place Gallery, 124 Mount Auburn St., West Cambridge. Free. An awards presentation for work submitted by New England artists on exhibit through Jan. 17, 2025. Information is here.
Vampire Orienteering from 6:15 to 9 p.m. at Danehy Park, 166 New St., in Neighborhood 9 just east of Fresh Pond, Cambridge. $5 suggested donation, and registration is required. Travel the park in teams after dark, looking for checkpoints. Bring a flashlight and wear a costume if you want. There may be vampires. (Candy, too.) Information is here.
Writing Workshop: Gothic Love Poetry with Zinnia Smith from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Narrative, 387 Highland Ave., Davis Square, Somerville. $35. Learn to write poetry that grapples with longing and dread, beauty and decay, drenched with dark and autumnal imagery, with this Somerville published poet and educator. Music will be played, and snacks and nonalcoholic beverages provided. Information is here.
Author Q&A with Fonda Lee, Ann Leblanc and Suzan Palumbo from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Pandemonium Books & Games, 4 Pleasant St., Central Square, Cambridge. Free. Lee wrote the epic fantasy “Green Bone Saga” and fantasy novella “Untethered Sky”; Leblanc’s debut novella, “the Transitive Properties of Cheese,” is a cyberpunk cheese-heist; Palumbo is a dark speculative fiction writer whose “Countess” is inspired by “The Count of Monte Cristo.” Information is here.
Renee Bracey Sherman reads from “Liberating Abortion: Claiming Our History, Sharing Our Stories and Building the Reproductive Future We Deserve” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. More than 50 people of color who’ve had abortions were interviewed for this book by the co-executive director of We Testify and executive producer of the documentary “Ours to Tell.” Jamil Smith, editor-in-chief of The Emancipator, joins. Information is here.
Sarah LaBrie reads from “No One Gets to Fall Apart” at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 1815 Massachusetts Ave., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free. The TV writer and producer (“Love, Victor,” “Minx”), fiction writer and librettist discusses her unflinching memoir in light of her mother’s diagnosis of schizophrenia. Health journalist and memoirist Rachel Zimmerman joins. Information is here.
“An Enchanted Forest Halloween Party” at Dancing Fools from 7 p.m. to midnight at George Dilboy VFW Post 529, 351 Summer St., Davis Square, Somerville. $6 to $12. Beginners are welcome for the 101 class at 8:15 p.m. Social dancing in West Coast Swing begins 9:15 p.m. “Come dressed as flora, fauna, fae or whatever else tickles your fancy.” Information is here.
Imagine Orchestra performance at 7:30 p.m. at Regattabar, 1 Bennett St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $35. The celebrated composer, guitarist, recording artist and Longy senior scholar-in-residence Bill Banfield leads the chamber jazz ensemble-in-residence. Information is here.
Thursday, Oct. 31
“From Tufts to the National Parks of Boston: A Career Connecting People to Parks” lecture from noon to 1 p.m. in the multipurpose room at Curtis Hall, Tufts University, 474 Boston Ave., Medford, near the Medford/Tufts MBTA station. Free. Marc Albert details science and stewardship initiatives on public park lands that demonstrate environmental conservation and community empowerment, and discusses the impacts of the changing climate. Also via Zoom. Information is here.
Gallery Talk: Graven Images from noon to 1 p.m. at Harvard Art Museums, 32 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free, but check in at visitor services to join the talk. Explore the “Spiritual Relief” installation of gravestone rubbings of early American gravestones from New England with curatorial assistant Casey Monahan. Information is here.
“European Economies: Caught Between a Rock and a Hard Place?” panel from 2:15 to 3:45 p.m. at Adolphus Busch Hall, 27 Kirkland St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. German, French and U.S. economic experts discuss how the small, open economies of Europe are challenged by global tension and conflict, especially the rising costs of national security and how to adapt Europe’s export-oriented economies in a less benign trade environment. Information is here.
2024 Autumn Sing and AntiMorris from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at Somerville Community Growing Center, 22 Vinal Ave., near Union Square, Somerville. Free. Pre-sunset singing from 5 to 5:30 p.m. followed by the Recently Traditional Fictional Morris troupe performing the “other” morris dance – to mark the turning of the year and help make the frost flowers bloom. Information is here.
Live Wire Sessions Halloween from 5 to 7 p.m. at Cambridge Community Television, 438 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square. Free. Hear performances of ambient music from Caldon Glover, Neonach and State Vector Collapse: doom industrial, trance-inducing soundscapes and “overintellectualized experimental home brew power electronics,” respectively. Information is here.
Harvard Art Museums at Night from 5 to 9 p.m. in the Calderwood Courtyard at Harvard Art Museums, 32 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. During this recurring event wander exhibits, catch spotlight tours, browse the shop, enjoy sounds from DJ C-Zone and buy brews from Night Shift and phyllo rolls and couscous stew from Olive World. For Halloween, there’s mask decorating in the Materials Lab and a themed scavenger hunt. Information is here.
“The Gang does Halloween” from 5 to 11 p.m. at Roxy’s Arcade, 292 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. Free entry. This year, the arcade transforms into Paddy’s Pub with an “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” Halloween party. Themed food and cocktail specials, DJ Frank White (8 p.m.) and an “Always Sunny” costume contest. Information is here.
Paper Bag Mummers Souling Tour at 6:30 p.m. meeting outside the gates of the Somerville Community Growing Center, 22 Vinal Ave., near Union Square, Somerville. Free. Join this mumming-and-mayhem walking tour toward Oxford Street that uses traditional folkplay texts to create improvisational performance and street theatre, led by “North America’s only known skull hobbyhorse.” “Don a hat, grab a script, play a part and you’re a Paper Bag Mummer!” Information is here.
“Changing Climates” lecture and exhibition opening reception from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Gund Hall, 42 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Through a selection of projects featured in his exhibition (on display through Dec. 20), landscape architect Bas Smets explains how “a city can be understood as a juxtaposition of artificial microclimates” and “thus becomes a second nature and a living laboratory.” A reception follows. Information is here.
Beth Castrodale reads from “The Inhabitants” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. A new novel from the author of “Marion Hatley” and “In This Ground” about a woman who inherits an idiosyncratic Victorian house that may have had a spell – good or bad – put on it. Virginia Pye, author of “The Literary Undoing of Victoria Swann,” joins. Information is here.
Blues Union Halloween party from 7 to 11 p.m. at Dance Union, 16 Bow St., Union Square, Somerville. $10 to $25. Tonight, Kara Fabina teaches Latin Blues momentum, Jenny and Julie DJ, plus a costume contest and treats. As usual the hourlong lesson is followed by an hour to socialize, rest or practice and two hours of social dancing. Wear shoes that allow you to pivot; no need to bring a partner. Masks required. Information is here.
Aeronaut Brewing presents Halloween Bonanza from 7 to 11 p.m. at Aeronaut Brewing, 14 Tyler St., near Union Square, Somerville. Free entry and 21-plus. Costume contest with winners chosen every hour, screenings of favorite creepy classics (“The Little Shop of Horrors,” “House on Haunted Hill” and more), DJ Javes turning up the tunes to “Monster Mash” levels as well as specialty seasonal beers on tap. Information is here.
Cirque of the Dead (continued) at 8 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. $43 to $65 and 18-plus. Information is here.
Skalloween at 8 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $23 to $28 and 21-plus. Skaleton Crew as Skank Against the Machine (RATM ska covers); Battlemode as Limp Bizkit; Pink Slip as Less than Jake; The New Limits as the Interrupters; and Please Excuse My Enemies as Streetlight Manifesto. A Once presentation. Information is here.
Lamplighter Sessions at 8 p.m. at Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Harvard Square, Cambridge (and continuing through Nov. 4). $28. Presented by the singer-songwriter-iconoclast Peter Mulvey, this multinight mini festival of improvisational art – music, spoken word, visual art and theater – always includes Hallowe’en. Some years have featured “Luthier expositions, a reading of Eugene Ionesco’s ’Rhinoceros,’ in-the-round swaps between stars and fledglings, tributes to Greg Brown and Los Lobos, string-music extravaganzas, costume parties and one consistent event: some permutation of musicians performs Tom Waits’ classic record ’Rain Dogs.’” Information is here.
“Rocky Horror Picture Show” with a live shadow cast (continued) at 8 p.m. at Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square. $16 to $20. Information is here.
ManRay Halloween from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. at ManRay, 40 Prospect St., Central Square, Cambridge. $20 to $25 and 19-plus. Dancing all night with DJ John O’Leary and DJ James 808, plus ghostly go-go dancers, a terrifying tarot card reader and a costume contest with a $1,000 first prize! Dress to impress in costumes or creative attire. Information is here.
A stronger
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