Thursday, Aug. 21
Mickey Mouse meet and greet from 10 a.m. to noon at Learning Express, 670 Assembly Row, Somerville. Free. Mickey Mouse is up for some photos with little ones.
Farmer Visits: Green City Growers from 10:15 to 11:15 a.m. at the Urban Park Roof Garden at Kendall Center, 325 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free. A farmer stops by to tend to raised vegetable beds, inviting all to learn more about the beds and growing processes and help with the harvest.
Vintage Night Market from 4 to 10 p.m. at Bow Market, 1 Bow Market Way, Union Square, Somerville. Free. More than 30 top vintage vendors in clothing, home décor, bar ware, art, jewelry, accessories, antiques and upcycled fashion, plus food and beverage specials. Hosted by Blue Bandana Relics.
Summer Concert Series: Gabe Kuchan from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Palmer and John F. Kennedy streets, Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Gabe Kuchan is a guitarist and songwriter who fuses funk, jazz, neo-soul, rock and folk. Co-sponsored by Club Passim and the Berklee College of Music.
CX Summer Nights: Hill House + ToriTori from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at The Common at CX, 320 Morgan Ave., North Point, Cambridge. Free. Closing out the summer concert series, this event features live funk-pop music by Hill House, nominated for a New England Music Award’s “Rising Star – Massachusetts” in 2024, and ToriTori, a multigenre R&B vocalist, songwriter and music producer, influenced by innovators like Missy Elliot, Stevie Nicks and Thundercat.
Urban Park Paint & Sip series: Poet’s Day from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Urban Park Roof Garden atop the Kendall Center Green Garage at 90 Broadway, Kendall Square. Free, but register and show valid ID for alcoholic beverages. Community Art Center instructors guide the creation of a still life that includes a poem – brought by you or chosen from one on hand.
Fifth Annual Ifeanyi Menkiti memorial reading at 7 p.m. at St. Paul’s Church, 29 Mount Auburn St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $5 to $10. This reading honors the late owner of the Grolier Poetry Book Shop, Wellesley philosophy professor and Nigerian-born poet Ifeanyi Menkiti. Also via Zoom.
Marguerite Holloway reads from “Take to the Trees” at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 1815 Massachusetts Ave., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free. The journalist recounts her experience at the Women’s Tree Climbing Workshop, where she learns to climb, the science of trees and how they figure in her own life and spotlights experts who are chronicling the dying that is underway in forests around the world as trees face drought, heat, floods and disease. Author Amy Johnson joins.
“Reefer Madness!” at 7 p.m. (continuing through Aug. 23) at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $25. This musical comedy inspired by the 1936 film and performed by Moonstruck Theater Company shows the results of clean-cut kids falling prey to marijuana: a downward spiral filled with jazz music, sex and violence.
Comedy Studio presents “Laughs on the Lawn” from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Great Lawn at Assembly Row, 399 Revolution Drive, Somerville. Free. Comedy stand-up from The Comedy Studio with headliners Tooky Kavanagh and Liam McGurk, featuring Uri Shatil and Casey Watson.
Blues Union dances from 7 to 11 p.m. at Dance Union, 16 Bow St., Union Square, Somerville. $10 to $25. A lesson in the first hour, then an hour to socialize, rest or practice with a partner before two hours of social dancing. Wear shoes that allow you to pivot; no need to bring a partner.
Gender-free Scottish country dance from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the New England Science Fiction Association clubhouse at 504 Medford St., Magoun Square, Somerville. $5 to $20. Learn and practice in gender-neutral language. A warm-up and lesson in the first hour are followed by an hour of social dancing. Kat Dutton emcees and teaches.
Atomic Comedy Indie Improv Night from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at café at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. Free, but register. An independently produced monthly improv show featuring new and veteran talent.
Festival@First 13: “Superstitious” at 8 p.m. at Unity Somerville, 6 William St., just off College Avenue near Davis Square, Somerville. $20 to $25. This annual event features eight original short plays by Massachusetts playwrights that explore the weird, wacky and sometimes spooky.
Third Thursdays jazz with Dave Bryant and Friends at 8 p.m. at the Harvard-Epworth United Methodist Church, 1555 Massachusetts Ave., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. $10. This month, keyboardist and composer Bryant presents improvised music with Shivaraj Natraj featuring the singular voices of Gabriel Solomon (violin) and Max Ridley (bass).
Friday, Aug. 22
East Branch Book Group at 11 a.m. at the Somerville Public Library East Branch, 115 Broadway. Free. This month, the selection is “Daisy Jones and the Six” by Taylor Jenkins Reid – a fictionalized version of the wild 1970s of the band Fleetwood Mac that became an Amazon Prime Video series starring Riley Keough and Sam Claflin.
“Deep Dive: Headquarters of a Revolution” guided tour at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. at Longfellow House and the Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site, 105 Brattle St., West Cambridge (continuing every Sunday, Monday, Friday and Saturday through Oct. 27). Free. Explore general George Washington’s first headquarters of the American Revolution, which marks its 250th anniversary this summer.
“Saudade in the Squares” at 4 p.m. at the Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second St., East Cambridge. Free. Cosponsored by the Multicultural Arts Center and History Cambridge, this event features an artist talk by José L. Santos of the exhibit “Pressing Against the Thorns,” about the lives and cultural legacy of immigrant families. A neighborhood history presentation, storytelling panel and audience Q&A and interactive memory activities spotlight East Cambridge’s Portuguese-speaking immigrant community (including Portuguese, Brazilian, Cape Verdean people). Proceeds will raise funds for improvements at the center.
“Reefer Madness!” at 7 p.m. (continued) at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $25.
Outdoor movie night: “North by Northwest” from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Kendall/MIT Open Space at 292 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free. Another look at the 1959 spy thriller by Alfred Hitchcock starring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint and James Mason.
Yoko Miwa Trio performs from 7 to 8:15 and 8:45 to 10 p.m. at The Mad Monkfish, 524 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. Free, but $25 food-and-drink minimum. The Japan-born jazz pianist performs with Brad Barrett (acoustic bass) and Scott Goulding (drums).
Festival@First 13: “Superstitious” (continued) at 8 p.m. at Unity Somerville, 6 William St., just off College Avenue near Davis Square, Somerville. $20 to $25.
The Glitter Boys at 10 p.m. at The Sinclair, 52 Church St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $15. The DJ duo of longtime friends Kyle Buresh and Stephen Maling spin vinyl records from the ’70s and ’80s.
Saturday, Aug. 23
“History On The Line” exhibition from 10 a.m. to noon at Prospect Hill Park, 68 Munroe St., Somerville. Free. A “History Un-Locked” drop-in chat opens the cemetery to the public to celebrate Massachusetts’ 250 years.
Northeast Tea Festival from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Spring Hill, Somerville. $15. Experience teas from around the world, including Nepal, Japan, China and India. Meet tea masters and discover the art of tea through interactive workshops.
Pedal Power: Celebrating Community Through Biking from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Museum of Science, 1 Science Park, Boston, on the Cambridge border. Free with exhibit halls admission. A resource fair of biking organizations with presentations showing how bicycling and pedestrian infrastructure can build community, improve personal health and address the climate crisis.
“Deep Dive: Headquarters of a Revolution” guided tour (continued) at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. at Longfellow House and the Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site, 105 Brattle St., West Cambridge (every Sunday, Monday, Friday and Saturday through Oct. 27). Free.
Festival@First 13: “Superstitious” (continued) at 2 p.m. at Unity Somerville, 6 William St., just off College Avenue near Davis Square, Somerville. $20 to $25.
Eleventh Annual Evolution of Hip Hop Festival from 4 to 7:30 p.m. at Union Square Plaza, Somerville (rain date: Aug. 24). Free. Rappers, singers, spoken word poets, dancers and visual artists from Somerville and surrounding cities showcase hip-hop music, dance and culture. Also on the scene are craft vendors and local community groups.
Boston Figure Drawing from 5 to 8 p.m. at Bow Market, 1 Bow Market Way, Union Square, Somerville. Free. Hosted by Boston Figurative Art Center, this creative evening of clothed figure drawing in the courtyard welcomes seasoned artists or people looking to try something new.
“Macbeth” Shakespeare in the park at 6 p.m. (and repeating Sunday and Aug. 30-31) at Longfellow Park, 175 Mount Auburn St., West Cambridge near Harvard Square. Free. A Scottish lord and his equally ambitious wife have been learning since the 1600s the ruin that comes from the lust for power and the use of violence to get it – good thing we in 2025 are beyond all that, right? The Dream Role Players and director Elizabeth Ross bring the tragedy into the waning sunshine in an edit of the play that can be downloaded and read along with here.
“Reefer Madness!” at 7 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $25.
Make Friends After College presents Big Summer Party from 7 to 11 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Spring Hill, Somerville. Free. Young professionals in their 20s and 30s are invited for a night of fun while meeting some new people.
The Rev. Robert Jones Sr. performs at 8 p.m. at Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $26 to $28. This blues and gospel musician has been creating music for 40 years; the National Blues Foundation recognized his work as a blues educator in 2007.
Outdoor movie night: “Mean Girls” from 9 to 11 p.m. at Aeronaut Brewing, 14 Tyler St., near Union Square in Ward 2, Somerville. Free. Written by Tina Fey, this 2004 comedy stars Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Lacey Chabert, Amanda Seyfried and Lizzy Caplan.
Midnight at the Mad Monkfish with Yifei Zhou from midnight to 1 a.m. at The Mad Monkfish, 524 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. Free to enter. Late-night entertainment from a New England Conservatory student vocalist and composer.
Sunday, Aug. 24
“Deep Dive: Headquarters of a Revolution” guided tour (continued) at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. at Longfellow House and the Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site, 105 Brattle St., West Cambridge (every Sunday, Monday, Friday and Saturday through Oct. 27). Free.
Salt + Stone presents Ambient Sunday at noon at Salt + Stone, 463 Assembly Row, Somerville. Free. Ambient Sundays spotlight women DJs who set the tone for sips of the restaurant’s cocktails. Camila Fialho, a house music artist from Salvador, Bahia, in Brazil, specializes in Afro-Brazilian rhythms. She also performs on Aug. 31.
Found Vintage Market from noon to 5 p.m. at University Park Commons, in Cambridgeport near Central Square, Cambridge. Free. Shop from more than 70 vintage and sustainable style vendors.
Everybody Gotta Eat barbecue cookout from noon to 6 p.m. at Greene-Rose Heritage Park, 155 Harvard St., The Port, Cambridge. Free entry. A community cookout and vendor fair organized by Everybody Gotta Eat as a showcase of food and retail businesses during Cambridge’s National Black Business Month. We wrote about Everybody Gotta Eat here.
Monarch release celebration from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at Kingsley Park near the Water Department facility at 250 Fresh Pond Parkway, in West Cambridge at Fresh Pond Reservation. Free and all ages. Watch the ceremonial release of butterflies raised at Fresh Pond Reservation, a program now in its 11th year.
Join a one-day choir from 2 to 5 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Spring Hill, Somerville. $15 to $35. All ability levels can join for Gaia Collective singing games, community and the chance to learn a full musical piece – becoming part of a choir for a day.
Luke Walker performs at 3 p.m. at Longfellow House and the Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site, 105 Brattle St., West Cambridge. Free. A cellist studying at Berklee College of Music and a former student at Juilliard, Walker is a member of the Boston Civic Orchestra and has performed alongside renowned musicians such as Ray Chen and Cristian Măcelaru. Presented with the Berklee Summer in the City concert series.
Be the Change Workshop with Rachel Hands: Leading in Times of Crisis at 5 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 1815 Massachusetts Ave., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free. Stuck in a leadership role without a stated focus or defined authority and not sure what to do? This event may help..
“Macbeth” Shakespeare in the park at 6 p.m. (repeating Aug. 30-31) at Longfellow Park, 175 Mount Auburn St., West Cambridge near Harvard Square. Free.
Harvard Square Book Circle at 6 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. This month’s title: “The Bullet Swallower” by Elizabeth Gonzalez James.
Bachata by the River from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Magazine Beach Park Nature Center, at the river end of Magazine Street, Cambridgeport. Free and 21-plus. Practice the basics of bachata, a dance style originating in the Dominican Republic, outside at sunset. All ability levels welcome.
Dog Days of Summer Pawty from 6 to 8 p.m. at Winthrop Street (corner of JFK) Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Bring four-legged friends and all who love them to start the event with Pooches on Parade, with prizes for best costume. This second annual event is hosted by the Harvard Square Business Association and Tandem Vet.
Movie Night: “The Sandlot” from 8 to 10 p.m. at Lamplighter Brewing, 284 Broadway, The Port, Cambridge. Free. Grab your mitt and enjoy a night watching this 1993 baseball comedy about a group of fifth grader boys during the summer of 1962.
Monday, Aug. 25
“Illuminate: Contextualizing Asian American Women’s Stories through the Archives” exhibit (Monday through Friday until Jan. 23) from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Arthur & Elizabeth Schlesinger Library, 3 James St., Cambridge. Free. This exhibit spotlights the stories of Asian American women whose collections are held in the Schlesinger Library. It examines how race, ethnicity, gender, citizenship and migration affect our collective memory of history.
Double Take Exhibit Exploration from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford St., in the Baldwin neighborhood near Harvard Square, Cambridge (continuing Mondays through Fridays through Aug. 31). $10 to $15. Because there are thousands of objects on display across all four museums that make up the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture, it’s easy to miss things even if they’re right in front of you. This self-paced exploration reveals some details, stories and specimens hidden in plain sight.
“Emeralds” exhibit from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford St., in the Baldwin neighborhood near Harvard Square, Cambridge (continuing Mondays through Fridays through Sept. 1). $15 (including access to the attached Peabody Museum). A new, intimate collection of stunning crystals, gemstones and jewelry.
“Deep Dive: Headquarters of a Revolution” guided tour (continued) at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. at Longfellow House and the Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site, 105 Brattle St., West Cambridge (every Sunday, Monday, Friday and Saturday through Oct. 27). Free.
A/V Comedy Club: Interactive PowerPoint and Musical Comedy at 6 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. Free. Comedians use technology such as video, PowerPoint and music. Audience members are encouraged to ask questions during this open mic performance.
Cambridge Edition Book Club at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 25 White St., Porter Square, Cambridge (and held on the fourth Monday of the month). Free, but RSVP. This time, the selection is “Prophet Song” by Paul Lynch.
Peter Orner reads from “The Gossip Columnist’s Daughter” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Orner tells the tale of the true, unsolved 1963 murder of Karyn “Cookie” Kupcinet. Jed Rosenthal’s grandparents had been close to Cookie’s parents, until she was murdered. Decades later, Jed pores over family stories, newspaper archives, old photos and crime scene notes, believing he can find out the truth of Cookie’s death. Tova Mirvis joins.
Serving Movies presents “Attack of the Giant Leeches” at 9 p.m. at The Comedy Studio, 5 John F. Kennedy St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $10. In this 1959 epic widely considered to be “a movie,” a backwoods game warden and local doctor discover that giant leeches are responsible for disappearances and deaths in a local swamp, but the local police – get this – don’t believe them. The film, presented by comics Alexis Cristaldi and Maddie Kelly, stars none other than Ken Clark (“Tarzana, the Wild Woman”) and Yvette Vickers (you will remember her from her role as “The Blonde” in “I Mobster,” also in 1959), widely considered to be actors. There’s a suggested two-item minimum that can include a $10 lychee drink special at the bar.
Tuesday, Aug. 26
Double Take Exhibit Exploration (continuing through Aug. 31) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford St., in the Baldwin neighborhood near Harvard Square, Cambridge. $10 to $15.
“Emeralds” exhibit (continued) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford St., in the Baldwin neighborhood near Harvard Square, Cambridge (continuing Mondays through Fridays through Sept. 1). $15 (including access to the attached Peabody Museum).
Pickleball basics from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Urban Park Roof Garden at Kendall Center, 325 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. Learn pickleball basics at this pop-up tutorial, which will run every half hour. Space for each slot is limited. This program is aimed at new players.
Don’t Go Home performs from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Urban Park Roof Garden at Kendall Center, 325 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free. Don’t Go Home is a multi-instrumental trio known for blending genres. The band performs as part of Berklee’s Summer in the City 2025 concert series.
Strummerville Ukulele from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at café at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville, and every fourth Wednesday. Free. Amateur musicians invite you to join in as they sing and strum the hits.
The Moth story slam from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Spring Hill, Somerville. $17.50. This monthly open-mic storytelling competition is open to anyone who can share a five-minute tale on the night’s theme – this time, “Lies”: bending the truth, from little white lies to epic cover-ups, fibs told, believed or exposed, playing fast and loose with the truth, being duped or getting caught red-handed, beefing up your résumé or flashing your fake ID.
Michael Thomas reads from “The Broken King” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. In this memoir, Thomas looks at the relationships between fathers and sons, focusing on the lives of five men: his father, a philosopher, Boston Red Sox fan and absent parent; his estranged older brother; his two sons growing up in Brooklyn; and himself.
Gloria Chao reads from “The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club” at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 1815 Massachusetts Ave., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free. Kat, Olivia and Elle find out they are all dating Tucker, so they band together to get revenge. When they discover his body, they’ll need to solve his murder before they are accused of it. Jilly Gagnon joins.
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 monthly fusion night for this weekly partner blues dance event includes a lesson for beginners in the first hour. No partner required.
Cemetery Cinema: “The Sweet Hereafter” and “Gates of Heaven” at 8 p.m. at Mount Auburn Cemetery, 580 Mount Auburn St., West Cambridge. $40. The evening begins with the area premiere of a new 4K restoration of “The Sweet Hereafter,” Atom Egoyan’s Oscar-nominated adaptation of Russell Banks’ novel about a small town reeling from a devastating tragedy. Following is Cantabrigian Errol Morris’ debut documentary, “Gates of Heaven,” which examines the devotions, emotions and obsessions revealed by animal lovers when a pet cemetery is moved to a new location.
Wednesday, Aug. 27
Double Take Exhibit Exploration (continuing through Aug. 31) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford St., in the Baldwin neighborhood near Harvard Square, Cambridge. $10 to $15.
“Emeralds” exhibit (continued) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford St., in the Baldwin neighborhood near Harvard Square, Cambridge (continuing Mondays through Fridays through Sept. 1). $15 (including access to the attached Peabody Museum).
Morning bird-watching walk at Mount Auburn Cemetery from 10:15 to 11:30 a.m. at Mount Auburn Cemetery, 580 Mount Auburn St., West Cambridge. Free, but registration is required. Meet at the Cambridge Public Library Collins Branch, 64 Aberdeen Ave., and walk to a noted bird-watching hot spot to learn tips and tricks and familiarize yourself with migratory and year-round species. A limited supply of binoculars will be available.
Lunchtime Concert Series: Kayla Blackburn from noon to 1 p.m. at the Urban Park Roof Garden at Kendall Center, 325 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free. Blackburn is indie-folk singer-songwriter and audio engineer from California. As a songwriter, she draws inspiration from artists such as Patty Griffin and Tracy Chapman. Her debut single “Village” was released in June.
Emerging Artists exhibit (continued) from noon to 4 p.m. (continuing Wednesdays to Fridays through Sept. 12) at CAA@Canal, 650 E. Kendall St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free.
Gallery Talk: “Meaning Makers” from 12:30 to 1 p.m. at the Harvard Art Museums, 32 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Wonder what to look for in exhibits? Associate curator Yan Yang introduces an installation in the East Asian art gallery of paintings, textiles and ceramics from China, Korea and Japan.
Dive into the Archives: Trailblazing MIT Women in Science from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Building 14 in the Hayden Library Building at 160 Memorial Drive at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge. Free. Amanda Hawk and Thera Webb from MIT Libraries’ Department of Distinctive Collections discusses their work preserving the histories of MIT women in the archives. The presentation will be followed by Q&A, tours of the exhibit and refreshments.
Sofia Almeida Quartet performs from 6 to 8 p.m. at Regattabar, 1 Bennett St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Born in Madeira, Almeida is a Portuguese singer, composer and jazz singer who has studied under the mentorship of jazz legends including Danilo Pérez, John Patitucci, Joe Lovano, Patricia Zárate and Kris Davis.
CelebriTea Book Club from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in community room of the Somerville Public Library West Branch, 40 College Ave., near Davis Square. Free. Bring a favorite mug or teacup and discuss a tell-all celebrity memoir while drinking tea (provided). This month: “Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama” by Bob Odenkirk.
Howard W. French reads from “The Second Emancipation: Nkrumah, Pan-Africanism and Global Blackness at High Tide” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The second work in a trilogy from the bestselling author about Africa’s pivotal role in shaping world history. This tells the story of Kwame Nkrumah, a charismatic leader in Ghana whom French considers too little known today.
Mingle Mayhem Big Singles Bash from 7 to 9 p.m. at Bow Market, 1 Bow Market Way, Union Square, Somerville. $30. During this one-night only social experiment disguised as a party, move through a series of flirty, fast-paced games and curated conversations designed to help you challenge your “type,” rethink your assumptions and talk to people you wouldn’t normally meet (and might actually like).
Drag Night from 8 to 10 p.m. at Aeronaut Brewing, 14 Tyler St., near Union Square in Ward 2, Somerville. $15. Dykelangelo hosts local queens Coleslaw and Severity Stone, a featured performer and an up-and-comer. Bring cash for tips.
Thursday, Aug. 28
“Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles” film showing at 2:30 and 6:30 p.m. at The Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $13 to $15. This French film released in 1976 details the daily routine of a middle-aged widow whose chores include making the beds, cooking dinner for her son and turning the occasional trick.
Beer Garden pop-up with Lamplighter Brewing from 4:30 to 9 p.m. at the Urban Park Roof Garden at Kendall Center, 325 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. $5 and 21-plus. This monthly event through October donates the proceeds of each $5 token to a local charity. Participants get one beer token per $5 donation, which can only be made online.
Student Lending Art Program exhibition tour from 5 to 5:30 p.m. at the List Visual Arts Center, 20 Ames St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. Check out the more than 700 original works of art in the collection (on view through Sept. 14) and envy the enrolled MIT students who since 1977 have had the opportunity to borrow (via a lottery), appreciate and live with them for the academic year, for free.
Harvard Art Museums at Night from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Harvard Art Museums, 32 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge (and the last Thursday of every month). Free. During this recurring event, wander exhibits, make art, catch spotlight tours, browse the shop, enjoy sounds from DJ C-Zone and buy refreshments from local breweries.
Tiffany Yu reads from “The Anti-Ableist Manifesto” at 6 p.m. at All She Wrote Books, 75 Washington St., East Somerville. $32 with book. The author is the Asian American daughter of immigrants, lives with PTSD and sustained a permanent arm injury at age 9. Organized from personal to professional, domestic to political, the “Manifesto” frames context for conversations, breaks down the language of ableism, identifies microaggressions and offers actions that lead to authentic allyship. Paralympian Jenny Sichel joins.
International folk dance at 6 p.m. at Greene-Rose Heritage Park, 155 Harvard St., The Port, Cambridge. Free. Andy Taylor teaches dances from all over the world that everyone can join, including circle dances, solo dances and more. No experience required at this Cambridge Plays event.
Climate Action Book Club from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Cambridge Public Library Collins Branch, 64 Aberdeen Ave., West Cambridge. Free. In collaboration with the Cambridge Climate Leaders Initiative, this month’s title: “The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and death on a scorched planet” by Jeff Goodell.
Title Boxing Club outdoor workshop at 6:30 p.m. at Assembly Row, 355 Artisan Way, Assembly Square, Somerville. Free, but register and ages 13-plus. An authentic shadow boxing class for all levels. Bring a mat, water and wear workout clothes.
Poets Esther Kondo Heller, Livia Meneghin and Katie Mihalek at 7 p.m. at the Grolier Poetry Book Shop on 6 Plympton St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $5 to $10, but register.
Carolyn Marie Wilkins reads from “Murder at the Wham Bam Club” at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 1815 Massachusetts Ave., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free. Set during the Jazz Age, young widow Nola Ann Jackson sets out to use her psychic gifts to help find Lilly Davidson, who went missing after a night at the Wham Bam Club. Laura West joins.
Where Biology Ends and Bias Begins: A Conversation on the Science of Human Difference at 7 p.m. at the Museum of Science, 1 Science Park, Boston, on the Cambridge border. Free with registration. A conversation with science journalist and author Angela Saini about race, ethnicity, sex and gender and disability and how these aspects of identity have been misunderstood and misused.
Witchcraft Cinema: “A Knight’s Tale” from 7 to 10 p.m. at Side Quest Books & Games, 1 Bow Market Way, Union Square, Somerville. $13. Watch the 2001 medieval action-comedy film starring Heath Ledger as William Thatcher, a peasant squire who poses as a knight and competes in tournaments, winning accolades and acquiring friendships with such historical figures as Geoffrey Chaucer. Popcorn and nonalcoholic drinks are provided, and other outside food from Bow Market vendors is welcome.
Blues Union dances from 7 to 11 p.m. at Dance Union, 16 Bow St., Union Square, Somerville. $10 to $25. A lesson in the first hour, then an hour to socialize, rest or practice with a partner before two hours of social dancing. Wear shoes that allow you to pivot; no need to bring a partner.
Dive Bar Night’s “Mortal Pong-bat Beer Pong Tournament” at 7 p.m. at the Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square. Free and 21-plus. The tacky bar decor comes out and you’re invited to sit at the bar, have a drink, have some pretzels, watch TV and listen to music (buying a shot gets you a song on the queue). Participants are also challenged to bring a VHS to watch during beer pong play.
A benefit concert for the Kerrville Community with Janet Feld and friends at 8 p.m. at Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $25. This evening of songwriters supports the rescue and recovery efforts happening in Kerr County, Texas, after the July 4 floods. Come support this community while enjoying the songs of Janet Feld and her friends: Esther Friedman, Chris LaVancher, Erin Ash Sullivan, Mark Stepakoff and The Lied To’s. Proceeds from the concert will be donated to the Kerrville Folk Festival.
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