Thursday, Oct. 23
Gallery Talk: Drawing Materials and Techniques in “Sketch, Shade, Smudge” from 12:30 to 1 p.m. at Harvard Art Museums, 32 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. An exhibition curator leads this talk exploring how and why artists choose specific materials to express their ideas.
Somerville Truck or Treat from 5 to 7 p.m. at Somerville City Hall, 93 Highland Ave., in the Winter Hill neighborhood of Somerville. Costumes are encouraged at a family-friendly event with safe trick-or-treating, a visit from a decorated City of Somerville truck, refreshments and more.
Arts Thursdays: Halloween at the museum 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. Trick-or-treat through the museum and check out some of the spookiest specimens; wear your best Halloween costume and take photos at a photo booth; decorate a trick-or-treat bag. Also, visit the new exhibit “Velvet Worms: A Fierce Hunter with a Secret Weapon” in the Arthropods Gallery and encounter real-life zombies: fruit flies hijacked by a brain-controlling fungus.
Swallow Image with Goldin+Senneby at 5:30 p.m. at List Visual Arts Center, 20 Ames St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free, but RSVP. Twenty years ago, Jakob Senneby squinted at a grayscale image of his brain while a doctor traced a series of white blobs on the screen. His doctor told him the figures were signs of damage to the nervous system that are associated with multiple sclerosis. In the following years, he cycled through ineffectual treatments, tracking the progress of the disease with each scan. As he lost faith in the drugs, he learned that the white spots have proven to be a source of immense, hidden value: a booming economy. For “Swallow Image,” Goldin+Senneby discuss the evolution of “sick images” and the lucrative market for MS drugs.
“Rewind, Record, Play!” at 5:30 p.m. at the Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square. $100. The Somerville Museum celebrates its 100th anniversary at this fundraising bash sponsored by Somernova. Enjoy music spanning the last century with TJ the DJ, visit time-traveling interactive stations, see Isaac Asimov as a reincarnated robot and be a part of history and add a photo or piece of memorabilia to a time capsule that will be opened on the 200th anniversary.
Megha Majumdar reads from “ A Guardian and a Thief” at 6 p.m. at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free, or $32 with book. Set in the future Kolkata, India, families must battle each other for survival. Ma, her 2-year-old daughter, and her elderly father are just days from leaving the collapsing city behind to join Ma’s husband in Ann Arbor, Michigan, when their immigration documents are stolen. She must find the thief and keep starvation at bay. Author Allegra Goodman joins.
Stitch and Screen: “Pride and Prejudice” Craft Night from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Kendall/MIT Open Space at 292 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free. Bring craft projects to work on while watching a screening of the 2005 film based on the Jane Austen classic. Presented in collaboration with the PKG Public Service Center and the MIT Women’s League.
Laurel Kratochvila reads from “Dobre Dobre: Baking from Poland and Beyond” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Baker and author Kratochvila discusses the Polish baking tradition and includes more than 120 recipes to try. Maura Kilpatrick, pastry chef and owner of Sofra Bakery, joins.
Alyssa Battistoni reads from “Free Gifts: Capitalism and the Politics of Nature” at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 1815 Massachusetts Ave., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free. The author looks at capitalism and explores its failure to value nature, arguing that the key question is not the moral issue of why some kinds of nature shouldn’t be commodified, but the economic puzzle of why they haven’t been. Katrina Forrester joins.
Dave Fox Trio performs at 7:30 p.m. at Aeronaut Brewing, 14 Tyler St., near Union Square in Ward 2, Somerville. Free. This modern jazz trio features original compositions and arrangements inspired by artists such as John Coltrane, Chick Corea, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk and Wayne Shorter. Includes bassist John Lockwood and Boston-area musicians and composers such as guitarist Phil Sargent and saxophonists Nicholas Brust and Bill Jones.
“Merrily We Roll Along” theater at 7:30 p.m. at the Loeb Experimental Theater, 64 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge (and continuing through Oct. 25). $10 to $20. The play follows Franklin Shepard, a talented composer turned jaded sellout, and the friends around him who rise and fall chasing their dreams. As the story moves backward through the years, we unravel the neglect and betrayals that destroyed these meaningful relationships.
“The Addams Family” musical at 7:30 p.m. at Agassiz Theatre, 5 James St., Harvard Square, Cambridge (continuing through Oct. 26). $12 to $19. Wednesday Addams has grown up and fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family – a man her parents have never met. Everything will change for the family on the fateful night they host a dinner for Wednesday’s “normal” boyfriend and his parents.
Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen at 8 p.m. at Arrow Street Arts, 2 Arrow St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $50 to $75. The funk and R&B Grammy winner hits the road to support his album, “The Bywater Sessions.”
Cirque of the Dead at 8 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Spring Hill, Somerville. $38 to $65 and 18-plus. Boston Circus Guild’s show blends aerials, acrobatics and contortion with creepy camp and humorous horror; this year’s story involves a classic horror anthology, with twisted tales pulled from the shadows of film noir, creature features and ’50s-era sci-fi. Performances also Oct. 24, Oct. 25 and Oct. 31.
MIT Symphony Orchestra: New Worlds from 8 to 10 p.m. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Kresge Auditorium, 48 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. $15. Musicians perform Ruth Crawford: Rissolty Rossolty; Gershwin: Piano Concerto in F (Mi-Eun Kim, soloist); and Dvorak: Symphony no. 9.
Friday, Oct. 24
Inmanween from 3 to 9 p.m. all along Inman Square. Free. Visit the square while trick-or-treating at shops after 3 p.m., making Halloween crafts at Vellucci Plaza at 4 p.m. and watching a spooky movie at 6 p.m.
Miscellany: A Mixed Media Exhibition art show and opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education, 42 Brattle St., Harvard Square. Free. Whether paint and ink, paper and fiber arts or found objects and sculpture, these works explore how separate elements combine into a more unique whole piece. Refreshments will be served.
Chatham Greenfield reads from “Try Your Worst” at 6:30 p.m. at All She Wrote Books, 75 Washington St., East Somerville. $23 with book. Sadie and Cleo have been rivals since they took their first breath, and now that they are high school seniors competing for valedictorian, someone is playing pranks that look like Sadie and Cleo are the culprits. If they don’t find out who is framing them, they face expulsion and the coveted top spot.
Alyson Richman reads from “The Missing Pages” at 7 p.m. at the Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. After book collector Harry Widener died on the Titanic, Harry’s mother built the Harry Widener Memorial Library at Harvard to house his extensive book collection and ensure his legacy. Decades later, library page Violet Hutchins wonders if his ghost is trying to communicate with her. New York Times bestselling author Jenna Blum joins.
“Older Brother, Younger Sister (Ani imoto)” film screening at 7 p.m. at the Harvard Film Archive at The Carpenter Center, 24 Quincy St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $10. Mon’s unexpected pregnancy causes changes in her siblings – her brother descends into enraged madness. The 1953 film with English subtitles is directed by Naruse Mikio.
Movie night: “Halloweentown” from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Lawn at Assembly Row, 399 Revolution Drive, Somerville (between Club Volo and Caffè Nero). Free, but registration is recommended. A 13-year-old girl learns about her witch heritage and uses it as a force of good in a 1998 Disney Channel cult classic with Debbie Reynolds as a grandma witch. It spawned three sequels.
Inside Joke: Gallery Exhibition + Comedy Show from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Spring Hill, Somerville. Free. A crew of New England creatives take the stage (and the walls!), answering the age-old question: What do you get when you cross an artist and a comedian?
Sam Kissajukian’s “300 Paintings” at 7:30 p.m. at Harvard University’s Farkas Hall Studio, 10-12 Holyoke St., Harvard Square, Cambridge (and continuing through Saturday). $70 to $127. The Aussie comedian brings audiences on a rollercoaster ride in this personal gallery talk-meets-stand-up performance.
“The Addams Family” musical (continued) at 7:30 p.m. at Agassiz Theatre, 5 James St., Harvard Square, Cambridge (continuing through Oct. 26). $12 to $19.
Zeke Martin & The Oracle at 7:30 p.m. at Regattabar, 1 Bennett St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $30 to $42. The drummer and composer fuses genres such as jazz, funk and R&B with Scott Tarulli (guitar), Domenic Davis (bass), Joey Mazzarella (keys), Pat Loomis (sax) and Sympli Whitney (vocals).
Instruments for Compassion: Dance, Music & Poetry from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second St., East Cambridge. $18 to $20. An Infinity Dance Collective Show with musician and poet guests Andy Beetham, Emily Jones, John Korbas, Leticia Prieto Álvarez, Nadia Mounsif and Sebastian Rizzon.
Cirque of the Dead (continued) at 8 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Spring Hill, Somerville. $38 to $65 and 18-plus. Performances also Oct. 25 and Oct. 31.
Spooky Season indie rock showcase at 8 p.m. at the Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square. $25. An evening of indie rock from BumbleBee Radio – today’s WFNX, launched during the Covid pandemic out of a Beverly home by WBZ-News helicopter reporter Kristen Eck – with The Peppermint Kicks (celebrating the release of their new album “Pop Rocks in My Chewing Gum”), Los Angeles’ Beck Black, Jennifer Tefft & The Strange and Smitt E. Smitty & The Fezztones. Halloween costumes are encouraged at this fifth-anniversary party for the station.
Saturday, Oct. 25
Holiday Craft Fair from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Somerville Community Baptist Church, 31 College Ave., Somerville. Free. This “Spooky, Thankful, Merry!” fair includes a raffle, silent auction, balloon art and face painting in addition to handmade items and a bake sale.
Hồng-Ân Trương: “With love from your Vietnamese sisters” curator-led tour at 11 a.m. at Byerly Hall, 8 Garden St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. Curators Meg Rotzel and Caitlin Julia Rubin discuss each element of the exhibition and the artist’s engagement with archival and personal materials.
Peabody School Playground Celebration at 11 a.m. at the Peabody School, 70 Rindge Ave., North Cambridge. Free. Pumpkin decorating and face painting included, Halloween costumes encouraged. Light refreshments will be served.
The Big Squash: An Annual Pumpkin Festival from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at First Street Market, 59 First St., Cambridge. $10. Pumpkin carving, indoor games, a hay bale maze to get lost in and more while you enjoy spiced cider, enjoy community and pick up those gourds.
Seasonal Salvage Sale and Makers’ Market from noon to 5 p.m. at The Growing Center, 22 Vinal Ave., near Union Square, Somerville. Free. A yard sale in two parts: the first, a curated, seasonally themed sale featuring salvaged housewares, clothing, jewelry, books and decorative items; the second, a craft and artisan fair offering everything from locally designed clothing, original artwork and prints to handmade jewelry and other treasures.
Howl-o-ween Yappy Hour from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Lawn at Assembly Row, 399 Revolution Drive, Somerville (between Club Volo and Caffè Nero). Free, but register. Costumes are highly encouraged for this dog-friendly, Halloween social complete with tail-wagging treats. A pup will walk away with a prize for being the best dressed.
Sam Kissajukian’s “300 Paintings” (continued) at 2 p.m. at Harvard University’s Farkas Hall Studio, 10-12 Holyoke St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $70 to $127.
“The Addams Family” musical (continued) at 2 and 7:30 p.m. at Agassiz Theatre, 5 James St., Harvard Square, Cambridge (continuing through Oct. 26). $12 to $19.
A Celebration of German Poetry & Song, c. 1150-1450 at 3 p.m. at First Church in Cambridge, 11 Garden St., Harvard Square. Free to $95. Sophie Michaux, Jason McStoots, Sumner Thompson and David McFerrin sing poetry of love, mortality and strife in solo unaccompanied songs, lightly accompanied minnelied and love duets. Includes poetry and music by Walther von der Vogelweide, Neidhart, the Monk of Salzburg and Oswald von Wolkenstein.
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. 26). Free. Watch cute pets and their owners in a costume contest and enjoy live music, games, photo ops and tasty food.
The Boston Camerata’s “City of Fools: Medieval Songs of Rule and Misrule” concert at 4 p.m. at the Friends Meeting House, 5 Longfellow Park, near Harvard Square, Cambridge. $11 to $81. The 71st season opener explores age-old themes of justice and corruption as told through ancient minstrel songs. The concert will include songs of the Provençal troubadour and satirist Peire Cardenal, as well as pungent excerpts from Carmina Burana and the Roman de Fauvel.
Haunted Histories Walking Tour at 5 p.m. at Somerville Museum, 1 Westwood Road, in the Spring Hill neighborhood. $5 to $20. From ghostly soldiers at the Somerville Museum to eerie sightings at Milk Row Cemetery and Prospect Hill, you’ll hear chilling tales of tragedy, mystery and restless spirits.
Cirque of the Dead (continued) at 5 and 9 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Spring Hill, Somerville. $38 to $65 and 18-plus. Performance also Oct. 31.
Cafe Raqs from 7 to 9 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. $5 to $10 suggested donation. Longtime and up-and-coming belly dancers perform American cabaret, Raqs Sharqi, fusion and more.
Nora Brown with Stephanie Coleman at 8 p.m. at the Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square. $30. Banjo player Brown and master fiddler Coleman share a partnership in old-time music.
The Harvard Glee Club presents the 109th Annual Harvard-Princeton Football Concert at 8 p.m. at Sanders Theatre, 45 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. $5 to $15. A tradition returns as the Princeton Glee Club is welcomed for a collaboration dating back more than a century.
“Roots & Routes” dance performances at 8 pm. at The Dance Complex, 536 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge (and continues through Sunday). $15 to $25. Dance Complex companies and artists present a multimedia performance of music, dance, projections and archival storytelling. A party follows.
Sunday, Oct. 26
“Mediterranean Marketplaces: Connecting the Ancient World” tour at 1 p.m. at the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East, 6 Divinity Ave., in the Baldwin neighborhood near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Explore how the movement of goods, peoples and ideas around the Mediterranean transformed the lives of people at all levels of society. Touch replicas and smell “ancient” scents as student docents bring the past alive.
Trick or Treat for a Cause from 1 to 3 p.m. at Assembly Row, 340 Canal St., Assembly Square, Somerville. Free. This second annual event at stores and restaurants support a local Somerville nonprofit by collecting hygiene products to benefit Project Soup, helping deliver on a “gift of hygiene and dignity” for the community.
PupOWeen from 1 to 4 p.m. at Portico Brewing, 101 South St., Boynton Yards, Ward 2, Somerville. Donation. Dress your pup, enjoy contests and prizes (and of course beers and tacos) on the Portico Patio to support Great Dog Rescue New England.
“The Addams Family” musical (continued) at 2 p.m. at Agassiz Theatre, 5 James St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $12 to $19.
Timothy James performs at 2:30 p.m. at Aeronaut Brewing, 14 Tyler St., near Union Square in Ward 2, Somerville. Free. This country musician rides in with a stripped-down set that features raw vocals and storytelling.
Kissed a Ghoul, Liked It: Diversity in Paranormal Romance Author Panel from 3 to 5 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Spring Hill, Somerville. $15. Moderated by M.J. Etkind, the panel includes authors Tori Anne Martin (“This Spells Disaster”), Emilia Emerson/Rossi (“A Pack for Autumn”), Shelly Jay Shore (“Rules for Ghosting”) and Kass O’Shire (“A Polar Expedition”).
Harvard Square Book Circle at 6 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. This month’s title: “Devil in a Blue Dress” by Walter Mosley.
“The Woman Who Ran” (Domangchin yeoja) film screening at 7 p.m. at the Harvard Film Archive at The Carpenter Center, 24 Quincy St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $10. In five years of marriage, Gam-hee has never spent a day apart from her husband. As she takes long-overdue time off, she visits three old friends – one single, one divorced and the other unhappily married – on the outskirts of Seoul. The 2020 film in Korean with English subtitles is directed by Hong Sangsoo.
“Roots & Routes” dance performances (continued) at 7 pm. at Arrow Street Arts, 2 Arrow Street, Harvard Square, Cambridge. $15 to $25.
Boston League of Wicked Wrestlers presents “Blowwloween: Death Blowws” from 7 to 10 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Spring Hill, Somerville. $32 to $49. The theater of wrestling with a Halloween theme, complete with ghosts and a vampire who monologues dramatically about eternal darkness.
Monday, Oct. 27
Halloweek at the Brattle: “Jonathan” at 6:30 p.m. at The Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $13 to $19. This German-language vampire flick from 1970 stars Hans-Dieter Jendreyko, Hertha von Walther, Jürgen Jung, Oskar von Schab and Paul Albert Krumm. The bloodlusty count and his followers target the young, so a group of students plans a revolution, choosing Jonathan as their leader.
Mutual Aid Benefit Concert from 6:30 to 10 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Spring Hill, Somerville. Suggested donation of $10 to $20. Music from local bands Babas, Ravi Shavi, Evan Greer, Hawa Collective and the Nahda Project raise money for Gaza relief.
Lisa Borders and Sheri Joseph read from “Last Night at the Disco” and “Angels at the Gate” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. A double feature of fiction excerpts. In “Last Night at the Disco,” Lynda Boyle looks to reclaim her story in musical history, even if she has to hurt some people along the way. (Author Tom Perrotta calls it “a comic gem.”) “Angels at the Gate” tells the story of a college death and a search for the killer. Author Christopher Castellani joins.
Artist talk: Every Ocean Hughes discusses “One Big Bag” video at 7 p.m. at List Visual Arts Center, 20 Ames St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free. The video explores the items in a “mobile corpse kit” and discusses how to deal with and care for a dead body practically, politically and spiritually. Suelin Chen, founder and chief executive of Cake, a website for end-of-life planning, joins the artist to talk.
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 “Stoner” by John Williams.
“Viscosity and the Perfect Sauce” at 7 p.m. at the Harvard Science Center Hall C, 1 Oxford St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The Science and Cooking Public Lecture Series takes on sauce making with Martin Breslin and Smitha Haneef, who oversee 5 million meals annually for Harvard University Dining Services.
Blacksmith House Poetry Series: Pablo Medina and Scott Withiam at 8 p.m. at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education, 42 Brattle St., Harvard Square. $5. Medina, whose latest collection is “Sea of Broken Mirrors,” reads with Withiam, author of “Waste Management Facility.”
The Rough & Tumble perform at 8 p.m. at Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $28 to $30. Mallory Graham and Scott Tyler have been playing to audiences with their blend of dumpster-folk and thrift store-Americana for more than a decade.
Halloweek: “Lady Dracula” at 9 p.m. at The Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $13 to $15. This 1977 horror comedy sets off in the year 1876 as a young girl is bitten by Count Dracula at her boarding school. When her coffin is uncovered and delivered to an antiques dealer 100 years later, she is reborn as a vampire and tries to find her way in the modern world.
Tuesday, Oct. 28
Mystery book group from noon to 1 p.m. at the Cambridge Public library’s Boudreau Branch, 245 Concord Ave., Observatory Hill in Neighborhood 9. Free, but register. This month’s book: “The Word is Murder” by Anthony Horowitz.
Gallery Talk: “Feline Felicity” as Early American Modernism from 12:30 to 1 p.m. at the Harvard Art Museums, 32 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Curator Mitra Abbaspour explores the avant-garde underpinnings of Charles Sheeler’s endearing drawing of a cat.
Time Out for Public Art tour: Universal Design Playground at 5 p.m. at the Universal Design Playground, 66 Field St., Cambridge. Free, but RSVP required. A guided 60-minute tour of the Universal Design Playground, an inclusive play area featuring public artworks designed with accessibility and sensory engagement in mind.
Halloweek: “A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors” at 6 p.m. at The Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Kristen Parker is sent to a psychiatric ward, where she joins a group of similarly troubled teens after her wrists are slashed by dream-stalking monster, Freddy Krueger.
Hetty Lui McKinnon presents from “Linger: Salads, Sweets and Stories to Savor” at 6 p.m. at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free, or $43 with book. From her delivery days in Sydney to her current career as a food writer and bestselling cookbook author, McKinnon has long known the power of salads to create community. She includes 100 recipes for meal-worthy salads, smaller bites and simple sweets. Irene Li, founder of Mei Mei Dumpling in South Boston, joins.
Nicole C. Rust reads from “Elusive Cures: Why Neuroscience Hasn’t Solved Brain Disorders – and How We Can Change That” at 6 p.m. at Harvard Science Center, Hall D, 1 Oxford St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free, or $32 with book. The neuroscientist discusses the challenges in curing disorders such as Parkinson’s, epilepsy, addiction, schizophrenia and anxiety.
Fran Wilde reads from “A Philosophy of Thieves” from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Pandemonium Books & Games, 4 Pleasant St., Central Square, Cambridge. $5, but register. This novel presents the notion of performance theft – an entertainment for rich patrons that blends acrobatics, misdirection and daring escapes. When the leader of a troupe disappears, his feuding children must work together to compete in a high-stakes grand heist. Author Fonda Lee joins.
“Lighten Up!” panel discussion and opening reception from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at The MIT Museum, 314 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. $5 to $15. Part of the MIT Museum’s “Time” thematic season, Lighten Up! features 15 artists with 18 immersive artworks, installations and experiential environments. The panel discussion features Marilyne Andersen, artist Alan Bogana and Harvard professor of neurology Elizabeth Klerman, moderated by museum director Michael John Gorman.
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, “go team,” about winning goals, Hail Mary passes or life on the sidelines, tales of benchwarmers, cheerleaders or brooding under the bleachers.
Jeffrey Rosen reads from “The Pursuit of Liberty: How Hamilton vs. Jefferson Ignited the Lasting Battle Over Power in America” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The clashing visions of Hamilton and Jefferson on how to balance liberty and power is a debate that continues to define – and divide – our country. It’s discussed by an author, podcaster and president of the National Constitution Center.,
Soar.ai: An evening with Paul Allen at 7 p.m. at the Museum of Science, 1 Science Park, Boston, on the Cambridge border. Free with preregistration. The founder of Ancestry.com thinks he knows how emotional intelligence, belonging and purpose can be built into technology so artificial intelligence “uplifts rather than replaces humanity.”
“King Richard III” from Elsewhere Shakespeare at 7 p.m. at Upstairs at Bow Market, 1 Bow Market Way, Union Square, Somerville. Free. The punk band that performs Shakespeare will depict the short reign and rise of King Richard.
“The Once and Future Witches” book club from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Side Quest Books & Games in Bow Market at 1 Bow Market Way, Union Square, Somerville. $5. Alix E. Harrow’s novel is discussed this time.
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. Costumes encouraged for the contest!
Halloweek: “Tenderness of the Wolves” at 9 p.m. at The Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $13 to $15. A reimagining of the story of Fritz Haarmann, the serial killer whose crimes inspired Fritz Lang’s 1931 classic “M.” In a postwar German city, Haarmann, a seasoned criminal, is recruited as a police informant. He uses the cover it affords him to preys on young boys, luring them before molesting them, killing them with a bite to the neck and turning their bodies into sausages.
Wednesday, Oct. 29
“Tigers Are Not Afraid” film showing at 5 p.m. at The Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $13 to $25. A dark fairy tale about a gang of children trying to survive the violence of the cartels and the ghosts created by the drug war.
Gabrielle Hamilton reads from “Next of Kin: A Memoir” at 6 p.m. at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free, or $32 with book. The author examines her family ties after a brother’s sudden death and another’s suicide while raising young children of her own. WBUR’s Tania Ralli joins.
Death and Burial in Colonial Cambridge at 6 p.m. at the Museum of Natural History’s Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford St., Baldwin neighborhood, Cambridge. Free, but register. Scientists discuss colonial burials and reveal how they use noninvasive research tools – such as photography, digital mapping and radar technologies – to shed light on slavery in New England and colonial burial practices.
Vampire orienteering from 6 to 8:30 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.)
Outdoor Lilypad Variety Show from 6 to 10 p.m. at Vellucci Plaza, 239 Hampshire St., Cambridge. Free. The Funk Night House Band from Wally’s Jazz Cafe joins to back up performers.
Miranda Spieler reads from “Slave in Paris” at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 1815 Massachusetts Ave., Porter Square, Cambridge. $40 with book, and RSVP. The historian explores the hidden story of slavery and the struggle for freedom in France, including strategies and hiding places, family histories and relationships to well-known Enlightenment figures. Author Christy Pichichero joins.
Jarvis R. Givens reads from “American Grammar: Race, Education, and the Building of a Nation” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Is education “the great equalizer,” or is that a myth that reproduces past harms? Harvard’s Givens is joined by colleague Philip J. Deloria.
“Oddity” film showing at 7 p.m. at The Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $13 to $19. After the brutal murder of her twin sister, Darcy goes after those responsible by using haunted items.
Tarot, Archetypes and Connection with Art, the Self and Others at 7 p.m. at All She Wrote Books, 75 Washington St., East Somerville. Sliding scale, or $31 with tarot deck, but 18-plus. Artist and author E. Lubanko discusses tarot as a tool to examine ourselves, relationships and communities.
The Autumn Defense performs at 7 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Spring Hill, Somerville. $36. The alt-country band tours behind its new “Here and Nowhere” album, presented by Get To The Gig & MassConcerts.
Earfull performance series with writers and musicians at 7:30 p.m. at Regattabar, 1 Bennett St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $36.Authors Tom Perrotta and Alice Hoffman read from new books, or about-to-be books, or from crumpled up notes, and musical acts Highway Hosiery and Adam Sherman play.
Halloween Drag Night at 8 p.m. at Aeronaut Brewing, 14 Tyler St., near Union Square in Ward 2, Somerville. $15. Held the last Wednesday of the month, Dykelangelo hosts local returning queens Coleslaw and Severity Stone.
Scottish fiddler Louise Bichan at 8 p.m. at Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $30 to $35. Bichan is joined by guitarist Conor Hearn, mandolinist Ethan Setiawan and cellist Brendan Hearn for an evening of Halloween music and fun from the Celtic Isles. Come disguised in your best costume to fool the evil spirits and bring your most frighteningly carved neep (turnip) or pumpkin to win a prize!
“Mandy” film showing at 9:15 p.m. at The Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $13 to $15. Nicolas Cage is perfectly over the top as the distraught, rampaging force of nature, reviewer Tom Meek said when this film premiered in 2019, and this brutal revenge film “articulates every arterial spray and flesh-piercing plunge with prolonged, agonizing effect.”
Thursday, Oct. 30
Moon Over Bow from 4 to 9 p.m. at Bow Market, 1 Bow Market Way, Union Square, Somerville. Free entry. Shop small batch crafts, tarot readings, aura photography, experiential jewelry and DIY workshops.
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.
Michael McFaul reads from “Autocrats vs. Democrats: China, Russia, America and the New Global Disorder” at 7 p.m. at First Parish Cambridge Unitarian Universalist, 3 Church St./1446 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $50 with book. The former ambassador to Russia explores the military, economic and ideological challenges coming from China and Russia and says that to prevail, we shouldn’t return to the Cold War playbook. MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow joins.
Pamela S. Nadell reads from “Antisemitism, an American Tradition” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Jews have experienced antisemitism since landing in America in 1654. Nadell explores this history and its recent manifestations: white nationalists chanting “Jews will not replace us” in Charlottesville, Virginia, and a gunman murdering 11 worshippers at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue building. Dartmouth College’s Susannah Heschel joins.
Arts at the Armory presents “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” 50th Anniversary at 7 p.m. at the Performance Hall at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Spring Hill, Somerville. $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.
Poets Judith Goldman, Karla Kelsey and Sarah Riggs 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 Michael McCarthy.
Walter Sickert and the Army of Broken Toys Halloween Happening at 7:30 p.m. at Charles Hayden Planetarium, Museum of Science, 1 Science Park, Boston, on the Cambridge border. $20 to $25 and 18-plus. This live planetarium performance blends music, art and theatrical chaos in a surreal voyage through sound and space. Costumes encouraged – and rewarded.
Comedian Byron Bertram at 8 p.m. at The Comedy Studio, 5 John F. Kennedy St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $20 to $25. Sets featuring voices and accents has garnered Bertram numerous TV appearances, including “Britain’s Got Talent,” “Supernatural” and “Riverdale.”
Lamplighter Sessions at 8 p.m. at Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Harvard Square, Cambridge (and continuing through Nov. 3). $33 to $35. Presented by the singer-songwriter-iconoclast Peter Mulvey, this multinight mini festival of improvisational art – music, spoken word, visual art and theater – always includes Halloween. Mulvey, Sean Staples and Red Sox organist Josh Kantor performs a repertoire of baseball songs such as “The Knuckleball Suite” and a cover of Nina Simone’s version of Chuck Berry’s “Brown Eyed Handsome Man.”
Meltt performs at 8 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $20 to $22. This alternative-indie psych rock band from Vancouver, Canada, blends psychedelic guitars and synth swells with Chris Smith (vocals, guitar, bass and keys), Jamie Turner (percussion), James Porter (guitar, keys, bass and vocals) and Ian Winkler (bass, keys and guitar).
Harvard Book Store After Dark from 8:30 to 10 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free, but RSVP. A costume contest will be judged by booksellers and the winner receives a 20 percent-off coupon to use on Hallo-weekend. There will be a special pitch-a-book event for customers to share their favorite books, scary stories, old wives’ tales, urban legends and more.
Halloweek: “The Crow” at 10:30 p.m. at The Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $13 to $15. One year after young rock guitarist Eric Draven and his fiancée are killed by a ruthless gang of criminals, Draven, watched over by a hypnotic crow, returns from the grave to exact revenge.
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