Thursday, May 2
“Marcus Mosiah Garvey: The Jamaican Black Moses” lecture from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at St. Augustine’s African Orthodox Church, 137 Allston St., Cambridgeport. Free, but register. Cambridge mayor emeritus Ken Reeves describes Garvey’s enduring impact on movement-building, Black organizing and social justice. Sponsored by Black History in Action. Information is here.
Tour of List Projects 29 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at MIT List Visual Arts Center, 20 Ames St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. Artists Brittni Ann Harvey and Harry Gould Harvey IV – co-founders of the Fall River Museum of Contemporary Art – lead a walk-through of their joint exhibit running through June 23 of sculpture, installations and works on paper. Information is here.
Kathy Greeley reads from “Testing Education” from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free, but register. The longtime teacher in the Cambridge and Boston public school systems discusses her memoir, a first-hand witness account to the impacts of the widespread standardized testing and curricula that proliferated during the past 20 years in our nation. We wrote about it here. Information is here.
CitySprouts Dig-It! 2024 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the MIT Welcome Center, 292 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. $35 to $150. An annual gala of the Cambridge-founded school garden program honors Katherine H. Walsh, sustainability and environment director of Boston Public Schools. Information is here.
“Reading Genetic Tea Leaves” lecture from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Harvard Geological Museum, 24 Oxford St., in the Baldwin neighborhood near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. Columbia University’s Molly Przeworski talks about genetic and environmental effects and predicting traits in humans and corals. Information is here.
Early spring migration bird walk from 6 to 8 p.m. at Mass Audubon Nature Center at Magazine Beach, 668 Memorial Drive, Cambridgeport. Free, but register, and adults only. Bring your binoculars (or borrow a pair on site) to search for spring migrants and residents including warblers, vireos, sparrows, orioles, flycatchers, swallows, thrushes, raptors, waterfowl and more. Information is here.
Yum 2024: A Taste of Immigrant City from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. $40. Dishes, drinks and discussions celebrating the diverse cuisines enjoyed in Somerville. Information is here.
Tara Conklin reads from “Community Board” at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 25 White St., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. The paperback release of the author’s third novel about a recently separated 29-year-old woman who returns to her childhood home to figure out next steps, but finds she must reckon with who she is before she can become who she wants to be. Joanna Rakoff, author of “My Salinger Year” and “A Fortunate Age,” joins. Information is here.
Artwear: The Somerville Open Studios Fashion Show at 7 p.m. at Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square. Free. Fifteen designers and artists not only stretch the limits of fashion design but pull it into the realms of social justice, safety, upcycling, assemblage, trash picking, creative mending, the natural world, storytelling, alternative worlds, micro-organisms, the cosmos and avant-garde clownwear. There will be a full bar and runway seating. Information is here.
“Mermaid Hour” at 7:30 p.m. at Arrow Street Arts, 2 Arrow Street, Harvard Square, Cambridge (and continuing through May 19). $45 to $55 and 13-plus. David Valdes’ fast-paced, funny play about Vi, a busy trans teen balancing a first crush, dreams and a goal to become an Internet sensation, and Pilar and Bird, who try to get it right with their parenting but aren’t often on the same page. Bridget Kathleen O’Leary directs. (Masks required.) Information is here.
Handel and Haydn Society presents Brandenburg Concertos from 7:30 to 9:45 p.m. at Sanders Theatre, 45 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge (also May 3). $15 to $112. Concertmaster Aisslinn Nosky joins principal keyboard Ian Watson to lead the ensemble through Nos. 1 through 6 of J.S. Bach’s colorful and texture-filled orchestral works, the best of the Baroque era. Information is here.
Sofar Sounds concert from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. at Lamplighter CX, 110 N. First St., North Point, Cambridge. $26 and 21-plus. You buy the tickets but won’t know who’s playing until they take the mic. Promised are two to three short sets from “incredible performers from all musical genres and sometimes even spoken word, comedy or dance.” Information is here.
The Vijay Iyer Trio performs for ArtsThursdays at 8 p.m. at Harvard’s John Knowles Paine Concert Hall, 3 Oxford St., just north of Harvard Square, Cambridge, and Harvard Yard. Free, but register. The composer-pianist has released 26 widely praised albums, has three Grammy nominations and numerous national and international prizes and is a Harvard professor of the arts in the departments of music and African and African American Studies. He performs with Linda May Han Oh on double bass and TyShawn Sorey on drums. Information is here.
Here Come the Mummies perform at 8 p.m. at The Sinclair, 52 Church St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $45, and 18-plus. An eight-piece funk-rock band dressed in mummy garb and with pseudonyms such as “Mummy Cass” on guitar and vocals that keeps the band mysterious. Information is here.
“The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical” at 8 p.m. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Kresge Little Theater in Kresge Auditorium, 48 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge (and continuing May 4 and 5). $10 to $20. A production by MIT’s Music Theatre Guild, adapted from the bestselling book and set to a rock score. Information is here.
Friday, May 3
Fully Caffeinated Fresh Pond Reservation Bird Walk from 8:30 to 10 a.m. with meeting place at Fresh Pond TBA upon registration. Free, but register. Bring a reusable cup and get some bird-friendly coffee (and learn what that is) at this beginner-friendly walk sponsored by The Boston Birding Festival. Information is here.
“Big Books, Tiny Tomes” exhibition opens at 10 a.m. at Houghton Library, at Quincy and Harvard streets in Harvard Yard, Cambridge. Free. Launching today and running through summer, a display of massive-sized books juxtaposed with books so small they can’t be opened by human hands. Information is here.
Somerville Public Library used-book sale from 5 to 6 p.m. at the Somerville Public Library, 79 Highland Ave., Central Hill (and continuing May 5 and 6). $50 donation. A “pre-sale power hour” for donors to get first dibs on the books before the weekend sale. The Friends of the Somerville Public Library funds diverse programming at all three branches. Information is here.
Tag sale fundraiser from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Friends Meeting House, 5 Longfellow Park, near Harvard Square, Cambridge (and continuing May 4). Free. Held semiannually, the Material Aid and Advocacy Program’s sale features good- to new-quality vintage and contemporary clothing, shoes, accessories, jewelry, antiques, linens and more. Information is here.
“Eat with Your Eyes” group exhibition opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. at Gallery 263, 263 Pearl St., Cambridgeport. Free, but RSVP. Contemporary art scholar Silvia Bottinelli juried this food-focused exhibition of still lifes, photographs and installations from artists around the country. Information is here.
Nell Irvin Painter reads from “I Just Keep Talking: A Life in Essays” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The Princeton historian and bestselling author of “The History of White People” and “Old in Art School” assembles her many years of essays on race, politics and identity with images of her visual art. “American Made” author and Pulitzer-winning journalist Farah Stockman joins. Information is here.
Amy Tan reads from “The Backyard Bird Chronicles” at 7 p.m. at First Parish in Cambridge Meeting House, 3 Church St./1446 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square. $12, or $42 with book. During this Harvard Book Store event, the author of “The Joy Luck Club” and “The Bonesetter’s Daughter” charts her unexpected foray into the wonders of nature. “The Sibley Guide to Birds” author and illustrator David Allen Sibley joins. Information is here.
Naomi Westwater single release show and Beltane ritual at 7 p.m. at Warehouse XI, 11 Sanborn Court, Union Square, Somerville. $15 to $20. The singer-songwriter celebrates their release of the single “OBNTS” with a full-band concert and pop-ups from Small Batch Witch, House of Worship leatherware, Laura Campagna Astrology and more to mark Beltane, a Celtic fire festival with a spot on the calendar opposite the event we know as Halloween. Sophie Wellington opens. Information is here.
Shit-Faced Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” from 7 to 8:10 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville (and continuing weekends through June). $30 and 21-plus. For its final season at the Rockwell, the troupe presents a one-hour version of the Bard’s comedy made even more zany because one actor randomly selected drinks before and during the performance, leaving the remaining sober cast to incorporate, rectify, justify and generally improvise around the drunkenness. Information is here.
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at 7 p.m. at the Marran Theater, 34 Mellen St., on Lesley University’s Doble Campus in the Baldwin neighborhood near Harvard Square, Cambridge (and continuing May 4). Free and donations accepted. Shakespeare’s comedy jointly produced by The Lesley Performing Arts Club, The Oxford Street Players, Lesley University Dance Team and Sigma Tau Delta. Information is here.
Vortex Ecstatic Dance from 7 to 10 p.m. at First Church in Cambridge, 11 Garden St., Harvard Square. $20. A cup of cacao and a little contact improv provides the warmup for a rockin’ beats-filled dance adventure open to all. Features DJ Luminus and a light show by Guy Minnick. Information is here.
Saxophonist Gregory Groover Jr. at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. at Regattabar, 1 Bennett St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $20 to $25. The composer and educator at Boston Arts Academy and Berklee performs with Joel Ross (vibes), Matthew Stevens (guitar), Kris Davis (piano), Harish Raghavan (upright bass) and Jeremy Dutton (drums). Information is here.
Handel and Haydn Society presents Brandenburg Concertos (continued) from 7:30 to 9:45 p.m. at Sanders Theatre, 45 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. $15 to $112. Information is here.
The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical (continued) at 8 p.m. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Kresge Little Theatre, 48 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. $10 to $20. Information is here.
“Mermaid Hour” (continued) at 8 p.m. at Arrow Street Arts, 2 Arrow Street, Harvard Square, Cambridge. $45 to $55 and 13-plus. Information is here.
MIT’s Ridonkulous presents Footwork XVII dance showcase at 8 p.m. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Kresge Auditorium, 48 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. $12 to $15. Hip-hop teams from across Greater Boston perform. Information is here.
Fetish Ball with Jean Bardot from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. at ManRay, 40 Prospect St., Central Square, Cambridge. $20 to $25 and 19-plus. The legendary fetish model, performer and actress aka. Rubberella headlines a night of nyotaimori, “delicious dancers,” a dominatrix-led dungeon and a surprise from Salem’s Vampfangs. DJ Static and Colby Drasher spin hot sets. No street clothing. Information is here.
Saturday, May 4
Tag sale fundraiser (continued) from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Friends Meeting House, 5 Longfellow Park, near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Information is here.
Somerville Public Library used-book sale (continued) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Somerville Public Library, 79 Highland Ave., Central Hill. Free. Information is here.
Biodiversity Day Festival from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Danehy Park, 99 Sherman St., in Neighborhood 9 just east of Fresh Pond, Cambridge. Free and all ages. Learn about Danehy’s planned pollinator garden and enjoy birding, Miyawaki Forest tours, interactive games, art-making for kids, native plant workshops, live music and meeting local environmental groups. Sponsored by Native Plant Community Gardens and Biodiversity for a Livable Planet. Information is here.
Spring Garden Day from noon to 2 p.m. at The Growing Center, 22 Vinal Ave., near Union Square, Somerville. Free and all ages. Join in maypole and Morris dancing; take home native plant seeds harvested at the center; bring or take from a seed exchange table; make your own pollinator button. Information is here.
Rhythm N’ Spice Hot Sauce Fest from noon to 4 p.m. and 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. Free to $45. Local vendors sell globally inspired sauces and foods; live beats and melodies by local artists; samples of fiery-sauce infused dishes; cooking demos, salsa lessons, contests and prizes; VIP lounge with spicy cocktails; and a kids-and-culture zone with Steam games and the Cambridge Youth Steel Orchestra. Information is here.
Somerville Open Studios 25th Year from noon to 6 p.m. throughout Somerville (and continuing May 5). Free. Explore the work of hundreds of individual artists at dozens of locations all over Somerville as well as group exhibits in a handful of locations. Information is here.
Let’s Make Zines! from 2 to 4 p.m. at CultureHouse, 64 Union Square, Somerville. Free, but register. Learn how to make DIY magazines (no editor or publisher required). Supplies, copier access, bookbinding tools and rainbow staples provided. Bring an idea, or just browse the zine library. Information is here.
“Mermaid Hour” (continued) at 2 and 8 p.m. at Arrow Street Arts, 2 Arrow Street, Harvard Square, Cambridge. $45 to $55 and 13-plus. (Masks required for the 2 p.m. show.) Information is here.
Cambridge Brewing Company 35th Anniversary Party from 2 to 9 p.m. at 1 Kendall Square, Building 100, Wellington-Harrington, Cambridge. No cover charge. Specials include an exclusive 35th anniversary beer aged in apple brandy barrels and on tap; a selection of vintage and classic CBC beers; a CBC alumni bar serving up beers from past brewers; a raw bar, grilled sausages and beer-braised chicken pita sandwiches. Sam Reid & The Riot Act perform. Information is here.
MIT Solar Electric Vehicle Team introduces “Nimbus” from 4 to 5 p.m. at The MIT Museum, Gambrill Center, 314 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free with museum admission. Nimbus won the American Solar Challenge 2022 traveling from Independence, Missouri, to Twin Falls, Idaho, over eight days and is now on display in the museum’s lobby. Student team leaders Adrienne Lai, Tessa Uviedo and Maria Cortez discuss preparation for ASC 2024, and 1985 founding member James Worden talks on current solar industry trends. Information is here.
Bolly Fusion Dance from 4 to 6 p.m. at CultureHouse, 64 Union Square, Somerville. Free, but register. This all-levels dance class explores Indian moves and music from classic Bollywood to modern, upbeat Hindi and Punjabi songs – and beyond. Focus is on hand movements, springy footwork, facial expressions and fun. Information is here.
Viva Central Block Party from 4 to 11 p.m. at 19 State St., Central Square, Cambridge. Free. Starlight Square organizes this Mexican culture-themed fiesta with Naco Taco restaurant featuring food, drinks, music and activities for all ages. Information is here.
MIT Women’s Chorale presents “Transcendence” spring concert at 6 p.m. at Harvard-Epworth United Methodist Church, 1555 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free and donations accepted. Nhung Truong directs “Messe brève” by Léo Delibes with string quartet, duets of George Frideric Handel, a piece by Elaine Hagenberg and more. Information is here.
“The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical” (continued) at 6 p.m. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Kresge Little Theatre, 48 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. $10 to $20. Information is here.
Media Night (Hugo screenings) at the New England Science Fiction Association from 6 to 10:30 p.m. at the group’s clubhouse at 504 Medford St., Magoun Square, Somerville. Free. View this year’s Best Dramatic Presentation finalists with fellow fans. Information is here.
Stand-up comedy grand opening weekend (continued) at 6, 8 and 10 p.m. at Duck Duck Goofs, 432 McGrath Highway, Prospect Hill, Somerville. $20 to $50 and 18-plus. Information is here.
Somerville Songwriter Sessions at 7 p.m. at the Rooted Café at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. $15 suggested donation. An open mic followed by solos and a song swap by pianist Mary Casiello (creative, quirky, cathartic), vocalist/conductor Jay Verchin (alto/tenor chorus member of Tutti Music Collective) and guitarist Rachel Marie (forthright, introspective weaver of song stories). Information is here.
Shit-Faced Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” (continued) from 7 to 8:10 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $30 and 21-plus. Information is here.
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (continued) at 7 p.m. at the Marran Theater, 34 Mellen St., on Lesley University’s Doble Campus in the Baldwin neighborhood near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free and donations accepted. Information is here.
Opera Experience Live!: “Sondheim on Sondheim” at 8 p.m. at the Longy School of Music, 27 Garden St., Harvard Square, Cambridge (also May 5). Free to $20. James Lapine curated this autobiographical musical of songs arranged by David Loud and performed by almost 20 vocalists. Includes theatrical multimedia. Stage director Carol Mastrodomenico; music director Libor Dudas. Information is here.
“A Make It/Share It/Show It” 2024 pitch sessions from 8 to 9:30 p.m. at The Dance Complex, 536 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge (and continuing May 5). Free to $20. As part of the aMaSSiT program, 14 choreographers present works-in-progress, outlining what each might need to bring their creation into its next phase and receiving feedback. Information is here.
Stoptime Revue with Dan Gabel and Kim Hawkey perform for Boston Swing Central from 8 to 11:45 p.m. at Q Ballroom, 26 New St., Fresh Pond, Cambridge. $15 to $20. Light sabers make their way into the annual “May the 4th Be with You” theme of this social partner dance with live music featuring a “Hans Solo competition.” No partner required. Information is here.
Sunday, May 5
Breakfast Book Club from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at All She Wrote Books, 75 Washington St., Prospect Hill, Somerville. $5, or $21.24 with book. This month’s title: “The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi” by Shannon Chakraborty. Coffee and pastries provided. Information is here.
Lindy Hopcats Practice from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Cambridge Community Center for the Arts, 41 Second St. (enter from the side-street patio), East Cambridge. $5 (cash or Venmo). Semi-structured practice sessions for motivated dancers at all levels. No partner required. Information is here.
Latin Divas drag brunch from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Summer Shack, 149 Alewife Brook Parkway, Alewife, Cambridge. $20. Enjoy a meal during this tribute to Karol G., Becky G., Selena y más. Information is here.
MayFair from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Harvard Square. Free. This 39th annual spring kickoff features four stages of live music and dance, artisan booths with eclectic art, clothing, jewelry and more, plus a mass of international food vendors, beer gardens and patio dining. To celebrate Cinco de Mayo, Mariachi Boston kicks off mainstage performances that include folk, Americana, hip-hop, funk, rock ’n’ roll and blues. This year the Passim Stage features Folk Collective artists. The Deborah Mason stage is all dance, all day, and a smaller Mount Auburn stage hosts School of Rock, Yak Dance Crew and more. At the same time, the Church Street parking lot fills its own stage with Asian artists, dancers and bands for the Second Annual Asian Street Food & Music Festival and brings in vendors offering bánh mì to takoyaki, dim sum to new bubble tea, and lechon to lumpia. Information is here.
Small Mart from noon to 5 p.m. at Aeronaut Brewing, 14 Tyler St., near Union Square, Somerville. Free. A new location, with more than 20 vintage vendors, local artisans and makers selling, plus music and an open bar. Information is here.
Somerville Open Studios 25th Year (continued) from noon to 6 p.m. throughout Somerville. Free. Information is here.
Taqueria El Barrio pop-up from noon to 9 p.m. at One Reason Garden Bar, 1 Bennett St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The outdoor bar launches its season on Cinco de Mayo with a menu of traditional favorites from the beloved Time Out Market Boston taqueria, plus live music from 4 to 7 p.m. Information is here.
Parking lot nature walk from 1 to 3 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 25 White St., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. Clare Walker Leslie, Cambridge wildlife educator, artist and author, reads from “How to Look at a Bird” and reveals features to observe when birding, then leads a guided nature walk … in a Porter Square parking lot. Information is here.
Mindfulness in Nature from 1 to 3 p.m. at Mass Audubon Nature Center at Magazine Beach, 668 Memorial Drive, Cambridgeport. Free, but register and adults only. Psychotherapist Stefanie Haug takes you through simple warm-up movements and guided breathing to center awareness before walking with sensory activities. Information is here.
Somerville Public Library used-book sale (continued) from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Somerville Public Library, 79 Highland Ave., Central Hill. Free. Information is here.
“Mermaid Hour” (continued) at 3 p.m. at Arrow Street Arts, 2 Arrow Street, Harvard Square, Cambridge. $45 to $55 and 13-plus. Information is here.
Opera Experience Live!: Sondheim on Sondheim (continued) at 3 p.m. at the Longy School of Music, 27 Garden St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free to $20. Information is here.
Violinist Joshua Peckins and pianist Eli Akahori at 3 p.m. at First Church in Cambridge, 11 Garden St., Harvard Square. $25. Recital of French and French-inspired classical music works ranging from the Classical Period through French Impressionism, with some hints of the modern and a showstopper by Saint-Saëns. Information is here.
Rambax MIT Spring Concert from 3 to 4 p.m. at Kendall/MIT Open Space at 292 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free. Outdoor performance by the ensemble dedicated to learning the art of sabar, a drum and dance tradition of the Wolof people of Senegal, West Africa. Directed by master Senegalese drummer Lamine Touré. Information is here.
Sunday Concert Series: Uyon-Uyon Nyamleng from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Fisher Performance Room at Granoff Music Center, Tufts University, 20 Talbot Ave., Medford. Free. Gamelan Laras Tentrem and the Tufts gamelan ensemble, Rinengga Sih Tentrem, present an afternoon of Javanese gamelan with special guest artists I.M. Harjito and Heni Savitri. Information is here.
“In Our Time” film screening from 3 to 5 p.m. at Harvard Film Archive at The Carpenter Center, 24 Quincy St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $5 to $10. This 1982 Taiwanese omnibus film in four segments, shot by four young emerging directors, depicts decades from the ’50s to the ’80s, each representing a life stage. Note Edward Yang’s mid ’60s “adolescence” segment and its diversity of cinematic techniques. Information is here.
Stand-up class showcase at 4 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $10 to $15 and all ages. The fresh-faced graduates from the Rockwell’s stand-up classes – taught by Gary Petersen and Angela Sawyer – show you what they’ve got. Information is here.
Harvard Ferris Choral Fellows perform Schumann’s “The Pilgrimage of the Rose” from 4 to 6 p.m. at Harvard Memorial Church, 1 Harvard Yard, Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The composer set to music a poem by Heinrich Moritz Horn about the journey of a rose transformed into a human by fairy magic and experiencing the full spectrum of emotions. Information is here.
Countertop Chants poetry open mic at 6 p.m. at Remnant Brewing, 2 Bow St., Union Square, Somerville. Free. A group of local writers who love poetry sponsors this monthly event with 10 reading slots of five minutes each with a musical guest intermission. For poetry lifers and novices alike. Information is here.
Sonic Liberation Players’ 20th Concert Celebration at 7:30 p.m. at Somerville Music Spaces, 1060 Broadway, Suite C101B, Somerville. $15 to $25. Works by Morton Feldman, Angela Elizabeth Slater, James Romig and others played by a group that focuses on uncommonly heard works – and commissions new works – that investigate the area between “academic/intellectual” and “pop influenced” classical. Information is here.
“A Make It/Share It/Show It” 2024 pitch sessions (continued) from 8 to 9:30 p.m. at The Dance Complex, 536 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. Free to $20. Information is here.
Monday, May 6
Early risers horticulture walk from 8 to 9 a.m. at Mount Auburn Cemetery, 580 Mount Auburn St., West Cambridge. Free. Staff lead excursions to discover what’s in bloom and any other items of horticultural interest. Information is here.
Glass Lab Mothers Day sale from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the lobby of Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Building 10-250, also known as the Maclaurin Buildings at 222 Memorial Drive at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge (repeats Tuesday). Free. Students at all levels as well as instructors in the Glass Lab sell their work, helping fund lab activities. Information is here.
Spring Birdwatching from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at Cambridge Public Library O’Neill Branch, 70 Rindge Ave., North Cambridge. Free, but register. Participants walk as a group to local wildlife hotspot Danehy Park and search for birds. Birdwatching tips and a limited supply of binoculars are shared. Information is here.
“Seeds of Guamuchil” screening from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at in the Margaret Cheney Room, 3-308, in the Maclaurin Buildings at 222 Memorial Drive at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Free. Cambridge Mexican anthropologist Rosalva Aída Hernández screens a short film about her creative writing project for imprisoned women. Information is here.
Stories of Cambridge: Chinese American Culinary Pioneers at 6 p.m. at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free, but donations are welcome. An Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month celebration with Stephen Chen of Joyce Chen Foods; Paul Lee of the Hong Kong Restaurant; and Richard Ning, grandson of the Young Lee Restaurant founders. Moderated by Mable Chan of One in a Billion Productions. Information is here.
Skin & Bone fashion photography exhibition opening from 6 to 9 p.m. at Yamba Joint, 19 Pearl St., Central Square, Cambridge (and continuing May 7 and 8). Free. Art photography by Boston writer and visual artist Rafael A. Shabazz featuring six models. Information is here.
Betty Cayouette reads from “One Last Shot: A Novel” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Supermodel reunites with her teen love, a fashion photographer in romantic Italy but not everything is picture perfect in this debut from the BookTok phenom, joined by Julia Argy, author of “The One.” Information is here.
Picture and Panel graphic novel talk from 7 to 8 p.m. at Aeronaut Brewing, 14 Tyler St., near Union Square, Somerville. Free.This time the topic is comic art about mental health with Cara Bean, author of “Here I Am, I Am Me: An Illustrated Guide to Mental Health,” and Brooklyn, New York, illustrator Jonell Joshua of “Rebel Girls: 100 Real Life Tales of Black Girl Magic.” Information is here.
BT ALC Big Band from 7:30 to 9:20 p.m. at Regattabar, 1 Bennett St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $22.78 including fees. Trombonist Brian Thomas and Trumpeter Alex Lee-Clark have reshaped the genre by adding funk, soul and hip-hop to staging like Duke Ellington and Count Basie used to do it: five saxophones, four trumpets, four trombones and rhythm. Information is here.
Poets Heather Treseler and Luke Allan from 8 to 9 p.m. at Cambridge Center for Adult Education, 56 Brattle St., Harvard Square. $5. Treseler reads from her collection, “Auguries & Divinations” with Luke Allan, author of “Sweet Dreams, the Sea.” Sponsored by the Blacksmith House Poetry Series. Information is here.
Cloud Nothings at 8:30 p.m. at the Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square. $25 to $30. The surprisingly consistent indie rock band travels behind its new “Final Summer. Hurry opes. Information is here.
Tuesday, May 7
The U.S. Military in Afghanistan: A legal and moral war? at 4 p.m. at the Knafel Center, 10 Garden St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Pulitzer-winning journalist Matthieu Aikins shares research, experience and reporting to look at the post-9/11 era and ask under what conditions war is legal and moral. Jacqueline Hazelton, executive editor of International Security Information, joins. Information is here.
Bilingual Storytelling: The Real Cinco de Mayo Story from 6 to 7 p.m. at Somerville Public Library, 79 Highland Ave., Central Hill. Free, but register and age 5-plus. Family-oriented Spanish immersion, this time explaining in Spanish and English the meaning of Mexican independence, plus music, dance, games and arts and crafts. Information is here.
The Book Moot discusses “Kraven’s Last Hunt” at 6:30 p.m. at Pandemonium Books & Games, 4 Pleasant St., Central Square, Cambridge. $15 with the book and registration required. Take in a classic Spider-Man tale by J.M. DeMatteis and Mike Zeck with the character you’ll be cravin’ for a good long while, since Sony just moved its “Kraven the Hunter” movie to a Dec. 13 opening from the expected Labor Day weekend. Information is here.
Sylvia Brownrigg reads from “The Whole Staggering Mystery” at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 25 White St., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. The novelist has a memoir like no other that begins with the arrival of a mysterious package her off-the-grid dad refuses to open and leads her to her grandfather’s death in colonialist Kenya after leaving the glamorous London of the 1930s. Novelist Claire Messud talks her through the journey. Information is here.
Rachel Khong reads from “Real Americans: A Novel” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Another kid searching for family secrets, the tale bounding by 2021 and Y2K in what’s been called “a mesmerizing multigenerational novel about privilege, identity and the illusions of the American dream.” Annie Hartnett, author of “Unlikely Animals,” joins. Information is here.
Rosie Tucker performs at 7:30 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $15 to $18 and all-ages. The Los Angeles singer-songwriter has “surging pop hooks and sharp lyrics,” Pitchfork says. Puppy Problems opens. Information is here.
Smut Slam from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville (and the first Tuesday of every month). $10 suggested donation. An open mic invites participants to tell five-minute, real-life dirty stories. The top three slammers win sexy swag from Good Vibrations. Kat Sistare hosts.Information is here.
Wednesday, May 8
Spring Migrants Bird Walk from 6:45 to 8:15 a.m. at Story Chapel at Mount Auburn Cemetery, 580 Mount Auburn St., West Cambridge. Free to $12. Statistician and bird observer Bob Stymeist leads a search for migrant and breeding birds. Bring binoculars and field guides. Information is here.
New England Jazz Collaborative presents drummer-vocalist Lumanyano Mzi from 12:15 to 1 p.m. at Kendall/MIT Open Space at 292 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free. A unique brand of South African-infused jazz by an acclaimed Cape Town–born musician. Rising star bassist Ciara Moser and guitarist Amaury Cabral Jorge join. Information is here.
MIT student showcase: “VR and the Brain” from 2:30 to 5 p.m. at The MIT Museum, Gambrill Center, 314 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free with museum admission. Neuroscience meets immersive technology in demos that explore applications for low-vision augmentation, perceptual learning and more. Information is here.
HBO’s “Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage & Reckoning,” episode 1 screening from 4 to 6 p.m. at the MIT Welcome Center, 292 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free. The Kendall Square Association’s “Belonging in Kendall” series’ kickoff film is followed by former Boston city councilor Tito Jackson discussing race relations in 1980s Boston. Refreshments provided. Information is here.
Kevin McLellan reads from “Sky. Pond. Mouth” from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the List Visual Arts Center, 20 Ames St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. The Cambridge poet and video artist won the Granite State Poetry Prize. Information is here.
Hilke Schellmann reads from “The Algorithm: How AI Decides Who Gets Hired, Monitored, Promoted and Fired, and Why We Need to Fight Back” from 6 to 7:30 at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free. The New York University assistant professor of journalism and Emmy-winning investigative reporter explains how many of the algorithms making high-stakes decisions are biased, racist and do more harm than good. Information is here.
“Identify Through Colors: Exploring Armenian Painting” lecture at 6:30 p.m. in the community room at the the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free. Ani Babaian, library curator at the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research, talks Armenian art during this event sponsored by the Cambridge-Yerevan Sister City Association, Cambridge’s oldest sister-city relationship. Information is here.
Tunefoolery at 7 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. Free. Monthly coffeehouse with open mic for the mental health recovery community and general public. Information is here.
Ciera Burch reads from “Something Kindred” at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 25 White St., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. The Washington, D.C., author’s YA debut novel combines magical realism and Southern Gothic in a story about love and the meaning of home. Mia Tong, a current writer-in-residence working on a YA pan-Asian mythology-inspired fantasy adventure, joins. Information is here.
Venki Ramakrishnan reads from “Why We Die: The New Science of Aging and the Quest for Immortality” at 7 p.m. at Jefferson Laboratory Room 250, 17 Oxford St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free, or $34.53 with book. The Nobel Prize winner and author of “Gene Machine” covers recent scientific breakthroughs, examines the cutting-edge efforts to extend lifespan by altering our genetic makeup yet also asks “But might death serve a necessary biological purpose?” MIT Technology Review reporter Antonio Regalado joins. Information is here.
Alina Grabowski reads from “Women and Children First” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. This debut novel about a young woman’s mysterious death at a house party in a tight-knit coastal Massachusetts town is told through the eyes of 10 local women. Hanna Halperin, author of “Something Wild” and “I Could Live Here Forever,” joins. Information is here.
Poets Steven Cramer, Diane Mehta and Christopher Merrill 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 Askold Melnyczuk. Information is here.
Brewery Book Club from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Lamplighter Brewing, 284 Broadway, The Port, Cambridge. Free, but register and 21-plus. A collaboration with the Cambridge Public Library that this month discusses “Land of Milk and Honey” by C. Pam Zhang. Information is here.
Poetry reading from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Somerville Public Library West Branch, 40 College Ave., near Davis Square. Free. Locals Holly Guran, Gloria Mindock and Timothy Gager read from some of their recent work. Information is here.
Musician David Byrne in conversation with “Book of Eels” author Patrik Svensson at 7:30 p.m. at the blue wing of the Museum of Science, 1 Science Park, Boston, on the Cambridge border. $15 (overflow seating on second floor only). A live taping of the “Sing for Science” podcast on the “the most mysterious creature in the natural world.” Information is here.
“A Tale of Two Titties” stand-up storytelling show at 7:30 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $10 to $15. The Los Angeles comedian Julia Johns finds solace from performing comedy about her double mastectomy, chemo and radiation therapy after a 2022 cancer diagnosis. Information is here.
Dance or Don’t from 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. at ZuZu, 474 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. Free and 21-plus. Multi-genre sounds by five audio artists, plus optical entertainment and a fetish fashion vendor. Information is here.
Thursday, May 9
Yoga in the Park from 7 to 8 a.m. at Mass Audubon Nature Center at Magazine Beach, 668 Memorial Drive, Cambridgeport. Free, but register, and ages 5-plus. Enjoy the park on a quiet morning. Leave feeling invigorated and relaxed. Information is here.
“The Other Annexation: Gradual Takeover of Belarus by Russia” lecture from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in the Tsai Auditorium at the Center for Government and International Studies, South Concourse, 1730 Cambridge St., Harvard Square. Free, but register. A moderated panel of five speakers discusses the gradual erosion of Belarusian sovereignty and its far-reaching consequences. Information is here.
Beers & Gears from 4:30 to 10 p.m. at REI CX at 181 Morgan Ave., North Point, Cambridge. Free, but register. A mobile bike shop pop-up gives free bike checks, followed by a free, social-pace 10-mile bike ride on the newly finished Somerville Community Bike Path. Return to Lamplighter CX taproom for a free beverage. Information is here.
Jamaica Kincaid reads from “An Encyclopedia of Gardening for Colored Children” at 6 p.m. in the lecture hall at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free, or $28.69 with book. During this event co-sponsored with the Harvard Book Store, the Harvard professor of African and African American Studies and novelist discusses her “ABCs” of the plants that define our world and reveals the often brutal history of colonialism behind them. Kalyani Saxena, associate producer for WBUR’s “Here & Now,” joins. Information is here.
Joan Nathan reads from “My Life in Recipes: Food, Family and Memories” at 6 p.m. The Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $12, or $50 with book. During this Harvard Book Store event, the author of “Jewish Cooking in America” and “The Jewish Holiday Kitchen” discusses her most personal book yet, about her own family’s story. Jewish Women’s Archive CEO Judith Rosenbaum joins. Information is here.
After Dark Series: Teeny/Tiny from 6 to 9 p.m. at The MIT Museum, 314 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. $10 to $20 and 21-plus. Meet professor Kevin Chen of MIT’s Soft and Micro Robotics Laboratory and get a close-up look at his insect-inspired research, plus learn how to manipulate magnetic fluids and fold your own microscope to take home. Pizzas from Za and local brews from Lamplighter are available for purchase. Information is here.
Clea Simon reads from “Bad Boy Beat” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The bestselling author of “To Conjure a Killer” and “Hold Me Down” discusses her new novel about a rookie journalist who discovers patterns in the deaths of some low-level criminals she covers for the newspaper. Information is here.
Jazz pianist Fabian Almazan presents “We Call This Home” multimedia work at 7 p.m. at Harvard’s John Knowles Paine Concert Hall, 3 Oxford St., just north of Harvard Square, Cambridge, and Harvard Yard. Free, but register. The Cuban-American presents his compositions about South Florida’s “sacrifice zones,” which suffer from environmental and economic neglect. He performs with Linda May Han Oh (bass), Mark Whitfield II (drums) and Samuel Tommie (flute, spoken word). Information is here.
Mary Dearborn reads from “Carson McCullers: A Life” at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 25 White St., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. The author of seven biographies discusses how a cache of materials that surfaced in the past decade helped her present the first full picture of the brilliant, complex artist who wrote “The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter” at age 23. Local poet and literary historian Mary Baine Campbell joins. Information is here.
Shit-Faced Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” (continued) from 7 to 8:10 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $30 and 18-plus. Information is here.
Paint Your Pride with Alex Makes Art from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Somerville Public Library, 79 Highland Ave., Central Hill. Free, but register. A playful night of artistry and community building in a safe and supportive space. Create a mixed media work in paint using various techniques; if you choose, enter it into the Pride Showcase at the library’s Gallery@SPL. Materials provided. Information is here.
Pub Sing from 7 to 10 p.m. at the café at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville (and the second Thursday of each month). Free. A pub-style singalong where anyone is welcome to lead – drinking songs, sea chanteys and any song with a singable chorus will be appreciated! Information is here.
“Mermaid Hour” (continued) at 7:30 p.m. at Arrow Street Arts, 2 Arrow Street, Harvard Square, Cambridge. $45 to $55 and 13-plus. (Masks required.) Information is here.
A stronger
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