What to do this weekend, April 20-22
Making plans? Short on ideas? No worries. See Nicole Cammorata and Milva DiDomizio's picks for the top things to do around the Hub this weekend. Now get out and go to it!
WEEKEND
SESAME STREET LIVE: Seeing Elmo, Big Bird, and the rest of the gang travel the world in the show “1-2-3 Imagine! With Elmo & Friends” should be fun for tykes, but the best thing about this event might be the new Play Zone. Kids are invited to stop in an hour before showtime to enjoy an interactive experience that includes sitting in Big Bird’s nest, visiting Elmo’s world, and getting inside Oscar’s trash can. April 20, 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. April 21, 10:30 a.m., 2 and 5:30 p.m. April 22, 1 and 4:30 p.m. $15-$70. Agganis Arena, 925 Comm. Ave., Boston. 617-353-4628, www.sesamestreetlive.com
GEEK POWER: A free day at the MIT Museum kicks off the Cambridge Science Festival, featuring 10 days of science-oriented programming. Meet video game developers and scientists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, roll up your sleeves for hands-on learning, and see the exhibit “Rivers of Ice: The Vanishing Glaciers of the Greater Himalaya.” April 20, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Free. MIT Museum, 265 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. Festival through April 29. 617-253-5927, www.cambridgesciencefestival.org
FRIDAY
EARTH DAY ECO-BEAUTY BAR: Indulge in a mini-massage, spa treatment, and sampling of organic skin care and eco-friendly wellness products. Local vendor LEAP will be on hand with their selection of organic soaps. April 20, 4-8 p.m. $10 donation for 1% For the Planet. Registration suggested. OMBE, 551 Boylston St., 4th Floor Suite, Boston. 617-447-2222, www.ombecenter.com
LEGACY: THE SPRING CLASSIC: This multisensory party, which happens four times a year, is kicking off spring with a night of music, art, videos, and dancing. Resident DJ Sterling Golden will play everything from hip-hop to house (and lots in between) while VJ Jay Medina supplies the visuals. There will also be art on display from Acoma Art Gallery and a live performance by You Can Be a Wesley. April 20, 9 p.m. Tickets: $10. 21+. Milky Way Lounge. 617-524-3740, www.milkywayjp.com
SONNETS AND SLAMS IN SALEM: Three days and nights of readings, workshops, performances, and panels are bewitching at Salem’s Massachusetts Poetry Festival. Robert Pinsky is one of several poets reading Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the Peabody Essex Museum (East India Square), followed at 9:30 p.m. by the Intercollegiate Slam at Victoria Station (86 Wharf St.). April 20-22 starting at 10 a.m. Buttons available for donations of $10, $5 students and seniors (see website for button locations and the complete schedule). Downtown Salem. www.masspoetry.org
SATURDAY
SECOND GLASS WINE RIOT: Learn to talk about body, bouquet, and finish with authority at an event featuring tastings of more than 250 international wines, cheese, chocolate, 20-minute crash course seminars, interactive booths, and music. A free mobile app helps you keep track of all the choices. April 20, 7-11 p.m., opening night event. April 21, 1-5 p.m., Riot 1. April 21, 7-11 p.m., Riot 2. $50-$60. Boston Park Plaza Castle, 50 Arlington St., Boston. www.secondglass.com
ON TOP OF THE WORLD: A mother polar bear and her twin seven-month-old cubs upstage actress Meryl Streep in “To The Arctic,” a documentary about home in the arctic wilderness. The Oscar winner narrates this tale of survival. April 21 at 10 a.m., noon, 3, 5, and 8 p.m. (through Dec. 31). $10, $9 seniors, $8 ages 3-11. Museum of Science Mugar Omni Theater, 1 Science Park, Boston. 617-723-2500. www.mos.org
SUNDAY
NEIGHBORLY: It was cellist Yo Yo Ma who ignited the music spark for vocalist Esperanza Spalding. When the cellist performed on an episode of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” Spalding knew she would follow a music path. The first jazz musician to receive the Grammy for best new artist in 2011 celebrates her new release, “Radio Music Society," with a show at the Orpheum Theatre. April 22 at 7:30 p.m. $28-$45. Orpheum Theatre,
1 Hamilton Place, Boston. 617-876-4275. www.worldmusic.org
BREAK BREAD AND A RECORD: The Guinness World Record for the largest global picnic is on the line at Sunday’s Picnic for the Planet. Help break the record by breaking bread from noon-3 p.m., and celebrate Earth Day with local vendors, family-friendly activities, and a nature treasure hunt. April 22 from 11 a.m.-5 p.m., rain or shine. Free. Boston Common Frog Pond. www.nature.org/bostonpicnic
Contributors
Stephanie Callahan is a native Bostonian who loves cooking, traveling, spa treatments, and being on the ocean.
Milva DiDomizio is a New England native who's fond of cooking, singing, and Boston's arts and culture scene.
Swati G. Sharma is a Somerville resident and is a fan of city living, exploring Boston’s nightlife, and dancing.
Emily Sweeney is a Boston native who goes out all over, from Irish pubs in Southie to the roller rink in Dorchester.
