10 things to do in Boston this weekend
BosTen is your weekly guide to events and cool happenings in and around Boston.
Skip Netflix this weekend — here are 10 ways to get out of your home and not be bored in the city. If you’d like BosTen delivered to your inbox every Thursday, click here. Want more things to do? Check out our events calendar at boston.com/events. You can also learn even more about awesome events around Boston by joining the BosTen Facebook group.
“The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)”
Whether you’re cramming for a Shakespeare exam or simply looking for a humorously truncated take on the bard’s body of work, the Actors’ Shakespeare Project is just the ticket. Offering a two-hour show heavy on audience participation, the troupe claims to hold the record for the shortest reenactment of “Hamlet,” clocking in at 43 seconds. (Now through Saturday, Jan. 12 at 3:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Charlestown Working Theater, Boston; $25 – $55; all ages)
Errol Morris’ ‘American Dharma’
Errol Morris is one of the most well-regarded documentary filmmakers working today. His 1988 film “The Thin Blue Line” helped secure the release of a man who spent 12 years in prison after being convicted of murder, and his 2003 effort “The Fog of War” revealed the mindset of former Secretary of Defense and Vietnam War architect Robert McNamara, winning Morris an Oscar. This weekend, Morris will be at the Brattle Theatre to discuss his newest film, “American Dharma,” a documentary about former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon that begins a weeklong engagement on Friday. (Friday, Jan. 3 at 7 p.m.; Brattle Theatre, Cambridge; $9-12; film not rated)
New England Historic Genealogical Society New Visitor Tour
Want to research your family history, but unsure of where to start or unwilling to splurge on an Ancestry.com account? On Saturday, the New England Historic Genealogical Society will offer a free orientation and tour of its facility, which houses more than 15 million artifacts, books, manuscripts, microfilms, journals, photographs, and records. You’ll also be able to learn from the society’s expert staff on how best to begin your family tree research, and use the organization’s considerable resources to conduct research of your own after the tour concludes. (Saturday, Jan. 4 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.; New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston; free; all ages)
Cambridge Winter Farmers Market
You don’t have to stop heading to farmers markets because the growing season is over. Starting on Jan. 4, the Cambridge Winters Farmers Market will be open every Saturday through April 4. Shop for fresh produce from 30-plus vendors, take in live music, and let the kiddos loose for some family-friendly activities at the Cambridge Community Center gymnasium. (Saturday, Jan. 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Cambridge Community Center, Cambridge; free; all ages)
Massachusetts Bridal and Wedding Expo
If you’re one of the many lucky people who got engaged during the holiday season, the Massachusetts Bridal and Wedding Expo is coming to Wilmington this weekend to satisfy your one-stop wedding shopping needs. Along with dozens of vendors, the expo will have runway shows, in-house DJs, and cash giveaways throughout the weekend. (Saturday, Jan. 4 and Sunday, Jan. 5 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Shriners Auditorium, Wilmington; free entry with online pre-registration, $10 at the door; all ages)
Dorchester Brewing Co.’s Hopservatory
Dorchester Brewing will celebrate the opening of its new Hopservatory, an all-seasons rooftop greenhouse that will add capacity to its Mass Ave. taproom. Stop by on Saturday for live music, food from M&M BBQ, and a free DBco glass, while supplies last. (Saturday, Jan. 4 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m.; Dorchester Brewing Co., Boston; free; 21+)
The Great Gatsby Ball
Whether you didn’t manage to attend a 1920s-themed party on New Year’s Eve or you simply want to throw on your best flapper outfit one more time, the Fairmont Copley Plaza will host its annual Great Gatsby Ball this Saturday. With music from the Wolverine Jazz Band and dancing from the Commonwealth Vintage Dancers, the evening’s vibe will be distinctly pre-Great Depression. (Saturday, Jan. 4 from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Fairmont Copley Plaza, Boston; $75 GA, $125 VIP; 18+)
Chris Fleming
Chris Fleming kicked off his stand-up career at the Comedy Studio back when he was a 17-year-old student at Nashoba Valley Regional High School, before moving to Los Angeles in 2010. The Stow native, probably best known for playing hyper-competitive housewife Gayle Waters-Waters in his YouTube series “Gayle,” will bring his oddball brand of comedy to the Wilbur for a pair of shows this Friday. Thanks to continuing hometown support, the early show is already sold out, but tickets for the 9:45 set are still available. (Saturday, Jan. 4 at 9:45 p.m.; The Wilbur, Boston; $40; all ages)
Salute to Vienna New Year’s Concert
With New Year’s Eve and Day falling in the middle of the week, you can keep the celebration going this weekend at Symphony Hall with its New Year’s concert. Dancers and musicians will re-create Neujahrskonzert, a concert that has ushered in the New Year in Vienna and elsewhere around the globe for more than 80 years. (Sunday, Jan. 5 at 2:30 p.m.; Symphony Hall, Boston; $25 and up; all ages)
50 Cent
Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson had one of the most dominant starts to a rap career of the 2000s, selling more than six million copies of 2003’s “Get Rich or Die Tryin'” and scoring two no. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 with “21 Questions” and “In Da Club.” On Sunday, da club 50 Cent will be in is Big Night Live, where he’ll bring nearly two decades of hits to the Causeway Street venue. (Sunday, Jan. 5 at 10 p.m.; Big Night Live, Boston; $29.50 and up; 18+)
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