This weekend in Boston · Oct. 2–4
Hot sauce, dumplings and a rave for toddlers
13 things to do in Boston this weekend, from free festivals to a night at Symphony Hall.
October showed up right on time, and Boston is celebrating the way it knows best: with food. This weekend brings hot sauce on City Hall Plaza, dumplings in Roslindale Village, pretzels and polka at Harpoon, and a Taylor Swift fall party on the Lawn on D.
There are no Boston home games this weekend, so the city is yours. Here are our picks, sorted by mood.
Free and outside
Cost: nothing but a jacketSpicetoberFest
A whole festival about heat: hot sauce makers, chef demos and a hot sauce challenge on City Hall Plaza. Bring milk.
Sat. 11 a.m.–6 p.m. · City Hall Plaza, Government Center
Fall Fest (Taylor's Version)
A fall block party with a Taylor Swift tribute set and friendship-bracelet making. Dress as your favorite era.
Sat. noon–5 p.m. (tribute set 2–5) · The Lawn on D, South Boston
Fall walks at the Arnold Arboretum
A guided walk through Olmsted's landscape as the leaves turn. Tours are nearly full, but the grounds are free to wander any day.
Olmsted tour Sat. 11 a.m. · Birding walk Sun. 8 a.m. · Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plain
Tour tickets required. Orange Line to Forest Hills.
Eat and drink
Skip lunch. Trust us.Roslindale Dumpling Festival
Dumplings from around the world in Roslindale Village. Pace yourself, then don't.
Sat. 3:30–7 p.m. · Adams Park & Birch Street Plaza, Roslindale
Harpoon Octoberfest (the 40th!)
Boston's classic Octoberfest turns 40: polka, giant pretzels and seasonal beer. Friday night is the rowdier one.
"After Dark" Fri. 6–11 p.m. · Sat. noon–7 p.m. · Harpoon Brewery, 306 Northern Ave., Seaport
21+, cashless, rain or shine.
With the kids
Tire them out, then go homeCambridge Science Carnival
Hands-on science outdoors, with underwater robots and touch tables of live coastal creatures.
Sun. noon–4 p.m. · Kendall/MIT Open Space, Cambridge
ICA Play Date + Boston Family Day
Free art-making for kids at the ICA. It's also Boston Family Day, so Boston students and two guests get into 26 museums and zoos free.
Sun. 10 a.m.–3 p.m. · Institute of Contemporary Art, Seaport
Some Family Day spots ask you to reserve ahead.
Boston Lights at Franklin Park Zoo
The zoo after dark, filled with giant glowing lanterns. Good for families, and secretly a great date.
Nightly 5–10:30 p.m. (through Nov. 8) · Franklin Park Zoo, Dorchester / Roxbury
Runs nightly through Nov. 8. Buying online ahead is cheaper than at the gate.
Music and a night out
Put on real shoesBSO: All Rachmaninoff
Andris Nelsons and pianist Seong-Jin Cho play Rachmaninoff at his most romantic. Easy date night.
Fri. 1:30 p.m. · Sat. 8 p.m. · Symphony Hall, Back Bay / Fenway
Boston Fuzzstival
Eighteen local bands over two nights. Cheap, all ages, and a fast way to find a new favorite band.
Fri. 6:30–11 p.m. · Sat. 5:30–11 p.m. · Arts at the Armory, Somerville
The Smashing Pumpkins / beabadoobee
'90s alt-rock royalty on Friday, dreamy indie pop on Saturday. Pick your decade.
Pumpkins Fri. 8 p.m. · beabadoobee Sat. 8 p.m. · TD Garden, West End
Boston Lyric Opera: William Tell (final shows)
Last chance for BLO's big 50th-anniversary show. Yes, it has the overture from the cartoons.
Fri. 7:30 p.m. · Sun. 3 p.m. · Emerson Colonial Theatre, Theatre District
Sung in French with English surtitles, about 2 hr. 50 min.
Only in Boston
You won't find this anywhere elseToddler Rave World Tour
An actual EDM rave for toddlers, with remixed nursery rhymes and a DJ duck. Nap time is canceled.
Sun. 12:30 p.m. · MGM Music Hall at Fenway, Fenway
Sports
No home games this weekendThe Red Sox's Wild Card series is all at Yankee Stadium, the Bruins are on the road, and the Celtics' preseason doesn't start until Oct. 10. If you need a stadium fix, Zach Bryan plays Gillette in Foxborough on Friday and Saturday.
Red Sox postseason FAQ (MLB) · TD Garden schedule · Gillette Stadium events
Heads up
- The Somerville Nepali Street Food Festival planned for Sunday has been canceled, even though some event listings still show it. Details are on the Somerville Arts Council's page.
Plans change: check the organizer's link before you go. Found a mistake, or have an event we should know about? Tell us, and we log every fix on our corrections page.
What's coming up after this weekend →
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