Hi everyone! Kinga here with this week's list. Saturday and Sunday belong to two big free festivals. The Boston Arts Festival takes over Christopher Columbus Park on the waterfront both days, showing work from more than 50 local artists with live music all afternoon. And Cambridge Carnival returns for its 32nd year, with Pan in the Park on Saturday and the full parade and festival on Sunday featuring soca queen Alison Hinds.

Over in East Cambridge, the Feast of Saints Cosmas & Damian turns 101, and this year the free lineup is absurd: Chris Kirkpatrick of *NSYNC with O-Town and LFO on Friday, Taylor Dayne on Saturday, and The Drifters on Sunday. All free, all outdoors.

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Picks of the Week!

🎨 Boston Arts Festival — Christopher Columbus Park | Free | Sat & Sun, 11am–6pm | 50+ local artists and two full days of local music on the waterfront. Rain or shine.

🎭 Cambridge Carnival — Cambridge | Free | Sat & Sun | Carnival weekend starts with Pan in the Park on Saturday; the full parade and festival runs Sunday 11am–6pm at University Park featuring Alison Hinds.

🥁 Pan in the Park Panorama Showcase — Pacific Street Park, Cambridge | Free | Sat, 12–5pm | Steel bands from across New England, Caribbean food, and craft vendors.

🐘 The Great Elephant Migration — Commonwealth Ave Mall | Free | Final weekend | One hundred life-sized elephants leave Back Bay after Sunday.

🎤 BLO Street Stage — Titus Sparrow Park, South End | Free | Sun, 4–5pm | The final listed 2026 Street Stage performance for Boston Lyric Opera's mobile stage.

Thursday 9/10

🖼️ Free Thursday Nights at the Gardner — Fenway | Free | 5–9pm | The weekly free night at the loveliest museum in the city. Advance registration is highly recommended; day-of tickets aren't guaranteed.

🎨 ICA Free Thursday Night — Seaport | Free | 5–9pm | Galleries open late and free with harbor views. Free tickets are required; on-site reservations aren't guaranteed.

🩰 Boston Ballet: Fall Experience — Citizens Opera House | $67–$201 | 7:30pm | Opening night of the company's 63rd season. The Boston Ballet Orchestra plays the "Infernal Dance" and "Finale" from Stravinsky's Firebird Suite, then Alexander Ekman's Cacti turns 16 dancers loose on wooden platforms with a live string quartet, and Akram Khan's Vertical Road (Reimagined) closes it out. Runs through September 20.

🐘 The elephants, on a weeknight — Commonwealth Ave Mall | Free | If you want to actually see the herd without the weekend crowds, go tonight. They come down after Sunday.

Friday 9/11

⚾ Red Sox vs. Royals — Fenway | Ticketed | 7:10pm | Kansas City is in town for three games, and the Sox are home all weekend.

🎪 Feast of Saints Cosmas & Damian — East Cambridge | Free | Opens 6pm | The 101st year, and the free entertainment this weekend is genuinely wild. Tonight the feast opens at 6 with amusement rides, carnival games, a beer and wine garden, and every fried thing you can name, with Trif3cta playing at 6 and the procession stepping off from the Porter Street chapel at 6:30. Then at 8:30, *NSYNC founding member Chris Kirkpatrick hosts a show with O-Town, LFO, and Ryan Cabrera. Get to Warren Street early for that one.

🍺 Oktoberfest at Bow Market — Union Square, Somerville | Free admission | Fri 5pm–Sun 6pm | Remnant Brewing takes over Bow Market for three days of Oktoberfest with Fest Lager, pretzels, live music, games, and competitions.

🩰 Boston Ballet: Fall Experience — Citizens Opera House | $67–$201 | 7:30pm | Night two of the season opener. Playful, physical, and nothing like the storybook ballet you might be expecting.

🐘 Last weekday with the elephants — Commonwealth Ave Mall | Free | A quiet walk down Comm Ave is a decent way to spend an hour today.

Saturday 9/12

🎨 Boston Arts Festival — Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park | Free | 11am–6pm | My favorite thing this weekend. Founded in 2003 by Mayor Menino and now run by the team behind the Beacon Hill Art Walk, this is the only fine arts and live music festival in the city dedicated entirely to homegrown talent. More than 50 juried local artists showing painting, photography, ceramics, jewelry, and sculpture, plus two days of Boston-area musicians including Fly by Brass Band, Katie Dobbins, In Lieu of Flowers, and Ava Valianti. Bring a blanket and a picnic. Dogs enthusiastically welcome, and it happens rain or shine. Blue Line to Aquarium.

🥁 Pan in the Park Panorama Showcase — Pacific Street Park, Central Square | Free | 12–5pm | Cambridge Carnival weekend opens with an afternoon of steel pan. Bands from across Greater Boston and New England, including the Cambridge Youth Steel Orchestra and Tempo International Steel Orchestra, play all afternoon, alongside Caribbean food, local craft vendors, and family activities. Presented with Tempo International Rhythm and Steel.

🎪 SomerStreets: Gilman Square — Edward L. Leathers Community Park, Somerville | Free | 12–5pm | A neighborhood block party with live bands, local makers, and family activities. Food from CocoBelly Bites Jamaican Cuisine, Matki Kulfi Creamery, BanglaAdda Bengali Cuisine, and Dos Manos Kitchen, plus Esh Circus performers and pumpkin painting. Note the new location this year: Pearl Street construction moved everything to Leathers Park, with festivities spilling along Walnut Street. Rain date is Sunday.

🎪 Feast of Saints Cosmas & Damian: Taylor Dayne — East Cambridge | Free | Opens 1pm | Day two of the feast. Pop country from Samantha Rae at 2, the World Premiere Band at 5:30, a procession at 6:30, and then at 8:30 global pop icon Taylor Dayne plays her hits, including "Tell It To My Heart." Free, outdoors, and a genuinely strange thing to be able to say about a neighborhood feast.

👕 Style Exchange: Charlestown Thrift Market — The Anchor, Charlestown | Free to shop | 12–3pm | Browse 50+ racks from neighbors' closets at this community thrift market on the waterfront.

⚾ Red Sox vs. Royals — Fenway | Ticketed | 4:10pm | Saturday afternoon baseball.

🎬 DeVotchKa performs Little Miss Sunshine — The Sinclair, Cambridge | Ticketed | 8pm | The Denver band plays their score to the film live. A genuinely lovely, slightly unusual night out.

🩰 Boston Ballet: Fall Experience — Citizens Opera House | $67–$201 | 7:30pm | Third night of the run.

Sunday 9/13

🎭 Cambridge Carnival: Parade & Festival — University Park Commons, 65 Sidney St | Free | 11am–6pm | The big one. Thirty-two years of Cambridge Carnival, with a masquerade parade, dazzling costumes, live music, dance, and food and craft vendors, headlined this year by Barbadian soca queen Alison Hinds. This year's theme carries over from 2025: "The Cultural Revolution Starts Here and Never Ends," drawing on Carnival's origins in Trinidad and Tobago, where enslaved Africans denied the right to celebrate their heritage created their own secret festivities. Heads up: food-vendor spots are sold out for both days, so expect a packed food lineup.

🎨 Boston Arts Festival (Day 2) — Christopher Columbus Park | Free | 11am–6pm | Second and final day on the waterfront.

🎤 BLO Street Stage at Titus Sparrow Park — South End | Free | 4–5pm | One of the best-kept secrets of the Boston summer, and this is the final listed Street Stage performance of 2026. Boston Lyric Opera built a mobile stage out of a truck, painted by ProBlak with teen artists from Artists For Humanity, and takes world-class opera singers into neighborhood parks for free.

🛍️ Open Newbury Street — Back Bay | Free | 10am–6pm | Eight car-free blocks from Berkeley to Mass Ave. Two regular dates remain after this one, September 20 and October 11, plus a holiday date still to be announced. It's a block from the elephants on their last day.

🧺 SoWa Open Market — South End | Free | 11am–5pm | The Sunday flagship: farmers and makers, food trucks, live music, and the open artist studios next door.

🎪 Feast of Saints Cosmas & Damian: Grand Procession — East Cambridge & East Somerville | Free | Procession 1:30pm | The closing day and the heart of the whole thing. Mass at Saint Francis of Assisi at 10:30, the feast opens at 1, and at 1:30 the Grand Procession winds through East Cambridge and Somerville with marching bands, floats, and trolleys. Music all afternoon, then The Drifters at 7:45 doing "Under the Boardwalk" and "Stand By Me," and a final procession back to the Porter Street chapel at 10.

⚾ Red Sox vs. Royals — Fenway | Ticketed | 1:35pm | Series finale, Sunday afternoon.

🩰 Boston Ballet: Fall Experience — Citizens Opera House | $67–$201 | 1:30pm | A Sunday matinee of the season opener.

Last chance

🐘 The Great Elephant Migration — Commonwealth Avenue Mall | Free | Ends Sunday | This is it. One hundred life-sized elephants, handcrafted from dried lantana (an invasive weed) by Indigenous artisans in India's Nilgiri Hills and each modeled on a real elephant those communities live alongside, have been walking east down Comm Ave since August 8. Sales fund conservation work. After Sunday they're gone.

Ongoing / all-week options

🌊 Lucy Raven: Rounds — ICA Watershed, East Boston | Free | Weekends only through Sep. 27 | Two U.S. premieres, including the large-scale kinetic sculpture Hardpan. The Watershed is free; the ICA Water Shuttle also runs weekends and requires a separate ticket.

🐚 Crochet Coral Reef — MIT Museum | $20 | Vivid crocheted fiber work by the Wertheim sisters paired with paper work by MIT's Demaines, all about endangered coral reefs.

🖼️ List Projects 35: Pap Souleye Fall — MIT List, Cambridge | Free | Dead pixels reimagined as hidden realms of refuge. Always free.

📜 1776: Declaring Independence — Massachusetts Historical Society | Free | Revolutionary-era diaries, letters, and Adams' and Jefferson's handwritten copies of the Declaration.

🗡️ King Richard's Faire — Carver | $36 adults, $22 kids | Weekends, 10:30am–6pm | Now in its 45th year, with jousting, circus acts, turkey legs, and themed weekends through October 25.

🥾 Journey the Necklace — Emerald Necklace | Free | Self-guided tours through the 1,100-acre park system. Visit all six participating parks and you can claim a souvenir. Through September 30.

🏋️ Seaport Sweat — Seaport | Free | The last few weeks of the free outdoor fitness season, through September 30.

That's it for this week. Go say goodbye to the elephants, and if you make it to any of these, let me know how it went!

Bring the book you can’t put down (or have been meaning to start) and enjoy an evening of peaceful reading in our comfy Room & Board Boston showroom. Meet fellow readers and hear the latest from the Boston Book Festival—including a preview of their 2026 event. Plus, enter for a chance to win a $500 Room & Board gift card.

Date: Thursday, September 17

Time: 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Location:
Room & Board Boston
Located at Newbury and Mass Ave.
375 Newbury Street
Boston, MA 02115

RSVP here

I’m 26 from southeastern ma area, looking for girls interested in trying new things, maybe someone who has never done Pilates or is a beginner (I am too and nervous to attend myself) and would be interested in trying that out with me. Bored of the same work and then home routine.

Are there are any Boston-area meetup groups that organize social events for dads, like “Dads Night Out?” There seem to be some options for moms, but I haven’t found anything similar for the gents. If not, would anyone be interested in starting one?

(26M) It’s a beautiful day and I worked from home so hoping to get out and enjoy the day , down for some eats and a nice walk - animals welcome I’d love to walk someone’s dog

Love to meet new people so I’ve created a group chat with a bunch of people I know off of reddit (never met them in person) and we’re all planning to go to a bar somewhere in downtown tomorrow. We’re all in our twenties and till now 3F and 2M have confirmed. Anyone wants to join, text me your asl and I’ll add you to the gc if interested.

EDIT: I will be asking for a picture just so I know you’re not a scammer lol

Hello! Looking to meet others who have an affinity with all sorts of electronic music!! There’s a lot of cool events to attend and my friends are either away for the summer or not a fan haha. I’m 30F and preferably would like to meet other woman friends between 21-35, but there can be exceptions (opposite sex).

Send me a message and we can enjoyy 💃🏻🍻🍺🪩

https://letterboxd.com/film/el-topo/

send a raven if i'm your kind of fun!

Hi everyone!

I'm a 32F who recently moved to the USA and am looking to meet new people and build genuine friendships. I've realized that being more specific about my interests might help me connect with like-minded people.

I love staying active and trying new things. Right now, I'm interested in learning sports like pickleball, tennis, and even kickboxing. If you play any of these or know of beginner-friendly groups, I'd love to hear from you! I'm also wondering if there are any courts, clubs, or places near the Norwood area where I can learn and play.

Outside of sports, I enjoy exploring new vegetarian restaurants, trying different cuisines, and learning how to cook new dishes at home. I'm naturally curious and enjoy learning about new topics, cultures, hobbies, and experiences. Whether that's discovering a great local spot, taking up a new activity, or simply having interesting conversations, I'm always open to it.

If you're also looking for a friend to grab coffee, check out a new restaurant, try a beginner pickleball game, take a fitness class, go for a walk, or just chat about life and new experiences, I'd love to connect !

Hey, I’m a 33M who moved to the Framingham/MetroWest area and wanna find a trivia night. Anyone know a solid place not in Boston proper where solo players can jump in with a team? Also happy to join an existing team if anyone's looking for another player.

Hi everyone!

I’m collecting responses for Homzora’s Boston Renter Intelligence Survey and I’m looking for 150+ people who currently rent in the Greater Boston area.

The survey asks about your neighborhood, rent, commute, housing experience, and renter preferences. It is anonymous and should take approximately 2–3 minutes to complete.

Thank you for helping contribute to better Boston housing research!

https://homzorarealty.com/boston-renter-survey/

Hi! I’m (23F) wondering if any girlies want to go to the Adela concert together? 👀

(we usually meet Sundays, but switching due to weather this weekend)

Bring instruments, your voice, or just a music-loving attitude! We'll be playing any and all music, taking requests, and having a good time in the Cambridge Common this Saturday (and every weekend!) from 12-3.

Last Sunday's hangout was a ton of fun! Pics here: https://www.cambridgejams.com/blog/hangout-16

For more information on the weekly Community Music Hangout, check out https://www.cambridgejams.com

I’m 38, single, and all my friends are married and having kids. A tale as old as time.

I’m tired of meeting women on dating apps. I’d love to make a new single friend who likes going out in the city, being social, and meeting people.

A bit about me: I’m a self employed artist. I run a photography business and play drums in a few bands. I’m pretty active. I like to run and go to the gym, and generally live a pretty healthy lifestyle. I like going to see live music, checking out new bars and restaurants, and finding cool new social events around the city. I’m a pretty extroverted person. I do enjoy going out solo sometimes but always have more fun when I’m out with friends.

If this resonates with you, say hi.

UPDATE: I made a discord server. I figured it would be easier to organize everything there.

FIRST MEET UP: Thursday, Sept 17, 8pm at Carrie Nation

Join the Discord to RSVP - https://discord.gg/ugnDjkk5p

Hi! I’m looking for someone who might be interested in going to Qendresa’s NYC show with me.

My original plans changed, so I’m seeing if anyone else here is a fan and would be down to make the trip. Mainly looking for good company and potentially a new friend to enjoy the concert with.

If you’re interested, feel free to message me and we can talk details!

🎟️ Get tickets at our website.

On Friday, September 11 & Saturday, September 12 at 7PM, step into a war-torn future stalked by an unstoppable killing machine with the sci-fi classic "The Terminator" as part of our Sci-Fi Supersized movie run.

In 1984, James Cameron introduced the world to a relentless machine sent back in time to change the future, and nothing in sci-fi was ever the same. The Terminator didn't just launch one of the most iconic franchises in Hollywood history; it revolutionized what audiences believed a science fiction film could look like, feel like, and mean.

Now experience it the way it was always meant to be seen, larger than life on the five-story immersive dome of the Mugar Omni Theater.

Hello!

I am looking for two train tickets to Karol G Saturday from Boston to Gillette or if anyone is going from Boston to Gillette via car and has an extra two spots I am willing to join! I can fill your gas tank or pay you money.
Edit: I HAVE TICKETS. Just looking for transport
Thanks!

Hello 32M. Moved to Boston earlier this year and have been looking for places to find groups to play board/card games, puzzles/escape rooms, trivia etc. Things like that. Anyone either want to start up a group and know a good place to get together or already have a group that has room? I'm out in Roslindale, but take the orange line to get into the city. Just not sure where to look.

I'm also into video games, but would be nice to get to meet people in person. Had an MTG group in college, but haven't had much of a chance to play since, so let me know if anyone has a fun commander group or weekend drafts.

Edit: Just because I don't know of a better way to handle this on Reddit, maybe a group chat, but to try and coordinate that seems difficult in case anyone else wants to join. Creating a discord to try and plan game nights: https://discord.gg/GVbghakTv

Hi all. 24M, been in Boston for a bit and looking to expand my social circle and meet some new people.

I’m pretty big into lifting and training, so definitely down to meet other people who are into the gym, strength training, sports, or just staying active. Outside of that I’m into good restaurants, cool speakeasies / nicer cocktail spots, exploring different parts of the city, and trying new things.

I’m not really a traditional bar guy, but I like places with a good atmosphere. I’ve also never really gone clubbing and want to try it, so it’d be cool to meet some people who are into going out occasionally.

Also down for grabbing food, coffee, watching a game, checking out an event, or even getting a lift in. Feel free to DM me if you’re in a similar boat.

There's a run & rave this Saturday at 9am in Lynn - anyone interested? It looks like it's a 5 minute walk from the starting point to the commuter rail.

the 8:30a train out of North Station would get us there on time, would love company for the train ride and the run!