Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival
Now that it’s officially fall, I’m treating every final burst of warm weather as if it could be our last. With temperatures on Saturday expected in the mid-80s and Sunday near 70, it’s a great weekend to get out and enjoy Boston. This weekend, free fun is the name of the game, especially when it comes to art and music. In addition to free entry at several of the city’s top museums on Saturday, there are a few amazing (and free) concerts to enjoy throughout the weekend.
Here are my top picks for events this Saturday and Sunday:
Saturday, September 25
Free Jazz Fest in the South End
From noon to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, follow the sweet sounds of live jazz to Mass. Ave and Columbus Ave. in the South End for the tenth annual Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival. Serving as the grand finale to a series of events and performances that have been happening throughout the city since September 15, this all-day, outdoor festival features three stages with great performers, including Al Kooper and the Funky Faculty, the Jonathan Batiste Trio, and more. For a full schedule of today’s events, please click here.
Smithsonian Magazine Free Museum Day
With temps reaching into the mid-80s today, popping into a great local museum is an excellent way to beat the heat. Saturday marks the sixth annual Smithsonian Magazine Free Museum Day, with more than 60 museums in the state of Massachusetts offering gratis admission. My top Boston picks include the Museum of Fine Arts, The Museum of Science, The Mary Baker Eddy Library, Old South Meeting House, and Harvard Art Museums. All Bostonians need to do is visit the Smithsonian Magazine Free Museum Day’s website to print out a free voucher that must be presented upon arrival.
Fluff Fest in Somerville
As if there weren’t enough great events to choose from this Saturday, Union Square in Somerville is hosting a festival from 3:00 – 7:00 p.m. today dedicated to marshmallow fluff. Crazy, right? Apparently the sticky sweet comfort food was created in Union Square in 1917 by Archibald Query. Dubbed “What the Fluff?,” the fifth annual festival will feature tons of fluffy fun and sweet treats, including whoopie pies, Fluffachinos and wacky games like “Pin the F on Fluff Boy.” For more information on the event, please click here for their website.
Sunday, September 26
Free Boston Pops Concert on The Common
At 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, join the Boston Pops on the Boston Common for a free concert in celebration of their 125th anniversary. Dubbed “Pops in the Park,” this concert will play tribute to the Kennedy Brothers with The Dream Lives On: A Portrait of the Kennedy Brothers. Guests will enjoy speeches and video from the Kennedy brothers accompanied by the famed music of the Boston Pops. Also a part of the performance will be music from John Williams’s Star Wars and Boston favorites “Sweet Caroline” and “I’m Shipping Up to Boston.” For more information about the show, please click here.
SoWA Open Market
From 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, the stylish SoWA open market will be selling unique wares and local farmer’s produce in the South End. Featuring free admission and parking, I love popping in with a big cup of coffee and wandering around while searching for fabulous finds with a friend. Without fail, the nearby South End Buttery is always calling my name after. For more information on the SoWA open market, please click here.
Hope you have a lovely weekend! I know I will!