Magazine

Things to Do

Ideas for fun things to do around Boston this spring

Your calendar of events, music, theater, and more for the season.

LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 09: Actress/comedian Sarah Silverman performs at the Teragram Ballroom for The Post Pop Depression Tour on March 9, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Sarah Silverman takes the stage at The Wilbur on April 27 and 28.

EVENTS

Cambridge Science Festival / April 14-23

Ask questions about life on other planets, meet robots, and enjoy hands-on activities and presentations by scientists of all stripes. Bring the whole family or schedule an evening with friends; there’s something for science enthusiasts of any age. Prices and venues vary. cambridgesciencefestival.org

Sarah Silverman / April 27-28 The Emmy Award-winning actress, producer, and comedian takes the stage at The Wilbur for a stand-up set that reminds audiences why she’s a top name on the comedy scene. $49-$69. 617-248-9700; thewilbur.com

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Boston International Cat Show / April 28-30

Head to the Boston Teachers Union Hall in Dorchester for a weekend showcase of all things feline. $10, $7 seniors, students, and military, 12 and under free. bostoninternationalcatshow.com

SoWa Open Market / Opening April 29

The weekend-only SoWa Open Market returns to Harrison Avenue in the South End, offering handcrafted goods from dozens of vendors, a farmers market with fresh produce and blooms, a selection of food trucks, and a craft beer garden. Free. sowaboston.com

Art in Bloom / April 29-May 1

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This festival focuses on fine art and flowers, with workshops, demonstrations, and lectures about how to make your own floral arrangements inspired by works in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts. 617-267-9300; mfa.org

Japan Festival Boston / April 30

The sixth annual Japan Festival spreads across Boston Common for a day devoted to celebrating Japanese culture, food, music, and more. Free. 781-492-4307; japanfestivalboston.org

Run of the Charles / April 30

The 35th annual Run of the Charles features hundreds of canoes and kayaks and thousands of spectators gathered for the largest flat-bottomed boat race in New England. Free. crwa.org

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MayFair in Harvard Square / May 7

The 34th annual MayFair brings music, food, family entertainment, and the joy of spring to Harvard Square. Free. 617-491-3434; harvardsquare.com

Lilac Sunday at the Arnold Arboretum / May 14

Take part in a beloved Mother’s Day tradition and head to the Arnold Arboretum to enjoy the fragrant blooms of 165 different types of lilacs as well as family activities, food vendors, and special presentations. Free. 617-524-1718; arboretum.harvard.edu

Cambridge Arts River Festival / June 3

Head across the Charles for the annual Cambridge Arts River Festival, featuring public art exhibitions, live music, and family-friendly activities and entertainment. Free. 617-349-4380; cambridgema.gov/arts

Boston Pride Festival / June 10

As part of Boston Pride Week, the Saturday festival celebrating love includes a parade from Copley Square to City Hall Plaza. Free. bostonpride.org/festival

Boston Dragon Boat Festival / June 10-11

Featuring dragon boat races, cuisine, and arts and crafts, this annual festival highlights the richness and variety of Asian cultures and their integration into Boston’s civic identity. Boat races are best viewed from the Boston side of the Charles River; the festival is on the Cambridge side, near Harvard Square. Free. bostondragonboat.org

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FAMILY 

Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt / April 8

Bring the kids to Faneuil Hall, pick up a basket and a sheet of clues, and search the marketplace businesses for eggs filled with candy. Register online to secure your basket. Free. 617-523-1300; faneuilhallmarketplace.com

The Emperor’s New Clothes / April 13

Join tricky tailors Loo Roo and Bob as they meet the all-powerful emperor and promise to make him a new outfit that only the smartest people will be able to see. The original musical plays the Berklee Performance Center. $5. 617-747-2261; berklee.edu

Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel / April 18

The National Marionette Theatre presents the Brothers Grimm’s fairy tale about two lost children as part of the Celebrate! series for family audiences at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Free, reservations required. 617-514-1600; jfklibrary.org

Harbor Islands Opening / May 13

To mark the 100th birthday of the National Park Service, take a free ferry ride to kick off the 2017 Harbor Islands season. Groups can retrieve up to four free tickets from Long Wharf-North to travel to Georges, Spectacle, or Peddocks Island. The ticket window opens at 8:30 a.m., and all tickets are first come, first served. Free. bostonharborislands.org

Duckling Day / May 14

Bring the little ones, preferably in costume, for a Mother’s Day tradition that celebrates Robert McCloskey’s classic children’s book Make Way for Ducklings with a parade and family entertainment. $40 per family, $35 advance. 617-723-8144; friendsofthepublicgarden.org

Play Date: Rhythm and Hues / May 27

The last Saturday of the month gives families space to create art together, try a yoga class, and enjoy a performance by French group SR9 Trio, returning to the Institute of Contemporary Art by popular demand. Free for up to two adults when accompanied by children 12 and under; youths 17 and under free. 617-478-3100; icaboston.org

How to Eat Like a Child / June 2-4

This musical, written by Delia Ephron, is performed by kids for kids, teaching 23 different hilarious lessons that many younger audience members (and some older ones) will relate to. At the Concord Youth Theatre. $13. 978-371-1482; concordyouththeatre.org

MUSIC 

Operators / April 3

Pop outfit Operators brings synth-infused dance hits to the Brighton Music Hall for an electrifying evening; the group’s debut album, Blue Wave, drops on April 1. $14. 617-779-0140; crossroadspresents.com

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra With Wynton Marsalis / April 9

Head to Symphony Hall for a centennial celebration of legendary big band drummer Buddy Rich featuring Wynton Marsalis on trumpet. $35-$75. 617-482-6661; celebrityseries.org

Latin America Vive Music Festival / April 11

Showcasing performers and composers from across Latin America, this festival at the Berklee Performance Center celebrates the wide variety of Latin music, from salsa and jazz to boleros and more. $12, $8 advance. 617-747-2261; berklee.edu

Roomful of Teeth With A Far Cry / April 13

Grammy-winning vocal collective Roomful of Teeth joins the 17-piece instrumental group A Far Cry for an evening that explores the human range of musicality. At Sanders Theatre. $55-$65. 617-482-6661; celebrityseries.org

The Magnetic Fields: 50 Song Memoir / April 14-15

Songwriter Stephin Merritt presents his 50 Song Memoir, an album that contains one song for each year of his life. Over two nights, the Berklee Performance Center will play host to a musical and visual display that explores the artist’s humanity and his passage through time. $35-$45, $80 two-night pass available. 617-747-2261; berklee.edu

The Nile Project / April 15

Artists from 11 countries in the Nile Basin unite for the Nile Project, a musical collaboration that uses instruments, voices, and more than 10 languages to convey the members’ respect for the longest river in the world. At the Somerville Theatre. $35. 617-876-4275; worldmusic.org

The Gloaming / April 22

Band members will perform Irish tunes, rekindle songs of old, and even conduct virtuosic experiments. At the Berklee Performance Center. $28-$42. 617-876-4275; worldmusic.org

An Intimate Evening With Kristin Chenoweth / April 30

Kristin Chenoweth, an Emmy- and Tony Award-winning Broadway darling, heads to Symphony Hall for an evening of pop classics, standards, and more. From $45. 617-482-6661; celebrityseries.org

Marc-Andre Hamelin / May 5

A world-class virtuosic pianist, Marc-Andre Hamelin visits Jordan Hall at New England Conservatory for an evening of Haydn, Beethoven, Brahms, and more. $35-$75. 617-482-6661; celebrityseries.org

Empire of the Sun / May 12

The Australian electro-pop duo features Luke Steele from Sleepy Jackson and Nick Littlemore from Pnau. At the Blue Hills Bank Pavilion. From $25. 800-745-3000; bostonpavilion.net

Stir: Nico Muhly & Anthony Roth Costanzo / June 1

Composer Nico Muhly and vocalist Anthony Roth Costanzo explore the range of the countertenor voice. Tickets include Gardner Museum admission. $27, $24 seniors, $17 members, $12 students and children 7 – 17. 617-278-5156; gardnermuseum.org

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds / June 10

Following the 2016 release of the album Skeleton Tree and its accompanying film, One More Time With Feeling, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds head to the Wang Theatre. From $45. 800-982-2787; bochcenter.org

Diana Krall / June 17

On the heels of her new album, Turn Up the Quiet, jazz pianist and singer Diana Krall visits the Shubert Theatre. From $63.75. 866-348-9738; bochcenter.org

 DANCE

Maureen Fleming / April 21-22

As part of a surreal display with music by Philip Glass and writing by Henry David Hwang, Maureen Fleming uses movement to create a meditative atmosphere at the Institute of Contemporary Art. The performance contains nudity. $40, $36 World Music/CRASHarts and ICA members. 617-478-3103; icaboston.org

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater / April 27-30

Alvin Ailey’s annual showcase of modern dance, a mainstay of the Boston performing arts community since 1968, returns to the Wang Theatre. From $35. 617-482-6661; celebrityseries.org

The Sleeping Beauty / April 28-May 27

Awaiting true love’s kiss, a sleeping princess and a company of magical creatures inhabit the Boston Opera House for Boston Ballet’s spring production. From $35. 617-695-6955; bostonballet.org

Beth Gill / May 12-13

Bessie Award winner and Guggenheim Fellow Beth Gill brings a new performance to the Institute of Contemporary Art that incorporates deliberate movement, vivid artistry, and a languorous sense of time. $25, $15 members and students. 617-478-3103; icaboston.org

Tchaikovsky. Pro et Contra / May 26-28

Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg appears at the Cutler Majestic Theatre for an exciting, movement-driven examination of Tchaikovsky’s life and his relationship with music. From $10. 617-824-8400; cutlermajestic.org

Spring Revue / June 2-3

Urbanity Dance’s season finale, at Boston University’s Tsai Center, features a contemporary program by a variety of renowned choreographers and performers. $30-$50. 617-572-3727; urbanitydance.org

Shaping Sound: After the Curtain / June 17

Travis Wall, a choreographer known for his work on So You Think You Can Dance, brings a performance to the Wang Theatre that explores the creative mind-set of a man after he has lost his true love. From $43.75. 800-982-2787; bochcenter.org

THEATER 

17 Border Crossings / April 19-29

One-man phenomenon Thaddeus Phillips delves into the details of traveling between countries, especially modern-day mass migrations. $60, $55 seniors, $10-$15 students. 617-824-8400; artsemerson.org

Annie / May 9-21

Join a curly-haired orphan, a dog named Sandy, and the unforgettable Daddy Warbucks at the Wang Theatre, and remember, “The sun will come out tomorrow.” From $35. 800-982-2787; bochcenter.org

Motown the Musical / May 23-28

The Hanover Theatre presents the story of Berry Gordy, who rose to the top of the music industry from humble roots and discovered icons like Diana Ross and Michael Jackson. $49-$79. 877-571-7469; thehanovertheatre.org

Ripcord / Opening May 26

In this dark comedy, two women in an assisted-living home make a bet that quickly spirals out of control. The Huntington Theatre Company production plays the Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts. $63-$85, $20 military and students. 617-266-0800; huntingtontheatre.org

Mamma Mia! / May 30-June 4

With a fun-filled soundtrack by ABBA, Mamma Mia! tells the story of a daughter searching for her father’s identity on the eve of her wedding. At the Boston Opera House. From $40. 617-259-3400; bostonoperahouse.com

Hedwig and the Angry Inch / May 30-June 11

John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask’s rock musical, with Euan Morton portraying the East German transgender frontwoman Hedwig Robinson, plays the Shubert Theatre. From $35. 866-348-9738; bochcenter.org

 FILM

Boston International Film Festival / April 13-17

The 15th annual festival presents nearly 60 pieces representing some 20 countries. The festivities kick off with James Gray’s newest feature, The Lost City of Z, at the AMC Loews Boston Common 19. Venues vary. $12, $45-$55 opening- and closing-night screening and gala, passes available. 617-482-3310; bostoniff.org

Repo Man / May 5

Punk Otto starts living the fast life when he begins to work for a repo man named Bud. At the Museum of Fine Arts. $11, $9 members. 617-267-9300; mfa.org

Berkshire International Film Festival / June 1-4

The 12th annual Berkshire International Film Festival celebrates independent filmmaking from across Massachusetts and beyond. Prices vary, passes available. biffma.org

MUSEUMS 

“Club Americano” / April 22-June 4

The Museum of Fine Arts presents an interactive exhibition by artist Pablo Helguera. “Club Americano” combines visual art, community gatherings, and performance lectures to spark conversation about inclusivity and sharing space. $25, $23 seniors and students, $10 youths 7-17, 6 and under free. 617-267-9300; mfa.org

“POPnology” / Opening April 30

Interact with robots, catch a glimpse of the first 3-D printed car, and more at a new exhibition at the Museum of Science that showcases the magic of innovation in technology. $25, $21 seniors, $20 under 12. 617-723-2500; mos.org

“John O’Reilly: A Studio Odyssey” / Opening May 13

The Worcester Art Museum celebrates local artist John O’Reilly, a photographer who mixes media to combine personal history with art, literature, and music and explores human identity and mortality. $14, $12 seniors and students, $6 youths ages 4-17, $2 cash EBT cardholder, under 3 and members free. 508-799-4406; worcesterart.org

“Renaissance Woman in Asia” / Opening May 13

The Worcester Art Museum presents an exhibition of early Asian art, with paintings by noted artist and Chinese art scholar Florance Waterbury. $14, $12 seniors and students, $6 youths ages 4-17, $2 cash EBT cardholder, under 3 and members free. 508-799-4406; worcesterart.org

“Ocean Liners: Glamour, Speed, and Style” / Opening May 20

Through paintings, textiles, furniture, and more, the Peabody Essex Museum brings together a deconstruction of the ocean liner, known during the 19th and 20th centuries as floating embodiments of technology, luxury, and class. $20, $18 seniors, $12 students with ID, youths 16 and under and Salem residents free. 978-745-9500; pem.org

Laurie Anderson / Opening May 28

The dynamic work of multimedia force Laurie Anderson returns to MASS MoCA in the form of a working studio, an exhibition space, and a revival of the artist’s classics. $18, $16 seniors and veterans, $12 students, $8 ages 6-16, 5 and under and members free. 413-662-2111; massmoca.org

“David Wiesner & the Art of Wordless Storytelling” / Opening June 18

The Eric Carle Museum in Amherst showcases three-time Caldecott Medal winner David Wiesner’s picture books and the items that inspired them. $9, $6 students, teachers, seniors, and youths under 18. 413-559-6300; carlemuseum.org

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