Monday and Tuesday
Class Discussion
Journalist Sarah Smarsh discusses Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth, one of 10 entries on the National Book Award nonfiction long list. The spring 2018 Harvard fellow examines class division and cyclical poverty in her long-form debut. At Harvard Book Store Monday and Wellesley Books Tuesday, both at 7 p.m. Free. harvard.com, wellesleybooks.com
Starting Thursday
Fright Nights
The movies on the Salem Horror Festival slate offer more than just the occasional jump scare. Underlying themes of fear and the American experience tie together 23 screenings, some of them New England premieres, which share the schedule with panel discussions, celebrity appearances, a “zombiecise” session, readings, and more. At venues around Salem through October 19. $10 and up; passes available. salemhorror.com
Opening Thursday
Monster Man
Halloween season wouldn’t be complete without Frankenstein, the haunting tale of a love-seeking creature brought to life by a doctor tempting fate. Local star John Kuntz plays the doctor, and all six cast members portray the Creature. The Catalyst Collaborative@MIT production, which commemorates the novel’s 200th anniversary, plays Central Square Theater through November 4. $26-$60. centralsquaretheater.org
Friday-Sunday
Shake It Up
Join a musical movement at the 13th annual Honk! Festival of Activist Street Bands. More than two dozen brass bands from around the world will come together to perform, speak out about social issues, parade around Davis Square (Friday evening) and to Harvard Square (Sunday afternoon) — where the annual Oktoberfest celebration will be in full swing — and more. Activities start at noon all three days. Free. honkfest.org
Saturday-Sunday
Start the Revolution
Boston Occupied: The Redcoats Are Coming . . . Again features reenactments of an “insolent parade” through downtown by the occupying British, an encampment on Boston Common, and more. The weekend-long program is part of the Massachusetts Historical Society’s Revolution 250 initiative counting down to the semiquincentennial (get used to it) of American independence. 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday. Free. revolution250.org
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