I guess an extreme obstacle course is an inventive way to make room for all that holiday weight you might gain! Forget the medal and t-shirt, people do Spartan races for the bragging rights and battle scars. Not ready to trudge through the mud or climb a wall? Spectators can watch for free but you must RSVP to reserve your spot. Fenway ParkBoston, MA, .more
Fenway Studios Open Studios
Fenway will have one in just one single building. Isn’t that more like an art fair and not an open studios? Regardless, this open studios is unique because live Berklee musicians will be joining in on the fun! 2013 11am-5pm. The Open Studio, 30 Ipswich Street, Studio 110Boston, MA, –.more
Civil War Dance Weekend
Time to dust off those dancing shoes! There will be civil war dance classes all weekend long and concludes with a grand ball on Sunday. Chelmsford Center for the ArtsChelmsford, MA, –.more
Star Gazing Parties 3
Check out some stars with a professional atronomer- FOR FREE! Register in advance. Cancelled if inclement weather, which could just mean cloudy! Moose HillSharon, MA, .more
Historic Thanksgivings at The Old Manse
What was it like for women before dishwashers, microwave ovens, and telling men to fetch their own damn beer? The Old Manse is one of New England’s finer historic home museums, and they’re having a festival with old-timey crafts, music, and animals. Re-enactors tell stories about the life of real women during the Revolutionary War. Reservations are suggested. The Old ManseConcord, MA, .more
Amesbury Open Studio Tour
70 artists and performers sounds like a lot. It’s important to support the arts especially if it’s something you don’t normally do. Amesbury Cultural Center, Upper MillyardAmesbury, MA, –.more
Harvest Dinner with the Pilgrims at Plimoth Plantation
Don’t miss this weekend’s re-enactment of a 1621 harvest dinner. You’ll see all kinds of old-timey food preparation. And pilgrims. And Native Americans. 5:30pm. Plimouth PlantationPlymouth, MA, –.more
Veteran’s Day Cruise
As far as ways to thank our vets go, a cruise sounds pretty good! The 10:15am cruise will leave from Quincy Shipyard and the 11am cruise will depart from Long Warf in Boston. Free for vets and only $5 for family and friends. Georges Island, George’s IslandBoston, MA, .more
DrawnCon
DrawnCon is the premier convention for western animation. With great panels and amazing guests, come celebrate cartoons like never before. Westford RegencyWestford, MA, –.more
Harvest Dinner with Pilgrims
Dancing, singing and feasting.. that’s what they do at Plimoth Plantation to celebrate the season, and I’m totally cool with it. 5:30pm. Plimoth PlantationPlymouth, MA, –.more
Renaissance Family Game Night
We’re not talking Monopoly or The Game of Life here. Joing the MA Center for Interdisciplinary Renaissance Studies for a night of Renaissance-era board games like Nine Men’s Morris. Bond with your family while learning a few historical facts. Even board games play a role in history! The Renaissance CenterAmherst, MA, .more
Ho Ho Holidays
Festival of Trees at Berkshire Museum
Hundreds. HUNDREDS of Christmas trees in Pittsfield, MA. Berkshire MuseumPittsfield, MA, .more
Faneuil Hall Tree Lighting
Also unable to wait to Thanksgiving is Faneuil Hall. As a local, I sort of avoid Faneui Hall. You guys know it’s just a mall, right, placed where a museum should be? However, they’ll have bellringers! And caroling! I like that!! OMG! It’s CHRISTMAS! I should buy something! Faneuil HallBoston, MA, .more
Glassblowers Christmas
See the beauty of hundreds of glass ornaments all the way through christmas. Ornaments are a great way to honor memories and this event could be a great way to make some new ones! Sandwich Glass MuseumSandwich, MA, –.more
Also Fun
National Novel Writing Month
Do you want to write a book? Join other procrastinators and break through by doing it all in just one month. (Don’t worry, you can revise it later.) They’ll have several local events for writers to meet each other, be inspired, and even work side-by-side in a ‘you can do it’ environment. Check Their Slow WebsiteAll Over, , –.more
Polish Film Festival
Celebrate Polish culture through film at this three week festival with classics, new films, and special events! ParamountBoston, MA, –.more
Boston Jewish Film Festival
Like the many other film festivals we’re lucky enough to enjoy in Boston, this one features plenty of directors and celebrities coming to speak and take questions. So it’s not just sitting in a dark room idly watching movies. Just mostly. Coolidge Corner TheatreBrookline, MA, –.more
People of Earth!
Outer space, exploration, and science fiction come together to create this unique, out of this world show! Gallery 263Cambridge, MA, –.more
I’ve Been Everywhere, Man: Musicians on the Road
Explore the real challenges and unique experiences bands find on the road in this exhibition with an opening reception tonight! Nave Gallery AnnexSomerville, MA, –.more
Corn Maze: An Eye For An Ear
Did you know there was a metaphysicality to corn mazes? Check it out in this photo collection! Washington Street GallerySomerville, MA, –.more
Bridge and Tunnel
Check out the Opening Reception on 11/8 or just stop by to see amazing photos of the urban landscape just to tthe north of Boston. Pearl Street GalleryChelsea, MA, –.more
Science and Cooking 2014 Lecture Series
If they’re going to talk about foams and molecular gastronomy, I am so in. See great chefs and food experts talk about their trade! Harvard Science CenterCambridge, MA, –.more
Boston Turkish Festival: Colors of Anatolia
Here’s a six-week long festival to celebrate the beauty of the Turkish culture. This years theme, ‘Colors of Anatolia’ embodies the diversity and richness of the Turkish culture. There will be something for everyone – art exhibits, musical performances, film screenings and more! Various PlacesBoston, MA, –.more
Goya – Order and Disorder
A major exhibition of the works of Spanish master Francisco Goya opens this week at the MFA. Don’t miss it! Museum of Fine Arts,Boston, MA, –.more
The Project Place Enrichment Series Welcomes Nick Flynn
Check out this free event with Nick Flynn at The Project Place. In this Q & A, hear about his experiences and the impact of homelessness on families. Flynn recounts his tumultuous childhood and family life with the uncanny trajectory that ultimately led his homeless father to seek shelter while Nick worked there. His most recent book is The Reenactments, which chronicles Flynn’s experience during the making of Being Flynn, a film based on his acclaimed 2004 memoir. Project PlaceBoston, MA, .more
Boston International Fine Art Show
Pay just $15 to view hundreds of pieces you cannot afford under any circumstances. Pretend to be really unimpressed and resist the urge to ask someone if they have any Grey Poupon. No, seriously, this is a huge fine art event and it’s awesome. And all proceeds benefit Shriners Hospital for Children Boston, a very worthy cause. Boston Center for the ArtsBoston, MA, –.more
Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair
Are you a bibliophile? This is your Mecca. You’ll see everything from $10,000 first editions to an entire booth devoted to antique books bound in red and gold leather. It’s all for sale, but you won’t spend less than $100 on a single volume. Even if you can’t buy, it’s exciting just to look. Also, there are free book appraisals! Complimentary passes are available at the Bratte Book Shop. Hynes Convention CenterBoston, MA, –.more
Artists’ Market at deCordova
These artists don’t just want to show off their crafts, they want you to buy some of their work that is probably winter or christmas themed! They promise unique finds that will dazzle and amaze so check it out for yourself and see if they’re right. I’m pretty sure this will be outdoors in the sculpture park. DeCordova Sculpture Park and MuseumLincoln, MA, –.more
Right Turn Comedy Show
Help others fight their battles with addiction with a night of laughter…seriously! 8pm. The Regent TheatreArlington, MA, .more
Grooversity Festival
Grooversity is an innovative and creative drumming project envisioned by Brazilian percussionist Marcus Santos to promote music as an educational resource, entertainment and as a catalyst for social change. Grooversity is based on community outreach for positive outcome while targeting global diversity awareness. Seventeen cities in Canada, France and in the US currently are using the Grooversity Project concept. East Somerville Community SchoolSomerville, MA, .more
LEGO Star Wars Days
Discovery Center at Somerville’s Assembly Row channels the Force with a full weekend of LEGO Star Wars activities and intergalactic fun. LEGOLAND Discovery Center BostonSomerville, MA, –.more
Magazine Beach @ A Place Apart Opening Reception
From 1636 to the present… Examine the forces that shaped our 15-acre riverside park and share your ideas for its future. Cambridge Arts Council, Gallery 344 City Hall Annex 344 BroadwayCambridge, MA, .more
Norumbega Lodge Scandinavian Fair
You don’t often hear about Scandinavian culture in Boston, but there’s been a thriving metrowest community since the 19th century! I’d love to see a fair that includes all the Scandinavian countries, but this one in Concord focuses on Norway. High SchoolConcord, MA, .more
Fall Restaurant Week
A real event or a marketing gimmick? Well, it’s a gimmick. But it means us bohemians can afford the finest eats in Salem! Various PlacesSalem, MA, –.more
In Plain Sight: Discovering the Furniture of Nathaniel Gould Opening Celebration
Woodworker Peter Korn joins Michelle Moon, assistant director for adult programs and avid participant in the maker movement, in a conversation about the rewards of creative practice. Korn is the founder of the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship, an internationally respected nonprofit school in Maine. Korn signs copies of his book Why We Make Things and Why It Matters after the talk. Peabody Essex MuseumSalem, MA, .more
Community of Song Intergenerational Choir Concert
The Gordon College Children’s Choir, Men’s Choir and Women’s Choir will all be performing today along with special guests. You won’t just be sitting and listening, guests are encouraged to join in! A. J. Gordon Memorial Chapel, Gordon College Music Department 255 Grapevine RoadWenham, MA, .more
Taste of Rhode Island
Enjoy some of Rhode Island’s most famous foods on this culinary adventure in Providence. Yum! 11am. Visitor Information Center at the Rhode Island Convention Center which is located at 1 Sabin Street, Providence, RI 02903.Providence, RI, –.more
Folk Art and Artisans Show
Here’s an opportunity to find unique gifts and trinkets. These items are made by talented craftsmen so you know it’ll last for years. Carpenter MuseumRehoboth, MA, –.more
City Of Bright Nights Ball
The good news: the holiday lights in Springfield are well worth supporting, as they bring in a lot of business. So you would think the local chamber would support it without a fundraiser? Hmm. Anyway, I’m sure it will be a great ball, but it’s $250 — or buy two tickets for only $500! Ouch. Sheraton SpringfieldSpringfield, MA, .more
Performance
In Darfur
Come to Lenox to see In Darfur, the story of three people on a journey of courage and humanity in the face of peril. Berry Family Studio (Studio 3) Elayne P. Bernstein CenterLenox, MA, –.more
Boston Comedy Festival
The Boston Comedy Festival was SO much fun the year I went. Highly recommended! The really big deal is finals night, the last night of the week. Various downtown venuesBoston, MA, –.more
Review: Alice
Here is a new musical based on the adventures of Alice in Wonderland fit for all ages. This one should be fun! Wheelock Family TheatreBoston, MA, –.more
A Disappearing Number
In this play, you’ll find drama, comedy, Indian dance and music all wrapped around…math. Seriously! Central Square TheaterCambridge, MA, –.more
Chosen Child
Three generations of mothers and memories combine for a dramatic play in seach of the ties that bind/. Boston’s Playwright TheatreBoston, MA, –.more
6 Hotels
Four actors playing 22 characters in six overlapping stories, this must be interesting! Club CafBoston, MA, –.more
Ether Dome
A new pill that cures pain pits doctor against student. What could go wrong? Through 11/23. Calderwood PavilionBoston, MA, –.more
Review: The Real Thing
So this is a show…about a show…where there is a life-changing love affair going on behind the scenes. Deane Hall – Calderwood Pavilion at the BCABoston, MA, –.more
Review: Bad Jews
Here’s a scathingly funny family drama that ought to prepare anyone for holidays at home! Calderwood PavilionBoston, MA, –.more
Awake and Sing!
This 1935 masterpiece still rings true in its portrayal of one unforgettable American family. Avenue of the Arts BU TheatreBoston, MA, –.more
Rosanne Cash The River & the Thread In Concert
Singer and songwriter Rosanne Cash celebrates her acclaimed new album, The River & the Thread, a collection of new original songs that connect and re-connect Rosanne to the American South, the place of her birth and the home of her ancestors. Sanders TheatreCambridge, MA, .more
The Saint Plays
Surprising, innovative and profound, The Saint Plays by Erik Ehn explore the mysteries of spiritual yearning, human desire and our eternal quest for the divine. The Modern TheatreBoston, MA, –.more
The WIG at AcousticaElectronica
Presented by Touch Performance Art and OBERON, AcousticaElectronica is a mind-blowing event that blends elements of electronic and classical music, dance, circus arts and immersive theatre with the infectious energy of the contemporary nightclub. 9:30pm. OberonCambridge, MA, .more
Of Bread and Paper
This evocative piece transports audiences to a world made entirely of paper, where a poor refugee with nothing but a round of bread in his pocket tries to find his way home. Beguiled by a dream of one he loves, he finds himself face to face with a ghostly likeness of his future self. The tale unfolds in the hands of a mysterious storyteller dressed in a coat of paper, who brings the journey to life using exquisite paper figures, light, and shadow. Puppet Showplace TheatreBrookline, MA, –.more
Evita
Argentina’s controversial First Lady is the subject of this dynamic musical masterpiece. As an illegitimate fifteen year old, Eva escaped her dirt-poor existence for the bright lights of Buenos Aires. Driven by ambition and blessed with charisma, she was a starlet at twenty-two, the president’s mistress at twenty-four, First Lady at twenty-seven, and dead at thirty-three. Eva Peron saint to the working-class, reviled by the aristocracy and mistrusted by the military’ was destined to leave a fascinating political legacy unique in the 20th century. Told through a compelling score that fuses haunting chorales with exuberant Latin, pop and jazz influences, EVITA creates an arresting theatrical portrait as complex as the woman herself. The Umbrella Community Arts CenterConcord, MA, –.more
Garland Gala Weekend
This musical celebration brings together four outstanding Boston vocalists Lynda D’Amour, Pamela Enders, Jinny Sagorin, and Randy Zinkus in company with musical director Tom LaMark in musical highlights from Judy’s film, television, recording, radio, and concert careers. The show will be hosted by special guest performer John Fricke, the world’s preeminent Garland and Wizard of Oz author/documentarian. Center for Arts at the ArmorySomerville, MA, –.more
Watch Your Step (Lexington)
American Classics presents two special hundredth anniversary concert performances of Irving Berlin’s first Broadway show, Watch Your Step which premiered at the New Amsterdam Theatre in New York on December 8, 1914. These are the only performances of the show in 2014. Follen Community ChurchLexington, MA, .more
Hoverdive
Join the Okeanos Collective-choreographer Courtney Peix, composer Amber Vistein, costume designer Jennifer Varekamp, and scientist Larry Pratt-for the full-length premiere of HoverDive, a new evening-length work confronting our relationship to the ocean though dance. Boston University Dance TheaterBoston, MA, –.more
Watch Your Step (Cambridge)
American Classics presents two special hundredth anniversary concert performances of Irving Berlin’s first Broadway show, Watch Your Step which premiered at the New Amsterdam Theatre in New York on December 8, 1914. These are the only performances of the show in 2014. Pickman Concert Hall of the Longy School of MusicCambridge, MA, .more
Review: Les Misrables
Dream the dream again at this local favorite with a new production of the world’s most popular musical! North Shore Music TheatreBeverly, MA, –.more
A Christmas Carol
The classic Christmas play kicks off this week in Providence. Don’t be a Scrooge! Chace TheaterProvidence, RI, –.more
Happy Days
Renowned director Andrei Belgrader re-examines this Samuel Beckett classic, newly relevant to a generation burdened by climate change and environmental doom. Brooke Adams plays Winnie, a woman buried up to her bosom in a mound of dirt with nothing to pass the time but the ragged contents of her bag, her nimble wit, and her husband Willie, played by Tony Shalhoub, lurking somewhere behind her. This droll, existential allegory demonstrates the vitality of the human spirit in the face of a deteriorating world. The Carling-Sorenson Theater at Babson CollegeWellesley, MA, –.more