What to do in Boston this weekend (Jan 30 - Feb 1)

If you have an event, a new attraction, a hotel, or a restaurant opening you’d like me to cover, please reach out!

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Nia Grace returns to the South End. The Soul Food legend is returning to the South End, taking the former Bob the Chef’s and Darryl’s Corner Bar & Kitchen and reimagining the space into a “gathering space full of music, community, and comfort food,” according to Boston Magazine.

ICYMI, Time Out Market’s clock restarted. The Fenway food hall will remain open, with all vendors staying as-is, thanks to Samuels & Associates, the longtime developers of the neighborhood, according to The Boston Globe.

A new type of eatery opens in Chinatown. Blending Japanese and Peruvian flavors, NOHRI (5 Tyler St, Boston, MA) opened its doors. The restaurant offers approachably-priced tasting menus, with five to seven courses starting at $40, plus a la carte options.

Comfort comes to Allston. Ama at The Atlas, a new restaurant by Biplaw Rai and Nyacko Peal Perry, the masterminds behind Comfort Kitchen, opened its doors in Allston this week. The pair were recipients of one of the 225 free liquor licenses the city awarded to restaurant owners.

Terminal B gets new food options. Coming this spring, Boston Logan’s Terminal B will be getting two new restaurants, according to Boston.com. They will be Berkshire Farm to Flight, a grab-and-go market with sandwiches, salads, and other healthy options, and CAVA, a Mediterranean fast-casual chain known for its grain bowls.

Cape Cod chips local no more. According to WBUR, the potato chip company will close its Hyannis location and move production of the eponymous snack to larger, established plants. 4% of the company’s products were being made at this location.

What I’m cooking this week:

Paired with: Gruner Veltiner from Christina, a woman-run winery in Austria. Found at Petrova Chocolates (61 Salem St, Boston, MA).

Allston is getting a new hotel + restaurant. Right across from the Harvard Business School, The Atlas Hotel plans to open its doors next month, per Boston Business Journal. Rooms boast skyline and Charles River views.

Departing soon: nonstop service to St Lucia. Beginning February 15, JetBlue will operate nonstop flights between Boston Logan International Airport and St. Lucia’s Hewanorra International Airport (UVF). With one-way fares beginning at $164, thawing out on the beach isn’t out of reach.

New rules for the AmEx Centurion Lounge. According to The Points Guy, beginning in July, cardholder guests must travel on the same flight, and visits will be limited to five hours or less.

Dangerously cold with a chance of snow. While there is still much debate about whether the Boston area will get more snow on Sunday, we will definitely be dealing with blowing, bitterly cold winds, according to NBC 10 Boston. Gusts are expected to be between 30 and 40 mph.

New life for an old building. The Old South Building in Downtown Crossing will be converted into a mixed residential space with more than 250 apartments. While there is no parking, this, along with other empty offices being converted to apartments, may help ease housing issues, according to Boston.com.

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What I’m listening to this week:

What I’m reading this week:

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A curated rundown of unique events happening this (long for some) weekend in and around Boston that I’m either attending or wishing I were. If you’re looking for weekly happenings, like wine tastings and yoga classes, scroll to the next section.

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Lovestruck Books & Cafe (44 Brattle St, Cambridge, MA 02138) is celebrating their One Year Anniversary all weekend long, with free and ticketed events from Friday, January 30, through Sunday, February 1.

Harvard Square is about to get sweeter this weekend thanks to the 18th Annual Taste of Chocolate Festival in Brattle Plaza (40 Brattle St, Cambridge, MA), from Saturday, January 31, through Sunday, February 1. The chocolate tasting has been postponed until March due to weather.

Planning ahead: For where to play, eat, and shop this Galentine’s or Valentine’s Day, check out our Boston Valentine’s Day Guide.

ICE Out! National Day of Action is happening on Friday, January 30. There will be a protest beginning at 3 pm in Copley Square. Plus, there is a call for a National Shutdown, with no work, school, or shopping. If taking off work isn’t feasible for you, there are still other ways to participate, including supporting small businesses staying open due to financial necessity.

Celebrate Lovestruck Books & Cafe (44 Brattle St, Cambridge, MA 02138) and their One Year Anniversary on Friday, January 30, from 11 am to 5 pm with free bookish fun. Stop by for book bedazzling, temporary tattoos, bookmark making, pop-up poetry, and more. Please RSVP.

Spend an evening learning about the impact of the Archie comics on fashion at a live taping of the Articles of Interest podcast at WBUR CitySpace (890 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215) on Friday, January 30, from 7 to 8 pm. Host Avery Trufelman will be joined by cartoonist Joel Christian Gill, chair of Boston University’s Department of Visual Narrative, and Jazmin Aguilera, senior audio producer for The Boston Globe. Tickets are $25 ($10 for students).

Mass 50501 is organizing an ICE Out Everywhere protest on Saturday, January 31, at 11:30 am on Boston Common, demanding that the Governor and the State House end their cooperation with ICE.

Spend your Saturday sharpening your cooking skills at the Hand-Pulled Noodle Class on Saturday, January 31, from 10 am to 12 pm at PAGU (310 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139). In this two-hour, hands-on workshop, you’ll learn “the science of hand-pulled noodles, as well as the methods of using vacuum-sealing machines, as well as recipes that work at home.” Tickets are $119 and include all materials.

Or, learn the magic of bao at the Bao Class on Saturday, January 31, from 1 to 3 pm at PAGU (310 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139). In this hands-on workshop, you’ll learn how to shape bao and create sweet and savory fillings. Tickets are $119 and include all materials.

Celebrate Lovestruck Books & Cafe’s One Year Anniversary with a swoonworthy Step Into a Romance Novel party on Saturday, January 31, from 7 to 10 pm inside the cafe (44 Brattle St, Cambridge, MA 02138). There will be custom cocktails, cake, a live DJ, a photobooth, and more. Tickets are $76.54.

Try natural Eastern European wines and get a head-start on your Valentine’s Day shopping with a free Natural Wine Tasting at Petrova Chocolates (61 Salem St, Boston, MA) on Saturday, January 31, from 12 to 4 pm.

If getting into crafting is one of your goals for this year, don’t miss Crafts & Cocktails: Book Bedazzling on Saturday, January 31, from 6 to 9 pm at Trident Booksellers & Cafe (338 Newbury St, Boston, MA 02115). Tickets are $30 and include bedazzling materials and a $15 voucher redeemable for a book or food from the cafe.

Release tension and stress at a Free Community Breathwork class on Sunday, February 1, at 10 am at The Foundry (101 Rogers St, Cambridge, MA 02142).

Flow under the Snow Moon at Flow Moon Yoga on Sunday, February 1, from 6 to 8 pm at the Museum of Modern Renaissance (115 College Ave, Somerville, MA 02144). Whether you’re new to yoga or a seasoned practitioner, unwind in a 60-minute session followed by a 15-minute sound bath. Tickets are $39.19.

Soup Fest returns on Sunday, February 1, from 12 to 4 pm at Bow Market (1 Bow Market Way, Somerville, MA 02143). Sample soups from Bow Market’s best soup makers, including Sanocho from Buenas, Cream of Mushroom from Saus, Pho from Viet Citron, hot chocolate from Bakery Oma, and more. Tickets are $40 and include all samples.

Spend your Saturday sharpening your cooking skills at the Hand-Pulled Noodle Class on Sunday, February 1, from 10 am to 12 pm at PAGU (310 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139). In this two-hour, hands-on workshop, you’ll learn “the science of hand-pulled noodles, as well as the methods of using vacuum-sealing machines, as well as recipes that work at home.” Tickets are $119 and include all materials.

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As a reminder, the Commuter Rail has $10 weekend passes, which give the ticket holder unlimited travel on Saturday and Sunday. The pass is activated during your first trip on Saturday and remains active until Sunday night.

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Shop the Charles River Farmers’ Market every Friday (12 - 6 pm) and Sunday (10 am - 3 pm) at The Charles Hotel (1 Bennet St, Cambridge, MA, 02138). During the winter, vendors are set up in red sheds and still have fresh bread, pasta, meat, and seasonal fruits and vegetables.

Jamaica Plain holds its weekly Farmers Market every Saturday from 12 pm to 3 pm year-round in the Bank of America parking lot (677 Centre St, Jamaica Plain, 02130).

Shop the legendary Haymarket, America’s oldest open-air market, every Friday and Saturday from 6 am to 7 pm. Vendors offer fresh, affordable produce, dairy products, meat, and seafood. Just steps from Boston Public Market and MBTA’s Haymarket Station.

Every Saturday from November 1, 2025, through April 11, 2026, you can shop for local and healthy foods at the Somerville Winter Farmers Market at Arts at the Armory (191 Highland Ave, Somerville, MA 02143). The market is held weekly from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm except for 11/29/25 and 12/27/25.

Boston Common Frog Pond Ice Skating is now open. Admission price is based on height: $12 for 58 inches and over, while anyone 58 inches and under is free. Locker rentals and skate rentals are also available.

Skate at DCR Kelly Outdoor Rink (Jamaica Plain) for $0 Sunday through Friday from 12 to 7:30 pm. Skate rentals are available for $4 (or $5 with a credit card).

Brookline’s Jack Kirrane Rink at Larz Anderson Park (Brookline) is open daily except Wednesdays (Fri: 12 - 3, 6 - 8 pm. Sat + Sun: 12 - 2; 2:30 - 4-30 pm. Tues + Thurs: 9 - 12). Admission is $10. Skate rentals are $8.

Kendall Square’s Skate @ Canal District is open daily (M: 12 - 5 pm, Tues - Thurs: 12 - 8 pm, F: 12 - 9 pm, Sat: 11 - 9 pm, Sun: 11 am - 6 pm). Admission is $7. Skate rentals are $12.

You can find a full rundown of recurring walking tours, food tours, bus tours, and trolley tours of Boston in my Beginner’s Guide to Boston.

Start your weekend with a dose of wellness at The Hidden Art Gallery (25 Myrtle Street) in Beacon Hill, which hosts weekly Explore Meditation with Watercolor classes. Held every Friday from 3 pm - 6 pm, learn the basics of meditation while intuitively creating with watercolor. Classes are $55.

Reconnect with your ability to digest and rest during a Sound Bath Meditation with Ramon of Ib and Flow (247 Walnut St, Brookline, 02445). Sessions ($50) are held every Sunday.

If you’re trying to bring balance into your life this year, start your Sunday brunch with a gentle yoga flow with Brewery Yoga at Lamplighter CX. The class is held every Sunday from 12:30 - 1:30 pm at Lamplighter Brewing Co.’s CX location (110 North First Street, Cambridge, 02141) in their upstairs taproom. Tickets are $25 and include a beer token or a complimentary non-alcoholic drink.

Or, if you’re looking for a grounding experience free of any alcohol, join NamaStay Sober’s weekly free Yoga Session at The Point Yoga and Barre Revere (56 Salt St, Revere, MA 02151). These sessions are appropriate for all levels, including beginners.

If you’ve always wanted to learn how to navigate Boston by bicycle but have been too intimidated to start, join a Weekend In-And-Back Guided Ride with A Better City TMA. On Saturdays and Sundays from 9 am to 1 pm this spring and summer, join a free, three-hour bicycle ride from one of the many bike paths outside the city (meeting location disclosed upon sign up) and traverse the Urban Loop through downtown before returning to the start location.

Whether you already love screenprinting or are completely new to this printing method, DARK MODE hosts DIY Screenprinting workshops at their storefront in Bow Market (1 Bow Market Way, #24) in Somerville on Friday (7 pm) and Saturday (6 pm and 7 pm) nights. Tickets are $45, including t-shirts.

DARK MODE also hosts Candle-Making and Intention-Setting Workshops every Thursday at 7 pm in their storefront at Bow Market in Somerville. Tickets are $50.

Spend your Friday learning to make classic Italian cuisine with Self Up Cooking Classes (19 Kingston St) in Downtown Crossing from 6 pm - 9 pm. Every week, they host an Italian Dinner with Tiramisu Finale cooking class and dinner experience, where you can learn how to make a three-course meal, including a luscious tiramisu for dessert. Tickets are $100 and include all ingredients.

Love Child hosts free wine tastings every Friday from 5 pm to 7 pm and Saturday from 12 pm to 3 pm at their South Boston location (364 West Broadway, Boston, MA). These tastings are free and require no reservations.

Coffee lovers, this one is for you. Every Friday at 10 am, Counter Culture Coffee (374 Somerville Ave) in Somerville opens their Training Center for free coffee tastings. Anyone can learn and connect over perfectly brewed, high-quality, sustainable coffee.

Come to DeLuca’s Market Wine Cellar (11 Charles Street, Boston, MA 02114) in Beacon Hill for a free wine tasting every Friday from 4 - 7 pm. Every week, resident wine expert Donovan handpicks a mix of familiar favorites and bottles from up-and-coming vineyards or hard-to-find vintages to share among participants. No ticket is required.

On Saturdays, Boston Harbor Distillery (12R Ericsson St, Boston, 02122) leads VIP tours ($50) and barrel-side tastings of their spirits ($20).