What to do in Boston this weekend (Oct 10 - 12)

Also, if you have an event, new attraction, new hotel, or restaurant opening you’d like me to cover, don’t hesitate to contact me.

Like the newsletter? Feel free to buy me a coffee.

East Boston loses Smoke Shop BBQ. Suddenly and without warning, the East Boston location of the beloved BBQ joint closed on Sunday, October 5. According to staff, the announcement was made on Wednesday, October 1, that the location would be closing. A new Mediterranean concept by MIDA, La Tavernetta, is allegedly set to open in its place.

South Boston rooftop bar closes, much to neighbors’ relief. The Essex, located on the Cambria Hotel’s rooftop, announced it’d be closed “for the foreseeable future.” On Instagram, they explained they were “unable to obtain an entertainment from the City due to ongoing opposition from neighbors.”

Plan a museum day. ICYMI, MFA Boston is offering free admission on Monday, October 13, for Indigenous Peoples’ Day and Saturday, October 25, for ONIOLO Free Admission Day. Additionally, the museum is offering deeply discounted tickets, including a $5 Third Thursdays series starting October 16, and $5 tickets on October 19 for Diwali’s Lights + Dance.

Afternoon and evening flights out of Logan might be delayed. One of the runways will be closed until mid-November for FAA-required safety work. Boston Logan International Airport has warned that travelers may experience flight delays, especially in the afternoon and evening, while work is being completed. Keep an eye on your flight status if you have travel plans.

Then again, many airports are experiencing major delays. On Monday, the Hollywood Burbank Airport was grounded for five hours due to a staffing shortage. On Tuesday, Nashville’s airport experienced the same issue, while Chicago O’Hare flights were delayed by an average of 41 minutes. While the government shutdown may be to blame, Nick Daniels, NATC president, explains that delays like this occur frequently due to the years-long understaffing issue. (CNN Travel)

Air Canada upgrades snack service. As pressure from competition builds, and customers are increasingly unhappy about fares and fees, Air Canada will now offer complimentary Canadian-made snacks, beer, and wine on all flights. They’re the first North American “legacy” airline to offer free alcohol to economy fliers. (Reuters)

Join over 4 million Americans who start their day with 1440 – your daily digest for unbiased, fact-centric news. From politics to sports, we cover it all by analyzing over 100 sources. Our concise, 5-minute read lands in your inbox each morning at no cost. Experience news without the noise; let 1440 help you make up your own mind. Sign up now and invite your friends and family to be part of the informed.

Subscribe to 1440 today.

Everything here is happening this weekend only. Scroll down for recurring events every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in Boston. For more ideas of what to do, check my Boston Guide.

Like the newsletter? Feel free to buy me a coffee.

The 20th Annual HONK! Festival is filling Davis Square from Thursday, October 9, through Sunday, October 12, with music, community, and activism. Don’t miss the lantern-making workshop and lantern parade on Friday, October 10, or the HONK! Parade on Sunday, October 12. Entry is free. Food and drink will be available for purchase.

Shop over 100 small businesses at the How Bazaar: Wicked Weird & Witchy Wears market on Saturday, October 11, and Sunday, October 12, at Brighton Elks Lodge (326 Washington St, Brighton, MA) from 11 am - 6 pm. Vendors will be selling their best strange and spooky stuff while DJs spin vinyl to keep the vibes right. Entry is free.

In celebration of its 125th Anniversary, Symphony Hall (address) is hosting a performance of Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis, considered one of the greatest sacred choral works and the first piece ever performed inside Symphony Hall. Performances will take place on Thursday, October 9, Friday, October 10, and Saturday, October 11. Tickets range between $52.00 - $196.99, including fees.

Last call: This is the final weekend for the Cisco Brewers secret outdoor beer garden in Seaport (85 Northern Ave, Boston, MA). Hidden behind a row of porta-potties, you step through the one with the “Biohazard” and “Construction Work in Progress” signs over it, and you’re transported to a little slice of Nantucket. Entry is free, with food and beverages available for purchase.

Dig deep into the cosmic threads that connect you with those who came before you at Ancestral Astrology on Venus House (16 Cohasset St, Boston, MA 02131) from 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm. Learn how the 4th house, lunar nodes, and key planetary placements reveal inherited patterns. Plus, discover how ancestral energy shows up in your birth chart. No astrology experience needed. Tickets are $30.

October is Hispanic Heritage Month, and to celebrate, Ula Cafe (284 Amory St, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130) is hosting a Selena Movie Screening & Discussion on Friday, October 10, from 5:30 pm to 9 pm. After the movie, listen to and participate in an in-depth discussion on Selena Quintanilla-Perez’s impact on the Hispanic community, then, now, and in the future. Tickets start at $10, with food and drink available for purchase.

The Fall Movie Night series on The Greenway is back at Rowes Wharf Plaza (74-8 Milk, Boston, MA 02205)! On Friday, October 10, from 6 to 8 pm, they will be screening Goosebumps, with free popcorn and candy available while supplies last. This is a free public event, with food and drink available for purchase.

Celebrate the brilliance and beauty of graffiti at the opening of Off the Rails on Friday, October 10, at Blue Triangle Gallery (17 Edinboro St, Boston, MA 02111) from 7 to 10 pm. Instead of moving box cars into a gallery, Boston’s writers have been invited to “reproduce their work on a smaller scale,” on both miniature HO and O model rail cars and on Boston’s most-tagged landmarks.

Shop over 50 vintage vendors at the Color Flows Vintage Market on Saturday, October 11, from 12 pm to 8 pm on Winter Street in Downtown Boston. DJs will keep the vibes right while you shop, plus there will be a food truck lineup, beer garden, games, and more. Entry is free, with food and drink available for purchase.

Celebrate the fact we’re finally getting fall weather at the 7th Annual Apple Booze Bash on Saturday, October 11, from 11 am to 7 pm at Short Path Distillery (71 Kelvin St, Everett, MA 02149). Come for your only chance to grab a bottle of Cinnamon Apple Brandy (only 100 bottles available, with a maximum of 2 bottles per person), stay for the spiked cider flights and other fall cocktails, live music, and food vendors, including Code 1 BBQ, Street Food Labs, and Bonetown Burgers. This is a free event with food and drink available for purchase.

Get in the spooky season spirit with The Sanderson Sisters’ Drag Brunch & Bingo at Time Out Market Boston (401 Park Drive, Boston, MA 02215) on Saturday, October 11, from 1 to 2:30 pm. Dress in your witchiest best and get ready for an afternoon of themed cocktails, camp, and cackles with bewitching drag performances and rounds of bingo. Entry is free with food and drink available for purchase.

Grab your four-legged friends for the Howl-Ween Patio Party on Sunday, October 12, at Time Out Market Boston (401 Park Drive, Boston, MA 02215) from 11 am to 12:30 pm. There will be a treat bar, a decorate-your-own-bandana station, treat hide-and-seek, plus seasonal treats for you and your pup. Admission is free, with food and drink available for purchase.

Sam Adams and Bluefin have teamed up to bring the JP Oysterfest back to Sam Adams Boston Brewery (30 Germania St, Boston, MA 02130) on Sunday, October 12, from 12 pm to 5 pm. Enjoy an afternoon of live music, craft beer — including Oyster Stout (brewed with Wellfleet oysters) and Salt & Shuck, a lager brewed with lemon and local sea salt — seafood, and more. Tickets start at $21.05 (including fees), and include 6, 12, or 24 oysters at a discounted, pre-sale rate.

Spend your Sunday celebrating food, music, and culture at the 46th Annual Harvard Square Oktoberfest and 4th Annual Filipino American Festival on Sunday, October 12, from 11 am to 6 pm in Cambridge’s Harvard Square. There will be multiple stages with live music, international food vendors, and multiple beer gardens set up throughout the square. Entry is free with food and drink available for purchase.

Running an eCommerce brand is hard enough, fraud shouldn't make it harder.

Post-purchase fraud, or "digital shoplifting," slips past checkout tools and costs DTC brands millions in disputes, wasted shipping, and lost revenue.

Chargeflow Prevent is the first AI-powered solution that stops fraud after payment but before fulfillment, cutting disputes by up to 90% with less than 0,1% false positives.

Stop Fraud in Its Tracks

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.

Like the newsletter? Feel free to buy me a coffee.

Taste your way through Back Bay with a Back Bay Evening Chocolate Tour. For $55, take a guided walking + tasting tour of one of Boston’s most beautiful neighborhoods while learning about Back Bay’s historical and architectural significance. Plus, enjoy tastings at four different locations where you’ll sample hot chocolate, cookies, cupcakes, and cake from Back Bay’s most iconic establishments.

Learn the real history of Salem with a Salem Witch Tour from Boston: History, Hysteria, & Handcrafted Brooms. These guided tours begin at Boston’s North Station and take you through the streets and history of Salem before ending in a private broom-making workshop (including a custom spell). Tickets are $149 - $159 and include a round-trip train ticket, broom-making class materials, spell satchel, and guided walking tour of Salem.

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.

Ease into the weekend with a Friday Yoga Flow for all levels at Boston Public Library Honan-Allston Branch (300 N Harvard St, Allston, MA 02134) every Friday through September 19 from 3 to 4 pm. This event is free, but registration is required as each class is customized to participants’ preferences. Yoga mats, blocks, and straps will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis.

Surround yourself with skyline views during a Saturday Community Yoga session at Rooftop@Revere, on top of Revere Hotel Boston Common (200 Stuart St, Boston, MA 02116), every Saturday from 10 - 11 am. Tickets are $10 and include a post-session smoothie.

Every Saturday from June 21 through September 6, start your weekend with the Sweat and Sip Summer Yoga Series on the rooftop of High Street Place (100 High Street, Boston, MA 02110). Classes are $20 and include a $10 voucher to spend at any of the High Street Place Food Hall vendors.

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.

Wind down from the weekend and prepare for the week ahead with a Grounding Meditation session every Sunday from 5 - 6 pm at Blissful Monkey Yoga Studio (663 Centre Street, Boston, 02130) in Jamaica Plain. Led by Licensed Mental Health Counselor Brennan Mallonnee, you will be guided through techniques on how to calm stress responses and practice trauma-informed grounding techniques for anxiety. Tickets are $20. Yoga mats, cushions, and blankets are available, but you can bring your own.

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.

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.

If you need a weekend pick-me-up, come to The Moxy Boston Downtown (240 Tremont St, Boston 02116) for Rooftop Yoga on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 - 10 am. Led by Julianne Maquire (Saturday) and Claire Metrick (Sunday) from YogaHub, you’ll flow through a dynamic vinyasa yoga experience, expending energizing movement with breath and community. Tickets are $25.

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.

New to natural wines? Don’t miss the free wine tastings at Petrova Chocolates (61 Salem Street, Boston, MA) in the North End every Friday (3 - 7 pm) and Saturday (12 - 3). Each week, they open bottles of Eastern European natural wines from countries like Georgia, Bulgaria, and Greece. These tastings are free and require no tickets or reservations.

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).

Come to The Urban Grape (303 Columbus Ave) in the South End on Saturday for The After Brunch, between 2 pm and 5 pm, for their weekly free wine tasting.

Shop local artisans every Thursday and Friday at the Downtown Boston Arts Market. Located in Downtown Crossing (8 Summer St, Boston, MA 02110) between Macy’s and Roche Brothers, this outdoor market will recur weekly from 11 am until 5 pm until October 24.

The Boston Open Market returns to Boylston Street, between Arlington and Charles (across from the Boston Public Library), every Saturday through October from 12 to 5 pm.

Alongside the Boston Waterfront, shop over 50 vendors at the Greenway Artisan Market on the Rose Kennedy Greenway. Beginning May 3, the market will be held every Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and every Saturday and Sunday beginning June 1.

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).

The Unique Square Farmers Market returns for their 21st season in Somerville’s Union Square Plaza (66-70 Union Square Plaza, Somerville, MA 02143) every Saturday through October 25 (except Sept 20).

One of Boston’s largest open-air markets, SoWa Open Market (500 Harrison Ave, Boston, MA), is held every Sunday from 11 am - 5 pm until October 26. Stop by to shop with various regional and local vendors, including food and beverage trucks.

Shop the Seaport Summer Market (88 Seaport Blvd, Boston, MA 02210) every Saturday and Sunday from 11 am to 7 pm. Like the winter market, the summer market is filled with unique vendors selling a wide range of items, from original artwork to pet supplies. Food and beverages will also be available for purchase, along with a DJ and a game area for all ages.