What to do in Boston this weekend (Sept 26 -28)

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.

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MIDA is bringing La Tavernetta to East Boston. A licensing hearing for a new East Boston eatery is scheduled for next week. According to the hearing notice, La Tavernetta is headed by James Beard Award-nominated chef Douglas Williams and will feature a bar, dining room, and seasonal patio. More information about the project is expected to be released after the hearing. (Boston Restaurant Talk)

South Shore couple took home the first-ever MasterChef pair competition. Jesse Rosenwald and Jessica Bosworth (a.k.a. J-Squared) fell in love behind the bar at Tia’s eight years ago. This week, took home the MasterChef trophy, cinching the title with a New England-inspired meal (pan-seared scallops and pork belly with corn puree to start; braised beef short rib with cacio e pepe gnocchi as the main; an elevated s’mores for dessert). They plan to use their winnings to expand 10 Inches Pizza, their South Shore-style pizza project. (Boston Magazine)

Boston’s skyline is about to change. The Boston Planning Department has approved an overhaul of zoning regulations aimed at encouraging more downtown residential development, including an increase in the maximum height for new buildings in the Financial District. While the area around Boston Common and Boston Public Garden is protected from the shadows of skyscrapers, skyscrapers are permitted to rise to 700 feet. (Boston.com)

Your moment of zen: Alaska’s Fat Bear Week is back. In case you’re like me and had no idea this was a thing, Alaska’s Katmai National Park has a group of brown bears that are in the process of bulking up for winter. The National Park shares before-and-after pictures of adult male bears, letting fans from around the world vote on who they think is the biggest bear. Contestants are weeded out in a March Madness-style bracket through September 30. (Travel + Leisure)

Series by Marriott is making its US debut. The major hotel brand continues to expand its portfolio, announcing that Series by Marriott — described as a way for “regionally relevant brands and hotels” — will soon be coming to the United States. The first brand to join Marriott Bonvoy is FOUND Hotels, with properties in Miami Beach, Chicago, San Francisco’s Nob Hill, Santa Monica, and San Diego. (The Points Guy)

Want to speed through airport security? Take public transit. Beginning in June, travelers using the Logan Express to travel from Framingham to BOS will be able to go through a TSA checkpoint before boarding the bus. Once at the airport, passengers are dropped off “airside,” meaning they enter the airport after security. (The Boston Globe)

American Airlines added a new rare direct flight from BOS. After ending service in the summer of 2017, American Airlines is reinstating its direct service between Buffalo International Airport and Boston Logan International Airport. Currently, only JetBlue operates direct flights between the two destinations. (The Points Guy)

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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.

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Sam Adams Boston Brewery (30 Germania St, Boston, MA 02130) is holding its annual Sam Adams Oktoberfest Celebration from Friday, September 26, through Sunday, September 28. There will be live music, stein hoisting, and food specials all weekend long. Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door.

Trade your schnitzel for gyro at the Roslindale Greek Food Festival, being held this weekend from Friday, September 26, through Sunday, September 28, at St. Nectarios Greek Orthodox Church (39 Belgrade Ave, Roslindale, MA 02131). Enjoy live music plus homemade food, wine, pastries, and more. Don’t want to stay for the festival? Order your food ahead of time.

For something completely different: don’t miss White Snake Project’s White Raven, Black Dove, a Sci-fi Fantasy production exploring both rance and our current climate crises using opera singers, an orchestra, a chorus, and computer-generated animation on Friday, September 26, Saturday, September 27, or Sunday, Septmeber 28, at The Strand Theatre (543 Columbia Rd, Boston, MA 02125). Reserved seating ranges from $150 - $350, but there is also free first-come, first-served general admission.

The Oktoberfest celebrations continue with Oktoberfest at Lamplighter Brewing Cambridge Crossing (110 N First St, Cambridge, MA 02139) from Friday, September 26, through Saturday, September 26. Tickets are $10 at the door and include a commemorative glass stein you’re free to fill with craft beer available on tap. There will also be German-inspired dishes, stein holding competitions, and more.

Get to know Seaport at the Seaport Spectacular on Friday, September 26, from 4:30 to 7:30 along Harbor Way (Seaport Blvd, Boston, MA 02210). There will be live music from DJ Dukes, Hot Tamales brass band, and Symphony of the Soul, plus food, drinks from Castle Island Brewing, classic carnival games, a bracelet bead bar, and more. This is a free event open to the public with food and drink available for purchase.

Enjoy an evening of music as the Boston Symphony Orchestra performs Mozart’s Jupiter Symphony and Strauss’s Ein Heldenleben on Saturday, September 27, from 8 to 10 pm at Symphony Hall (301 Mass Ave, Boston, MA 02115). Tickets range from $64.00 - $195.99.

Upgrade your fall wardrobe without breaking the bank at the Fanueil Fall(ish) Clothing Swap on Saturday, September 27, from 10 am to 12 pm at Quincy Market (206 S Market St, Boston, MA 02109). Swap clothes on the second floor and then shop and eat your way around the market’s first floor. This free event is open to the public.

Kiss summer goodbye with the End of Summer Weingarten with First Crush and East West Wines on Saturday, September 27, from 12 - 6 pm at Warehouse XI (11 Sanborn Ct, Somerville, MA). Come enjoy wines from Germany, Austria, Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Georgia, plus treats from the best restaurants and food businesses in Boston and NYC, including Iggy’s Bakery, Petrova Chocolates, and Jaju Pierogi. Tickets are $25. Food and drink will be available for purchase.

Celebrate the start of the new season with Fall Fest 2025 at High Street Place (100 High St, Boston, MA 02110) on Saturday, September 27, from 3 to 11 pm. There will be Oktoberfest vibes (including stein holding contests), live music, cozy crafts, fall games, and fall flavors galore. This event is free and open to the public; however, they kindly request that you RSVP.

Get to know local beers at Time Out Market Boston’s (401 Park Drive, Boston, MA 02215) Oktoberfest Beer Fest Party on Saturday, September 27, from 1 - 5 pm. Sample locally crafted beer, feast on Oktoberfest-inspired dishes, and enjoy a live DJ, photobooth, stein holding competition, and more. Entry, including beer tasting, is free.

Grab a friend and settle in for a cozy Paint Nite at Pennyweight Hotel Boston (155 Portland St, Boston, MA 02114) on Saturday, September 27, from 2 to 4 pm. Sip on carefully crafted cocktails from 155 Portland, the hotel’s signature bar and restaurant, while getting creative with a paintbrush. Tickets are $49 and include supplies.

Dust off those N64 skills because Drawdown Brewing (3204 Washington St, Boston, MA 02130) is hosting Mario Kart Night on Saturday, September 27, from 7 to 10 pm. There will be an open-play setup with multiple races taking place simultaneously. Grab your friends, a beer, and a controller for a night of chilled-out fun. This is a free event with food and drink available for purchase.

Spend an evening with fellow weirdos at MORBID Live: Wicked Spirits, Seances, and Scandals at The Wilbur (246 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02116) on Sunday, September 28, from 7 - 9 pm. Tickets start at $70.

End the weekend with a soothing Reiki Sound Bath at Blissful Monkey Yoga Studio (663 Centre St, Boston, MA 02130) on Sunday, September 28, from 3 to 4 pm. Tickets are $30. Bolsters, blankets, and eye masks will be provided.

Shop over 80 vintage vendors at the 12th Curated Vintage Market on Sunday, September 28, from 12 - 8 pm at Bow Market (1 Bow Market Way, Somerville, MA 02143). This is a free event open to the public with food and drink available for purchase. Kindly RSVP.

For even more vintage, head to the Outdoor Vintage Market on the lawn at Time Out Market Boston on Sunday, September 28, from 12 - 6 pm. Enjoy music from a live DJ, sip on drinks from one of the market’s food vendors, and shop all afternoon. This is a free event open to the public.

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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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.

If you’re new to oysters or want a fun way to spend a sunset this summer, don’t skip Shucking oysters by Boston Harbor with EBO Oysters + EBO Grocery-owner Alex Cervasio. Tickets are $65 and include a hands-on workshop on how to shuck oysters right on a dock in East Boston, fresh oysters, and a shucking knife you’ll get to take home.

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.