4 min read
Exhale’s arts and entertainment expert has curated Boston’s best weekend happenings, so you don’t have to.
It’s a Date!
Friday, Oct. 26
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Kick off your night at the Spooky Brews Craft Beer Festival, a Halloween party celebrating the most popular breweries in the country. Come in costume and trick-or-treat at your favorite beer purveyors. Talk hops while you take in the live music and enjoy unlimited pours in a limited-edition taster (it comes with your ticket) designed by illustrator Sam Taylor. There will be food vendors inside to satisfy cravings in between brewery stops.
Cyclorama
7 pm–11 pm
$60/person
539 Tremont St., Boston
Back Bay T stop, limited street parking
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Photo: bcaonline.org
Heavy lifting: Catch three artistic interpretations of The Weight of Inheritance
Walk two doors down to the Mills Gallery for a one-night-only art performance, The Weight of Inheritance. Artists Hector Canonge, Kledia Spiro, and Óscar Gavilán Ortiz, representing Argentina, Albania, and Chile, respectively, present an interpretation of inheritance as a gift or a burden. Looking beyond monetary inheritance, they explore racial, gender, and class legacies that can’t be discarded at will. After the performance there will be a Q&A with the artists and a social reception.
Mills Gallery
8 pm
$20/person
551 Tremont St., Boston
Back Bay T stop, limited street parking,
Then What?
Photo: Facebook
Jazz bands: Revel in beats and eats at The Beehive (a craft cocktail or wine may be in order depending on your beer fest consumption)
Finish the night with dinner and a show at The Beehive, a retro-style restaurant with live jazz almost every night. Go all in for a gourmet meal of braised lamb neck with sunflower dukkah and aged balsamic, or day boat scallops with black garlic puree. Should you want something on the lighter side, snack on oysters and hamachi crudo with apricot and cherry tomato at the bar. If you’ve still got room after the beer festival, complement your meal with a craft cocktail or a selection from The Beehive’s extensive wine list.
The Beehive
5 pm–2 am
$11–$18 appetizers, $19–$31 entrées
541 Tremont St., Boston
Back Bay T stop, limited street parking
Friends Zone
Saturday, Oct. 27
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Photo: chambersofterror.net
Scared silly: Psycho clowns are among the cast of characters at Salem’s Chambers of Terror
Get into the Halloween spirit with a trip to Salem’s immersive Chambers of Terror experience. This old-school fright fest conveniently takes place right downtown. A skeletal scare master will guide you through a pitch-black haunted house inhabited by demons, psychos, clowns, and other horror-inducing creatures. They take small groups so you can freak out with just friends. Once you’ve been sufficiently traumatized, Salem’s array of tarot card readings, witch trial reenactments, and costume contests is just steps away.
Chambers of Terror
12 pm–10 pm
$12/person
59 Wharf St., Salem
Salem Commuter Rail stop, limited street parking
Then What?
Photo: sealeveloysterbar.com
Chill out: Calm yourself down with the raw offerings at Sea Level Oyster Bar
After the horror fest, unwind at Sea Level Oyster Bar just a few minutes down the road from the haunted house. Indulge in their extensive raw bar featuring oysters, clams, shooters, and seafood towers. Get your New England on with clam chowder or a classic lobster roll or shake things up with Baja fried cod tacos or a seasonal butternut tostada. Enjoy impressive ocean views and celebrate the season with one of their fall-themed cocktails.
Sea Level Oyster Bar
11:30 am–midnight
$10–$13 cocktails, $15–$30 entrées
94 Wharf St., Salem
Salem Commuter Rail stop, limited street parking
Family Fun
Sunday, Oct. 28
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Photo: Facebook
And your little dog, too! The SoWa Spooktacular holds a costume contest for humans and their pets
Head to the SoWa Spooktacular in the South End for a day of family-friendly Halloween fun. Participate in the costume contest—there’s one for humans and one for pets, with the first-place human winning $500—paint pumpkins with Karla Hunter Art, and enjoy free face painting. Shop the vintage market and local arts vendors while checking out their creative costumes. There will be food and beer vendors on site and live music in the brewery barn.
SoWa Open Market
10 am–4 pm
Free admission
450 Harrison Ave., Boston
Washington St at E Berkley St stop on the SL5 bus, limited street parking
Then What?
Photo: Facebook
A new chapter: The More Than Words bookstore benefits youth who are homeless, in foster care, or facing other challenging life circumstances
Pop by the new More Than Words bookstore location on East Berkley St. to stock up on used books and goodwill. More Than Words is a nonprofit organization that uses the book selling business to empower youth who are homeless, in foster care, or facing other challenging life circumstances. Managing the business promotes independence, responsibility, and a culture of support. Proceeds from your sale go back into the program and to the workers, plus there are over 500,000 titles to peruse.
More Than Words Bookstore
10 am–6 pm
Free admission
242 East Berkeley St., Boston
Washington St at E Berkley St stop on the SL5 bus, limited street parking
