Five Reasons to Leave the House This Weekend

Image courtesy of Luminarium Dance Company 

History
Edwardian Garden Party

At this garden party, everything—from the drinks to the toasts to the guests—harkens back to the Edwardian era. The Cambridge Historical Society has partnered with Cambridge Historical Tours to host the soirée. “Our goal is to bring history to life,” says Daniel Berger-Jones, company leader of Cambridge Historical Tours, “and [the Cambridge Historical Society’s] goal is to bring history to light.” Representatives of Cambridge Historical Tours will circulate dressed as figures from Cambridge’s history while guests take croquet lessons from a seven-time national croquet champion, try on Edwardian-era attire, and sip cocktails from the open bar. “We’d like to make history fun and engaging,” says Georgia Lyman, curator of cultural and community events for Cambridge Historical Tours. “Such amazing events and stories have happened in Cambridge.”

21+, $50, Thursday, August 7, 6-8 p.m., Hooper-Lee-Nichols House, 159 Brattle St., Cambridge, cambridgehistoricaltours.org.

Cosplay
Boston Comic Con 2014

Cosplayers, it’s time to put the finishing touches on your costumes! Boston Comic Con is this weekend, and one of its biggest events is a cosplay contest. Celebrity guests include actors Sean Astin, who played Samwise Gamgee in The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, and Jason Momoa, a.k.a. Khal Drogo from HBO’s Game of Thrones, and they will hold Q&A sessions and sign autographs for a fee. Also happening this weekend: gaming competitions, film screenings, and a game show that tests contestants’ fandom knowledge.

Three-day admission: $65, Friday-Sunday, August 8-10, Seaport World Trade Center, 200 Seaport Blvd., Boston, bostoncomiccon.com.

Festival
Wharf Festival

Also as part of Summer on the Waterfront, the New England Aquarium has teamed up with Boston Harbor Cruises to arrange the family-friendly Wharf Festival. The NEAQ will bring some educational items from its collection outside, and younger attendees will be entertained by face painters, games, and aquatic costumes, says Teri Davidson, director of marketing for the NEAQ. “The primary goal is to attract people down to the waterfront,” Davidson says. “Let them see the beauty of the Greenway, the wharf area, and just make it a destination for families.”

Free, Saturday, August 9, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Long Wharf, Boston, neaq.org.

Performance
24-Hour ChoreoFest Concerts

At 8 p.m. on August 8, the doors to Dance Complex in Cambridge will be locked, trapping choreographers and their dancers inside for an all-night choreography session. “The connections within the people in the building are strengthened by having an overnight festival,” says Kimberleigh Holman, artistic director and cofounder of Luminarium Dance Company, which puts on the ChoreoFest. The festival is viewable via a live feed, and two performances of all the pieces are put on the following afternoon. This year’s participating companies specialize in a wide range of styles, such as burlesque, Vaudeville, and contemporary.

$15, Saturday, August 9, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., Dance Complex, 536 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, luminariumdance.org.

Party
Hoedown at the Hall

Here’s an excuse to bust out the cowboy boots that doesn’t involve Loretta’s Last Call. As part of the Boston Harbor Association-led “Summer on the Waterfront” initiative, Faneuil Hall will hold a country-themed hoedown in honor of “Downtown Week.” Guests can line-dance, play cornhole, or visit a petting zoo, all against a backdrop of local musicians and entertainers (and the downtown skyline). Plus: some Faneuil Hall shopkeepers will also adopt the theme, selling food and merch.

Free, Sunday, August 10, 12-4 p.m., West End & South Market, Faneuil Hall, Boston, faneuilhallmarketplace.com.