Free Things to Do in Boston, November 2013

Rather a lot of Tubas by Peter E. Lee on Flickr

Fall Interactive Arts Festival

The Citi Performing Arts Center invites children and families to participate in a free arts festival that will include workshops and performances from local artists at the Dudley Branch of the Boston Public Library. This community-based festival, sponsored in part by the Fellowes Athenaeum Fund, will include entertainment, library scavenger hunts, face painting, performances by Citi Performing Arts Center’s Teen Council, and artist-led workshops in poetry, dance, and theater. The event is sure to be a hit among children of all ages.

November 2, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Boston Public Library, Dudley Branch, 617-532-1256, citicenter.org.

Roslindale Open Studios

Roslindale Open Studios is an annual community arts event that gives visitors the chance to meet artists in their private studios. Artists will be showing and selling paintings, jewelry, pottery, textiles, sculpture, and more. Scheduled events include children’s art, wine-and-cheese tasting, live music, and a bike tour. There will also be a free shuttle to take you to different studio locations.

Saturday, November 2, and Sunday, November 3, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., various locations, Roslindale, roslindaleopenstudios.org.

Taza Day of the Dead Celebration

Don’t miss Taza Chocolate’s third annual Day of the Dead Fiesta. The day kicks off at the Union Square Farmers Market where guests are asked to meet dressed in costume for a procession down to the company’s factory store. The event will also offer free samples of food, beer, and of course, chocolate. There will even be a special performance by a Boston-based Mariachi band.

Saturday, November 2, 1-6 p.m., Taza Chocolate, 561 Windsor St., Somerville, tazachocolate.com.

North Bennet St. School Open House

Visit one of the country’s oldest schools of traditional craftsmanship during the grand opening of its new facility in the North End. Watch and meet with students and instructors as they work in their studios. The school offers classes on furniture and cabinet-making, violin-making, carpentry, jewelry-making, piano restoration, bookbinding, and locksmithing. Finished work will be available for purchase in the school’s new Gallery Store.

Friday, November 8, 12-4 p.m., and Saturday, November 9, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., 150 North St., nbss.edu.

New England Aquarium Lecture Series 

Take part in one or more of the New England Aquarium’s remaining free fall lectures that aim to educate the public on wildlife research, climate change, and conservation. Some of this season’s topics include great white sharks (chomp!) and manta rays (what does the manta ray say, zing?). One of the most interesting topics this fall is on how we can save the world’s oceans from over fishing. Oceana CEO Andrew Sharpless will explain how countries around the globe can better manage their seafood supplies. Lectures will be held in the Aquarium’s Simons IMAX Theatre.

Thursdays through December 12, 7 p.m., 1 Central Wharf, 617-973-6596, neaq.org.

Brookline First Light Festival

First Light launches the holiday season in Brookline with a town-wide festival with free events at more than 60 local businesses. Enjoy live performances, free food, activities, and more. Spend the night with your family and friends to shop, eat, and discover Brookline’s best. Events will be held in areas including Brookline Village, Coolidge Corner, JFK Crossing, Putterham Circle, and Washington Square.

November 21, 5-8 p.m., various locations, Brookline, firstlightbrookline.com.

Faneuil Hall’s Blink!

For the second year in a row, a state-of-the-art light-and-sound extravaganza is here to transform Faneuil Hall. This magical light show uses more than 350,000 LED lights to illuminate Boston’s skyline to the song stylings of the Holiday Pops. The festivities will begin with a special Tree Lighting Ceremony with Mayor Tom Menino.

November 23, 2013, through January 5, 2014, 5-10 p.m., Faneuil Hall, faneuilhallmarketplace.com.

Tuba Christmas Concert

What better way to kick off the holiday season than with a free concert? Boston’s 28th annual Christmas Tuba Concert is one of many Tuba Christmas concerts happening around the world (but of course, Boston’s will be the best, right?) This special concert will feature more than 100 tuba players and a lot of holiday cheer.

Saturday, November 30, 2 p.m., Faneuil Hall, bostontubachristmas.com.

Amy Sillman’s “One Lump or Two” at the ICA

Art museums can be expensive, but on Thursday evenings from 5-9 p.m., admission to the ICA is free. This month, take advantage of Free ICA Thursdays and check out the Amy Sillman exhibition, “One Lump or Two.” Take a look at the painting of a young man that Sillman painted over in writing “This painting was a total failure,” and decide for yourself if it was.

Every Thursday, 5-9 p.m., Institute of Contemporary Art, 100 Northern Ave., 617-478-3100, icaboston.org.

Science and Cooking Lecture Series

Cooking is truly a science. This series of talks is a collaboration between Harvard researchers and world-class chefs. This month, some of the featured topics that will be covered include “The Science of Sweets” with Flour owner Joanne Chang and “Fermentation: When Rotten Goes Right.” The lectures are meant to demonstrate the increasingly parallel technologies behind modern cooking and bioscience. Want to learn more without having to leave the house? Check out our Chefology series.

Mondays throughout November, 7 p.m., Harvard University Science Center, Hall C, 1 Oxford St., Cambridge, harvard.edu.