Five Reasons to Leave the House This Weekend
Sports
The Basketball Tournament
Just because the NBA finals are over doesn’t mean you can’t find great basketball to watch. Just this past weekend, the Boston Streetballers beat New York’s Entertainers Basketball Classic team in the Biv20K Blacktop Classic at Ramsay Park, winning $20,000. This weekend, The Basketball Tournament (TBT) hosts its championship game at BU between Team Barstool and the Notre Dame Fighting Alumni. TBT is an open, single-elimination tourney in which 32 teams play bracket style until one emerges victorious and wins—wait for it—$500,000.
$20 tickets, game will air on ESPN3, Saturday, June 28, 7 p.m., Case Gymnasium at Boston University, thetournament.com.
Food
Boston Jerkfest
“Spice, fun, and food” is the tagline for this event on Saturday in the South End. The family-friendly food fest that celebrates Caribbean-style cuisine returns for a second year, bringing with it authentic Caribbean, international, and local spicy foods. Boston Jerkfest will also have live music, chef demos, and unlimited tastings of rum, local craft beer, and other Caribbean-themed libation. Sounds like a great way to start abiding by the “10 Commandments for Drinking Exceptionally Well This Summer.”
$12+ tickets, Saturday, June 28, two sessions 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology, 41 Berkeley St., Boston, bostonjerkfest.com.
Music
Boston Guitar Fest
While the full scope of the Boston Guitar Fest is targeted toward guitar players—programming includes master classes and workshops—the Guitar Fest will also hold several concerts where you can hear great musicians strum their hearts out. In a video intro, the event’s artistic director Eliot Fisk recommends the gala concert Saturday night, “An American Odyssey,” featuring the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Zaira Meneses, and others, including Fisk himself.
$40 tickets for gala concert, Saturday, June 28, 8 p.m., New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall, 290 Huntington Ave., Boston. For more info including other programs and concerts, visit bostonguitarfest.org.
Film
Roxbury International Film Festival
Of the many film fests the MFA hosts, this one is of particular interest to locals. The largest New England film festival dedicated to celebrating films by, for, and about people of color is now celebrating its 16th year. The event kicked off Wednesday with a screening of The Life and Crimes of Doris Payne, and will continue through Sunday with a variety of films including Anita, The Fade, Lift (starring Kerry Washington), and A Culture of Silence.
$8+ tickets, various showings through Sunday, June 29, Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston, mfa.org.
Film
Nantucket Film Festival
Another film fest happening throughout the weekend is the 19th annual Nantucket Film Festival. The star-studded affair brings a bevy of celebs to Nantucket, where screenings range from The Muppet Movie to The Skeleton Twins, Begin Again to The Internet’s Own Boy, and more. Other highlights include the Screenwriters Tribute on Saturday—Bradley Whitford will present the 2014 award to Aaron Sorkin—and the All-Star Comedy Roundtable on Sunday—Michael Ian Black will host Jenny Slate (Obvious Child, Marcel the Shell) and Billy Eichner (Billy on the Street).
Prices vary by event ($15 tickets for general screenings), through Monday, June 30, various locations, Nantucket, nantucketfilmfestival.org.
