Five Reasons to Leave the House This Weekend
Worcester Food Truck Festival / Courtesy photo
FOOD FESTIVAL
Phantom Gourmet Hot Dog Safari
Spend your Saturday afternoon eating your way down Lansdowne Street while helping to find a cure for cystic fibrosis. What started out 26 years ago as a bus tour to find the best hot dogs in New England quickly turned into a family-friendly event to raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Sample different dogs and finish off your meal with ice cream from Richardson’s. “When you get there, it’s all color and fun and there’s music going up and down the street,” says Dave Andelman, CEO of Phantom Gourmet. “I think it’s a really fun, affordable event.” All proceeds go straight to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
$10 in advance or $15 at the event (kids 10 and under free), Saturday, June 20, 12-4 p.m., Lansdowne St., Boston, hotdogsafari.com.
OUTDOOR DANCE PARTY
Donna Summer Memorial Roller Disco Party
The Celebration of Summer returns to City Hall Plaza for its second annual roller disco party in memory of the “Queen of Disco” (and native Bostonian) Donna Summer. Skate and groove to Summer’s greatest hits, while partying with other Boston talent like roller champs the Boston Derby Dames. Disco tunes provided by Bosq and Joe Caserta. Refreshments and free skate rentals will be available.
Free, Friday, June 19, 6-10 p.m., City Hall Plaza, 1 City Hall Sq., Boston, cityofboston.gov.
FESTIVAL
Summer Solstice Celebration
This Sunday, celebrate the official start of summer with circus performers, music, dance, a Japanese taiko drumming performance, and arts and crafts aplenty. Create your own flower crowns or Egyptian collars—or if crafting isn’t your thing, go on a street chalking adventure in tribute to the late Sidewalk Sam. Hungry? Hit up food trucks Bon Me and Jose’s, and treat yourself to Ben & Jerry’s for dessert. If you’re the type who prefers to worship summer indoors, take advantage of free evening admission to the Harvard Museum of Natural History, the Harvard Semitic Museum, the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments, and the Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology.
Free, Sunday, June 21, 5-9 p.m., Harvard Museums of Science & Culture, 26 Oxford St., Cambridge, hmsc.harvard.edu.
GEEKY FUN
Northeast Comic Con & Pop Culture Expo
The shark who terrorized Amity Island in Jaws has a name—it’s Bruce. And you can meet him in all his rubber-and-steel glory this weekend. For Northeast Comic Con, geeks of all stripes will converge on Wilmington for two days of cosplay, video game tournaments, Star Wars trivia, celebrity guest appearances, and more. Sit in on a panel by Adam West and pose with the original Batmobile, explore the Jaws 40th anniversary exhibit, party in cosplay all night at “Alice in Wonderland’s 150th Un-Birthday Steampunk Mad Tea Party.”
$20+, Saturday, June 20, and Sunday, June 21, Aleppo Shriners Auditorium, 99 Fordham Rd., Wilmington, necomiccon.net.
FOOD FESTIVAL
Worcester Food Truck Festival
Nothing says “summer” like food trucks and a day in the park. At the fourth annual Worcester Food Truck Festival, enjoy food from more than 20 food trucks—including Papi’s Stuffed Sopapillas, Teri-Yummy, the Chicken and Rice Guys, Roxy’s Gourmet Grilled Cheese—paired with Sam Adams craft beers. “Come hungry, come thirsty, leave your diet at home, and wear elastic-band pants,” says Anne-Marie Aigner, executive producer of Food Truck Festivals of America, the organizer of the event. Bring blankets, lawn chairs, and even your dog for some primo afternoon picnicking. And while there’ll be family-friendly activities like face-painting and music at the event, “the two main stars are the food and the beer,” Aigner says. To ensure your spot, buy tickets in advance and arrive early—and maybe even spring for the $20 VIP tickets, which give you first-priority access.
General admission $5 (children 12 and under free), Saturday, June 20, 12-5 p.m., Elm Park, 284 Highland St., Worcester, foodtruckfestivalsofamerica.com.
