Family Events in Boston This Weekend
All the best things to do as a family this weekend in Boston.
Photo courtesy of the Puppet Showplace Theater
When a cowboy seeks his help to save a town harassed by dangerous outlaws, Little Chucky takes to the Wild West on his loyal goat, using an unlikely weapon to fend off the bad guys. Three performers from Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers will bring a dozen handmade puppets to life in this knee-slapping tale of a banana-wielding cowboy-wannabe.
$12, Various dates and times, Puppet Showplace Theater, 32 Station St., Brookline.
Four local artists backed by corporate sponsors will team up with a group of creative kids for a mural-making competition judged by community members and a voting panel. While the artists and their diligent team members get to work on their public art display, attendees will enjoy live music and an atmosphere of competitive, creative fun. Proceeds from the competition benefit the Community Arts Center’s youth programming, which fosters kid’s creativity, encourages personal development and promotes racial and social justice along the way.
$50, Thursday, 5:30-7:30 p.m., 1 Kendall Square, Cambridge.
Chris Perondi, The Big Book of Tricks for the Best Dog Ever
Chris Perondi, author of The Big Book of Tricks for the Best Dog Ever, will perform some of the wild doggy stunts from his book with Aussie/Border Collie mix Vinny Valentino. Vinny has turned into a rising star under Perondi after his adoption from the Minnesota Border Collie Rescue. The duo has performed stunt dog shows across the country, and on TV with Ellen DeGeneres, Oprah Winfrey and The Today Show. A copy of Perondi’s book comes with your ticket price, so you and Fido will be doing synchronized backflips at home in no time.
$23, Thursday, 7 p.m., Tobin School Auditorium, 197 Vassal Lane, Cambridge.
Since 2017, the Museum of Science and the Boston Red Sox have partnered up to bring STEM opportunities to members of Red Sox Kid Nation at Fenway and the museum. For the third year in a row, the partners will once again host a weekend packed with baseball-related STEM activities. Join mascots Wally and Tessie for a Sox-themed design challenge, a rendition of Take Me Out to the Ballgame, live baseball presentations by museum staff and a Fenway photo-op.
Adult: $26, Child: $21, Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Museum of Science, Boston, 1 Science Park, Boston.
Henry Swedenborg, left, working with Davey the Clown (David Holzman). / Photo courtesy of The Chefs Table Foundation
Hosted by the MOMS Club of South Boston, this free, fun, family-oriented event was made possible by grants from Save the Harbor, Save the Bay and the South Boston Community Development Foundation. Join other members of the Southie neighborhood for a live performance from the Toe Jam Puppet Band, a magic show with Bonaparte, bouncy houses, bubbles and music by DJ Jim.
Free, Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Harry Uhlman Bandstand Marine Park, South Boston.
16th Annual Haley House Block Party and Fundraiser
Since 1966, the Haley House has helped mitigate the effects of poverty on members of the Boston community through services such as a soup kitchen, permanent affordable housing, urban agriculture projects, post-incarceration programs and social enterprises like the Haley House Bakery Café. Help raise money for this critical nonprofit during the organization’s annual kid-friendly fundraiser. Enjoy food and drinks from Harpoon Brewery and JP Licks, live performances from DJ Chris Grant, 4 Star Dance Studio and the South End Dynamite, and enter into a raffle boasting prizes like museum passes, movie tickets and certificates to popular, local restaurants.
Adult: $10, Kids: Free, Saturday, 4 p.m.-7 p.m., Haley House Soup Kitchen, Montgomery St., between Dartmouth St. and Union Park St., South End.
Photo courtesy of Make + Mend
Bow Make-It: Kids Arts + Crafts + Entertainment
Every Sunday this summer, the creative minds behind Bow Market’s Make + Mend shop promise to take care of all of the crafting prep and cleanup for you, so your kids can get their art-making on with no holds barred. Take part in a variety of crafting and art stations, listen to fun beats by musician Matt Heaton, and browse at local Bow Market vendors.
$10, Sunday, 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m., Bow Market, 1 Bow Market Way, Somerville.
Artbarn: The Rainbow Fish Musical
At first, the whole ocean adores the Rainbow Fish. But when she refuses to share her shimmering scales with her underwater friends, her community turns against her. Rainbow Fish seeks the guidance of the Wise Octopus, who teachers her that kindness is much more important than beauty. Part of the ArtBarn Community Theater Program, the Traveling Geese Touring Company gives green actors and theater techs an introduction to performing with opportunities at nursing homes, libraries and other community venues. Watch the Traveling Geese bring Marcus Pfister’s colorful children’s book to life on the stage.
Adult: $13.50, Child: $10.50, Sunday, 10:30 a.m., Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St., Brookline.
Nothing can compete with the gloriously greasy, cheesy and toasty goodness of a grilled cheese sandwich. Except, maybe…dozens of them? Chow down on all-you-can-eat hot sandwiches with other cheddar-loving community members during this family-friendly fundraiser for The Chefs Table Foundation, which dedicates scholarships to veterans and underserved youth with a passion for cooking. After you’ve had your fill, enjoy a visit from Davey the Clown, live music, face painting, and more.
Adult: $10, Child: $8, Sunday, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m., Loring Greenough House, 12 South St., Jamaica Plain.
Puppet Showplace Theater 45th Birthday Celebration
Over the past 45 years, the Puppet Showplace Theater has welcomed puppet-lovers of all ages inside its doors in Brookline Village. Celebrate decades of puppet productions on Station Street and help raise money for the theater’s future goals with kid-friendly live performances, food and drinks, trivia, a photo booth and a dance party.
Adult: $60, Child: Free, Sunday, 2 p.m.-4 p.m., Puppet Showplace Theater, 32 Station St., Brookline.
