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BosTen is your weekly guide to the best events and coolest things to do in Boston.

Visit New England’s largest free contemporary art space

Now known as the MassArt Museum, MassArt’s Bakalar and Paine Galleries were recently reimagined with thousands more feet of space for paintings, photography, sculptures, installations, and performance art. In addition to viewing exhibits, this Thursday at 7 p.m. guests enjoy a half-hour long ceremonial activation of Katie Paterson’s artwork, “To Burn, Forest, Fire,” which burns incense that evokes the scents of the Earth’s earliest forest and the imagined aroma of its last. (Thursday, Oct. 3 at 7 p.m.; 621 Huntington Ave., Boston; free) — Cheryl Fenton

Groove with the Lemon Twigs at Crystal Ballroom

The Lemon Twigs’ latest LP – “A Dream Is All We Know” (produced by Sean Ono Lennon) – is, in the words of Paper’s Erica Campbell, “a sonic manifestation of a fictional place they call ‘Mersey Beach,’” a portmanteau of sorts that they coined to reflect the spirit of their two biggest influences: The Beatles and The Beach Boys. Over the course of five LPs, the D’Addario brothers have incorporated pretty much every genre of rock (glam, art, indie) and pop (baroque, jangle, power) that has emerged in popular music over the past 60 years. And while the retro influences and love of the past are clear as day in their sound and style, the approach is fresh and current, which will be evident during their Thursday show at Crystal Ballroom. (Thursday, Oct. 3 at 8 p.m; 55 Davis Square, Somerville, $25 and up) — Blake Maddux

Bring the kids to these Halloween events in Salem

The historic city of Salem welcomes 1 million tourists during October for its month-long Haunted Happenings festival, billed as the largest celebration of Halloween in the world. Don’t let that daunting number keep you away, as there are dozens of different events throughout the month, many of which aren’t overcrowded. The season kicks off this Thursday with the nighttime Salem Chamber of Commerce Haunted Happenings Grand Parade. If you miss the parade, bring the kids to the Salem ZombieWalk, taking place Saturday on Salem Common. Other daily options include Professor Spindlewink’s World of Wizardry, a new attraction where kids can “journey to magic realms and discover an enchanted forest, a crystal cave, a room of fantastic beasts, and even an ice dragon,” and classes with The Good Witch of Salem, an educator who this year is hosting a magical children’s tea party, potion-making, broom and hat decorating, a character breakfast, and a costume ball. (Various times and locations throughout October) — Kristi Palma

Laugh along with Sebastian Maniscalco

Sebastian Maniscalco broke into the public consciousness in 2012 with his now-legendary “doorbell” bit, wherein he recalled the days when unexpected company was so welcome it had its own reserved store-bought cake, and expertly contrasted it with our current state of stranger-danger paranoia. (“Army crawl! Get in the closet!”) He’s since done too many painfully relatable routines to count, on everything from online reviews to being completely flummoxed by “Hamilton.” Who knows what topics will be on the table at the TD Garden this Friday and Saturday, but odds are he’ll be crawling and gesticulating his way into your heart. (Friday, Oct. 4, 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 5, 7 p.m.; 100 Legends Way, Boston, $59-$307) — Peter Chianca

Try something new with ‘Nassim’

The play “Nassim,” written and performed by Nassim Soleimanpour, sounds like it’d be a one-man show. But it’s not — each performance features a different local, unrehearsed actor reciting much of the show. The Iranian playwright demonstrates the difficulties of understanding a new language with a script in a sealed box waiting for a new reading each night. Most of what’s read is translated from Farsi to English, with all the loss inherent in translation, showing how language can both unite and divide us. The experimental and internationally touring show approaches performance number 500 during its three-week run at the Huntington Calderwood starting this Friday. Check their website as the show nears for each night’s guest performer. (Spoiler alert: On Oct. 16 it’s Keith Lockhart, of all people.) (Friday, Oct. 4 through Saturday Oct. 27 at various times; 527 Tremont St., Boston; $29-$135 — Natalie Gale

Hoist a stein at Harpoon Brewery Octoberfest

Despite what the name implies, almost all of the Boston-area Oktoberfest celebrations already took place in September. If you’re still in the festive mood, however, Harpoon Brewery hosts its 34th annual Octoberfest this Friday and Saturday. The largest celebration of the year at Harpoon’s Seaport taproom, the event goes beyond stein-hoisting competitions, holding pretzel eating contests and chicken dancing. The event takes place under open-air tents, with limited seating available. Then on Sunday, Dogtoberfest returns to Harpoon, welcoming dogs to the taproom and raising funds for the Kenary Brain Tumor Research Fund at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and MSPCA–Angell. (Friday-Sunday, Oct. 4-6 at various times; $35 and up; 21+) — Katelyn Umholtz

Enjoy food, rides and more at Topsfield Fair

Less than a week after the Big E wrapped up for the season, New England’s other giant fair opens for the season. Starting this Friday, head to the Topsfield Fair, the oldest agricultural fair in Massachusetts, for agricultural exhibits, concessions and vendors, carnival rides, art shows, and live entertainment at the Topsfield Fairgrounds. There’s no shortage of ways to have fun at the fair, like riding the Ferris wheel and playing carnival games on the Midway, ordering deep-fried Oreos, and seeing the largest pumpkin grown north of Boston. Visitors will also want to check out the winners of the fair’s many competitions, earning best in class awards for livestock, fruits and vegetables, fine art, baked goods, wine, honey, and more. (Friday, Oct. 4 through Monday, Oct. 14 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Topsfield Fairgrounds, Topsfield; $15; all ages) — Natalie Gale

Let loose at Honk Festival

Two popular festivals will join forces this Sunday when Honk Fest, Somerville’s annual brass band extravaganza, heads to Harvard Square for its Oktoberfest celebration. Honk is actually a 3-day event, bringing dozens of activist brass bands from around the world to the neighborhoods of Somerville on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The final event of Honk involves a raucous parade, in which hundreds of musicians march from Davis Square to Harvard Square to join its Oktoberfest activities. Between the four hours of live music and the multiple beer gardens scattered around the square, it’s an Oktoberfest you’ll definitely want to check out. (Friday-Sunday, Oct. 4-6 at various times; Davis Square, Somerville; free) — Kevin Slane

Where to: Tenoch in Harvard Square.

Why: For tacos, tortas, and eventually cocktails inside The Garage.

The backstory: The original Tenoch opened on Medford’s Riverside Avenue in 2012, serving tortas: springy telera bread layered with black bean spread, avocado, chipotle mayonnaise, pickled onion, tomato, rubbery Oaxaca cheese, and marinated meats. Since then, owner Alvaro Sandoval, who grew up in Mexico, has expanded to the North End, Davis Square, and Melrose; he also opened a finer-dining spot, El Tacuba, near the original Tenoch in Medford Square. His latest endeavor is a new Tenoch inside Harvard Square’s storied Garage space, most recently occupied by Las Palmas. This version has slightly different menus from the others, including pork sausage and pig belly tacos.

Photo from harvardsquare.com

CAMBRIDGE – The 3rd annual Filipino American Festival returns to Harvard Square in Cambridge for a day packed with live performances, cultural exhibits and authentic Filipino cuisine.

A key highlight of the festival on Sunday, Oct. 6 will be the first-ever Filipino Beer Garden in New England, offering iconic brews like San Miguel and Red Horse.

Prepare for a busy weekend in Cambridge as the 45th Annual Oktoberfest takes place in Harvard Square this Sunday.

Organized by the Harvard Square Business Association, the event will feature a variety of food, music, and cultural activities.

Attendees should also anticipate traffic disruptions in the area.

In addition to the festivities, road closures will begin at 7 a.m. on Sunday.

According to the official announcement from the City of Cambridge, sections of Massachusetts Avenue, Brattle Street, Mount Auburn Street, and other roads will be closed to vehicle traffic.

While these closures may affect usual travel routes, they will facilitate the Honk!

Parade, a key feature of the event.

Festivities are scheduled to start at 11 a.m. and continue until 6 p.m., providing ample time to participate.

After the event concludes and vendors and participants have cleared the area, the streets are anticipated to reopen to regular traffic.

For those who may not be aware, there is also a semi-permanent closure that will affect Sunday traffic. Memorial Drive, from Western Avenue to Gerry’s Landing, will be closed to vehicles by State Police until November 10, transforming the road into a space for pedestrians and cyclists from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Luxor Cafe is located at 148 Mt Auburn St. By Elise A. Spenner

By Sophie Gao, Bradford D. Kimball, and Elise A. Spenner, Contributing Writers

9 hours ago

Visitors to Harvard Square are in luck with the opening of Luxor Cafe, an Egyptian coffee shop and deli that launched in May.

The cafe — which is at the Mt. Auburn Street location that once housed Darwin’s Ltd. and Roust Coffee — expands the Mediterranean and Halal options in the Square with its Egyptian-inspired cuisine.

The new establishment is owned by 22-year-old Abdelrahman Hassan, the son of Egyptian immigrants, who said he aimed to emulate the “community space” of cafes in his parents’ home country.

“I miss home, and I miss being there, and I love being there,” Hassan said of Egypt. “I feel like it’s so special, and a lot of people don’t get to see how special it is.”

In addition to carrying over menu options from Darwin’s, Luxor Cafe offers a variety of specialty sandwiches, breakfast foods, and beverages — including a baklava latte and Egyptian breakfast. The cafe also features Egyptian-influenced decor, with a hieroglyph mural and a scarab beetle — a symbol of ancient Egypt.

The cafe was remodeled within two weeks of the closure of Roust Coffee, which was open for just over a year before shutting its doors in early May.

“I texted on a group chat, like, ‘I need help. I need to put things together,’” Hassan said. “All of a sudden, there are like 20 people a day that are all coming, and they’re all just helping. Everyone has ideas.”

In addition to serving Halal food, the cafe aims to further serve its Muslim patrons by building a prayer space in the basement, which Hassan said would be complete by January or February of 2025.

Although the cafe opened just a few months ago, Hassan is already managing a robust catering operation and also hopes to start a coffee cart system — which he called his “biggest thing” — that would bring Luxor Cafe all around New England.

“I feel like that’s really fun. Now, the world’s endless. You can go wherever,” Hassan said about the coffee cart. “You really get to go outside. You really get to push the brand name.”

Several customers praised the new cafe, citing its menu offerings and the establishment’s ambience.

Balsam Mahfoum, a student at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, said she comes to Luxor Cafe often because of their halal food and its role as a “community space.”

“It’s super accessible to a community that’s not really reached by a lot of cafes,” Mahfoum said, adding that even though the restaurant is “a little bit on the pricey side,” she wants to support Muslim and Arab-owned businesses.

“I love also that they play Arabic music. It makes me feel at home,” she said.

Reham Harrati ’27 said she makes a special effort to go to Luxor in part because the “coffee is fantastic.”

“It’s not necessarily in the direction of anything, so I literally schedule it into my day to walk out of the way and get coffee,” she said.

Though it was her first visit, Cambridge resident Divya Gumudavelly was impressed by Luxor Cafe and said her latte “ended up being really good.”

“I’m going to tell everyone about it to come back here, because it feels super homey and I feel like you can spend a lot of time here and get a lot of work done,” she said.

Garrett Harris, a Belmont resident, said he prefers Luxor to the previous restaurants in the location.

“I like the Egyptian vibe,” he said. “The personality of the people who work here is way better. It’s unique.”

Here are 20 of Boston’s most significant literary sites, including pubs, hotels, and restaurants that were once the haunts of important literary figures.

Boston, a city steeped in a rich literary history, has been the home to numerous iconic writers and intellectuals. Here are 20 of Boston’s most significant literary sites, including pubs, hotels, and restaurants that were once the haunts of important literary figures. These sites, each with its unique historical significance, are a testament to Boston’s deep-rooted literary heritage.

The Omni Parker House, 60 School St, Boston, MA 02108

The oldest continuously operating hotel in the U.S., frequented by Charles Dickens, who gave his first American reading of A Christmas Carol here, and by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Henry David Thoreau.

The Old Corner Bookstore, 283 Washington St, Boston, MA 02108

Once the headquarters of the publishers Ticknor and Fields, who published works by authors like Nathaniel Hawthorne, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Charles Dickens. Now home to a commercial business, but still a critical historical literary site.

Brattle Book Shop, 9 West St, Boston, MA 02111

Brattle’s is one of the oldest and largest antiquarian bookstores in the U.S., founded in 1825. It’s a treasure trove for book lovers.

The Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138

An independent bookstore established in 1932, known for its author events and connection to Harvard University’s intellectual community, where figures like T.S. Eliot and E.E. Cummings studied.

The Charles Street Meeting House, 70 Charles St, Boston, MA 02114

A historical site where Ralph Waldo Emerson delivered his famous “Divinity School Address.” It’s an essential site for transcendentalist history.

The Union Oyster House, 41 Union St, Boston, MA 02108

Daniel Webster frequented the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the U.S. and reportedly consumed large quantities of oysters there.

Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House, 399 Lexington Rd, Concord, MA 01742

The home of Louisa May Alcott, where she wrote Little Women, is in nearby Concord. It’s a must-visit for literary tourists in the Boston area.

The Athenaeum, 10½ Beacon St, Boston, MA 02108

One of the oldest independent libraries in the U.S., it has been frequented by literary figures such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Longfellow House, Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site, 105 Brattle St, Cambridge, MA 02138

Home of the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and a center for 19th-century literary and intellectual life.

The Dickens Room at The Parker House, 60 School St, Boston, MA 02108

Named after Charles Dickens, who stayed at the Parker House while on his American tours. The room preserves memorabilia from his time there.

The Grolier Poetry Book Shop, 6 Plympton St, Cambridge, MA 02138

Grolier is the oldest continuous poetry bookstore in the U.S., a haunt of poets like T.S. Eliot and Robert Lowell.

The Bell in Hand Tavern, 45 Union St, Boston, MA 02108

The Bell in Hand, established in 1795, is one of the oldest bars in America and has been frequented by many writers and journalists.

Grendel’s Den, 89 Winthrop St, Cambridge, MA 02138

A popular restaurant and bar in Harvard Square, frequented by students, professors, and writers alike, including the likes of Seamus Heaney.

The Concord Museum, 200 Lexington Rd, Concord, MA 01742

This museum houses artifacts from famous local authors, including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Louisa May Alcott. You can also visit Walden Pond while in Concord.

Brattle Street in Cambridge transformed into a sea of pink on Saturday as attendees enjoyed live music, sipped pink wines and browsed through tables selling unique items — all in support of a meaningful cause.

The Paint the Square PINK Block Party in Harvard Square, a celebration in support of breast cancer survivors, was held by the Harvard Square Business Association in partnership with the American Cancer Society..

Denise Jillson, executive director for the Harvard Business Association, said the idea for the pink party originated when the American Cancer Society proposed an outdoor celebration for breast cancer survivors.

“This is a horrible disease, and we’re seeing great improvements in healthcare and in treatment, and that’s something worthy of celebration,” Jillson said.

The event was originally scheduled for June 14, but was postponed twice due to rain. The organizers persisted and moved the date once more to Friday, Sept. 13.

“Third time’s the charm for tonight, because the weather is perfect,” Jillson said.

In addition to providing resources to survivors and those currently fighting cancer, the free event featured live music, a pink inflatable chair for photo opportunities and a wine garden sponsored by the Commonwealth Wine School.

The event was also an opportunity for small businesses to display their unique products. A portion of their sales contributed to Making Strides of Boston, a walk that fundraises for breast cancer research and treatment. The walk is part of the national movement Making Strides Against Breast Cancer and will take place Oct. 5.

One of these businesses was Ninawa Zero-Waste Clothes, run by Aelen Unan, a fashion designer who upcycles unwanted textile materials into eco-friendly, reusable tote-bags and sustainable clothes.

Unan said she wanted to participate in the block party because of her dedication to “women’s health but also spreading awareness about cancer.”

She said Paint the Square PINK offers support to individuals and families affected by cancer by making resources available to help them and their loved ones.

“If they have a family member suffering from any kind of cancer, when they participate in these events, they find it easier to talk about their experiences,” she said.

Elaine Cesar, an attendee who is currently battling cancer, said the event is “crucial” to spread awareness of the fight against breast cancer.

“I think it’s good because some people don’t have any idea what’s going on in your body, and [if] you come here, you can learn,” she said.

She encouraged those who might be similarly battling cancer to stay strong and positive.

“You just have to fight and believe you can do it,” Cesar said.

Her wife, Katie Cesar, who attended the event with her, added, “Don’t let it get to your mind.”

Unan said that events like Paint the Square PINK are vital for supporting those struggling with breast cancer.

“When we hear about cancer, it’s very heavy,” Unan said. “But when there’s music, there’s vendors, there’s pink color … people can take it more easily.”

Happy Friday, Boston!

🎬 Calling all students: The MFA has a sweet back-to-school deal for you: $5 movie screenings for students at schools participating in the university membership program. First up? A Sept. 19 screening of “Donnie Darko.”

👀What’s on tap today:

• Local census findings
• The Big E is BACK
• Dancing with the (TikTok) Stars

Up first…

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OKTOBERFEST

Something to prost for

Illustration: Gia Orsino

The latest sign of fall is finally near: Oktoberfest. While originating in Munich, this German beer festival is happily celebrated around the world. It’s the perfect excuse to throw a party, have a pint, and wear lederhosen. 

Celebrations are kicking off around Boston this weekend, so here’s where to toast and prost: 

🍻 If you’re looking for a big party … Head to a big brewery! These spots are all throwing down for Oktoberfest with day(s)-long parties packed with stein-holding competitions, themed brews, bites, and live music:

• Remnant Brewing, Sept. 14, 15. Expect a special fest brew, giant pretzels, and a “German sparkle” afterparty.
• Trillium, Sept. 21, 22. All four locations will have parties with merch and German food. There’s a late-night afterparty at Headroom Hi-Fi Lounge in the Seaport, too.
• Sam Adams Taproom, Sept. 20, 21, 22. It’ll be a classic downtown throwdown with nonstop live music. Grab early tickets for free Oktoberfest swag!
• Mighty Squirrel, Sept. 20, 21, 22. This bash includes an Oktoberfest 5k with TWO complimentary beers for entrants, plus a special prize.
• Night Shift, Sept. 28, 29. This beer-stravaganza takes place in Everett and Boston. Head to Everett for the chance to win $50 in the stein-holding contest.
• Harpoon Brewery, Oct. 4, 5. Arguably one of the biggest brewery Oktoberfest celebrations around Boston, Harpoon is coming to play with live oompah music, stein hoisting, food trucks, and … chicken dancing?
• Harvard Square and HONK! Parade, Oct 6. OK, this one isn’t a brewery. But it’s perhaps the most iconic celebration, with a huge parade, art, HONK! music, food, and beer.