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