Welcome to BosTen, your weekly guide to the coolest events and best things to do in Boston this weekend. Sign up for our weekly email newsletter here. Have an idea about what we should cover? Leave us a comment on this article or in the BosTen Facebook group, or email us at [email protected].

Catch a free outdoor movie (or two)

Assuming you don’t melt from the summer heat, this weekend’s forecast calls for another round of free outdoor movies in the Boston area. On Thursday, you can catch “The Secret Life of Pets” and “Top Gun: Maverick” at Cambridge Crossing or “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” at Seven Hills Park in Somerville. Then on Saturday, the Prudential Center will open up its lawn for a showing of “Lightyear” at dusk. Finally, on Sunday you can see “The Secret Life of Bees” at Christopher Columbus Park. — Kevin Slane

Sip on a cocktail at this Seaport pop-up

If you’re looking for a distinctive and quality drink, the Sipsmith Gin Pop Up will be opening on Thursday, set up outdoors at Woods Hill Pier 4. Limited edition cocktails will be made with Sipsmith’s London Dry, Lemon Drizzle, and Strawberry Smash gins. And if you’re hungry for a snack, think of ordering classic caviar service or the shellfish tower, with lobster salad, oysters, steamed mussels, poached shrimp, and more. The pop-up will be open until sunset and will only be around until August 5, so be sure to visit before it disappears.  — Shira Laucharoen

Wise up with Aimee Mann at The Cabot

As aware of Aimee Mann as I have been throughout her career (“Voices Carry” still transports me back to 1985 whenever I hear it), I have not always followed her as closely as I should have. So I say as a non-expert that if her 2021 record “Queens of the Summer Hotel” is not one of her very best, then I have some catching up to do. Given its thematic unity and beginning-to-end beauty, I would love to see it performed live in its entirety — though that probably won’t happen during her Thursday show at the Cabot, as that would leave out too much prime material. — Blake Maddux

Drop it like it’s hot with Snoop Dogg

Never mind keeping track of his multiple career paths — it’s been hard enough remembering what Snoop Dogg likes to call himself. Born Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr., he’s also gone by Snoop Doggy Dogg, Snoop Lion, and Snoopzilla. Those career paths? Among them, gangsta rapper, record producer, gospel singer, actor (who could forget Captain Mack in “Soul Plane”?), shill for Corona Beer, cannabis entrepreneur, and most recently, pro wrestler (he scored a “people’s elbow” on The Miz at this year’s WrestleMania). But the world of pop culture will always revere him as a rapper, and that praise is earned in his newest release “B.O.D.R.” Now he’s getting himself in shape for his “High School Reunion” tour, which visits the Xfinity Center this Friday, along with Wiz Khalifa and Too Short. — Ed Symkus

Laugh it up with Ali Wong

It’s been a while since Ali Wong started taking over Netflix with her comedy specials, starting with the widely successful “Baby Cobra” in 2016 — famously filmed while she was seven months pregnant — followed by “Hard Knock Wife” (2018), and “Don Wong” (2022). But she hasn’t slowed down in her efforts to deliver unfiltered, personal comedy that doesn’t shy away from the topics of sex, bodily functions, and the painful vagaries of marriage. Of course, now that she’s a hard knock ex-wife (she and husband Justin Hakuta divorced last year), she may have a more nuanced (although no doubt equally hilarious) perspective to share when she visits MGM Music Hall this Friday. — Peter Chianca

Head to Revere Beach for the International Sand Sculpting Festival

Starting this Friday, the annual Revere International Sand Sculpting Festival will bring live entertainment, food trucks, and, of course, world-class sand sculptors building some of the most impressive creations imaginable to Revere Beach. If you want an idea of what type of sculptures to expect, the theme of this year’s three-day festival is “90 Years of Kong,” in honor of the landmark 1933 film “King Kong.” The festival draws around a million visitors each year to Revere Beach, the country’s first public beach. And if you head to the beach earlier than Friday, you might catch a glimpse of the sculptors crafting their works. — Natalie Gale

Attend the Lowell Folk Festival

The Lowell Folk Festival, one of America’s longest running free folk festivals, returns to Mill City for a weekend of music, dance, crafts, and food this Friday through Sunday. An enviable roster of artists awaits audiences, including Chicago blues powerhouse Melody Angel, Irish supergroup Trian, griot and kora master Sona Jobarteh, and rockabilly great Chuck Mead. Throughout the weekend, the festival will also feature Portuguese fado, Greek music, Cajun, and funk, as well as music from Afghanistan, Ukraine, and more. The festival, which attracts nearly 150,000 attendees annually, is more than a performing arts event: There will be also a DIY craft area with Chinese paper cutting, Western bootmaking, hand-lettered signs and decorative painting, Dominican carnival traditions, and more. — Cheryl Fenton

Celebrate Beyoncé with a delicious brunch

With Beyoncé arriving at Gillette Stadium this upcoming Tuesday, you’ll want to raise a glass in honor of Queen Bey. At Rail Stop Restaurant & Bar in Brighton, you can celebrate with a Beyonce Brunch, where themed cocktails will be served this Saturday. Between 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m., enjoy food specials, such as the Flawless fried chicken and waffles and the Run the World ricotta pancakes, and listen to a live DJ playing some of the diva’s most popular tracks. Reservations are encouraged. — Shira Laucharoen

Chow down at the Puerto Rican Festival of Mass.

The Puerto Rican Festival of Massachusetts has changed a few things this year, shifting from a three-day festival to a two-day celebration and moving the revelry to City Hall Plaza from Franklin Park. The fun starts at noon on Saturday with a mix of free concerts, carnival rides, cultural merchandise, and plenty of Puerto Rican food. Be sure to stop by for Day 2 on Sunday to see the annual Puerto Rican parade, one of the largest in Boston each year. — Kevin Slane

Please do laugh with Please Don’t Destroy

If you’ve watched “Saturday Night Live” recently, you’ve probably seen (and enjoyed) the work of comedy troupe Please Don’t Destroy. Ben Marshall, John Higgins, and Martin Herlihy have served in a hybrid role since joining the show in 2021, working as writers and shooting pre-recorded shorts that build on the weirdo sketches they posted on social media in recent years. (Personal favorites of that pre-“SNL” era include “I Got Vaccinated,”Hide and Seek,” and “I Got Stuck.”) Following in the steps of The Lonely Island (Andy Samberg) and Good Neighbor (Kyle Mooney, Beck Bennett), Please Don’t Destroy has carved out a little niche on the show, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them made full cast members at some point. Tickets for the early show on Sunday at the Wilbur are already sold out, but there is plenty of availability for the 9:45 set. — Kevin Slane

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