Five Reasons to Leave the House This Weekend


harpoon brewery octoberfest

Oktoberfest
Harpoon Brewery’s OctoberFest
Embrace the beginning of fall with live music and tasty beer at Harpoon Brewery’s Octoberfest. In addition to a selection of Harpoon beers including IPA and UFO Hefeweizen, partiers can also indulge in German food, German Oompah bands, and “the best chicken dancing this side of the Alps.” Oh, and a German chocolate cake-eating contest? Yes, please.
$20; Fri., Sept. 28 and Sat., Sept. 29; Harpoon Brewery, 306 Northern Avenue; 617-574-9551; harpoonbrewery.com

Museums
Smithsonian Magazine’s Museum Day Live!
This year, 65 museums in Massachusetts are taking part in Smithsonian magazine’s national Museum Day Live! event. Museum Day Live! rallies museums from across the country to allow free entry to visitors for one special day. Just show up with a pre-ordered ticket. Participating museums in the Boston area include the MFA, five Harvard museums, and more. You must get your ticket online from Smithsonian magazine. Limit one free ticket per household—each ticket holder gets one free guest.
Free; You pick the museum; Sat., Sept. 29; smithsonianmag.com/museumday

Music
Berklee Beantown Jazz Festival
The 12th annual Beantown Jazz Festival is back to celebrate smooth, uplifting jazz music. Shows will take place Thursday through Sunday, but the free outdoor festival will begin at noon on Saturday. Dozens of performers will entertain in a variety of styles on several stages. Check out the best up-and-coming young artists in the Berklee City Music All-Stars, let Marcus Santos and Bloco AfroBrazil lift your spirits with some samba reggae, and celebrate women in music with Tia Fuller and Paula Cole.
Free; Sat., Sept. 29; Columbus Avenue between Massachusetts Avenue and Burke Street; beantownjazz.com

Figure Skating
An Evening with Champions
World-class figure skaters will be in Boston this weekend to jump, twirl, and spin to support the fight against cancer. More than a dozen skaters including world champion Kimmie Meissner will perform at the Bright Hockey Center in Allston with singles, pairs, dance, and even theater numbers. Olympic silver medalists Paul Wylie and Emily Hughes will co-host the event.
$25; 7 p.m., Sat., Sept. 29 and 2 p.m., Sun., Sept. 30; Bright Hockey Center, 79 N. Harvard St.; 617-582-7916; aneveningwithchampions.org

Weddings
Fenway Park Bridal Festival
Here come the brides: Sunday is the fourth annual Fenway Park Bridal Festival. Wedding experts will be on hand to give advice on wedding plans, engagement celebrations, bridal showers, bachelor parties, and more. There will be plenty of raffles and freebies, but the biggest prize up for grabs? Four couples will win a wedding ceremony hosted right in Fenway Park. “We do” like the sound of that.
$15; 10 a..m.-2 p.m., Sun., Sept. 30; Fenway Park, 4 Yawkey Way; redsox.com