Five Reasons to Leave the House This Weekend

Unlimited beer tasting, a Fenway takeover, a Boston Strong fundraiser, and more.

beer

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2nd Annual Hyper-Local Brew Fest

Unlimited beer tasting—need we say more? Boston beer giants like Sam Adams and Harpoon will showcase their products alongside smaller local breweries like Portico, Rapscallion, and Idle Hands at the 2nd Annual Hyper-Local Brew Fest this Friday and Saturday in Somerville. When you need a break from beer, you can switch over to mead or cider and when you need a break from alcohol, you can sample and purchase munchies from The Chicken & Rice Guys, Valicenti Organico, Q’s Nuts, and other local vendors. You can even experiment and learn more about home-brewing at the Hyper-Local Home-Brew Showcase Night on Friday. So who knows—maybe you can add your own brew to next year’s lineup.

$35 or $65 for you and a date, Friday, June 14, 6:30-9:30 p.m., and Saturday, June 15, 3-6 p.m. and 7-10 p.m., Center for Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville, 617-718-2191, hyperlocalbrew.eventbrite.com

Fundraiser
Boston Strong Fundraiser at the Lansdowne Pub

On Saturday, three months will have passed since the bombing at the Boston Marathon, but efforts are still strong to help those directly affected. Enjoy a beer and appetizers—included with your ticket—and participate in a silent auction for a chance to win Red Sox and Celtics tickets, as well as skating with Bruins alumni and signed hockey pucks from the team. Three student groups from Berklee College of Music will provide live entertainment. All ticket sales and donations will benefit Spaulding’s Comprehensive Rehabilitation Program Fund, which has been supporting victims of the tragedy on their road to recovery.

$15, free for children, Saturday, June 15, noon-4 p.m., Lansdowne Pub, 9 Lansdowne St., 617-247-1222, facebook.com

Sports
John Hancock Fenway Fantasy Day

This Saturday, baseball fans can take over Fenway and enjoy the ballpark from the field rather than the bleachers. Choose from a variety of five packages—you can pay up front or fundraise your way in, from the $750 fielding-only Golden Glove Package to the $40,000 Hall of Fame Package, which includes batting and fielding spots for 12 participants. All five packages include breakfast or lunch in the State Street Pavilion, a professional photo in the dugout, a goodie bag of baseball essentials, and more. This all comes at a hefty price, but it’s for a great cause—to benefit Dana Farber Cancer Institute’s Jimmy Fund, now in its 60th year of partnership with the Red Sox.

$750-40,000, Saturday, June 15, Fenway Park, 4 Yawkey Way, 877-733-7699, jimmyfundfantasyday.org

Outdoors
20th Annual South End Garden Tour

Thanks to the SoWa Open Market, the South End is the go-to place on Sundays in Boston, but this weekend, consider trying something different: come to the neighborhood a day early and enjoy the scenery. This Saturday, South End residents will open up their homes and let you into their patios, terraces, and rooftop gardens as part of the 20th Annual South End Garden Tour, a self-guided tour that also includes a number of public parks and community gardens, as well as displays by local artists. Even if nature isn’t your thing, haven’t you always wondered what the inside of those million-dollar South End brownstones looks like?

$20 in advance, $25 the day of, Saturday, June 15, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., South End Branch of the Boston Public Library, 685 Tremont St., 617-542-7696, southendgardentour.org

Hello, Summer
Summer in the City at Boston Harbor Hotel

The Boston Harbor Hotel’s 15th Annual Summer in the City entertainment series begins this weekend. Starting tonight through August 30, the hotel will host complimentary events including movie nights, concerts, and more. For tonight’s first “Blue Barge Thursday,” you can check out the smooth blues sounds of Jeff Pitchell, and tomorrow, watch the 1972 film What’s Up Doc?. You can check out the full schedule online.

Free, Boston Harbor Hotel, 70 Rowes Wharf, 617-439-7000, bhh.com/summer