Five Reasons to Leave the House This Weekend

Figure skating photo via Shutterstock

Sports
The U.S. Figure Skating Championships

Usually around this time, Bruins fans are preparing to turn Boston into Hockeytown, USA. However, starting Sunday, graceful gliding will take center stage at TD Garden and the Convention Center for the national figure skating championships. If you aren’t sure which sessions to check out, consider pairs, as local figure skating duo Simon Shnapir and Marissa Castelli are favorites to emerge victorious. Bonus: it’s an Olympic year, meaning winners in Boston are headed to Sochi. Now, if you’re still too scarred from the Tonya Harding–Nancy Kerrigan attack of 1994 to watch a figure skating competition, take it easy with the Smucker’s Skating Spectacular next Sunday, January 12.

PLUS: Read our Q&A with Shnapir and Castelli in the January issue.

Prices vary by event, Sunday, January 5, through Sunday, January 12, TD Garden and Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, boston2014.com.

Art
She Who Tells a Story

This is one of the last weekends you can see this provocative exhibit at the MFA. The collection comprises more than 100 contemporary photographs by 12 female photographers from the Middle East. Don’t miss your chance to check out these works, the cultural importance of which is emphasized by New York Times:

Despite the cultural limitations many have faced, women have been at the forefront of photography in Iran and the Arab world. In societies dominated by men, female photographers are using images to raise questions and explore issues of identity. They’re telling stories—often their own.

MORE: Read our full preview of She Who Tells a Story.

$25 admission, through January 12, Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston, mfa.org.

Action
Nitro Circus Live

MTV regulars might recognize this as a show and 3D movie, but Nitro Circus is now on the road touring North America. This weekend, extreme sports star Travis Pastrana and co. will bring extreme sports and plenty of shenanigans to the Garden. The group of daredevils demonstrate ridiculous feats that require great skill (many are X-Games winners) and also a little bit of crazy. Think: Evel Knievel meets Jackass.

$39+, Sunday, January 5, 6 p.m., TD Garden, 100 Legends Way, Boston, nitrocircuslive.com, tdgarden.com.

Drink
Craft Beer Session with Goose Island at Bin Ends

New year, new string of tastings to look forward to. This weekend, Bin Ends has planned craft beer sessions at their Needham and Braintree locations, where you can try samples of Goose Island craft beer out of Chicago. And if that’s too small-scale for you, just relish in the nice long list of tastings that have already taken shape on Beer Advocate’s event site for January. Also coming up in January: Beer War Dinners at McCormick & Schmick’s, a Pretty Things tasting at Cambridge Spirits, and more.

DRINK UP: Stay educated on all things beverage-related with our Liquid Diet series.

Bin Ends Wine, Friday, January 3, 4-6 p.m. at Braintree location, and Saturday, January 4, 2-4 p.m. at Needham location, binendswine.com. (Follow @binendswine on Twitter for the latest on snow storm hours.)

Film
Secretary at the Coolidge

Sorry moms, the 50 Shades of Grey movie isn’t slated to premiere until 2015. In the meantime, consider a screening of Secretary at Coolidge Corner Theatre this coming Monday. The 2002 film stars James Spader as a demanding lawyer named Mr. Grey (what, you thought E.L. James invented the name Grey?) and Maggie Gyllenhaal as Lee Holloway, his (duh) secretary. Yes, there is spanking involved. The screening will be followed by a conversation with the director and cast members of the Huntington Theatre Company’s production Venus in Fur.

$10.25, Monday, January 6, 7 p.m., Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St., Brookline, coolidge.org.

What other fun events are happening this weekend? Let us know in the comments below.