5 Things To Do This Weekend, From Black Radical Women To A New (Free) Boston Music Fest

Here’s what’s up this weekend:

Wicked Good Festival | Saturday, Aug. 18 | Boston Common

WERS debuts its (free) Wicked Good Festival this Saturday on the Boston Common. (WBUR is a sponsor.) The fest is headlined by pop outfit Bleachers and supported by several excellent Boston acts, including local alt-rock icon Juliana Hatfield and Anjimile, the creator of WBUR’s favorite Massachusetts entry to NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Contest. (Check out my feature on Anjimile in our Up Next series on rising local musicians.)

Picó Picante | Friday, Aug. 17 | Good Life, Boston

Since 2010, the monthly Latinx and Caribbean dance night Picó Picante has served as a haven of diversity in Boston’s often homogeneous nightlife, and gained a national reputation as a kick-ass party. The series celebrates its eighth anniversary this Friday. (Read Eduardo Cepeda’s feature about the legacy of the party.)

Fisherman’s Feast | Thursday, Aug. 16 - Sunday, Aug. 19 | Boston's North End

The Fisherman’s Feast traces its roots to 16th century Sicily and has been a Boston institution since 1910. The highlight of the four-day fest is a grand procession, which culminates in the traditional Flight of the Angel — a ceremony that involves hoisting a small child into the air by a rope (and then lowering her very carefully down). There’s really more to it than that, of course, but you need to be there in person to get the full effect.

‘We Wanted a Revolution: Black Radical Women, 1965 - 85’ | Through Sept. 30 | ICA, Boston

This stunning exhibition aims to contextualize the work of black women artists within the second-wave feminist movement. "We Wanted a Revolution" is expansive and packed with historical detail, and worth checking out more than once. You can start this weekend. (Hear more about the significance of this exhibit from The ARTery's Maria Garcia.)

Heroic! Film Series | Through Aug. 31 | MFA, Boston

The MFA’s "Heroic!" film series is all about strong female leads. This weekend’s lineup includes one of director Kathryn Bigelow’s early efforts, a sci-fi noir featuring a young Angela Bassett and Ralph Fiennes. Plus the inventive pairing of 2002’s “Whale Rider,” about a young New Zealand girl’s struggle to follow her own path despite the expectations of her Māori tribe, and Disney’s “Moana,” which explores similar themes.