5 Things To Do This Weekend, Including A Lantern Festival And Summer Concert

One of the first things I did when the world was crawling out of isolation was go to the Lantern Festival at Franklin Park Zoo. It was outside and masks were required so it made me feel comfortable. The lights there reminded me of a time when I was starting to feel hopeful about where we were headed in terms of the pandemic. Now, it's reopening and it's a reminder to me of how far we have come. This week’s roundup of events allows for so much enjoyment and celebration of creativity, music, art and lights. Here’s to hoping we all start to see the light ahead!

Artist Shepard Fairey will be painting a mural on the façade of the New England Aquarium’s Simons Theatre. The artwork will be ocean-inspired and part of an ongoing theme of marine conservation along with 13 other murals being painted around Boston. On Thursday, there will be a panel discussion at the aquarium about how art and creativity are helping the fight for awareness on climate change. For those unfamiliar with Fairey’s work, he is known for the “Hope” poster that was used for President Obama’s 2008 campaign and also for the Obey Giant that has been on buildings internationally. On Saturday, viewers will be encouraged to not only watch Fairey’s mural come to life, but also watch the documentary “Obey Giant” about his life and art.

The Boston Midsummer Opera will hold a glorious night of singing hosted at the Commander’s Mansion tent in Watertown. The company’s mission is to make opera accessible and affordable. Their operas are sung in the original language and have English supertitles. This opera is directed by Antonio Ocampo Guzman with music direction by Susan Davenny Wyner. It is composed of staged scenes and arias and will include selections from Mozart's “The Magic Flute,” Gounod’s “Faust” and a few others. The opera will feature mezzo sopranos Britt Brown and Megan Roth, tenor Jesse Darden, baritone Stephen Salters, bass baritone Jason Budd and soprano Dana Lynne Varga. On the piano will be Brian Moll, who is an assistant professor of music at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee. Last but not least, snacks, wine and other beverages will be sold during the event.

The Lantern Experience is making its return to Franklin Park Zoo! Throughout the zoo, you can expect to see over 60 luminous displays of lanterns. This event is family-friendly and a great chance to take a nice walk. Along your path, you’ll come across sunflowers, cherry blossoms and ocean scenes. The exhibit comes alive at night, when you can really see the lights. In addition to the exhibit this year, there will also be a beer garden offering Samuel Adams and Truly Hard Seltzer. The garden will also have games to play like cornhole and Jenga.

This festival at the Cider Hill Farm in Amesbury, Massachusetts will feature free live music from 12 p.m.-3p.m. each day. Throughout the weekend, there will be hayrides and an outdoor hard cider bar. There will also be food trucks including Sisters of Anarchy Ice Cream, a Vermont-based shop that’ll offer their signature flavor that consists of a maple base with bacon and blueberries. There will also be a workshop for making flower crowns and a soap-making demo.

The ZUMIX concert series takes place each Sunday through Aug. 29. This week’s performance features Kotoko Brass, a group made up of eight musicians. The lively band joins together various sounds including traditional Central Ghanaian drumming, bass and keyboards reminiscent of the Caribbean, and the joyful horns of New Orleans. The music is a perfect pairing with the nice view of the city skyline at Piers Park.