5 things to do this weekend, including a film fest for kids and Bhangra competition

New Year's resolutions don’t technically start for another month and a half, but there’s no time like the present. I find that it’s important to try new things to keep life fresh and vibrant, so that’s one of mine. I want to attend arts experiences outside of what I already know I enjoy. This weekend is packed with events that fit the bill, from a narwhal lecture to the Boston Bhangra Competition.

Young cinephiles and their guardians can check out the 12th annual Boston International Kids Film Festival this weekend at Mosesian Center for the Arts in Watertown. Nearly 60 films will play throughout the festival. The program, created by nonprofit Filmmaker Collective, aims to “inspire kids to use the media to tell their own stories.” BIKFF will screen professional and student documentaries, animated shorts and short narrative films. “Robin and the Hoods” will screen on Saturday night, telling the story of a young girl named Robin and her friends who work to protect a natural space they dub their kingdom from property development. Tickets for individual screenings are $10, and a festival pass is $59. Family discounts are available.

Dance fans can head to the Strand Theatre in Dorchester for the 21st Boston Bhangra Competition, North America’s largest independent Indian dance competition. For those who haven’t heard of the style before, Bhangra is a vibrant folk dance from the Punjab region of India/Pakistan. Dancers from around the world will wear colorful outfits while putting on high-energy performances. The nonprofit Boston Bhangra also holds classes and promotes cultural awareness through the artform. Tickets range from $20 to $100.

The Museum of Illusions will open its permanent location at Marketplace Center in downtown Boston this Saturday. The museum plays with human perception through light and physics with over 40 locations worldwide. The space will include Instagrammable photo spots as well as educational and immersive experiences, according to a press release. The Boston location will span 9,100 square feet with more than 80 installations and rooms. Some of the illusion rooms include a space that appears to be tilted and a vortex tunnel. As for the installations, there will be a chair that shifts perspective to make the sitter look tiny and a table that appears to clone users six times. The exhibition takes around 90 minutes to walk through. Tickets range from $33 to $38.

Narwhals — unicorns of the sea — are pretty elusive. The Peabody Essex Museum in Salem has an exhibition on view revolving around the majestic marine mammals titled “Narwhal: Revealing an Arctic Legend.” In tandem with the exhibition, Harvard and Smithsonian research scientist Martin Nweeia will discuss research around the evolution of the narwhal tusk, which is actually a mysterious big tooth. He will present documentary footage and photography that explores the bizarre adaptation, considering climate change and Inuit knowledge. Guests will have the opportunity to purchase and have Nweeia sign the exhibition companion volume and the graphic novel “Transformed by a Tusk.”

British musicians Sting and Peter Gabriel reached icon status with hits like “Englishman in New York” and “In Your Eyes.” The Family Folk Chorale, a Boston-based intergenerational chorus, will take on selections from their repertoires in “Love is the Seventh Wave: The Music of Sting and Peter Gabriel” at Arlington Town Hall. The singers will tackle fresh harmonies accompanied by a rock band and brass section. Audiences will have an opportunity to sing and dance along with lyric sheets available. Floor seating will be available for children. There will also be a bake sale at intermission with a selection of treats for purchase, including gluten-free and nut-free options. Tickets range from $14 to $18.