5 things to do this weekend, including Saint Anthony’s Feast and King Richard’s Faire

When you’re not entranced by the Labor Day fireworks or heading to the ICA for a free visit, there are many ways to spend the long weekend. Our suggestions include stopping by the North End for Saint Anthony’s Feast or seeking out some of the new murals appearing at local Chinatown businesses for the first time. And if you’re feeling adventurous, you might even head out to Carver, Massachusetts, for the biggest Renaissance festival in New England. More on that below.

In the wake of the extreme flooding that hit Kerr County, Texas, Harvard Square’s Club Passim is hosting a special evening of music to raise funds to support recovery efforts. Organized by Janet Feld, an award-winning songwriter and Passim School of Music teacher, the concert will feature six artists, including Erin Ash Sullivan, Esther Friedman and Chris Lavancher, performing in-the-round style. Proceeds will be donated to the Kerrville Folk Festival, which is “distributing funds to local organizations working on the front lines of the recovery and relief efforts,” according to a press release. Tickets cost $25. (Also happening this weekend: Club Passim’s Campfire Festival, held on Aug. 29-Sept. 1)

August is truly the time to experience the North End’s elaborate festivals, like the Fisherman’s Feast held earlier this month, and Saint Anthony’s Feast, known as “The Feast of All Feasts,” takes the cake as one of the most lavish. Typically drawing more than 250,000 people annually, the festival is now in its 106th year, featuring an exhilarating grand procession, singers and performers, religious and cultural services and, of course, an abundance of culinary specialities. Vendors will serve up arancini, sausage with pepper and onions, fried calamari and fresh shucked cherrystones, as well as desserts, including cannoli and zeppole. Attendees are also welcome to visit the Frigo Cheese Culinary Pavilion to view demonstrations and sample authentic Italian cheese, and the Regina Pizza Open Air Piazza will offer Saint Anthony’s pies al fresco.

Pao Arts Center’s 8th annual Experience Chinatown Arts Festival kicks off this weekend, with muralists displaying their creations in the storefronts of small, local businesses. The festival runs through Oct. 17 with events happening throughout its duration. On Sept. 27, live performances will take place at Chin Park on the Greenway. Starting this Saturday, the public is invited to walk through the neighborhood and observe colorful visual art. At the gastropub Shōjō, catch a glimpse of “Bonsai Wishes” by Yuanyuan Wang, featuring images of decorated pots that call attention to Asian cultural traditions. At Happy Lamb Hot Pot on Washington Street, “Imagining a Greener, More Joyful Chinatown” by Xiang Li and Fei Wu, a mother-daughter duo, honors joy and community through the depiction of playful pandas. Check out all of the murals on the Pao Arts Center website.

The Guild of Boston Artists is hosting an exhibition that has proven to be the largest in the show’s 19-year history. The New England Regional Juried Exhibition (on view through Sept. 27) celebrates painting, drawing and sculpture representing the realist tradition. The presentation of works, held at the Guild’s Newbury Street gallery, was organized after 225 artists from New England submitted their 531 works. Featured artists include Brenda Bechtel, Thomas Mann, Julie Beck and Paul Weisbach, and the majority of the 32-person cohort hails from Massachusetts. The opening reception and awards presentation happen on Saturday. The event is free, though RSVPing is recommended.

The largest Renaissance festival in New England opens Saturday, Aug. 30, in Carver just as summer comes to a close. Spend a day in a fantasy realm, where jousting tournaments are commonplace and minstrels entertain lords and ladies. Choose to don a period-appropriate costume while dining on spit-roasted turkey legs and bowls of chowder. You’ll also be able to shop for metal swords, capes and cloaks, and timeless pieces of jewelry at its new 200-acre site, imagined as a 16th-century marketplace, where you can escape from present-day reality. (Keep an eye out for former WBUR anchor Jacques ze Whipper.)