5 things to do this weekend, including a Fluff festival and a choral concert

It’s an active time in Boston’s art and cultural scene right now. This weekend brings an enchanting evening of beautiful music from the choral group Nightingale Vocal Ensemble. Somerville’s popular annual tribute to Marshmallow Fluff is back with all forms of celebrations of the sweet treat. With art shows and theater performances in the mix as well, here’s our roundup of fun events to explore.

Front Porch Arts Collective presents this riveting perspective on what fictionally could have happened on the eve of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination. Playwright Katori Hall’s award-winning work is directed by the Porch’s co-founder and producing artistic director Maurice Emmanuel Parent and offers a “profound and humanizing glimpse into the civil rights leader’s final hours, his life away from the crowds, and his thoughts,” according to a press release. The story captures the time right after King’s speech “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop,” and takes a pivotal turn when an unknown stranger arrives, resulting in King’s examination of his life and legacy. General admission tickets are $47.62, including fees.

Nightingale Vocal Ensemble, a Boston-based group that organizes imaginative concert experiences, brings audiences “Justicia y Paz” in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. Latin American choral and folk music will be performed, touching on important themes of justice, peace, healing and protest. Held at two different locations, St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic Church in Chestnut Hill and the Veronica Robles Cultural Center in Boston, the ensemble will perform works by composers Ariel Ramírez and Nico Gutierrez. In addition, Nightingale will share folk and popular pieces that have been arranged by its own members. Tickets are $33.85, including fees.

For 20 years, Somerville has been recognizing the invention of Marshmallow Fluff. But what exactly happens during What the Fluff? This festival showcases all things Fluff: Fluff-inspired food, such as the Fluffy Elvis Empanada from Buenas, Fluffernutter donuts from Union Square Donuts, and a pumpkin beer with a Fluff and brown sugar rim from Union Tavern. There will also be artisan and community vendors, as well as games for the whole family, like Fluff Musical Chairs, Fluff Jousting and a Marshmallow Toss. This quirky festival is free and runs 2-6 p.m. in Union Square.

This year marks Apollinaire Theatre Company’s 30th anniversary, and they’re honoring this milestone with a festival. Both the Chelsea Theatre Works building and the surrounding street and park will be activated with live music, free performances, art exhibits, a beer garden from Bent Water Brewing Company, and much more. Special highlights include a Squirrel Fashion Show, repurposing costumes from Apollinaire’s production “The Squirrels,” as well as two theater-themed escape rooms. An original play that artists will begin creating 48 hours prior to performance will feature actors from the organization’s three decades of artmaking.

This weekend is your last chance to stop by the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum to view the sculptures of artist Ming Fay in the Hostetter Gallery. The exhibit is both sumptuous and imaginative, assembling Fay’s representations of fruit, shells, seeds and plants to create beautiful gardens “born of curiosity, longing, and his own lived experiences as part of the Chinese diaspora in the United States,” according to the show’s website. Also visit the Pao Arts Center to see a partner exhibition, “Where We Meet: Imaging Gardens and Futures,” featuring Fay’s work, on view through Oct. 10.

Correction: An earlier photo caption misnamed Ming Fay's artworks. We regret the error.