5 things to do this weekend, including Arlington Jazz Festival and a book fair for adults

Step out this weekend to find an abundance of cultural events that will delight the senses. Starting on Wednesday, those who love improvisations and swinging rhythms can attend the Arlington Jazz Festival, held at a range of venues around the town. Boston Center for the Arts will also be urging guests to step in and take a look at the studios of its artists. And with an “Explorations” dance concert rooted in Indian artistic traditions coming to Cambridge, there’s lots to do. See our recommendations below.

Arlington welcomes in Jazz Appreciation Month with a sweeping wave of music through the Arlington Jazz Festival, held annually since 2012. Attendees will have a chance to listen to an eclectic variety of performances at different locations around the city, as well as in Belmont. The festival’s headliner is the Stanley Jordan Trio, led by guitar virtuoso Stanley Jordan at the Regent Theatre on Sunday, the event’s last day.  Earlier in the weekend, catch two sets from the “Jazz on the Edge” concert on Friday held at the Morningside Annex, featuring John Dalton’s Sphere of Influence and the Fully Celebrated Orchestra, two ensembles prominent in the Boston music scene. On Saturday, Anabel Gil Díaz & DíJazz will share contemporary jazz melded with Afro-Cuban rhythms and European influences, also at the Morningside Annex. Tickets can be purchased for individual concerts, and most events are free.

Stroll over to the South End to attend the Boston Center for the Arts Open Studios event, where BCA Studio Residency artists will invite visitors into their spaces to see where their works are created. Held in the Artist Studios Building from 6-9 p.m., the program will offer a glimpse into the practices of artists such as Ngoc-Tran Vu and Imagine (Sneha Shrestha). Also this weekend is the opening of the exhibit “Attaché: An ASB Group Show,” curated by Meclina Gomes. This show centers around themes of “inherited culture, migration and lived lineage,” following the concept that every artist included in the exhibit acts as a “cultural attaché,” transporting memories and traditions through their works and carrying stories. BCA Open Studios is a free event, and “Attaché” is on view April 11 through July 11.

Cambridge’s Multicultural Arts Center hosts Anubhava Dance Company, a Boston-based troupe, for the classical Indian dance concert “Exploration.”  The performance largely revolves around neuroscience, addressing the ways that humans experience the world around them, as our senses trigger emotional responses. The concert runs from 8-10 p.m., and tickets start at $30. [Check out our spring dance guide for more performances to watch this season.]

Maybe you remember the experience of being a child and perusing tables of books at your school’s annual book fair. This weekend, Porter Square Books and Aeronaut Brewing have teamed up to produce a similar activity — except it’s meant for adults. Come look for titles from bestselling authors and favorites that have been specifically picked out by Porter Square’s knowledgeable staff. Gift items, such as stickers, socks, mood rings and more, will also be available for purchase, and visitors can sip on Aeronaut’s beer while shopping. The Book Fair runs from 2-6 p.m. at the Somerville brewery.

This is your last chance to watch Lyric Stage’s production of “Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous,” written by Pearl Cleage and directed by Jacqui Parker. The production follows what happens when an artist, famous for performing August Wilson monologues entirely naked on stage, learns that she must pass her torch on to a younger, less experienced actor. While she navigates the change, she sorts through the insecurities that come with this turning point in her career. Tickets start at $25. [Read WBUR theater critic Jacquinn Sinclair’s review of the show.]