The dead are talking, the dancing queens are calling, and someone at the library wants your collection of weird little rocks. Just another perfectly normal October weekend in Worcester.
Preservation Worcester brings history to life at Rural Cemetery, while Jimmy Dunn brings the laughs to Mechanics Hall. Music Worcester goes all-in on Bach, MANIA celebrates ABBA at The Hanover Theatre, and the Worcester Public Library invites everyone to trade their tiny treasures.
Here are five picks for the weekend:
- Worcester’s past is dying to tell you something: History comes back to life Friday, Oct. 23, when Preservation Worcester presents “Rural Remains,” a theatrical nighttime tour through the city’s historic Rural Cemetery, 180 Grove St. Costumed actors, lantern-lit paths and stories drawn from Worcester’s past introduce visitors to some of the city’s notable figures, whose final resting places become the settings for tales of their lives and legacies. Guided by flashlight, participants travel from gravesite to gravesite, discovering that Worcester’s history is anything but dead and buried. Tours depart in time slots between 5:30 and 8 p.m. and last approximately one hour, covering about a mile on foot in the dark. The program is not recommended for children younger than 13.
- From fried clams to Frasier: Boston comedian Jimmy Dunn brings his New England wit to Mechanics Hall on Friday, Oct. 23, as part of the venue’s Monkey Wrench Comedy Series. Best known for playing Moose, the Boston firefighter on the Paramount+ reboot of “Frasier,” Dunn got his start telling jokes in a Gloucester bar, where his compensation consisted of beer and fried clams. He’s since graduated to considerably bigger stages, appearing on “The Late Show with David Letterman,” “CONAN” and at Montreal’s Just for Laughs festival. He’s also a familiar voice on “Greg & The Morning Buzz” and played Sean McCarthy on the CBS sitcom “The McCarthys.” From the North Shore barroom to national television, Dunn has built a career on finding the funny in everyday life. Showtime is 8 p.m.
- Back to Bach: One composer, five concerts and enough music to fill an entire weekend. Music Worcester’s BACHtoberfest returns Oct. 23-25, launching the third season of its ambitious 11-year project to perform every known work by Johann Sebastian Bach. The festivities begin Friday at 7:30 p.m. with flutist Emi Ferguson and harpsichordist Kit Armstrong performing flute sonatas at WAMS Works. Saturday brings internationally acclaimed pianist Boris Giltburg to Curtis Hall at Assumption University at 7:30 p.m. for Book I of Bach’s “Well-Tempered Clavier.” The weekend culminates Sunday at 4 p.m. at Mechanics Hall, where the BACHtoberfest Choir and Hartford Chorale join forces for a performance of Bach cantatas. Two additional concerts round out the festival, including a free Sunday morning performance at First Unitarian Church. Bach died in 1750, but Worcester clearly isn’t finished with him.
- Knowing me, knowing you…this is a good idea: Break out the bell-bottoms and prepare to channel your inner dancing queen when MANIA: The ABBA Tribute brings the Swedish supergroup’s greatest hits to The Hanover Theatre on Saturday, Oct. 24. With more than 3,000 performances across 35 countries, the internationally touring production recreates ABBA’s disco-era magic with elaborate costumes, choreography and a catalog of irresistible hits, including “Waterloo,” “Mamma Mia,” “Dancing Queen” and “Take a Chance on Me.” This year’s lineup features Swedish-born vocalist Manda Malina, a former “Swedish X Factor” finalist, as Agnetha, alongside Chloe Stowe as Frida. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. and runs approximately two hours and 10 minutes, including intermission. Tickets range from $39.50 to $99.50, including fees.
- One goblin’s trash is another goblin’s treasure: Who says Halloween has to be all tricks and treats? The Worcester Public Library is embracing everyone’s inner collector with “Trinket or Treat!” on Saturday, Oct. 24, from noon to 4:30 p.m. Bring your surplus stickers, keychains, tiny works of art, interesting rocks, shiny objects or whatever odd little treasures you’ve accumulated, and swap them for something that catches your eye. No trinkets to contribute? No problem. Everyone is welcome to browse and take part, and there will even be candy for the road. The free-spirited exchange takes place near the first-floor information desk at the library’s main branch, 3 Salem Square. After all, one person’s clutter is another person’s prized possession.
For more events, visit the Discover Central Massachusetts events calendar.
Have an event, news tip, idea for a feature, information, joke, favorite recipe or anything else you’d like to tell us about? You should. Contact carsenault@theworcesterguardian.org
