Here are five picks of things to do in Worcester this weekend:
- Stacks, snacks & soundtracks: Worcester Public Library’s fifth annual Community Block Party is back — and it’s bigger, louder, and more fun than ever. Swing by from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 9, for a free, all-ages celebration packed with live performances, dancing, giveaways, music, food trucks, local vendors, photo ops, and more. Don’t miss the Friends of WPL Book Sale while you’re there — because what’s a party without a good paperback?
- She bops, you bop and they bop: Looking to beat the heat with some sultry sounds? Slide into WCUW’s Frontroom on Saturday, Aug. 9, for She Bops Too Jazz featuring velvet-voiced Lydia Fortune. She’s joined by MetroWest organ master Jack Coleman, local jazz guitar sage Alan Vaudreuil, and veteran Worcester drummer George Dellomo for a night of cool jazz in one of the city’s coziest listening rooms. Doors open at 6:30, music starts at 7. It’s $15 cash at the door, BYOB, and light refreshments will be served. Park across the street in the Clark U lot — and don’t forget to bring your best jazz face.
- Free movie night in the AC: Beat the heat and bring the whole crew to Journey Community Church on Friday, Aug. 8, for a free indoor screening of Inside Out — yes, with air conditioning and free snacks. Show up between 5 and 5:45 p.m. for a complimentary hot dog or veggie dog dinner, then grab your popcorn and candy before the movie rolls at 6 p.m. It’s all part of the Free Summer Movies on Bell Hill series. Zero cost, maximum good vibes.
- Color Us Impressed: The Color the City Festival returns to Worcester Common on Friday, Aug. 8, from 3-8 p.m., celebrating youth creativity with an all-out, all-ages block party. Now in its fifth year, the free festival is packed with music, performances, art installations, local vendors, and interactive games — all with a role-playing adventure twist, complete with dragons and castles crafted by the Create 508 youth crew. The event is a vibrant showcase of young Worcester talent, co-organized by the city’s Cultural Development Division and Division of Youth Opportunities. Rain date is Aug. 15.
- Break out of your cocoon: The 18th Annual Barbara J. Walker Butterfly Festival lands at Mass Audubon’s Broad Meadow Brook on Saturday, Aug. 9, from noon to 5 p.m. This family-friendly favorite features butterfly walks with naturalists, live caterpillars, kids’ activities, garden tours, local vendors, native plants for sale, and all the fluttery fun you can handle. Bonus: show up in a butterfly costume and you might just take home a prize.
For more events, visit the Discover Central Massachusetts events calendar.
Have an event, news tip, information, joke, favorite recipe or anything else you’d like to tell us about? You should. Contact carsenault@theworcesterguardian.org
