This weekend, you can lace up your skates, pick up a hockey stick, take in some art, hear a Worcester music veteran or join tens of thousands of people downtown for Pride.
Pride Worcester’s massive annual festival anchors a weekend that ranges from Chet Williamson’s intimate all-original jazz show to Holy Cross Athletics’ hands-on community festival. There’s also roller skating on the Common and a JMAC exhibition that turns one artist’s story of survival into nearly 200 works of art.
Here are five picks for the weekend:
- Forty years, one harmonica and a whole lot of Worcester: Chet Williamson brings more than four decades of music-making for a special all-original jazz performance at the WCUW FrontRoom on Sunday, Sept. 13, at 5 p.m. The Worcester-raised harmonica player got an early education in the city’s music scene, from teenage jam sessions at the Lincoln Neighborhood Center to sitting in with local veterans at the Kitty Kat, before a career that would put him on stages with musicians including Joan Osborne, Sleepy LaBeef and Duke Levine. He’s also a historian and walking encyclopedia of the local blues and jazz scene. For Sunday’s show, Williamson is joined by Jerry Sabatini, Mitch Seidman, Pamela Hines, Bill McGillivray and Jerry Wilfong. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. at 910 Main St.; tickets are $20, payable by cash or Venmo at the door.
- Pride takes over the heart of Worcester: The Worcester Common and surrounding downtown streets turn rainbow Saturday, Sept. 12, as the Pride Worcester Festival returns from 2-7 p.m. Nearly 30,000 people are expected for an afternoon packed with live music, dancing, drag, food and more than 200 makers, businesses and community organizations. The main stage lineup includes UPRISE Dance Crew, Dale LePage, Iconic Divas, Haus of Glitter, RICEMA Dancers, Lana Backwards, Bootz K. Morales and plenty more, while a youth and family zone and community health resources round out the festival. More than 50 years after about 100 people took part in Worcester’s first Gay Pride Week march, the celebration has become one of the city’s largest cultural events—while organizers continue to emphasize Pride’s roots in visibility, advocacy and protest. Admission is free.
- Holy Cross opens its playbook to the community: Holy Cross turns the Luth Athletic Complex into one big playground Sunday, Sept. 13, with its fourth annual Crusader Community Festival. The free, family-friendly event begins at 1 p.m. and gives kids a chance to meet Crusader student-athletes and coaches, try their hand at different sports through interactive skill stations, tackle inflatables and make a stop at Dylan and Pete’s Ice Cream truck. Make a day of it with free Division I action on either side: Holy Cross field hockey hosts Bryant at 11 a.m., followed by the women’s soccer team’s Senior Day matchup against Maine at 2 p.m. Festival registration is required, and every registered participant also gets a free ticket to the Sept. 19 Holy Cross football game against Yale.
- A comeback, one canvas at a time: Art and survival come together at the JMAC during “The Canvas Comeback,” an exhibition presented by Mark Flanagan in recognition of Suicide Prevention Month. Flanagan, who survived a suicide attempt three years ago, is filling the gallery with nearly 200 original works, all available for purchase, and will be on hand during gallery hours to talk with visitors who would like to meet him. A reception Saturday, Sept. 12, from 5-8 p.m. adds live music from New York City duo Counter Service, along with a buy-one, get-one-free opportunity for artwork
- Friday night has wheels: Trade the usual end-of-week routine for a few laps around downtown when Skate Night Worcester returns to the Worcester Common Oval on Friday, Sept. 11, from 6-9 p.m. The outdoor roller-skating party pairs skating under the lights with live DJs, dancing, food and local vendors, whether you’re confidently cruising backward or concentrating very hard on remaining upright. Admission is $5, skate rentals are $10, and experienced rollers are welcome to bring their own.
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
