Boston Event Calendar

March 2010

The Boston Event Calendar for March 2010 is packed with all kinds of cool things to do in Boston!

Boston's Restaurant Week for Spring 2010, held from March 14 - 26, provides a great reason to get out and visit all those restaurants you've been meaning to try, plus old favorites - and all for very affordable prices!

The Boston Event Calendar for March 2010 is also packed with top-rated concerts, the Boston Irish film series at the Brattle Theatre, the Harlem Globetrotters at the Garden, and the Boston Flower and Garden Show at Seaport. 

Need a change of scenery?  Book a cruise from Boston to Bermuda for the summer months!

Quick Links:  Boston events calendars:  February   l   April  l  Other Months

Do you know about or sponsor an interesting event this month?  Add an event to the Boston Event Calendar for March 2010

Free Monday Night Movies

When:  Mondays throughout March, at 6pm
Where: Rabb Lecture Hall, Boston Public Library, 700 Boylston Street, Copley Square, Boston
Cost:  Free
Closest T station: Green Line/Copley
More information:  617-536-5400; BPL website

If the raw, cold winds of March make you feel murderous, check out this month's offerings from Boston Public Library's year-long Made in Massachusetts film series.  These thrillers include a rich assortment of quintessential Boston scenes.

March 1 - The The Thomas Crown Affair - New Transfer about a rich Bostonian who robs banks for fun mixes intrigue and romance.  Set entirely in Boston and Eastern Mass, the movie's wonderful scenes include Beacon Hill, the North End, South Station, Boston Common, the Tobin Bridge, Anthony's Pier 4 on the South Boston waterfront, the Mass Pike toll booths at Allston/Brighton, Mount Auburn Street in Cambridge, Belmont Country Club, Crane Beach, and the Myopia Hunt Club.  See if you can ID all of them!  This is the original 1968 version with Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway (a The Thomas Crown Affair featured Pierce Brosnan.

March 8 - The Firm, based on John Grisham's thriller about a Harvard Law School grad who grapples with possible corruption and murder inside his law firm, features scenes at Harvard, the Copley Plaza Hotel (which must hold a "most-filmed" record among Boston hotels), and The Abbey in South Boston.  Great book, great movie.

March 15 - Just Cause (Snap Case), based on John Katzenbach's novel, features a Harvard Law School professor and a death row inmate who claims the police forced him to confess to a crime he did not commit.  Lots of Harvard Square scenes.

March 22 - A Civil Action, based on Jonathan Hall's book, details in a somewhat fictionalized manner an actual legal case brought by a local Boston attorney against a large corporation after 8 children died from leukemia attributed to toxic waste contaminating the water supply in Woburn, just a few miles north of Boston.  Great performances by John Travolta, Robert Duvall, William H. Macy, and Tony Shalhoub add to the intensity.  You'll see Beacon Hill, Fenway Park, the Public Garden, a state hospital in Waltham, plus footage in Quincy, Jamaica Plain, Woburn, Northbridge, and Palmer.

March 29 - Monument Ave details a car thief's internal conflict between maintaining his tight-knit Boston Irish neighborhood's Code of Silence with the police - or defending his family's honor.  You can probably predict the outcome, but it's still a very good film.  You'll see lots of Charlestown scenes (Bunker Hill, the Barry and Doherty playgrounds) plus Chelsea, East Boston, Malden, and Wellesley. 

Sounds of Spain from the Waltham Symphony Orchestra

When:  March 6, 8pm
Where:   Kennedy Middle School Auditorium, 655 Lexington Street, Waltham
Parking:   Free, on-site
Tickets:  $25 adults, $20 seniors/students
More information:  781-642-1050; Waltham Symphony Orchestra website

Thrilling Spanish music by Rodrigo, DeFalla, Hauserman, Bizet, and Ravel, directed by Patrick Botti, is made even more exciting by guest performers Aaron Larget-Caplan on guitar and La Conja (Conja Abdessalan), Flamenco soloist.

Itzhak Perlman at Symphony Hall

When:  Sunday, March 7, 3pm
Where:   Symphony Hall, 301 Massachusetts Ave, Fenway, Boston
Closest T station: Green Line/Symphony
Cost:  $38 - $87
Reservations/more information:  617-482-6661; Celebrity Series website

Considered by many to be the finest violinist of our time, Itzhak Perlman's sublime playing paired with the perfect acoustics of Symphony Hall promise to make this a memorable afternoon.  Tickets are likely to sell fast, so make your reservations early to get the seats that you want. 

Jay-Z at TD Garden

When:  March 11 at 7:00pm
Where:  TD Garden, 100 Legends Way, Boston
Closest T station: Orange and Green Line/North Station
Tickets

Hip-hop rapper / entrepreneur Jay-Z performs at TD Garden as part of his 2010 Blueprint 3 tour, kicking off in Houston on February 22.  Rapper Young Jeezy is expected to open.

Dropkick Murphys at House of Blues Boston

When:  March 12 - 17 at 7:00pm
Where:  House of Blues, Fenway, Boston
Closest T station: Green Line/Kenmore

The enormously popular local Celtic punk rock group, the Dropkick Murphys, will return to the House of Blues Boston for 6 nights, concluding with a St Patrick's Day show on March 17.  If you missed them at the Winter Classic on January 1, this appearance is your chance to see them at House of Blues, right across from Fenway.

With tickets to some shows already sold out, StubHub is where you'll find the biggest choice of seats - even for the sold-out shows.

Winter Restaurant Week in Boston

When:  March 14 - 19 and March 21 - 26
Where:  Top Boston restaurants - many choices in every neighborhood!
Closest T stations: see individual restaurant listings
Cost:  3-course lunch $20.10, 3-course dinner $33.10, 2-course lunch $15.10

Two times each year, top Boston restaurants offer 3-course fixed price menus to lucky diners who use this as a chance to enjoy fine dining at very affordable prices!   This is a wonderful chance to visit the latest "hot" restaurants where normally you'd pay much more, as well as to stop by old favorites.  

Winter Restaurant Week participants and menus aren't available yet, but in the meantime, take a look at the Summer 2009 Restaurant Week in Boston list to get an idea of what will be on offer.

Habib Koite and Bamaba in Concert

When:  March 20, 8pm
Where:   Somerville Theatre, Davis Square, Somerville
Closest T station: Red Line/Davis
Cost:  $34
Reservations/more information:  617-901-7280; website

Leading Afro-Pop star and Malian guitar virtuoso Habib Koite and his band Bamaba will present an evening of their special blend of modern sound based on several styles of traditional music from Mali plus influences of blues, jazz, and rock. 

Check the Somerville Theatre site for additional concerts by West African musicians on the following 3 weekends.

A Feast for the Senses:  Boston Flower and Garden Show

When:  March 24 - 28; preview party and press day March 23
Where:   Seaport World Trade Center, Seaport Lane, South Boston
Closest T station: Silver Line/World Trade Center
Water taxis:  Seaport Express (Central Wharf, behind New England Aquarium, 617-593-9168), Rowes Wharf Water Taxi (Rowes Wharf, 617-406-8584)
Parking:   Hourly parking at Seaport Hotel; several parking garages and lots are nearby (they're easy to spot) and run about $9 - 12.
Cost:  $20 Adults, $17 Seniors (65+), $10 Children 6 - 17; Children 5 and younger are free
More information:  800-258-8912

Celebrate the coming of spring (yes, it really will come soon!) by experience the lush blooms and summer scents of the Boston Flower and Garden Show at the Seaport World Trade Center.  With over 30 display gardens at the show to inspire you, you'll also want to check out the displays of horticultural tools and products, garden furniture and ornaments, and hand-made crafts. 

The Boston Flower and Garden Show is the successor to the 100+ year old New England Flower Show, which met its demise in 2008 due to the severe economic difficulties of parent sponsor Massachusetts Horticultural Society.  After holding a separate, very scaled back show of its own last year, MHS will present Blooms at the Boston Flower and Garden Show in 2010.

If you're coming from out of town and want to stay nearby, the gorgeous Seaport Hotel is just across the street from the World Trade Center.  The equally nice Westin Hotel Waterfront Boston and Renaissance Waterfront Hotel Boston are also nearby.

Boston Irish Film Festival

When:  Thursday, March 25 through Sunday, March 28
Where:   Brattle Theatre in Cambridge and Somerville Theatre in Somerville
Closest T stations: Red Line/Harvard Square (Brattle) and Red Line/Davis Square (Somerville)
Cost:  $9 per film or a Festival Pass for $50
Reservations/more information: Film Festival website

March is the month for all things Irish, and this 4-day Boston Irish Film Festival will make you think you're back in the Emerald Isle.  Films focus on Ireland and Irish culture, and what it means to be Irish in the 21st century.

Receptions will be held at the Grafton Street Bar and Grill (Harvard Square), Orleans (Davis Square), and the Burren (Davis Square), where you can raise a pint or two.

Yo-Yo Ma at Symphony Hall

When:  Friday, March 26, 8pm
Where:   Symphony Hall, 301 Massachusetts Ave, Fenway, Boston
Closest T station: Green Line/Symphony
Cost:  $38 - $87
Reservations/more information:  617-482-6661; Celebrity Series website

"Celebrity" and "cellist" don't usually go together - but in the case of Cambridge resident and world-famous musician Yo-Yo Ma, they do.  In this program of well-known and lesser-know pieces, including works by Schubert, Shstakovich, Piazzolla, Gismonti/Carneiro, and Franck, he is sure to play with the passion and intensity that make his performances unforgettable experiences.

Maya Angelou at Northeastern University

When:  March 26 at 8pm
Where:  Northeastern University's Blackman Theatre, Ell Hall, 360 Huntington Ave, Fenway, Boston
Closest T station: Green Line/Northeastern
Tickets: $25 general admission; $15 seniors, students, NU faculty, staff, and alumni, $10 NU students with ID
More information:  617-373-4700

Northeastern's Department of African American Studies presents "An Evening with Dr. Maya Angelou."  Spend a mesmerizing evening with this marvelous poet ("I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings"), historian, author, actress, playwright, civil rights activist, producer, and director.

Watch Robots Compete in Boston FIRST

When:  Friday, March 26 and Saturday, March 27, 8am - 6pm
Where:   Agannis Arena, 925 Commonwealth Ave, Allston (near Fenway), Boston
Closest T station: Green Line/Pleasant Street (Outbound) and St Paul Street (Inbound)
Cost:  free
Reservations/more information:  617-482-6661; Boston FIRST website

The free annual Boston FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Regional Robotics Competition is held at Boston University's conveniently located Agganis Arena.  The competition features exciting games and competitions between robots built by teams of middle school and high school students from Massachusetts and elsewhere.

Insider tip:  Put on a pair of the safety goggles available in bins, and walk behind the performance arena to see all the piles of spare parts that each group brings in case of last-minute repairs.

ICA Play Date: Be a Secret Agent Artists

What: Family activity
When:  March 27, 10am - 4pm
Where:  ICA Boston, 100 Northern Ave, South Boston Waterfront
Closest T station: Red Line/South Station (about a 10 minute walk to ICA), or take Silver Line from South Station
Cost: Free for 2 adults per family with children 12 and under.

Closely observe the works of contemporary artists such Roni Horn to see what you can find - including a working ant farm!  Make larger-than-life sketches with local artist Evenly Ridz, and join Mass Movement artists on stage to combine words and motion between 11am and 1pm.

Harlem Globetrotters at the Garden

When:  March 28 at 7:00pm
Where:  TD Garden, 100 Legends Way, Boston
Closest T station: Orange and Green Line/North Station
Check StubHub for tickets

The annual Boston visit by the Harlem Globetrotters mixes comedy with basketball and turns this favorite sport into spectacle for a fun evening of family entertainment.

Check out hotels near the Garden and sports bars near the Garden - and, in case you drive - parking garages near the Garden.

Quick Links:  Boston events calendars:  February   l   April  l  Other Months

More Boston Events for March 2010

See events added by others:

March 2:  18th Annual Waltham Food and Wine Festival

March 5:  Bonsai: Living Sculpture - Ancient and Modern - in Boston's South End

March 9:  15th Annual Taste of the South End

March 11:  Sales Boot Camp for Writers at Boston Center for Adult Ed

March 17:  St Patrick's Day Celebration at the Beehive

Know about a great Boston Event for March?

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