BHBA’s Fall Sidewalk Sale Returns Sept. 23 and 24 to Charles Street
A beloved neighborhood tradition returns this weekend when the Beacon Hill Business Association’s annual Beacon Hill Sidewalk Sale comes to Charles Street on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 23 and 24, during regular business hours throughout both days.
“We’re so happy to be holding our highly anticipated annual event again this fall,” said Jennifer Hill, a Business Association member and owner of Blackstone’s of Beacon Hill at 40 Charles St. “This year is also so special because there are a lot of new businesses on the street so it will be a great opportunity to meet the people behind these new independent shops. We anticipate between 15 to 20 stores participating.”
‘Wildflower’ Book Reading and Signing With Aurora James Coming Sept. 14 to Beacon Hill Books
Beacon Hill Books at 71 Charles St. welcomes activist and fashion pioneer Aurora James, founder of Brother Vellies, in conversation with MFA Boston Curator of Fashion Arts theo tyson, on Thursday, Sept. 14, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The conversation will be followed by an audience Q&A and book signing for James’ memoir, ‘Wildflower.
Tickets include a signed, personalized copy of the book. Admission is $30 per guest, and capacity is limited. Visit https://bhbooks.gatherlearning.com/events/author-talks-wildflower-by-aurora-james-in-conversation-with-theo-tyson to register for the event.
WECA Meeting Slated for Sept. 14 at Amy Lowell Apartments
The West End Civic Association (WECA) will hold its next meeting in person on Thursday, Sept. 14, at 6 p.m. in the Community Room at Amy Lowell Apartments at 65 Martha Road.
A representative from the West End Museum will introduce museum staff and speak about the museum’s recovery from the January 2022 flood, as well as about their upcoming events and future plans.
Masks are encouraged.
Secret Garden Tour Set for Sept. 14
The Friends of the West End Library, in partnership with the West End Branch Library, is offering a Secret Garden Tour on Thursday, Sept. 14 (rain date: Thursday, Sept. 21).
Tour-goers will meet outside the entrance of the West End Branch Library, 151 Cambridge St., at 5:15 p.m., sharp for the one-hour tour. The tour’s hostess and guide is a member of the Beacon Hill Garden Club and a horticulture volunteer at the Rose Kennedy Greenway, who will introduce the group to a unique private urban garden and answer questions about its history, plantings, and maintenance.
Meanwhile, tour-goers are urged to wear comfortable shoes and come prepared for an uphill walk, with cobblestones and uneven footing.
This tour is free, but registration is required: to register, email your name to [email protected], or [email protected]. The headcount is limited to 15-20 guests so interested parties are encouraged to respond quickly if they wish to attend the tour.
Call 617-870-6864 for more information.
Free Choir Concert Featuring Showtunes Set for Sept. 17 at Church on the Hill
A choir will be performing a selection of its favorite showtunes during a free concert recital on Sunday, Sept. 17, at 3 p.m. at Church on the Hill at 140 Bowdoin St.
Exhibit On Sept. 28 Spotlights ‘Treasures From the West End Museum Archives’
The West End Museum presents “Treasures from the West End Museum Archives” on Thursday, Sept. 28, from 6 to 7 p.m. at The Hub on Causeway Community Room at 52 Causeway St. (located along the alleyway next to Hub50House, across from the Tip O’Neill Building).
Journey Back in Time: Through exploration of the illuminatingly detailed 1766 Osgood Carleton map, the beautifully illustrated 1922 Bromley Atlas, the unflinching photographs of the Edgell Collection, and more, you’ll have the unique opportunity to interact with history in its raw form.
The museum’s archivist, Bob Potenza, will lead the exhibit, which features the 1766 Osgood Carleton map, the 1922 Bromley Atlas, and photographs from the Edgell Collection.
Admission is free, but there is a freewill donation of $10 requested per guest. Visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/treasures-from-the-west-end-museum-archives-tickets-707041449007?aff=oddtdtcreator to reserve a space.
Program Focuses on MIT’s Women Throughout History
The Nichols House Museum, in partnership with, MIT Libraries, presents “Skirts and Slide Rules: Women at MIT from the Nichols Sisters to Now” on Thursday, Sept. 28, from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
This is a hybrid event; the Zoom link will be sent to all registrants. The in-person program will be held in The Nexus, MIT Room 14S-130, situated on the first floor of the Hayden Library at MIT, 160 Memorial Drive in Cambridge.
Women have attended MIT since 1870. Among the first generation of women who studied there were Margaret and Rose Nichols. Rose was a special student in a design class, where she learned to apply architectural principles to the plans of gardens – a skill she put to good use in her career as a garden designer. Margaret Homer (Nichols) Shurcliff took courses in chemistry and physics, then studied carpentry and woodturning; she subsequently opened a furniture business, Pegleggers, and taught carpentry lessons in the North End.
Panelists will discuss early women students including the Nichols sisters, as well as women’s experiences at MIT throughout the 20th century and into the current day.
Admission is free; visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/skirts-and-slide-rules-women-at-mit-from-the-nichols-sisters-to-now-tickets-705589115037?aff=oddtdtcreator to register.
Concert honoring Legacy of Susan Paul Set for Oct. 15 at MAAH
The Museum of African American History and the Beacon Hill Civic Association, in partnership with Crescendo Productions, present “Let the Children Sing! A Tribute to Susan Paul” on Sunday, Oct. 15, at 3 p.m. in the African Meeting House at the Museum of African American History at 46 Joy St..
The program honors 19th-century educator and abolitionist Susan Paul who, in 1832, formed a juvenile choir that performed at anti-slavery meetings and held concerts to raise money for the cause. This jubilant concert celebrates Paul’s profound work and the legacy of this meaningful historic site where African American families worshipped, educated their children, debated issues of the day, organized politically, and changed the course of American history by advancing the cause of freedom.
The concert features joyous music by Boston’s next generation of innovative artists through the celebration of music by youth enrichment groups City Strings, Hamilton-Garrett Youth Choir, and The Eastern Mass Children’s Choir, as well as remarks from civic and community leaders, including literary performer and educator Regie Gibson.
General admission tickets cost $25 plus a $3.52 fee) each and can be purchased online at Eventbrite or crescendoproductions.com.
Register Today for Beacon Hill Seminars Fall Courses
Beacon Hill Seminars is offering 20 courses this fall on a range of topics including art, history, literature, religion, economics, politics, and more. Classes meet in person in historic venues in Back Bay and Beacon Hill, or online via Zoom. The deadline for registration is Sunday, Sept.10. Visit https://beaconhillseminars.org/ or call 617-523-0970 to learn more.
Free Lessons in American Mahjong Offered at West End Branch Library
The Friends of the West End Library will be offering lessons in American Mahjong to new and experienced players at no cost.
The group meets on Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m., on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month in the Community Room of the West End Branch Library, 151 Cambridge St.
To sign up or for more information, email Audrey Tedeman ([email protected]) or Julia Forbes ([email protected]).
‘Jazz Along the Charles’ Set for Saturday, Oct. 7
Celebrity Series of Boston opens its 2023/24 performance season with the return of “Jazz Along the Charles” – a free jazz event open to all, featuring more than 100 musicians in 25 local jazz ensembles, on Saturday, Oct. 7, from 2 to 4 p.m. along the Esplanade (rain or shine). Lead sponsors for the event are the Esplanade Association and the Richard K. Lubin Family Foundation.
Performances will be staged in a 1.5 mile loop from Community Boating Inc. along the Dr. Paul Dudley White Shared Use Path to the Esplanade paths around the Storrow Lagoon, past Fiedler Field and back along the Charles River.
Visit www.celebrityseries.org/jatc for more information.