Welcome to The Ticket, our guide highlighting the top things to do in and around Boston each weekend, as curated by Globe critics, editors, and writers.
On tap this weekend: the cast of “Sabrina” is in town, plus more Halloween fun.
THINGS TO DO IN AND AROUND BOSTON THIS WEEKEND
CAROLINE RHEA: AN EVENING OF STAND-UP COMEDY BENEFITING BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS “I read this book today that completely changed my life,” says Rhea. “I’m sorry, it was not a book, it was an Instagram post. But I read all three slides. There were five. Who has time?” Hosted by Allie DelFranco. Oct. 30, 9 p.m. $33.85. The Hotel Salem, 209 Essex St., Salem. eventbrite.com — Nick A. Zaino III
CREEPY CRAWLY CREATIONS: MINI FESTIVAL AT MASS AUDUBON Before you head out to fill those candy bags while trick-or-treating, head to the Nature Center at Magazine Beach to hunt for the creepy types of creatures that populate nature. Fuel up on snacks and cider and make a fun craft before the big night out. Costumes are encouraged. Oct. 31, drop in anytime 1-4 p.m. Free. Magazine Beach Park Nature Center, 668 Memorial Dive., Cambridge. massaudubon.org/programs/magazine-beach/103909-creepy-crawly-creations-mini-festival — Megan Johnson
SABRINA CAST 30-YEAR REUNION AT THE CABOT If “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” was a TV staple of your youth, Melissa Joan Hart and several members of the original cast, including Caroline Rhea, Beth Broderick, and Elisa Donovan, are set to reunite for a night of skits, songs, and reminiscing. Don’t expect Salem the talking cat to be there, though. Oct. 31, doors at 7:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m. showtime. Tickets from $49.50. The Cabot, 286 Cabot St., Beverly. thecabot.org/event/sabrina-cast-reunion-live — MJ
BOSTON PUBLIC MARKET PUMPKIN STROLL The whole family can get in on the fun at the stroll and Halloween party. Kid-friendly activities like face painting and pumpkin painting lead into a stroll on the Rose Kennedy Greenway, where little ones can search for colorful pumpkins. If you show up in costume, you can score a free mini doughnut from Red Apple Farm, which is worth its weight in gold. Oct. 31, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free. Boston Public Market, 100 Hanover St. eventbrite.com/e/pumpkin-stroll-family-halloween-fun-at-boston-public-market-tickets-1999297647082 — MJ
BLAIR An annual Halloween party and concert celebrating the city’s creative women, Blair brings live performances from Nay Speaks and Lynn, as well as several DJs. A warming tent provides a spot to grab a hot beverage when the night gets crisp. Costumes are optional, but energy is encouraged. Oct. 31, 6-10:30 p.m. Free. City Hall Plaza. eventbrite.com/e/blair-2026-tickets-2002291953132 — MJ
DEMETRIUS HULLUM AND FRIENDS: THE LAST LAUGH Hullum, who often goes by “Big D,” is marking nine years in comedy with this Halloween show featuring his cohost from “The Last Laugh” on Urban Heat 98.1, Jason Cordova, Reedo Brown, plus Jonathon Gates hosting. Hullum will be in costume as the young Al Sharpton. Oct. 31, 6:30 p.m. $39.90. Laugh Boston, 425 Summer St. 617-725-2844, laughboston.com — NZ
HALLOWEENTOWN AT TRIDENT The 1998 Disney classic follows a family of kids who discover their witch Grandma, played by the late Debbie Reynolds, lives in a town where it’s Halloween 365 days a year. Head to Trident in your cozy Halloween costumes or PJs to curl up for a viewing of this childhood staple. Oct. 31, doors open at 6:30 p.m., 7-9 p.m. Upstairs at Trident Booksellers & Cafe, 338 Newbury St. tridentbookscafe.com/event/2026-10-31/movie-screening-halloweentown — MJ
HALLOWEEN AT THE STUDIO The Studio celebrates the spooky season with two showcases, featuring Kevin Lamory, Andrea Henry, Andrew Della Volpe, Dan Hall, Al Christakis, and Brieana Woodward for the early show and Christakis, Woodward, Andrew Balestieri, Theo Konstantino, and Logan O’Brien on the late show. Oct. 31, 7:15 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. $29.95. The Comedy Studio, 5 John F. Kennedy St., Cambridge. thecomedystudio.com — NZ
ICA HALLOWEEN The ICA becomes the perfect party venue on Halloween night, where you can hit the dance floor while DJ Kon spins, get your tarot cards read, or watch some spellbinding magic. All-inclusive tickets include an open bar and a Haunted Harvest Buffet. The dress code is “dark elegance.” Oct. 31, 8 p.m.-midnight. Tickets for non-members are $150; members $125. ICA Boston, 25 Harbor Shore Drive. icaboston.org/events/ica-halloween-its-magic — MJ
FESTIVAL DIA DE MUERTOS 2026 The Day of the Dead celebration, a staple of Mexican culture, is spread across three days and two locations. On Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, head to the ICA Watershed to check out the colorful exhibition. The cultural heritage comes alive with a concert on Saturday at 3 p.m., and continues into Sunday for the free festival in Chelsea. Oct. 31-Nov. 2, various times. Free. ICA Watershed, 256 Marginal St. Nov. 1, Chelsea Square Park. Free. Chelsea Square Park, 179 Winnisimmet St., Chelsea. veronicaroblesculturalcenter.org/festival-dia-de-muertos-2026 — MJ
CRITICS’ PICKS FOR THIS WEEKEND AND BEYOND
Don Aucoin’s picks
DRACULA: A COMEDY OF TERRORS Director Christopher V. Edwards pulls out all the stops in this enjoyably campy sendup, written by Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen. Led by comic whirlwind Paul Melendy as the foppish and vainglorious Count, the cast — which includes Bobbie Steinbach and Doug Lockwood in multiple roles — seem to be having the time of their lives. Through Nov. 1. Actors’ Shakespeare Project. At Mosesian Center for the Arts, 321 Arsenal St., Watertown. 617-241-2200, actorsshakespeareproject.org/dracula
THE GETAWAY DRIVER Rebecca Gibel portrays Katherine Ann Power, who spent nearly a quarter century as a fugitive after she took part in a 1970 robbery at a Brighton bank in which Boston police officer Walter Schroeder was fatally shot. Power, who turned herself over to authorities in 1993, drove the getaway car in the robbery, which was designed to protest the Vietnam War. Rachael Warren plays Clare Schroeder, one of nine children of the slain officer, who went into law enforcement herself. Written by Deborah Salem Smith and Charlie Thurston, “The Getaway Driver” is directed by Curt Columbus, former artistic director of Providence’s Trinity Repertory Company, where the play recently premiered, starring Gibel and Warren. Oct. 29-Nov. 22. Central Square Theater, 450 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. 617-576-9278 ext. 1, centralsquaretheater.org
BLACKHOLLOW: A GOTHIC TALE OF POSSESSION A new solo drama starring Anna Slate as Lucy Cull, an ambitious young nurse working in a 19th-century insane asylum who gets caught up in medical experiments that cross the line from science into something darker. Written by Weylin Symes, the longtime artistic leader of Greater Boston Stage Company, and codirected by Symes and Daniel Begin. Through Nov. 8. Greater Boston Stage Company, 395 Main St., Stoneham. 781-279-2200, greaterbostonstage.org
Odie Henderson’s picks
FRIGHT NIGHT If vampires are your preferred Halloween beastie, check out 1985’s “Fright Night” at the Coolidge on Friday at midnight. This fun, queer coded cult classic stars Roddy McDowall as Peter Vincent, a late-night horror host who once played a vampire hunter in a movie series. Thanks to a teenager named Charley, Peter is forced to investigate Charley’s neighbor who may or may not — oh, hell, he’s a vampire for sure! Chris Sarandon brings a sexy menace to a Dracula who is most definitely bisexual. Along for the ride is Amanda Bearse, a.k.a. Marcy Darcy from “Married With Children.” Features gnarly 1980s F/X galore, plus a killer theme song by Worcester’s own J. Geils Band. Oct. 30, 11:59 p.m. $17. The Coolidge, 290 Harvard St., Brookline. coolidge.org/films/fright-night-1985
HALLOWEEN HORROR MARATHON As the song in “The Nightmare Before Christmas” goes: This is Halloween! The favorite holiday of ghouls and goblins falls on a Saturday, so you have all weekend to bone up on the scares. The Coolidge has you covered with its 25th annual horror movie marathon. Only two of the films screened in this 12-hour Halloween endurance test have been announced, but all of the selections will have you screaming for your Mummy. The 1932 classic “The Mummy” kicks off the fest, with an amazing Boris Karloff in the title role. That’s followed by a rare archival print of Hammer Films’ far nastier 1967 film “The Mummy’s Shroud.” After that, you’re on your own to discover what comes next. Fingers crossed that there’s a screening of the awesomely bad Chuck Heston mummy movie, 1980’s “The Awakening.” Oct. 31. 11:30 p.m. Tickets start at $35. The Coolidge, 290 Harvard St., Brookline. coolidge.org/events/25th-halloween-horror-marathon
A.Z. Madonna’s picks
BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Symphony Hall winds up a seasonal double feature of films with music; first Disney and Pixar’s “Coco” with the Boston Pops playing the score live (Oct. 30 and 31); and the 1920 silent German chiller “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” with Brett Miller accompanying on Symphony Hall’s Aeolian-Skinner organ. In the coming week, the BSO performs Haydn’s oratorio “The Creation” with conductor Philippe Jordan, the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, and soloists Louise Alder, Bogdan Volkov, and David Steffens (Nov. 5-7). Symphony Hall, 301 Massachusetts Ave. 617-266-1200, bso.org
ELEANOR ALBERGA AND GREEN ROOM ENSEMBLE The Green Room Ensemble string quartet visits the Gardner Museum’s Calderwood Hall to perform Jamaican-British composer Eleanor Alberga’s three string quartets; then, the composer joins the ensemble on piano for her own Piano Quintet No. 2, “Stark.” Nov. 1, 1:30 p.m. Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 25 Evans Way. 617-278-5156, gardnermuseum.org
BOSTON LYRIC OPERA Soprano and stage director Patricia Racette, who appeared on stage in BLO’s “Tales of Hoffmann” in 1992, now sits in the director’s chair for Previn’s simmering “A Streetcar Named Desire,” starring Brittany Renee as Blanche, Angela Yam as Stella, and Thomas Glass as Stanley. Nov. 5-8. Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre. 219 Tremont St. 617-542-6772, blo.org
Murray Whyte’s picks
ISAMU NOGUCHI: I AM NOT A DESIGNER In the title of this exhibition, Noguchi protests just enough. Of course he was a designer — of wildly popular Akari light sculptures beloved by mid-century aesthetes everywhere, and maybe the most knocked-off coffee table of all time. But notice how the Akaris, in which delicate rice paper is wound around a barely-there slim wooden armature and then fitted with a light bulb, aren’t called ”light fixtures.” They’re sculpture — testament to Noguchi’s guiding ethos that utility did not strip an object of artistic intent or social purpose, but augmented it instead. Through Jan. 3. Peabody Essex Museum, East India Square, 161 Essex St., Salem. 978-745-9500, pem.org
SUZANNE JACKSON: WHAT IS LOVE “It’s political to make an artwork about peace and beauty,” Jackson once said, and it’s hard to imagine a moment more timely for that point of view than right now. A fixture of the 1960s California Black Arts scene, Jackson receives the first full retrospective in her 60-plus year career. Now in her 80s, maybe it was a matter of waiting for just the right — if terrible — time. Through Jan. 18. Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave. 617-267-9300, mfa.org
URI ARAN: LOOK HOW HARD THEY WORK Just opened: Aran’s elaborate, chaotic mise-en-scenes installation pieces evoke quotidian environments — a classroom, a living room — but their stuffed-full aesthetic lends an air of the uncanny. In this new exhibition at MIT, Aran puts a bank of a dozen video monitors in a schoolroom setting; on them, a muppet speaks, but only in sound effects; heavily layered children’s drawings obscure clear reading. It all works to underscore gaps in communication, ambition, and expectation, whether in a learning environment or beyond. Through Feb. 28. MIT List Visual Arts Center, 20 Ames St., Cambridge. 617-253-4680, listart.mit.edu
LAST CHANCE
GLOBEDOCS If you didn’t make it to the theater in time to screen one of the world-class documentaries, curl up at home and stream one of the docs on-demand before it’s too late. You won’t have to worry about arguing with a stranger over the theater armrest. Through Nov. 1. $12 on demand. events.bostonglobe.com/2026/globedocs — MJ
THE SITAYANA (OR HOW TO MAKE AN EXIT) The much-admired Chicago playwright and director Lavina Jadhwani, who died one year ago of cancer at 42, specialized in reworking classics from more diverse perspectives. In “The Sitayana,” Jadhwani reimagined “The Ramayana,” the Sanskrit epic, by telling the story through the eyes of princess-turned queen Sita, the wife of Rama, the king. Five women — Vijaya Sundaram, Ann Varghese, Vidisha Agarwalla, Audrey Seraphin, and Riya Ramaswamy — portray Sita at different phases of her life (and Rama as well). An enchanting production directed by Tushar Mathew. Through Oct. 31. CHUANG Stage. At Plaza Black Box Theatre, Boston Center for the Arts, 539 Tremont St. Run is sold out, but wait list can be joined at bostonarts.my.salesforce-sites.com/ticket/#/events/a0SPk00000FYk7pMAD or at https://forms.gle/1riboKzZp33msbjw9 — DA
Don Aucoin can be reached at donald.aucoin@globe.com. Follow him @GlobeAucoin. Odie Henderson is the Boston Globe's film critic. A.Z. Madonna can be reached at az.madonna@globe.com. Follow her @knitandlisten. Murray Whyte can be reached at murray.whyte@globe.com. Nick A. Zaino III can be reached at nick@nickzaino.com.