Monday
Happy New Year!
Ring in the new year with live music, stand-up comedy, ice sculptures, and more at First Night. Check out more than 25 events in and around Copley Square, including performances by American Idol 2016 finalist Sonika Vaid, Puppet Showplace Theater, and Improv Boston. The 6 p.m. parade ends with fireworks on Boston Common at 7 p.m., and midnight brings a pyrotechnics and light show in Copley Square as well as fireworks over Boston Harbor. Noon to 2019. Free. firstnightboston.org
Monday
Countdown With the Kids
Bring the whole family to kick off 2019 at Beverly’s New Year. Enjoy face painting, a magic show, train rides, hands-on crafts, and more diversions along Cabot Street downtown. If your energy flags, check out the food vendors — you’ll want to be fueled up for the North Shore version of Times Square’s big finale, the Beach Ball Drop. 3:30 to 7 p.m. Admission buttons $8, under 3 free; some events free. beverlymainstreets.org
Opening Friday
Second Act
Explore the evolution of gender roles in A Doll’s House, Part 2, a sequel to Ibsen’s 1879 classic. Set 15 years later, Lucas Hnath’s celebrated 2017 update sees Nora returning home in need of her estranged husband’s help when she finds out she’s being blackmailed. Chicago stage veteran Mary Beth Fisher plays Nora in the Huntington Theatre Company production at the Huntington Avenue Theatre through February 3. $25-$109. huntingtontheatre.org
Saturday
Natural Nibbles
Use pliers, tweezers, and other human objects to learn about the shapes of bird beaks during National Bird Day: Eat Like a Bird at the Discovery Museum. Find out which beaks the tools represent, pick up different foods to get a grasp of each bird’s diet, and make creations of your own to feed them throughout the winter. 2 to 4:30 p.m. Included in museum admission ($14.50, under 1 year old free). discoveryacton.org
Starting Saturday
Get Green
Shop for fresh produce, enjoy live music, and connect with the community as the Cambridge Winter Farmers Market kicks off. Thirty-plus vendors sell food and body-care products, the Green Cambridge initiative shares info, and the live music and family-friendly activities change weekly. In the Cambridge Community Center gym Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through April 6. Free. cambridgewinterfarmersmarket.com
Share your event news. Send information on Boston-area happenings at least four weeks in advance to week@globe.com. Follow us on Twitter @BostonGlobeMag.