May flowers may have been brought by April showers, but there do seem to be plenty of May showers around as well. This weekend there are fun activities to accommodate both flowers and rain. You can start Friday evening with a unique film about a famous Greek musician, Stelios Kazantzidis at the Majestic 7. There is a Watertown Children’s Theater production of Hadestown with their high school aged actors on the weekend evenings or Saturday and Sunday matinees. On Saturday there is the first Watertown Eco Fest at the Commander’s Mansion that will be educational and fun. Sunday is Mother’s Day a perfect excuse for a delicious breakfast at a restaurant in town. After your filling meal, I recommend the medicinal plant walk that the library is hosting that afternoon. It’s great if your mother is into plants or if there isn’t a mother nearby and you are simply interested in plants yourself. No mothers required.
WATERTOWN’S ECO FEST
Saturday, May 10, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Commander’s Mansion, 440 Talcott Ave.
The City of Watertown is proud to announce our first ever Resilient Watertown Eco Fest! All are welcome at this engaging and family-friendly event to learn about how to make your life greener, explore sustainability concepts, and have some fun along the way. The day will include exhibits and activities from a wide range of vendors, community groups, City committees, and services.
For more information: Click here
HADESTOWN: TEEN EDITION with WATERTOWN CHILDREN’S THEATER.
Friday, May 9, 7 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, May 10 and 11, 2 and 7 p.m.
Mosesian Center for the Arts, 321 Arsenal St.
Anaïs Mitchell’s haunting, jazz-inflected folk opera follows Orpheus’ mythical quest to overcome Hades and regain the favor of his one true love, Eurydice. This production features performers in grades 9-12.
For more information: Click here
STELIOS: A TRIBUTE TO THE BELOVED ENTERTAINER
Friday-Sunday May 9-11, 12:10, 3:20 and 6:30 p.m.
Majestic 7, 81 Arsenal Yards Blvd.
The touching story of a child from a Pontic refugee family who managed to survive and thrive against all odds, thanks to his immense talent and resilience in the face of social and personal challenges. Music, love, family, friends, fishing, creativity, people of the night, hardcore fans, and intense conflicts come together to create the mosaic of his life. This film is a tribute to legendary singer, Stelios Kazantzidis, whose voice touched the hearts of all Greeks around the world. A film for those who loved him and those who wish to discover him. Rated PG13.
For more information and to buy tickets: Click here
MEDICINAL PLANT WALK
Sunday, May 11, 1:15-2:45 p.m.
Patio at Watertown Free Public Library, 123 Main St.
Join herbalist Mo Katz-Christy for a stroll about town to meet the plants along the Charles. The group will learn about their botany and medicinal uses. Mo Katz-Christy (they/them) is a queer Ashkenazi Jewish herbalist born and raised in Cambridge, MA on unceded Massachusett land. They approach herbalism by connecting folks to the knowledge they already have about their body and herbs through working with kitchen medicine, ancestral traditions, and mulberries falling on the sidewalk. You can find out more about their work at mokatzchristy.com. Note that this program begins at the library patio. (Heads up that arriving late may mean you miss the group’s departure.)
For more information and to register: Click here
MOTHER’S DAY BRUNCH AT A LOCAL DINER/RESTAURANT
Sunday, May 11 (or any day you like)
The Diner at 11 North Beacon 7 a.m.-2 p.m.
The Deluxe Town Diner, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. 627 Mt. Auburn St.
Uncommon Grounds 8 a.m-2 p.m. ( 575 Mt. Auburn St.)
Having an indulgent breakfast or brunch at a diner or restaurant that specializes in those meals is always a fun family excursion, and we have some of the best breakfast restaurants in our city. Treat mom to lemon ricotta pancakes (Uncommon Grounds), crabcake benedict (Deluxe Town Diner), or Belgian waffles with fruit and whipped cream (Diner at 11 North Beacon), and of course many other options. These are popular places, so head out on the early side, or you will have a wait.
For more information: The Diner at 11 North Beacon, Deluxe Town Diner, Uncommon Grounds