Featured Event: Sled race sans sled
The Boston Urban Iditarod is a little different from the Alaskan dog sled race from which it takes its name. Obviously, it’s in Boston, not Alaska. It substitutes shopping carts for sleds and humans for huskies. It also has themed teams, costumes, contests and an urban foot race/bar crawl. Teams of four to six “doggies” – 21 and older “doggies,” that is – will dress up as ridiculously as possible and push a shopping cart around five bars in Cambridge this Saturday, participating in crazy challenges at each check point along the way. The event doubles as a food drive, so participants are encouraged to have friends come watch and donate non-perishable items for the Boston Medical Center Food Pantry. Teams can register online, and spectators can simply show up at bars along the way to watch the festivities. The race starts and ends at Ryles Jazz Club. 212 Hampshire St., Cambridge; 10 a.m. check in, 11 a.m. race; $15 to participate; 21+; bostonurbaniditarod.com.
Thursday, March 1
The folks of Occupy Boston might have migrated from Dewey Square, but their campaign moved with them. Boston Phoenix reporter Chris Faraone followed the impassioned camps both at home and across the country and compiled all his experiences and articles into one protest-filled book, “99 Nights With the 99 Percent.” Good Life bar and club on Kingston Street is hosting the book’s drop party tonight, where Faraone will celebrate the release of his self-published debut and sign copies. JTTS.com (“Jump the Turnstyle,” a culture blog) is even sponsoring a tent pitched in the middle of the dance floor, which will house a Chris Faraone-themed art show. DJ On and On will host and spin. 28 Kingston St.; 8 p.m.; free; www.goodlifebar.com.
Friday, March 2
The weather has been bearable this winter, yet summer still seems so far away – especially for anyone not traveling somewhere blissfully tropical for spring break. Boston-based sketch comedy troupe The Dowry offers solace with its latest show, “(500) Days ‘til Summer.” The immersive theater experience premieres at Improv Boston in Cambridge with its first installment, the “Turf,” which explores the long days of summer through the perspectives of hapless doctors at a Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.) conference. A second skit, the “Surf,” will take over in April, and center around a vacation on the high seas. It’s one way to increase stamina for the last six weeks of winter. 40 Prospect St., Cambridge; 10 p.m.; $15 general admission, $12 with student ID; www.improvboston.com.
Saturday, March 3
Expand your horizons with “A Taste of Iceland,” which is coming to Boston this weekend, bringing with it tons of festive activities beyond the realm of Bjork and frigid weather. Paradise Rock Club is hosting “Reykjavik Calling” – the first of its kind on the East Coast – which celebrates music from both the cities of Boston and Reykjavik. Four Boston-are artists will team up with four Icelandic counterparts to encourage musical and cultural collaboration. Emerson College’s Radio station 88.9 WERS FM will sponsor the concert, which will undoubtedly produce a sound never heard before. 967 Commonwealth Ave.; 8 p.m.; free; 18+; www.thedise.com.
Sunday, March 4
Those still on campus and looking to make their Sunday muy bien can hustle on over to the Fenway Center for Co-op Connection’s 2012 spring break kick-off event, “Picture Yourself in Mexico.” Though registration is required, the event is free and includes Mexican fare from from both Boloco and Qdoba. There will be tons of games and contests, including giveaways for restaurant giftcards, Bruins tickets and more. 77 St. Stephen St.; 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.; free; https://www.facebook.com/events/324844000895021.
The annual TED (technology, entertainment and design) Conference in California brings together society’s great minds – past speakers have included Bill Gates, Al Gore and Jane Goodall. TEDxSOMERVILLE, an offshoot, is just one of TED’s many localized events nationwide and is coming to Arts at the Armory in Somerville. The mini-conference is taking TED’s mantra, “Ideas Worth Spreading,” to its most basic level and inviting some of Somerville’s brightest minds to come speak. Local thinkers will gather and Emperor Norton’s Stationary Marching Band will provide music. To recover from such mental exertion, Saloon in Davis Square will host an intellectual after-party. 191 Highland Ave., Somerville; doors open at 8:30 a.m., event goes from 10 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. with lunch during; $40; tedxsomerville.org.
Monday, March 5
Harvard Book Store hosts novelist and memorilist Linda Gray Sexton for a discussion of her widely renown second memoir, “Half in Love: Surviving the Legacy of Suicide.” After Sexton, daughter of the acclaimed poet Anne Sexton, witnessed her mother’s multiple – and ultimately successful – suicide attempts, she fell into an undertow of depression. In her novel, Sexton explores the controversial and saddening topic of suicide while simultaneously describing her own attempts at achieving it. But unlike her mother’s, Sexton’s story is ultimately one of triumph, through the help of family, therapy and medicine. 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge; 7 p.m.; free; www.harvard.com.
Tuesday, March 6
It’s spring break – evenings should be spent straining pasta, not brains. Trade in wartime, historical or whatever academic trivia you usually frequent for pop culture craziness, i.e. the third annual Seinfeld Pub Quiz. Geeks Who Drink is presenting the event at Common Ground bar and grill in Allston, where questions will center around what a frolf is, what Kramer has installed in his shower and Jerry’s one girlfriend whose laugh sounded like Elmer Fudd sitting on a juicer. What’s more, one can “study” by watching TV – spring break intellectualism at its finest. 85 Harvard Ave., Allston; 8 – 10 p.m.; free; www.commongroundallston.com.
Wednesday, March 7
The Lansdowne Pub hosts the final Apres Ski Party of the season, a chance for BSSC (Boston Ski and Sports Club) skiers, snowboarders and all around winter devotees to meet up and share in outdoor appreciation. Though the snow may be sparse, the enthusiasm is not. Ski leaders and riders will gather for complimentary appetizers, giveaways, swag and raffle prizes, though those whose favorite part of winter is an excuse not to go outside are welcome, too. The party will also feature the infamous “shot ski.” 9 Lansdowne St.; 6 – 8 p.m.; free for BSSC members, $5 general admission; 21+; www.lansdownepubboston.com.
Have an event coming up? E-mail the details to [email protected].
Events may be canceled or rescheduled. Call ahead to confirm.
