The Weekend: MSO Family Concert, Ferris Bueller and More

No plans yet for this weekend? Check out these local events coming on Thursday through Sunday this week—and our pick for kids' event of the weekend.

To find more events (and add your own) check out our calendar.

When/Where: Friday, March 30, 5-8 p.m. / Memorial Hall - Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Building, 590 Main St., Melrose, MA | Get Directions »

Why Go: Travel to different countries. Enjoy cultural performances. Sample international foods. All of this and more without getting on an airplane at the free Melrose World Cultures Festival. Memorial Hall will be filled with presentations and food from local restaurants representing the rich cultural diversity that exists here in our community. Come to discover and learn about the traditions and celebrations from over a dozen countries including Brazil, Greece, Ireland, Italy, India, Turkey, Sweden and more. This event is organized by the Melrose Public Elementary Schools and parents and is supported in part by a grant from the Melrose Cultural Council. For more information please call 781-572-2485.

Price: Free.

When/Where: Friday, March 30, 5 p.m. / Tufts University, 170 Packard Ave, Medford, MA | Get Directions »

Why Go: Event located in Cabot Intercultural Auditorium (Room 302), Q&A and reception to follow. Gary Shteyngart is the author of The Russian Debutante's Handbook (2002), Absurdistan (2006) and Super Sad True Love Story (2010). His writing has been featured in The New Yorker, The New York Times, Granta, and Slate. He is the winner of the Stephen Crane Award for First Fiction, the Book-of-the-Month Club First Fiction Award, the National Jewish Book Award for Fiction, and the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Literature. Shteyngart teaches in the graduate writing program at Columbia University.

Price: Free.

When/Where: Friday, March 30, 7 p.m. / , 350 Lynn Fells Pkwy, Melrose, MA | Get Directions »

Why Go: The comedy Ferris Bueller's Day Off (PG-13) is the fourth movie in the Flicks@Night 2011-2012 Film Series. The doors will open at 6:30 p.m. Hillary Poravas, owner of the Bohemian Coffeehouse, on West Emerson St., has again generously donated cookies to be sold during intermission. Please do not bring outside food or beverages, as no food is allowed in the theater. All attendees pay only $5 at the Flicks@Night movie night organized by the Melrose Middle School Film Committee, which benefits enrichment programs at the Middle School. The film is open to everyone, but an adult must accompany children under 11 years old to the movies.

Price: $5.

When/Where: Friday, March 30, 7:30 p.m. / , 98 George P Hassett Dr, Medford, MA | Get Directions »

Why Go: The BACA "Cabaret Festival" Event features performers including Leslie Holmes, Leni Webber, Carol Robinson, Peter Ambler, Dianne Legro and Debbie Lane. Tickets are $15 for each set (there are two sets on Saturday & Sunday). Dianne Legro has a video on YouTube if you want to get an idea of just one of the amazing talents that will be performing this evening.

Price: $15.

When/Where: Sunday, April 1, 3 p.m. / Memorial Hall - Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Building, 590 Main St, Melrose, MA | Get Directions »

Why Go: The Melrose Symphony is excited to present its first ever family-friendly afternoon concert. This shorter program will introduce the instruments of the orchestra with Prokofiev’s timeless masterpiece Peter and the Wolf narrated by Jim Oosterman from the Melrose Cooperative Bank. Following the performance there will be an instrument “Petting Zoo” to check out the instruments of the orchestra up close. This concert is free for children under 18 and $10 for adults.

Price: $10 for adults, free for children under 18.