A woman walks with an umbrella shielding herself from the sun in Boston Common. (Jesse Costa/WBUR file photo)

A heat wave is hitting Boston. Here are tips on how to stay cool and safe

Massachusetts residents are living through a heat wave this week. Here's how to stay safe and cool.

9 Greater Boston film festivals to check out this winter

The season brings the rescheduled Boston Palestine Film Festival, screenings from families and a sci-fi movie marathon. Here's what Erin Trahan recommends checking out this winter.

7 highly-anticipated books to read this winter

From a debut memoir interrogating intimate relationships to a dark workplace comedy, WBUR book critic Christian Burno selects works that will take you on an adventure through the eyes of...

13 dance events to attend this winter

This season brings a range of performances onstage, from narratives about healing to a soulful work featuring spiritual music. WBUR arts contributor Shira Laucharoen highlights a collection of inventive shows...

Arts & Culture

Jan 12, 2024

Raqib Shaw, "The Retrospective 2002–2022" (2015–2022). © Raqib Shaw. (Courtesy the artist and Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Photo by Shaw Studio)

14 art exhibits to explore this winter

Whether you’re looking to learn more about where the land meets the water or a new iconography in queer history, this season’s exhibits have offerings to deepen your roots in...

Arts & Culture

Jan 11, 2024

Clockwise from top left: Lamplight (Courtesy Joshua H. Chang); Angry Blackmen (Courtesy Joseph Torres); foamboy (Courtesy); San Fermin (Courtesy Alex S.K. Brown); Selett (Courtesy David Terranova); Jim Kweskin (Courtesy Don West); and Vijay Iyer Trio (Courtesy).

7 albums to listen to this winter

From provocative jazz compositions to charged hip-hop, music critic Charley Ruddell recommends albums from artists that are managing to pull experiences from within themselves in a post-pandemic world.

Arts & Culture

Jan 10, 2024

A production image from Plexus Polaire's "Moby Dick." (Courtesy Christophe Raynaud de Lage)

14 theater productions to see this winter

This season, local theater companies are offering productions on timely topics such as technology, transformation and history-making moments. Theater critic Jacquinn Sinclair shares a roundup of the ones she's looking...

Arts & Culture

Jan 8, 2024

Sledders make their way down a hill on Boston Common on December 17, 2020. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

Here are some ways to brave the cold and get outside

Winter is a season when the swirling snow drift seems to be sending mixed messages: Beware the biting wind! Look how pretty it is out here! What to do?

Radio Boston

13:38Nov 16, 2023

Arpie Beaman tags the family tree in the White Mountain National Forest in Waterville Valley, N.H., in 2014. (Jim Cole/AP)

For $5, you can cut down a Christmas tree in White Mountain National Forest

A Christmas tree’s journey to the living room can take many forms. But the White Mountain National Forest offers a unique option: with the purchase of a five dollar permit,...

Local Coverage

Nov 13, 2023

A man suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder uses a light box in his office to combat the illness on October 12 2005 Glasgow, Scotland.(Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Brush up on these mental health tips as the New England winter approaches

There are few things the Northeast does as well as fall time. But the season can be tough for some people, as shorter days and colder temperatures can bring on...

The Common

11:14Oct 13, 2023

How to carve a pumpkin like a pro

While you may have gutted and gouged a gourd before, it's always good to ask the experts for a little advice. Here are tips and tricks to carve a pumpkin...

Radio Boston

13:03Oct 11, 2023

Fall foliage colors line the mountains in Chatham, New Hampshire under a gray sky. (Robert F. Bukaty/AP)

New England's fall foliage still worth the trip, despite dull expectations

New England's wet summer means the region's fall foliage will likely be less vibrant than usual.

Local Coverage

03:50Oct 6, 2023

Reed Birney and Karen Allen in Shakespeare & Company's production of "Lunar Eclipse." (Courtesy Maggie Hall)

15 theater productions to see this fall

Despite the financial pressures that continue to pinch theater companies post-pandemic, this fall’s theatrical lineup is an ambitious and intriguing mix of titles and topics, from an adaptation of "Hamlet"...

Arts & Culture

Sep 25, 2023

John Singer Sargent, "Nonchaloir (Repose)," 1911. (Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington, Gift of Curt H. Reisinger; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston)

10 art exhibits to explore this fall

There’s plenty of art to look forward to this season, including an exhibit about Isabella Stewart Gardner, three exhibits with vastly different approaches to portraiture and several exhibits exploring American...

Arts & Culture

Sep 22, 2023

Book critic Katherine Ouellette recommends 12 books to read this fall. (Courtesy the publishers)

Sidestep into the uncanny this fall with 12 new books

From historical novels that sound like the modern news cycle to contemporary works that take a twist toward the speculative, book critic Katherine Ouellette rounds up a selection of other-worldly...

Arts & Culture

Sep 19, 2023

(Clockwise from top left: Drop Nineteens (Courtesy Steve Eichner); Bad Rabbits (Courtesy Garden Of Eden); Singer Mali (Courtesy Alex Springer); Houndsteeth (Courtesy Bret Kaser); Lost Film (Courtesy Lost Film); Izzy Heltai (Courtesy Jacqueline Justice); Shallow Pools (Courtesy Sarah Mentus)

7 albums by Mass. artists to listen to this fall

From Western Massachusetts indie rock to energetic pop-leaning projects in Boston, our Massachusetts-focused music guide showcases the state’s deep well of music diversity.

Arts & Culture

Sep 18, 2023

A still from "A Gaza Weekend." (Courtesy Cohen Media Group)

8 Greater Boston film festivals to check out this fall

Despite the dual SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, the festival circuit keeps chugging along with a steady stream of indie and international films screening locally. Film critic Erin Trahan highlights the...

Arts & Culture

Sep 15, 2023

Continuum Dance Project rehearses "Becoming Water" in Auntie Kay & Uncle Frank Chin Park along The Greenway on August 3, 2023. (Courtesy Olivia Moon Photography)

13 dance events to attend this fall

This season, new programs and emerging talent highlight the local dance events, with both Boston-based companies and troupes from overseas scheduled to perform. Dance critic Iris Fanger details the ones...

Arts & Culture

Sep 14, 2023

Boston Symphony Orchestra Music Director Andris Nelsons conducts Holst's "The Planets." (Courtesy Aram Boghosian)

A comprehensive guide to fall's classical music performances

From intimate to grandiose, arts critic Lloyd Schwartz rounded up a list of the most notable events on the classical calendar from just after Labor Day through just before Christmas....

Arts & Culture

Sep 8, 2023

An illustration inspired by Nancy Schön's "Make Way For Ducklings" sculpture. The ducklings in the illustration are dressed for autumn weather and events. (Midoriko Grace Abe for WBUR)

The air and apples are crisp: What to know about fall in Boston

There's plenty to experience in New England fall, from fairs to farms to food. And with the right preparation, you can make the most of what's arguably the region's defining...

Arts & Culture

Sep 6, 2023