Welcome to the Big To-Do: Short Cuts, our guide highlighting the top things to do in and around Boston each weekend, as curated by Globe critics, editors, and writers.

On tap this weekend: Jack Harlow is in town, plus JP Porchfest returns. — Matt Juul

Things to do in and around Boston this weekend

SUPERMAN As part of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation’s ongoing Free Family Flicks series, enjoy a screening of “Superman” on Friday at the Hatch Memorial Shell. The film stars David Corenswet as the titular hero, with the Man of Steel facing off against his archenemy Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult). Aug. 21, sundown. Free. Hatch Memorial Shell, 47 David G Mugar Way. mass.gov/info-details/dcr-movies-in-the-parks  — Janira Skrbkova

JACK HARLOW The Grammy-nominated rapper returns to MGM Music Hall at Fenway this Friday for a set of fan-favorites and songs from his latest record, “Monica,” released in March of this year. Harlow, known for hits like “First Class” and “Lovin on Me,” will perform with opener James Savage. Aug. 21. 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $51.05. MGM Music Hall at Fenway, 2 Lansdowne St. crossroadspresents.com — Daisy Levine

BEST OF BOSTON Chris Tabb hosts two showcases of Boston comics this weekend at Laugh Boston – Liam McGurk, Kathe Farris, and Al Park on Friday and Big D, Gabi Hajos, Jaime Aird, and Boulger on Saturday. Aug. 21 at 7 p.m., Aug. 22 at 6:30 p.m. $39.90. Laugh Boston, 425 Summer St. 617-725-2844, laughboston.com — Nick A. Zaino III

GREENWAY FOOD TRUCK FESTIVAL Food trucks and other family-friendly activities will take over four blocks of the Greenway this weekend. The festivities will include a DJ, a carousel, an inflatable obstacle course, mini golf, an artisan market, and, of course, more than a dozen food trucks on hand. Lawn chairs and picnic blankets are encouraged. Aug. 22. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Rowes Wharf Plaza, High St. rosekennedygreenway.org/events/greenway-food-truck-festival-2  — DL

MARGARITA FEST Who serves Boston’s best margarita? You be the judge. Indulge in a cocktail tasting competition that includes 10 3.5-ounce margarita samples ranging from sweet to spicy in flavor. Visitors can cast their vote for the winning establishment, dance along to a live DJ, grab bites and drinks from street food vendors and the beer garden, plus enter a raffle for the chance to win a trip to Mexico. Aug. 22, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tickets start at $45.46. Great American Beer Hall, 142 Mystic Ave., Medford.  gabhall.com/events/margarita-fest-boston — JS

JP PORCHFEST The neighborhood-wide festival is back this weekend for a day of music, dance, storytelling, and more. Porchfest invites acts to perform on porches, green spaces, and area hubs that visitors can enjoy throughout Jamaica Plain. Aug. 22. 12-6 p.m. Rain date Aug. 23. Various locations, Jamaica Plain. jpporchfest.org — DL

RIVERFEST Head to Salisbury Beach for a day of live music by the water as Riverfest returns for its 24th year. Presented by independent radio station 92.5 The River, this summer’s lineup includes Gavin Marengi, Fantastic Cat, Buffalo Tom, and Spin Doctors. Guests can also browse exhibitions from 30 supporting businesses and enjoy beverages at the Bud Light beer garden and the Tito’s Handmade Vodka bar. Aug. 22, 12-6 p.m. Free. Broadway Boardwalk, Salisbury Beach.  theriverboston.com/riverfest-salisbury-beach — JS

STAND-UP IN THE STACKS Browse a local bookstore and find a comedy show hiding behind the shelves at Trident Booksellers & Café, with Maria Palombi, Mark Antonio, Kathy Lynch, Liz Miller, Aaron Fisher, and Herlandt Lino. Aug. 22, 8 p.m. $19.98. Trident Booksellers & Café, 338 Newbury St. eventbrite.com — NZ

TATA SHERISE “Living your best life is turning your negatives into positives,” says Philly comic, “Funny AF” contestant, and “50 Worst Dates” web series creator Sherise. “For instance, this week, I cheated on my diet a little bit, but I didn’t gain no weight. That’s living my best life.” She headlines comedy night at Elephant & Castle this week. Aug. 22, 8 p.m. $28.52. Elephant & Castle, 161 Devonshire St. eventbrite.com  — NZ

OPEN NEWBURY It’s the last Sunday in August to enjoy Open Newbury, where the street becomes a pedestrian-only walkway for patrons to stroll, eat, and shop. Take in the people-watching, stop in a couple stores, and enjoy an uninterrupted walk down, arguably, one of the city’s most famous street. Aug. 23. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Newbury Street, from Berkeley Street to Massachusetts Avenue. boston.gov/departments/transportation/open-newbury-street — DL

Critics’ and editors’ picks

Don Aucoin’s picks

DEAD GIRL’S QUINCEAÑERA Phanésia Pharel’s tonally complicated work  features three teenage girls in Miami trying to solve the disappearance of their friend. The sheer verve of Pharel’s authorial voice carries her one-act play past its wobbly stretches as she blends a coming-of-age story with a parody of true-crime podcasts while also exploring the danger predatory men pose to girls and women. A splendid cast is directed by Melia Bensussen with a characteristically sure hand. Through Aug. 29. Presented by Barrington Stage Company. Co-production with Goodman Theatre and Hartford Stage. At St. Germain Stage, 36 Linden St., Pittsfield. 413-242-6411,  barringtonstageco.org

HAMLET In its first summer of programming after the January death of legendary cofounder Tina Packer, Shakespeare & Company presents the towering tragedy that is “Hamlet” in the theater named after Packer. Featuring David Gow in the title role, Yaala Muller as Ophelia, “ranney” as the usurping Claudius, Kristin Wold as Gertrude, Jonathan Epstein as Polonius, and Boston favorite  Eddie Shields as Laertes. Directed by Ariel Bock. Through Aug. 30. Shakespeare & Company, Tina Packer Playhouse, 70 Kemble St., Lenox. 413-637-3353, shakespeare.org

THE REALISTIC JONESES Will Eno’s comic drama about the mysterious relationship between two married couples, both named Jones, features Brenda Withers, Jonathan Fielding, Samantha Steinmetz, and Robert Kropf. Reviewing the play’s premiere in 2012 at Yale Repertory Theatre , where the cast included Parker Posey and Tracy Letts, I wrote that Eno’s play “subtly imprints on our consciousness not just a general awareness of our mortality — that’s old news — but of the way dread pervades our daily routines, and how it instills in us a need for other people.” Directed by Alison Greene. Through Sept. 5. Harbor Stage Company, 15 Kendrick Ave., Wellfleet. 508-214-0495, harborstage.org

Odie Henderson’s pick

CATHERINE O’HARA TRIBUTE  The late, great Catherine O’Hara gets a well-deserved five-film retrospective at the Somerville Theatre this weekend. There are two double features, and four of the films are presented in 35mm. On Friday, sing along with O’Hara as she channels Harry Belafonte in “Beetlejuice.” Saturday brings a double feature of Christopher Guest’s “Waiting for Guffman,” and Marty Scorsese’s New York nightmare, “After Hours,” the latter of which finds O’Hara’s Mister Softee driver giving Eli Roth’s Ice Cream Man a run for his money in the unhinged department. And Sunday continues the Christopher Guest lovefest with a double feature of mockumentaries “Best in Show” and his best film, the Oscar-nominated “A Mighty Wind.” If that weren’t enough, the retro ends in the Crystal Ballroom on Sunday with an after-party entitled “Catherine O’Hara Tribute Home for the Holidays (all of them!)” run by Identical Cousins. A self-described “variety show-cum-costume party” that sounds like the perfect way to pay tribute to the brilliant actor and comedian. Aug. 21-23. Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville.  somervilletheatre.com

A.Z. Madonna’s picks

TANGLEWOOD  The Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Tanglewood season ends, as per usual, with Beethoven’s immortal Symphony No. 9 (Aug. 23), but it’s not over till it’s over – and before it’s over, the Tanglewood Learning Institute presents pianist Simone Dinnerstein and Boston’s conductorless string orchestra A Far Cry in the public debut of their new arrangement of Bach’s Goldberg Variations (Aug. 21, 1 p.m.), the Pops and conductor Anthony Parnther welcome stage and screen star Cynthia Erivo (“Wicked,” “The Color Purple”) to the Shed stage (Aug. 21, 8 p.m.). The Tanglewood Festival Chorus sings its annual Ozawa Hall prelude concert (Aug. 22, 6 p.m.) before joining the BSO and conductor Thomas Wilkins at the Shed for Bernstein’s “Chichester Psalms”, on a program that also includes Florence Price’s Violin Concerto No. 2 and Saint-Saens’s Introduction and “Rondo Capriccioso,” both featuring violinist Randall Goosby. (Aug. 22, 8 p.m.) Aug. 21-23, Tanglewood, Lenox. 617-266-1200, bso.org

BOSTON SUMMER OPERA The “Bel Canto Summer” concludes with Rossini’s beloved romantic comedy “The Barber of Seville,” one of those operas where you’ll probably recognize a few tunes even if you’ve never seen an opera in your life. Hannah Shanefield directs the production, with Julian Gau conducting; the cast features several emerging professionals including Dylan Evans as Figaro, Leo Balkovetz as the Count, and Alesandra Onjiko as Rosina. Aug. 22. Wellesley Hills Congregational Church, 207 Washington St., Wellesley; Aug. 23, 3 p.m., the Boston Synagogue, 55 Martha Rd.  boston-summer-opera.com

BERKSHIRE OPERA FESTIVAL The founding conductor-director team of Brian Garman and Jonathon Loy head up this year’s mainstage production of Donizetti’s astounding “Lucia di Lammermoor,” featuring Christine Lyons in the title role opposite Terence Chin-Loy (no relation to Jonathon) as Edgardo, Dean Murphy as Enrico, and Stephan Egerstrom as Raimondo. Aug. 22, 1 p.m.; Aug. 25 and 28, 7:30 p.m. Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, 14 Castle St., Great Barrington. 413-213-6622,  berkshireoperafestival.org

Kate Tuttle’s pick

HOCKEY ROMANCE NIGHT Hockey romance has been around even before the massive success of “Heated Rivalry.” Now, Cambridge’s Lovestruck Books  has taken the trend to a new level of icy, sexy fun, hosting its first ever hockey romance night this Friday, beginning at 6 p.m., at Warrior Ice Arena. Skating, cocktails, and a chance to hear from your favorite authors who understand the charisma of that silent goalie and the appeal of that defensemen’s thick thighs — sign us up! Tickets can be purchased at the Warrior Ice Arena website. Aug. 21. 6 p.m. $60-$90. Warrior Ice Arena, 90 Guest St.  warrioricearena.com

Murray Whyte’s picks

DERRICK ADAMS: VIEW MASTER Adams is a jubilant polymath with a very specific mission: “What can I reveal that has not been shown?” he told the ICA. “Black people — not entertaining, just being, living. Letting people deal with that as reality.” This show, his first-ever career survey, spans more than 20 years of painting, sculpture, installation, performance, and collage, all of it with a signature ebullience that celebrates the lives of his subjects and captures the joy of the everyday. Through Sept. 7. Institute of Contemporary Art Boston, 25 Harbor Shore Drive. 617-478-3100,  icaboston.org

WINSLOW HOMER: PAINTER, ETCHER Audiences will never get enough of Homer, presented every which way, though recent years have cast a more critical eye on his obvious gifts as a realist to a worldview that made him much more modern than meets the eye. This straightforward look at his forays into new media — he took up etching to produce his works in series — may not reach much further than the technical, but the simmering intent of the artist himself will be present all the same. Through Oct. 18. Portland Museum of Art, 7 Congress Square, Portland, Maine. 207-775-6148,  portlandmuseum.org

AN EXQUISITE EYE: INTRODUCING THE ASO O. TAVITIAN COLLECTION  The Clark Art Institute made a splash in 2024 when it announced it had received a coveted private collection from the Aso O. Tavitian Foundation, named for the late software billionaire who was also once a member of its board of trustees. A trove of 331 artworks by renowned European artists from the 15th to the 19th century — Peter Paul Rubens, Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, and Jan Van Eyck top the marquee — the gift came with a $45 million check to fund a curator to care for them and a new wing to house them. This summer the Clark offers a long look before its permanent home is set to be complete in late 2027. Through Feb. 21.  Clark Art Institute, 225 South St., Williamstown. 413-458-2303, clarkart.edu

Last chance

Sign up here to get The Boston Globe’s latest food stories delivered to your inbox once a week.

Thanks for reading our Wednesday newsletter. Keep an eye out for Friday's regular Big To-Do email written by Marie Morris. Send comments to arts@globe.com.