The WBUR Festival: Full Schedule

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10:30am EDT

Art in Public

Saturday May 31, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am EDT

The head of the new Boston Triennial, a new media artist and WBUR Maker and a designer focused on social justice share their perspectives on the power of public art.

Sponsored by

Speakers

Caleb Hawkins

Design Director, MASARY Studios

Caleb Hawkins is an interdisciplinary designer and creative leader at the intersection of art, technology, and architecture. As Design Director at MASARY Studios, he synthesizes cutting-edge technologies, architectural principles, and artistic vision to create immersive public art... Read More →

Kenneth Bailey

Co-founder, Design Studio for Social Intervention

Kenneth Bailey is the co-founder of the Design Studio for Social Intervention. His interests focus on the research and development of design tools for marginalized communities to address complex social issues. With over three decades of experience in community practice, Bailey brings... Read More →

Kate Gilbert

Artist & Cultural Worker

Kate Gilbert cultivates the critical role the arts and artists play in transforming our cities, our relationships, and ourselves. These investigations manifest in artwork, a curatorial practice, and dedication to expanding the field of public art. As an artist and cultural worker... Read More →

Saturday May 31, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am EDT
Dance Theatre 915 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Arts & Culture

11:00am EDT

Modern Love with Leslie Odom, Jr.

Saturday May 31, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT

FitRec

Grammy and Tony Award-winning Hamilton star will explore the complicated love lives of real people and will close with a short performance.

Sponsored by

Speakers

Anna Martin

Host, Modern Love, The NY Times

Anna Martin hosts the Modern Love Podcast from The New York Times, where she tells stories about the messiness and the revelation of human relationships. Her middle name is Ming Ai, which means “understanding love” in Mandarin Chinese, and has proven to be a useful skill for the... Read More →

Leslie Odom, Jr.

Vocalist, Songwriter, Actor & Author

Leslie Odom, Jr. is a multifaceted Tony and Grammy Award-winning, three-time Emmy and two-time Academy Award-nominated vocalist, songwriter, actor, and New York Times bestselling author. With a career that spans all performance genres, Odom has received recognition for his... Read More →

Saturday May 31, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT
FitRec 915 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Live podcast taping, Arts & Culture

11:30am EDT

The Future of Journalism

Saturday May 31, 2025 11:30am - 12:00pm EDT

CFA Concert Hall

Four veteran news leaders talk about what’s gone wrong for journalism and why there’s reason for hope.

Speakers

Evan Smith

Senior Advisor, Emerson Collective

Evan Smith is a senior advisor at Emerson Collective, working closely with journalists and funders around the country to support the local news ecosystem. He’s also a Professor of Practice at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin, where he teaches... Read More →

Marty Baron

Former Editor, The Boston Globe & The Washington Post

Martin Baron is an American journalist who was editor of The Washington Post from December 31, 2012, until his retirement on February 28, 2021. He was previously editor of The Boston Globe from 2001 to 2012; during that period, the Globe's coverage of the Boston Catholic sexual abuse... Read More →

Nancy Barnes

Editor, The Boston Globe

Nancy Barnes is the editor of The Boston Globe. A veteran journalist who has held the top job at news organizations across the country, Barnes has produced journalism of the highest caliber. Prior to joining the Globe, she was the SVP/News & Editorial Director of NPR from 2018 through... Read More →

Kevin Merida

Fmr. Executive Editor, The LA Times

Kevin Merida is an American journalist and author. He formerly served as executive editor at the Los Angeles Times, where he oversaw and coordinated all news gathering operations, including city and national desks, Sports and Features departments, Times Community News and Los Angeles... Read More →

Saturday May 31, 2025 11:30am - 12:00pm EDT
CFA Concert Hall 855 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA, USA

11:30am EDT

Backing Black Arts in Boston

Saturday May 31, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT

Booth Theatre

Local arts and culture luminaries discuss moving Black arts from the margins to the center in Boston.

Sponsored by:

Speakers

Arielle Gray

Reporter, WBUR

Arielle Gray is a storyteller and artist currently based in Boston. She is a reporter at WBUR, where she reports on Black and brown communities through the lens of art and culture. She joined WBUR in 2018 as a reporting fellow before being hired full-time. Her work examines the liminal... Read More →

Dawn Simmons

Co-Producing Artistic Director, The Front Porch Arts Collective

Dawn Simmons is the Co-Producing Artistic Director of The Front Porch Arts Collective and an award-winning director, producer, playwright, administrator, cultural consultant, and educator. Over the last decade Dawn has used her own artistic practice to push the New England theatre... Read More →

Catherine Morris

Director, Arts & Cultue, The Boston Foundation

Over the last 20 years, Catherine Morris has spent her career supporting BIPOC artists by producing shows, creating platforms as well as mobilizing and engaging local audiences to experience the arts from a Black perspective. In her new role, she will oversee the Foundation’s multifaceted... Read More →

Ty-Juana L. Flores

Arts Administrator

Ty-Juana L. Flores is an arts administrator and impact driven leader who is passionate about building an equitable arts and culture ecosystem for her hometown Boston. As a thought partner and change agent, she has held various roles in fashion manufacturing, design, higher education... Read More →

Saturday May 31, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT
Booth Theatre 820 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA

Arts & Culture

12:00pm EDT

Reimagining Boston: Building a Livable, Equitable, Resilient City

Saturday May 31, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm EDT

Dance Theatre

What will it take to create a better Boston for all? Join architect, urban planner and the author of “Idea City,” along with the book’s contributors, for a conversation on shaping Boston’s future. From housing to equity to climate resilience, this trio will explore ways to transform the city.

In partnership with

Speakers

Theodore Landsmark

Professor & Civil Rights Advocate

Ted Landsmark has been a civic planner, civil rights and equity advocate, higher education administrator, arts and culture researcher, and community-engaged social activist in Boston and nationally. He serves on the leadership committee of the Northeastern University Faculty Sen... Read More →

Marie-Frances Rivera

President, Massachusetts Budget & Policy Center

Marie-Frances Rivera is President at the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center. She has held many roles at the organization over the past several years, including Deputy Director, Director of Development and Policy AnalystPrior to joining MassBudget, Marie-Frances was a grantmaker... Read More →

David Gamble

Principal, Gamble Associates & Lecturer in Urban Design, MIT

David Gamble, AIA AICP LEED AP is an architect and urban planner and principal of Gamble Associates, based in Cambridge, MA. He is a Lecturer in Urban Design in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at MIT. David is editor of Idea City (UMass Press, 2022), a collection of essays... Read More →

Saturday May 31, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm EDT
Dance Theatre 915 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

12:00pm EDT

Behind-the-Scenes of Car Talk

Saturday May 31, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm EDT

Tsai Performance Center

Talking shop with America’s funniest mechanic and the geniuses who made this iconic NPR show happen.

Sponsored by

Speakers

Doug Berman

Producer, Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! & Car Talk

Two-time Peabody Award-winning producer Doug Berman is responsible for NPR's most successful entertainment programs, the hit comedies Car Talk and Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!

Ray Magliozzi

Fmr. Host, Car Talk, WBUR

“Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers”, Tom and Ray Magliozzi brought personality and humor to public broadcasting through their award-winning NPR radio show Car Talk. They grew up in East Cambridge, Massachusetts, where Ray would often watch Tom take dilapidated cars apart and... Read More →

Robert Siegel

Former Co-Host, All Things Considered, NPR

Prior to his retirement, Robert Siegel was the senior host of NPR's award-winning evening newsmagazine All Things Considered. With 40 years of experience working in radio news, Siegel hosted the country's most-listened-to, afternoon-drive-time news radio program and reported on stories... Read More →

Saturday May 31, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm EDT
Tsai Performance Center 685 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Arts & Culture

12:00pm EDT

Atlas Obscura

Saturday May 31, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm EDT

WBUR CitySpace

LIVE PODCAST TAPING
Explore hidden wonders and extraordinary places — from the other side of the world to the forgotten corners of your own backyard. Curiosity required, passport optional.

In partnership with

Speakers

Dylan Thuras

Co-founder, Atlas Obscura

Dylan Thuras is the Co-Founder of Atlas Obscura, the co-author of the Atlas Obscura book, and the host of the AO Youtube series 100 Wonders.

Saturday May 31, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm EDT
WBUR CitySpace 890 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Live podcast taping

12:00pm EDT

Nan's Kitchen Pop-Up

Saturday May 31, 2025 12:00pm - 2:00pm EDT

Festival Hub

Join us in the Howard Thurman Center from 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM (or while supplies last!) for complimentary fried chicken and lemonade, provided by our partner Nan's Kitchen!

Saturday May 31, 2025 12:00pm - 2:00pm EDT
Festival Hub Howard Thurman Center - 808 Commonwealth Avenue, Brookline, MA, USA

Experience, Sponsored

12:00pm EDT

Street Fair (food trucks, games, music and more!

Saturday May 31, 2025 12:00pm - 6:00pm EDT

Street Fair

Join us throughout the day at the street fair for food trucks, music, games, and much more!

Saturday May 31, 2025 12:00pm - 6:00pm EDT
Street Fair BU Beach - 270 Bay State Rd. Boston, MA 02215

Experience

12:30pm EDT

Kimberlé Crenshaw in Conversation with Jamelle Bouie

Saturday May 31, 2025 12:30pm - 1:30pm EDT

FitRec

The pioneering scholar and writer who coined the term “intersectionality” and a leading New York Times columnist try to make sense of race and politics today.

Speakers

Dr. Kimberlé Crenshaw

Civil Rights Advocate & Professor

Kimberlé Crenshaw is a pioneering scholar and writer on civil rights, critical race theory, Black feminist legal theory, and race, racism and the law. In addition to her position at Columbia Law School, she is a Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of California, Los... Read More →

Jamelle Bouie

Opinion Columnist, The New York Times

Based in Charlottesville, Virginia, Jamelle Bouie is a columnist for the New York Times. He covers history and politics. In addition, he co-hosts the Unclear and Present Danger podcast on the political and military thrillers of the 1990s.Before the Times, Jamelle was chief political... Read More →

Saturday May 31, 2025 12:30pm - 1:30pm EDT
FitRec 915 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Politics

1:00pm EDT

Street Fair Stage: Pranav Swaroop

Saturday May 31, 2025 1:00pm - 1:30pm EDT

Street Fair

Join us at the street fair stage for a performance by Pranav Swaroop.

Speakers

Pranav Swaroop

Violinist

Indian Classical violinist, Pranav Swaroop brings a fresh perspective, pushing the boundaries through innovative collaborations. Having played over a thousand concerts across the globe- as an independent artist, as well as with his Carnatic progressive fusion band - 'Project Mishram... Read More →

Saturday May 31, 2025 1:00pm - 1:30pm EDT
Street Fair BU Beach - 270 Bay State Rd. Boston, MA 02215

Live performance, Music

1:00pm EDT

Sandwiches of History

Saturday May 31, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT

Booth Theatre

From TikTok to the table, bite into a delectable session that’s the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Sponsored by

Speakers

Barry Enderwick

Barry W. Enderwick has passion for food, cooking, culture, and of course, eating. In 2018, he came across The Up-To-Date Sandwich Book published in 1909 and decided to try some of the recipes on social media. Today, Barry makes sandwiches from old recipes as written, then plusses... Read More →

Saturday May 31, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT
Booth Theatre 820 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA

Arts & Culture, Food & Drink

1:00pm EDT

Immigration in Crisis

Saturday May 31, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT

CFA Concert Hall

In this new era for migrants, a Latinx community leader and a local immigration attorney tackle headline-making deportations and court battles.

Speakers

Simón Rios

Reporter, WBUR

Born in Boston’s Jamaica Plain neighborhood, Simón Rios is an award-winning bilingual reporter in WBUR's newsroom. The son of an Uruguayan father and an American mother, he is a proud father and currently lives in Milton.Simón joined the station after two years at The Standard-Times... Read More →

Matt Cameron

Immigration Attorney

Matt Cameron has been practicing immigration law for more than eleven years, and also has extensive experience in criminal and appellate matters. Matt is a graduate of Seton Hall Law School presently licensed to practice in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Federal District Court... Read More →

Gladys Vega

President, La Colaborativa

Gladys Vega is a nationally recognized leader in immigrant rights, economic justice, and community-led transformation. For over 30 years, she has fought to dismantle systemic barriers and create sustainable pathways for historically excluded communities, growing La Colaborativa from... Read More →

Saturday May 31, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT
CFA Concert Hall 855 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA, USA

Politics

1:30pm EDT

Have a Beer with Domènec Guasch

Saturday May 31, 2025 1:30pm - 2:00pm EDT

HUB Stage

Grab your game face and a beer in the festival Hub as the General Manager of Boston Legacy FC, takes you behind the scenes of Boston’s new National Women’s Soccer League team.

One complimentary beer (or non-alcoholic drink) per person, first come, first served.

Sponsored by

Speakers

Domènec Guasch

GM, BOS Nation Football Club

Domènec Guasch is the former head of management for Barcelona women's football, where he was in charge of the women’s first team and academy, player negotiations, and relationships with UEFA, Liga F and the Spanish Federation. He has also overseen youth projects for Barça Academy... Read More →

Saturday May 31, 2025 1:30pm - 2:00pm EDT
HUB Stage 808 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA

Experience

1:30pm EDT

The Future of Dinner

Saturday May 31, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm EDT

Dance Theatre

Global warming is shaping what’s on our plates. Join these culinary changemakers as they explore how a warming world is transforming what we eat — and talk about how we can build a more just and sustainable food system.

In partnership with

Speakers

Alex Pogany

Organics Management Specialist

Alex Pogany got his start as an organic vegetable farmer who created an on-site compost operation as part of a soil fertility plan. Once he noticed the power of compost as a mechanism to divert organics from the landfill, while enhancing soils and recycling nutrients, he switched... Read More →

Neftalí Duran

Co-founder, I-Collective

Neftali Duran is a cook, advocate, educator, and organizer working towards an equitable food system and building a network of indigenous food leaders.He is a Salzburg Global Fellow and cofounder of the I-Collective, an indigenous collective that promotes a healthy food system that... Read More →

Kannan Thiruvengadam

Director, Eastie Farm

Kannan Thiruvengadam grew up in a farming family in southern India where life was inextricably linked with land and agricultural adages were part of everyday parlance. After an early career in technology, he responded to his calling and returned to his agrarian roots.In response to... Read More →

Ang Roell

Founder, They Keep Bees

Ang Roell is the founder of They Keep Bees. Ang co-leads apiary management and designed all elements of TKB’s queen school and online bee school offerings. Ang has studied beekeeping with Treatment Free Beekeeping all-stars like Dee Lusby and Kirk Webster. Ang worked with Sam Comfort... Read More →

Saturday May 31, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm EDT
Dance Theatre 915 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Climate & Environment, Food & Drink

1:30pm EDT

Casuals with Katie Nolan

Saturday May 31, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm EDT

Tsai Performance Center

LIVE PODCAST TAPING
A sports podcast for everyone, from the sports-curious to the sports-obsessed.

Speakers

Katie Nolan

Podcast, SiriusXM

A sports podcast for everyone from the sports-curious to the sports-obsessed, Casuals covers the wide world of sports and everything it touches — especially the stories that bridge sports and pop culture — without getting into the analytics and X’s and O’s talk that can feel... Read More →

Saturday May 31, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm EDT
Tsai Performance Center 685 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Live podcast taping

1:30pm EDT

Sing for Science with Josh Ritter & Avi Loeb

Saturday May 31, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm EDT

WBUR CitySpace

LIVE PODCAST TAPING
The singer-songwriter and a Harvard astrophysicist will join Sing for Science host Matt Whyte for a live recording that blends music, storytelling and cosmic curiosity.

Sponsored by

Speakers

Avi Loeb

Astrophysicist, Harvard University

Abraham (Avi) Loeb is the Frank B. Baird, Jr., Professor of Science at Harvard University and a bestselling author (in lists of the New York Times,Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, Die Zeit, Der Spiegel, L'Express and more). He received a PhD in Physics from the Hebrew University... Read More →

Josh Ritter

Musician & Author

One of today’s most thoughtful and prolific voices, Josh Ritter has released ten studio albums including 2019’s widely acclaimed, Fever Breaks, of which NPR Music praised, “He remains a hydrant of ideas while embodying an endless capacity for empathy and indignation, often within... Read More →

Matt Whyte

Host, Sing for Science

Sing for Science is an award winning, Top 10 Music Interview Podcast on Apple’s charts where musicians talk about science with scientists, scholars, and science journalists. Past episodes include Korn front man Jonathan Davis and science writer Mary Roach on mortuary science, SIA... Read More →

Saturday May 31, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm EDT
WBUR CitySpace 890 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Live podcast taping, Arts & Culture

2:00pm EDT

Dr. Anthony Fauci in Conversation with Meghna Chakrabarti

Saturday May 31, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT

FitRec

America’s leading infectious disease expert joins On Point’s host and editor to discuss the state of public health.

Sponsored by

Speakers

Meghna Chakrabarti

Host, On Point, WBUR

Meghna Chakrabarti is the award-winning host and editor of On Point. Based in Boston, she is on the air Monday through Friday.On Point has been frequently recognized for excellence in journalism under Meghna's leadership.Chakrabarti is the former host of Radio Boston, WBUR’s acclaimed... Read More →

Dr. Anthony Fauci

Fmr. Director, National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases

Dr. Anthony Fauci is an American physician-scientist and immunologist who served as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases from 1984 to 2022, and the chief medical advisor to the president from 2021 to 2022.

Saturday May 31, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
FitRec 915 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Health

2:15pm EDT

Street Fair Stage: Hush Club

Saturday May 31, 2025 2:15pm - 2:45pm EDT

Street Fair

Join us at the street fair stage for a performance by Hush Club.

Speakers

Hush Club

Band

WBUR calls Hush Club’s music “groovy, swaying tunes with catchy guitar riffs and melodies about falling in and out of love.” In 2024, Hush Club headlined sold-out shows at the Sinclair and Brighton Music Hall and toured the northeastern US. The band has been featured twice... Read More →

Saturday May 31, 2025 2:15pm - 2:45pm EDT
Street Fair BU Beach - 270 Bay State Rd. Boston, MA 02215

Live performance

2:30pm EDT

Have a Beer with Bob Oakes

Saturday May 31, 2025 2:30pm - 3:00pm EDT

Festival Hub

Join us in the festival Hub for a Q+A with the beloved former host of WBUR’s Morning Edition.

One complimentary beer (or non-alcoholic drink) per person, first come, first served.

Sponsored by

Speakers

Bob Oakes

Former Host, Morning Edition, WBUR

Bob Oakes was a senior correspondent in the WBUR newsroom, a role he took on in 2021 after nearly three decades hosting WBUR's Morning Edition. He is one of the most well-known and respected news people in New England, with a long career in radio broadcasting, including 10 years... Read More →

Saturday May 31, 2025 2:30pm - 3:00pm EDT
Festival Hub Howard Thurman Center - 808 Commonwealth Avenue, Brookline, MA, USA

Experience

2:30pm EDT

A Conversation with Katie Gatti Tassin

Saturday May 31, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT

CFA Concert Hall

The personal finance expert and host of “Money with Katie” shares her best advice on how to earn, save, and invest.

The first 200 attendees will receive a copy of Gatti Tassin's book "Rich Girl Nation."

Speakers

Katie Gatti Tassin

Founder, Money with Katie

Katie Gatti Tassin is the host of the Money with Katie podcast and author of the newsletter of the same name. Her fresh personal finance advice tackles the subject at hand with a unique outlook, and her casual approach and deep, self-taught knowledge speaks directly to followers who... Read More →

Saturday May 31, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT
CFA Concert Hall 855 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA, USA

Business

2:30pm EDT

Ending Gun Violence: The Boston Blueprint

Saturday May 31, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT

Booth Theatre

Could Boston be a national model for creating safe neighborhoods? Learn what’s working from the city’s senior advisor for community safety and gun violence reduction advocates in conversation with a leading journalist in the field.

In partnership with

Speakers

James Burnett

Managing Director, The Trace

James Burnett is the founding editor and managing director of The Trace (thetrace.org), a nonprofit media organization dedicated to reporting on gun violence, and a journalism fellow with the University of Virginia’s Gun Violence Solutions Project. His newsroom experience includes... Read More →

Isaac Yablo

Senior Advisor for Community Safety, Office of Mayor Wu

Isaac Yablo is the Senior Advisor for Community Safety for the Office of Mayor Wu, with many years of experience in Government. Skilled in providing assistance to local government, social service agencies, and law enforcement officials in the areas of gun violence reduction, CVI Ecosystem... Read More →

Michelle Caldiera

Co-founder & Co-CEO, Uncornered

Michelle Caldeira is the co-founder of Boston Uncornered, an organization that engages and supports active gang-involved individuals to end violence and generational urban poverty. Born in Guyana, Michelle was raised in Brooklyn, New York, earned her BA in Sociology from Binghamton... Read More →

Saturday May 31, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT
Booth Theatre 820 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA

Politics

3:00pm EDT

Please Pack Your Knives and Go: A Conversation with Kristen Kish

Saturday May 31, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT

Tsai Performance Center

Enter the kitchen as the Top Chef winner and host talks with a fellow James Beard award-winning chef about growing up, her time in Boston, and building an empire in the cutthroat culinary industry.

Attendees of this session will receive a copy of “Accidentally On Purpose.”

Sponsored by

Speakers

Karen Akunowicz

James Beard Award Winner, TV Personality & Host, Best-Selling Author

Chef Karen Akunowicz is a best-selling author & James Beard Award winner (Best Chef: Northeast) of Top Chef S13 fame. The Chef/Owner of Fox & the Knife Enoteca, Bar Volpe Ristorante, Fox & Flight, and Fox Pasta Company, Chef Karen has been touted as “Boston’s Queen of Pasta... Read More →

Kristen Kish

Author & Host, Top Chef

Kristen Kish is the chef/partner of Arlo Grey in Austin, Texas, the host of Bravo's Emmy Award-winning "Top Chef" and the host/producer of "Restaurants at the End of the World" on National Geographic/Disney+. She has recently been named to TIME 100's Next, AdWeek's Creative 100 and... Read More →

Saturday May 31, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
Tsai Performance Center 685 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Arts & Culture, Food & Drink

3:00pm EDT

Decoder Ring

Saturday May 31, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT

WBUR CitySpace

LIVE PODCAST TAPING
This show takes a cultural question, object or habit; examines its history; and tries to figure out what it means and why it matters.

In partnership with

Speakers

Willa Paskin

Host, Decoder Ring, Slate

Willa Paskin is the host of the Decoder Ring podcast. She previously worked at Salon and Vulture. She is a graduate of the University of Chicago.

Saturday May 31, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
WBUR CitySpace 890 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Live podcast taping

3:15pm EDT

Street Fair Stage: Neta Weiner

Saturday May 31, 2025 3:15pm - 3:45pm EDT

Street Fair

Join us at the street fair stage for a performance by Neta Weiner.

Speakers

Neta Weiner

Musician, Actor & Director

Neta Weiner is a musician, actor, director, and activist from Jaffa. He leads System Ali, a multilingual Jewish-Palestinain hip-hop band, and is the artistic director of Beit System Ali, a social-educational movement. His second solo album, Pinui Binui, includes lyrics in Hebrew... Read More →

Saturday May 31, 2025 3:15pm - 3:45pm EDT
Street Fair BU Beach - 270 Bay State Rd. Boston, MA 02215

Live performance, Music

3:30pm EDT

Have a Beer with Amy Schneider

Saturday May 31, 2025 3:30pm - 4:00pm EDT

Festival Hub

Grab a beer in the festival Hub and get ready to “answer in the form of a question” with the woman who holds the second-longest winning streak in “Jeopardy” history!

One complimentary beer (or non-alcoholic drink) per person, first come, first served.

Sponsored by

Speakers

Amy Schneider

Jeopardy Champion & Author

Like Kim Deal, Paul Laurence Dunbar, and one of the two Wright Brothers, Amy Schneider was born in Dayton, Ohio. In 2021, she made her first appearance on the syndicated quiz show "Jeopardy!", where she would go on to win 40 consecutive games, the second most in the show's history... Read More →

Saturday May 31, 2025 3:30pm - 4:00pm EDT
Festival Hub Howard Thurman Center - 808 Commonwealth Avenue, Brookline, MA, USA

Experience

4:00pm EDT

Why Museums Matter

Saturday May 31, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT

Booth Theatre

The heads of the Peabody Essex Museum, MassArt, and ReMuseum, reflect on why museums matter and what they can offer their communities.

Sponsored by

Speakers

Lisa Tung

Executive Director, MassArt Museum

Lisa Tung is the Executive Director at The MassArt Museum.

Stephen Reily

Founding Director, Remuseum

An art collector and arts patron, Stephen Riley answered a call in 2017 to serve as Director of the Speed Art Museum in Louisville, and for more than four years he led the institution under a new mission to “invite everyone to celebrate art forever.” Under Reily’s leadership... Read More →

Lynda Roscoe Hartigan

Director & CEO, Peabody Essex Museum

As a curator, scholar and museum executive, Lynda Roscoe Hartigan brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to PEM. During her time as Chief Curator at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, she led an internationally recognized acquisition initiative to build collections of works... Read More →

Saturday May 31, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
Booth Theatre 820 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA

Arts & Culture

4:15pm EDT

Street Fair Stage: Naomi Westwater

Saturday May 31, 2025 4:15pm - 4:45pm EDT

Street Fair

Join us at the street fair stage for a performance by Naomi Westwater.

Speakers

Naomi Westwater

Naomi Westwater (they/she) is a queer, Black-multiracial singer-songwriter from Massachusetts. Their work combines folk-rock music, poetry, and spirituality. Their hope is that through ritual and storytelling they can aid nature in the end of capitalism and the return to community... Read More →

Saturday May 31, 2025 4:15pm - 4:45pm EDT
Street Fair BU Beach - 270 Bay State Rd. Boston, MA 02215

Live performance, Music

4:30pm EDT

Have a Beer with Hannah Selinger

Saturday May 31, 2025 4:30pm - 5:00pm EDT

Festival Hub

Have a beer with the author of "Cellar Rat: My Life in the Restaurant Underbelly."

One complimentary beer per person, first come, first served. Must be 21+ to attend.

Sponsored by

Speakers

Hannah Selinger

Author, "Cellar Rat - My Life in the Restaurant Underbelly"

Hannah Selinger is a James Beard Award-nominated lifestyle writer and mother of two based in Boxford, MA. Her print and digital work has appeared in the New YorkTimes Magazine, the Boston Globe, the Washington Post, Eater, Travel + Leisure, Food & Wine, the Wall Street Journal, the... Read More →

Saturday May 31, 2025 4:30pm - 5:00pm EDT
Festival Hub Howard Thurman Center - 808 Commonwealth Avenue, Brookline, MA, USA

Experience, Have a beer with

4:30pm EDT

A Conversation with Gina McCarthy

Saturday May 31, 2025 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT

Tsai Performance Center

The former EPA chief chats with a leading environmental researcher about making progress on climate change as the U.S. withdraws from the Paris Accords. Again.

Sponored by

In partnership with

Speakers

Ayana Elizabeth Johnson

Author & Host, What If We Get It Right?

Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson is a marine biologist, policy expert, and writer. She is co-founder of the non-profit think tank Urban Ocean Lab, distinguished scholar at Bowdoin College, and author of The New York Times bestseller What If We Get it Right?: Visions of Climate Futures... Read More →

Gina McCarthy

Former White House National Climate Advisor, 13th U.S. EPA Administrator

The first White House National Climate Advisor and former U.S. EPA Administrator, Gina McCarthy is one of the nation’s most respected voices on climate change, the environment, and public health. As head of the Climate Policy Office under President Biden, McCarthy’s leadership... Read More →

Saturday May 31, 2025 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT
Tsai Performance Center 685 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Climate & Environment

4:30pm EDT

Vibe Check

Saturday May 31, 2025 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT

WBUR CitySpace

LIVE PODCAST TAPING
This experience will feel like your favorite group chat come to life, as the hosts explore what’s going on in news and culture and how it all feels.

In partnership with

Speakers

Vibe Check

Podcast, SiriusXM

A weekly podcast where Sam Sanders, Saeed Jones, and Zach Stafford make sense of what’s going on in news and culture – and how it all feels. Vibe Check is your favorite group chat, come to life.

Saturday May 31, 2025 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT
WBUR CitySpace 890 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Live podcast taping

5:15pm EDT

Street Fair Stage: Beeef

Saturday May 31, 2025 5:15pm - 5:45pm EDT

Street Fair

Join us at the street fair stage for a performance by Beeef.

Speakers

Beeef

Band

Beeef is a four-piece indie rock band from Boston that recently released its third album, Somebody's Favorite, in the fall of 2024.

Saturday May 31, 2025 5:15pm - 5:45pm EDT
Street Fair BU Beach - 270 Bay State Rd. Boston, MA 02215

Live performance, Music

5:30pm EDT

Have a Beer with Chuck Hogan

Saturday May 31, 2025 5:30pm - 6:00pm EDT

Festival Hub

Calling all fans of The Town – this one’s for you. Join us in the festival Hub for a conversation with the man who wrote Boston’s most iconic heist film. We’ll even debate the very best scenes (Fenway finale, anyone?).

One complimentary beer (or non-alcoholic drink) per person, first come, first served.

Sponsored by

Speakers

Chuck Hogan

Novelist & Screenwriter

Chuck Hogan is a New York Times bestselling novelist, screenwriter, and television producer. His best-known novel THE TOWN was awarded the Hammett Prize for "literary excellence in the field of crime writing," and was adapted into the hit feature film starring Ben Affleck, Jeremy... Read More →

Saturday May 31, 2025 5:30pm - 6:00pm EDT
Festival Hub Howard Thurman Center - 808 Commonwealth Avenue, Brookline, MA, USA

Experience

5:30pm EDT

Boston Comedy Showcase

Saturday May 31, 2025 5:30pm - 6:30pm EDT

Booth Theatre

Discover the next Mindy Kaling or Bill Burr at this must-see showcase of local stand-up talent.

Sponsored by

In partnership with

Speakers

Bethany Van Delft

Comedian

Bethany Van Delft is an award winning stand up comedian, and regular host and storyteller for The Moth, the critically acclaimed storytelling show. When she is not on stage, or tending to her family, you can find her incessantly decluttering.

Saturday May 31, 2025 5:30pm - 6:30pm EDT
Booth Theatre 820 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA

Arts & Culture, Live performance

5:30pm EDT

Inside the Creative Process

Saturday May 31, 2025 5:30pm - 6:30pm EDT

CFA Concert Hall

Three Boston creatives — an NPR Tiny Desk winner, the former Boston Poet Laureate, and a hit making WBUR podcast host — circle up to unpack the creative process, ending with live performances from Amador and Olayiwola.

Sponsored by

Speakers

Amory Sivertson

Host & Senior Producer, WBUR Podcasts

Amory Sivertson is the host/reporter of Beyond All Repair and the co-host and senior producer of Endless Thread. She's one of the founding producers of Modern Love: The Podcast and the former producer of Dear Sugar Radio (now called Dear Sugars).Previously, Amory was the studio... Read More →

Alisa Amador

Singer & Songwriter

Praised by NPR’s Bob Boilen as a “powerful voice whose tender performance commands attention and fosters connection,” Alisa Amador made history in 2022 with the first-ever Spanish language song to win the prestigious Tiny Desk Contest. Now, two years later, the bilingual singer/songwriter... Read More →

Porsha Olayiwola

Fmr. Poet Laureate, City of Boston

Porsha Olayiwola is a native of Chicago who writes, lives and loves in Boston. Olayiwola is a writer, performer, educator and curator who uses afro-futurism and surrealism to examine historical and current issues in the Black, woman, and queer diasporas. She is an Individual World... Read More →

Saturday May 31, 2025 5:30pm - 6:30pm EDT
CFA Concert Hall 855 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA, USA

Arts & Culture, Live performance

5:30pm EDT

Massachusetts: A Song of Itself

Saturday May 31, 2025 5:30pm - 6:30pm EDT

Booth Theatre

A poet, author and songwriter premieres his new work using music, poetry and storytelling to explore our country’s history of revolution and resilience.

Sponsored by

Speakers

Regie Gibson

Literary Performer & Educator

Literary performer & educator, Regie Gibson, has lectured & performed in the U.S., Cuba & Europe. Representing the U.S., Regie competed for & received both the Absolute Poetry Award in Monfalcone, Italy & the Europa en Versi Award for performance poetry in LaGuardia di Como, Italy... Read More →

Saturday May 31, 2025 5:30pm - 6:30pm EDT
Booth Theatre 820 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA

History, Live performance

6:00pm EDT

A Conversation with Ira Glass

Saturday May 31, 2025 6:00pm - 7:00pm EDT

FitRec

As This American Life celebrates its 30th anniversary, the show’s host and producer reflects on his career and the evolution of public radio.

Sponsored by

Speakers

Ira Glass

Host, This American Life, NPR

Ira Glass is an American public radio personality. He is the host and producer of the radio and television series This American Life and has participated in other NPR programs, including Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and Talk of the Nation.

Saturday May 31, 2025 6:00pm - 7:00pm EDT
FitRec 915 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Arts & Culture

6:00pm EDT

Whose Woods are These?

Saturday May 31, 2025 6:00pm - 7:00pm EDT

Dance Theatre

Join passionate land stewards for a conversation about the future of our public and private lands, from conservation efforts to outdoor recreation and land ownership.

In partnership with

Saturday May 31, 2025 6:00pm - 7:00pm EDT
Dance Theatre 915 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Climate & Environment

6:00pm EDT

The Crossword Show

Saturday May 31, 2025 6:00pm - 7:00pm EDT

WBUR CitySpace

While the guest solves a crossword live on stage, you’ll follow Sherwin down rabbit holes of comedy, music, wordplay and trivia. Be ready for a grand finale that promises to be astonishing. No crossword expertise required!

Speakers

Meghna Chakrabarti

Host, On Point, WBUR

Zach Sherwin

Host, The Crossword Show

Zach Sherwin is a Los Angeles-based comedian and the creator and host of The Crossword Show, in which a panel of comedians and other luminaries solves a crossword puzzle live onstage. His writing for the web series “Epic Rap Battles of History” has received numerous Emmy and Streamy... Read More →

Saturday May 31, 2025 6:00pm - 7:00pm EDT
WBUR CitySpace 890 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Experience

6:00pm EDT

Wild Card

Saturday May 31, 2025 6:00pm - 7:00pm EDT

Tsai Performance Center

LIVE PODCAST TAPING
Actors, writers and musicians open up about their fears, their joys and how they've built meaning from experience – all with the help of a very special deck of cards.

Sponsored by

Speakers

Rachel Martin

Host, Wild Card, NPR

Part-interview, part-existential game show – this is Wild Card from NPR. Host Rachel Martin rips up the typical interview script and invites guests to play a game about life's biggest questions. Rachel takes actors, artists and thinkers on a choose-your-own-adventure conversation... Read More →

Saturday May 31, 2025 6:00pm - 7:00pm EDT
Tsai Performance Center 685 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Live podcast taping, Arts & Culture