The WBUR Festival: Full Schedule

3:00pm EDT

Early badge pickup

Thursday May 29, 2025 3:00pm - 5:00pm EDT

Skip the lines and grab your badge on Thursday!

Thursday May 29, 2025 3:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
Festival Hub Howard Thurman Center - 808 Commonwealth Avenue, Brookline, MA, USA

4:00pm EDT

Perfect Pairings: Lessons in Leadership

Thursday May 29, 2025 4:00pm - 6:00pm EDT

WBUR CitySpace

A renowned chef and a world-class conductor share insights from their years in charge of creative talent. Refreshments to be served.

Doors at 4:00 p.m. Event at 5:00 p.m.

Separate ticket required.

Sponsored by

Speakers

Tiziana Dearing

Host, Morning Edition, WBUR

Tiziana Dearing is the host of WBUR’s Morning Edition. Prior to helping listeners start the morning with news from around the corner and around the world, Tiziana hosted Radio Boston, WBUR’s daily local magazine, for five years.Tiziana came to journalism after a career that... Read More →

Eric Ripert

Chef & Co-Owner, Le Bernardin

Eric Ripert is the Chef and Co-Owner of the acclaimed restaurant Le Bernardin. It has been ranked among the best restaurants in the world and in 2023 ranked No.1 on the annual list of "La Liste". It holds the maximum ratings of four stars from The New York Times for over three decades... Read More →

Keith Lockhart

Conductor, The Boston Pops

On May 10, 1995, Keith Lockhart, the 20th Conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra, opened his very first Boston Pops season, leading a concert featuring guests Sylvia McNair, Mandy Patinkin, and Doc Severinsen, and repertoire ranging from Wagner to “Charlie on the MTA.” He was... Read More →

Thursday May 29, 2025 4:00pm - 6:00pm EDT
WBUR CitySpace 890 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Arts & Culture, Food & Drink

7:30pm EDT

Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!

Thursday May 29, 2025 7:30pm - 9:30pm EDT

Boch Center - Wang Theatre

Join a live taping of Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!, NPR's weekly quiz show.

Separate ticket required.

Speakers

Peter Sagal

Host, Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!

Peter Sagal is, has been, and perhaps someday will be again, a husband, father, playwright, screenwriter, author, journalist, columnist, marathoner, Jeopardy contestant, dramaturg, podcast host, documentary host, foreign correspondent, wedding officiant, and magician's assistant.In... Read More →

Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!

Podcast, NPR

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! is NPR's weekly hour-long quiz program. Each week on the radio you can test your knowledge against some of the best and brightest in the news and entertainment world while figuring out what's real news and what's made up. On the Web, you can play along... Read More →

Thursday May 29, 2025 7:30pm - 9:30pm EDT
Boch Center - Wang Theatre 270 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02116

Live performance

9:00am EDT

Boston Press Photographer's Association: Pictures of the Year Exhibit

Friday May 30, 2025 9:00am - Saturday May 31, 2025 11:30pm EDT

George Sherman Union Pavillion

The Boston Press Photographers Association is thrilled to announce that this year’s annual Pictures of the Year exhibit will be on display during the WBUR Festival in front of the George Sherman Union at 775 Commonwealth Avenue from May 23 - June 7, featuring the award-winning images from the 2024 Pictures of the Year Contest. This is the BPPA’s fifth year of giving their work back to the public, allowing people to explore the award-winning work of New England area photojournalists from 2024.

Friday May 30, 2025 9:00am - Saturday May 31, 2025 11:30pm EDT
George Sherman Union Pavillion 775 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215

Experience

9:30am EDT

The Future of Innovation in Massachusetts

Friday May 30, 2025 9:30am - 10:30am EDT

FitRec

Where the world's most dynamic biotech, pharmaceutical, and life sciences companies are headed.

Sponsored by:

Speakers

Julie Kim

President, U.S. Business Unit & U.S. Country Head, Takeda

Julie Kim is president of the U.S. Business Unit, U.S. country head and member of Takeda’s Executive Team. The U.S. Business Unit portfolio encompasses gastroenterology, neuroscience, plasma-derived therapies and rare diseases.She joined Takeda in 2019 through the acquisition of... Read More →

Scott Kirsner

Columnist, MassLive & Contributor, WBUR

Scott Kirsner has spent more than 25 years working as a business journalist and contributing editor at the Boston Globe, Wired Magazine, Fast Company, Variety, The New York Times, BusinessWeek, Boston magazine, and other publications. He has covered many Massachusetts companies on... Read More →

Friday May 30, 2025 9:30am - 10:30am EDT
FitRec 915 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Business

9:30am EDT

Nicholas Burns in Conversation with Asma Khalid

Friday May 30, 2025 9:30am - 10:30am EDT

Tsai Performance Center

The former United States Ambassador to China and an NPR White House correspondent examine relations between the U.S., China, and the world.

Speakers

Asma Khalid

White House Correspondent, NPR

Asma Khalid is a White House correspondent for NPR. She also co-hosts The NPR Politics Podcast.Khalid is a bit of a campaign-trail addict, having reported on the 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2020 elections. She joined NPR's Washington team in 2016 to focus on the intersection of demographics and politics. During the 2020 presidential campaign, she covered the crowded Democratic pri... Read More →

Nicholas Burns

Fmr. U.S. Ambassador to China

Nicholas Burns is an American diplomat and international relations scholar. He served as the United States ambassador to China from 2022 to 2025.Burns has had a 25-year career in the State Department and has served as under secretary of state for political affairs. Appointed by President... Read More →

Friday May 30, 2025 9:30am - 10:30am EDT
Tsai Performance Center 685 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Politics

10:00am EDT

Amicus

Friday May 30, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am EDT

WBUR CitySpace

LIVE PODCAST TAPING
Sit in on a live taping of this podcast about the law and the nine Supreme Court justices who interpret it for the rest of America.

In partnership with

Speakers

Dahlia Lithwick

Host, Amicus, Slate

Dahlia Lithwick is Slate's legal correspondent and the host of the podcast Amicus. She is the author of Lady Justice: Women, the Law, and the Battle to Save America and co-author of Me v. Everybody: Absurd Contracts for an Absurd World, a legal humor book. She is a graduate of Yale... Read More →

Friday May 30, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am EDT
WBUR CitySpace 890 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Podcast, Politics

10:00am EDT

On with Kara Swisher

Friday May 30, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am EDT

Tsai Performance Center

LIVE PODCAST TAPING
Sit in on a live taping of the podcast as this award-winning journalist gets to the heart of the story with difficult questions for smart people.

Speakers

Kara Swisher

Journalist & Host, On with Kara Swisher

Kara Swisher is an American journalist. She has covered the business of the internet since 1994. As of 2023, Swisher was a contributing editor at New York Magazine, the host of the podcast On with Kara Swisher, and the co-host of the podcast Pivot. In 2014, she co-founded Vox Media's... Read More →

Friday May 30, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am EDT
Tsai Performance Center 685 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Podcast, Politics

11:00am EDT

The Color of Capital: Closing the Gap for BIPOC Founders

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

Booth Theatre

Meet the changemakers working to ensure BIPOC entrepreneurs in Massachusetts have the resources to build thriving businesses and lasting legacies.

Speakers

Scott Tong

CO-Host, Here & Now, WBUR

Scott Tong joined Here & Now as a co-host in July 2021.Before that, he spent 16 years at Marketplace as Shanghai bureau chief and senior correspondent. Scott has reported from more than a dozen countries, including Venezuela, Ethiopia, Burma and Japan.During COVID-19, he reported... Read More →

Friday May 30, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT
Booth Theatre 820 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA

Business

11:00am EDT

Misinformation and Disinformation, Explained

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

CFA Concert Hall

Tech leaders in the fight for truth online share what’s working, what’s not and what needs to be done.

Speakers

Costanza Sciubba Caniglia

Global Strategy Lead, Anti-disinformation

Costanza Sciubba Caniglia is a public policy expert and a researcher working on disinformation studies. Her research focuses on state-sponsored coordinated information operations and propaganda.She is the founder and Director of Istituto di Geopolitica Digitale, a think tank working... Read More →

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

Politics

11:30am EDT

Behind the Scenes of Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!

Friday May 30, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT

Tsai Performance Center

The making of Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!

Sponsored by:

Speakers

Jennifer Mills

Senior Producer, Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!

Jennifer Mills is a writer and producer for Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!

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!

Peter Sagal

Host, Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!

Friday May 30, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT
Tsai Performance Center 685 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Arts & Culture

11:30am EDT

Dying Well

Friday May 30, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT

Dance Theatre

A bestselling author and a death educator discuss what happens when we die and how we reckon with the end of life.

Sponsored by

Speakers

Sebastian Junger

Author

Sebastian Junger is the New York Times bestselling author of Tribe, War, Freedom, A Death in Belmont, Fire, and The Perfect Storm, and codirector of the documentary film Restrepo, which was nominated for an Academy Award. He is also the winner of a Peabody Award and the National... Read More →

Suzanne O'Brien

Founder & CEO, DoulaGivers Institute

Suzanne B. O’Brien, RN is the Founder & CEO of Doulagivers Institute. Her life's mission is to increase access to high quality end of life education and care for patients and families throughout the world. She has developed free resources and trainings for family caregivers and... Read More →

Friday May 30, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT
Dance Theatre 915 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Health

11:30am EDT

Is Business Broken?

Friday May 30, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT

WBUR CitySpace

LIVE PODCAST TAPING
Join a live taping of a special episode on AI safety and regulation. The “Is Business Broken?” podcast, produced by the Ravi K. Mehrotra Institute for Business, Markets & Society at BU Questrom School of Business, features conversations about the role of business in society with perspectives from academia, industry and the public sector.

This is a special event produced by our sponsor, Boston University Questrom School of Business.

Sponsored by:

Speakers

Curt Nickisch

Senior Editor, The Harvard Business Review

Curt Nickisch is the Senior Editor of The Harvard Business Review.

Friday May 30, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT
WBUR CitySpace 890 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Podcast, Business

12:30pm EDT

Viet Thanh Nguyen in Conversation with Ailsa Chang

Friday May 30, 2025 12:30pm - 1:30pm EDT

CFA Concert Hall

Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “The Sympathizers” and All Things Considered host reflect on living and writing as an “other.”

Speakers

Ailsa Chang

Host, All Things Considered, NPR

Ailsa Chang is an award-winning journalist who hosts All Things Considered along with Ari Shapiro, Mary Louise Kelly and Juana Summers. She landed in public radio after practicing law for a few years.Previously, she was a congressional correspondent with NPR's Washington Desk. She... Read More →

Viet Thanh Nguyen

Author, Pulitzer Prize Winner & Professor

Viet Thanh Nguyen is the author of the Pulitzer Prize–winning novel The Sympathizer and of Nothing Ever Dies, a finalist for the National Book Award. A recipient of the MacArthur Foundation and Guggenheim fellowships and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Nguyen... Read More →

Friday May 30, 2025 12:30pm - 1:30pm EDT
CFA Concert Hall 855 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA, USA

12:30pm EDT

Frontiers of Medicine

Friday May 30, 2025 12:30pm - 1:30pm EDT

Booth Theatre

Scientists and members of the sickle cell community share how new gene therapies developed in Massachusetts are transforming lives—and what these breakthroughs could mean for other diseases.

Sponsored by

Friday May 30, 2025 12:30pm - 1:30pm EDT
Booth Theatre 820 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA

Health

1:00pm EDT

New York Times Games

Friday May 30, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT

WBUR CitySpace

Join us for a live puzzle solve with The New York Times' Games.

In partnership with

Friday May 30, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT
WBUR CitySpace 890 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Experience

1:00pm EDT

A Conversation with Emily Oster

Friday May 30, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT

Tsai Performance Center

A leading parenting researcher and an award-winning journalist on what really matters for children (and what doesn’t).

Sponsored by:

Speakers

Emily Oster

CEO & Founder, ParentData

Emily Oster is on a mission to empower parents by providing the data and tools they need to make confident decisions. Emily is a Professor of Economics at Brown University, and the founder and CEO of ParentData, a data-driven guide to pregnancy, parenting, and beyond. ParentData’s... Read More →

Alyssa Rosenberg

Letters & Community Editor, The Washington Post

Alyssa Rosenberg is the Letters and Community Editor at The Washington Post. Previously, she spent ten years at The Post as a columnist and op-ed editor, and she won the 2023 Gerald Loeb Award for Commentary for her coverage of the 2022 infant formula shortage. She lives in Washington... Read More →

Friday May 30, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT
Tsai Performance Center 685 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Health

1:00pm EDT

Our Unhoused Neighbors

Friday May 30, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT

Dance Theatre

A devoted street doctor and the subject of Tracy Kidder’s “Rough Sleepers” shares his experience with a journalist who publishes the work of homeless writers.

Sponsored by

Speakers

Dr. Jim O'Connell

President, Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program

Dr. O’Connell graduated summa cum laude from the University of Notre Dame in 1970 and received his master’s degree in theology from Cambridge University in 1972. After graduating from Harvard Medical School in 1982, he completed a residency in Internal Medicine at Massachusetts... Read More →

James Parker

Staff Writer, The Atlantic

James Parker is a staff writer at The Atlantic. Turned On, his 1998 biography of the punk-rock performer Henry Rollins, has been described as “breathlessly brilliant” (New Musical Express) and “a modern-day Pilgrim’s Progress” (Feed.com). He was previously a staff writer for the Boston Phoenix, where he won New England Newspap... Read More →

Friday May 30, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT
Dance Theatre 915 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Health

2:00pm EDT

Powering New England

Friday May 30, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT

Booth Theatre

We’re all flicking on light switches, charging our phones and using heat to stay warm in the winter. That takes a lot of power — and New England is going to keep needing even more of it in the future. Join us for a deep dive into our regional energy landscape, where we’ll examine options for power sources, how to address the rising demand for energy, and who the key players are for building, operating and maintaining these critical infrastructures. We’ll also delve into how new and evolving regulatory frameworks could influence energy production, distribution and consumption for years to come.

In partnership with

Friday May 30, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Booth Theatre 820 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA

Climate & Environment

2:30pm EDT

A Conversation with Roxane Gay

Friday May 30, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT

Tsai Performance Center

The bestselling writer, editor and social commentator reflects on American life today.

Sponsored by:

Speakers

Roxane Gay

Writer, Editor & Professor

Roxane Gay is a widely published writer, editor and professor who works across many genres. She is a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times and the editor of an eponymous imprint at Grove Atlantic. She splits her time between New York and Los Angeles.

Friday May 30, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT
Tsai Performance Center 685 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Arts & Culture

2:30pm EDT

Have a Beer with the People Behind WBUR's Newsletters

Friday May 30, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT

Festival Hub

Join us in the festival Hub for a Q+A with the WBUR Newsletters team.

One complimentary beer (or non-alcoholic drink!) per person, first come, first served. 21+ event.

Sponsored by:

Speakers

Meagan McGinnes-Bessey

Managing Editor, Digital Audience & Community Engagement, WBUR

Meagan is the managing editor of digital audience & community engagement at WBUR, Boston's largest NPR newsroom. She oversees the newsletter and social media teams.Her mouthful of a title really means thinking about the ways and places WBUR can bring its local journalism to more communities... Read More →

Nik DeCosta-Klipa

Senior Editor, Newsletters

Nik wakes up early each morning to write WBUR's flagship newsletter, WBUR Today. He runs the day-to-day of all things email. He joined WBUR in 2022 from Boston.com, where he was a staff writer covering local news, politics, and transportation. Nik holds bachelor's degrees in journalism... Read More →

Hanna Ali

Associate Producer, Newsletters, WBUR

Hanna Ali is an associate producer for newsletters at WBUR, and is the host of WBUR's Weekender newsletter.Before joining WBUR, Hanna worked as a digital editor at the PBS science documentary series NOVA, writing articles for NOVA Next and managing the show’s newsletters and social... Read More →

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

Experience

2:30pm EDT

On Point

Friday May 30, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT

WBUR CitySpace

LIVE PODCAST TAPING
Join us for the recording of a bonus episode of On Point’s landmark series, “Falling Behind: The Miseducation of America’s Boys.” Boston’s first Chief Behavioral Health Officer shares his insights on how boys behave and what they need.

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. Kevin Simon

Chief Behavioral Health Officer, City of Boston & Pediatric Addiction Medicine Psychiatrist, Boston Children's Hospital

Dr. Kevin M. Simon is the City of Boston’s inaugural Chief Behavioral Health Officer, leading and advising on mental health strategies through the Boston Public Health Commission. A triple board-certified psychiatrist and physician-scientist at Boston Children’s Hospital, he is... Read More →

Friday May 30, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT
WBUR CitySpace 890 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Podcast

3:30pm EDT

Higher Education Today

Friday May 30, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm EDT

CFA Concert Hall

Two college presidents discuss how they’re navigating this turbulent moment in higher ed.

Speakers

Danielle Holley

President, Mount Holyoke College

Danielle R. Holley is the twentieth president of Mount Holyoke College. A noted legal scholar and educator, Holley served as Dean of the School of Law at Howard University (2014 - 2023) prior to joining Mount Holyoke. She holds a B.A. from Yale University and a J.D. from Harvard Law... Read More →

Dr. Melissa Gilliam

President, Boston University

Dr. Melissa Gilliam is Boston University’s eleventh president. She is a physician and interdisciplinary researcher focused on adolescent health and well-being. She joined Boston University from The Ohio State University, where she served as executive vice president and provost... Read More →

Friday May 30, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm EDT
CFA Concert Hall 855 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA, USA

Education

4:00pm EDT

Ina Garten in Conversation with Michael Barbaro

Friday May 30, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT

Tsai Performance Center

The legendary cookbook author and television host swaps stories with the co-host of The Daily from The New York Times.

Sponsored by:

Speakers

Michael Barbaro

Host, The Daily, The NY Times

Michael Barbaro is an American journalist and co-host of The New York Times news podcast The Daily, one of the most popular podcasts in the United States.

Ina Garten

Cookbook Author & Television Host

Ina Garten, the celebrated specialty food store maven and bestselling cookbook author, was once a nuclear budget analyst at President Carter’s White House. Garten left Washington, DC in 1978 to buy a 400 sq. ft. store called Barefoot Contessa in the Hamptons – eighteen years... Read More →

Friday May 30, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
Tsai Performance Center 685 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Arts & Culture, Food & Drink

5:30pm EDT

Design Matters

Friday May 30, 2025 5:30pm - 6:30pm EDT

WBUR CitySpace

LIVE PODCAST TAPING
Join the accomplished podcaster and educator for a deep dive into how the world’s most creative people design the trajectory of their lives.

Sponsored by

Speakers

Debbie Millman

Host, Design Matters

Debbie Millman is the host of Design Matters, one of the first and longest running podcasts in the world. She is also Chair of the first-ever Masters in Branding Program at the School of Visual Arts, Editorial Director of PrintMag.com, an Executive Fellow at the Harvard Business School... Read More →

Friday May 30, 2025 5:30pm - 6:30pm EDT
WBUR CitySpace 890 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Podcast, Arts & Culture

5:30pm EDT

The Future of Reproductive Rights

Friday May 30, 2025 5:30pm - 6:30pm EDT

Tsai Performance Center

Reproductive rights advocates get personal about the state of reproductive rights in the U.S. and look to what's next.

Sponsored by:

Speakers

Tiziana Dearing

Host, Morning Edition, WBUR

Darcy Roake

Unitarian Universalist Minister

Darcy Roake is a PhD history candidate at Tulane University with a focus on the reproductive health and justice movements in the U.S. and France. Darcy is also a Unitarian Universalist Minister. Rev. Darcy has a wide background in social justice and pastoral care in settings as varied... Read More →

Busy Philipps

Actress & ACLU Ambassador

Busy Philipps is a New York Times Best-Selling author, actor, activist, writer and previous late-night talk show host of Busy Tonight. Philipps served as executive producer on the show, alongside Tina Fey. In 2018, Philipps released a collection of humorous autobiographical essays... Read More →

Jessica Weitz

Nationwide Director of Artist & Entertainment Engagement, ACLU

Jessica Herman Weitz is the Director of Artist & Entertainment Engagement at the ACLU. Jessica educates, inspires, and activates artists + entertainment companies to speak up for the ACLU and the issues we fight for - which means working across the country with artists to fight for... Read More →

Friday May 30, 2025 5:30pm - 6:30pm EDT
Tsai Performance Center 685 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Politics

10:30am EDT

Art in Public

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

Dance Theatre

From a recent permanent monument honoring Martin Luther King Jr and Coretta King on Boston Common to Boston’s first-ever triennial, the city’s public art scene has been flourishing. Learn from leading artists, thinkers and curators about how public art can transform shared spaces, spark conversations, and foster a more equitable and vibrant city.

Sponsored by

Speakers

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

At this live taping of The New York Times' podcast, the Grammy and Tony Award-winning Hamilton star will explore the complicated love lives of real people.

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

Podcast, 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 where 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

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

Join us for a thought-provoking conversation on the future of Boston — a city rich in history yet constantly evolving. Architect and urban planner David Gamble, author of “Idea City: How to Make Boston More Livable, Equitable, and Resilient,” discusses the future of the city with two of the book’s contributors Northeastern’s Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy Director Theodore Landsmark, and former Mass. Budget and Policy Center President Marie-Frances Rivera.

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 →

Darryl C. Murphy

Host, The Common, WBUR

Darryl C. Murphy is the host of WBUR's daily news and culture podcast, The Common.Before moving to the host’s chair, he was a reporter in the newsroom covering business and transportation. Darryl comes to WBUR from Philadelphia where he covered transportation and mobility for... 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 from this iconic NPR show, that was born at WBUR.

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
Take a front-row seat for a live taping of Atlas Obscura with host Dylan Thuras. Explore hidden wonders and extraordinary places — from the other side of the world to the forgotten corners of your own backyard. Curiousity required. Passport optional. sode’s guests will be available shortly.

In partnership with

Speakers

Atlas Obscura

Podcast, SiriusXM

An audio guide to the world’s strange, incredible, and wondrous places. Co-founder Dylan Thuras and a neighborhood of Atlas Obscura reporters explore a new wonder every day, Monday through Thursday. They'll take you to an incredible place, and along the way, you’ll meet some fascinating... Read More →

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

Podcast

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

Food, Sponsored

12:30pm EDT

A Conversation with Dr. Kimberlé Crenshaw and Jamelle Bouie

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

FitRec

The pioneering scholar and writer who first coined the term “intersectionality” joins a leading New York Times columnist 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

A Latinx community leader and a long-serving local immigration attorney tackle headline-making deportations and court battles in a new era for migrants and their host communities.

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

Feeding the Future: Serving Up Food and Climate Justice

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

Dance Theatre

You are what you eat, and these culinary leaders will make the connection between a warming world and our changing diet.

In partnership with

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
Join this live taping of the 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

Podcast, Sports

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
Singer-songwriter Josh Ritter and Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb join Sing for Science host Matt Whyte for a live recording that blends music, storytelling and cosmic curiosity. Ritter will open the session with a short performance.

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

Podcast, 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

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. 21+ event

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

3:00pm EDT

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 fellow James Beard award-winning chef about growing up, her time in Boston, and building her 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

Food, Author

3:00pm EDT

Decoder Ring

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

WBUR CitySpace

LIVE PODCAST TAPING
In each episode of Decoder Ring, host Willa Paskin takes a cultural question, object or habit; examines its history; and tries to figure out what it means and why it matters.

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

Podcast

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

Join us in the festival Hub and get ready to “answer in the form of a question” with the holder of the second-longest winning streak in “Jeopardy” history!

One complimentary beer (or non-alcoholic drink) per person, first come, first served. 21+ event.

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

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."

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

Food, 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
Come for a live podcast recording that feels like your favorite group chat, come to life. The hosts will make sense of 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

Podcast

5:15pm EDT

Street Fair Stage: Beef

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 Q+A with the novelist and screenwriter behind Boston’s most iconic heist film. We’ll talk behind-the-scenes stories, writing of the film, and yes, debate your favorite scenes (Fenway finale, anyone?)

One complimentary beer (or non-alcoholic drink) per person, first come, first served. 21+ event.

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

From Spark to Spotlight: 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 accomplished WBUR podcast host — circle up to unpack the creative process.

Amador and Olayiwola will offer short performances after the conversation.

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

Live performance

6:00pm EDT

A Conversation with Ira Glass

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

FitRec

Additional details TBA.

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

Owning the Outdoors: Conservation, Recreation and Stewardship

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

Dance Theatre

Join passionate land stewards for a compelling conversation on the future of our public and private lands. From conservation efforts to outdoor recreation and land ownership, this session explores the intersection of nature, stewardship, and access.

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 guests solve a crossword live on stage, you’ll follow the host down rabbit holes of comedy, music, wordplay and trivia, all inspired by puzzle answers. Be ready for a grand finale that’s sure to be as satisfying as it is 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

Podcast, Arts & Culture