By donating to the Fenway Alliance, you are investing in the Fenway community, environment and supporting free cultural programming & initiatives
Opening Our Doors 2022
Schedule of Events • Monday, Oct. 10th
10am - 4pm
Click the box below for a downloadable and printable schedule.
Welcome to the schedule of events for the 21st annual Opening Our Doors Festival. We are happy you are here! The festival includes art, musical, and dance performances on the Christian Science Plaza throughout the day including a Kick-Off Ceremony starting at 10AM. The day runs from 10am - 4pm. There are programs throughout the Fenway Cultural District, all free and open to the public. We hope you enjoy the day!
NOTE: Schedule is organized with ALL DAY programs first, and then timed programs following.
Open Houses in the Fenway Cultural District, 10am - 4pm: The First Church of Christ, Scientist; Mary Baker Eddy Library; Christian Science Reading Room; YMCA Huntington Avenue; Massachusetts Historical Society; Fenway Gallery at Fenway Studios; Trustman Gallery at Simmons University; Mass Art Art Museum (MAAM); Kaji Aso Studio; Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum; MFA, Boston. See schedule below for details and hours. Some programs require advance registration.
On the Christian Science Plaza, 10am - 4pm: Chiming Concert; Kick-off Ceremony; The Hip Hop Transformation; New England Conservatory Student Showcase; Madrigal Singers; Eon Dance; CircusUp; Grooversity; Organ Concert; Zili Misik See schedule below for details + times for each performance.
9:40am & 4:00pm
The First Church of Christ, Scientist
Chiming Concert
The chimes, located in the Original Edifice of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, will offer a variety of music to be heard outside on the plaza. There will be a 20-minute concert at 9:40 a.m. to start the kickoff events and another at 4:00 p.m. to close the Opening Our Doors festival.
The Christian Science Plaza
235 Huntington Avenue
10:00am -11:30am
Kick Off Ceremony
Join us on the Christian Science Plaza for a full day of performance, music, and art as we welcome the community to the 21st annual Opening Our Doors day. There will be lots to see and do on the Plaza starting with the Kick-off Ceremony at 10AM:
-
Welcome and speaking program with Rep. Will Brownsberger, Rep. Jay Livingstone, City Councilor Kenzi Bok, and Melissa Meyer from the Mayor’s Office of Art & Culture
-
Boston Youth Poet Laureate Anjalequa Birkett
-
Boston Children’s Chorus led by conductor John Martha-Reynolds. BCC harnesses the power of music to connect our city’s diverse communities, cultivate empathy, and inspire social inquiry.
-
4Star Dance Studio led by Kaleisha “KIKI” Chance. For the past 19 years, 4Star Dance Studio has created a place where young dancers use their gift to change lives. Dance has been a vehicle to open doors for our students to attend performing arts high schools, summer dance incentives, and national competitions.
-
Hot Tamale Brass Band Children’s Parade around the Reflecting Pool on the Christian Science Plaza
The Christian Science Plaza
235 Huntington Avenue
.jpeg)
ALL DAY: 10:00am - 4:00pm
Decorate a mask, bead a keychain, or paint a tile inspired by the “How Do You See The World?" experience.
Christian Science Publishing House
210 Massachusetts Avenue
-
The Mary Baker Eddy Library Atrium Display
Discover the life and work of Mary Baker Eddy at the Library's interactive touchtable and check out a display about her grandchildren.
Christian Science Publishing House
210 Massachusetts Avenue
A montage of photos, a global portrait of faces from the pages of The Christian Science Monitor, welcomes you to a new experience at the Christian Science Plaza. “How Do You See the World?” offers stories and experiences that explore progress and possibilities throughout the world as you consider your own place in it. Three different exhibits, including the iconic Mapparium globe, connect you to positive change flowing out of the inspired actions of everyday people in countries and cultures globally.
Christian Science Publishing House
210 Massachusetts Avenue
ALL DAY: 10:00am - 5:00pm
Museum of Fine Arts Boston
Indigenous People’s Day
Enjoy free admission all day and special events at MFA Boston’s Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebration. Take a tour of our gallery featuring 20th-century Native art from the Southwest or explore our gallery showcasing Indigenous cultural traditions across the US and Canada. Enjoy music and dance, drop in on a variety of engaging family art-making activities, and more. Indigenous Peoples’ Day recognizes and honors the heritage of Native Americans and Indigenous peoples and the histories of their many nations and communities.
465 Huntington Avenue
ALL DAY: 11:00am - 5:00pm
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Indigenous People's Day
On Indigenous Peoples' Day, explore connections to place and join us for a day of activities with local Indigenous artists. Make art in the Studio, enjoy a performance by Hawk Henries, flute musician (Chaubunagungamaug band of Nimpuc), and watch screenings of a new film produced by artist Mar Parrilla (Taíno Afroborikua), as well as the Gardner’s short film featuring Elizabeth Solomon (Massachusett Tribe at Ponkapoag), Erin Genia (Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate), and Mar Parrilla. Close out the day with a talking circle to reflect together. Elizabeth Solomon (Massachusett Tribe at Ponkapoag) will open the day with a Land Acknowledgement, and join the afternoon discussion.
ADVANCE TICKETS ARE REQUIRED
25 Evans Way
11:00am - 3:00pm
The Huntington
Huntington Theatre Reopening
All are welcome for The Huntington’s reopening of The Huntington Theatre including a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house, free and open to the public, including guided tours of the building, a discussion with Artistic Director Loretta Greco, and presentations from The Front Porch Arts Collective and the Huntington’s education department. Please view the full schedule of events here: Huntington Theatre Open House.
The Huntington Theatre
264 Huntington Avenue
ALL DAY: 11:00am- 4:00pm
Mass Art Art Museum (MAAM)
Opening Our Doors Day
Join MAAM and our neighboring cultural institutions for a free day of fun in the Fenway! Here at the Museum, create a self-care kit for yourself or for someone special, enjoy music and art-making on the Arne Glimcher Plaza, and explore our current exhibitions, Joana Vasconcelos: Valkyrie Mumbet and Designing Motherhood: Things That Make and Break Our Births.
621 Huntington Avenue
ALL DAY: 10:00am - 3:30pm
Massachusetts Historical Society
Exhibition "Our Favorite Things" With millions of letters, diaries, photographs, and objects in our holdings, the stories we can tell at the MHS are countless. Our Favorite Things connects a selection of compelling, captivating, and amusing items from our collection to the backgrounds, interests, and memories of the MHS staff. These stories are grouped into six categories that explore everything from human aspirations and joy to curiosity, and discovery. Along with a brief description, staff interpretations are presented through written comments and brief videos. Explore what items fascinate, interest, and inspire the MHS staff.
11:00am - 12:30pm
2:00pm - 3:30pm
From The Roseland Ballroom to the Catacombs: Walking Tour of Lost Music Venues of the Fenway Neighborhood – The Fenway neighborhood is a vibrant cultural center with a long history of music and art, this tour will look at some of the lost history of the area. Join the staff of the Massachusetts Historical Society for a tour of former music venues where performers from Van Morrison to the jazz greats appeared.
Registration Required: Register for the tour
Massachusetts Historical Society
1154 Boylston Street
ALL DAY: 10:00am - 4:00pm
YMCA Huntington Avenue
Open House + Crafts
Drop in to tour the historic YMCA of Greater Boston on Huntington Avenue. This building was purpose built in 1911 and is considered the first YMCA in America. Tour the building and participate in family friendly arts + crafts activities. ID required upon entrance.
316 Huntington Avenue
10:00am - 4:00pm
Emerald Necklace Conservancy
Shattuck Visitor Center Open House
You’re invited to explore the Emerald Necklace! Stop by the Conservancy’s Shattuck Visitor Center, located in the heart of the Back Bay Fens at 125 The Fenway, to learn about the history and development of Boston’s largest park system. Whether you’re looking for historic facts, Emerald Necklace swag, or a refreshing stroll through the parks, the Emerald Necklace is open and here for you.
ENC Shattuck Visitor Center
125 The Fenway
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Instrument Playground
11:00am - 1:00pm
For Opening Our Doors Day 2022, the Boston Symphony Orchestra will collaborate with the Boston Music Project to host an interactive Instrument Playground on the steps outside Symphony Hall. With the assistance of BSO and BMP volunteers, children and families are invited to try different instruments of the string and percussion families.
301 Massachusetts Avenue
ALL DAY
Virtual Christian Science Plaza Walking Tour
While parts of the church are being renovated, this tour offers a look at spaces throughout the Plaza, including the Original Edifice and Extension of the Mother Church.
ALL DAY: 10:00am - 4:00pm
The First Church of Christ, Scientist, Sunday School
Christian Science Sunday School Tours + Activities
Enjoy some snacks and balloon animals in our Sunday School, which warmly welcomes students -- from toddlers up to the age of 20. Here young people gather in small classes with their peers and teacher -- to learn and discuss timeless moral and spiritual Bible lessons, that guide them over the years!
The Mother Church Extension
250 Massachusetts Avenue
ALL DAY: 10:00am - 4:00pm
Sometimes you want to spirituality connect...and sometimes you need a quiet place to reflect. The Christian Science Reading Room offers everyone a spot for both. Read or pray quietly, learn about Christian Science and how it heals, or join us later on for one of our weekly events.
Christian Science Reading Room
194 Massachusetts Ave
ALL DAY: 10:30am - 4:30pm
Simmons University
Trustman Art Gallery
Simmons University presents Ghost Forests featuring new and collaborative work by David Buckley Borden. Borden’s latest collaborative art and design exhibition explores cultural response to dead and dying ecosystems through silkscreen prints, fabric works, wayfinding systems, speculative- futures sculpture, and other interdisciplinary installation work that defies simple categorization.
Trustman Gallery at Simmons University
300 The Fenway
ALL DAY: 11:00am- 5:00pm
Fenway Gallery at Fenway Studios
Cacerolazos Y Mangos
Art exhibit featuring the work of two Puerto Rican Women Painters and one performance artist at the Fenway Gallery at the historic Fenway Studios.There will be a closing reception Monday, Indigenous Peoples Day, October 10th 12-5pm in conjunction with the Fenway Alliance Opening Our Doors event. Join us in a participatory performance by the exhibiting artists les artistas Beatriz McConnie Zapater and Anabel Vázquez Rodríguez, with guest artist, cultural organizer, curator and designer, Dey Hernández Vázquez.
Fenway Gallery at Fenway Studios
30 Ipswich Street, B-1
11:30am - 12:00pm
The Hip Hop Transformation
The Hip Hop Transformation (THHT) is an award-winning program for youth between the ages of 14-18 offered by the Cambridge Community Center in partnership with The Bridge Sound and Stage, the Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program, and the Cambridge Safety Net Collaborative. THHT teaches teens the history of hip hop culture, the role hip hop culture plays in their lives and society, and equips students with the resource and support to produce, write, record, perform, and distribute their own authentic hip hop music.
The Christian Science Plaza
235 Huntington Avenue
12:00pm - 12:30pm
NEC Student Showcase
Jazz and Contemporary Musical Acts
Enjoy performances by talented musicians from the New England Conservatory's Jazz and Contemporary Musical Arts Ensembles.
The Christian Science Plaza
235 Huntington Avenue
12:15pm - 12:45pm & 3:15pm - 3:45pm
Christian Science Reading Room
Storytime at the Christian Science Reading Room
Hear about the adventures of Bible heroes during storytime at the Christian Science Reading Room. We'll be reading from our illustrated children's books, and you can take away a free book of your own! (The 12:15 p.m. reading is in English, the 3:15 p.m. reading is in Spanish.)
Christian Science Reading Room
194 Massachusetts Ave
12:30pm - 1:00pm & 1:30pm - 2:00pm
Kaji Aso Studio
Japanese Seasonal Song with Mikiko Sato
Kaji Aso Studio presents performances by Mikiko Sato, Japanese singer-songwriter and composer. Mikiko Sato will perform her original compositions and some Japanese Seasonal Songs. Enjoy music in a gallery atmosphere!
40 Saint Stephen Street
12:30pm - 1:00pm
Madrigal Singers
Madrigal Singers
The Madrigal Singers is a vocal group that focuses on a capella chamber singing. We form a friendly community around the love of music and performance. With a varied repertoire ranging from medieval love songs to modern melodies, NUMadS aims to provide Northeastern Students with the opportunity to engage more closely with unique styles of music. We will be performing traditional Madrigal pieces along with contemporary choral favorites.
The Christian Science Plaza
235 Huntington Avenue
12:30pm - 1:00pm
Eon Dance Troupe
Eon Dance Troupe
Eon Dance Troupe is a classical, ethnic, and fusion performance troupe that strives to promote awareness of the rich culture, history, and diversity within Chinese dance. Eon brings Chinese traditional and modern dance to the forefront of Northeastern University and to the Greater Boston.
The Christian Science Plaza
235 Huntington Avenue
1:00pm - 2:00pm
Circus Up
Kirkos, Circus Community Troupe
The Circus Up Community Troupe, Kirkos, founded in 2020, is a team of youth circus artists who perform bold and uplifting shows in the greater Boston area. In the tradition of "social circus," the Troupe practices and performs together for the purpose of celebrating what it looks like to courageously learn, play, and create together. Troupe members (ages 8-18) are always learning new skills through Circus Up classes and demonstrate what's possible when we work hard, stay curious about each other's differences, and leverage each other's unique strengths. .
The Christian Science Plaza
235 Huntington Avenue
2:00pm - 2:30pm
Grooversity
Grooversity
Grooversity is an innovative and creative drumming project envisioned by Brazilian percussionist Marcus Santos to promote music as an educational resource, entertainment, and as a catalyst for social change. Grooversity is focused on community outreach for positive outcomes while targeting global diversity awareness.
The Christian Science Plaza
235 Huntington Avenue
2:30pm - 3:00pm
The First Church of Christ, Scientist
Organ Concert
Our first concert in 3 years! Organist Bryan Ashley will play classical arrangements on one of the world's largest pipe organs in the newly renovated Extension of The Mother Church.
The Mother Church Extension
250 Massachusetts Avenue
3:00pm - 4:00pm
Zili Misik
Zili Misik
Join Kera Washington and her all-female identifying band of musicians and dancers playing music from the African diaspora!
The Christian Science Plaza
235 Huntington Avenue
