This Week’s Boston Events: Marathons, Monks, and Minutemen

OH RIGHT THE MARATHON. Thirty-six thousand brave souls will make like @common_squirrel and run run run run run run run from Hopkington to Boston. Somebody please watch from the top of Heartbreak Hill with a sign that says “Started From the Bottom Now We Here!” (I would make it myself but I’m really bad at spacing out letters.) After the race, runners and guests can tour Fenway Park before the official post-race party at the House of Blues, or cool off at the Frost Ice Bar benefit for the One Fund. (9 a.m., FREE, all ages)

The marathon isn’t the official reason you (hopefully) have the day off from work Monday, and those aren’t wayward “Assassin’s Creed” cosplayers lining up at 5:30 a.m. in Lexington. It’s the annual reenactment of the Battle of Lexington Green, that fateful day when we told the redcoats to “cheerio” right the fuck back to England. It’s about a 7-mile trip along the bike trail from Somerville. Not a morning person? Roxbury’s annual Patriots Day celebration features historical speeches and a reenactment of the ride of William Dawes, history’s Garfunkel. (5:30 a.m., FREE, all ages)

This panel discussion at Harvard’s JFK Jr. Forum brings together Tea Party co-founder Mark Meckler and MoveOn co-founder Joan Blades to battle it out in person instead of Internet comment sections, for once. Presumably they’ll bond over how it feels to really, really dislike the president and watch him get re-elected anyways. (6 p.m., FREE, all ages)

Living in a busy world does not mean you need to have a busy mind. Meditation teacher and real-life Buddhist monk Kelsang Jampa gives a free public talk at the Old South Meeting House about the practice of mindfulness, a way to achieve mental clarity and remain calm in every situation — even when you’re out and your phone battery’s at 8 percent and it’s going to die but you can’t stop checking it and that’s making it worse and why didn’t you just charge it before you left? It’s going to die and you’re going to be so, so alone. (7 p.m., FREE, all ages)

Two astrophysicists, a comedian, an EMT and a medical device designer walk into a theater and tell stories about science. For the punch line you’ll have to attend this edition of the Story Collider, part of the Cambridge Science Festival, at Davis Square Theatre. (8 p.m., $12, all ages)

Boston’s best film festival opens Wednesday with “Beneath the Harvest Sky,” starring Aidan Gillen (Littlefinger from “Game of Thrones”), who will attend the screening. The festival runs through April 30 with panels, parties and screenings at Boston’s coolest independent theatres, none of which are technically in Boston, of course: The Somerville Theatre, Brattle Theatre and Coolidge Corner Theatre. (Various times and locations, $11-16, all ages)

Harpoon Brewery debuts its X-Night series tapping unique batches from its 10-barrel pilot system. The ticket price includes an exclusive 16-ounce mug etched with the date of the event. (7:30 p.m., $20, 21+)

Gangsta rap + bluegrass. It’s a match made in, OK, not heaven but some place where they match up random stuff and it works. You’re probably familiar with “hick hop” group Gangstagrass from their snappy, Emmy-nominated tune “Long Hard Times to Come” that accompanies the opening credits of the FX drama “Justified.” They’ll play Johnny D’s with standard, non-gangsta bluegrass group Damn Tall Buildings. (8:30 p.m., $10, all ages)

Photo credit: Kaz Inagaki/Creative Commons

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This article was provided by our content partner, The Boston Calendar.