Best Things to Do in Boston: Events September 8-14

September offers a ton of great events to take advantage of in Boston and Cambridge areas. This article series highlights some of the best of them. Many events on this list are free of charge; the ones that cost money are either fairly inexpensive or otherwise well worth the cash.

This article will cover the best events in Boston between the dates of September 8th through September 14th, 2010. Look for articles to follow covering the last two weeks of September on Associated Content.

And the Best Things to Do in Boston: Events September 1-7 can be found here.

You might also want to visit Remarkable Boston Events blog, where I regularly post updates to these articles as I become aware of them as well as other Boston event related news and activities.

And now, the event list:

Boston Gets Back to Nature
Wednesday, September 8
6am-7pm
Boston City Hall, One City Hall Square, Boston, 02201
All Ages
FREE

The Back to Nature brand of food products presents Back to Nature Day at City Hall Plaza in Government Center to educate the public on how to incorporate more natural ingredients in cooking and promote their preservative-free, high fructose corn syrup-free products with free information and samples. The event host also tells of plans to bring a real sunflower field, lemon trees, mint, a waterfall, flowering vanilla orchids and vines to Government Center somehow for the occasion as well, which would certainly be something different to experience.

Free Brazilian Film Night
Wednesday, September 8
7pm
The Regent Theatre, 7 Medford St., Arlington, 02474
781-646-4849
FREE

The Regent Theatre will celebrate Brazillian Independence Day 2010 with the 7th Annual Free Brazilian Film night event. Edificio Master (Master, A Building in Copacabana), is a collection of interviews with 37 extraordinarily compelling residents of an ordinary apartment building in Copacabana. The award winning documentary is in Portuguese with English subtitles.

Samuel Adams Octoberfest VIP Reception
Friday, September 10
5pm-10pm
The Castle at Park Plaza, 130 Columbus Ave., Boston
21+
$35

The Samuel Adams Octoberfest Boston beer festival on Saturday, September 11th will kick off with a VIP reception on the Friday night before. Tickets cost $35 in advance and get you entrance to the event, a commemorative mug and four beers. The beer festival event will also include live music by Jolly Kopperschmidts German Band and Oberlaendler Hofbrau Band, various games and contests and a guest speaker (Jim Koch). Buy Tickets.

Greek Food and Music Festival
Friday, September 10 5-11pm
Saturday, September 11 12pm-11pm
Sunday, September 12 12pm-9pm
Dormition of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church, 29 Central St., Somerville 02143
617-625-2222
All Ages
FREE

The Dormition of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church in Somerville is hosting a 3-Day festival with tons of authentic Greek food to purchase and Greek music to entertain. Featured food items will include Roast Lamb, Souvlaki, Moussaka, Pastichio, Gyros, Baklava and Loukamades. The festival offers free admission as well as free parking and will occur whether rain or shine.

Greek Festival in Brookline
Friday, Sept. 10 3-10pm
Saturday, Sept. 11 11am-11pm
Sunday, Sept. 12 11am-9pm
Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 162 Goddard Ave. Brookline, 02445
617-731-6633
All Ages
FREE

Greek Fest offers 3 full days of homemade Greek foods, traditional Greek musical entertainment and shopping. A live performance by a Greek band is scheduled from 6pm-10pm on Saturday night and kids activities are planned for Saturday and Sunday from 1pm-6pm. The Brookline Greek Festival is free to attend.

Boston Arts Festival
Friday, Sept. 10 Noon-7:30pm
Saturday, Sept 11 12-6:30pm
Sunday, Sept 12 Noon-5:45pm
Christopher Columbus Park, Boston 02201
617-635-3911
All Ages
FREE

The Boston Arts Festival, also known as Boston "Ahts" Festival, presented by Mayor Thomas M. Menino and TARGET is a 3 day family friendly affair showcasing work from some of the best visual and performance artists in Boston. The event will feature live performances by Mean Creek, BalletRox, Boston Ballet, Choro Democratico, City Stage Company, Boston Typewriter Orchestra and Zili Misik to name only a few. (See full schedule). The Boston Arts Festival is free to attend and will take place in Christopher Columbus Park on the waterfront (between Faneuil Hall and the North End). The event will also offer activities for children.

An American Jamboree: Music & Images
Saturday, September 11
8pm-12:30am
Magic Room Gallery, 155 North Beacon Street, Brighton 02135
617-823-4403
$15

An American Jamboree promises a night of live Americana music and visual tributes to our country as well as to the troops who have defended or are currently defending it. Proceeds from this event will benefit Homes for Our Troops, an organization that builds houses for wounded soldiers. American Jamboree tickets are $15 online or at the door and will get you into the party plus a souvenir mug and your first beer from Blue Hill Brewery. Capacity for this event is limited so purchasing tickets in advance is recommended.

Local Roots, Food, and Music Festival
Saturday, September 11
5-10pm
The Community Growing Center, 22 Vinal Ave., Somerville
617-628-9988
$20

This fundraiser will offer local music, local food and activities in collaboration with local businesses to benefit Groundwork Somerville and their efforts to promote and maintain a greener community. This year's musicians include Mark Santoro, Dylan Chace, DJ Marco Andre, and Christian McNeill and the Redeemers. $20 tickets can be purchased at the door or in advance from Brown Paper Tickets.

Samuel Adams Octoberfest Beer Festival
Saturday, September 11
12-10pm
The Castle at Park Plaza, 130 Columbus Ave., Boston
21+
$15

The Samuel Adams Octoberfest beer festival is a huge annual beer drinking event in Boston offering up to 15 Sam Adams beer styles, live musical entertainment, games and activities such as Toast with Sam competition, Lederhosen Relays, Hop Vine Limbo, Musical Chairs, OctoberQuest trivia and more. A $15 ticket will get you all day access to the beer festival, a commemorative mug and a free pint of Samuel Adams OctoberFest beer.

Utsav! Festival of Punjabi Culture
Saturday, September 11
6-9pm
Union Square, Somerville
FREE

Somerville Arts Council and Somerville Community Access Television (SCAT) invite the public to participate in the celebration of the Punjabi culture in the Union Square area of Somerville. There will be kitan music, educational information about the culture and a related film. People are also encouraged to eat dinner from one of the Punjabi-owned Indian restaurants in and around the square. Utsav is the Indian word for festival.

College Fest
Saturday, September 11 Noon-7pm
Sunday, September 12 Noon-6pm
Hynes Convention Center, 900 Boylston Street, Boston 02215
info@collegefest.com
$10

The 25th Annual College Fest will take place during the weekend of September 11th and 12th at the Hynes Convention Center. The event costs $10 to attend but once you get in the door you'll have access to tons of free stuff from local and national vendors and sponsors, live music performances, prize giveaways, celebrity appearances and more. More details on College Fest

Italian Festival of Healing Saints Cosmas & Damian
Saturday, Sept. 11 2pm-11pm
Sunday, Sept. 12 Noon-11pm
Warren Street (off Cambridge Street), East Cambridge, MA
617-661-1164
All Ages
FREE

The 84th Annual Italian Festival honoring the Healing Saints Cosmas and Damian will offer music, food, games, DJ music entertainment, a carnival and childrens' activities. The Feast will officially kick off with a candlelight procession and special healing service on Saturday.

Cambridge Carnival Internationale
Sunday, Sept. 12
12pm-7pm
Kendall Square, Cambridge 02139
617-863-0476
All Ages
FREE

Cambridge Carnival Internationale, the annual festival derived from African traditions, will decorate the streets of Kendall Square with culture, crafts and colorful costumes as the Cambridge community unites to promote all types of cultures. There will be music, dancing, a parade, international foods, and a multicultural marketplace for shopping. Attendees to the festival can also experience live bands playing Brazilian, Salsa, Reggae, Caribbean, Afro-Cuban, Calypso, Punta and Compa music, drumming, dancing and martial art demonstrations. And from noon to 5:30pm, kids ages 5-14 can enjoy a special KidsFest zone which will feature a variety of family friendly activities like face painting, stilt walking, and more.