This Sunday marks the 47th annual Super Bowl, and sure, the commercials are always entertaining, and maybe Beyoncé won’t lip-sync her halftime performance, but that doesn’t change the fact that the Patriots aren’t playing. Whether you’re still hurting and want to stay far away from anything football, or if you just aren’t interested in attending your friend’s annual Super Bowl party that’s annually lame, here’s a list of things to do around Boston instead of watch the Super Bowl. As for those commercials, that’s what YouTube is for, anyway.
F**k the Super Bowl, Let’s Dance at Great Scott, $7/21+
What better way to rid yourself of any Super Bowl blues than to dance them away? On Sunday night, Great Scott in Allston will be hosting a dance party featuring the booty-shaking musical stylings of Providence’s Ravi Shavi and Boston’s Dylan Ewen and Jesus Vio. Throw in the tunage from a DJ courtesy of everydayisamixtape, and you’ll find yourself forgetting all about football. If all that isn’t enough, Eye Design is offering up free pizza, and cheap beers will be available to take care of any lingering sorrow. It’s the perfect excuse to get your groove on.
Fondue Sunday at Beacon Hill Bistro, $26
If you’re in need of a Sunday night distraction, but are low on energy, nothing sounds more appropriate than a big pot of warm, bubbling cheese. Beacon Hill Bistro is offering up just that with the return of Fondue Sundays. A comfort food to end all comfort foods, each fondue order comes with an assortment of rustic breads, seasoned potatoes, and pickled veggies to dip to your heart’s desire. Bonus: the bistro’s cozy, quiet atmosphere is about as far as you can get from a rowdy sports bar and a group of drunk 49ers fans, and the hot, cheesy goodness is about as close as you can get to heaven.
UBurger’s “Patriots Pity Party” all Boston UBurger locations, $25.99
Okay, so maybe $26 cheese dip isn’t your thing, but perhaps $26 worth of burgers and fries is. With temperatures dropping again, you might be inclined to enjoy a night on the couch and a lack of football on your TV. Boston’s UBurger feels your pain, so they’re offering a special Patriots Pity Party Package: four cheeseburgers and a sack of fries for $25.99. While you’re at it, why not take advantage of other Super Bowl food specials? No one has to know you’re planning on watching ABC Family’s Cheer Movie Marathon instead of the game. Pizza chains like Papa John’s and Pizza Hut have discounted pies for the day, California Pizza Kitchen will take $5 off your takeout order, and if you get six Chipotle burritos, you’ll receive coupons for free burrito bowls, tacos and more at your next visit. Six burritos and a cheery movie marathon? Bring it on.
8th Annual Chili Cook-Off at Olde Magoun’s Saloon, 12pm-3 pm
Got that fantastic family chili recipe you were hoping to master for a Patriots Super Bowl party? Don’t waste it on the Ravens; instead whip up a batch for the 8th annual Olde Magoun’s chili cook-off in Somerville. It’s free to enter, as well as taste-test, so you’ve got nothing to lose; all you have to pay for is the beer to wash down all that chili. Prizes for the recipe that receives the most votes include gift certificates and tickets to Bruins and Celtics games (bye football season!). Even if you don’t win, every entrant (first 30 are accepted) gets a T-shirt, so get cooking! The cook-off ends early, so feel free to spend the rest of the day in a chili-induced food coma.
Open Mic Night at Dick’s Beantown Comedy Vault at Remington’s, $15
If delicious food or dancing isn’t your idea of a great Super Bowl substitute, we probably couldn’t be friends, but Boston’s got something else for you. Comedienne Carolyn Plummer will be hosting Boston’s longest open mic night at Dick’s Beantown Comedy Vault at Remington’s, where rising professional and amateur comedians gather to show what they’ve got up on stage. Basically, you’ll get big laughs for cheap, and maybe some jokes will be at the expense of other football teams’ fans.
Alas, if you are planning on joining in on Super Bowl Sunday this year, you should at least do it right. Here’s a list of the best places to watch the Super Bowl in Boston.
