The 3 Best Things To Do In Boston This April

Marathon Monday is behind us, the Swan Boats are open in the Public Garden, and the magnolias are blooming on Comm Ave. — it must be late April in Boston. Whether you’re feeling like a dose of culture or ready to cheer on the home team, check out one (or more) of these events happening around the city this week to make the most of spring.

Catch An Indie Movie With An A-List Cast

There’s still time to get tickets to The 23rd Independent Film Festival Boston, which wraps its week-long run on April 29. Highlights include Power Ballad (April 27, 7:30 p.m. at the Somerville Theatre), which stars Paul Rudd as Rick, a past-his-prime wedding singer, and Nick Jonas as a fading boy-band star (naturally) who turns one of Rick’s songs into a career-making hit. It’s from writer-director John Carney (of Once fame), so you know the soundtrack will be good. Late Fame (April 28, 8 p.m. at the Brattle Theatre) casts Willem Dafoe as a one-time New York poet-turned-postal worker who is rediscovered by a group of twentysomethings and brought into their literary salon alongside actress Gloria (Greta Lee).

Closing out the festival on April 29 is A24’s The Invite, directed by Olivia Wilde, which follows two couples (Wilde and Seth Rogen; Penelope Cruz and Edward Norton) as a dinner party devolves into a reckoning on sex and marriage. Advance tickets are sold out, but you can try your luck in the rush line at the Coolidge Corner Theatre. If you don’t snag seats, you can still make a night of it by booking a table at Sweet Cheeks Q near Fenway and indulging in its menu of southern fare like pulled pork, brisket, pimento mac n’ cheese, and buttermilk biscuits.

Become An Early Fan Of Boston’s NWSL Team

Cheer on Boston Legacy FC in its inaugural season as the NWSL team takes on the North Carolina Courage on April 29 at 7 p.m. at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough. The expansion team has had a rough start to the season with four early losses, and the North Carolina matchup will pit Legacy goalkeeper Casey Murphy against her former club, which is looking to rebuild under new coach Mak Lind. Resale tickets start at just $32, so you can bring your whole squad along to cheer. Before the match, grab a table at Scorpion Bar Patriot Place just outside the stadium, and fuel up on Mexican favorites like burritos, fajitas, and tacos.

See A Legendary Modern Dance Troupe

Famed New York dance company Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater starts a run of five performances at the Boch Center Wang Theatre on April 30 in its first major performance season led by new artistic director Alicia Graf Mack. The Thursday evening performance (8 p.m. curtain) will feature two new works, The Holy Blues and Blink of an Eye, and two Alvin Ailey classics, A Song for You and Revelations, the choreographer’s most famous tribute to the African American cultural tradition. Tickets start at $39 at the box office. Set the tone for an elegant evening with a pre-show reservation at Yvonne’s in nearby Downtown Crossing, which brings a speakeasy vibe to a modern supper club (you enter the restaurant through a discreet door at the back of a faux hair salon). Inside the dimly lit, ornately appointed dining room, you can feast on a menu of shared plates like crab beignets, duck prosciutto toast, and lobster dumplings.