We have a bad omen bonanza hitting this weekend, which starts with Friday the 13th and ends with the Ides of March, but if you’re not superstitious and have never reigned over the Roman empire, you should be fine.

Battling any bad mojo, the weekend’s concerts come with optimistic themes like “Boundless” and “Enchantment,” and it all ends with the chance to win five free movie tickets.

The only “bad luck” set for this weekend is in the form of weather. We won’t have the 70-degree spring paradise we were blessed with earlier this week. Temperatures are expected to peak at around 40 degrees. But there’s no snowfall in the forecast, so we’ll call that a win.

Here are five things to do in Newton this weekend.

Friday, March 13

From 7 to 8:30 p.m., St. Ignatius Parish in Chestnut Hill will host a concert by Boston-based contemporary Irish band, Ishna, founded in Dublin, Ireland, by husband-wife duo Ciaran Nagle and Tara Novak, who moved to Boston in 2012. On Friday, they will play a free concert, with donations accepted that will go directly to the church’s concert series.

Saturday, March 14

From 3 to 4:30 p.m., at Newton Highlands Congregational Church, 54 Lincoln St., the Highland Glee Club Men’s Chorus and Music Director Sarah Robinson Seeber will present a concert featuring chants and chant-inspired music examining the mysteries and mysticism of medieval and renaissance times, with special guest artists Lilium et Rosa women’s vocal quartet. Doors open at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 and $25.

From 3 to 5 p.m., the Newton Piano Summit kicks off at Second Church in Newton, 60 Highland St., with trio Maxim Lubarsky, bassist John Lockwood and drummer Rafel Barata. And keyboardist and composer Hidemi Akaiwa will return for the first time since 2023. Admission is free, and if you miss this day, don’t worry. It’s continuing on Saturday and next weekend, too.

From 7 to 8:30 p.m., at the Newton City Hall War Memorial Auditorium, the Boston Choral Ensemble will host a concert, “Boundless,” that crosses international, cultural and linguistic boundaries in celebration of the universal human spirit. The program will explore themes of overcoming fear and seeking hope with art and community in uncertain times. Tickets are $25.

Sunday, March 15

From 6 to 10 p.m., you’re invited to the West Newton Cinema Oscars Party, complete with a red carpet photo booth, dinner buffet by Anoush’ella, a cash bar, and film critic Ty Burr serving as MC, sharing commentary, predictions and reactions as the 2026 Academy Awards ceremony unfolds. There will also be an Oscars poll, and the guest with the most correct predictions will win a Golden Ticket, which grants five free admissions throughout the year. Tickets are $25.

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You can find more events or submit your own on our Events Page.

And the city has an ongoing list of arts-related events on the Newton Arts Calendar.