Things to Do in Norfolk

Four classical works are on the playlist for the Spring Classical Concert: Fanfare for the New Millennium for brass ensemble by Kevin Kaska; Intermezzo for string ensemble by Franz Schreker; Concierto de Aranjuez by Joaquin Rodrigo, featuring acclaimed soloist Robert Belinić; and Symphony No. 9 (From the New World) by Antonin Dvorák.

Saba Alhadi was visiting her retired father when she received the phone call. A man on the other end, with a British accent, informed her he'd seen her photos of the city of Boston. He worked with Random House and wanted to publish her work—provided she write a book about the city and furnish it with her photographs of 16 historic sites. More than five years later, Saba's book, Boston in Photographs can be found on gift-shop shelves in the Old State House. Formerly a travel agent, she began building her portfolio as she turned her lens on the city and developed photography walking tours through historic neighborhoods.

On each of her tours, she reveals historic details such as brick sidewalks, verdant cemeteries, Romanesque courtyards, and flower-packed window boxes, and encourages those on her tour to look for unlikely subjects. Meanwhile, she interlaces the history with photo tips on how colors on different buildings complement each other, how a reflection of a historic church in a window can become a composition, and how to keep a historic interpreter from startling when the shutter goes off. She also devises scavenger hunts throughout Victorian neighborhoods, sending participants scattering to decode cryptic clues that draw on notable local facts, such as which districts were once home to wealthy citizens and which homes have pools in the backyard.

Film buffs across six states stare wide-eyed at large cinema screens, losing themselves in first-run Hollywood movies and the smell of fresh, buttery kernels within Your Neighborhood Theatre's 17 locations. Though all theaters prioritize comfortable seating, old-fashioned friendly service, and high-stakes preshow trivia slideshows, each location encompasses its own distinct charm, be it through arthouse décor, 3-D screens, or Rhode Island's vintage 1950's drive-in setting.

Three history buffs founded Boston Strolls with the goal of highlighting their city's fascinating and often hilarious forgotten tales. Launching in Beacon Hill, the tours have now expanded into the Back Bay and North End. Today, guides lead all tours past historic brick and stone facades, as well as the occasional Bruins shrine, and immerse participants in an interactive exploration of Boston's lesser-known history.

In addition to their sometimes dark and often humorous anecdotes, they also personalize the tour to each group by judging the knowledge base of their participants and accommodating anyone who is allergic to Boston. Even with their careful planning, the tours often take surprising turns. On one tour, a homeowner invited the group around a private wall to see the house's private garden that, in traditional Beacon Hill fashion, was completely hidden from all other passersby.

Buckle into the transformative vests and prepare to be transported into another dimension. Laser tag is an affordable way to live out video-game dreams, work out tensions with your roommate, or live out your fantasy of starting a ragtag militia of space marines with Erik from accounting. Instead of cartoon re-runs, treat the kids you babysit or your actual kids to a more active adventure for the imagination. Get a small group together and make it a social excursion—laser tag is great for double dates, office outings, or post-dental cleaning parties.

The Kingsbury Club, a multi-purpose health facility with a restaurant and multiple fitness/athletics options, ups the net worth of humankind with tennis programs for both raw and rehearsed racketeers. With the one-hour private tennis lesson ($78), taught by a certified senior tennis professional, and a one-day guest admittance ($15) to the Kingsbury Club, guests will refine backhands, polish up volleys, and learn how to properly grunt in spite of headband-wrought cranial pressure. The instructor will offer tips and suggestions on techniques and skills, helping students polish giant-scale ping-pong ability in time for summer's street-corner tennis showdowns.