Mardi Gras In Boston + Free Food For Shaq's Birthday And 13 MA Events This Week

MASSACHUSETTS — Are you saving your nights outside of the house for the weekend? In Massachusetts, that can often mean missing out on a bevy of great concerts, art exhibits and other events across the state.

In Patch's latest weekly column, we focus on the events happening throughout the week in the Boston area and beyond.

This week, Peabody's Big Chicken location will celebrate its founder, Shaquille O'Neal, with a free ice cream cone on Thursday to celebrate his birthday.

“Shaquille is all about bringing people together, having fun and making every moment big,” said Josh Halpern, CEO of Big Chicken. “He built this brand on the idea that the best times are spent around the table with great food and the people that we love. This day is all about recognizing him at all our locations as the celebrated founder, mentor and teammate that he is.”

Big Chicken is located at the Northshore Mall, 210 Andover St., in Peabody.

Also this week, South Street Diner, one of Boston’s longest running late-night restaurants, is hosting an all-day Mardi Gras celebration in honor of “Fat Tuesday” – the last day of the Carnival season.

Owner Sol Sidell is recreating that authentic New Orleans feel right inside the walls of the late-night restaurant on Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. All-you-can-eat jambalaya will be on the menu for $10 along with other Louisiana-style Mardi Gras items including signature "Beads & Beignets."

Other events this week include a "Big Lebowski" event, concerts, literary happenings, Mass Beer Week activations across the state and more.

Here's what to know:

Monday

• Femme Forward Films at Alamo Drafthouse — Boston
• ANIKAYA Dance Theater’s "Conference of the Birds" at Arrow Street Arts — Cambridge
• Mass Beer Week Events

Tuesday

• South Street Diner Fat Tuesday Celebration — Boston
• Squirrel Tales Author Visit Story Time: Cake Day with Ellen Mayer at Beacon Hill Books & Cafe — Boston
• Post Sex Nachos at Arts at the Armory — Somerville
• bbno$ at Big Night Live — Boston

Wednesday

• Celebrity Series of Boston presents Leonidas Kavakos, violin & Danill Trifonov, piano at Symphony Hall — Boston

Thursday

• Free Ice Cream at Big Chicken — Peabody
• "Big Lebowski" Day at Kings Back Bay — Boston
• Belleflower Brewing Beer Dinner at Woods Hill Table — Concord
• Kelly Andrew with C.L. Herman: I Am Made of Death at Brookline Booksmith — Brookline
• Armor For Sleep, Hellogoodbye, Boys Night Out at Paradise Rock Club — Boston
• Have Mercy at Brighton Music Hall — Boston