Your Boston Marathon Survival Guide

Today is Monday, April 18. Here are five things you need to know today.

1. It’s here—Marathon Monday. What does this mean for Charlestown? For better or worse, not a whole lot. But for Greater Boston, it’s kind of huge. First, there are the 500,000 people watching. Not to mention the 20,000 or so runners from around the world who are participating. When the marathon started in 1897 there were 18 participants. Now there are corporate sponsors and nonprofits for which runners raise piles of cash. It’s a spectacle, to be sure. If you’re attending, it might be helpful to know best places to watch, where the roads are closed and how to track your friends in the race. Fortunately, the editor of Back Bay Patch is running this year – and she’s gone ahead and compiled all those details for us. Check out her .

2. Another thing that’s here: April vacation week. The kids are home from school and there are several special events around the city meant to cater to this restless population. This one’s out of the city, but it seems kind of fun: The Capitol Theater in Arlington (a funky old movie theater in the center of the city) is hosting a Kids International Film Festival. There’s also pizza! The Charlestown Community Center is also hosting a bunch of events (free or low-cost) throughout the week. You can call over there (617-635-5169) for a schedule or visit the city’s Department for Youth and Families site and scroll down to the link for April vacation activities. They’ve also got the details listed there.

3. Today is also Patriots’ Day. But because it’s only a state holiday, nothing is closed. However, if you’re anywhere in the vicinity of Lexington, this holiday is a very big deal. The American Revolution started there on this day 236 years ago and there are events to mark the occasion all day. Maybe you want to get the heck out of Boston because of the Marathon? You could show up in Lexington as early as 5:30 a.m. for some free living history action. For a full schedule of historic events, click here.

4. An exciting announcement from the ROC Teen Program, which received on our site. For the second time in the last few years, organizer Steve “Virgil” Virgilio is taking the Teen Saturday Group to Disneyworld and Universal Studios. The trip is scheduled for this July. Stay tuned for more details.

5. A good day for running and historic re-enactment? If you want it moody. Cloudy. Highs in the mid 60s.

For more info on what’s happening around the neighborhood, check out our events calendar.