Get some culture, get some lunch.

Friday afternoons at the BPL have gotten a lot more musical this summer. The Boston Public Library’s Summer Concert Series curates acoustic performances in the BPL courtyard every Friday starting at 12:30. It’s family-friendly, free and you can get lunch at the Maproom Cafe or Courtyard Restaurant (the cafe has good clam chowder and pastries. it’s not free, though – only the concert is free).

Today they play host the Boston Lyric Opera, New England’s biggest opera company, as they perform The Magic Flute and Riogoletto.

If you don’t yet know the story of The Magic Flute, don’t feel sad. This classic fairy tale features a lost Tamino, who is sent by the Queen of Night to rescue her kidnapped daughter Pamina. He’s accompanied by the hilarious Papageno, a bird-catcher in search of a wife. In the tragic Rigoletto, the eponymous jester conspires to murder his employer, the amorous Duke of Mantua, when he turns his attentions to his daughter. Compelling, perrenial stories, whistful music, and grand, elegant decor make Friday afternoon’s at the BPL something special.

12:30 // All Ages // Free