Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
November 21, 2024

Leisure

Leisure is the section where we highlight the intriguing, exciting and all-around fun events and activities happening in Baltimore over the weekend.



FILE PHOTO
The annual Baltimore Book Festival draws hundreds of visitors each September. Above, the Book Festival in 2016.

Your crash course for the Baltimore Book Festival

Baltimore is no longer officially known as “The City That Reads,” but this weekend, it may as well revert to its old slogan. That’s because it’s finally the time of year that we (or at least, I and 17,000 other people, according to Facebook) have been waiting for. No, it’s not fall break quite yet, but it’ll still be an exciting few days — the Baltimore Book Festival is this weekend, taking over the Inner Harbor from Friday to Sunday.


  
COURTESY OF SARAH Y. KIM
A calm moment, surrounded with natural beauty, by the Patapsco River.

An unexpected trip to Ellicott City and Patapsco River

I’m normally the type of person who likes to have a set schedule for the day. I don’t like it when plans change unexpectedly and I don’t like taking trips without knowing where I’m going and what I’ll be doing. That being said, when I went on an unplanned excursion to Ellicott City, Md. a few weekends ago with a group, I found myself learning to love the unexpected.


Events in Baltimore this weekend: September 20-23

Thursday Taking Liberties: Sexual Misconduct and Abuse of Power in the Age of #metoo MICA Brown Center 7 - 9 p.m. Listen to a panel, headlined by artist Carolee Schneemann, discuss women’s rights in relation to government, sexual harassment and more. Sponsored by MICA and ACLU of Maryland. Free.


 
Aukirk/C.C. by-SA 3.0 
The Fire Museum of Maryland displays a restored firehouse facade.

Making the most of Smithsonian Museum Day

You’d think that being a student at a school like Hopkins would dry up my intellectual curiosity (obviously not the school’s intention, but they aren’t known for skimping on the work demands). And I definitely need a break from learning on the weekend — my Netflix and snack hours with my roommate are sacred. 


Enjoy an offensively fun meal at Dick’s Last Resort

This past Saturday, I decided to try out a restaurant known as Dick’s Last Resort. If you haven’t heard of it before, it’s a humorous restaurant chain where the staff is rude to you on purpose. I had been wanting to pay it a visit for a while, and I heard that they have a location in the Inner Harbor.


Events in Baltimore this weekend: September 13-16

Thursday Fell’s Point Wicked History Pub Tour 735 S. Broadway 7 – 9:30 p.m. Explore the intriguing and scandalous history of one of Baltimore’s most famous neighborhoods while on a guided pub crawl. 21+. $22.


Courtesy of Jacob Took.
 A street painting serves as a promotion for 2018’s Little Italy Madonnari Arts Festival.

An accidental exploration of Canton and Little Italy

I found out about the Madonnari Arts Festival in a pretty unusual way. I was just trolling around online looking for gay stuff happening in Baltimore to include in LGBTQ Life’s weekly email. I’m not sure why Madonnari, an annual street art festival in Little Italy, was listed on an LGBTQ calendar, but it piqued my interest.


Escape the Hopkins Bubble: Waverly’s Farmers Market

There’s an epidemic at Hopkins, and, no, it’s not the freshman plague. It’s something even deadlier. You might wonder, given our proximity to a prestigious medical school, why this illness remains so rampant. Well, my friend, this sickness is one that even a highly qualified doctor can’t fix.


COURTESY OF ARIELLA SHUA
A view of the Inner Harbor waterfront, aquarium, and power plant.

Unleash your inner tourist at the Inner Harbor

Would any of us particularly care about Baltimore were we not Hopkins students? Despite recent promotion as a fun, exciting destination, our city has yet to appeal to the masses like Los Angeles or New York. And if you had previously visited Baltimore, it probably wasn’t to our neighborhood. For those who are tourists, the main draw of Baltimore is the Inner Harbor. 


Events in Baltimore this weekend: September 6-9

Thursday Exhibiting Black Art at the BMA and Beyond  Baltimore Museum of Art 6 p.m. - 7:15 p.m. Dr. Bridget Cooks and museum curator Morgan Dowty will discuss the significance of the museum’s exhibition “1939: Exhibiting Black Art at the BMA.” Gamynne Guillotte will moderate the panel. Free.


COURTESY OF KELSEY KO
Pitango Gelato in Fells Point serves a variety of flavors of artisanal gelato and vegan sorbet.

Charm City’s hidden gems: five spots off the beaten path

While the Fresh Food Cafe (FFC) will probably be the place you go to most often for food, and the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) the place you go to most often when you need to feel like you’re doing something cultured, there are plenty of hidden treasures in Baltimore — if one only dares to pop the bubble. 





Events in Baltimore this weekend: May 3-6

Thursday Hey You, Come Back! May Reading, The Crown, 8 p.m.Stop by to hear readings from several up-and-coming writers, including Aleyna Rentz, Rebekah Kirkman and Steven J. Hoochuck. This will be The Crown’s last reading until August. Free.


 
COURTESY OF RENEE SCAVONE
A streetside view of shipmasts under a rainbow at the Inner Harbor.

Reflecting on four years of living in Charm City

How do I sum up four years worth of exploring a city I really, really love? That I think everyone should love? That doesn’t get nearly enough credit? The truth is, when people outside of the Hopkins bubble ask me where I’m from, I now have to stop myself from saying Baltimore. 


COURTESY OF DORA MALECH
Owner Kyle Van Horn demonstrates how to use one of BPS’s letterpresses.

Baltimore Print Studios lets you unleash your creativity

One of the most underrated aspects of Charm City is the art scene here. Yes, we all know about concerts at Power Plant Live! and musicals at the Hippodrome, but it can be easy to forget that there is a thriving material arts scene here as well, beyond the Baltimore Museum of Art Sculpture Garden.


Events in Baltimore this weekend: April 26 - 29

Thursday Blackness, Manhood and Masculinity in the Visual Arts, Eubie Blake National Jazz Institute and Cultural Center, 6 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Come to a one-night exhibition and discussion focused on the representation of black manhood and masculinity in the arts. Free.


Traversing the culinary world here in Baltimore

If you know anything about me, it’s that I love eating out. I’ll make money primarily to fund my reckless dining habits because the Baltimore food scene is both my greatest joy when it comes to my stomach and greatest downfall when it comes to my wallet. 


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