Three 6 Mafia Plays Nickerson on Saturday

Heading into the final stretch of the semester can make you feel a bit stir-crazy. This weekend, put down the books for a minute and try out some cheap, or free, activities — on campus and in greater Boston as well. Not sure where to find them? Don’t fret; BU Today has your weekend planned.

Tonight: Last Friday the Yankees were in town, and if you wanted tickets, you probably struck out. (Pun intended.) This week should be a better bet: the Sox host the Texas Rangers this time around. No money for tickets? Grab a cheap bite at one of the sausage carts on Lansdowne Street — you may not be in the park, but you can soak up the Fenway atmosphere for free. The game starts at 7:05 p.m.

For a more uplifting evening, head to the Inner Strength Gospel Choir Concert at Marsh Chapel, 735 Commonwealth Ave. Doors open at 7 p.m. for the 7:30 concert and admission is $7 in advance, $10 at the door, or $5 per person for groups of 10 or more.

Saturday: At last, a warm weekend! Weather.com predicts plenty of sun, with highs in the 60s. Pack a picnic and take the T to the Common, bring a fishing pole to Jamaica Pond, or plan the first barbecue of the season. Most important, shed a few layers of clothing — you deserve it.

On Saturday evening, continue your outdoor celebration with Three 6 Mafia at Nickerson Field. The group, the 2006 Academy Award winner for the song “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp,” will headline this year’s Springfest, sponsored by the Programming Council; mtvU’s Best Band of 2008, Cobra Starship, will also perform. The show begins at 7 p.m. at Nickerson Field. Admission is $10 for BU students, $15 for guests of BU. College ID and government-issued ID are required for guests of BU.

Sunday: Prepare for Marathon Monday by dragging yourself out of bed for the Women’s Olympic Marathon Trials at 8 a.m. More than 150 elite female marathoners will vie for spots on the U.S. Olympic team. The race starts on Boylston Street at Fairfield Street and ends at the Boston Marathon finish line in front of the Boston Public Library.

Feeling less energetic? Plant yourself firmly on a couch and watch movies all evening. We’re not encouraging it, but we understand. Movies and Munchies, featuring the films Dazed and Confused, Half Baked, and Fast Times at Ridgemont High starts at 4:20 p.m. (ha, ha) at BU Central and is free.

Monday: Don’t unplug your alarm clock on Sunday night if you plan to celebrate Patriots’ Day like a true New Englander. The official ceremony kicks off with a good old-fashioned flag-raising at 9 a.m. at City Hall Plaza and ends with a re-enactment of the famous midnight ride of Paul Revere and William Dawes at the Paul Revere Mall on Hanover Street in the North End at 10 a.m.

Oh, wait — true New Englanders don’t celebrate Patriots’ Day, they celebrate Marathon Monday! Stake out a spot on Beacon Street in time to catch the elite runners as they give it their all through the final stretch, but be sure to save your vocal chords for those who actually need the cheers a few hours later. The race starts at 9:25 a.m. in rural Hopkinton and winds its way into Boston, ending in Copley Square. Check out the course map.

Finish your holiday weekend with some culture, provided by the 2008 graduate playwrights in the GRS Creative Writing Program. The Boston Playwrights’ Theatre kicks off First Stages, the annual reading series, with a reading of The Fishbowl, by Steve Barkhimer (GRS’08). Catch it at 7 p.m. at 949 Commonwealth Ave. The event is open to the public and admission is free. For a list of all the upcoming readings, click here.

Edward A. Brown can be reached at ebrown@bu.edu.