What to Do: September 5-7

It’s been a long week. That English class you thought would be easy? Five papers. Your cool new Allston apartment? It’s a little, um, roach-y. Your Facebook status: "… is STRESSED." May we suggest taking a break and having some fun? Here’s how:

Friday, September 5

If you’re new to Boston, you may be wondering what’s so great about that baseball team people are always talking about. Find out for yourself at BU Central, in the basement of the George Sherman Union, where you can watch the Red Sox take on the Texas Rangers and enter to win tickets for a game. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and game time is 8:05. Admission is free with a BU ID, and you can bring two guests.

Not a baseball fan? BU’s Programming Council comes to your rescue with the annual drive-in double feature on Nickerson Field. Sex and the City comes on at 8 p.m. and Iron Man plays at 10. Admission is free with a BU ID. For more information, visit the Student Activities Office Web site.

If music is more your thing, head down the street to the Paradise to catch Welsh rockers Stereophonics at 9 p.m. This is the first stop on the band’s long-awaited North American tour in support of two upcoming releases: the deluxe edition of last year’s Pull the Pin on September 9 and Decade in the Sun: The Best of Stereophonics on November 20. The show is 18-plus and tickets are $25. For more information, visit the Paradise Web site.

Saturday, September 6

Why should graduate students have all the fun? The school of visual arts at the College of Fine Arts starts the academic year with a new undergraduate showcase, featuring painting, sculpture, drawing, photography, printmaking, and graphic design — all by your fellow students. The exhibition will be at the 808 Gallery, 808 Commonwealth Ave., until September 14. On Saturday, the gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, visit the gallery Web site.

In the evening, you can be one of the first Bostonians to participate in Caliente, the city’s new celebration of Latin culture, music, and dance. The event features salsa musician Tito Rojas, as well as reggaeton, merengue, and cumbia musicians such as AfroBrazil, Ballistic, Ery & Bullet, Ritmo en Acción, Achuira & Bajucol, and Alto Honor. Caliente takes place on City Hall Plaza from 4 to 8 p.m. For more information, call 617-635-3911 or click here.

Saturday night, there’s another show to see: My Morning Jacket plays the Bank of America Pavilion, 290 Northern Ave., Boston. Tickets are $31 for the 7:30 p.m. show. For more information, visit the venue’s Web site.

Sunday, September 7

Film major? Don’t miss a series of cinema classics at the Brattle Theatre‘s "Hitchcock’s ’50s," with a doubleheader of Vertigo and Rear Window at 2 and 4:30 p.m. and again at 7 and 9:30 p.m. For more information, visit the Web site.

Get what you need to decorate your dorm room and find cool designer and vintage fashions to fill your closet at the SoWa Open Market in Boston’s beautiful South End. Or just snack on baked goods and produce from local providers. The market is open every Sunday, beginning at 10 a.m., until the end of October. For more information, visit the Web site.

Jessica Ullian can be reached at jullian@bu.edu.