Turkey Day Weekend, Boston-Style

Photo by Don DeBold

Thanksgiving is traditionally the year’s busiest travel time, but because of soaring airline prices many students are not traveling home this year, but staying local for the holiday weekend.

In observance of the holiday, all University student residences will close tomorrow, November 23, at noon and remain closed until 10 a.m. on Sunday, November 27, along with residence dining halls, which will reopen for dinner on Sunday. The George Sherman Union will be open until 5 p.m. today if you need a place to wait for transportation after the residence halls close.

For those who are staying in Boston, some good news: there are plenty of things happening on and around campus to get you in the holiday mood. And the Thanksgiving break is a wonderful time to get out and explore the city. Visit a museum, go to the ballet, or head to the theater. There are a lot of great shopping events for those who want to get a head start on their gift-buying. Many events are free or offer student discounts. Below is a list of some that are not-to-be-missed.

On campus

Thanksgiving dinner

Whether you’re home for the holidays or not, turkey still remains the star of the Thanksgiving holiday for most. Marsh Chapel will be hosting a free Thanksgiving Dinner on Thursday, beginning at 2 p.m. Yes, turkey will be provided, but students who are able and would like to cook a side dish or dessert are encouraged to contact event organizer Micah Christian (STH’11).

“In the past, many students—especially international students—have been on campus without a place to celebrate Thanksgiving,” Christian says. “We wanted to offer them a place to share a meal with other students and members of the community.”

The Marsh Chapel Thanksgiving Dinner is Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 24, from 2 to 5 p.m. It is free and open to the BU community. Marsh Chapel is at 735 Commonwealth Ave. For more information or to RSVP, contact Micah Christian or call Marsh Chapel at 617-353-3560.

Women’s basketball

For many, Turkey Day weekend means succumbing to the sleepy effects of tryptophan, taking naps and watching football, but not for the women’s basketball team. Come out and support the Terriers this Saturday, November 26, as they take on the Rhode Island Rams.

The Terrier women’s basketball team hosts the University of Rhode Island at Case Gymnasium on Saturday, November 26, at 1 p.m. Tickets are $5 for students, faculty, and staff without a Sports Pass, no charge for students with a Sports Pass, and $7 for the general public. More information is available here.

Off campus

Ultimate Bootcamp

Still feeling a little guilty about your carb overload at last year’s Thanksgiving feast? Earn your meal this year by starting off your Thanksgiving with Ultimate Bootcamp’s 4th Annual Thanksgiving Day Blast on the Boston Common. This morning workout includes adrenaline-pumping cardio, full-body muscle toning, and results-driven fitness drills that will allow you to indulge in guilt-free second helpings later in the day. What’s more, you can feel great about giving back to the community as well—all proceeds from the day will be donated to St. Francis House, New England’s largest day shelter for homeless individuals.

The 4th Annual Ultimate Bootcamp Thanksgiving Day Blast is at the Boston Common, Beacon and Charles Streets, on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 24, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. The cost is $20.

Plimoth Plantation

What better place to celebrate Thanksgiving than where it all began? Escape the city for the day and head to Plimoth Plantation, the birthplace of Thanksgiving, where you can see how the Pilgrims celebrated the holiday. The plantation, just an hour’s drive from Boston, has re-created the historic look of Colonial homesteads, including a Wampanoag Homesite and a 1627 English Village. A replica of the Mayflower is in Plymouth Harbor as well. Admission to the plantation is $25.50.

Plimoth Plantation is at 137 Warren Ave., Plymouth, Mass. Find directions here.

Giving back

Thanksgiving is the perfect time to help those in need. Loaves and Fishes, a collaboration between chef Bill Parry and the First Church in Cambridge has been feeding the needy since 1980. They’re looking for volunteers to assist in serving a Thanksgiving Day meal. Volunteers will set up tables, dish up food, and help in the kitchen. The dinner will be at the First Church in Harvard Square.

First Church is at 11 Garden St., Cambridge. The meal is at 3 p.m.

Theater

Check out the Huntington Theatre Company’s current production, Evan M. Wiener’s new drama Captors. This true story, set in Buenos Aires in 1960, chronicles the capture of Nazi Adolf Eichmann by Israeli intelligence officers and the battle of wills between Eichmann and one of his captors, Peter Malkin.

Captors runs at the BU Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave., through Sunday, December 11, 2011. Tickets range from $25 to $89.50 and may be purchased online, by phone at 617-266-0800, or in person at the BU Theatre box office. Students can purchase tickets for $15 online or at the box office, but must show a valid BU ID when they pick up tickets. Patrons 35 and younger may purchase $25 tickets (ID required) for any production, and there is a $5 discount for seniors and military personnel. Members of the BU community get $10 off tickets (ID required) and are eligible for a special subscription rate. Half price tickets are available for BU faculty and staff, with a valid BU ID, during BU Community Night at Captors, Thursday, December 1, at 7:30 p.m.; order in advance online by using code BU50. Call 617-266-0800 for more information. Take the MBTA Green Line to Symphony or Orange Line to Mass Ave. Follow the Huntington Theatre Company on Twitter at @Huntington.

Ballet

One of Boston’s most magical Christmas traditions is Boston Ballet’s The Nutcracker. This holiday classic transports you through a winter wonderland, into a palace of sugary confections guaranteed to put you in a holiday mood. Student rush tickets, at $20 with a student ID, are available for some performances. You must show up two hours before the performance to get the discounted tickets, which are cash only and subject to availability. Check here for updates.

The Boston Ballet performs The Nutcracker this weekend at the Boston Opera House, 539 Washington St., Boston. Performances are 7:30 p.m. on Friday, November 25; 1 and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 26; and 1 and 5 p.m. on Sunday, November 27. Take any MBTA Green Line to Downtown Crossing.

Museums

The leaves may have fallen, leaving trees bare, but you can find plenty of color in the exhibition Language of Color, currently on view at the Harvard Museum of Natural History. The display not only showcases the brilliant colors and stripes of various mammals, reptiles, and amphibians, but also how they are used to camouflage, startle predators, mimic other animals, attract a mate, or intimidate a rival. Discover the meaning behind the diverse palette of colors we see in the world today.

Along with this special exhibition, the museum features a wide range of permanent exhibitions to explore.

The Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford St., Cambridge, is open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission includes all exhibitions and is $9 for adults and $7 for non-Harvard students with ID. Directions are available here. The museum is closed Thanksgiving Day. Take the MBTA Red Line to Harvard Square.

Travel back in time and experience A Day in Pompeii at the Museum of Science. This 13,000-square-foot exhibition looks at life before the volcano Vesuvius erupted, burying one of Imperial Rome’s most fascinating and cosmopolitan cities. Discover hundreds of artifacts, (including body casts of the victims), which reveal the vibrant world of Pompeii before it was destroyed.

The Museum of Science, One Science Park, Boston, is open Saturday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Admission to A Day in Pompeii is $27 for adults and includes all exhibit halls. Directions are available here. The museum is open only until 2 p.m. on Wednesday, November 23, is closed on Thanksgiving Day, and is open until 7 p.m. on Saturday, November 26. The Science Park MBTA station is currently closed, so take the Green Line trolley to North Station, where shuttle buses are provided to Lechmere Station.

Discover the art of impressionist master Edgar Degas and his beautiful look into the unguarded female form. The Museum of Fine Arts is currently displaying Degas and the Nude, which explores the Frenchman’s career-long fascination with, and depiction of, the nude figure.

The Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston, is open daily, except on Thanksgiving Day. Admission is free for BU students with valid ID and $22 for adults. By public transportation, take a Green Line E trolley to the Museum stop or take the 39 bus at Copley Square to the Museum stop.

Movies

What better way to mark the long holiday weekend than a trip to the cineplex? Walk over to Regal Fenway 13, in the Landmark Center. Now showing: J. Edgar (Leonardo DiCaprio, Naomi Watts), Jack and Jill (Adam Sandler, Katie Holmes), Happy Feet Two (Elijah Wood, Robin Williams), Tower Heist (Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy), and reigning box office champ The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn

Regal Fenway 13 is in the Landmark Center, 201 Brookline Ave., Boston. Find showtimes here.

Black Friday shopping

Ready or not, the official holiday shopping season starts this Friday and stores are boasting great deals, and for the first time in Boston, midnight openings.

Best Buy, which is offering sales on loads of electronics, music, and movies, will open at midnight Thursday. So take a much-needed nap after your Thanksgiving feast and head over to one of the store’s two locations near campus, at either the Landmark Center or Newbury Street.

Best Buy is at 401 Park Drive and 360 Newbury St., Boston. Directions are available here.

Macy’s will also open its doors at midnight and has countless deals on just about anything on your holiday shopping list. It has locations in both Downtown Crossing and the CambridgeSide Galleria.

Macy’s is at 450 Washington St., Boston, and 100 CambridgeSide Place, Cambridge. Directions are available here. To reach Macy’s at Downtown Crossing, take the MBTA Green Line to the Downtown Crossing stop. For the Macy’s at CambridgeSide Galleria, take the Green Line to the Lechmere stop.

If you’ve got a car and are willing to travel a little farther afield, discount store Target is muscling in on the midnight action as well, and has two nearby locations.

Target is at 7 Allstate Rd., Dorchester, and 550 Arsenal St., Watertown. Directions are available here.

Other Shopping

In the mood to buy something handmade and one-of-a-kind? Visit the Cultural Survival Bazaar at Cambridge College. This festival celebrates native arts and culture from around the world. Featuring native artisans, performers, and handmade products benefiting artisans, fair trade, and Cultural Survival’s nonprofit work throughout the world, the bazaar will be selling art, jewelry, clothing, crafts, décor, tribal rugs, and more. It will also feature craft making demonstrations, Native American storytelling, film screenings, and live music performances.

The Cultural Survival Bazaar is on Friday, November 25, and Saturday, November 26, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Cambridge College, 1000 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. Take the Red Line to Central Square.

Saturday, November 26, marks the kickoff of Downtown Crossing’s 3rd annual Holiday Market, featuring live music and local artists and designers selling jewelry, pottery, holiday ornaments, clothing, and more.

The Downtown Crossing Holiday Market, on Summer Street between Washington and Hawley, is open daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., with live music from noon to 3 p.m. each day. Take the Green Line to Downtown Crossing.