The WEEKENDER

Eat, Shop, Go

On Saturday, enjoy free admission to the outdoor ice-skating rink in Kendall Square and stay for the holiday skating show. Photo courtesy of Flickr contributer Tony Webster

Final exams begin Monday and everyone’s facing last-minute deadlines. But that doesn’t mean you can’t take some time to relax and a break from studying. Check out “The Weekender,” our weekly guide to ideas about where to eat, shop, and go, for some fun, inexpensive things to do. From theater to holiday shopping and a late-night dining destination (essential during finals), we’ve got some great ideas for your last weekend of the semester. If you have any suggestions too, leave them in the Comment section below.

Rhett’s West

With finals fast approaching, everyone’s in search of a nearby late-night dining destination. You won’t do better than Rhett’s West. This on-campus joint inside Claflin Hall offers an extension of the popular GSU eatery’s menu—from a delicious California burger with avocado, Monterey jack cheese, and cilantro crema to a green bean farro salad with kale, topped with feta, cherry tomatoes, Kalamata olives, frisse, and tossed in a citrus vinaigrette—and lots of yummy sides (recommended: the tater tots or spicy curly fries). Treat yourself to a smoothie or a milkshake while you’re there. Rhett’s West has the distinction of being the only place on campus that’s open until 3 am on weekends. And you can pay with convenience and dining points as well as cash or credit card.

Rhett’s West, 273 Babcock St., is open Sunday to Wednesday, 8 pm to 1:30 am, and Thursday to Saturday, 8 pm to 3 am. Check out the menu here. 

Stop by Rhett’s in West Campus for some late-night burgers, fries, salads, and more. It’s open until 3 am on weekends. Photo courtesy of BU Dining Services

Downtown Boston Holiday Market

Still trying to make your way through your holiday gift list? Head to Downtown Crossing and do some shopping at the annual Downtown Boston Holiday Market. You’ll find numerous vendors selling a wide range of goods, from custom jewelry, food, and clothing to candles, soaps, prints and maps, and more. This year’s market is held in a pop-up spot on Washington Street. Whether you’re shopping for yourself or for someone else, you’re sure to find something great. And while you’re there, head over to discount stores like Forever 21, Marshalls, and Primark for more shopping.

The Downtown Boston Holiday Market, 467 Washington St., runs through January 6. The market is open Monday through Saturday, 11 am to 7 pm, and Sunday, 11 am to 5 pm. The market is closed on Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, and January 2. Find a list of vendors here. Take an MBTA Green Line trolley to Park Street or the Red Line to Downtown Crossing.

Looking for a gift for that hard-to-please person on your list? Check out the Downtown Boston Holiday Market for a selection of unique jewelry, candles, clothing, and more. Photo courtesy of Downtown Boston Holiday Market

Elf at the Coolidge Corner Theatre

Looking for something to put you in the holiday spirit? You’ll find it at the Coolidge Corner Theatre Thursday night when the cinema hosts a special screening of the 2003 Christmas comedy classic Elf, starring Will Ferrell as Buddy, one of Santa’s elves who discovers he’s human. The film follows Buddy as he travels to New York in search of his father. Along the way he finds friendship, love, and (most important) the Christmas spirit.

Elf screens at the Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St., Brookline, Thursday, December 13, at 7 pm. Buy tickets here. Take an MBTA Green Line trolley to Coolidge Corner.

Ansel Adams in Our Time at the Museum of Fine Arts

This blockbuster exhibition of one of America’s most famous photographers, which just opened at the MFA, not only has some of Adams’ most iconic images of nature, including Freeway Interchange, Los Angeles (1967) and The Tetons and Snake River, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming (1942), but work by some 20 contemporary photographers concerned about the environment and natural resources. It also includes prints by several 19th-century government survey photographers whose work would influence Adams. It’s a dazzling show and a must for anyone interested in photography.

Ansel Adams in Our Time is at the Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston, through February 24, 2019. Find directions here and hours here. Admission is free for BU students with a student ID.

Ice Skating at Kendall Square

Tired of being cooped up in a library or your dorm room cramming for exams? Head across the Charles River for an ice-skating outing this weekend. Kendall Square’s seasonal rink offers skate rentals as well as lessons. And if you go on Saturday, there’s no admission fee and you can enjoy the 13th annual Holiday on Ice celebration, a free skating show featuring world-class professional ice skaters.

Community Ice Skating at Kendall Square is at 300 Athenaeum St., Cambridge. Find hours of operation here. Regular one-day admission is $3 and skate rentals are $8 for students—find full information on admission and rental rates here. The 13th Annual Holiday on Ice celebration is from 11 am to 9 pm, with free admission all day, and the free skating show is at 2 pm.

The Huntington Theatre Company production of Man in the Ring is the tragic story of real-life prizefighter Emile Griffith. Photo courtesy of Huntington Theatre Company

The Huntington Theatre Company’s Man in the Ring 

The Huntington Theatre Company is known for its inventive staging of classics as well as provocative new works. Its current production, Man in the Ring, chronicles the life of six-time world champion prizefighter Emile Griffith. The biographical drama traces Griffith’s childhood in the Virgin Islands, his bisexuality, and most pointedly, the tragic 1962 prize fight that altered his life forever. The Boston Globe describes the play as “a drama of guilt and forgiveness that unfolds like a duet between the present and the past.” Students can purchase $20 tickets with a valid student ID.

Man in the Ring is at the Boston Center for the Arts Calderwood Pavilion, 527 Tremont St., Boston, through December 22. Find more information about the show and purchase tickets here. Student tickets are $20 and available for full-time students aged 25 and under with a valid ID.

Sara Frazier can be reached at smfrazie@bu.edu.