The Weekender: April 15 to 19

Cherry blossoms at Harvard’s Arnold Arboretum. Photo courtesy of Arnold Arboretum

Eat, shop, go

Patriots Day weekend is usually a chance for folks to gather outdoors to watch the annual storied Boston Marathon. But with this year’s event postponed until October 11 by the pandemic, you may be wondering how else to spend the long weekend. Fortunately, there is much on offer this weekend around the Boston area, from diving into the history of the Massachusetts holiday to visiting the museum that’s the subject of an acclaimed new series on Netflix to the world-famous 281-acre Arnold Arboretum.

Boston Marathon Food Tour

You may not be able to run, or watch, the Boston Marathon this spring, but you can eat your way along its famous route. We suggest starting around mile 23 with some pastries and coffee at Athan’s European Bakery, an authentic European pâtisserie in Brookline’s Washington Square. Continue along the route to Coolidge Corner at the Paris Creperie, which offers both sweet and savory crepes. A little off the Marathon route—but totally worth a visit for its feta french fries—make your final stop at GreCo on Newbury Street. Chow down on some pita or Greek-style donuts as you head to the finish line a few blocks away on Boylston Street. Then, of course, celebrate a Marathon well eaten. 

Athan’s European Bakery, 1621 Beacon St., Brookline, is open Sunday to Thursday, 8 am to 10 pm; Friday and Saturday, 8 am to midnight. The Paris Creperie, 278 Harvard St., Brookline, is open daily, 9 am to 10 pm. GreCo, 225 Newbury St., Boston, is open daily, 11 am to 10 pm.

Vivant Vintage

Looking to bolster your spring wardrobe, but don’t want to spend a lot? Want to wear clothing that’s both trendy and sustainable? Head over to Vivant Vintage in Allston. This eclectic store sells secondhand clothes as well as accessories and homeware created by local artists. The winner of the 2019 Best of Boston–Best Vintage Clothing title from Boston magazine, Vivant Vintage isn’t just a store, it is a fun weekend experience. 

Vivant Vintage, 318 Lincoln St., Allston, is open daily from 11 am to 6 pm.

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

In nearby Fenway, the Gardner is one of the city’s most magnificent museums. It’s also the subject of a new four-part docuseries on Netflix, This Is a Robbery, which revisits and sheds new light on the infamous art heist there in 1990. Two men posing as policemen made off with 13 priceless works of art. The identities of the robbers and the whereabouts of the paintings remain unknown more than 30 years later. Watch the show, then grab some friends and head over to the museum and see for yourself where it happened—the lost pieces’ empty frames still hang on the walls, awaiting their return. The museum’s collection, housed in a four-story Venetian-style palace inspired by Italy’s 15th-century Palazzo Barbaro, spans 30 centuries and includes such masterpieces as Titian’s Rape of Europa (1560–1562), John Singer Sargent’s El Jaleo (1882), and Rembrandt’s Self-Portrait, Age 23 (1629). It’s worth a visit just to bask in the flower-filled multistory courtyard.

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 25 Evans Way, Boston, is open 11 am to 5 pm on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and 10 am to 5 pm on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets must be purchased in advance during the COVID pandemic.

Celebrate Patriots Day

On Monday, April 19, Massachusetts will observe one of the most important events in its history: Patriots Day commemorates the first battle of the American Revolution at Lexington and Concord—famously described by Emerson as “The shot heard round the world.” Learn about the historic events of that day by taking a tour of the Concord Museum’s Shot Heard Round the World virtual exhibition. You’ll be transported back in time through eyewitness artifacts, including one of the two lanterns that signaled Paul Revere to begin his ride (“one if by land, two if by sea”), and multimedia animations that bring to life this pivotal moment in our nation’s history.

The Arnold Arboretum

There’s no better time of year to visit the Arnold Arboretum than spring. The 281-acre arboretum features over 16,000 plants from around the world. This week, the arboretum’s magnificent magnolia and cherry trees are in full bloom, soon to be followed by lilacs of all kinds. Visitors can explore the arboretum’s virtual walks, guided tours, Expeditions mobile app, and digital learning resources.

The Arnold Arboretum, 125 Arborway, Jamaica Plain, is free and open daily from sunrise to sunset.