The Weekender: September 9 to 12

Photo by GMVozd/iStock

Eat, shop, go

It’s almost a wrap on the first week of classes, but you can stay busy this weekend with a flurry of events and activities happening across campus and Boston. In this week’s “Weekender,” we’ve put together a list of events to help you enjoy the sunshine and warmth with friends. Start with Lobster Night, hosted by BU Dining, see Boston’s historic sites by walking the Freedom Trail, and honor the 20th anniversary of 9/11 at Marsh Chapel. 

Keep in mind this is the last weekend featuring Weeks of Welcome events, which require preregistration.

Lobster Night

This is your proper New England welcome. One of BU’s favorite traditions is Lobster Night, hosted by BU Dining. One meal swipe gets each student a traditional lobster dinner, which includes the crustacean, potatoes, corn on the cob, plenty of butter, and more. 

All Boston University dining halls, Thursday, 5 to 9 pm. Students must have a meal plan to participate and can use one guest swipe.

Dumpling Cafe

Boston’s Chinatown is well known for its restaurants and bakeries with some of the best Asian cuisine in the city. One of these spots is the Dumpling Cafe. It’s unmistakable yellow awning makes the restaurant hard to miss. Try their mini juicy buns with pork, undoubtedly one of the best soup dumplings in the city. The kung pao shrimp is also sure to impress. 

Dumpling Cafe, 695 Washington St., Boston, is open daily, 11 am to 2 am.

Copley Square Markets

A few T stops away are two outdoor markets worth checking out. Feeling like fresh food and produce? The Copley Square Farmers Market is every Tuesday and Friday from 11 am to 6 pm, and is considered the city’s busiest and biggest farmers market. Situated between the Boston Public Library and Trinity Church, you’ll find local vendors selling items from farm-grown veggies to locally caught fish and baked goods. You can also satisfy all your fall cravings with pumpkin pie and warm or cold cider. 

For those more inclined toward fashion and art, come back later in the week for the Boston Open Market, held every Saturday, from 11 am to 5 pm. Come see original designs and clothes made by local artisans that beat thrift store and craft shop prices.

Observance in Remembrance of September 11, 2001

Marsh Chapel remembers the fallen members of the BU community on September 11, 2001, and invites the greater Boston University community to come together for a brief prayer service to read the names of those who from BU who lost their lives.

The service will be held Saturday, September 11, 9:30 am, at the Marsh Chapel Sanctuary, 735 Commonwealth Ave. 

Atlas Night Market

The Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground’s annual Atlas Night Market is free and open to all students. There will be a DJ, a dance party, food representing different cultures, a zen garden, an aromatherapy table, a henna table, and a photo booth. Preregistration is requested, but not required. 

The Atlas Night Market is Saturday, September 11, from 6 to 9 pm in the the George Sherman Union Metcalf Ballroom. Students must show their BU ID and green badge to be admitted. 

Freedom Trail

The Freedom Trail is a quintessential Boston sightseeing tour. Preserved and dedicated by the citizens of Boston in 1951, the Freedom Trail is a unique collection of museums, churches, meeting houses, burying grounds, parks, a ship, and historic markers that tell the story of the American Revolution and beyond. 

Although you can walk to the 16 sites on your own (follow the red bricks on the ground from the Boston Common to the Bunker Hill Monument), you can also sign up for an official Walk into History tour, led by a costumed guide. Meet in the Boston Common, the nation’s oldest public park, and as you walk you’ll hear stories of the American Revolution, as well as the history of traditionally underrepresented peoples from the 16th through 21st centuries. 

The Walk into History tour is offered several days a week, check their website for times. All tours leave from the Boston Common Visitor Center, 139 Tremont St. Discounted student tickets for $14 can be reserved online or bought in person.

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is one of Boston’s most storied repositories of art. Guests can roam the palatial halls of the 15th-century-style Venetian mansion and explore its lush courtyard filled with plants and flowers. Founded by the art collector Isabella Stewart Gardner, the museum was created “for the education and enjoyment of the public forever.” Gardner stipulated in her will that nothing in the galleries should be changed, and no items be acquired or sold from the collection. This wish held true until one of the largest art heists in history occurred at the museum in 1990. For fans of mystery, the 2020 Netflix documentary This Is a Robbery documents the whole saga and the $500 million theft of still unrecovered art. See for yourself the collection of international works that make this remarkable museum worth your time.

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 25 Evans Way, Boston, is open from 11 am to 9 pm on Thursday, 11 am to 5 pm on Friday, and 10 am to 5 pm on Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free for all BU students with a valid BU student ID.