The Weekender: March 10 to 13

Photo courtesy of High Street Place

We hope you are having a restful Spring Break, wherever you are. If you’re nearby and ready to start exploring Boston again, we have just the list of things to help, from a newly opened food hall with 20 vendors to Japanese cosmetics and treats to an immersive art exhibition featuring the work of famed artist Frida Kahlo. Take a peek.

High Street Place

The much-anticipated downtown Boston food hall near the Rose Kennedy Greenway has officially opened and is ready to feed hungry Bostonians. Delayed two years by the pandemic, the space features 20 food vendors, including eateries owned by some of Greater Boston’s most renowned chefs, like Tiffani Faison, and popular chains (Mother Juice, Fuji, and Mike & Patty’s). With seating for up to 400 patrons, the hall includes cozy booths, communal tables, outdoor seating, and high-top seating. Tour what High Street Place has to offer, with options ranging from the Farmacy Cafe, offering organic meals and superfood smoothies, to grab-and-go EGO Convenience to Pennypacker’s fancy sandwiches. High Street Place is sure to satisfy anyone’s taste buds, from the most adventurous to the pickiest of eaters.

High Street Place, 100 High St., Boston, is open Monday through Wednesday from 7 am to 9 pm, Thursday and Friday from 7 am to 11 pm, and Saturday from 9 am to 11 pm; closed on Sundays.

Reiwatakiya

Reiwatakiya is a global retail brand that originated in Japan. The Newbury Street spot specializes in Japanese cosmetics and personal care products, such as face masks, body lotion, and hair treatments. The store also boasts a wide array of other Japanese products, such as candy, household items like oil diffusers, and even pet products.

Reiwatakiya, 330 Newbury St., Boston, is open Monday through Thursday from 11:30 am to 8 pm, Friday and Saturday from 11 am to 8:30 pm, and Sunday from 11 am to 8 pm.

Being Muholi: Portraits as Resistance at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Photographer and visual activist Sir Zanele Muholi has long used their artistic lens to raise awareness of social injustice, keying in on the struggles of Black LGBTQIA+ individuals in South Africa. Now, Muholi puts their eye-opening work on display at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. The exhibition features the artist’s vibrant paintings and rarely seen, yet renowned photographs, such as their series Somnyama Ngonyama: Hail the Dark Lioness, a tribute to the artist’s mother, a domestic worker who supported her family. The museum is also displaying Muholi’s new self-portrait bronze sculptural work, created during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Being Muholi: Portraits as Resistance runs through May 8, and is in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum’s Hostetter Gallery, Fenway Gallery, and Anne H. Fitzpatrick Facade. The 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 BU students with a valid BU ID.

Frida: Immersive Dream

Become immersed in the work of famed artist Frida Kahlo at the Frida: Immersive Dream experience. Produced by Lighthouse Immersive—creator of a larger-than-life Van Gogh experience, although not the one showing in Boston—the show at Lighthouse ArtSpace at the Castle presents the artist’s work in a new light. Witness up close how the Mexican-born painter put her emotions onto a canvas, and the obstacles, people, and places that impacted her work. Accompanied by a musical score, the mesmerizing, large-scale projections are sure to wow.

Frida: Immersive Dream is at Lighthouse ArtSpace at the Castle, 130 Columbus Ave., Boston, through May 8. The exhibition is open Thursday from 1 to 8 pm, Friday and Saturday from 10 am to 9 pm, and Sunday from 11 am to 6 pm. Tickets start at $40 for adults, and can be purchased here.

Arnold Arboretum

Hints of spring are starting to pop out and there’s no better place to see it than the Arnold Arboretum. Run by Harvard University, Arnold Arboretum brings the refreshing beauty of nature to the hustle and bustle of Boston. You may walk along the paths and glimpse some of the arboretum’s 16,000 plants or listen to one of the arboretum’s walking guides using its Expeditions app. The 40-minute Introductory Tour, for instance, covers the arboretum’s history, from its start in 1882, and its many research endeavors, and the Director’s Tour goes into detail about some of Arboretum director Ned Friedman’s favorite plants. However you choose to spend your time there, the Arnold Arboretum is sure to create a sense of peace away from a college campus.

The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, 125 Arborway, Boston (Jamaica Plain), is open every day from 7 am to 7 pm. Admission is free, but donations to the arboretum are welcome.