So you didn't get an internship. Don't sweat it: Haven't you heard that it's a rough economy? Besides, you're not alone. In fact, you're in good company - look no further than the above byline for proof. This is an opportunity. Rather than spending your few months of freedom pent up in a cubicle or buried in a filing cabinet, you can spend them enjoying all that summer has to offer. Here's how:
Go local
Start by venturing out into Baltimore beyond Charles Village. On the weekend of May 8, take a break from studying and check out the Maryland Film Festival. The Charles Theatre will be showing about 50 movies and dozens of short films.
Some highlights include a premiere of the new documentary PoliWood by Baltimore native Barry Levinson. Another famed Baltimore director, John Waters, picks one film every year to be shown at the festival. This year's selection is a French musical, Love Songs.
Just two days after school is officially over, on May 16, hop on bus 27 (it can be found just down the block from Paper Moon Diner) and head to the Pimlico Racetrack where you will join 100,000 others for the 134th running of the Preakness Stakes, the second leg in the Triple Crown. Although the Maryland Jockey Club reversed the long-standing tradition of BYOB in the Pimlico infield, the Preakness is still an event that is not to be missed. Did I mention ZZ Top will be performing?
Even though vacation will have begun and Hopkins may be the last thing you will want to think about, show some school spirit the following weekend and cheer on the Blue Jays in Boston at the NCAA men's lacrosse championship (this only applies if the Jays do in fact make it to the big game). The semifinals are held on May 23 and the championship will be held on May 25.
At that point, even the biggest sports junkie may need a break from stadiums and crowds. No better way to escape than to go to a bayside wine festival, especially a small, unpretentious one in its second year that is attended mostly by locals.
Lucky for us, the Chesapeake Bay Wine Festival will be held less than an hour away from campus in Stevensville, Md. on the weekend of May 30. The festival will host 20 Maryland wineries, along with some musical performers, food vendors and artisans. $50 will get you one day's access to all the festivities and wine samples your heart can desire.
Although the FFC, Nolan's and Charles Street Market will remain open, those who will be in Baltimore over the summer may want to find some dining alternatives. As the mercury rises on thermometers across the city, people go out in droves to the city's farmer's markets.
Waverly Market on 32nd Street, just a few blocks east of campus, is the most convenient, but the Baltimore Farmer's Market under the Jones Falls Expressway is definitely worth the short trip on a Sunday morning, if not only to enjoy the irony of buying farm fresh food directly under an interstate.
Perhaps the highlight of summer in Baltimore is Artscape, the largest free public arts festival in the country. On the weekend of July 17, artists of all stripes - photographers, musicians, fashion designers, dancers, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and others - will gather for one magnificent weekend of art for the sake of its celebration. As much as you love Charm City, you will need to get out, even if only for a weekend or two.
Get out of town
For decades, summer has been a time for college students to descend en masse onto otherwise tranquil farms to alter their state of minds and listen to music. These gatherings can be found all over the country nowadays. These are some of the standouts:
Bonnaroo, the jam-band-heavy festival in Manchester, Tenn. will host a wide assortment of musicians such as Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Wilco, David Byrne, Girl Talk, along with many others, including the genre-favorite, Phish. Held on the weekend of June 12, the festival will also feature comedians, visual and performance artists and lots of sideshows to keep the crowd busy between sets.
While many of the festivals feature the same artists and attract many of the same people, each festival has its own niche. Both the Bonnarroo and All Points West line-up includes the Beastie Boys, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and MGMT.
On the shore of the Hudson River, situated directly across from lower Manhattan and Brooklyn, All Points is sure to attract throngs of hipsters to the Garden State on the weekend of Aug. 1, especially with its indie rock-laden lineup which includes the National and Vampire Weekend.
New York can be unbearable in the summer. On certain days, when the asphalt feels like it is melting, it's clear why there is an annual exodus to the Hamptons and other beach towns. On other summer days though, the city's culture comes alive. Bryant Park in midtown Manhattan shows weekly outdoor film screenings.
Manhattanites who failed to escape the sweltering pavement set up picnics in the park and, oftentimes in the beginning hours before the movie begins, eat and drink until the unbearable heat turns into a pleasant summer breeze.
Another summer tradition in the Big Apple is Shakespeare in the Park. From June 10 through July 12, Twelfth Night will be performed in Central Park by a cast that includes Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married).
If you're in the city between June 13 and 19, be sure to head downtown for the third annual NYC Food Film Festival, a revolutionary concept that divinely fuses this author's two favorite things in the whole world. Not quite sure what a food film festival is? A quote from the festival's blog should give you an idea. "We have films about Peeps, Clam Pie, Cranberries and Honey Bees among others. And we are also screening our first-ever food horror short film."
July Fourth
The biggest summer event of all is of course July Fourth. Wherever you are in the USA, you will find an Independence Day celebration. Situated in Baltimore though, Hopkins students are in a position to make this a truly memorable birthday. Our nation's capital, less than an hour from campus, is home to the National Independence Day Parade and a stirring fireworks show over the Washington Monument and the Capitol.
That's tough to beat, but there is one Fourth of July celebration that just might give it a run for its money. This is the Annual Gettysburg Civil War Battle Reenactment. Held on July 3, 4 and 5, the reenactment celebrates the anniversary, not just of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, but also of the Battle itself.
The three-day jamboree includes five historically accurate battles, "A Fashion Show - 1860's Style," an inside look at high-level staff meetings with the Confederate generals as they plan for the Battle of Gettysburg, Civil War era religious revival services and scores of other events.
Disappointingly, there won't be fireworks. Instead, on the night of July Fourth, there will be a reenactor's camp dance with the Second South Carolina String Band, "one of America's best Civil War Bands," according to the organization's Web site.
So whether you are in Baltimore for pleasure or for the burden of summer classes, returning to your hometown or fastidiously working a job or summer internship, don't forget about the abundance of events the art world has in store over the summer months.
