Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
October 19, 2025
October 19, 2025 | Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896

Leisure

Leisure is the section where we highlight the intriguing, exciting and all-around fun events and activities happening in Baltimore over the weekend.



COURTESY OF TOMMY SONG
Song recounts his exciting day at the Baltimore Running Festival alongside his Running Club teammates.

Dig deep and explore the city at the Baltimore Running Festival

Who would voluntarily wake up at 6 a.m. to run in 40-degree weather? Well, at least 11,000 people in Baltimore. Saturday, Oct. 15, was the 21st annual Baltimore Running Festival, which included the 5K, the 10K, the Half Marathon, the Marathon and the BaltiMORON-a-Thon, which is a 5K and a half marathon back-to-back.


COURTESY OF JOHN D’CRUZ, GRAPHICS EDITOR
To help you enjoy your extra days of break, our Leisure Editor has compiled some great markets, concerts and day trip ideas.

Events this weekend (Oct. 21 – 23)

Happy fall break, Blue Jays! You’re officially halfway done with the semester, and you have earned some well-deserved time to relax. I’ve compiled some really fun events for those of you who are staying in town, so get out and enjoy this free time!


COURTESY OF JOHN D'CRUZ, GRAPHICS EDITOR
Go enjoy many of the fall festivities that Baltimore has to offer this weekend!

Events this weekend (Oct. 14 — 16)

Baltimore in the fall is absolutely unparalleled. As we begin to see the leaves change and the sun backs off, I strongly urge you to relish this beautiful season and take on the city with these events!


COURTESY OF KAYLA RABEY
Rabey reviews her food from the Mexican On The Run and Quinn's Ice food trucks, including the delectable carnitas pork tacos.

Hoptoberfest's showstopping food trucks hit the mark

With heavy rains, cold mornings and overcast skies, fall season has officially begun! Along with these weather changes came the start of Hoptoberfest at Hopkins. The first event of the celebration, the Hoptoberfest Kickoff, involved food trucks, blow-up activities and t-shirts at the Recreation (Rec) Center. 


COURTESY OF ASHWATHA SURESH
Suresh offers tips on how to have the best concert experience possible through preparation and planning.

How to navigate concerts in and around Baltimore

I went to my first concert in Baltimore a couple weeks ago. The experience was life-changing, magical, surreal — everything from the music, the beat and the vibes made it an important memory in my college life. But as magical as the concert was, navigating through a concert was a reality that required a lot of effort and planning.


COURTESY OF GRETA MARAS
Maras reviews Souvlaki, a Greek restaurant in Hampden that professes the beauty of Greek food with ease.

Satiate your soul at Souvlaki

If you’re looking for a way to scratch an itch for this kind of cuisine, you will win on price, location and taste if you opt for Souvlaki. Souvlaki is a small restaurant on 36th Street (colloquially known as the Avenue) in Hampden. Besides its Hampden store, Souvlaki also has locations in Dupont Circle in Washington D.C. and is about to open a new branch in Miami, Florida.


JOHN D'CRUZ / GRAPHICS EDITOR
Our Leisure Editor is back for your weekly dose of awesome Baltimore events! Check out the upcoming festivities.

Events this weekend (Oct. 7 – 9)

I don’t know about you, Blue Jays, but I am more ready than ever to be out and about given all of the rain we’ve just endured. Check out the super fun events in the city as we ring in October!


COURTESY OF KAYLA RABEY
Rabey walks through her recipe for cheesy chive biscuits, a family favorite that brings her joy while she's away.

College classics: cheesy chive biscuits

Many of us even have special dishes and food from home that bring us memories and comfort. Here, I am going to share with you a simple recipe that reminds me of home, freshly-baked homemade foods and mornings spent rushing to high school. These easy-to-make cheesy chive biscuits are great for a quick morning breakfast, on-the-go snack or lunch food! Paired with gravy and mashed potatoes, these can also become a wonderful side dish to any dinner.


JOHN D'CRUZ / GRAPHICS EDITOR
Among the neighborhood festivals and exciting concerts, this weekend promises some great opportunities to have some fun both around and off campus.

Events this weekend (Sept. 30 – Oct. 2)

Happy October, Blue Jays! Can you believe that we are already a month into the school year? Classes might be picking up but so are the happenings in our amazing city. Take some time away from the desk this weekend at these awesome events.


COURTESY OF GRETA MARAS
Maras reviews the third annual Remfest, the local street festival that celebrates the Remington neighborhood, Baltimore-based vendors and the joy of community.

Remington comes alive at Remfest

As the warm weather we all cherish quickly comes to a halt, neighborhoods all around Baltimore are offering one last celebration of their communities. This weekend it was Remington, the lovely little next door neighbor to Charles Village, that was blessed with a perfect sunny sky and a temperate day to host its third annual Remfest.


COURTESY OF HABIN HWANG
Hwang reviews the Insomnia Cookies PJ Party, where Insomnia debuted its new limited edition Sour Patch Kids cookie that stretches the bounds of dessert.

Sour, sweet… wrong? Insomnia Cookies debuts a quirky cookie at its fourth annual PJ Party

We’re already all studying in our pajamas — why not head over to Insomnia Cookies for a free cookie? Set conveniently before midterms, Insomnia invited  sleepless college students across America to its fourth annual PJ party on Tuesday, Sept. 20. With an opportunity to get a free in-store classic cookie, featured Insomnia prizes and a taste of the limited edition Sour Patch Kids cookie series, my friends and I were lucky to be one of the first few in line.


COURTESY OF LAURA WADSTEN
Wadsten reviews the Abell Community Street Fair, a quaint and vibrant celebration of one of north Baltimore's more intimate neighborhoods.

Get to know your neighbors at the Abell Community Street Fair

Baltimore is a city of neighborhoods, each with their own unique character and rich traditions. Tucked between Waverly and the Homewood campus, you’ll find the tight-knit, family-friendly community of Abell. For the past year and a half, I’ve had the privilege of being an Abell resident and participating in several of the neighborhood’s fun traditions, like the summer Porch Prom and the Abell Community Street Fair. 


COURTESY OF JIALU LI
Li goes in for some classic Leisure section investigative work to find the answers to a pivotal question of our time: what do each of the new campus juice bars have to offer?

Which juice bar is right for you?

Fresh juice is a terrific beverage choice for the busy college student; it’s chock-full of nutrients and available in so many different flavors on and around campus. The juice bar in the Recreation (Rec) Center might be the one that most people are familiar with, but now we have a new option on St. Paul Street, Pure Green. Let’s explore each one and see what the merits of each are!


JOHN D’CRUZ / GRAPHICS EDITOR
Hungry? Want to get off campus? Our Leisure Editor has you covered this weekend! Check out the best of Baltimore's festivities.

Events this weekend (Sept. 23 – 25)

Cheers to the weekend, Blue Jays! And by weekend, I specifically mean Saturday. There are festivals happening in many corners of Baltimore, and I guarantee that one of them will intrigue you! 


COURTESY OF VIGGY VANCHINATHAN
Vanchinathan reviews the Let’s Brunch Special and more from Let's Brunch Cafe, just a short walk from campus.

Let's Brunch Cafe in Remington finds its footing

Let’s Brunch Cafe isn’t far from campus. Our destination, a 10 to 15-minute walk according to Google Maps, was extended by a visit to the community library box on Cresmont Avenue. The quickest way to get there is to walk past Mason Hall onto West 31st Street then hang a left on Remington Avenue after two blocks. Walk a little further on Remington, and you’ll bump into FastForwardU or R. House.


COURTESY OF JOHN D'CRUZ
Our Leisure Editor gives you the lowdown on this weekend's festivals, performances and opportunities in the city.

Events this weekend (Sept. 16 – 18)

After a week full of rainy days, we deserve the sunny and warm weekend that the weather app has promised us. I have some awesome options to let off some steam this week, many of which are very close to campus! 


COURTESY OF MITA SINGH
Singh details her admiration for Sakoon, the local Indian buffet restaurant that brings her a taste of home and comfort.

Sakoon is home away from home

When you’re living in a new city, thousands of miles away from your family, it is so precious to find a piece of home in a little corner booth — somewhere that welcomes you with open arms. Picture an orange door standing before you with a “Welcome Home, Blue Jays!” poster taped on the front. 


COURTESY OF GRETA MARAS
With Labor Day already behind us, our Leisure Editor has some suggestions for you to bid summer farewell.

Events this weekend (Sept. 9 – 11)

I hope you all had a wonderful Labor Day weekend, Blue Jays! I don’t know about you, but I can’t help but still feel like I’m in summer mode. Maybe it’s the temperature, or maybe that’s a personal pitfall. Either way, I’ve gathered some of this weekend’s greatest hits around our lovely Baltimore City for you to check out.


COURTESY OF ALICE LIU
Malik explores The Peale, the newly reopened community museum home to engaging exhibits and a beautiful outdoor garden.

The Peale highlights community care at its grand reopening

After five years of renovations, The Peale Center for Baltimore History and Architecture (the Peale) hosted its grand reopening on Saturday, August 13, celebrating its 208th birthday.  I had the privilege of visiting the Peale with HopkinsCORPS, the Center for Social Concern’s pre-orientation program.


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