Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
September 30, 2023

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 ARIELLA SHUA
Mt. Vernon Marketplace’s wall art by smoothie vendor Fresh Monday’s. 

Endless deliciousness at Mount Vernon Marketplace

It was a Tuesday, and I was hungry.  I had eaten lunch a few hours before, but what can I say? I knew that I wouldn’t have time for my typical meal plan dinner that night, since I had a late class at the Peabody Library. And if I was going to be in Mt. Vernon (where the library is located), I wanted to have a meal that was more unique than one I can grab from the FFC.


 SEPARATUS/CC0 CREATIVE COMMONS
Pecan pie is one of Wooden’s favorite dishes during the fall season.

Comfort your mind with homemade comfort foods

Amid the vicious cycle of midterms, papers, presentations and projects, I like to distract myself from impending despair by eating. During the long, cold, late-autumn nights, food provides nourishment, warmth and a sense of security. While I love to experiment in the kitchen, there are a few recipes I turn to time and time again — recipes I can whip up with no thought and that never fail to satisfy my cravings.


Events in Baltimore this weekend: November 1-4

Thursday Open Mic: Stand-Up in Lenny’s Lobby The BIG Theater 7:30 - 8:30 p.m. Ready to give stand-up comedy a try? Here’s the perfect chance — perform in an open mic with five minutes or less of material. No experience necessary. Registration preferred. No cover.


MDGovpics/C.C. BY 2.0
A performance at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall from 2015.

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra offers musical escape

Tired of listening to the same four songs off your playlist? Or perhaps C-level of the Milton S. Eisenhower Library and its quiet expanse is beginning to feel too familiar for your taste? You’re in luck: The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) brings exciting entertainment for all people who enjoy concert music. The fall season will bring several concerts, including many that are holiday-themed.


Mauro Cateb/CC BY-SA3.0
Kibbeh, a Middle Eastern dish, was one of the foods discussed at the event.

Mera Kitchen Collective serves stories and dishes

This past weekend, the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) hosted Mera Kitchen Collective for a special seminar titled “The Stories of Mera Kitchen: Chef Iman in Conversation with Alia Malek.” Mera Kitchen Collective is a worker-owned cooperative that seeks to empower immigrant women through food.


Events in Baltimore this weekend: October 25-28

Thursday Pratt Street Market 100 Light Street 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Load up on fruits, veggies, prepared meals and baked goods at the final Pratt Street Market of the year! Free.


COURTESY OF KATHERINE LOGAN
Sipping a warm drink from Dooby’s at Peabody is a perfect way to relax.

Take a study break: How to enjoy fall in Baltimore

At this point in the semester, you’re probably settling into the classic Hopkins hibernation cycle: moving exclusively from Brody to your dorm room as the essays, problem sets and cold weather set in.


LOBO235/CC BY 2.0
Your Weekend Editor Ariella Shua shares the best ways to celebrate Halloweekend and Halloween.

Have a thrillingly fun Halloweekend off campus

It’s spooky season, and no, I’m not referring to midterms that are just around the corner. You see, spooky season is nearing its fantastic conclusion. Also known as the month of Halloween (or by some as October), this time of candy, ghosts, carved pumpkins and trickery only lasts a month. Midterms, according to Hopkins standards, last forever. 


BOHEMIANBALTIMORE/C.C. BY-SA 4.0
A mural painted on a wall in the Greektown neighborhood of Baltimore.

Try Samos Restaurant for a delicious Greek dinner

This weekend, I made the trek off campus out to Samos Restaurant in Greektown. Located in southeast Baltimore, it is conveniently located right next to the Bayview Medical Campus (if you ever happen to be there). 


COURTESY OF JESSE WU 
Trying fatayer, a Middle Eastern meat/cheese/spinach pie, at the festival.

First Immigrant Food Festival is a unique success

On Sunday, Oct. 14, Baltimore’s Immigrant & Refugee Food Festival brought together a diverse selection of food and art vendors to celebrate immigrant culture. The event took place at the Canton Waterfront Park.


Events in Baltimore this weekend: October 11-14

Thursday Queer Qrush Ottobar 9 p.m. - 2 a.m. Hit up an LGBTQ dance party where everyone feels welcome. Special guest poutyface.xo will perform. The Halloween-themed night will also feature tarot card readings. No cover. 21+.



COURTESY OF ARIELLA SHUA
Master of Ceremonies Tim Beasley imitating Edgar Allan Poe onstage.

Inaugural Edgar Allan Poe Festival is a success

October began last week, and spooky season is here. Along with the usual pre-Halloween traditions — haunted houses, scary movies, pumpkin spice (that’s all I want from fall, really) — a new event arrived to the city this year. Last Saturday and Sunday, the International Edgar Allan Poe Festival and Awards was held.


Events in Baltimore this weekend: October 4-7

Thursday Hey You, Come Back The Crown 8 - 9:30 p.m. The Crown’s reading series returns this weekend in a new venue and with new hosts. Listen to Armen Davoudian, Laura Grothaus and Wallace Lane read from their recent works. Free.


Visit green spaces for a needed break from campus

As an undergraduate student at Hopkins, it becomes far too easy to get stuck within the Hopkins bubble, going weeks without leaving Charles Village. As a first-semester freshman, I made it my goal to do something off campus at least once a week so as to not fall into this trap. 



Events in Baltimore this weekend: September 27-30

Thursday Queer Curiosity The Walters Art Museum 7 - 8 p.m. Baltimore artist Alexander D’Agostino presents a “part séance and part dance,” as described by the museum website. Inspired by the Walters’ rare book collection, the performance incorporates queer history and art. Free.



FILE PHOTO
The annual Baltimore Book Festival draws hundreds of visitors each September. Above, the Book Festival in 2016.

Your crash course for the Baltimore Book Festival

Baltimore is no longer officially known as “The City That Reads,” but this weekend, it may as well revert to its old slogan. That’s because it’s finally the time of year that we (or at least, I and 17,000 other people, according to Facebook) have been waiting for. No, it’s not fall break quite yet, but it’ll still be an exciting few days — the Baltimore Book Festival is this weekend, taking over the Inner Harbor from Friday to Sunday.