Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
July 5, 2025
July 5, 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 YANA MULANI
Taking a stroll through the cereal and dried oats section of Trader Joe’s, you will find many fall-themed items!

Ranking Trader Joe's fall foods

This fall season, I picked out a few autumnal snacks to get me in the mood for the chilly weather. I’ve ranked them out of 10 in the categories of Taste, Value and the ever-critical Fall Vibes. Read on, and maybe you’ll feel inspired to have your own fall-themed shopping spree on your next grocery run!



COURTESY OF ALAN MAO
A rainbow doesn’t have to be the only good thing to come out of a rainy day!

A guide to a rainy day in

It’s happened to all of us: You wake up ready to start your day, you have some breakfast, you put on a cute outfit and when you step outside, you feel raindrops on your head and realize you forgot to check your weather app. Baltimore skies are unpredictable and moody, and it’s not uncommon to find our plans suddenly canceled due to inclement weather and our days — for once — free. 


COURTESY OF ELTON WANG
Wang visits the Saturday morning farmers market, vibrant with vendors, students and music performances.

Waverly street market: a Saturday staple

Saturday mornings are usually a great occasion to sleep in. After all, you have just survived another week of school and were probably out on Friday night far past your usual bedtime. If you somehow manage to wake up before 12 o’clock, you should visit the Waverly Farmers Market.




COURTESY OF ZACHARY BAHAR
Bahar fills his dorm walls with mementos to make a plain room feel like his own.

Paper plates and dried flowers: How to make a memento wall

How do you make an empty room feel like home? Until I moved into Wolman 521, I never realized just how depressingly sterile blank walls are. Every dorm room is the same — the same furniture, the same cramped size and the same worn-down feeling. While the AMRs have a different atmosphere than Wolman, they all boil down to the same foundation: a room that is only temporarily yours.



COURTESY OF MINGYUAN SONG
The Running Club at Hopkins gathers at the starting line of the Charles Street 12.

Running down the historic Charles Street

This is one of my favorite races in Baltimore. Although I seem to say that for every race, I mean it this time. Not only does the course run by Homewood Campus (where I get a little adrenaline boost each time), but it also goes past many historic monuments in Baltimore City and Baltimore County — the University Baptist Church, the Washington Monument and the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen. It finishes along the harbor and truly gives you all the best views in Baltimore.





ARUSA MALIK / DESIGN & LAYOUT EDITOR
Staying in Baltimore for the summer? Check out our recommendations for the best things to do!

Events this summer (May – September)

We made it, Blue Jays! Classes have ended, and summer is just around the corner. For some of us, that means leaving Baltimore for a few months. For others, though, it means even more leisure time in this lovely city! If you’re sticking around over the next few months, check out these events in Baltimore. 


ARUSA MALIK / DESIGN & LAYOUT EDITOR
Take a break and blow off some steam before finals approach! 

Events this weekend (April 28 – 30)

Congratulations on finishing your last week of classes! There is a whole week until the start of finals; take this weekend to enjoy the Spring Fair and connect with the city at these great events.


COURTESY OF MICHELLE LIMPE
HomeSlyce places second on the print night pizza ranking, with its best feature being its proximity. 

Delivery pizzas ranked

While almost nothing in the world of journalism can be certain, one key element of print nights at The News-Letter is delivery pizza. Considering our many print nights over the past year, we consider ourselves connoisseurs of pizza delivery places near the Homewood Campus. Find below our ranking of the best spots near us!


DYLAN KINNETT / CC BY-SA 3.0
Andersson recommends you make the Walters Art Museum a stop on your itinerary. 

Your guide to a “no-spend Saturday” in Baltimore

Keeping to a tight student budget does not have to mean passing the weekend by in a void of boredom. Thanks to the wealth of free activities offered by Hopkins and the city of Baltimore, it is possible to have a meaningful day without spending a dime — it just requires some creativity. This suggested itinerary outlines a few of those opportunities to inspire your next “no-spend Saturday.”




COURTESY OF EMI GONZALEZ 
Gonzalez recommends heading to Sherwood Gardens if you’re looking for a beautiful spot to do some work. 

The best outdoor study spots on and around campus

Spring has finally arrived in Baltimore! Tulips are blooming, birds chirp all day and bees swarm around the quad (which isn’t always my favorite thing). The sun sets later, and people can finally enjoy the sunset instead of missing it when they walk out of Brody at 5 p.m. and head to dinner. Everyone has tucked away their winter jackets and put their sandals on, presenting their “dawgs” proudly to the world! While many aspects of spring bring me joy, one of my favorites is finally being able to study outside without needing to wear four layers and fearing that my fingers will be frostbitten. 


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