Whether you are a first-year longing to get to know the area or a senior looking for a change in scenery, the Cambridge-Boston area offers activity, enrichment, and a way to connect with the greater community. Before locking yourself in the library for the rest of the semester, be sure to check out one (or more) of these events going on off-campus!
On Sept. 7 and 8, you can see printmaking, ceramics, paintings, wood carvings, jewelry, drawings, and mixed media art from local artists at Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park. This event also showcases live music performances from local pop, indie, rock, and folk musicians like Symposium (an indie rock band) to the 94s (an acoustic singer-songwriter duo). Run by the organizers of the Beacon Hill Art Walk and Artists Crossing Gallery, this free festival is a great way to support local artists.
On Sept. 15 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., a lively food festival featuring cooking demonstrations, fresh produce from local farms, and hot meals will take place at the Rose Kennedy Greenway. With over 150 vendors ranging from Indian street cuisine to freshly shucked oysters and greens from hydroponic farms, there is something for everyone. This festival is one of many events held throughout the year by the Boston Local Foods program to promote a sustainable food system for the area.
Vintage Clothing Pop-ups
Time Out Market Boston will be hosting two pop-up vintage flea markets this fall. On Oct. 12, from 12 to 5 p.m., come shop from an assortment of over 40 vintage clothing vendors for your next going-out top or pair of baggy jeans. If you can’t make it on the 12th, come on the 13th (12 to 5 p.m. again) for the Fenway Flea Boston Vintage Market. These events allow you to pick from a variety of food and drink vendors while still acquiring a much-deserved post-shopping snack.
The Boston Red Sox offers $9 tickets for university students to select Fenway events throughout 2024. Sign up to get the discount using your Harvard email and you will be alerted when they are offering discount tickets to home games!
If you’re looking for some even more local culture and arts events, here are some options a little bit closer to home…
At University Park Commons on Sept. 7 and 8 is a celebration of African and Caribbean culture. This features music and dance performances, costumes, art, and authentic food vendors. The carnival starts on the 7th with the “Pan in the Park Panorama”, featuring traditional steel pan performances. On the 8th, expect the international festival and the parade up River Street at 12:30 p.m.
Opening Celebration: Made in Germany? Art and Identity in a Global Nation
The Harvard Art Museums will be opening a new exhibit Sept. 12. This special event kicks off at Menschel Hall with an introduction by exhibition curator Lynette Roth. The artist who created the work, Henrike Naumann, will then present a lecture-performance. Naumann is a Berlin-based artist who creates installation art, mostly featuring furniture and object arrangements to reflect on socio-political problems. As a German, she pulls from her experiences with neo-Nazism to raise questions about fascism and capitalism in our everyday lives.
Rudy Pankow from Outer Banks and Emilia Suárez from Up Here shine as star-crossed lovers in a rendition of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Come watch at the Loeb Drama Centre and support the five Harvard undergraduate students who worked on this production! Get access to discounted student tickets or take advantage of $10 off your tickets if you buy them through Sept. 3. Opening night is Sept. 5.
Grrl Haus Cinema: International and Local Short Films
The Brattle Theatre is a small art-house theatre, which will be showing films like “The Virgin Suicides,” “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” and “A Clockwork Orange” this fall. On Sept. 5 at 7 p.m., the cinema will screen 17 short films (ranging from 2 to 20 minutes each) that explore themes of “identity, transformation, and resistance.” These films utilize a variety of styles and come from filmmakers all over the world, with a total runtime of less than two hours.
Sophie DePaul ’27 (sophie_depaul@college.harvard.edu) will be braving the T for some out-of-Harvard adventures this semester.