The Weekender February 14 to 17
Indulge in gourmet doughnuts, then head to a free workout or a used bookstore
It’s Valentine’s Day weekend—and love is in the air. Whether you’re celebrating the holiday with a special someone or just hanging out with friends, we think you’ll find something of interest to do in this week’s edition of the “Weekender.” If you have any suggestions, leave them in the Comment section below.
Blackbird Doughnuts
No matter your relationship status, you deserve to treat yourself to a doughnut. Arguably the best in Boston are to be found at Blackbird Doughnuts in the Fenway. Blackbird prides itself on being the only artisanal doughnut shop in Boston that bakes its doughnuts on site. They are made using either brioche dough or cake batter and feature house-made glazes, frostings, and toppings. The flavors rotate, depending on the season. Keep your eye out for special Valentine’s Day varieties this weekend. Among the current flavors are vanilla glazed, blood orange cotton candy, mocha fritter, and mint chocolate. There are even vegan-friendly options. The shop also sells coffee, soft-serve ice cream, and doughnut cakes. Hosting a crowd? Pick up a bag of 50 mini doughnuts.
Blackbird Doughnuts, 20 Kilmarnock St., Boston, is open Monday through Friday, 7 am to 6 pm, and weekends, 8 am to 6 pm.
Brattle Book Shop
This cozy outpost just blocks away from Boston Common is one of America’s oldest and largest used book shops. You’ll find two floors of used books stacked floor to ceiling, a third floor full of rare and antiquarian books, and an outdoor sale lot with carts of used books for $1, $3, and $5 each. Search the store’s online catalog or browse in-store—you’re likely to stumble upon a hidden gem. Whether your interests are history, poetry, science fiction, classical literature, art, biography, or something different, you’ll probably to come away with new reading material for the weekend.
Brattle Book Shop, 9 West St., Boston, is open Monday through Saturday, 9 am to 5:30 pm. Take an MBTA Green Line trolley to Park Street.
Brattle Book Shop offers a vast selection of used books—starting at just $1. Photo courtesy of Brattle Book Shop
Bedlam’s Pygmalion at Central Square Theater
Fresh off a well-received off-Broadway run, Bedlam’s Pygmalion comes to Cambridge’s Central Square Theater. Staged by New York’s acclaimed Bedlam Theatre, the play is adapted from George Bernard Shaw’s classic drama Pygmalion, the story of an upper-class professor and his quest to transform Covent Garden Cockney flower girl Eliza Doolittle into a poised and well-spoken member of society. Shaw’s play was later the inspiration for one of Broadway’s most popular musicals, My Fair Lady. Bedlam’s production comes to life with just six actors, playing multiple parts, including James Patrick Nelson (CFA’08), who plays both Colonel Pickering and Mrs. Eynsford-Hill. This gritty, fresh interpretation of Shaw’s exploration of the negotiation of power through sexual politics remains as relevant today as when it was first staged more than 100 years ago.
Bedlam’s Pygmalion runs through March 3 at Central Square Theater, 450 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. Tickets start at $25, with discounts available for students, seniors, and groups. Purchase tickets here, at the theater box office, or by calling 617-576-9278 x1.
CAS Student Government and BU Student Activities Present: Casino Night
Feeling lucky? Then head over to the GSU Friday night when the College of Arts & Sciences Student Government and BU Student Activities team up for their annual Casino Night, an evening of food, games, and prizes, including a TV, an Apple Watch, and a three-day pass to this year’s Boston Calling Music Festival. Stop by the Metcalf Ballroom and try your hand at blackjack, craps, and more. If you really want to look the part, be sure to wear your finest casino formal wear (think Ocean’s Eleven and Ocean’s Eight). Register in advance.
Casino Night is Friday, February 15, from 7 to 11 pm, in the GSU Metcalf Ballroom, 775 Commonwealth Ave. The event is free, but you must bring your BU ID and Eventbrite ticket. Space is limited and entrance is not guaranteed. BU undergraduates only.
Try your hand at blackjack at Friday’s Casino Night in the Metcalf Ballroom, hosted by the CAS Student Government and Student Activities. Photo by Alexandra Wimley (COM’17)
Frost Fit Winter Series—Saturday Workout
The cold winter months can make it hard to stick to a fitness regimen, but thanks to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, the November Project, and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, it just got easier. Each Saturday through February, instructors from the November Project gather at the Hatch Memorial Shell and lead participants through running loops, body-weight exercises, and other fun and energetic activities designed to keep you moving—and warm. The first 450 attendees will receive a free Frost Fit Winter Series fleece headband, and everyone will get bagels, coffee, and hot chocolate. Dress for the weather and bring a yoga mat.
Frost Fit Workouts, hosted by the November Project, are every Saturday in February, from 10 to 11 am, at the Hatch Memorial Shell, 47 David G. Mugar Way, Boston. RSVP on Eventbrite. Admission is free and open to the public.
Madeleine O’Keefe (College of Arts & Sciences’18, College of Communication’19) can be reached at mokeefe@bu.edu; follow her on Twitter @OKeefeMadeleine.
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