The Weekender: February 13 to 17

Photo by AlexandriaLaNier/iStock

Eat, shop, go

There’s a lot to celebrate this first long weekend of the semester, with Valentine’s Day and Presidents Day falling just days apart. Whether you’re looking to visit a free museum or do some last-minute chocolate shopping, let us be your guide. We’ve put together a list of places and festivities that are (mostly) cheap and easy to reach.

Ristorante Saraceno

Need a recommendation for Valentine’s Day dinner? Bring your date to the North End. Start off by walking down Hanover Street and enjoying the aromas of Italian cooking and the sight of cannoli in pastry shop windows. Now that you’ve worked up an appetite, try one of Ristorante Saraceno’s classic Italian/Napoletana-style dishes, like gnocchi alla Napoletana or fettuccine Bolognese. If you have room for dessert, stop by Modern Pastry (yes Modern, not Mike’s) for a cannoli.

Ristorante Saraceno, 286 Hanover St., Boston, is open 11:30 am to 10 pm, Sunday through Saturday. Find menus and more information here.

Valentine’s Day Desserts at BU Dining

Looking for a way to celebrate Valentine’s Day without going off-campus? BU’s dining halls have you covered, offering cookies, cakes, and more, from 11 am to 9 pm. 

Participating are Warren Towers dining hall, 700 Commonwealth Ave., Marciano Commons dining hall, 100 Bay State Rd., West dining hall, 275 Babcock St., and the Fenway Campus dining room, 150 Riverway.

Teuscher Chocolates of Switzerland

Newbury Street’s Teuscher Chocolates of Switzerland is famous for its  truffles, made with dark chocolate ganache and Dom Perignon champagne. There are also gift boxes of traditional chocolates. We won’t tell anyone if you end up keeping some for yourself.

Teuscher Chocolates of Switzerland, 230 Newbury St., Boston,  is open Monday through Saturday, 11 am to 7 pm, Sunday, noon to 5 pm. Find a chocolate menu and more information here.

Presidents Day Family Festival at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum

Spend Presidents Day at the only presidential library and museum in New England. You can engage with actors portraying John and Abigail Adams and Eleanor Roosevelt, enjoy a concert filled with classics from the 1960s, and use your creative side to make  arts and crafts. 

The Presidents Day activities at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Columbia Point, Boston, are free with general admission. Find hours, admission prices, and directions here.

Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston

The ICA is offering free admission on Presidents Day. When you’re done checking out the museum’s current exhibitions, watch six short family-friendly films or create a fabric collage in the museum’s Art Lab. Unfortunately, the popular exhibition Yayoi Kusama: Love Is Calling is sold out throughout the month, but you can purchase tickets to see it in March.

Admission to the Institute of Contemporary Art, 25 Harbor Shore Dr., Boston, is free on Monday, February 17, from 10 am to 5 pm. Find directions here.

LEGO Maritime Festival at the USS Constitution Museum

Another great hands-on way to commemorate Presidents Day is at the USS Constitution Museum, which is celebrating the holiday with a weeklong LEGO-themed maritime festival. Spend some time enjoying the museum’s collection of model ships, then get some of those famous plastic bricks and build your own.

The LEGO Maritime Festival is at the USS Constitution Museum, in the Charlestown Navy Yard, Charlestown, from February 15 to 23, 10 am to 5 pm daily. Suggested donation is $10 to $15 for adults, $5 to $10 for children, and $25 to $45 for families. Admission is free for all active-duty, retired, and reserve military personnel.