This Week at Harvard: Music, Hot Dogs, and Movies (Oh My!)

We’re about halfway through summer, but that doesn’t mean the adventurous outings have to slow. Flyby is back again this week with ideas for activities in the coming days that’ll keep your mind off the impending doom of first semester.

Like hot dogs? Kayaking? Fresh produce? Indiana Jones? All of the above? We’ve got you covered with this week’s events in, around, and a ferry ride away from Harvard.

Free sea kayaking off Spectacle Island
Monday, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Spectacle Island (Red Line to Downtown Crossing, then walk to Long Wharf for a ferry to the island)

Never kayaked before? The harbor island rangers have got your back. Every Monday this summer, free sea kayaking lessons are available on Spectacle Island, just a 20 minute ferry ride from the Boston Harbor. These hour-long expeditions will teach you the basics of paddling and kayak safety and give you a chance to see all that Spectacle Island has to offer. Cross your fingers that the lines aren’t too long, and sign up for a kayaking excursion at 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., or 3:00 p.m. at the island’s visitor center. The ferry to Spectacle Island costs $12 for Harvard students, but free kayaking and beautiful views will make the whole trip worth it.

“Hot Dog Crawl” across the city
Monday-Sunday | Roxy’s Grilled Cheese, A4cade by Area Four, Trina's Starlite Lounge, The Automatic Food & Drink, and Lone Star Taco Bar Cambridge

Hot dog, hot dog, hot diggity-dog: Harvard, loosen your belt, prepare your stomach, and refill your Charlie Card for the first annual Camberville Hot Dog Crawl. Between the 24th and the 30th, grab a stamp card at the first participating restaurant that you visit, and then travel around the city to buy a hot dog at each of the five locations hosting the event. If you get a hot dog and a stamp on your card at all five restaurants, you’ll be eligible to win prizes from a raffle. So embrace the summer tradition of eating hot dogs and chow down, Harvard. You’ve only got seven days.

Farmers Market at Harvard
Tuesday, 12-6 p.m. | Science Center Plaza

For those Tuesdays when you just don’t want to leave the comfort of the Square (so, like, every Tuesday) the Harvard Farmer’s Market is here for you. Offering everything from Tex-Mex cuisine (not Border’s), to donuts (not Dunkin’s), to coffee (not Starbucks’), the market is sure to fill up your stomach and your schedule.

Literary Trivia in Boston
Thursday, 6 p.m. | Trident Booksellers and Cafe (Red Line to Park Street, then walk to Newbury St.)

Bookworms, rejoice! Boston Book Festival’s annual trivia night is upon us—the perfect excuse to visit Trident Booksellers and Cafe on Newbury Street and show off your literary prowess. Gather your most bibliophilic friends (teams can have up to six members) and prepare yourselves for one page-turner of an evening in Boston. Tickets are $15, and there will be prizes for top-scoring groups.

Indiana Jones at the Capitol Theatre
Thursday, 7 p.m. | Capitol Theatre (77 bus from Harvard Station to Mass Ave. @ Lake St. stop)

Journey down Mass. Ave. and into a world of archaeological quests and Harrison Ford swagger with a viewing of Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark at the Capitol Theatre. What better way to celebrate #throwbackthursday than by re-experiencing the adventures (and dated special effects) of this 1980s classic? Tickets are $10.

Free MIT Philharmonic Orchestra concert
Friday, 8-11 p.m. | Kresge Auditorium (1 bus from Mass. Ave. @ Holyoke St. to MIT stop)

Yeah Rihanna’s great, but a real summer hit is Ludwig van Beethoven’s Concerto in D Major, Op. 61. If you want to hear it, all you’ve got to do is take the Red Line down to MIT’s Kresge Auditorium where the MIT Summer Philharmonic Orchestra will be performing the Beethoven classic for free on Friday. MITSPO only has one show each summer and the 1,200 seats of the auditorium fill up fast, so make sure you register ahead of time to attend the free performance.

Finding Dory outdoor screening
Saturday at sundown | Prudential Center South Garden (Red Line to Green Line to Copley stop, then walk)

When life gets you down do you wanna know what you’ve gotta do? Just keep watching free movies! Just keep watching free movies! Just keep watching free movies! This Saturday, head to Boston to see everyone’s favorite blue tang fish on the big screen at an outdoor showing of Finding Dory.

Annual Cambridge Jazz Festival
Sunday, 12-6 p.m. | Danehy Park (74, 75, or 78 bus to Concord Ave. @ Walden St., then walk)

Looking for a melodic way to end your week? Make your way to Danehy Park this Sunday, where Pieces of a Dream, Tia Fuller, Receita de Samba, and the Ron Savage Trio will be performing for the annual Cambridge Jazz Festival. Enjoying the sound of a saxophone solo carried on a warm breeze is what summer’s truly about.