(Connor O'Brien / Heights Editor)
So, it’s your freshman year. You might still be using Google Maps to get to class or trying to figure out who to sit with during lunch in Mac. It’s probably feeling overwhelming—you’re in a new college with new people in a new city and maybe even a new country.
The city of Boston is at your fingertips, and I’m here to help guide you through some fun events that you can enjoy during your first few months at Boston College. From sports to food to shopping and more, allow me to be your tour guide and hop on the T to head downtown.
Red Sox Game
No matter where you hail from and who you root for, Fenway Park is a one-of-a-kind place to have a fun-filled night with friends. With the Red Sox season ending at the end of September, you don’t want to miss the chance to see a Major League baseball game, grab a hot dog, and maybe even some Red Sox gear if you’re a committed fan.
Thankfully, being a BC student makes it relatively easy and cheap to buy tickets. Just head to the Student9s section of the Red Sox website and use your BC email to sign up to receive emails about $9 student tickets. A perfect deal for a brand new college student!
Boston Local Food Festival
Feeling peckish and want to eat something other than BC dining? Boston offers a local food festival on Sept. 14, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with almost 100 food vendors participating in the event.
Head over to the Rose Kennedy Greenway, grab a bite to eat, and enjoy the festival’s activities, including a Seafood Throwdown, cooking demonstrations, and an educational booth about Boston’s food consumption and waste. It’s a great way to sample food from local restaurants and save up on those dining dollars.
The Head of the Charles Regatta
Every year, rowing clubs and universities from all over the world come together to row down Boston’s very own Charles River. For the best viewing spot, head to the Eliot Bridge Enclosure to watch as each boat chugs down the river towards the finish line.
If you want to grab a spectating snack, the regatta also brings together lots of food vendors. You can also pick up some Head of the Charles merchandise there if you’re a big rowing fan. The best part? BC’s very own Rowing Team will be participating! The perfect way to cheer on your fellow Eagles outside of Chestnut Hill.
Freedom Trail
If you’re a history major, a history buff, or just want to learn a bit more about Boston’s revolutionary past, you should book tickets for the Freedom Trail ASAP. At 2.5 miles , the Freedom Trail connects 16 different significant historical sights in Boston.
Some of these include Faneuil Hall, home to a variety of dining options, Paul Revere’s house, originally built around 1680, and the world’s oldest commissioned warship, the USS Constitution. If you want a guided walking tour, you can buy an $18 ticket for a 90-minute tour on Get Your Guide. But if you’d prefer to take a more leisurely stroll through these sites, feel free to grab a group of friends and head out to explore!
Boston Book Festival 2025
Looking a bit toward the future—in this case, October—Boston will be hosting its annual book festival where you can browse through a collection of books at Copley Square on Oct. 25 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Additionally, the festival hosts a lineup of keynote speakers and published authors. Note that you need tickets to see these speakers, currently listed at between $30 to a little over $60. This year’s special romance keynote is Julia Quinn, who wrote the Bridgerton series. If you’re a fan of the books or the TV series, you’ll want to get online and purchase those tickets!
Open Newbury Street
If you’re a student in Boston, then you’ve definitely heard about Newbury Street from a friend, family member, or maybe even a professor. Spanning a mile long, this popular and adorable street is home to tons of fun shops, cafes, and restaurants.
Every Sunday during September, Newbury Street closes the street to cars, becoming a walkway of shoppers and tourists. Many of the shops will take their products outside, displaying them on the sidewalks for you to peruse through. It’s a great way to get outdoors and browse through all the fun merchandise Newbury has to offer.
Boston Museums (MFA and ISG)
To see some of the greatest wonders of the world, all you need to do is head on over to two of Boston’s greatest museums: the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.
The MFA displays some of the most accomplished artists such as Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cézanne, Claude Monet, and Jackson Pollock. The museum also has a roulette of different exhibitions. Some examples this month include Rachel Ruysch: Artist, Naturalist, and Pioneer and Qi Baishi: Inspiration in Ink.
Just an eight-minute walk away from the MFA is the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, a stunning space to view ancient art and architecture as well as beautiful flowers and vegetation. The plus side of being a BC student? The ticket is only $15 to enter into this unique space. The ISG also offers multiple exhibitions that you can attend. This month features Ming Fay: Edge of the Garden and Flowers for Isabella.
Copley Farmers’ Market
Looking to get some fresh food? Every Tuesday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Copley Square opens up to the public with vendors selling baked goods, seafood, fruits and vegetables, and other locally-made products.
Some of the vendors include Heaven’s Harvest Farm, Beacon Hill Bakery, Ben’s Raclette, Red’s Best Fish, Sherman & Cherie’s Beezy Bees, The Carpenter’s Shop, and so many more. Grab some friends, pick out your favorite vendor, and then head down to the Charles River Esplanade to eat and chat by the river!
New England Aquarium
If you’re an animal lover or just want to see the beauty of the ocean, this is the place for you. The New England Aquarium is home to hundreds of different species including penguins, sea lions, seahorses, turtles, and sharks.
Aside from being able to view these amazing animals, the aquarium also prioritizes protection of the animals, rehabilitating injured sea turtles, researching ways to protect whales through their Right Whale Research Team, and tagging sharks in the ocean. If you’re looking for a relaxing spot to see the creatures of the sea and learn a bit more about our oceans, then dive right into the Aquarium!