It’s that time of year again. School supplies and mini-me outfits are starting to take over our favorite shops—but we’re not complaining. A fresh wardrobe and new supplies can make for a successful start to the school year. So grab your shopping bags and get ready to deck your little ones in head-to-toe style with these on-trend pieces.

The start of the fall semester marks the return of college students—from local universities like Towson, Loyola, Johns Hopkins, Morgan State, and MICA—back to Charm City. And now that classes have started, it’s easy for undergrads to fall back into the monotony of the class-homework-sleep cycle.

But as a student, it’s also important to take advantage of your time in Baltimore and experience all that the city has to offer—and do it on the cheap. Don’t forget that the handy student ID in your wallet can save you money all around town. Use your student discount to check these local attractions, museums, department stores, and bars off of your Baltimore bucket list.

Get Busy

Orioles: Attending an Orioles game is a Baltimorean right of passage. There’s nothing like donning your orange gear, pre-gaming at one of Baltimore’s many sports bars, and then heading over to Camden Yards to watch the big game. And every Friday game, students in groups of 15 or more can purchase discounted Left Field Upper Reserve tickets for just $10. So grab a group of friends, make a plan, and get bird watching! 333 W Camden St., 888-848-BIRD

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra: Get your daily dose of culture at the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, an internationally recognized music hall founded in 1916. The orchestra offers a special $35 student pass for access to unlimited concerts, admission to BSO College Nights, and insider access to all BSO events. Think of it as the perfect upgrade to date night. 1212 Cathedral St., 410-783-8000

The Senator Theatre: The Senator Theatre is one of Baltimore’s greatest treasures. The historic single-screen movie theater premiers new releases, shows artsy films, and features some of our favorite classic flicks. The restored theater displays the original terrazzo floors and still has massive gold curtains that dramatically reveal the screen before each showing. So skip the Friday night party and head over to Towson—student tickets are only $9. 5904 York Rd., 410-323-4424

Get Smart

The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore: Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! See all of your favorite zoo animals at the Maryland Zoo as well as lesser-known critters like bald eagles, Anglo-Nubian goats, and Kunekune pigs. With 50 percent off ticket prices for students, a self-imposed field trip to the zoo is definitely the ideal place to waste an afternoon. One Safari Place, 410-396-7102

Maryland Historical Society: There’s no better way to get to know Baltimore than to visit to the Maryland Historical Society. Grab a $6 ticket and head to this Mt. Vernon museum, featuring collections with historical artifacts, portraits, pottery, and archaeological objects that represent virtually every aspect of Maryland history. Perfect for history buffs, this educational opportunity is way better than reading a textbook. 201 West Monument St., 410-685-3750

American Visionary Art Museum: The American Visionary Art Museum, located in Federal Hill, is hard to miss. The metallic exterior and bedazzled school bus sculpture parked out front welcome all Baltimore creatives. The museum houses unconventional work, and all of the pieces can be described as visions of spontaneous inspiration. Take advantage of the $6 student tickets, or for groups of 10 or more, try the $5 student package. 800 Key Highway, 410-244-1900

Edgar Allan Poe House: English majors, voracious readers, and aspiring poets: come one, come all to this historic Baltimore landmark. The little house was presumably built in 1830 and is famously the place where Edgar Allan Poe lived with his aunt (and he’s even buried around the corner at Old Westminster Hall). With $6 student tickets, this is a must-see for writerly students and macabre enthusiasts alike. 203 N. Amity St., 410-462-1763

Get Stylish

Madewell: This Inner Harbor style staple is a great place to kickstart your back-to-school wardrobe. With distressed jeans, relaxed tees, and comfy sweaters, Madewell has something for everyone (even men!). And since there’s a 15-percent off discount for students, there’s nothing to stop you from shopping-’til-you-drop. 811 Aliceanna St., 410-244-0378

Banana Republic: Grab this student discount coupon to get 15 percent off your entire purchase at Banana Republic. Whether you’re looking to revamp your business casual wardrobe for fall internships, prepare for job interviews, or stand out at the career fair, Banana Republic has all of the essentials to make you workforce ready. Multiple locations including 201 E. Pratt St., 410-244-1345

Topshop: Looking for a last-minute formal dress or a date-night ‘fit that’ll impress a new crush? Topshop has tons of flirty dresses, silky skirts, and casual tops at prices that won’t break the bank. The best part? Get 10 percent off your student purchase using this code. 700 Fairmount Ave., 410-296-2111

Goodwill Industries of Chesapeake: Goodwill is a great place to shop for theme parties, vintage looks, or to grab that must-have item that no one else can find. And with 30 percent off your purchase for students on Wednesdays, Baltimore Goodwill stores are becoming an essential part of Fall wardrobes. Multiple locations including 715 S Broadway, 410-327-2211

Get Drinking

iBar: This neighborhood hangout, located between Charles Village and Station North, serves up $1 Natty Bohs and Rolling Rocks for college students every Saturday night. Bring your friends, take advantage of the discount, and give thanks for freakin’ weekend. You can also grab a plate of Chef Jeffrey’s or “Cheffrey’s” famous Buffalo wings. 2118 Maryland Ave., 443-759-6147

Luckie’s Tavern: Located in Power Plant Live, Luckie’s Tavern caters to all kinds of rowdy crowds. And every Thursday night is college night, featuring $3 Miller Lite and Coors Light cans, $4 Smirnoff, Jack Daniels, and Captain Morgan cocktails, and $5 Miller and Coors tallboy cans. The patio bar is perfect for big groups, and the space has flat screen TVs to watch the birds play. 34 Market Place, 410-727-5483

HomeSlyce Pizza Bar: This newly-opened Homeslyce location is right next to Johns Hopkins’ Homewood campus. And the bar has everything a college student needs for a great night out. Pair your pitchers with late-night pizza, and use your student I.D. to get varying food and drink deals every Thursday-Sunday night. 3333 N Charles St., 443-315-4046

The end of summer used to come with some crushing disappointments (so long, beach waves). But for those of us with children in the house, it feels like a good time to breathe a sigh of relief because back to school season is before us (so long, kids). The glory of back to school means you don’t have to balance as much when it comes to work and parenting, or shell out hundreds of dollars for camps, or worry with just how the heck to keep your rambunctious mess-makers occupied all day, every day. My, how you’ve aged.

No matter what the beginning of the school year means for you—more time to work or more time for keeping up with the day to day tasks of running a family home—it’s totally okay to relish the start of school. Maybe even celebrate it a little. Here are things you should definitely do to embrace the kids being back in school:

Grab a drink by the water at Boathouse Canton.
If there were ever a reason to sit by the water with a drink in your hand until you tip over (just kidding!), back to school week is it. Boathouse in Canton is much loved for its beautiful views, outdoor patio, tasty bites, and solid drink choices, making it the perfect place to celebrate, whether noon or night. While the restaurant is open year round, the smaller, down-to-earth dock bar is only open through October. So, if you’re planning to hit up a happy hour, complete with live music, fruity crushes, and beautiful outdoor weather, back to school season is the perfect time of year. Sans kids, of course.

Try a new workout at The Movement Lab.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock (or a couple of wild children, more than likely), you’ve probably heard about the amazing workout classes happening at The Movement Lab in Remington. With so many options like kickboxing, jazz dance, various kinds of yoga, and antigravity suspension classes, it will be tough to pick just one. No worries, though: You can utilize the $99 Fall Reset Special for new students and try them all.

Get some work done at Zeke’s.
The much-loved coffee joint, which expanded to a larger spot on Harford Road in Hamilton last year, is still the home of Baltimore’s best cup of joe. Go for the coffee, stay for the pastries and laptop-friendly atmosphere. And while you’re at it, take home a refillable cold brew growler. Whether you just need a quick coffee, a place to hang out, a spot to schedule a meeting, or to spend the day typing away, Zeke’s has everything you need for all those not-so-lonesome, kid-free school days.

Enjoy a cut and a color at Tease Salon.
The start of a new school year means new clothes, shoes, and hair cuts for the kids. But what about for you? If you haven’t gotten your tresses chopped by the amazing hair-artists at Tease Salon on York Road in Cockeysville yet, now is the perfect time to book your first appointment. Owner Jenny Newberger is a master stylist, who will make your hair do all the right things. But the artists at the shop don’t shy away from funky cuts and all kinds of color, either. So, if you want some red hot streaks to start the school year off right, don’t be afraid to ask.

Meet a friend at The Handlebar Cafe.
Baltimoreans love their bikes. But they also love a great local spot to grab a bite with a pal, complete with quality brews, The Handlebar Cafe in Fells Point, with it’s cool, bike-savvy vibe, has it all. With a built-in bike shop, a badass bar, and a delicious menu filled with tons of healthy options and a dozen wood-fired pizza options to choose from, there’s something for everyone (and no training wheels necessary).

Embrace self-care with Zeel.
If you’ve been telling yourself you’re going to finally get that massage you’ve been dreaming of for months, wait no more. Zeel, a new massage-on-demand app that caters to the Baltimore area, lets you book an at-home massage with just a couple of swipes. The price, including tip, is quite reasonable and you can even book a same day massage, so it truly is “on-demand.” You massuer will bring their own table and when you’re massage is done, they’ll be out the door in minutes. We can think of no better way to ring in the new school year.

Kids don’t know how good they have it. At the end of every summer, like clockwork, they basically get a whole new wardrobe—and somebody else pays for it! We’ve picked out some clothing and gear so cute and fashionable, your little learners might actually thank you.

The first day of school is usually a whirlwind of anxiety for parents, students, and teachers, but one local school has an annual tradition that takes the edge off those first-day jitters. For the past 13 years, City Neighbors Charter School—and its satellite locations City Neighbors Hamilton and City Neighbors High School—greet each student a warm back-to-school welcome and a flower as they enter the building.  

“When we first opened City Neighbors, we were so focused on creating a public school that was filled with love, beauty, and possibility,” said Bobbi Macdonald, executive director for City Neighbors Foundation. “Every year, on opening day, we hand a wildflower to each student walking in the door. When they get to their classroom, they put them in the vase—each group making a unique bouquet.”

Ever year, it begins with Macdonald’s 5 a.m. trip to Claymore C. Sieck Wholesale Florist to pick out hundreds of wildflowers for the students. When the first bell chimes at 8 a.m., students from kindergarten to high school flock to the entrances with their parents to begin the new school year.

City Neighbors Charter School was founded in the fall of 2005 with 120 students enrolled in grades K-5. Today, the school has expanded to include another elementary/middle school founded in 2009, and a high school founded in 2010 serving more than 800 children. 

The annual practice of distributing flowers has become a family tradition at each of the schools, including the high school. Berber Poplin, mother of first and third grade students at City Neighbors, said she looks forward to it each year—maybe more than her girls.

“I think it’s amazing. I always take pictures,” she said. “The kids love it so much, it’s really sweet. They really like giving the teacher a flower.”

Similarly, another parent expressed her love of the tradition and said that her five-year-old has been looking forward to this day for the nearly two years. 

“She would see it walking into school with her older sister,” said Sharalyne Weber. “Now it’s her first year of kindergarten, so she was so excited to give a flower to her teacher.”

Every wildflower given is a symbolic representation of the student carrying it. At the end of the day, each teacher takes home a beautiful arrangement of different wildflowers that embodies the diverse students in the class.

“We encourage children to be empowered by knowledge and thinking for their own lives and for the good of the community,” Macdonald said. “This tradition is something is a small piece of that. This small gesture shows diversity, integration, and love—that’s what we like to promote here.”

Back-to-school season usually begins in July with children pouting and parents dancing down the aisles of Target as they load up carts with supplies to send the children back to school at the end of August.

But this year, in Maryland, the shopping has commenced a little later and children are in camp a little longer because of an executive order issued in October 2016 by Governor Larry Hogan stating that the 24 public school districts in Maryland cannot begin before Labor Day.

“The Labor Day holiday weekend is an exclusively American institution that has served, both symbolically and practically, as our nation’s traditional end of summer,” he wrote in the executive order. “The policy of constructing the public school (kindergarten through 12th grade) calendars so that classes begin prior to the Labor Day holiday has imperiled this venerable tradition.”

Some local residents are having mixed feelings about the switch, like Jen Hauser, mother of two students at Rodgers Forge Elementary School. She said she loves the idea that her kids can “just be kids” a little while longer, but also understands the inconvenience it causes other parents.

“The constant running from one place to another will consume their lives when they are adults. For now, I love to see the creativity that comes from unscheduled routine,” she said. “But I do realize that for working parents, it’s another week to obtain daycare. I wish this was an equally affordable option for everyone.”

Governor Hogan believes that the post-Labor Day start will be good for businesses and families, but this order counters the trend in other parts of the country that start school earlier in an effort to bridge the socioeconomic gap and limit the amount of time working families have to pay for child care.

Prior to the executive order, a task force including teachers, administrators, and business leaders, was created by the Maryland General Assembly to examine the administrative and economic implications of a later start. Results identified only economic benefits—an additional $74.3 million in direct activity—and found no academic consequences, so the group voted to approve the new date.

Denise Mitchell, administrative secretary at Highlandtown Elementary/Middle School, believes that August is the best time to go back to school because children lose so much information over the summer. 

“Starting school after Labor Day is only for financial gain,” she said. “Society is complaining about not having enough vacation time or making enough money because of the early start date. Educating our children during their formative years should be the first priority for every adult. Our children need to be able to function in this ever-changing world.” 

For some, the start date isn’t the problem. Under Hogan’s new order, schools must complete the required 180 days of instruction by June 15. President of the Baltimore Teachers Union, Marietta English, said the hard end date complicates things.

“We already have two snow days built into the curriculum, but we can’t predict the weather,” she says. “Winter break and spring break are contractually set, so our professional development days will be impacted in order to end school on time.”

In an effort to resolve any calendar conflicts that may arise, Hogan has included an option for school districts to apply for an annual waiver that would permit a school to begin before Labor Day or end later than June 15. In order to obtain the waiver, the local board of education must apply to the state board citing “compelling justifications” for the exemption.

Such reasons could include charter schools with innovative schedules, low-performing or at-risk schools, and districts with 10 emergency or weather-related closings twice in the past five years. The school board must then hold at least one public meeting to consider the waiver and have it approved.

However, no school in the state has been granted the waiver this year and all Maryland public schools will be back in session on September 5.

“I am optimistic,” English said. “I think this will be a good school year, no matter when we start and stop.”