Plus: 🤫 A $5 million secret
By Gia Orsino, The B-Side and Emily Schario, The B-Side
Happy Friday, Boston!
🚲 Still working on Mother’s Day plans? Take mom for a spin!Every Sunday in May, you can get a limited amount of $5 Bluebikes credits using the codeBLUECROSSHEALTHfollowed by the date (so, BLUECROSSHEALTH12 this week).
🚇But maybe don’t take her on the Red Line …Shuttle buses will replaceservice between Broadway and North Quincythis weekend. Worst gift ever.
👀What’s on tap today:
- The House’s $5 million secret
- Boston’s hottest tickets
- The MFA’s newest artists
Up first…
MOTHER’S DAY
We got it for our mama
Illustration: Gia Orsino.
Mother. Mom. Mum. Momma. Mommy. Madre. Or if you’re from around here: Ma.No matter how you say it, here’s how to celebrate all the moms in your life this weekend:
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💐Skip panic-buying leftover flowers at Market Basket (we’ve been there).Instead, make your own bouquet at thisMother’s Day flower-arranging workshopat Bully Boy Distillers taught by local floristRebecca Allamey. Or, just scrap the flowers and make moma doughnut bouquet(!) at the Boston Public Market on Saturday. Red Apple Farm’s award-winning cider doughnuts are the base to this tasty alternative, which you can customize with different glazes and sprinkles.
🦆Celebrate ma the Boston way.Step one: Make way for all the little ducklings, a.k.a. hundreds of adorable kiddos dressed in duck costumes, at theDuckling Day paradeon the Common. Step two: Head to the Arnold Arboretum for its iconicLilac Sunday celebration, where you can sniff their collection of over 400 lilacs. And be sure to bring lunch — it’s the only day of the year the arboretum allows picnicking.
🪴Plant moms can add a new kid to the fam.The Mattapan branch of the Boston Public Library is partnering up with Emerald Plant City Shop on Saturday fora free tropical plant giveaway. Note: The event runs from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and plants are available on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last. It’s going down rain or shine.
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🐶Millennial women, assemble!Having a fur baby makes you eligible for Mother’s Day (at least it does at B-Side), and nothing says “I ruv you, mom” like a peanut butter “lick painting.” You can help your pup make one for the dog mom in your life atPark-9 Dog Bar’s Big Pig BBQ. Or, if you’re already heading toCity Tap House for Mother’s Day brunch, canine mommas can grab a bag of treats to further solidify the title of BFF with their pup.
😋And of course, make sure to treat mom to a nice meal.If you’re a little late to the Mother’s Day brunch-booking game (guilty), OpenTable hasthis incredibly helpful toolwhere you can see which restaurants still have openings. If you still can’t decide, Boston Chefs assembledthis list of Mother’s Day specialsand prix fixe meals.
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TOGETHER WITH THE MASSACHUSETTS STATE TREASURY
Discover big, shop small
🛍️💸Finding unclaimed funds then visiting a local small biz is Small Business Month magic.Search your namewith the Massachusetts State Treasury today and uncover lost bank accounts, uncashed checks, and more just waiting to be spent at your favorite local boutiques, restaurants, and farmers markets. Who knows, you might even discover enough riches to kickstart your very own small business in the process.
CITY
Quick & dirty headlines
Image: Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe
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🤫The Mass. House budget has a $5 million secret.Five of Mass.’ highest ranking House Democrats slipped about$5 million in undisclosed fundingfor their own districts and pet projects into the budget proposal this year. This practice of earmarking is actually pretty common among top lawmakers, who meet yearly behind closed doors to add their last-minute items to the budget’s cart (think: $175,000 to repair a castle in Gloucester), knowing other legislators won’t have time to scrutinize them. You can check outyour representative’s earmarkshere.
🚦Turn right on red? Not in Cambridge.After the City Council decided to ban the maneuverback in 2022, officials have been working to enforce it by installing “no turn on red” signs at every red light. The cityrecently wrapped up the job, meaning if you’re now driving or biking in Cambridge, you can no longer legally go right on red at any intersection. This move is part of the “Vision Zero” plan to eliminate all severe traffic-related injuries on the city’s roads, which have seen an average of 157 major crashesa yearsince 2019.
⬆️ Cambridge is finally growing up.Construction just began on what will eventually be thecity’s tallest building, at 450 feet (for perspective, Boston’s John Hanco*ck Tower stands at 790 feet, while NYC’s Empire State Building is a whopping 1,454 feet). The new residential building will house 439 rental units, 20% of which will be offered as affordable housing and another 5% as middle-income housing. Plus, it’ll also feature a sky deck, a garden lounge, a library, and a dog run.
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🎟️ Boston’s got more than a few hot tickets.And today’s the day to get ’em. First off, Lana Del Rey’s first-ever headlining stadium show in the U.S. is at Fenway on June 20, and ticketsgo on saletoday at 10 a.m. Next, the Broadway hit “Parade” is coming to Boston next spring, and ticketsgo on sale today at noon. Finally, the hottest ticket of them all: the Dunkin’ Spiked Day of the DJ, a mini-daytime electronic music festival with Dunkin’ spiked bevs a-plenty, is next weekend. You cangrab tickets here.
THINGS TO DO
Weekend plans
Image: The Boston Globe
🎸See an acclaimed indie band — for free.Guster will play alive setat Somerville’s Porchfest on Saturday, right down the street from their old digs.
🛍️ Celebrate the beginning of open market season.TheSeaport Summer Marketis kicking off this weekend, featuring a wide assortment of primarily women and BIPOC vendors.
🏃Hit up Boston’s newest run club.We’re Not Really Runners Boston is putting onmultiple runs a weekfor all levels — including this weekend! Plus, after every run, they grab a treat.
🌤️ Bask in the city’s spring vibes.Charlestown’s Hood Park is having a (free!)spring feston Saturday, with food trucks, a dog park, a petting zoo, crafts, and live music.
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🕺Throw it back (literally and figuratively).The Seaport’s hosting an80’s-themed spring flingon Saturday afternoon with live music, sweet treats, and even spring fling royalty. And did we mention it’s free?
ONE LAST THING
The MFA’s newest piece
Image: Sean Fennessy. Illustration: Emily Schario.
Tonight, for one night only, a new painting is coming to the MFA.The piece will be created during a live demonstration as a collaboration between two artists, Basia and Omuzana, who each have a unique, child-like style of painting that have sold piecesfor up to $40,000.
Oh, and did we mention they’re both robot dogs?
Yes, that’s right. Two AI-powered robot dogs from Boston Dynamics are going to be live painting at the MFA this weekend all on their own. Perhaps you’ve already seen their sibling, Spot,dancingor (terrifyingly)picking up trashbefore. It turns out they can now create simple paintings, too.
Their work will only be available to view tonight, so if you’re intrigued, make sure tostop by.
— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario
🤖Thanks for reading!If you’re a bit AI-averse (like Gia), we wouldn’t recommend poking around on the Boston Dynamics YouTube channel, or else you might find videoslike this.
💜Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, theMassachusetts State Treasury, for helping residents reclaim what’s rightfully theirs.
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🛌The results are in:69% of B-Siders “rot” in at least a few times a week — if not everyday. One reader said: “Rotting is affordable and easy to do, which in Boston is a commodity.”
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