😘💅 All aboard Barbie’s dreamboat!

🌆 POV: You’re hearing “but the Charles meets the sun” while the Charles meets the sun. Yes, we cried.

🍫 Also, we’re running it back on one of our most popular meetups. Join B-Side Members for another free exclusive of Taza Chocolate’s Somerville factory on July 25. Explore the stone-ground chocolate maker's facility to learn about the millstone grinding process and indulge in some super-fresh samples. Tickets drop in tomorrow’s Member newsletter!

👀 What’s on tap today:

Up first…

It’s been a busyyyyyy week. And your weekend is about to get even busier (in all the best ways, of course).

Here’s what’s happening:

🎥 Flex your movie knowledge muscles. If you know the muffin man, strut your “Shrek” expertise at the Boston Public Market’s free trivia sesh on July 10. Or if you’d rather come to the cottage, head to Trident on July 11 to see how much you know about “Heated Rivalry.” 

🐞 Wallow in your sad bug summer. Translation: Order the Noah Kahan-inspired Sad Boy Sundae at Madeleine’s Candy Shop (which has a maple creemee base!) now through July 11. Or camp out at Fenway all weekend for Folk Fest from July 10-11, featuring dozens of local live performers and even a concert ticket giveaway. 

🧘 Unwind with a deep breath … then a beer. Bring your mat to Remnant Brewing for an outdoor yoga class on July 11. Can’t make it? Try Cisco Brewer’s yoga sculpt on July 12. 

🎭 Work on your improv skills. Join the Improv Gym on July 11, a.k.a. a weekly drop-in class to practice your “yes and” + other ad-lib techniques. Beginners are welcome!

🩷 Bend and snap! Channel your inner Elle Woods at Blackbird Doughnuts’ “Legally Blonde”-themed Red, White & Blonde party on July 11. Get ready for Y2K bops, free doughnuts, AND a costume contest. Bonus points if you bring your Bruiser!

💃 Dance the night away … before midnight. Enter: The Earlybirds Club. This one’s for the retired party gals who definitely booked a 6 a.m. pilates class (guilty). Wear your all-black fits and Doc Martens for a post-punk ‘80s night (think: The Cure, New Order, Depeche Mode) at the Sinclair on July 11. 

🛍️ Treat yo’self at the market. First, a double-header on July 11: Backgarden’s local art market in Cambridge, and Dorchester Sunset Flea Market for rare finds and community resources. Then browse more handmade goodies at the MAUM Market in Seaport on July 12, ft. 40+ Asian-owned brands. 

💅 Party in Barbie’s Dreamhouse BOAT. All aboard this three-level Barbie Pink Party Cruise on July 11 for the hottest summer bash. Expect drinks, DJs, a snack bar, and panoramic views. The dress code? Pink (obv), neon, and high-ponies.

🚶 Strut your stuff down Newbury Street. Yup, Open Newbury Street is BACK July 12. So this is your sign to go for a ~chill~ car-free walk by your fave shops and vendors. Speaking of car-free, here’s a code for $5 Bluebikes credit that you can redeem July 11: BCBSBOSTON250. You’re welcome! 

📖 Zhuzh up your journal. The Boston Stationery Club is bringing stickers, markers, and more art supplies for a journal-decorating night on July 12. Bonus: They’re also giving you a gel pen and your own washi tape roll to take home. 

🇯🇲🔥 A whole weekend of Caribbean flavor and music? Yes, and yes again. Boston JerkFest is taking over July 11-13, bringing together the best Caribbean food vendors, live reggae, Soca performances, and a full lineup of cultural celebration. Come hungry, dance the weekday work stress off, and explore vendors slinging everything from jerk chicken to oxtail to tropical cocktails. Get your tickets here!

🥵 Annnnnd … we have another heat advisory … Luckily, it won’t be *record-breaking* temps, but we’re back to cranking the AC with 90-degree temps and humidity. Friday will also probably look a bit wet, with scattered showers and heavier downpours later in the day. The good news: We’re gearing up for some of THE best weather so far this summer. Saturday and Sunday will have mostly sunny skies and stay beautifully around the low- to mid-80s. And if you want to go for a swim this weekend, the water temps are apparently *perfection*. 

🍻 Could Boston keep the 3 a.m. closing time?! City Councilor Brian Worrell filed a measure that would allow restaurants and bars to sell booze till 3 a.m. permanently. With sales up and nightlife thriving over the last few weeks, he argues it would boost our economy, keep young people in the city, and support the hospitality industry. Even Mayor Wu is Team Later Closing Time! But if it goes through the city council, it still has to face approval from the state legislature, which is another conversation …

⚾ Boston’s giving “A League of Their Own.” Meet the Boston Hunters, your new women’s pro baseball team!!! Named after Harriot K. Hunt, a.k.a. the first woman to apply to Harvard Med and establish a successful medical practice in the country, the Hunters are one of four inaugural teams in the league, along with NY, SF, and LA, and will play their first game on Aug. 2. But unfortunately, all WPBL games this season will be played in … Springfield … Illinois. And a lot of their cute new merch is already sold out … so we need a restock STAT!

Today’s palate cleanser: This seal pup riding a boogie board?! No, seriously. This little guy was seen chillin’ and ridin’ the waves off the coast of Old Orchard Beach, Maine, over Fourth of July weekend. 

According to a Facebook post from Keeper Charters, a fishing and sightseeing company, “this juvenile” (lol) apparently hijacked a boogie board from a tourist, then proceeded to shred the gnar nearly all the way home to his colony on Stratton Island, about three miles away.

Shockingly enough, this is not the first time we’ve heard of seals mischievously finding ways to shred some waves.

Butttttt doesn’t he look so cute doing it? Just look at these photos!

— Written by Kelly Chan and Emily Schario

🦭 Thanks for reading! That seal has more swag than a Southie boy fr.

💜 Special shoutout to today's sponsor, Boston JerkFest, for supporting local journalism and bringing the heat (and the vibes) all weekend long.

🍗 The results are in: 31% of B-Siders’ fave fast-food fried chicken spot is Chick-fil-A (sorry, we’re Cane’s girls). One reader said: “Not fast food, but you can try my favorite fried chicken sandwich at PKL/Pig Beach at B-Side’s Best Day Ever!!” Here’s our shameless plug to get your tix!  

💃 Keep up with us @BostonBSide on IG, TikTok, and X. Send comments and suggestions to [email protected] and [email protected].