🤑 The best FREE things to do in July

🎶 Boston’s hottest mixtape just dropped. No literally. The city just released “Dear Summer Vol. 2,” an annual mixtape featuring songs and mixes from local artists and DJs. You can listen here (it’s actually super fun).

🚲 Also, as a reminder: We’re hosting a B-Side ride at SoulCycle Seaport at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. If you want to sign up, step one is to create a SoulCycle account, and step two is to sign up to spin here. We’ll see you there!

👀 What’s on tap today:

Up first…

Sooo … how’s your bank account doing after the Fourth of July weekend? Yeah, same … 

But shockingly, the only thing tighter this month is our social calendar, thanks to this list of free things to do around Boston.

Here’s what’s going down:

🎭 Shake up your summer nights with Shakespeare. Grab a chair and a blanket, cause we’re heading to the Common starting July 16 to watch The Commonwealth Shakespeare Company’s rendition of “The Winter’s Tale” as part of its annual Shakespeare on the Common series. Here are the Sparknotes: A king thinks his wife is sleeping with his buddy, so he imprisons her and banishes his infant daughter. But then his daughter comes back years later … drama!

🎟️ Just say “NO” to Ticketmaster. Noah Kahan resale seats cost more than what we’d sell our firstborn child for. So try these free options instead: Like to dance? The ICA’s Vinyl Nights are back starting July 12 showcasing some of Boston’s best all-vinyl DJs. Prefer country? Head to Southie on July 13 for Countryfest at The LOT. Just wanna vibe on the Esplanade? Stop by The Charles River Jazz Festival on July 14 for music from world-renowned jazz musicians. 

🏖️ See works of art made entirely of sand. Your sandcastle on its best day doesn’t stand a chance against these world-class sand sculptures at the International Sand Sculpting Festival at Revere Beach. I mean, just look at them. Plus, there’s gonna be food trucks, live music, rides, fireworks, and more, so definitely make a day of it from July 19-21.

🥾 Take a hike! Literally! We already shared the secrets of urban hiking around Boston, but if you need a hiking buddy (or two), try this seven-mile skyline group hike in the Fells led by a local on July 27. For something shorter, there’s a 2.2-mile group hike in Blue Hills Reservation on July 14.

✍️ Upgrade your notebook doodles. Aspiring artists will want to pencil in The Superette’s Sketch Sesh series on Tuesday nights this summer, where a local artist (and some occasional guest stars) will guide you through fun and easy drawing exercises alongside local live music. Plus, they’ll provide the supplies.

🍿 Add some more flicks to your outdoor movie nights bucket list. You can see “Legally Blonde” on July 13 and “The Marvels” on July 20 on the Pru’s South Garden. MIT Open Space Programming is showing “Shrek” on July 12 and “Back to the Future” on July 19. And “Clueless” will be playing at Boston Landing on July 25 (with free snacks!).

👀 Want more? You can find more in our Boston Globe Today segment here. 

🌊 🎶 If you’re fond of sand dunes and salty air … head to The Dunes on the Waterfront! Tucked away on the shores of Ogunquit, Maine, these charming summer cottages are perfect for anyone looking to lean into quintessential New England summer vibes. With amenities like a cozy fire pit, a heated pool, and access to beach cruisers, rowboats, and more, you’ll have everything you need for a getaway filled with relaxation (and yes, plenty of aesthetic pics for Insta). Book your stay now!

☕ The latest Karen Read trial tea is PIPING. Read’s lawyers have filed a motion to dismiss two of the three charges on the grounds that the deadlocked jury had unanimously agreed to acquit her of both second-degree murder and leaving the scene of a fatal accident. Jurors were allegedly split on the charge of manslaughter while operating a motor vehicle under the influence. Also: State Police Trooper Michael Proctor, the lead investigator in Karen Read’s case, has been suspended without pay after his duty status hearing on Monday, amid an internal affairs investigation into his handling of the case. 

🎓 BC is offering a new type of college experience. Enter: Messina College, an all-new, two-year undergraduate school from Boston College that’s kicking off classes this month. Messina is meant to give high achieving but disadvantaged students a classic, on-campus liberal arts experience and education without the price tag, offering financial and social support to their 110-student class that will help them along the way. And the cherry on top? If they maintain a 3.4 GPA at Messina, they’ll be able to transfer to BC to finish a bachelor’s degree. 

🏅 Team USA has some major Masshole representation. The Olympics kick off July 26, and there are going to be more than a few locals to watch. Some can't-miss competitors include Stoughton’s Frederick Richard and Worcester’s Stephen Nedoroscik, who earned two out of the five slots on the men’s gymnastics team (this video of Richard alone is enough to make us tune in); and Duxbury native and BU alum Ally Hammel, who helped the women’s field hockey team earn an Olympic berth by the skin of their teeth.

🪲 It’s bug bite season, people! And while tick and mosquito bites are certainly an annoyance, they can also be v serious. It’s just about that time for insect-borne diseases to spike, and right on cue, EEE and West Nile virus were recently detected in mosquito tests in Greater Boston, while Lyme Disease cases have more than tripled in recent years. So consider this your reminder to use approved bug spray, stay away from tall grass, and cover up when possible. Check out the Globe’s tick guide here.

Enter to win two tickets to the Esplanade Association's Summer Dock Party on July 18! If you have already referred a friend to B-Side (and they’ve accepted), you're eligible! To enter, just refer a friend and have them accept your invite by the end of the day on July 11th, 2024. Full details below*

18+. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Limit one entry per person. See Official Rules & an additional entry option here.

B-Side is a proud sponsor of the first-ever ‘Emerging Filmmaker Contest’ as part of the 10th Annual GlobeDocs Film Festival! Through August 15, filmmakers between the ages of 18 and 25 are invited to submit their short film for the chance to be featured in the "Local Shorts" program during the festival and receive a $1,000 prize. On top of all that, the winner’s film will be included in the FULL festival lineup and will join in conversation with other local filmmakers and a Globe reporter. Enter here today!

One of the area’s most iconic exports just announced his retirement. John Cena, famously of West Newbury, is ending his two-decade long pro-wrestling career after the 2025 season, per an announcement he made over the weekend. 

And don’t worry, we won’t knock you for having no idea that Cena didn’t retire years ago, as his career has expanded from wrestling to acting, hosting, and general do-gooding (see: setting a Guinness World Record for granting the most Make-A-Wish wishes at 650). Apparently, he’s been going strong through it all, performing with the WWE part-time since 2018. 

But the good news is that before he delivers his final “Attitude Adjustment,” he’s promised he’ll be going on a major farewell tour, the deets of which are very much TBD.

— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

💪Thanks for reading! If he’s coming to Boston, I’m buying tickets.

💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, The Dunes on the Waterfront, for supporting local journalism and offering New Englanders a slice of coastal paradise. 

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