👻😳 Boston’s spooky side is showing ...

🤺 En garde, B-Siders! The Boston Fencing Club is giving one B-Side member two classes, two private lessons, and a one-month membership for FREE (an almost $600 value!). 

📝 Here’s the plan: All members will receive an email containing a form to claim the prize at 7 a.m. on Wednesday. If you fill it out first, you win! Become a member here to get in on the deal.

🥳 And a happy belated B-Side b-day to Zazu Janoowalla! If you play your cards right, your birthday present could look like this!

👀 What’s on tap today:

Up first…

T-17 days till Halloween. But who’s counting? (Us). 

It’s time to trade your PSLs for something with a little more … fang. So ditch the bar crawls full of sexy cats — here’s your guide to the good stuff this Halloween season:

🥳 If you LOVE a good Halloween party … This map lays out ALL the spooky block parties happening around Boston as part of the city’s Spooky Streets initiative. From parades to candy parties, there’s something for everyone (and they’re all free). 

🎥 If horror movies are your love language … Your heart will feel pretty full after the Coolidge’s Halloween Horror Marathon on Oct. 25. Picture: 12 hours of back-to-back 35mm creature-features, kicking off with “Creature from the Black Lagoon.” Expect terrifying trailers, a costume contest, and more. 

🐶 If your pooch has been begging to dress up … Gear up for Downtown Crossing’s Doggone Halloween parade on Oct. 25. The pups do NOT hold back, with awards for cutest, scariest, and best dog and human/child duo up for grabs. 

📚 If you get lost in spooky stories … Harvard Book Store’s “After Dark” event on Oct. 30 was made for you. They’re literally turning off the lights so you can explore the stacks in the dark to find a new read (yes, flashlights will be provided).

💃 If you’re looking for a dance-your-heart-out in costume moment … The Envoy’s Rooftop is turning into the “Tower of Terror” on Oct. 25 and 26 with Boston's best house DJs; this witches and zombies Boston Harbor Halloween cruise on Oct. 31 is packed with poppin’ DJ sets; and Dani’s Queer Bar is hosting its own Halloween throwdown on Oct. 31.

🧱 If you miss Halloween as a kid … LEGO Discovery Center Boston is throwing a haunted Halloween adult night on Oct. 29 complete with a Halloween-themed building competition, sweet LEGO prizes, and more. 

🎃 If you go wild for Halloween decor … The Making Friends After College group is hosting a free walking tour around Beacon Hill on Oct. 29 to take in the best displays. But if you want a little more ~history~, the Beacon Hill with a BOO! walking tour on Oct. 31 reveals the neighborhood’s mysterious, dark legacy (think: serial killers and ghosts). Bonus: There are spots left on Halloween proper!

😅 If you think dating in Boston is scary … This Halloween-themed “It’s a Date” comedy show on Nov. 1 might be your worst nightmare. Imagine: Four blindfolded singles flirting on stage while the audience throws in spicy questions. And yes … everyone will be in costume. 

💅 If you love dressing up no matter the season … Aeronaut Brewing is back with its Halloween-themed drag night on Oct. 29 starring Dykelangelo, Queens Coleslaw, and Severity Stone. And Jacques Cabaret is going full Dracula (rather, Jacque-ula) on Nov. 1.

❄️ 🏂 Yes, it’s still kinda warm outside. No, that won’t stop us. Snowbound Expo (Nov. 14–16) is the ultimate kickoff to winter, bringing 22,000 skiers, riders, and pros under one roof at the Menino Convention & Exhibition Center in Seaport. Shop 250 brands, catch Olympians like Zeb Powell and Amie Engerbretson on stage, and let the kids loose at family zones. Tickets are usually $32 — but score them for just $5/day or $10 all weekend with code BSIDE (kids under 12 are free!).

☔ Our wet and wild long weekend ends today. But Mother Nature didn’t go down without a fight … She dumped over six inches of rain over parts of Southern New England, blew 40 to 65 mph wind gusts, and cancelled HUNDREDS of flights out of Logan. And while the last bits of the storm should wrap up this morning, just a heads up: Quincy and Winthrop ferry service is suspended today due to rough seas (tbh, don’t be shocked if they’re cancelled again), and your commute might be slower than usual! 

🏡 This new affordable housing in Cambridge looks SICK. Twelve stories, a rooftop terrace, energy-efficient materials. Nope, that’s not a ritzy Seaport apartment, it could be a new affordable housing project near Porter Square (yes, all 73 apartments would be for low- and middle-income residents). This project has been years in the making (not without some grumbles), and just needs the city’s sign-off on design. Then it will pursue financing. Assuming all goes to plan, there’s hope it could serve as a symbol for what’s possible for the future of affordable housing.

🍷 Pour one out for The Urban Grape. This one hurts: The award-winning South End wine shop closed last week after negotiations with their lender deteriorated. It’s a HUGE loss for the community, as the shop held 1,500+ wine tasting events, was a major champion for diversity in the wine industry, and was considered one of the best wine shops in Boston. So here’s an opening to make you feel better: Pixlcat Coffee, a beloved San Francisco coffee shop known for its Hawaiian-style butter mochi and lattes, is now live in Charlestown.

🍌 Out: Football: In Banana Ball. The iconic Savannah Bananas are shipping up to Gillette Stadium (!) for the first time ever on August 28 and 29 as part of their 2026 World Tour. The Bananas will be taking on a brand new team (the Loco Beach Coconuts), complete with everything from twerk-filled choreography to breakdancing coaches. You can sign up for the ticket lottery now through Oct. 31 for the chance to buy tickets. But don’t get too excited: The drawing won’t take place until ~two months before the games (i.e., June 2026).

Think of your health accounts as short-term vs. long-term players. FSAs expire at the end of the year, so use them on checkups or essentials before they disappear. HSAs, on the other hand, roll over and grow like savings. Use your FSA for today, your HSA for tomorrow, and stretch your dollars further.

😱 Welcome Boston’s “Official Pumpkins.” Boston Public Market is celebrating its 10th b-day in the most on-brand way possible: giant gourds delivered via forklift. They’ll be rolling in around noon TODAY. Spoiler: The squash is 1,573 pounds!

🧙 Watch a bunch of hocus pocus … literally. The Anchor is getting into the *spooky spirit* with a free outdoor screening of “Hocus Pocus” on Oct. 15.

🎃 Carve a pumpkin without the clean up. Time Out Market’s pumpkin-carving night on Oct. 15 is mess-free adult crafting at its finest. Your ticket gets you a fresh pumpkin, carving tools, and a $10 ticket to use at the bar. 

🎳 Strike up your Thirsty Thursday plans. King’s just launched a new “BBB” deal on Thursdays: Get an hour of bowling, a burger, and a beer or bubbles for just $30!

🍸 Shake (or stir) your new favorite fall cocktail. Shameless plug: There are a few tickets left to our cocktail-making class on Oct. 16 at Trillium. Yes, B-Side members can save $5!

✨ Call in good vibes this spooky season. You can decorate your own manifestation jars at Trident Bookseller on Oct. 16 (it’s only $12, and they provide supplies!).

🖼️ Whip out your student ID, baby! ‘Cause we’re going to the ICA! Oct. 17 is the contemporary art museum’s college night, stacked with live music, art-making, Levain cookies (!), and more.

😂 See a spooky (and very silly) comedy show. The Rockwell Horror Show on Oct. 17 is brimming with sketches, special guests, live music, and of course, some nods to “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” and “The House on Haunted Hill.

🏋️ Clock out at 5 and meet us at Big Night Live. Just a heads up: On Oct. 28, we're teaming up with Blue Cross Blue Shield for B-Well, a FREE wellness event. Expect a 45-minute sculpt class, snacks and drinks, and healthcare activations.

May we introduce … the First Lady of New England. Meet: Ann Michael Maye. Yes, that’s THE wife and middle-school sweetheart of our lord and savior — a.k.a. Patriots quarterback — Drake Make. 

Like most football WAGs, she dabbles in the influencer world by sharing bits of her life online, seemingly flying under the radar with her wholesome baking videos and day-in-my-life vlogs. (Important: She seems so … normal?!) 

Unsurprisingly, Pats fans caught onto her account, crowning her the unofficial “First Lady of New England.” And let’s just say, they’re taking her new status very seriously. 

A quick scroll through the comments on her jalapeno cheddar sourdough video reveals gems like “please make sure not to put too many jalapenos in so Drake’s stomach doesn’t get upset,” “give Drake a kiss on the cheek and tell him I love him for me please,” and “make sure my king enjoys a piece before his flight.” 

So with a new First Lady anointed, we think it's safe to say … the Patriots are SO back.

— Written by Emily Schario and Claire Nicholas

🍞 Thanks for reading! In a world of WAGs, be an Ann Michael Maye.

💜 Special shoutout to today's sponsor, Snowbound Expo, for supporting local journalism and already getting us hyped for winter 2025. 

☀️ The results are in: And it turns out most readers are TRUE New Englanders. 64% said they’d take a sunny weekend in the 20s over a rainy weekend in the 70s. Case and point: “I don’t care what the weather is doing, as long as it’s warm.” RT!

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