🥵🌶️ Is Boston ... spicy?

🌳 If this beautiful weather isn’t inspiration enough to get outdoorsy … How about a free ticket to the Boston Outdoor Expo this weekend, (featuring speakers, exhibitors, and more) with code BSIDE? Grab them here.

👀 What’s on tap today:

Up first…

Boston may not exactly be known for its spicy food. But in the words of Jon Kasper, the organizer of the Boston Sauce Party: “I don’t think Boston is mild by any stretch.” 

And with not one, but two spice festivals coming to town, he might just be right.

Here’s what to know:

🌶️ The Boston Sauce Party is a celebration of hot sauce. The two-day event is coming to Harpoon Brewery’s Beer Hall this weekend for its third year. There’ll be 24 sauce vendors from across the Northeast to sample, along with coveted spice awards (think: the “Wicked Pissah” for the best overall and the “Green Monster” for the best verde sauce). And if you’re feeling brave, you can partake in the party’s spicy eating competitions, like the “marshmallows from hell,” spiked pizza-eating, and wing challenges.

🥵 And we’re not just talking about sriracha or Cholula … Vermont’s Butterfly Bakery is sure to be a notable newbie, according to Kasper. They make an “amazing” small-batch hot sauce with flavors from maple coffee (yup, you read that right) to sweet chili miso. As for heavy-hitter returners, look out for Karma Hot Sauce out of upstate N.Y., which took home two of the festival’s three awards last year — not to mention that three of their sauces have been featured on the iconic YouTube series “Hot Ones.”

🔥 And if you need a second dose of spice in your life … The Rhythm N' Spice Hot Sauce Fest of Global Flavors has you covered. The folks from Boston’s Jerkfest are the brains behind this event on May 4, which is all about centering “more ethnic diversity and more women” in the hot sauce world, said Nicole Williams, the festival’s producer. While there will be plenty o’ hot sauce, the festival will also feature live music and dancing, local artisan goods, food trucks, demonstrations, and an expo focused on cuisine that uses spice innovatively.

💃 Overwhelmed by choice paralysis? Some of the vendors Williams is excited about include Curio Spice Co., a woman-owned spice company that creates and sources spices from around the world; Rupee Beer, a brewing company that specializes in Indian-style beer made to pair with spicy foods; and DecorScoop Ice Cream, which makes off-the-beaten path ice cream flavors like Chai Tea Treasure or Ginger Peach Party.

🎟️ Wanna go? You can grab tickets to the Boston Sauce Party here, or the Rhythm N' Spice Hot Sauce Fest of Global Flavors here.

🎓She may not have the answer, but you can find it yourself at Stonehill College. With a vast network of alumni (including B-Side’s very own Emily Schario) and seasoned mentors at your fingertips, you’ll have the guidance and support you need to conquer any obstacle or achieve any goal. Learn more about how you can start your journey at Stonehill College today and unlock your full potential.

🏈 Could this be the first step of the Pats’ comeback season? We can only hope. Round one of the NFL Draft was last night, and the Pats used their first No. 3 pick in decades to nab Drake Maye, a talented QB out of UNC with a lot of potential. Despite some rumblings about trading down if the Giants or Vikings gave a good enough offer, Maye was a more-or-less expected choice by the Pats, who desperately need a franchise QB. Now it's onto nights two and three.

⛺ Over 100 people were arrested at Emerson’s pro-Palestinian encampment. Early Thursday morning, Boston Police officers made 108 arrests and forcibly removed the college’s encampment at Boylston Place alley. This news comes after the college received earlier warnings that “imminent law enforcement action” was on the way. Officials cited the encampment’s location in a public right-of-way and a human barricade as violations of city ordinances. Meanwhile, another encampment has popped up at Northeastern, which quickly drew a university police presence.

⚽ Lionel Messi sold out Saturday’s match at Gillette  … even though he might not play. The New England Revolution are facing off against Inter Miami, who may or may not have soccer GOAT Lionel Messi on their starting lineup. Why not? Gillette has a turf field, which is thought to put players at a higher risk for injury versus grass, and has caused star players to sit out Revolution games in the past. But those odds haven’t stopped nearly 60,000 fans from dropping a pretty penny for the chance to see Messi play in person.

🚇 When one MBTA shutdown begins, another … gets longer. Blue Liners, we’re sorry. Your shutdown between Airport and Wonderland stations has been extended for another two days, until April 30, to give the MBTA more time to get rid of those pesky slow zones. And Orange Liners, by now, you know the drill. This weekend, regular service will be replaced by shuttle buses between Forest Hills and Ruggles. But on the bright side, the Commuter Rail will be fare-free between Forest Hills and South Station during that time.

🎭 See a Tony award-winning show. The critically acclaimed play “A Strange Loop” is opening tonight at the Wimberly Theatre, and there are still some cheap tickets left for shows this weekend.

🇯🇵 Spend your days off in Kyoto … without leaving the city. Japan Festival Boston is taking over the Common this Saturday and Sunday, with tons of authentic food, music, and performances.

✨ Get your sparkle on. The Glitter Boys, a DJ duo, are coming to Roadrunner this Saturday for a Vegas-themed show. Expect music, dancing, casino-style games, and yes, a lot of glitter.

👗 See ‘Project Runway’ IRL. JP’s Diversity Consignment is putting on season two of their “Project Reworked Runway” show this Saturday, where local designers compete head-to-head live.

💋 Find your Cinderella story … even if you don’t look like Cinderella. Read My Lips Boston, a pop-up bookstore specializing in diverse romance, is going to be at Lamplighter Brewing tonight.

🎉 Want more things to do recommendations? Refer five friends to unlock three bonus items. For those who already have, enjoy below.

When the T is running late, have you ever considered how it feels? Yeah, neither have we. 

But John Sanchez and Arielle Lok believe that that kind of empathy might be the secret to repairing our relationship with Boston’s transit system. 

So, naturally, they’re putting together a campaign to put googly eyes on every train.

If the T can’t be reliable, the pair say, at least it can be sympathetic. The eyes will serve a dual purpose of giving the trains some personality and bringing joy to the commuters who are so often let down by the system.

And if this feels like a cause you can get behind, they’re holding a march on Monday afternoon to get some eyes on their mission (literally). 

— Written by Gia Orsino

👀 Thanks for reading! As silly as it is, I think I would be happier if I could look into the T's eyes.

💜 Special shoutout to today's sponsor, Stonehill College, for supporting local journalism and giving graduates the resources they need to succeed in the workplace.

🏠 The results are in: 40% of B-Siders say that buying their parents home wouldn’t be their first choice, for many different reasons. One reader said: “My parents' house is in Florida, and I would rather eat my shoes than move back to Florida.”

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