🚣 Boston’s biggest boat bash is BACK

Happy Friday, Boston!

🚃 Everyone has a podcast these days … Including the T. No seriously, the transit agency just dropped the first episode of its aptly named podcast, Spilling the T, where GM Phillip Eng shares the T’s challenges ahead. And after the news we share below, I can only imagine what the next episode will be like …

🥳 Also: Happy early b-day to reader Colleen Hughes! Cheers to you, lady.

👀 What’s on tap today:

• GLX rock bottom

• Rainy weekend era

• Hocus Pocus in Salem

Up first...

EVENTS

Row, row, row your boat

Rain or shine, the world’s biggest two-day rowing event is on. 

Let’s talk the Head of the Charles:

🏅 HORC is the who’s who event of the year for rowing. Or, if you didn’t go to private school, the sport commonly known as “crew.” The HORC is one of the biggest, most highly anticipated events in the sport, “like … rowing Christmas,” said race co-chair Katherine Broderick. It kicks off today and runs through Sunday in the riverbed area between the BU Boathouse and Herter Park in Allston.

🏆 And there’s more to the weekend than watching the pros. Although the “champion” races, featuring national teams, the best collegiate rowers (like Syracuse and Harvard), and elite boat clubs are the weekend’s premier events, Broderick said watching 80+ youth boats try to navigate around the course (and each other) adds a fun, local element. Plus, the alumni races are great to cheer for if you attended any Boston-area school. Check the full schedule here.

🌧️ A little rain won’t stop the party, but be prepared for it. The demand for covered space will be very high, considering we’re facing a potential nor’easter this weekend, so if you’re planning on going, definitely bring an umbrella and raincoat. But, the show will almost certainly go on: The event was only canceled once for weather (during a hurricane in 1996).

👀 If you go, leave the car at home. To stake out the best spot with great views and vibes, Broderick said to take the Red Line to Harvard Square and head to the area between the Weeks and Anderson bridges. But for a quick peek, any bridge along the route is a safe bet. Just don’t try to drive there. Check out the regatta’s very helpful guide to spectating here.

• 🤯 Note: If you’re just hoping to see a crash — or at least some commotion (like me) — Eliot Bridge is the place to be.

🛍️ And unless you’re hardcore, skip the shopping and grab a bite instead. Attager Row, located next to the finish line in Herter Park, is the event’s primary shopping zone, but it can be pricey and mostly caters to crew and sport-specific shoppers, Broderick said. So unless you’re into sporty window shopping (or you need a new unisuit), stick to eats at the Weld Exhibition near Harvard, FALS Bar near the finish, or for about $15 a day, hit up Reunion Village.

— Written by Gia Orsino

POP QUIZ

🚣 What’s the name of the one person in the boat who doesn’t row?

TOGETHER WITH BOSTON SKI & SPORTS CLUB

Ski season is here

❄️ Think snow! Boston’s biggest winter kickoff party, Blizzard, is coming Thursday, Nov. 2 to Royale Boston. Join hundreds of winter enthusiasts and enjoy a night of entertainment, exhibits, and prizes from top resorts like Sunday River, Killington, Loon, Wachusett Mountain, and Steamboat. As a bonus, the first 500 attendees will score a free lift ticket and other top-notch swag — so grab your ticket today and use code BSide5 to save $5.

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

🚃 Just when we thought the GLX hit rock bottom… Phillip Eng, the T’s GM, announced the Green Line Extension is full of so many defects that workers will have to redo a key portion of the project. The culprit: Narrow tracks, which are the result of incorrectly placed plates that hold the rails in place. The other culprits: Unnamed previous MBTA officials who knew about the defects as early as April 2021 yet allowed the project to continue, plus a shoddy quality-control process that allowed issues to slip through the cracks.

🌧️ Looks like we’re still in our rainy weekend era. We hope you took advantage of the gorgeous weather Thursday because it looks like a nor’easter is brewing this weekend. A low-pressure system is forming over the Atlantic that’s expected to bring rain to Mass. throughout the entire weekend, with the worst weather to come on Saturday, so expect heavy rain and strong winds. That said, next week’s weather is looking gorgeous, albeit a little chilly. A perfect excuse to bust out your fall sweaters.

⚖️ The Mass. House passed a major gun bill. The bill, which unsurprisingly passed the House with flying colors, will tighten existing firearm laws, crack down on “ghost guns,” and prevent gun owners from carrying in specific circumstances (like when they’re drunk) and places (like schools or the State House). This bill is partially a response to last year’s Supreme Court decision threatening a Mass. law limiting public gun carriage. But before the bill becomes law, it’ll have to be reconciled with the Senate’s version, which is TBD.

⛳ Golfers, get ready to par-tee. Topgolf is set to open its first location in Mass. on Nov. 3. If you’re a Topgolf newb, it’s essentially a driving range with electronically tracked golf balls that automatically score your drive. The new, three-floor venue in Canton will be equipped with 90 hitting bays (with space to eat and drink as you play), a full-service restaurant, a huge video wall with over 200 TVs, and a rooftop terrace. Bays will be rented by the hour; prices range from $40 to $65 depending on the time of day.

— Written by Gia Orsino

THINGS TO DO

Weekend plans

😱 Attend the ultimate seasonal extravaganza. Bingo. Drag queens. A costume contest. Food. Time Out Market will be a cauldron of magical good-time ingredients for its (free) Scary Movie Drag Bingo on Sunday.

😂 Laugh with Boston’s funniest college students. Wicked Smaht Comedy LLC, a group of intercollegiate comedians, are hosting their first live show at the BU Dance Theater on Saturday.

👫 Find your platonic soul mate. Got dating fatigue? Find friends instead. Get tickets to CitySpace’s “Speed Friending” event on Monday with Boston’s Skip the Small Talk.

🧪 Meet the author of your favorite book. Lessons in Chemistry was a lot of people’s favorite book this year, according to Goodreads. You can meet author Bonnie Garmus TODAY at Hummingbird Books.

🍎 Sample all the ciders. To celebrate cider season, Time Out Market is bringing us a whole afternoon day dedicated to Boston’s best ciders with their annual Ciderfest. Bonus: It’s free.

— Written by Claire Nicholas

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

TOGETHER WITH W BOSTON

Giveaway alert!

Enter to win two VIP tickets to W Boston’s Spooky Soirée on Oct. 28. This haunting event will feature live music from four DJs. The VIP tickets get you access to late-night bites and specialty cocktails. You’ll also have access to the Moët Hennessy Lounge, Ketel One and Don Julio Lounge, and exclusive access to a tarot card reader. Must be 21+ to be eligible. If you’ve already referred a friend to B-Side (and they’ve accepted), you're eligible! Full details below*

ONE LAST THING

Hocus Pocus takes Salem

Ever dream of partying with Sarah Jessica Parker? Well, we can’t help you there … but you can party with her castmates from Hocus Pocus this weekend in Salem to celebrate the film’s 30th anniversary … for the small price of $250.

Omri Katz (Max Dennison), Thora Birch (Dani Dennison), Vinessa Shaw (Allison), and Jason Marsden (Binx the cat), will all be at a Halloween costume party at Salem’s Bit Bar on Friday from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. if you’re willing to shell out.

But if that price sounds like a bunch of hocus pocus to you, they’ll also be holding a meet and greet on Saturday from noon to 7 p.m. on Salem Common. It’s free.

— Written by Gia Orsino

💻 Thanks for reading! Sorry for the clickbait, lol. If there ever is a chance to party with SJP, we’ll be all over it.

👀 The results are in: Over 65% of readers agree schools like Harvard should be taxed more so the money can be invested back into the community. And one respondent is a Harvard staffer …