🤑 Date night just got cheaper

Happy Friday, Boston!

🛝 And happy (late) anniversary to the GOAT of Boston memes! We’re talking about the cop slide video, of course, which was originally posted to X (then, Twitter) on Aug. 1, 2023, sparking one of the most unhinged media cycles we’ve ever seen. 

👀 What’s on tap today:

• A Beacon Hill cram sesh

• Another heat advisory

• Olympic (comedy) gold

Up first…

SUMMER FRIDAYS

The Cape, the circus, and cup pong

It’s summer. It’s Friday. You know the drill. 

Here’s what’s happening around town this weekend:

😋 Eat your way across the city. Dine Out Boston is back for round two on Sunday, bringing major lunch and dinner deals to over 170 participating restaurants through Aug. 17. Check out the deets here, including the Dine Out first-timers.

🏖️ Lounge on Cape beaches — for free. A few days a year, the public gets free entry to all National Park service sites. One of those days is Sunday, which means all six Cape Cod National Seashore beaches are free to enter (normally it’s $25 per car). 

💡 See the zoo in a new light. Boston Lights, a truly spectacular animal kingdom-themed lantern display at the Franklin Park Zoo, is back today through Nov. 3, lighting up the space after hours. We visited last year and think it’s one of the best date night and/or first date spots in the city. 

🏅 Go for gold(en lager). You might not be able to medal in the actual Olympics (no matter how much you think you could), but you do have a shot to snag gold at Sam Adams’ summer brewery games on Saturday. Compete with your team in cornhole, giant cup pong, and more.

🐀 Get a little ratty. Despite how the name may sound, the Rat City Arts Festival is actually a lovely celebration of Allston/Brighton artists. Head to Aeronaut Allston on Saturday to check out a full lineup of local musicians (including friends of B-Side, Paper Lady!) while sipping a local brew.

🥳 Head to a good old-fashioned summer party. Did someone say Slip N’ Slide? Because at Night Shift Brewing’s Summer Party this Saturday, that’s what you’ll get. That, plus live music, food, drinks, and even lobster.

🍔 Sample the city’s food truck scene. SoWa’s food truck festival on Saturday will feature over 15 of the city’s best food truck bites and sips all in one place, including some of our B-Side Certified picks like Paisani, Bees and Thank You, and Tandoor and Curry.

🇮🇹 Feast in the North End. The feast of Saint ​​Agrippina (think: a very Italian block party) kicked off Thursday, but it’s rocking right through the weekend. Stop by for classic Italian food and drinks, live entertainment, and lots of hand gesturing.

🎪 Spend a day at the circus. A really chic circus, that is. The folks at Bow Market are putting on a “circus extravaganza” this Saturday with tons of performers, comedy, cotton candy, and more. 

🐶 Downward dog with your dog. The Seaport is putting on a free pup-friendly yoga class every Sunday morning in August, so reserve your spot, grab your mat, your pup, and head on over.

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

😴 Mass. legislators had a major cram sesh. Formal sessions drew to a close on Wednesday night, and state lawmakers pulled an all-nighter to cram in as much policymaking as possible … with minimal success. Of at least nine major bills on the docket, just three of them were sent to Gov. Healey by Thursday morning: an expansion to the legal definition of a “parent,” an increase to veteran’s benefits, and a long-awaited $5.2 billion housing bill. Meanwhile, local liquor license expansion, new climate legislation, and a major economic development bill remain unfinished.

🥵 It’s gonna be a hot one out there … again. Yet another heat advisory has arrived here in Boston, not to mention up and down the coast of Mass., into Connecticut and Rhode Island. Boston’s advisory will be around through Saturday, with heat index values hitting up to 97 degrees. In the meantime, hang out by your AC, stay out of the sun, check out this list of cool-down spots (and ours), and definitely don’t DIY your sunscreen(!). Check in with the latest weather updates here.

Olympic rings 🤝 Ring lights. We’ve been saying that New Englanders are putting in work at this year’s Olympics. But we don’t just mean in their events: Several local Olympians have been recapping their experiences in Paris on social media, especially TikTok, to major viewership numbers. From track star Gabby Thomas searching for the coolest coffee machine in the Olympic Village, to fit checks with gymnast Frederick Richard and Co., to chocolate muffin reviews with artistic swimmer Ruby Remati, there’s ample opportunity to keep up with your fave Olympic athletes without leaving your FYP. 

QUICK QUESTION

🏅 Who’s your fave New England Olympian?

ONE LAST THING

A different type of Olympic gold 

When most people think of “Olympic gold,” they’re understandably thinking about medals. But when Colin Jost, an “SNL” writer (and Harvard alum!), showed up in Tahiti to cover surfing for NBC, he ended up striking comedy gold. 

An avid surfer himself, Jost’s time in Tahiti has basically been a series of unfortunate events, starting with a gnarly cut on his foot after his first surfing expedition, and ending with a staph and ear infection that sent him to the medical tent “more than any athlete.”

And to — quite literally — add insult to injury, his fellow Olympic correspondents don’t seem to be taking him very seriously, either. 

— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

🏄 Thanks for reading! Credit where credit is due, Jost really is hilarious on camera.

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