😳🎶 Don’t bring THIS to Boston Calling

Happy Friday, Boston!

🐶🚨 FREE puppy yoga tickets just dropped! Puppy Sphere is hosting a B-Side members-only puppy yoga class at their South End location on June 8. It’s normally $60, but this 75-minute class is FREE for you. Grab them ASAP — only 17 spots are available for each time slot! 

🎉 And HBD to B-Sider Monica Arkin! On a scale of one to hanging out with 25 puppies, we hope your birthday feels like hanging out with 26. You’re the best!

👀 What’s on tap today:

• Trump’s biggest blow to Harvard yet

• The MBTA is hot-girl-summer ready

• Mayor Wu and Pari take the T

Up first…

BOSTON CALLING

Boston Calling’s best local acts

Boston’s biggest music weekend is HERE! Boston Calling, Boston’s annual three-day music festival, kicks off today at Harvard’s Athletic Complex after an off-season glow up. 

Here’s what to know: 

🤠 The lineup is for 90s kids and cowboys. Friday is the unofficial country day, with headliners Luke Combs and Megan Moroney, Saturday takes a turn for the emo with Fall Out Boy and Avril Lavigne, and Sunday settles into an indie-rock vibe with Vampire Weekend and Dave Matthews Band. 

🎶 But it’s not all about the headliners. Other standouts include T-Pain, TLC, Cage the Elephant, Remi Wolf, and Goth Babe. And don’t sleep on the smaller acts! Need a place to start? We asked some local acts who they’re most excited to see.

🍕 And the foodie lineup ain’t bad either. Notable newbies include açai bowls, Sally’s Apizza, chicken sammys, and literal caviar. Here’s our full rundown.

💅 The festival had an off-season glow up. After last year’s massive crowds raised some safety concerns, the fest’s two biggest stages have combined into one MASSIVE rotating stage (now called the Green Stage) to limit crowd movement. Plus: In an effort to keep things cool, it’s adding water stations closer to the stages and reintroducing an indoor arena where Berklee students will play smooth jazz. Speaking of cool …

☔ You might wanna trade your cute festival outfit for a rain coat. Or a sweatshirt. Or both. The good news: The weekend’s weather is only going to get better. The bad news: The ceiling is a cloudy, 60-degree day on Sunday, and we can still expect showers on Friday and Saturday. Also: UMBRELLAS ARE NOT ALLOWED IN THE FESTIVAL. So … grab your trash bags?

🎒 Here’s what to know before you go: The best way to keep up is through the fest’s app. As for other nitty gritty info — like how to get there (don’t drive, take the Red Line), what bags are allowed (clear and small bags, plus some hydration packs), what not to bring (towels, blankets, umbrellas, big spiky jewelry) — you can find it all on the FAQ page.

🚗 And even if you aren’t going, watch the roads. Between the festival and a Sunday road race, the area around the festival is going to be a maze of road closures and MBTA bus diversions. Check out the full list here.

🎟️ Getting FOMO? There are still plenty of tickets left, starting at $178, plus a few *slight* discounts for students, military, first responders, medical services, and educators. 

QUICK QUESTION!

🎶 If you had to pick one of this year’s headliners to see, who are you picking?

TOGETHER WITH THE MASSACHUSETTS STATE TREASURY

Manifesting money? Just search your name. 

🔮 💸  Who needs crystals and vision boards when the Massachusetts State Treasury might already have cash waiting for you? With billions in unclaimed funds, a free name search could uncover forgotten savings, refunds, and other surprise money with your name on it. Call it luck, fate, or just being fiscally responsible — it’s still a win. Search your name today and claim what’s rightfully yours. 

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

🎓 The chips are down in the Harvard v. Trump saga. On Thursday, President Trump blocked Harvard from admitting international students, a huge escalation in his battle to make the college fall in line with his sweeping demands. This move doesn’t just block Harvard from admitting new international students, it demands the school’s 6,800 current international students (or 27% of its student body) transfer “or lose their legal status.” Harvard quickly clapped back, calling the move “unlawful.” The school is working to put together guidance and support for the students. Keep up with the latest here.

🚇 The MBTA is gearing up for a hot girl summer. The Commuter Rail’s Cape Flyer train is officially back in biz for the season, offering trips to Hyannis from South Station every weekend through Labor Day for $22, or $40 round-trip. More of a woodsy type? The MBTA is also launching a new seasonal Saturday bus route to the (swimmable!) Houghton’s Pond in Blue Hills starting June 21. The new 716 bus will run there from Mattapan station every 90 minutes from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

🥳 The city will literally bankroll your summer block party. No joke: Applications are open for Boston’s summer block party grants, where the city will shell out up to $750 to help you throw a block party for your neighbors. Here’s how it works: Through July 11, they’ll review applications and dole out money to help buy food, party supplies, lawn games, and more. But if you want to get the cash, make sure your party is free and open to the public, you get a permit for it, and you apply for funding four weeks beforehand.

🍺 We’ve got good and bad booze news. The bad: After almost a decade in biz, Aeronaut Brewing’s Allston Beer Garden will pour its last beer on June 28. Ownership cited post-COVID struggles and Boston’s weekend washouts, but said they wanted to go out with a bang, offering tons of music and programming until the last day. The good: The long-awaited Bar Lunette is now open in Coolidge Corner from the team behind the Paris Creperie. Think: A French-themed neighborhood haunt with (reasonably priced) cocktails, spritzes, and sammys.

THINGS TO DO

Long weekend plans

🥴 Learn some boozy Black history. Tonight at the Rockwell, a lineup of comedians, experts, and writers will take the stage to teach you some Black history … while completely sloshed.

👖 Score a late night deal at Vivant Vintage. Need a last-minute Boston Calling fit? The iconic vintage store is open until midnight and running a BOGO 50% off sale between May 23 to 25 with vinyl DJs and refreshments. 

🎉 Celebrate African culture. Boston’s third annual World Afrika Block Party is coming back to DTX on May 24 to celebrate all things African culture, music, and community. Think: DJs, artists, and vendors.

🛍️ Do some pre-summer shopping. The Brighton Bazaar is back at the Speedway on May 24 and 25 with local vendors selling art, vintage, and vinyl. Plus: Custom “ransom note” tees, music, snacks, and free fizz.

🍹 Crown Fenway’s best margarita. Time Out Market is hosting a free contest to find the hood’s best marg on May 25, which basically means you get to sip your way through free samples all afternoon.

🖼️ Take advantage of FREE museum entry. Per usual, the MFA and ICA are both offering free entry on Memorial Day (including free entry to the MFA’s Van Gogh exhibit for Mass. residents). Tickets are first come, first served, so grab them here for the MFA, and for the ICA, be ready when they drop at 10 a.m. on May 25.

💃 Learn to salsa for FREE. Starting May 26, the Anchor’s Saborcito nights are BACK. Go every Monday night for free salsa and bachata classes followed by social dancing from 6 to 9:30 p.m.

🧺 Picnic in the park. And make some new besties while you’re at it. Boston’s Make Friends After College group is hosting a Memorial Day picnic on the Common to eat, play, and mingle.

ONE LAST THING

Mayor Wu and Pari take the T

The latest guest on Mayor Wu’s “Commute with me” series? None other than the MBTA’s biggest fan and “Love on the Spectrum” star Pari Kim, AND her girlfriend Tina Zhu Xi Caruso.

The trio (with baby Mira in tow) took a ride from Park Street to MassArt using the E line, and chatted about everything from the infamous Green Line wheel squeal to how they pass the time riding the T (TikTok and chatting with new fans) to the best parts of living in Boston. 

And along the way, Pari and Tina dropped some knowledge about the T’s much-needed accessibility upgrades, including which stations are the worst culprits (looking at you, Hynes). 

You can check out the whole video here.

— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

💅 Thanks for reading! Not to flex but … Pari follows us on IG.

💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, the Massachusetts State Treasury, for helping residents reclaim what’s rightfully theirs.

📝 Programming note: We’re off for Memorial Day, but we’ll be back in your inbox on Tuesday. Enjoy the long weekend!

🌧️ The results are in: 38% of B-Siders say they stayed inside all day during our Thursday nor’easter. One reader said: “I’m getting married this weekend and it’s an outdoor wedding 😭 but as a native New Englander, it kind of feels fitting tbh.” We’re sending you clear sky vibes!

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