🔥 Fact: Hot people vote in the primary

It’s Tuesday, Boston.

🚛 Tired: Storrowing. Wired: Sumnering. We all expected a Storrowing or two this weekend. But what we didn’t see coming? A semi truck getting stuck in the Sumner Tunnel. And they even caught it on video. 

👀 What’s on tap today:

• Local Labor Day strikes

• Mass.’ brewery scene fizzes out

• Allston Christmas carols

Up first…

STATE PRIMARY

What to expect when you’re electing

Happy primary day, Boston! A.k.a. the day we pick who will appear on the general election ballot come November. Since we expect you all to hit polls today (if you haven’t already), here’s everything you need to know about today’s vote: 

THE BALLOT

🗳️ First of all, don’t be surprised at the lack of choices. In a not-so-cute trend, the vast majority of Mass. primary races are uncontested. Seriously: Though all 200 seats in the state legislature are on the ballot this election, two-thirds of incumbents are running unopposed. Plus, out of all the U.S. Congress seats representing Mass. — which are also all up for re-election minus Sen. Ed Markey — not a single one has a challenger in their Democratic primaries, and only two races in the Republican primaries have challengers.

🤔 But there are a few competitive races … Among the juiciest results of the day will be between the three GOP candidates vying to run against Sen. Elizabeth Warren in November; a surprisingly messy race for a Boston-area clerk's office; a few challenges for seats on the Governor’s Council; and this state rep. race in Cambridge. 

🤔 Our advice: Know before you go. You can check out who’s going to be on your ballot here, and figure out where you’ll have to make some choices. There’s no one place to find detailed info on every single candidate, but looking up a candidate’s campaign website is a good place to start.

📲 BTW … If you get a text saying you’re not registered to vote, it’s a known scam! Don’t give them your information and definitely don’t click on any links.

HITTING THE POLLS

🙋 Voting in Boston? Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. You can find your local polling place here. Everyone in line by 8 p.m. is legally required to be allowed to vote. 

📬 If you’re voting by mail or with an absentee ballot … If you’ve already mailed in or dropped off your ballot, you can double check to make sure it was received. And if you’re planning on dropping it off today, you can do that at any drop box before 8 p.m.

⏰ If you voted in-person early … Sit back and relax, knowing that you’ve participated in democracy, and like we’ve said, that’s hot. 

🙌 What’s next? Great question! Once voting wraps up, you can start checking for the results here. And as for the general election — where we’ll get to actually vote for the winners of these primaries (not to mention … the President) — it’s on Tuesday, Nov. 5. 

📝 P.S. If you were born between 1997 and 2012, the Globe wants to hear about your media habits for an upcoming story about the 2024 election. If you’re interested, you can fill out this form.

TOGETHER WITH MASS GENERAL CANCER CENTER

Run, Boston, run! 

🏃❤️‍🩹 Channel your inner Forrest Gump and step up for a cause that counts by joining the Mass General Cancer Center Eversource 5k Run-Walk on Sept. 15. Starting at 9 a.m. at the Hatch Shell, run (or walk) the scenic Esplanade route followed by a delicious breakfast and morning full of family-friendly activities — all while helping to fund crucial cancer research and support for those in need. Register now and turn your steps into a force for good. 

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

🪧 This Labor Day weekend lived up to its name. Two new strikes were brewing in Boston over LDW: BU’s move-in weekend was short about 50 residential advisors, or RAs, who are striking for better wages, workload, and discipline measures, among other things. Meanwhile, Boston was also a hub for Unite Here labor union’s multi-city strike for better wages and benefits, with workers from four local hotels tapping in, drawing the endorsement of some Mass. bigwigs, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

💉 Out: spritz season. In: shot season. Now’s the time to start scheduling your pharmacy visits as the recs just dropped for an updated COVID-19 vaccine and the flu shot. The new COVID vaccines more closely target recent virus strains (and hopefully whatever variants cause trouble this winter, too). On the flu shot front, you should aim to get the jab in September or October as flu season kicks off in October. Want to kill two birds with one stone? You can book both shots at local CVS and Walgreens locations now. 

🍹 Image walking around Boston with a drink in hand (legally). Well, there might be a universe where that’s possible. Corean Reynolds, Boston’s director of nightlife economy, is working to design potential open container zones to help boost Boston’s nightlife, especially as the city prepares for 2026 World Cup matches and the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence. These zones would effectively allow people to buy alcoholic drinks from restaurants and bars and drink them outdoors. However, this idea is very much still in the exploratory and research phase, so hang tight.

🍺 New England’s brewery scene appears to be losing its fizz. Craft beer-crazed Millennials are getting older, Gen Z prefers a cannabis buzz, and ciders and spiked-seltzers are the new golden children. All of which help explain why Mass.’ brewery scene is hitting a plateau. Last year, 15 breweries opened in the state, while 11 closed. That net gain of four was the smallest increase since 2010 when there were just 48 breweries in Massachusetts (there were 235 at the start of this year). And we’re seeing this trend at the national level, too.

QUICK QUESTION

🍷 What do you think about open container zones in Boston?

THINGS TO DO

Weekday plans

💔 Watch the OG love story on stage. William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” opens this week at the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge. Bonus: You can get $10 off certain performances if you book by EOD today.  

​​🪴 Gussy up your new digs. Strike out on Allston Christmas? You can DIY your own home decor at this macrame plant hanger workshop Wednesday at the Craft Loft in Cambridge. 

🕺 Bring your chapstick to the Speedway. Because there’s going to be a free outdoor screening of “Napoleon Dynamite” Wednesday night at sundown (around 8 p.m.). 

🍏 Dance like “Brat” summer never ends. La Fabrica in Central Square is calling all Cambridge angels for a bratty night of Charli XCX bops in the club on Thursday. 

🪄 Pull a rabbit out of your hat. Or whatever trick you have up your sleeve. The Magic Lab, Boston’s open mic magic show, is on Thursday where you can see local magicians test out their newest material. 

🍫 Enjoy the best kind of wine pairing. Sans booze. Dray Drinks, Boston’s first non-alcoholic bottle shop, is hosting a chocolate and NA drinks pairing with Cocoa Beantown on Friday.

💅 Cruise around Boston in your best Barbie garb. Dress up as your favorite Barbie or Ken era (think: Original 1959 Barbie or 1990s Disco Barbie) for a sail around Boston on the Seaport Summer Cruise Series this Friday.

😋 Snack on some of Somerville’s best. The Davis Square Food Festival is in full swing on Friday. A ticket gets you food samples, drink tickets, and more. Plus, all the proceeds support Somerville nonprofits.

GIVEAWAY

Together with PVDFest

Enter to win a $100 gift certificate to a PVDFest Food Truck of your choice! To enter, just refer a friend and have them accept your invite by 6 p.m. EST on Sept. 8. If you’ve already referred a friend to B-Side (and they’ve accepted), you're eligible! Full details below*

18+. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Limit one entry per person. See Official Rules & an additional entry option here.

ONE LAST THING

Allston Christmas carols

We know that the best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear. But what about … Allston Christmas? 

While most of us only had a chorus of expletive screams and honking to listen to on Sept. 1, some movers were treated to a round of Allston Christmas carols, courtesy of local musicians Angela Yam and Nathan Halbur. The duo took to the streets with a ukulele and melodica to spread some seasonal joy by spoofing traditional Christmas tunes. 

You can hear their (surprisingly beautiful) rendition of “O Allston Tree” here.

— Written by Gia Orsino

🎵 Thanks for reading! You have to admit that at some point, all the car horns start to sound kind of musical. Am I right?

💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, Mass General Cancer Center, for supporting local journalism and their commitment to defying cancer.

📮 The results are in: 55% of B-Siders went with a mail-in ballot this election season. One reader said: “I always vote in person, it lets me get outside and get my sticker!”

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