🥳👀 Gen Z’s favorite kind of party

It’s Thursday, Boston.

🐄 Oat milk girlies, this one’s for you: Starting March 5, Dunkin’ will nix its upcharge for nondairy milks (which run you anywhere from 50 cents to $2), following in the footsteps of most other major coffee chains. Thank you, peer pressure!

👀 What’s on tap today:

• Participatory budget results are IN

• The Green Line’s safety upgrade

• A “Clueless”-style romance

Up first…

LIFESTYLE

Ain’t no party like a … dinner party

The next frontier in Gen Z’s social lives: More partying. Specifically, more dinner partying. But why?

🥳 We’ve gone from party animals to party poopers. “Only 4.1% of Americans attended or hosted a social event on an average weekend or holiday in 2023 … a 35% decrease since 2004,” according to The Atlantic. While we can’t be certain why, a combination of social media, COVID, and our loneliness epidemic are pretty solid guesses. “The lonelier we are, the greater tendency there is to see the social world as threatening rather than as a positive opportunity,” said professor Jeremy Nobel, author of “Project UnLonely.”

🍽️ But the party pendulum might be swinging back. Specifically, for dinner parties. Pinterest’s 2024 Summer Trends Report showed an over 6,000% increase in searches for “dinner parties.” Meanwhile, our FYPs are bursting with aesthetic dinner party content. Maria Colalancia, founder of Boston supper club The Aperitivo Society and Aperitivo The Shop, has “100%” noticed the trend. “We're at a turning point,” she said. “I think towards the end of this year and into 2026, I think that data point [from the Atlantic article] will look very different.”

🍷 Dinner parties meet Gen Z and millennials where they’re at. A.k.a. going out, spending, and drinking less, plus having less space. They allow the host to control the vibe, menu, and price point of the evening. But the biggest selling point? Flexibility. Instead of trying to wrangle competing schedules and seeing just one or two friends, a dinner party allows you to throw out the invite to a couple group texts and just see who shows up, said Abbie, a B-Sider and frequent host who declined to use her last name.

🎊 Want to plan a dinner party? Here are two pro tips. 1. Pick a theme or activity. They can make the invite more appealing and act as an endless well of conversation topics. It can be a menu (like “Italian wine night” or a Trader Joe’s dish potluck) or an activity (watching “The Bachelor” or knitting). 2. “Don't be intimidated by a lack of space,” said Colalancia. Just get creative: Eat while sitting on pillows, use your bathtub or sink as a drink cooler. Your guests won’t mind as much as you think. 

TOGETHER WITH THE BOSTON POPS

As if “Let it Go” couldn’t get any better…

❄️ ☃️ Now, imagine hearing it backed by a live orchestra. Experience “Disney’s Frozen in Concert” at Symphony Hall, where The Boston Pops will bring every note to life as the full film plays on the big screen. Expect chills (not just from Elsa’s powers), an emotional crisis during “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?”, and a whole new respect for Idina Menzel’s lung capacity. Whether you’re bringing kids as a cover or fully embracing your inner Disney adult — grab your tickets now!

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

🌭 Sullivan’s Castle Island has been promoted from local legend to straight-up legend. The beloved Southie restaurant known for its iconic hot dogs was one of six restaurants to win the prestigious James Beard America’s Classics Award. The award is given to locally owned restaurants that have “timeless appeal” and are “beloved in their region for food that reflects the character and cultural traditions of its community.” Even better: It’s kicking off its 74th season March 1 (this Saturday), and all hot dogs will be 50% through March 7.

🗳️ Boston’s participatory budget results are IN. 4,462 Bostonians voted for how to spend $2 million of the city’s budget, and on Wednesday, the six winners were announced. Some of the big-ticket items include $400,000 for expanding access to fresh foods, $500,000 for rat-prevention initiatives, $200,000 for rental assistance to Boston youth, and $150,000 for new benches at high-traffic bus stops. Now, the city will collab with specific departments for each idea in order to make it all happen. Check here for project updates.

🚃 The Green Line is getting a HUGE safety upgrade. Following a(nother) collision, the MBTA’s board of directors approved a nearly $113 million contract to install a crash prevention system on the line — about 16 years after it was first suggested. The new “Green Line Protection System” will come in two parts: First, alarms that will alert operators to speeding or potential collisions, which could come as soon as this year. Next up: tech that would automatically stop or slow the train if the operator ignores the warnings. 

🧶 R.I.P to Joann Fabrics. Bad news for crafters: The company announced it’s closing all 800 of its stores nationwide, including 21 in Mass., after its second bankruptcy filing in less than a year. The silver lining: Deals, baby, deals! Going-out-of-business sales have already kicked off across the stores and online (think: up to 40% off fabric and sewing supplies and up to 25% off yarn), where they’ll continue for a “number of weeks.” In the meantime, customers can use gift cards until Feb. 28, and all sales are final. 

GIVEAWAY

Together with Harvard Bookstore

Enter to win two tickets to see Yung Pueblo at First Parish Church on March 10. To enter, just refer a friend and have them accept your invite by the end of the day on Feb. 27. If you have already referred a friend to B-Side (and they’ve accepted), you're eligible! Full details below*

QUICK QUESTION!

👩‍❤️‍👨 We’re honestly sorry to ask but: Is it OK to date your step-sibling? 

ONE LAST THING

A “Clueless”-style romance

Sometimes, a “Love Letters” write-in stops us in our tracks. For example: A reader recently asked Globe columnist Meredith Goldstein if it’d be OK for her to date her step-brother.

Here’s the scene: They’re both single adults in their late 20s/early 30s. They’ve been step-siblings since she was 17 … but recently, she’s starting to catch a *vibe*. She’s worried about what her family and friends will think, but doesn’t want to miss out on “the one.” 

Meredith’s advice is basically that unless you know for sure that he’s the one, it’s a high-risk low-reward situation. Not to mention, her step-brother is likely no Paul Rudd. So take a breath, and move forward very cautiously. 

You can read the whole letter and response here.

— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

👫 Thanks for reading! As a lover of messiness, Gia can’t wait to read tomorrow’s poll results. But as someone with step-siblings … no. Just no.

💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, The Boston Pops, for supporting local journalism and bringing unforgettable musical experiences to our community.

🪪 The results are in: 80% of B-Siders are already REAL ID-compliant, putting us procrastinators to shame. One reader said: “If you still don't have one after 15 years, you give procrastination a whole new meaning.” Don’t judge!

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