👑⚔️ Hear ye, hear ye!

Happy Friday, Boston!

🗳️ This is your official reminder to V-O-T-E! The state primaries are on Tuesday, Sept. 3. So before you check out for the long weekend, scope out your local races and make a voting plan. And if you can’t make it to the polls, registered voters can also vote early from 9 to 5 today at City Hall. 

👀 What’s on tap today:

• Last minute move-in tips

• A BIG September shutdown

• A local cover girl

Up first…

SUMMER FRIDAYS

It’s time to say goodbye …

All good things must come to an end. Even summer Fridays. We had a good run. But after today, summer Fridays are going back into hibernation until next year. Lucky for you, we’re going out with a bang. 

Here’s what’s going on this weekend:

⚔️ Taketh a trip back in time. King Richard’s Faire in Carver, New England’s biggest Renaissance faire, is back for the season this weekend through October. Adorn thyself in costume, be enthralled by jousters and acrobats, and satiate thy palette with old-timey eats. 

🎄 Deck the halls for Allston Christmas fa la la la — you get it. The Sil is having its annual Allston Christmas bash on Sunday with themed drinks, $1 hot dogs, and free popcorn. Ugly Christmas sweaters encouraged.

🙋🏾 Party on the block. The Downtown Boston BID is putting on a “Black outside block party” this Sunday in Downtown Crossing. The goal is to create a stress-free environment for BIPOC Bostonians to gather, and the good music, eats, and drinks are nice, too. 

🏳️‍🌈 Say goodbye to summer. By supporting LGBTQ+ businesses! Time Out is holding a summer send-off Pride market on Sunday, with 20 businesses selling art, jewelry, florals, and more.

🎷Get jazzy. Boston Jazz Fest is back for its 14th year today and Saturday. Head to the Seaport for vendors, a beer garden, BBQ, and, of course, a whole lot of smooooth jazz. 

🇮🇹 Feast in the North End (for the last time!). The North End’s feast season is coming to a close. But not before the San Gennaro Feast makes its grand reappearance for the first time post-COVID. Rumor has it, there’s an espresso martini bar. 

☕ Fuel your move-in day. The Drop Clock Supper Club’s next gathering? Coffee Turco in Allston on Saturday. A $20 ticket will get you black tea, bread, spreads, sweets, and great conversation.

🧘 Take a beat. The city is putting on a healing and wellness day in Nubian Square this Saturday as a part of its community canvas series. There’ll be nutritious food, wellness demos, yoga, and more.

🖼️ Make some new pals. Boston social group Treehouse Boston is hosting a cafe and museum day in Cambridge on Saturday. Have a latte, see some art, and make new friends all the while.

QUICK QUESTION

🗳️ How are you voting in the state primaries?

TOGETHER WITH TOAST

Stop scrolling, start eating

🍕 🍣 No more “best restaurant near me” Google searches. Find places to eat in your neighborhood fast with Toast’s map of Greater Boston's best bites. From cozy coffee shops in Southie to Korean gems in Allston, there’s something for every craving. Download the app and start your foodie adventure (or if you’re a restaurant owner, book a demo to get your spot on the map).

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

🚚 The city is preparing for move-in mania. At a press conference ahead of the wild weekend, the city reminded movers that over 50 inspectors will be on-call and roaming in Allston, Brighton, Back Bay, Fenway, Mission Hill, and Beacon Hill. They can provide on-the-spot safety and sanitary inspections in your new digs, and answer any questions about move-in or city services. And we’re reminding you to keep official parking restrictions in mind and take deep breaths as the 8,000-odd moving trucks take to the streets. Happy moving!

🚇 We have good MBTA news and bad MBTA news. We’ll start with the bad: If you ride the Red Line’s Braintree branch, September ain’t gonna be pretty. From Sept. 6 to 29 (yes, you read that right), service between Braintree and JFK/UMass is being replaced with shuttle buses. The good news: Pretty much everybody else is in the clear. Yup, aside from a few weekend commuter rail shutdowns, the rest of the T will be in business all month long. So enjoy your regular commutes now because they’re probably not gonna last. 

🦗 This beloved Allston vegan spot is back in business. Just a few months after closing its doors, Grasshopper, a popular vegan Asian restaurant, has reopened in Allston’s Super 88 food court, just a few blocks from their og location. They’ll still be serving many of the same dishes (including the iconic No Name) and will be open daily for lunch and dinner. If you’re thinking of going, don’t just take our word for it, check out all of these heartwarming Grasshopper stories and memories.

ONE LAST THING

A local cover girl

We promised we wouldn’t stop talking about this year’s Olympics until 2028. And today we’re keeping that promise for a pretty epic reason. New England native and Olympic rugby bronze medalist Ilona Maher has graced the (digital) cover of Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue. 

Besides being a rugby star, Maher has made a name for herself on social media with an audience of over six million, where she posts content of her life on and off the pitch — but a large part of her messaging has to do with female beauty standards and body acceptance.

As for the photos, they’re absolutely stunning, and the cover story to accompany it is a real treat. Go off!

— Written by Gia Orsino

📲 Thanks for reading! And yes, she already made iconic TikTok content about it.

💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, Toast, for supporting local journalism and making dining (or taking out) in Boston easy. 

🎃 The results are in: 39% of B-Siders aren’t here for PSL season, and don’t enjoy the drink. One reader said: “honestly, they're just so overrated and half the time taste like sugary dirt.”

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