It's Thursday, Boston.
π· Reminder: Federal and state COVID-19 public health emergencies expire today. Hereβs a quick refresher on whatβs going to change starting tomorrow.Β
π Whatβs on tap today:
A threatened MBTA lawsuitΒ
Good news, Swifties!
More beer gardens
Up first...
MOTHER'S DAY
You got it for your mama

Illustration: Katie Cole
Reminder: Motherβs Day is in three days. So if youβre looking do more than the bare minimum of sending the woman who raised you a Hallmark card (which you should mail today), hereβs a handful of local gifts and things to do to level up your celebration. Donβt forget β itβs Sunday.Β
π Treat mom to a Mamma Mia-themed drag brunch at Summer Shack. Nothing says βI love youβ like oysters and ABBA. Itβs $20 per table to watch the 11 a.m. or 2 p.m. show, and you can sing along with the dancing queens while enjoying an a la carte brunch menu.
π· Get her a subscription to The Urban Grapeβs Wine Club. There are two levels: The Urban Sampler, which is budget-friendly and for the wine curious, and The Urban Connoisseur, which isa little pricier and for those looking to expand their palate. You can subscribe to the club for just one month all the way up to a year. This monthβs Urban Sampler is all rosΓ©, and if you make her a member, itβll get her exclusive access to their rosΓ© grand-tasting event in June.Β
π Donβt buy her jewelry, make your own! The Charles River Speedway is hosting a bracelet-designing workshop with the Boston Womenβs Market and Nabia Designs Jewelry on Motherβs Day proper. Each ticket will include the materials to make one custom-beaded stretch bracelet, as well as a jewelry box and shopping bag, making it ready to gift.
π© Grab some M-Day specials from Kaneβs Donuts. The sweet honey hibiscus varietyΒ is a fluffy yeast doughnut coated with a rose-hued hibiscus glaze. Kaneβs also offers a more classic ring thatβs festively decorated to remind your mom how much you love her.
π Trade a bouquet of flowers for a bouquet of flower macarons from Cocorico. In addition to these floral-shaped pastries, the Seaport boulangerie is offering Motherβs Day specials like Boston cream croissants, cruffins, and cookies with Pro-Mom messages.
π½οΈ Splurge on a bougie prix fixe brunch. Weβre normally all about ballinβ on a budget, but if you can swing it, treating Mom to a nice meal will always be a winner. Harvest in Harvard Square has a three-course M-Day brunch for $75 a person, and it features goodies like surf & turf eggs Benedict and coconut tiramisu. You can see a full list of Motherβs Day brunch spots here.Β
π« Also, afternoon tea is having a moment, so here are some spots recommended by the Boston Globe food writer Devra First.
QUICK POLL!
π Whatβs the bare minimum for a Motherβs Day gift?
Let us know below!
CITY
Quick & dirty headlines

Image: Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff
π Woman struck by a falling utility box at Harvard Station plans to sue the MBTA. A 28-year-old PhD student at Harvard suffered a detached clavicle and will require long-term medical care after a defunct utility box fell on her at Harvard Station earlier this month. Her attorney said she plans to sue the T to cover medical costs and hold the agency accountable for what they considered to be a preventable incident. The utility box that fell was part of a pilot program that ended in 2013. The support straps keeping the box in place had corroded.Β
π¬ A new surge of migrants is overwhelming the stateβs aid network. The people are arriving at transit hubs, hospitals, and community health centers at all hours. And once Title 42 expires tonight, the situation could get worse. The COVID-era border-control policy, whichΒ made it easy to expel people crossing into the U.S. illegally, will end when the public health emergency ends. Officials expect the number of unauthorized crossings at the Southern border to double, and Mass. aid groups are anticipating the possibility that more migrants will be here soon.Β
π Good news, Swifties! The Commuter Rail has added extra special event tickets for train service to Gillette for the Eras Tour. The extra tickets are only good for the May 20 and 21 shows (sorry, May 19). Roundtrip tickets are $20 and will go on sale at 11 a.m. Friday, May 12. Theyβll only be sold on the mTicket app and you MUST buy them for a specific show and station of origin. Due to high demand, no refunds or exchanges will be available. Set your alarms!
π» Night Shiftβs beer gardens are open for business. Starting today you can pop a squat along the Charles at their Esplanade and Allston locations. New this year: the Summer Passport challenge, where once you collect a stamp after visiting each of Nightshiftβs four locations, you can get a free Detroit-style pizza or an appetizer and koozie at Lovejoy Wharf. The beer gardens and the Lovejoy Wharf location have also applied to be dog-friendly, so you may be able to bring your pup soon!
ONE LAST THING
RIP Rudy

Image via Santaβs Village
A classic New England theme park is retiring one of its famous rides.Β
Rudyβs Rapid Transit Roller Coaster at Santaβs Village in Jefferson, N.H., will take its final runs along the green coaster track this summer. The roller coaster, featuring the bust of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, has been running for 35 years and is one of the main attractions at the Christmas-themed amusement park. Itβs an older ride, so repairing and replacing the parts is getting harder to do. RIP, Rudy. You had a good run.Β
π’ Thanks for reading! I feel like we should mention that Rudyβs Rapid Transit can reach top speeds of 22 miles per hour. Thatβs faster than the MBTA runs in some places. Β Β
πΒ Keep up with us @BostonBSideΒ onΒ IG,Β TikTok, andΒ Twitter. Send comments and suggestions to [email protected].
πΒ The results are in! 83% of respondents from yesterday's poll has no idea you weren't supposed to eat or drink on the T. On person wrote, "βI thought the T was like international waters or the wild West: no rules." Same.Β