Happy Friday, Boston!
π² Still working on Motherβs Day plans? Take mom for a spin! Every Sunday in May, you can get a limited amount of $5 Bluebikes credits using the code BLUECROSSHEALTH followed by the date (so, BLUECROSSHEALTH12 this week).
π But maybe donβt take her on the Red Line β¦ Shuttle buses will replace service between Broadway and North Quincy this weekend. Worst gift ever.
π Whatβs on tap today:
The Houseβs $5 million secret
Bostonβs hottest tickets
The MFAβs newest artists
Up firstβ¦
MOTHERβS DAY
We got it for our mama

Illustration: Gia Orsino.
Mother. Mom. Mum. Momma. Mommy. Madre. Or if youβre from around here: Ma. No matter how you say it, hereβs how to celebrate all the moms in your life this weekend:
π Skip panic-buying leftover flowers at Market Basket (weβve been there). Instead, make your own bouquet at this Motherβs Day flower-arranging workshop at Bully Boy Distillers taught by local florist Rebecca Allamey. Or, just scrap the flowers and make mom a doughnut bouquet (!) at the Boston Public Market on Saturday. Red Apple Farmβs award-winning cider doughnuts are the base to this tasty alternative, which you can customize with different glazes and sprinkles.
ββπ¦ Celebrate ma the Boston way. Step one: Make way for all the little ducklings, a.k.a. hundreds of adorable kiddos dressed in duck costumes, at the Duckling Day parade on the Common. Step two: Head to the Arnold Arboretum for its iconic Lilac Sunday celebration, where you can sniff their collection of over 400 lilacs. And be sure to bring lunch β itβs the only day of the year the arboretum allows picnicking.
πͺ΄ Plant moms can add a new kid to the fam. The Mattapan branch of the Boston Public Library is partnering up with Emerald Plant City Shop on Saturday for a free tropical plant giveaway. Note: The event runs from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and plants are available on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last. Itβs going down rain or shine.
πΆ Millennial women, assemble! Having a fur baby makes you eligible for Motherβs Day (at least it does at B-Side), and nothing says βI ruv you, momβ like a peanut butter βlick painting.β You can help your pup make one for the dog mom in your life at Park-9 Dog Barβs Big Pig BBQ. Or, if youβre already heading to City Tap House for Motherβs Day brunch, canine mommas can grab a bag of treats to further solidify the title of BFF with their pup.
π And of course, make sure to treat mom to a nice meal. If youβre a little late to the Motherβs Day brunch-booking game (guilty), OpenTable has this incredibly helpful tool where you can see which restaurants still have openings. If you still canβt decide, Boston Chefs assembled this list of Motherβs Day specials and prix fixe meals.Β
QUICK QUESTION
π Are your Motherβs Day celebrations all set?
Let us know below!
TOGETHER WITH THE MASSACHUSETTS STATE TREASURY
Discover big, shop smallΒ

ποΈ πΈ Finding unclaimed funds then visiting a local small biz is Small Business Month magic. Search your name with the Massachusetts State Treasury today and uncover lost bank accounts, uncashed checks, and more just waiting to be spent at your favorite local boutiques, restaurants, and farmers markets. Who knows, you might even discover enough riches to kickstart your very own small business in the process.Β
CITY
Quick & dirty headlines

Image: Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe
π€« The Mass. House budget has a $5 million secret. Five of Mass.β highest ranking House Democrats slipped about $5 million in undisclosed funding for their own districts and pet projects into the budget proposal this year. This practice of earmarking is actually pretty common among top lawmakers, who meet yearly behind closed doors to add their last-minute items to the budgetβs cart (think: $175,000 to repair a castle in Gloucester), knowing other legislators wonβt have time to scrutinize them. You can check out your representativeβs earmarks here.
π¦Turn right on red? Not in Cambridge. After the City Council decided to ban the maneuverΒ back in 2022, officials have been working to enforce it by installing βno turn on redβ signs at every red light. The city recently wrapped up the job, meaning if youβre now driving or biking in Cambridge, you can no longer legally go right on red at any intersection. This move is part of the βVision Zeroβ plan to eliminate all severe traffic-related injuries on the cityβs roads, which have seen an average of 157 major crashes a year since 2019.
β¬οΈ Cambridge is finally growing up. Construction just began on what will eventually be the cityβs tallest building, at 450 feet (for perspective, Bostonβs John Hancock Tower stands at 790 feet, while NYCβs Empire State Building is a whopping 1,454 feet). The new residential building will house 439 rental units, 20% of which will be offered as affordable housing and another 5% as middle-income housing. Plus, itβll also feature a sky deck, a garden lounge, a library, and a dog run.Β
ποΈ Bostonβs got more than a few hot tickets. And todayβs the day to get βem. First off, Lana Del Reyβs first-ever headlining stadium show in the U.S. is at Fenway on June 20, and tickets go on sale today at 10 a.m. Next, the Broadway hit βParadeβ is coming to Boston next spring, and tickets go on sale today at noon. Finally, the hottest ticket of them all: the Dunkinβ Spiked Day of the DJ, a mini-daytime electronic music festival with Dunkinβ spiked bevs a-plenty, is next weekend. You can grab tickets here.
THINGS TO DO
Weekend plans

Image: The Boston Globe
πΈ See an acclaimed indie band β for free. Guster will play a live set at Somervilleβs Porchfest on Saturday, right down the street from their old digs.
ποΈ Celebrate the beginning of open market season. The Seaport Summer Market is kicking off this weekend, featuring a wide assortment of primarily women and BIPOC vendors.
π Hit up Bostonβs newest run club. Weβre Not Really Runners Boston is putting on multiple runs a week for all levels β including this weekend! Plus, after every run, they grab a treat.
π€οΈ Bask in the cityβs spring vibes. Charlestownβs Hood Park is having a (free!) spring fest on Saturday, with food trucks, a dog park, a petting zoo, crafts, and live music.
πΊThrow it back (literally and figuratively). The Seaportβs hosting an 80βs-themed spring fling on Saturday afternoon with live music, sweet treats, and even spring fling royalty. And did we mention itβs free?
π Want more things to do recommendations? Refer five friends to unlock four bonus items. For those who already have, enjoy below.
π² Take a spring spin. TransitMatters, a transit advocacy group, is hosting a spring bike ride from the Hatch Shell to Watertown and back on Saturday. Bluebikes are fair game.Β
πΌοΈ Spend a night (or day) at the MFA. Between the late nite party tonight (tix will be available at the door) and the reopening of the Arts of Japan Exhibit on Sunday afternoon, you could make a whole weekend out of it.
π¦ Appreciate your local flora and fauna. Bird watching is cool. And if you donβt believe us, check out this (free) morning bird walk on Saturday by Mass. Audubon as part of the organizationβs annual bird-a-thon.
π Show your mom how to give β¦ mother.Β Blend in Dorchester is putting on a βMother Knows Bestβ Motherβs Day drag brunch fundraiser on Sunday with bites, sips, and a show.
ONE LAST THING
The MFAβs newest piece

Image: Sean Fennessy. Illustration: Emily Schario.Β
Tonight, for one night only, a new painting is coming to the MFA. The piece will be created during a live demonstration as a collaboration between two artists, Basia and Omuzana, who each have a unique, child-like style of painting that have sold pieces for up to $40,000.Β
Oh, and did we mention theyβre both robot dogs?Β
Yes, thatβs right. Two AI-powered robot dogs from Boston Dynamics are going to be live painting at the MFA this weekend all on their own. Perhaps youβve already seen their sibling, Spot, dancing or (terrifyingly) picking up trash before. It turns out they can now create simple paintings, too.Β
Their work will only be available to view tonight, so if youβre intrigued, make sure to stop by.
β Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario
π€ Thanks for reading! If youβre a bit AI-averse (like Gia), we wouldnβt recommend poking around on the Boston Dynamics YouTube channel, or else you might find videos like this.Β
π Special shoutout to today's sponsor, the Massachusetts State Treasury, for helping residents reclaim whatβs rightfully theirs.
π The results are in: 69% of B-Siders βrotβ in at least a few times a week β if not everyday. One reader said: βRotting is affordable and easy to do, which in Boston is a commodity.β
π Keep up with us @BostonBSide on IG, TikTok, and Twitter. Send comments and suggestions to [email protected] or [email protected].