😎🇺🇸 Party like it’s 1776

👂 Sorry, what?! We can’t hear you! We cranked Mayor Michelle Wu’s “Dear Summer” playlist to full volume, and these local hits are a VIBE. 

🏋️ Come sweat with us!!! Head to FORMAT’s South Boston location on July 16 for a beginner-friendly strength class followed by rooftop mingling and freebies from Culture Pop, Hamersley’s Pantry, Night Shift, Crumb Baked Co, and more! Plus, try out recovery tech like Theraguns and Normatec boots. Save $15 with the code BSIDE. Sign up here. 

🥳 And happy early b-day to B-Side Member Sam S.! Consider your birthday cake your pre-workout.

👀 What’s on tap today:

Up first…

We’re paintin’ the town red, white, and blue. Mass. is about to *sparkle* with alllllll the MA250 events lined up this star-spangled weekend.

Here’s what’s going down:

🎆 Pop off with the Pops. The Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular is stacked with big names this year, featuring Glee icon Jane Lynch, Chance the Rapper, Lainey Wilson, Trombone Shorty, and Megan Hilty. Also on deck: A revolutionary-themed drone show, followed by a *massive* fireworks display over the Charles at 9:15 p.m. 

🇺🇸 Party on the Harbor like it’s 1776. Head downtown on July 2 at noon for Harborfest’s kickoff ceremony ft. free cake, reenactors, and a classic rock show from an Army band. And make sure to stick around through July 4; there will be tons of performances, an interactive community mural, a Macy’s fashion show, and a Snapple world record attempt for the largest iced tea toast. It’ll even have its own fireworks show on July 2 at 9:15 p.m. Check out the full schedule. 

😤 Celebrate the history nerd Super Bowl. A.k.a., MA250. You’ve got loads of events to pick from. See: 

See other fireworks shows outside of Boston.

⛳ Let freedom ring swing. Practice your putt at the new ~revolutionary~ mini golf course outside the USS Constitution Museum, with features like cannonball obstacles and a Declaration ramp. Bonus: It’s free!

🍿 Steal the Declaration of Independence. Nothing screams USA like our fave Nicolas Cage film “National Treasure,” showing at The Brattle on July 1 and July 4. You can balance it out with free IMAX documentaries at the Museum of Science on July 5. 

🍦 Get in the Independence Day spirit. And we mean, spirit. Tipsy Scoop is hosting a boozy ice cream pop-up at the Cambria Hotel in Seaport on July 2. Can’t make it? Good thing it’s coming back every Thursday. <3 

🧵 Ask yourself, “What would Betsy Ross do?” She’d probably shop the best local art and handmade crafts at this pop-up market on the Common from July 3-5. 

🫐 Bring your red and white to Sam Adams — they’ve got the blue. As in, BLUEberries. Try specialty blueberry lagers, pilsners, and food specials at their Red, White and Blueberry Weekend from July 3-5. 

🧘 Reset among the relics. Slow down your Saturday with a morning yoga sesh at the Museum of African American History on July 4. Get there early to reserve a mat, or bring your own!

🖼️ Run on art history … and Dunkin’. First, hot dogs, and now … Dunkin’? The MFA’s “Something’s Brewing” collection is all about coffee, tea, chocolate, and mate … and it now has a hot Dunks cup on loan. If you bank with Bank of America, you can score free MFA tickets this weekend to see it.

Sunscreen. ✅ Window AC. ✅ Emotional support water bottle. ✅ Boston's hottest days are here, which means it's time to revisit the basics: drink water, take breaks, and stay in the shade when temperatures climb. Summer may be for making memories, but heat-related illness doesn't need to be one of them. Learn more about how you can stay cool. 

🥵 This record-breaking heat wave starts NOW. An extreme heat advisory is already in place, and 100-degree temps will enter the chat today. Thursday will be the hottest of them all, with feels-like temps cranking as high as 112 in some neighborhoods. Even worse: It may stay this nasty through Sunday, a stretch we haven’t had in years. You know the drill: Here are the closest pools, AC public spaces, and cooling resources near you. 

🚃 The MBTA pulled an Oprah: "Everybody gets free transit!" Attention baddies going out and about on July 4: The T is offering fare-free service on all subways, buses, ferries, commuter rails, and the RIDE after 8:30 p.m. You can also expect increased service on subways after 3 p.m. and buses in the evening. Note: There will be modified schedules across the board on July 3 (aside from the ferries). See the full schedule here.

💸 We died and went to finance bro heaven. Imagine: Seven exhibits, six galleries, and 5,400 square feet — all about money. Enter: The Museum of American Finance. This new *free* museum will open in the Seaport this week, exploring the history of U.S. currencies, financial markets, and banking systems. Economics not your jam? There’ll also be an AI-generated Alexander Hamilton experience, since ya know, he was the first Secretary of the Treasury. Be in the room where it happens starting July 3.

🚂 Now arriving: Extra night-owl fares on Amtrak. Here comes the deal train!!! You can now get even more discounted one-way rides on select trains between Boston and DC, if you’re traveling between 6 p.m. and 8 a.m. And we’re talkin’ cheap. Like, starting at $20 cheap. Even for this holiday weekend, you can still book a last-minute one-way ride to NYC for around $45. Bottom line: No more excuses for that trip to NYC to not make it out of the group chat.

⚽ JerkFest weekend closes with the FREE Community Soccer Fest in celebration of the 2026 World Cup. Head to Allston’s Ohiri Field from noon to 5 p.m. for a family-friendly, laid-back afternoon of soccer games, live DJ’s, and more activities for all to enjoy. Find out more and get tickets here.

Our 2276 descendants are definitely going to call us unc … After all, in 250 years, they’ll see an orange iPhone 17 Pro Max, a 2026 Winter Olympics gold medal, and a Claude AI prediction. We’re obviously talking about Congress’ time capsules that will be buried this year to celebrate the 250th.

Our New England reps added several artifacts that best represented each state’s history and culture, including archival prints and signed letters, from John Hancock to Gov. Maura Healey.

But we think these are the coolest things that made the cut: 

… ahem … could we get a copy of that map, too?

— Written by Kelly Chan and Emily Schario

☹️ Thanks for reading! TBH, not putting in a Red Sox hot dog hat and a RHORI Reddit receipt was a missed opportunity.

👋 BTW, we’ll be off the rest of the week. We’ll be back in your inbox (Members, too) on Monday!

💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, Boston Public Health Commission, for supporting local journalism and helping Boston keep its cool this summer.

💘 The results are in: 65% of B-Siders are not on the dating market, but that didn’t stop most of you from partying it up. One reader said, “I'm not looking, but some friends were and they were very successful! As one video on instagram said, the Scots came here to spread joy, positivity, and legs!” Period.

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