💐 The Pru looks a lil’ different this weekend

Happy Friday, Boston!

🌇 Friendly reminder: Enjoy the last 5:30 p.m. sunset of the year this Saturday. We won’t see her again until February. I’ve lived in New England my whole life, and yet every year, I have this exact reaction to daylight saving.

P.S. Don’t forget to turn the clocks back Sunday!

👀 What’s on tap today:

• No more tents

• No tip? No food. 

• Really good dogs

Up first...

OUT & ABOUT

Flowers. But make it fashion.

It may be fall, but it certainly feels like spring at the Pru. The Fleurs de Villes VOYAGE flower exhibit is on full display in the shopping center’s main hub now through Nov. 6. And given we’re entering our 4:30 p.m. sunset era, this exhibit’s timing couldn’t be more serendipitous.

Here’s what we mean:

💃 16 mannequins will be dressed in exquisite gowns made entirely out of fresh flowers. Fleurs de Villes — translating to “flowers of the cities” — is a traveling showcase where local florists get the opportunity to think outside the traditional bouquet and create stunning works of art. This show’s theme is all about travel (hence, “VOYAGE”), with each ensemble representing  cultures and people from China to Jamaica. You can take a peek at their past shows here. 

💐 The flowers may be the stars, but local florists are definitely shining. “I think florists are sometimes placed in a box,” said Yanique Shaw, founder of Boston-based Yanique Events, so “it’s nice to see how the local community can see this.” Shaw spent nearly 12 hours assembling her two mannequins on Wednesday, along with over a dozen other Boston-area florists. Whether it’s picking a color palette, the assembly mechanics, or simply keeping the flowers alive, “I think as florists, we’re almost professional problem solvers,” Shaw said.  

🌺 At the end of the day, it’s all about bringing flowers to the people. “Flowers resonate with everyone,” Fleurs de Villes co-founder Tina Barkley said, noting “every major life event is marked with flowers.” And in a world where people are opting for flowers from Trader Joe’s, it’s “lovely to see [local florists] get really excited about doing something beyond the bouquet” and highlight their craft, Barkley said. 

🤑 Bonus: The exhibit is free. You can grab a map of the show at the concierge desk near Club Monaco and follow the trail. Plus, if you cast your vote for your favorite design, you’ll be entered to win a three-night stay in Bermuda (Tourism Bermuda is one of the show’s sponsors). 

👀 Need to see it to believe it? We took a stroll through the Pru while the florists were setting up and were absolutely blown away. Take a peek at our IG video. 

TOGETHER WITH HARVARD BOOK STORE

Shop local and save

📕 Looking for your next book? The Harvard Book Store is hosting its annual Frequent Buyer Sale this Sunday (11/5) at its physical location and online. To be eligible for a 20% discount on all new and used books, as well as any non-book item, sign-up for the Frequent Buyer Program before Nov. 5. The program is completely free, and provides year-round rewards and savings — so sign up now and shop local this Sunday.

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

⛺ The Mass. and Cass encampments are no more. The city cleared out the last of the 80+ people and their encampments by late Wednesday, with most of them heading to shelters, where the city had reserved beds for them, or treatment centers. City officials started giving folks a heads up that the tents were coming down on Monday after the City Council OK’d an ordinance allowing tents to be removed, assuming occupants were offered somewhere else to stay and a way to get there. 

👀 Wondering what all the ruckus is in Allston? Harvard celebrated breaking ground on its Future Enterprise Research Campus on Wednesday (even though construction technically began in June). This new development off Western Avenue will be home to labs, hundreds of apartments (25% of which will be affordable housing), and a hotel. Mayor Wu gave Harvard extra kudos for their commitment to the Allston/Brighton community: the university donated $25 million to an affordable housing preservation fund, and promised ice time to a local youth hockey league.

🚗 Skip your tip? You might want to think again. DoorDash is testing a new feature that gives those who place orders with no tip a disclaimer that their order might take longer, with an option to add a tip before continuing. Because DoorDash allows dashers (who receive 100% of their tip money) to choose which orders they fulfill, it’s more likely they’ll pass on an order without a tip. The company is waiting on data to determine if they’re going to roll out the feature nationwide. So if you want your food ASAP, pay up. 

🎵 Green Day might just make this summer the time of your life. That is, when they come to Fenway’s Nucar concert series in August. The band will be here as a part of “The Saviors Tour,” where they’ll be joined by The Smashing Pumpkins, Rancid, and The Linda Lindas. Fenway will be Green Day’s only New England stop, and tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 10. Grab them here.

— Written by Gia Orsino

QUICK QUESTION

💰 How much do you tip your delivery driver?

THINGS TO DO

Weekend plans

🇨🇦 Celebrate Québec’s carnaval without leaving the city. The Seaport will be a hopping microcosm of Québec on Friday with live ice sculpting, snowball corn hole, “maple candy on snow” snacks, and more.

🧀 Peruse fresh goods from over 70 local vendors. The Somerville Winter Farmers Market is kicking off this weekend at The Armory, featuring loads of cheese, meats, pastries, skincare, and more.

🧁 Dust off your oven mitts. It’s finally November, a.k.a. the start of the major league season in the baking community. Art For A Change Studio is helping us prep for the holidays with a baking workshop on Saturday.

🏓 Dink and drink for charity. Head to PKL in Southie on Sunday for pickleball, food, and drinks. Your ticket will support two Boston Marathoners’ fundraising efforts for Brigham & Women’s Stepping Strong Foundation. 

😂 Store some laughs for the winter. Get on top of your serotonin game at Laugh Boston with award-winning comic Andrea Jin. 

— Written by Claire Nicholas

🎉 Want more things to do recommendations? Refer five friends to unlock three bonus items. For those who already have, enjoy below.

ONE LAST THING

Really good dogs

Need an adorable pick-me-up? We got you. 

On Sunday, NEADS, a top-notch Princeton, Mass., organization that trains service dogs, will hold this season’s graduation ceremony. The public event will feature 18 of the Graduating Service Dog and Assistance Dog Teams, along with their friends and family, who will have a chance to hear about how service dogs have changed people’s lives.

Simply put: It sounds like the ultimate wholesome event of the year. 

If you’re in the mood to smile (and shed a few tears), I’d encourage you to check out some of these profiles on recent graduates. Every single one is so sweet, I literally cannot pick a favorite, but this page is a good place to start. 

They’re all just so good. 

— Written by Gia Orsino

🐶 Thanks for reading! I’m so serious, if you need a smile, go read those profiles. I’m tearing up over here.

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

Correction: An earlier version of the newsletter stated Bonjour Québec and the NEADS service dog graduation ceremony were scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 4. The B-Side regrets the error.