🐶 Puppy parties > house parties

Happy Friday, Boston!

😋 The Globe recently dropped its picks for Boston’s best bites and sips. And unsurprisingly, readers had a lot to say. So much so that the Globe decided to round up some of their recs, which you can check out here.

👀 What’s on tap today:

• Debby’s Friday night rager

• Meteor shower, incoming!

• A vacation for the ’90s kids

Up first…

SUMMER FRIDAYS

Puppies, pan music, and pop girlies

We hate to break it to you: But if you’ve been in a near-constant Olympic binge-watching sesh, it might be time to emerge.

Just look at all the fun things happening around Boston this weekend:

🥇 OK, maybe just one more game … The Olympic men’s basketball team (which, BTW, is loaded with Celtics) is gunning for their fifth straight gold medal, and the closest thing to a front row seat outside of Paris might be at Banners’ watch party Saturday morning. 

🎬 Never say “die” on the Common. Alamo Drafthouse is presenting a free screening of “The Goonies” Saturday night on the Common (we promise it’s not Friday — they rescheduled!). 

🎵 Celebrate Boston’s hip-hop scene. Yes, Boston has a hip-hop scene. And it’s taking center stage at the GLD FSTVL at City Hall Plaza this Saturday. Expect performances from iconic regional and national acts, exhibitions, food, and vendors. 

🍏 Stan your favorite pop girly. “Club classics” or “Casual”? “Guess” or “Guilty Pleasure”? You can dance your heart out to both of the summer’s most iconic pop girlies at Remnant Brewing’s Charli vs Chappell dance party on Saturday.

🚶 Hit the streets on your feets. Hyde Park is the next stop for the Open Streets series, which will be coming to River Street on Sunday for a day of live music, food trucks, local arts, and per usual, zero cars. 

🐶 Mingle at the world’s cutest meet n’ greet. Brighton’s Super Bien is putting together a puppy party this Sunday, where you can meet adoptable pups from Shultz's Guest House and munch on some em-paw-nadas. 

🐕‍🦺 And if you need a second dose of pups … Park-9 in Everett is holding another summer luau party on Saturday with tiki cocktails, “big pig food specials,” and more. Hawaiian attire is encouraged for both two- and four-legged attendees.

🎸 Channel throwback summer camp energy. Kendall Common’s Retromania is hosting its second “Summer Camp” themed outdoor market on Saturday, where you can expect all the goods to be totally retro. Bonus: The pop-up roller rink will be open for skating!

🦸 Get your comic on. In case you missed that slick joke, Boston’s Wicked Comic Con is this weekend, with comic books, anime, and cosplay-based programming and events.

🌚 Head down to Chinatown. The August Moon Festival, the second biggest fest of the year behind Chinese New Year, is going down all day this Sunday, celebrating joy, health, and a good harvest. There will be food, lion dancing, souvenirs, and more.

🥁 Channel some Caribbean energy. Cambridge Carnival is closing out its “Pan in the Park” series this Saturday afternoon at Sennott Park. Enjoy multiple local steel drum performances while relaxing by the Charles. 

TOGETHER WITH SEASTREAK FERRIES

Trade in traffic jams for ocean views

☀️🚢 Heading to Nantucket or Martha’s Vineyard this summer? Taking a high-speed Seastreak ferry from New Bedford will get you there in style — bypassing Cape traffic while enjoying roomy seats, a breezy top deck, and a fully stocked bar. With morning departures and evening returns, you can save lots of time (and hotel expenses) on easy day trips. Book your ferry adventure now for a smooth, scenic getaway.

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

🌧️ Debby is having a rager tonight. Which is actually great news for your weekend plans. We may see some scattered storms today from remnants of Tropical Storm Debby, but the main rain event around Greater Boston starts later tonight into Saturday morning. And then … poof! That’s it. Debby is expected to move through the region pretty quickly, which helps to limit flooding and means your outdoor Saturday afternoon and evening plans are looking salvageable. Sunday’s shaping up to be a stunner, too.

🌠 We take your rain showers and raise you a meteor shower. Don’t let Debby steal the shower thunder this weekend because the annual Perseid meteor shower is expected to peak Sunday night into early Monday morning. There can be up to 100 meteors crossing the sky in a good year, and the darker the backdrop, the better the view. Pro tip: The second half of the night is most ideal since the moon sets around midnight. Here are the best ways to see them … and you might want to leave the city.

💗 Bostonians are fighting for bigger bodies. Bigger Bodies Boston, a local org dedicated to fighting anti-fat bias and building community for people of all sizes, has been advocating for a bill that would outlaw discrimination based on body size in workplaces, schools, and public facilities by adding the phrase “height or weight” to the state’s nondiscrimination laws. While the bill stalled out on Beacon Hill last week, there appears to be plans to refile it come January. And in the midst of the group’s fight to ban size discrimination, they’re still having plenty of fun.

QUICK QUESTION

💅 This might seem random, but stick with us here … if you had to pick one iconic ’90s or ’00s doll, are you team:

ONE LAST THING

A vacay for ’90s kids

Looking for a last-minute summer vacation? How about … staying a night in Polly Pocket’s compact? 

Shockingly, you actually could in September, when a giant Polly Pocket compact slash sleepover destination debuts in Littleton as an Airbnb. 

Apparently, in celebration of Polly Pocket’s 35th birthday (feel old yet?), she’s opening her house to guests for sleepovers, and it’s basically any ’90s kid’s dream. After ogling at the dollhouse-come-to-life vibes, guests can try on Polly’s clothes, nibble on pre-stocked ’90s-themed snacks, make friendship bracelets, and watch movies on VHS tapes.

And the best news of all? The prices are also giving ’90s vibes — or at least not 2024 vibes — with one night costing $89 per person.

— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

💅 Thanks for reading! We know it’s not the same thing, but the vibes are really giving the “Barbie” movie. 

💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, Seastreak Ferries, for supporting local journalism and making summer travel in New England more affordable and accessible. 

🤑 The results are in: 39% of readers told us that they’ve taken advantage of tax-free weekend in the past, but not every year. One reader said: “you think i can afford purchases?? i can barely afford rent, girl.”

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