🏓🥵 The flirtiest workout in Boston

🍦 Get in loser, we’re going to Flour. They just added peach soft-serve to their menu, and we need a cone STAT!

🪩  Also … want in on Boston’s biggest party?. Boston magazine’s *iconic* Best of Boston soireé is July 22. Imagine: Free bites from 30 of Boston best restaurants, signature cocktails, and tons of swag. And we have two pairs of FREE tickets! Tune into Saturday’s Member newsletter to claim them!

👀 What’s on tap today:

Up first…

Bad news: It’s our first Tartan Army-free weekend. Good news: We’ve filled your weekend with events that will keep the party going.

Here’s what’s going down:

💃 Bust a move in Camberville. Calling all party people: You can break it down with DJs and a light show at Cambridge’s annual city dance party on June 26. Then hit the floor at the Big Gay Dance Party in Union Square on June 27. 

☁️ Get lost in the clouds. Introducing: “Better Angels,” the Triennial’s latest sick public art installation pop-up at Atlantic Wharf, featuring inflatable clouds, heavenly gates, and campy angels. Take a stroll June 26-28!

⛴️ Say ahoy to Spectacle Island! Translation: Ferry service officially resumes Saturday. Plus, you can ride it seven days a week, all summer long. Buy your tickets here.

🌆 Soak up some rooftop views. Grab your besties for this Truly rooftop summer kickoff party at MGM Music Hall on June 26. Expect snacks and drinks, a DJ, a 1987 pop-up, AND a custom patch station. Even better: There’s no cover. <3

🫰 Snap for the poets that know it. Join artists, writers, and educators at the Roxbury Poetry Festival on June 27 for a fabulous lineup of workshops, panels, and a poetry slam where one winner will land a book deal.

⚽ Bring the World Cup vibes to Boston proper. No need to hike to Foxborough. Instead, head to Ballers in the Seaport on June 27 to watch local Boston teams in the CNCPTS Cup (a.k.a. a 4 v. 4 soccer tournament). Then stick around for giveaways, custom jerseys, and skills challenges.

🏓 Meet your match on (and off) the court. Bring your sneakers (and your best banter) to Pickleball Social Club’s Singles Mixer on June 27. You'll rotate between playing and mingling, switching up partners after short rounds. No paddle? No problem! They’ve got you covered.

🪩 Practice your “Super Trouper” routine. ‘Cause “Mamma Mia” is playing at Saguaro’s outdoor movie night on June 27. Free entry + food and bev specials + ABBA on repeat = our kind of Saturday night. 

🍽️ Get drunk on drunken noodles. Chow down on all your Thai food faves (think: pork skewers and mango sticky rice) at Thai Taste on the Common on June 28. 

🍝 Just go with the flow dough. A FREE pasta masterclass?! Sign us up. This is a guided sesh at SoWa Open Market on June 28, featuring hands-on practice, samples, and fresh pasta to take home with you.

🎂🇺🇸 Turning 250 is a pretty big deal. Luckily, Massachusetts has been preparing for this moment for about two and a half centuries. To celebrate America's milestone birthday, MA250 is bringing history to life through festivals, exhibits, performances, sporting events, and community celebrations across the state. See what's happening near you and join the party. 

💦 Soooo … our wet weekends need to be wetter. We can’t believe we’re saying that either, but this is actually the city’s driest year on record. Boston has just under a foot of precipitation this year — nine inches less than average. And if the drought continues, we’re at risk of dry wells, brush fires, and fewer fall crops, which may require us to enforce *extensive* water bans on things like lawn maintenance. Right now, experts say we either need more consistent rain … or a tropical storm. 

🍺 One hot girl walk with a side of pale ale, please! Translation: Roundhead Brewing is back bringing your fave traveling beer garden all around the city this summer. It’s slated to pop up at six parks through September, and will be open Friday to Sunday till 9 p.m. (heads up: opening hours vary each day). This is their last weekend in Copley Square Park; they’ll move to Menino Park in Charlestown next week. Cheers! 

🎉 It’s a good day to be a shopper with a sweet tooth. ‘Cause there are three grand openings in town just for you: 1. Sweet Teez’s famous cakes are now available at a new brick-and-mortar in Dorchester on June 26. 2. Teso Life, an Asian lifestyle superstore with snacks, skincare products, and home goods, is open June 26. 3. Vivant Vintage’s new massive two-story hub in Allston opens for biz June 27.

🌶️ Get ready for JerkFest, Boston’s spiciest event. It’s all going down on July 11 at Ohiri Field in Allston. Expect jerk dishes, local vendors, talented chefs, and live music to keep the energy going all day. Whether you're a die-hard Caribbean foodie or just looking for a sunny Saturday outing, JerkFest is your spot. B-Side Members save $5 on Friday and Saturday tickets. Get tickets here!

On today’s episode of “men walking really far distances,” we bring you Miles Howard, the founder of Walking City Trails. 

Miles decided to walk from Boston to Gillette Boston Stadium the day of the Haiti v. Scotland match. After all, transit there was pricey, and it was *just* 17 miles away … 

The scorching heat bogged him down the first few miles, but as he got closer to the stadium, he found himself rejuvenated by a group of Haitian fans, and was later joined by Scotsmen also traveling on foot (always a Scotland connection). 

When they finally got to the stadium, they received a hero’s welcome (and a Narragansett tallboy) from the rest of the Tartan Army, boasting flags and singing loudly in classic Scottish fashion. 

Oh, we almost forgot to mention … Miles didn’t even have a ticket to the game. But for him, coming together and celebrating on a game day > everything else. Awwww.

— Written by Kelly Chan and Emily Schario

🚶 Thanks for reading! The one guy that might actually walk 500 miles (for the Tartan Army).

💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, MA250, for supporting local journalism and turning 250 years of history into surprisingly good weekend plans.

🥩 The results are in: 33% of readers can’t remember the last time they went to a steakhouse; another third said they love to go on special occasions. One B-Sider needed to clarify: “If by steakhouse you mean Texas Roadhouse, then yes I’m there at least monthly. YEEEEHAWWWW.”

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