😳🏂 You’ve never seen City Hall like THIS

It’s Thursday, Boston.

🍳We hope you’re having a great morning! Though it’d probably be better if you had a sit-down breakfast on the Blue Line with your friends like these guys did … for some reason.

👀 What’s on tap today:

• Why the JFK Library is free

• Boston’s WNBA team bid

• The best pizza in Boston

Up first…

OUT & ABOUT

Snowboarding 🤝 City Hall Plaza

A pro snowboarding event at City Hall Plaza was not on our 2025 bingo card. But never say never because this Saturday at 2 p.m. Red Bull’s (free!) Heavy Metal competition is so ON. 

Here’s what to know: 

🏂 Heavy Metal is the preeminent “street” snowboarding competition. A.k.a. “snowboarding’s more aggressive and creative cousin,” according to Red Bull. The basic premise is to snowboard in an urban environment using whatever’s around — stair rails, tables, drops, or other city features — to perform tricks and freestyle. Here’s a (frankly, terrifying) taste. 

☘️ This is the competition’s first stop in Boston. Red Bull launched Heavy Metal back in 2002 as a way to create a legit street-style snowboarding competition — meaning, it was literally held in the streets. It fizzled out after a few years but relaunched in 2022. And after successful runs in cities like Saint Paul and Duluth, M.N., and Detroit, M.I., it’s shipping up to Boston.

🏙️ City Hall Plaza will be totally transformed. You can expect to see three zones (and rounds) of competition. Zone one will feature a rail where riders can show off their technical skills; zone two will have a 15-foot drop and a wall where riders can pull off big air tricks; and zone three, “the highlight zone,” will be a choose-your-own adventure ride down a three-tier staircase with obstacles so riders can showcase their best skills. And of course, we can’t forget about the snow: They’re bringing in 300 tons (or 20 truckloads) from Loon Mountain. 

😰 If the whole ordeal seems a little scary … it is! Even according to the pros. “They make it as gnarly as possible,” said Benny Milam, a Red Bull snowboarder who’s competing this weekend and won the event back in 2022. Compared to a more traditional terrain park, the makeshift city elements make it “a little more aggressive than your average snowboard contest,” he said. “When you make it through the whole contest, it's a lot of weight off your shoulders because you're like, ‘wow, I survived Heavy Metal.’” Jeez.

🏔️ At the end of the day, it’s about making snowboarding more accessible. “The goal with it is just to show people that you don't need mountains to snowboard,” Milam said. “Snowboarding is this simple … you can go out in the city, as long as there's snow, and build whatever you want to build and get creative, use your mind.” That, of course, and the fact that it’s a wild watch. 

TOGETHER WITH THE BOSTON OUTDOOR EXPO AND THE BOSTON RUN SHOW

Your next adventure is waiting

🏕️🏃‍♂️ The only thing standing between you and your next escape? Not grabbing your free ticket in time. The Boston Outdoor Expo and The Boston Run Show are back in town on March 1-2 with epic deals, pro athlete speakers, and adventure-packed activities like Hyrox fitness, climbing walls, and even an ice plunge (if you dare). Tickets are full price at the door, so don’t wait — book your free tickets now! 

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

🏛️ So … the JFK Library is free for now. But it’s because five junior staffers were fired. Let us explain. The museum is making national headlines for temporarily closing on Tuesday after President Trump directed the federal government to fire probationary staff. Director Alan Price said the decision wasn’t political — senior staff felt uncomfortable staying open without the employees, who mostly worked in guest services, while Price was out of town. On Wednesday, the museum reopened, but with free admission until the sufficient staff are trained on the ticketing systems.

🧊 Big snowstorm + lazy shovelers = Ice, ice, baby! If you’ve walked around Greater Boston since our weekend snowstorm, you know two things to be true: Any unshoveled snow has become straight-up ice, and about half the city didn’t shovel their sidewalks. According to WBUR, Somerville has issued a “record number” of fines to folks who haven’t shoveled this week. So we’re here to remind you that all house and building owners (that includes your landlord!) are required to keep those sidewalks clear. Feeling petty? Report them to 311.

🏆 Boston could see two W’s in the sports world. First, a W at the 4 Nations Face-Off final, which is going down tonight at TD between longtime rivals Canada and USA. Based on the tension levels at their last meeting … it’s gonna be one for the books. And second, a WNBA team! The league is currently open to offers for future expansion teams, and Boston is looking like it’ll throw its hat in the ring. That doesn’t guarantee we’ll be picked, but at least Gov. Maura Healey is on board.

🐶 Missed out on a V-Day snuggle? It’s not too late! We’re talking about adopting a dog … duh! Through Sunday, the MSPCA-Angell and many of its partners across the state are waiving adoption fees for all pups over a year old (which can be up to $500!) as part of its “missed connections” V-Day event. The goal is to alleviate the current squeeze many shelters are feeling so they can continue to take more pups in. Trust us, there are some fabulous options. Just look at sweet Jessie!

MEDIA SPONSORSHIP

Tired: dinner and a show. Wired: museum scavenger hunt and a show.

B-Side is a proud sponsor of Cambridge neighbors Harvard Art Museums and the American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.), who together are putting a Grecian twist on Harvard Art Museums’ free monthly event Harvard Art Museums at Night. There’s a 7 p.m. showing of “The Odyssey” at A.R.T. that same night, so grab your togas and your tickets!

As usual, the event is totally free; the doors to the museum stay open late (starting at 5 p.m.); vendors serve food and drinks; and the galleries are yours to explore into the night. But at this month’s event on Feb. 27, the theater and museum are teaming up to put on a very mysterious “Odyssey”-themed scavenger hunt. So put your cryptic-riddle reading to the test after experiencing “The Odyssey” at A.R.T. — be there or be seriously missing out. 

QUICK QUESTION!

🍕 Before you read on: Which of these local spots has the best pizza?

ONE LAST THING

Boston’s best ‘za

A lot of “best of” lists will try to tell you where to find Boston’s best slice. But only one was the result of over 74,000 community responses.

Boston.com has been running a mega-pizza bracket, and the winner is finally in … Ziggy’s in Oak Square! The family-owned spot, which opened in 2021, pulled off several massive upsets against heavy hitters like Santarpio’s Pizza and Sally’s Apizza, before taking down Stoked Pizza Co. in the final round. 

Hot tip from co-owner Harry: The hand-stretched dough is the star of the show, so pick a simple pie that highlights it like cheese or pepperoni. 

— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

🍕 Thanks for reading! Absolutely no hate to Stoked, but trust, it’s so not the best pizza in the entire city. 

💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, The Boston Outdoor Expo and The Boston Run Show, for supporting local journalism and helping us gear up for epic outdoor experiences. 

⛷️ The results are in: 34% of B-Siders say they are simply not into skiing or snowboarding. One reader said: “There is nothing as humbling as learning to ski in your 20s…” Oh, do we know it. 

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