Calling your favorite performing artists 🎵

New concert venue: The Stage at Suffolk Downs

Aerial view of the Suffolk Downs incoming concert venue with red box reading "The Stage"

The stage will be 68-ft wide and 40-ft deep with a roof over it. | Photo via The HYM Investment Group, LLC; Graphic by BOStoday

The former East Boston racetrack Suffolk Downs is currently transforming into The Stage at Suffolk Downs, a seasonal, outdoor concert space with capacity for up to 8,500 guests.

Here’s what to know about the new venue, located at the infield of The Track at 525 William F. McClellan Hwy.

Who’s taking the stage?

The Stage at Suffolk Downs kicks off its season Friday, June 16-Sunday, June 18 with the touring Re:SET series. The headliners include Steve Lacy, LCD Soundsystem, and Boygenius (Note: Sunday’s show is sold out).

Plus, the Breakaway Boston music festival is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 15-Saturday, Sept. 16 with performances from artists like Griz, Lane 8, and Porter Robinson.

Tell me more about the venue.

This East Boston space has seen a rich racing and musical history. Some fast facts:

The Track was built in 1935 by 3,000 workers in just 62 days.
Famous thoroughbred race horses in The Track’s history include Seabiscuit, Whirlaway, John Henry, Cigar, and Skip Away.
The first concert performance at the venue was The Beatles in 1966.

BOStoday_Suffolk_Downs_One — The Jackson 5, Radiohead, and Bjork have all performed at Boston’s historic racetrack.

Now, visitors will find plenty of room to spread out on the lawn + listen to music during warmer months (likely May-October in future years).

Concertgoers can bring blankets, but will need to leave folding chairs at home. No food or drink is allowed in the venue, but concessions will be available on site, including local eateries like Pazza on Porter.

Parking is available for 1,500 cars, with lots opening an hour and a half before doors open. The venue is also a ~10-minute walk from Suffolk Downs Station on the Blue Line.

Who’s involved in this project?

The Stage at Suffolk Downs is a venture of The Bowery Presents + The HYM Investment Group LLC. You might recognize The Bowery Presents from its other Boston-area venues: Roadrunner, The Sinclair, and Royale.

HYM is the real estate group leading the redevelopment of the Suffolk Downs area.

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Friday, Dec. 9

SNOWPORT: Curling | Friday, Dec. 9 | 11 a.m.-9 p.m. | 85 Northern Ave., Boston | Free | Reserve a lane or walk up for a 30-minute session.
Little Christmas Tree Shop of Horrors | Friday, Dec. 9 | 7:30-9:30 p.m. | Iron Wolf Theatre at the South Boston Lithuanian Hall, 368 W Broadway, 3rd Floor, Boston | $59-$100 | Who’s killing the people of Revere this Christmas? Find out at this murder mystery musical, presented by the Gold Dust Orphans.

Saturday, Dec. 10

“Pancakes & Pajamas” at City Tap House | Saturday, Dec. 10 | 11 a.m.-3 p.m. | City Tap House, 10 Boston Wharf Rd., Boston | Price of purchase | Roll out of bed and enjoy Nutella pancakes + special holiday cocktails at the Fort Point eatery.
Fenway Flea Winter Market | Saturday, Dec. 10-Sunday, Dec. 11 | 12-5 p.m. | Time Out Market Boston, 401 Park Dr., Boston | Free to attend | Support local small businesses selling vintage goods, jewelry, and gifts at Time Out Market in Fenway.
Solstice: Reflections on Winter Light | Saturday, Dec. 10-Wednesday, Dec. 21 | 5-8:30 p.m. | Mount Auburn Cemetery, 580 Mt Auburn St., Cambridge | $0-$30 | The annual Cambridge event invites guests to walk through a light-filled landscape and reflect on the year as a new cycle begins.

Sunday, Dec. 11

Chunky Knit Stocking Making | Sunday, Dec. 11 | 2-3:30 p.m. | CambridgeSide, 100 Cambridgeside Pl., Cambridge | $65 | This workshop includes materials to make two stockings and wooden initials.
Holiday Cookie Swap | Sunday, Dec. 11 | 3-5 p.m. | Flour Bakery, 40 Erie St., Cambridge | $35 | Dress up and bring two or three dozen cookies to the annual cookie swap — all ticket sales will be donated to the Greater Boston Food Bank.

We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

100+ MORE EVENTS

Up on the housetop… reindeer hooves? 🎵

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Go ahead and check “free home inspection” off of your holiday wishlist. | Photo provided by Trutech Wildlife Service

Friends + family may not be your only guests this holiday season. Bats, squirrels, raccoons, rodents, opossums + birds are all common intruders of Boston homes. If left unchecked, it can wreak havoc on your property and health.

The good news: Wildlife removal experts can identify, remove, and prevent pest animals from entering your home — and with a free home inspection from Trutech Wildlife Service, you can make sure Santa is the only one in your chimney this Christmas.*

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Weather

46º | Sunny | 0% chance of rain

Sports

Say goodbye to Xander Bogaerts. The Red Sox player will be ending a 10-year career in Boston and is headed for the San Diego Padres. He signed a $280 million deal for 11 years with the Padres, making him one of baseball’s highest-paid shortstops. (The Boston Globe)

Development

Yesterday, the Jenga building — aka Boston University’s new Center for Computing & Data Sciences — was officially unveiled. In addition to fun features like encouraging guests to draw on the walls, the building uses geothermal wells and is 100% fossil fuel free. 💚 (Boston.com)

State

A law regulating dental insurance rates in Massachusetts was signed this week + will go into effect Jan. 1, 2024. The first-of-its-kind law will require companies to spend at least 83% of premiums on member dental expenses and quality improvements, rather than administrative expenses. 🦷 (WCVB 5)

Concert

Swifities, this one’s for you — nonprofit The Arc of Massachusetts is raffling off two VIP packages to Taylor Swift’s Sunday, May 21 “Eras Tour” performance at Gillette Stadium. Raffle tickets are $25 or $50 and support services for people with developmental disabilities. (WBZ)
In other music legend news, a joint concert is planned for Billy Joel + Stevie Nicks on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023 at Gillette Stadium. Tickets go on sale Friday, Dec. 16 at 10 a.m. (Boston 25 News)

Eat

Two Boston restaurants made OpenTable’s list of the Top 100 Most Beloved Restaurants in America for 2022. Congrats to Abe & Louie’s and Atlantic Fish in Back Bay. OpenTable analyzed over 13 million reviews to see which restaurants diners loved best. 🍽️

Ranked

Worcester has been ranked the No. 4 top housing market in 2023 across the US by Realtor.com. The city is forecasted to see a 2.5% sales growth and 10.6% price growth next year. Curious about other projected real estate trends? Learn more.

Shop

Wanna gift outside the box this year? Opt for an experiential gift from Uncommon Goods. From monthly gift subscriptions (like this Game of the Month Subscription) to hands-on classes taught by expert instructors (like a Raindrop Cake Class or Paint Your Pet Class), there’s something for everyone on your list.*

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This pop-up is giving winter cozy ❄️

This South Boston Pop-Up is Bringing All the Winter Cozy Vibes

A wall at The Lodge at Publico with skis, a ceramic moose head, and a flannel blanket.

The pop-up features oversized flannel blankets, pillows, and a vintage ski lift | Photo via The Lodge at Publico

Great news — an après ski-style pop-up opens today in South Boston, and you don’t even have to ski to go there.

“The Lodge at Publico” is a mini winter oasis in the interior courtyard of Publico Street Bistro & Garden (11 Dorchester St.). Expect fire pits, decorative skis, twinkly lights, and in true lodge style, plenty of flannel and moose heads.

As for the menu, bites include a crispy chicken mac and cheese featuring gruyere and an herb breadcrumb crust and grilled cheese and tomato soup. Cocktails include hot drinks like a rum-spiked hot cocoa, an Alpine Toddy, and a Peppermint Pete with Stoli Vanilla, chocolate liquor, and cream.

The Lodge is open Thursdays through Sundays from 4 p.m. to close, running through Sunday, April 2, 2023. Ready to hit the slopes? Make a reservation online.

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Sarah L.

Editor’s pick: Meet Viva Magenta — Pantone’s 2023 color of the year. Why do I love this color? 1) Bold reds and pinks are so happy looking, 2) it’s such a great change from today’s popular neutrals, and 3) isn’t it awfully similar to our logo color here at BOStoday?

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Here are 10 social media groups to join.

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