Plus, new laws about single-use bottles
 
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37º | Sunny | 6% chance of rain | Sunrise 7:12 a.m. | Sunset 4:28 p.m.
 

🍞 Somerville is spreading the love

What the Fluff? Festival spreads the love in Somerville
Union Square sign with marshmallow and bread
Take part in Somerville’s quirkiest tradition this year. | Photo by @nate_devarie
Jam’s for s(m)uckers.

In Somerville, lip-smacking marshmallow Fluff reigns supreme in sandwiches, and there’s a festival to declare it. The What The Fluff? festival returns this Sunday, Sept. 24 to honor the city’s legendary + creamy sandwich spread, which was concocted by confectioner Archibald Query in the early 20th century.

For year No. 18, the festival will occupy a stretch of Somerville Avenue between Dane Street and Warren Avenue, swirling Fluff-themed fun in Union Square from 3 to 7 p.m.

Here’s the rundown of the afternoon.

Getting there

  • The MBTA will offer shuttle service to Union Square, due to the current service suspension between Lechmere and the Union Square Station.
  • Three shuttles will run between the East Somerville Station and Union Square Station from 2:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
  • The Route 87 bus can make connections to Somerville Avenue at Stone and Loring Avenues.
  • Bike valets will also be available on Somerville Avenue at the corners of School Street and Warren Avenue, courtesy of MassBike.

Sticky shenanigans

Indulge in Somerville’s invention from a distance by checking out live entertainment on the Fluff’n Jam Stage, featuring music from local artists like Grace Givertz + The White Owls. Adventurous guests can get their hands dirty at the aptly-titled Shenanigans Stage, which will bring a sticky twist to musical chairs, jousting, and limbo. Review the full schedule.

Can’t-miss treats

Find these experimental takes on Fluff favorites throughout the festival.
  • Oysters FLUFFefeller — Bluefin
  • Fluffernutter donut — Union Square Donuts
  • Canned Fluff cocktails — Nook Somerville
  • Orange Creamsicle Cocktail topped with Fluff — Saus at Bow Market
  • Fluff Naan and Fluff Samosas — Masala Square Indian Kitchen
UPDATE: This article now reflects the festival’s rain date, Sunday, Sept. 24.
 
Events
Friday, Sept. 22
  • The Current: Season 13 Grand Opening | Friday, Sept. 22 | 4-6 p.m. | Seaport Common, 85 Northern Ave., Boston | Free to attend | Be the first to browse the newest lineup of brands anchored in the Seaport, including a custom Converse store.
  • Tegan and Sara | Friday, Sept. 22 | 7 p.m. | Roadrunner, 89 Guest St., Boston | $40-$70 | A portion from every ticket will be donated to the Tegan and Sara Foundation, whose mission is to improve the lives of LGBTQ+ women and girls.
Saturday, Sept. 23
  • 23rd South Boston Street Fest | Saturday, Sept. 23 | 11 a.m.-4 p.m. | East Broadway, Between I and L streets, Boston | Free | Enjoy two stages of live entertainment, offerings from 100+ local businesses, and Barbie-themed photo backdrops.
  • Roslindale Porch Fest | Saturday, Sept. 23 | 1-6 p.m. | Roslindale neighborhood, 2 Corinth St., Roslindale | Free | Yards and porches will transform into stages for 120+ artists for this neighborhood-wide day of local music.
  • Mulan | Saturday, Sept. 23-Sunday, Sept. 24 | Times vary | Boch Center, 270 Tremont St., Boston | $30-$90 | See the US premiere of this award-winning dance drama, a choreographed re-telling of the quintessentially Chinese tale.
Sunday, Sept. 24
  • The Sunday Bazaar | Sunday, Sept. 24 | 11 a.m.-5 p.m. | Brighton Elks Lodge, 326 Washington St., Brighton | Free to attend | Stuff your shopping bag with art, vinyl, vintage, and more from 100+ local small businesses.
  • Modern Calligraphy & Pumpkin Lettering for Beginners | Sunday, Sept. 24 | 12 p.m. | Harpoon Brewery, 306 Northern Ave., Boston | $65 | Tickets include a beginner calligraphy kit with two nibs, black ink pot, two letter guides, tracing paper, and straight pen holder, plus materials to write on.
  • Sake Day East Celebrates World Sake Day | Sunday, Sept. 24 | 4:30-7:30 p.m. | Garage B at the Charles River Speedway, 1420 Soldiers Field Rd., Boston | $35-$150 | Sample 60+ different sake varieties and book guided tastings.
Events calendar here
Click here to have your event featured.
 
News Notes
State
  • The USDA Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry Program has awarded Massachusetts with $22+ million for developing more green spaces. A portion of the money will be used for expanding community forestry in Chinatown, East Boston, Dorchester, Mattapan, and Roxbury. (WBZ News)
Civic
  • Mayor Wu has unveiled the Healthy & Green Retrofit Pilot Program, an initiative that supports the decarbonization + electrification of two to four-unit owner-occupied buildings in Boston. The initiative will offer owners forgivable loans of up to $50,000 per unit and construction management services.
Coming Soon
  • A new Bon Me location will permanently park at Cambridge Crossing in 2024. The Boston-based food truck and restaurant chain already serves colorful Asian cuisine at four brick-and-mortar shops in Cambridge, and another four in Boston. (Cambridge Day)
Holiday
  • Yom Kippur begins at sundown this Sunday, Sept. 24, marking the beginning of the Day of Atonement and holiest day of the Jewish calendar. Looking to get involved? Join the Yom Kippur services with Jewish Boston.
Number
  • 367 pounds. That’s the weight of a pumpkin grown in a Mattapan community garden this year. The gigantic gourd traveled to the Vermont Giant Pumpkin Growers Association in Colchester for the weigh-in, where it placed No. 10 in the local competition. (Boston.com)
Sports
  • Better luck next year, Sox fans. The Red Sox struck out this season, after a final loss to the Texas Rangers that eliminated them from postseason contention. (Boston.com)
Ranked
  • No. 17. That’s where WalletHub ranked Boston in a list of best coffee cities in America. The report collected data about factors like the price of cappuccinos, the number of local shops with free Wi-Fi, and donut shops per capita. Find your next caffeine fix with our coffee shop guide.
Wellness
  • Meet Beam Dream: a nighttime hot cocoa crafted with ingredients like reishi and melatonin. In a clinical study, 93% of users woke up feeling more refreshed. Get sippin’.*
Environment

🌳A greener future for Massachusetts

Governor Healey signs two environmental executive orders
A hand holding a large reusable water bottle with the ocean and a harbor in the background
State agencies will no longer be able to purchase single-use bottles, per the new executive order. | Photo by BOStoday team
As the leaves begin to turn red and yellow, the governor is going green. Gov. Maura Healey signed an executive order that prohibits government agencies from purchasing single-use plastic bottles, effective immediately.

The new rule nudges the state closer to similar policies enacted elsewhere in Massachusetts, such as Concord’s 2012 ban on the sale of plastic bottles. (For reference, a single plastic bottle takes ~450 years to decompose.)

The executive order is one of two that the Governor signed as part of Climate Week NYC, an environmental summit organized by environmental non-profit The Climate Group.

The second order sets biodiversity conservation goals for the coming decades — 2030, 2040, and 2050 — to “deliver the strongest biodiversity policy in America,” the Governor says. There are currently 432 species in Massachusetts that are endangered, threatened, or of special concern, including bald eagles, green sea turtles, and six species of whales.
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The Wrap
 
Victoria Wasylak.png

Today’s edition by:
Victoria
From the editor
I’m not exactly fond of marshmallows. I am the weirdo at the campfire eating a cracker-and-chocolate s’more, and my hot cocoa always lacks a fluffy topping.

Yet despite all this, I am a staunch defender of Fluff, if for no other reason than I’ve never seen a city relish a condiment so much that they style their hair with it. If you’re not partaking in this weekend’s confectionery festivities, then I don’t know what the Fluff you’re doing.
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