50+ events to "wake up" Boston’s nightlife

Also: DNC Night 1 celebrates Biden's legacy; saying goodbye to Cambridge Brewing Co. [❤️ Donate]( [View in Browser](   August 20, 2024  ☂️ Today is mostly sunny, with a chance of showers and a high of 73. Good Morning Boston, With Gov. Maura Healey[in Chicago]( for the Democratic National Convention, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll will be acting as governor today - until the afternoon, when she'll also head off to the Windy City. (In case you were wondering, that leaves Secretary of State Bill Galvin in charge until Friday, when Healey returns.) Now that we're all on the same page about who's presiding over the commonwealth, let's get to the news: - Some have nicknamed Boston the "city that sleeps early," but a slew of new nightlife events may start to rewrite that narrative. Earlier this month, the Boston mayor's office announced the 42 recipients of the city's "Wake Up the Night" grant, [a pilot program]( that gave locals up to $10,000 to help fund programming to add richness to their neighborhoods' nightlife. - When does the party start? "We've got over 50 events that will happen throughout the city in the next few months," said Corean Reynolds, Boston's director of nightlife economy, [in an interview yesterday with Radio Boston.]( "And we're really excited because it's not just traditional nightlife... like bars, restaurants, and nightclubs." - So, what kind of events are we talking? They range from comedy nights, beer gardens and jazz concerts to trivia, late-night cafes, teen socials and a pop-up opera. A few of them even start as soon as this week, like this [nighttime kayaking event at Piers Park]( on Aug. 22 and a [kung-fu film festival at the Chinatown Gate]( kicking off Aug. 23. The full list of awardees - and, more importantly, the events they're planning to host - [can be viewed here.]( - The burning question: Some say a lack of liquor licenses in the city is one of Boston's biggest roadblocks to a robust nightlife. Although a bill that would have added more than 200 liquor licenses [was recently put on ice]( in the state legislature, Reynolds said she has "full faith that some resolution will come from that particular situation. We're encouraging people to apply for a liquor license." [Check out Radio Boston's full conversation Reynolds, our very own "night czar," here.]( - Pour one out for Cambridge Brewing Company. The storied establishment announced it will close up shop in December after 35 years of serving local craft beer to customers in Kendall Square. Owner and original brewer Phil Bannatyne, 68, told [The Boston Globe]( he's looking to retire. The brewery, which first opened in 1989, is best known for serving up brews with unmistakably Cantabrigian names like "Charles River Porter," "Regatta Golden Ale" and "Cambridge Amber Ale." Over the next four months, head over to grab one and [test out the brewery's fall menu]( before they close their doors for good. - In other restaurant news: After less than a year of operation in Boston's Fenway, Chef Douglass Williams' French brasserie D.W. French has closed. In its place, Williams is [opening up his fourth location]( of Italian restaurant chain, MIDA. It's set to open in October. - Goodbye, Pink House: The Plum Island Pink House, a landmark in Newbury, is scheduled to be demolished by the end of the year, after receiving no bids at a public auction. - The Pink House, [built in 1925]( was purchased by US Fish and Wildlife Service in 2011. While some locals are [rallying to save the the aging building]( US Fish and Wildlife says the house contains too many contaminants to be safely used or inhabited. The Parker River National Wildlife Refuge on Plum Island plans to restore the salt marsh it sits on after razing the building. - We're giving some celebratory quacks to the [Duck Boat that became a rescue boat yesterday](. A toddler got past the safety railing along the Cambridge-side riverfront near the Museum of Science and Royal Sonesta Hotel, and fell into the water. His father dove in after him and [the two were stuck in the river](. A duck boat staffed by two captains doing safety drills spotted the pair clinging to a rock and brought them aboard. "We were happy to be in the right place at the right time," said Tom Vigna, director of marketing for Boston Duck Tours. P.S.- L.L. Bean's Bootmobile received a [glamorous closeup in The New York Times]( during its trip down to Revere Beach this summer. Apparently, driving a boot going 65 mph from Maine to Massachusetts isn't always easy. "If we need to decompress, we will hide in the Bootmobile," Mandee Flanders, one of the boot's nine drivers, told the Times. Hanna Ali Associate Producer, Newsletters The Rundown [Biden caps off a career in public service as Democrats celebrate his legacy at DNC]( In a night "For the People," Democrats focused on the legacy of the Biden presidency as President Biden passed the torch to Vice President Harris. [Read more.]( [Biden caps off a career in public service as Democrats celebrate his legacy at DNC]( In a night "For the People," Democrats focused on the legacy of the Biden presidency as President Biden passed the torch to Vice President Harris. [Read more.]( [State auditor faults Convention Center Authority for failing to follow state law and internal policies]( The state auditor's office published a report which found numerous issues with policies and practices in place at the state agency that owns and operates the Hynes Convention Center, the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, the MassMutual Center in Springfield and the Lawn on D. [Read more.]( [State auditor faults Convention Center Authority for failing to follow state law and internal policies]( The state auditor's office published a report which found numerous issues with policies and practices in place at the state agency that owns and operates the Hynes Convention Center, the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, the MassMutual Center in Springfield and the Lawn on D. [Read more.]( [South Coast Artists open more than 75 local artists' studios to the public]( South Coast Artists held their 21st annual Open Studio Tours this past weekend, showcasing local painters, ceramicists and eco-photographers. [Read more.]( [South Coast Artists open more than 75 local artists' studios to the public]( South Coast Artists held their 21st annual Open Studio Tours this past weekend, showcasing local painters, ceramicists and eco-photographers. [Read more.]( [To find teachers this year, some Vermont districts are going the extra mile - literally]( With few teaching candidates applying, especially in more rural districts, administrators are being forced to get creative - like walking the streets of Barre City to find applicants. [Read more.]( [To find teachers this year, some Vermont districts are going the extra mile - literally]( With few teaching candidates applying, especially in more rural districts, administrators are being forced to get creative - like walking the streets of Barre City to find applicants. [Read more.]( [Judge allows transgender N.H. girl to play soccer as lawsuit challenges new law]( A federal judge temporarily cleared the way Monday for a transgender girl to play soccer for her high school team while she and another student challenge a New Hampshire ban. [Read more.]( [Judge allows transgender N.H. girl to play soccer as lawsuit challenges new law]( A federal judge temporarily cleared the way Monday for a transgender girl to play soccer for her high school team while she and another student challenge a New Hampshire ban. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - The Healey administration is planning to seize St. Elizabeth's Medical Center using the power of eminent domain - but not Carney Hospital or Nashoba Valley Medical Center, which are also slated to close. [This explanation from our latest Mass. Politics newsletter]( looks at why Healey made this call, which she described as "good news" - though "not for everyone." - Like what you read and want to get it in your inbox? From big news from Beacon Hill to Massachusetts ballot questions, our election newsletter will keep you informed - without the jargon - on the political moves that matter most. [Sign up here.]( - Listen: Boston-based quartet Twisted Pine's "Chanel Perfume" is a funky, soulful tune about moving on from a bad situation. You can listen to the song, featuring guest vocalist Ali McGuirk, [right here](. - Explorers say they've found the wreckage of a British warship, suspected to have been sunk off the coast of Scotland, in the North Sea, by a German U-Boat during World War I. [Check out these photos of the underwater wreck.]( - Research shows that when more voters participate in the democratic process, communities are healthier. Could voter registration at hospitals help increase civic engagement? Writers Alister Martin and Aliya Bhatia ponder the question  this essay for Cognoscenti](. What We're Reading 📚 - An Intoxicating 500-year-old Mystery ([The Atlantic]( - Why don't more politicians retire? ([The Conversation]( - Woman arrested for trying to sell iconic Graceland estate ([PBS NewsHour](   Tell Me Something Good [What does half a million sunflowers blooming on 20 acres look like? Pure joy. (The Boston Globe)]( A weekly photo column by Pulitzer Prize winner Stan Grossfeld, brings the stories of New England to Globe readers. [Read more.]( [What does half a million sunflowers blooming on 20 acres look like? Pure joy. (The Boston Globe)]( A weekly photo column by Pulitzer Prize winner Stan Grossfeld, brings the stories of New England to Globe readers. [Read more.]( Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: This guy's [wicked impressed.]( Correction: In yesterday's newsletter, we incorrectly stated what the $80 million package in the state's plan to save five Massachusetts hospitals would be used for. The funds are meant to help the new hospital operators during their first three years. 😎 Forward to a friend. 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