By Courtney Wright
Special to the Gazette
Happy April, Mission Hill! There is a lot happening this month in the neighborhood and many exciting opportunities to come together in community as the weather (hopefully) gets nicer this spring. It’s hard to believe the Boston Marathon is already less than two weeks away! If you get a chance, wish luck to Mission Grammar School’s Mr. Morris who will be running “Miles for Mission” this year to support the school. Good luck!
This Sunday, April 7th, Mission Hill Main Streets is partnering with Northeastern University’s office of Off campus engagement and support to do street and sidewalk cleaning along the business corridor from Roxbury Crossing on Tremont St down to South Huntington. The City’s Love Your Block neighborhood cleanup is scheduled for Saturday but due to weather concerns, we pushed it back a day to take advantage of better weather. We anticipate that this will be one of many days of service of this variety in the coming months.
In other Main Streets news, to increase the ways that we are able help to promote our local businesses and their programming/specials/events, we have added a feature to our website, missionhillmainstreet.com. The addition of the “PROMOTE” button, allows businesses to send us information and graphics/flyers that they would like to be promoted out through social media, newsletters and other ways we engage with our constituencies, including this monthly gazette piece. It is our hope that this will create a steady flow of useful information for those coming to Mission Hill to enjoy our business and commercial district and for those who live here to keep a pulse on what’s new and exciting.
While on the topic- there are some new and exciting updates to share regarding our wonderful establishments rolling out this month. On Saturday, April 20th, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. (rain or shine) Celebrate Earth Day with Boston Building Resources at their 100 Terrace St location! The free, family-friendly event will include the following:
• A plant exchange organized by The Trustees of Reservations. Seeds, seedlings, bulbs, and rhizomes can be donated and/or taken for free.
• Food fresh from the grill
• Live music from the Mighty Silverbacks starting at 12:00 noon.
• Meet with EnergySage and Homeworks to learn more about efficiency in your home.
Also happening on April 20th, is the return of “Tulips and Tequila” at Yellow Door Taqueria. Come for brunch and stay for class! Learn the art of floral arranging with beautiful tulips and spring flowers while sipping on a complimentary YDT Signature Margarita. Jennifer, owner of McCabe Gardens & Floral Design will guide you through creating your own stunning floral masterpiece. No experience necessary, just bring your creativity! Vase, flowers, tools, and 1 margarita are included in the cost of the ticket. I personally attended the first “Tulips and Tequila” event and loved it. Tickets available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tulips-tequila-floral-arranging-class-with-mccabe-gardens-ydt-mission-tickets-870539546217. Yellow Door has also released a new spring menu! Come check out their newest cocktails and menu options- including their new “Shuck it Sundays” with $1 oysters every Sunday from 4 p.m.-close, while supplies last.
In case you missed it in March, Cilantro Latin Kitchen has rebranded and is now Merengue Express! Their new menu features their most popular items such as mofongo, mangu, chicharrones, steak merengue, plantains, and more from their immensely popular original Merengue location in Roxbury. Go check them out at 1415 Tremont street.
More restaurant specials this month:
Penguin Pizza: $5 lunch specials, Mon-Fri 11-3 pm; ½ priced apps, Mon-Thurs 3-5 pm; 50 cent wings on Mondays; $2 tacos on Tuesdays and Trivia on Wednesdays beginning at 6 pm
Mission Bar and Grill: check out their weekly lunch and dinner specials- created weekly by the chef; new spring cocktails are now on the menu as well!
Lilly’s Gourmet Pasta: in addition to their daily pasta specials, they’ve added a cold case to the store that allows for more grab and go options- thanks Matt!
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As our restaurants get ready for May and outdoor dining season, others are gearing up for baseball season. Mission Hill Little League is chartered for their 71st season and will be holding their Opening Day event again this year at McLaughlin Field at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 27th. Mission Hill Little League is FREE this season and looking for youth to join their ranks! Registration for the 2024 season is now live on the website: missionhill-littleleague.org. Come out and support our youth and their fearless leader Dan Weldon, who has been working hard this offseason to grow the league (and their supply shed). After the Opening Day celebration, there will be space reserved from 4-5:30 p.m. at the Puddingstone Tavern for everyone to come together and celebrate the kick-off. Dan would also like to use the opportunity to thank all of those who have contributed gloves, bats, balls, cleats, etc. to their community equipment shed. The outpouring of donations received this year was beyond what was expected, and they’d like to provide a place to share their gratitude. Stop by if you can! If you have any questions about registration or the league in general, please contact Dan Weldon at [email protected]
Finally, please save Save the Date for the third annual MHMS/MFA/Mission Hill Artists Collective Juneteenth event at the MFA. On Wednesday, June 19th, the Mission Hill Artists Collective will, for the third year in a row, be celebrating local Mission Hill artists at the Museum of Fine Arts free community celebration with the support of Mission Hill Main Streets. This year, the MHArtists Collective has been asked to participate in “Juneteenth!” Please join us in the Atrium between 10:00am and 3:00pm to view the artwork of LeShonda Zene, Aminata Dakowa, Zahira Nurtruth, and Michelle Zene. Enjoy an array of paintings, fabric creations, fluid art of handcrafted paper items, resin and more. More details to follow! If you want me to feature your specials or any business news, please use the “Promote” form on missionhillmainstreet.com and I will be in touch. I look forward to seeing you all out and about this month.