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When Anthony Barbosa and his brother started the Worcester Summer Jam Classic a decade ago, ambition stretched well beyond getting some talented basketball players out on a court.

There was basketball. Certainly. Obviously. But there was also music. Fashion. Kids. Local businesses. Mentorship. And, perhaps most importantly, the possibility of creating the kind of gathering in Worcester that Barbosa had seen elsewhere but couldn’t find in his own city.

Ten years later, he no longer has to go looking for it.

🎥 VIDEO: Soul Asylum brought the '90s roaring back to Worcester Tuesday night at Off the Rails.

From the opening notes of "Somebody to Shove" to a crowd-singing performance of "Runaway Train," the Grammy-winning band proved it still has plenty left in the tank after 45 years. Check out our concert recap — and don't miss the video clip from the show! 🎸🤘 #SoulAsylum #OffTheRails #WorcesterMA #LiveMusic #90sRock #RunawayTrain #ConcertReview

Only four Massachusetts hospitals earned a place in Newsweek’s 2026 ranking of America’s Best Children’s Hospitals. One of them wasn’t in Boston.

UMass Memorial Children’s Medical Center was the only Central Massachusetts hospital recognized, joining Boston Children’s Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Mass General Brigham for Children.

The Worcester hospital was the only Massachusetts honoree outside Boston. The others were Boston Children’s Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Mass General Brigham for Children.

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For one night each year, Shrewsbury Street transforms into the city’s largest outdoor dining room.

The event usually takes place on a Tuesday, but this year, fans have a couple more days to plan for the feasting. Thousands of people are expected to descend on Worcester’s “Restaurant Row” on Thursday, June 18, for the annual Taste of Shrewsbury Street, an event that turns one of the region’s best-known dining destinations into a mile-long culinary crawl featuring samples from more than 30 restaurants, live music and neighborhood block parties.

Worcester city councilors return Tuesday to a meeting that could finalize the city’s first-ever $1 billion budget after last week’s agenda grew so long that officials scheduled an earlier start time to allow for time to get through the remaining business.

The agenda is packed with annual reports, long-range planning updates and policy items that collectively offer a snapshot of where the city stands heading into Fiscal Year 2027. From transportation and sustainability initiatives to economic development efforts and public infrastructure investments, many of the items before the council focus less on immediate controversy and more on measuring progress and setting priorities.

The most consequential vote of the evening remains Worcester’s proposed Fiscal Year 2027 operating and capital budgets, which were delayed from an earlier meeting. The proposed operating budget would exceed $1 billion for the first time in city history, increasing spending by roughly $43.6 million over the current fiscal year. Education continues to account for the largest share of spending, while the proposal also includes significant investments in roads, sidewalks, water and sewer infrastructure, parks, public safety facilities and municipal operations.

The former home to Boston Market on Park Ave. is getting a new tenant, but the menu looks a whole lot different from rotisserie chicken and cornbread.

Wonder, a rapidly expanding food hall concept that combines multiple restaurant brands under a single ordering platform, is planning to open in August at 14 Park Ave., according to information presented to the Worcester License Commission on June 11.

The commission unanimously approved a common victualer license for the business, clearing one of the final steps before opening.

The location occupies the former Boston Market building, a Worcester landmark of sorts that sat vacant after the restaurant closed last year following a lengthy dispute between the franchise operator and the property’s landlord.

Blame, or credit it, on artificial ice.

The hockey season never ends.

The Stanley Cup finals are not yet over, nor has the Kelly Cup champion been crowned. While Florida and Kansas City battle for the ECHL title, the league is taking care of roster business to prepare for 2026-27.

The Railers are looking forward and backwards as the first official day of summer approaches. They have compiled their protected list, which will include some of next season’s players but not some key ones.