When Nikki McCart and Lisa Walsh of MW Hair Studio learned they were getting the Thomas J. Butler Small Business Leadership Award at the South Boston Street Fest, they cried happy tears — after first wondering if, perhaps, they were in trouble.

When they received an envelope from South Boston Chamber of Commerce Director Jenni McNeill announcing the award, their first reaction was confusion. “I was like, are we in trouble? What’s in the envelope?” Nikki recalled. “Is it a picture of us? I hope it’s a good one,” joked Lisa.

That mix of genuine emotion, quick wit, and complete lack of pretense pretty much sums up Nikki and Lisa — two longtime South Boston friends and business owners who have built MW Hair Studio into a thriving neighborhood business while quietly becoming fixtures in the community.

One of South Boston’s favorite days of the year is almost here.

The 26th South Boston Street Fest returns Saturday, September 19, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., bringing East Broadway between I and L streets to life with local businesses, live music, food, shopping, artists, family activities, and everything that makes South Boston such a special community.

Presented by the South Boston Chamber of Commerce and South Boston Neighborhood Development Corporation (South Boston NDC), the Street Fest is more than a neighborhood festival. It is a day dedicated to celebrating and supporting the small businesses, organizations, and people who make South Boston what it is.

For over a decade, Dedham Savings has been more than a sponsor of the South Boston Street Fest — it has been a familiar and enthusiastic presence at one of the neighborhood’s biggest celebrations.

As the Street Fest prepares to return to East Broadway on Saturday, Sept. 19, Dedham Savings is continuing its tradition of supporting an event that brings thousands of residents and visitors together to celebrate South Boston’s businesses, families, and community.

South Boston NDC celebrated a major milestone with the groundbreaking of McDevitt Senior Homes, an affordable housing development that will create 35 apartments for low-income seniors in the heart of South Boston.

Visitors to the South Boston Farmers Market this summer will find a colorful new addition among the fresh produce and baked goods: Dorothy’s Garden, a small flower farm dedicated to locally grown, organic, pesticide-free bouquets.

Charlotte Walsh found out about the market through her son, Gage, who previously lived in South Boston. He suggested she check it out.

And she is loving it!

As South Boston NDC prepares the former St. Augustine’s Convent for its transformation into affordable senior housing, an extraordinary discovery brought the past vividly into the present: a time capsule hidden for nearly a century.

ICON Architectures’ Joe Daigneault discovered the box on Feb. 28, 2026 during his careful dismantling of the chapel altar to preserve it. He only looked at a few things before closing the box for a grand reveal!