The Envoy Hotel launches 261 at Para Maria, a pop up sports bar where women’s athletics are the main event
Boston, Massachusetts – Introducing 261 at Para Maria, a pop-up sports bar concept launching March 19 through April 30 that puts women’s athletics front and center. Located at The Envoy Hotel’s signature restaurant Para Maria, 261 at Para Maria is named after the bib number worn by Kathrine Switzer, the first woman to run the iconic Boston Marathon as an officially registered competitor in 1967. The concept honors the legacy of trailblazing athletes; from the women who broke barriers to the LGBTQ+ community whose courage and visibility transformed women’s sports and celebrates the historic momentum defining Boston’s women’s athletics today.
261 at Para Maria launches not only during Women’s History Month but also at a time when Boston is entering its own new chapter in women’s athletics. The city is now home to The Fleet, its professional women’s hockey team, and earlier this month welcomed Boston Legacy FC, its new NWSL franchise. A women’s MLB team is expected to debut later this year. Locally and nationally, the conversation around women’s sports representation has never been louder and 261 at Para Maria is dedicated to cheering it on and paying it forward via a partnership with local organization, Dream Big! Founded in 2010, Dream Big! is a Boston based non-profit dedicated to helping girls and young women from low-income situations achieve their dreams by providing sports equipment, sports attire, athletic footwear, program fees and college showcase scholarships needed to enable them to participate in sports and physical activities.
In partnership with The Boston Globe, 261 at Para Maria features a large-scale photo exhibit sourced from archival photography depicting some of the notable women who are a part of the past, present, and future of women’s sports in Boston. Displayed floor-to-ceiling across a dramatic wall of windows adjacent to the bar, the images honor and celebrate some of the women who helped pave the way for generations of young athletes through perseverance and determination. Their stories are featured in Globe coverage and can be read at Globe.com/womenssports.
Executive Chef Tatiana Rosana, a featured Bar Rescue expert and two-time Chopped champion, has crafted a creative bar food menu inspired by Boston’s women’s sports teams and local athletes. Dishes like Switzer’s Sliders (Nashville hot honey chicken, pickles, cabbage slaw, fries) and The Fleet Flatbread (Hot Honey Pepperoni, mozzarella, marinara, oregano) feature inventive takes on classic bar fare, each one a small act of recognition to a team or a trailblazer who inspired it. In between bites, beers or cocktails like The Kathrine Spritzer (Tito’s vodka, Elderflower liqueur, grapefruit Juice, prosecco) and The Green Legacy (Tito’s vodka, muddled cucumber, lime juice, splash of simple), guests can take part in tabletop games, foosball and other activities woven throughout the bar area, keeping the energy high between buzzer-beaters and final kicks. One dollar from each of the two aforementioned speciality cocktails sold at 261 by Para Maria will be donated to the Dream Big! Organization.
From its launch on March 19 through the end of April, 261 at Para Maria will maintain a packed calendar timed to the season’s biggest moments in women’s sport, including Viewing parties (Boston Legacy NWSL matches, The Fleet games, and national women’s sporting events,) NCAA Women’s March Madness (watch parties, bracket nights, and themed programming) Fan nights and themed discussions celebrating teams, athletes and the business of women’s sports, among other engaging topics.
Para Maria brings comfort food with global flair to the heart of Boston’s Seaport, and the restaurant is located on the lobby level of The Envoy Hotel at 70 Sleeper St, Boston, MA 02210. For more information, visit https://www.paramaria.com.
