WEEK AHEAD: John Kerry Gets the Nod

The Democrats (and the celebrities) are coming! Boston plays host to the Democratic National Convention as PEOPLE takes a peek at what’s happening in the coming week:

SUNDAY, JULY 25: Justin Timberlake may want to shave that beard and get back into boy-band mode as the singer reunites with his fellow ‘N Sync members – JC Chasez, Joey Fatone, Lance Bass and Chris Kirkpatrick – for the first time since the 2003 Grammys. The occasion? They’ll perform at the 6th Annual Challenge for the Children VI in Miami, a weekend-long event benefiting the group’s Challenge for the Children charity, which the quintet founded in 1999. ‘N Sync also reportedly will announce their plans for a new album, their first since 2001’s Celebrity.

Meanwhile, over in France, Lance Armstrong and the rest of the cyclists will reach the finish line of the 2,110-mile Tour de France in Paris. Will Armstrong score his record-breaking sixth consecutive victory? One thing is for sure: Rocker-girlfriend Sheryl Crow will be there to root him on. And when asked about the possibility of another win, Armstrong told reporters: “I try not to think about that.”

MONDAY, JULY 26: Celebrities including Ben Affleck, Sean Astin, Christina Ricci, Janeane Garofalo and The Rock will be among the 50,000 attendees at Boston’s FleetCenter for the Democratic National Convention, which runs through July 29. The stars will be showing their support for John Kerry and John Edwards, who’ll officially be stamped the Democratic presidential and vice presidential candidates on the final day of the convention. Among the 22 speakers addressing the convention: President Bill Clinton and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (who’ll introduce her husband), Vice President Al Gore and President Jimmy Carter.

While Democrats are hobnobbing, Kathy Hilton, mother of Paris and Nicky, will start teaching 10 Regular Janes and how to act like a proper socialite, when her new reality show, The Good Life, begins shooting. The contestants will be housed at the family’s Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York, and the best “student” will live free for a year at the Waldorf-Astoria, get a car, clothing, jewelry and a one-year job. NBC will air the eight-episode series in September. Our question is: Will Paris be tutoring them in etiquette?

FRIDAY, JULY 30: Though we’ve heard it many times before from other artists (Cher, anyone?), Gloria Estefan insists she’s through with the road after her final tour, which launches in Hidalgo, Texas. The East Coast leg of the tour will wrap in her hometown, Miami, on Sept. 25 and Estefan will end her jaunt after a round of international performances through 2005. The singer recently wrote on her website that “although I will continue writing and recording and doing everything else that comes with this incredible way of life, this next tour will be my last.”