10 things to do in Boston this 4th of July weekend
BosTen is your weekly guide to events and cool happenings in and around Boston.
Skip Netflix this weekend—here are 10 ways to get out of your home and not be bored in the city. If you’d like BosTen delivered to your inbox every Thursday, click here. Want more things to do? Check out our events calendar at boston.com/events.
Frog Pond Spray Pool Opening Celebration
During a particularly warm day in February, crowds showed up at the Frog Pond to skate in 72-degree heat. Starting Thursday, Boston Common visitors will be able to use the Frog Pond for some seasonally-appropriate frolicking as the city’s Parks & Recreation department fills the pond and sets off the 30-foot flume at its center. Expect free giveaways, food, face painting, magicians, and plenty of splash fights. (Thursday, June 29 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Boston Common Frog Pond; free; all ages)
Back to the Future marathon at the Museum of Science
As of October 21, 2015, the ‘future’ in Back to the Future is the past, and yet we still don’t have real hoverboards. (Those glorified mini-Segways don’t count.) Despite that, both Back to the Future and Back to the Future II are a joy to watch, and the Museum of Science will show them back-to-back in the Hayden Planetarium Thursday. (Thursday, June 29 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Museum of Science, Boston; $18; rated PG-13)
Boston Harborfest
On Friday at 11 a.m., Mayor Marty Walsh will kick off the 36th annual Harborfest, which celebrates the colonial and maritime heritage of America’s independence in Boston. You can attend dozens of activities as part of the five-day festival, including Boston Harbor cruises, specialized Freedom Trail tours, and a historic Freedom Trail pub crawl. There will even be festivals within the festival, including ColonialFest — which will offer hands-on colonial activities like chocolate making and fife playing — and ChowderFest, where local restaurants will compete for the best seafood sample in Boston. (Friday, June 30 to Tuesday, July 4; times, locations, prices and ages vary per event; full schedule here)
Jaws on D
It’s been 42 years since Jaws first splashed into theaters, but even today, John Williams’s theme song for this Steven Spielberg classic that filmed on Martha’s Vineyard conjures feelings of terror. To celebrate the original summer blockbuster, the Lawn on D will hold an outdoor screening this Saturday starting at 8:30 p.m., complete with Narragansett cans so you can crush it like Quint. A word of warning: If all 5,000 people who RSVPed for the event on Facebook show up, they’re gonna need a bigger lawn. (Friday, June 30 from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.; The Lawn on D, Boston; free; all ages)
Cambridge City Dance Party
For the 20th year, the city of Cambridge is inviting everyone over for a giant dance party. DJs will be spinning music as thousands let loose in the middle of Mass. Ave. So if you’ve got some leftover moves from the Donna Summer Roller Disco Party, get your groove on in Central Square this Friday. (Friday, June 30 from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m.; Central Square, Cambridge; free; all ages)
Island Om: Yoga on Spectacle Island
What better way to escape from the stresses of day-to-day life than with a cleansing yoga session on an island? Each Saturday starting July 1, yogis can enjoy an outdoor flow with incredible views of the city from Spectacle Island. The classes are free, but you need to buy a ticket for the 9:30 a.m. Boston Harbor Ferry to get there. (Saturday, July 1 at 10:15 a.m.; Spectacle Island via ferry from Long Wharf; free; all ages)
Pups and Pints
Dogs and drafts. Barks and beers. Tails and ales. No matter what you call it, if you’re a fan of man’s best friend and man’s (stereotypical) beverage of choice together in one place, Pups and Pints at Battery Park Bar is the place to be on Saturday. You’ll get a Harpoon IPA with purchase of a ticket, and a portion of the proceeds will benefit Save A Dog, an all-volunteer dog rescue organization in Sudbury. (Saturday, July 1 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.; Battery Park Bar, Boston; $17; all ages to enter, 21+ to drink)
Night Shift Brewing Beach Party
Massachusetts is chock-full of great beaches, but if you’d rather enjoy the best the beach has to offer without getting sand in your clothes, Night Shift Brewing is throwing a beach party on Sunday. The brewery will start the day off by releasing Lime Lite, a new summery American light lager aged with limes. Night Shift will have kiddie pools filled with cans of the new beer, along with lawn games, a dunk tank, barbecue food trucks, ice cream from Scoop N Scootery, and a beach-themed photo booth. Sun hats and board shorts are welcome. (Sunday, July 3 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Night Shift Brewing, Everett; free; 21+)
Reading of the Declaration of Independence
On July 18, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was read to the people of Boston for the first time from the balcony of the Old State House. The tradition continues each Independence Day, as a member of the Boston Ancient and the Honorable Artillery Company recites the words that set the American Revolution in motion. Is there any 4th of July activity more American than that? (Tuesday, July 4 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.; Old State House, Boston; free; all ages)
Boston Pops Concert and Fireworks
Boston’s most famous 4th of July attraction is definitely the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular and concert on the Esplanade. This year, Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops will be joined by singers Melissa Etheridge, Andy Grammer, and Hamilton star Leslie Odom Jr., who promised that fans of the hip-hop musical would not be disappointed with the show. If you want to avoid the largest crowds, you can also see the musical acts sans fireworks at the Pops rehearsal show on Monday night from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. If you’re set on getting a spot on the Esplanade for the 4th, get there early. Gates open at 9 a.m., and the lawn fills up throughout the day. (Tuesday, July 4 from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.; DCR Hatch Shell, Boston; free; all ages)
