Boston Event Calendar

April 2010

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The Boston Event Calendar for April, 2010 is packed with exciting things to do in Boston as the Red Sox return to town, the Boston Marathon attracts elite athletes and fans from all over the world, Patriot's Day reenactments take place in Boston and Concord, and the Swan Boats return to the Public Garden.

If you're visiting Boston in April, going to a Red Sox game or at least seeing one at a sports bar near Fenway can be lots of fun. 

You'll also find a lot of activities related to Patriot's Day, a local Massachusetts holiday devoted to celebrating and remembering the events leading up to the Revolutionary War.  Don't be startled if you notice militia members wearing 18th century uniforms and carrying muskets walking along the street - or if you spot someone who looks like Paul Revere on horseback.

And of course, the Boston Marathon brings everyone outside, either running or watching - so hope for nice weather!

Add an event to the Boston Event Calendar for April 2010

Quick Links:  Boston events calendars:  March   l   May  l  Other Months

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Red Sox Opening Game

When:  April 4, 8:05pm
Where:   Fenway Park!
Closest T station: Green Line/Kenmore
If you drive:   Best parking garages and lots near Fenway Park

***Red Sox Tickets***

Spring truly arrives in Boston when the Red Sox play their opening game at Fenway Park against the New York Yankees.  Will the team go on to the World Series this year?  Anything is possible when the season begins in April.

Tickets have been sold out for quite awhile, but you can still find some good options through StubHub.  If that doesn't work for you, catch the game on a big screen at one of the popular sports bars near Fenway.

Coming into town for this big event?  Here are the best hotels near Fenway Park.

Need some Red Sox to wear?  Check out our Red Sox clothing and Red Sox hats!

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Free Monday Night Movies

When:  Mondays throughout April, at 6pm
Where: Rabb Lecture Hall, Boston Public Library, 700 Boylston Street, Copley Square, Boston
Cost:  Free
Closest T station: Green Line/Copley
More information:  617-536-5400; BPL website

Crime is the theme of the Boston Public Library's April movie selections in its year-long Made in Massachusetts film series.  Plenty of local Boston scenes will test your knowledge of local geography - see how many spots you can identify!

April 5 - Mystic River - In this gritty tale of murder, family, friendship, and betrayal, look for East Boston, Charlestown, Mattapan, Dorchester, the Tobin Bridge, Jamaica Plain, South Boston, Chelsea, and Canton.

April 12 - The Departed - The Irish Mafia and the Massachusetts State Police conflict with each other in Charlestown, Lynn, Quincy, and Boston - specifically in Chinatown, on Farnsworth Street, and at the Erich Lindemann Mental Health Center in Boston's West End, also featured in next week in Gone Baby Gone (see a photo on this page about Boston movies).

April 26 - Gone Baby Gone - Crime conflicts with moral dilemmas in the West End, Moakley Park, and at Murphy's Law in Boston, South Boston, Hormel Stadium, LoConte Rink, and Meadow Glen Mall in Medford, Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Needham, the Quincy quarries, Dorchester, Chelsea, Lynn, Sherborn, Waltham, and Winchester.

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Last Bruins Home Game at the Garden

When:  April 10, 1pm
Where:   TD Garden, 100 Legends Way (off Causeway), Boston's West End
Closest T station: Orange and Green Lines/North Station
Tickets:  website

The Boston Bruins play their last regularly scheduled home game of the season against the Hurricanes.  Come cheer them on to an exciting finish!

Check out best hotels near the Garden - and sports bars near the Garden.

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Cats at the Colonial Theatre

When:  April 13 - 18, matinees and evenings
Where:   Colonial Theatre, 106 Boylston Street, Boston's Theatre District
Closest T station: Green Line/Boylston
Tickets: website

This marvelous musical, based on T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats and featuring memorable and poignant music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, has delighted audiences since 1981.  It returns to the Colonial for a 6-day engagement as part of the Broadway Across America series. 

Grab a quick dinner before the show - or leisurely drink and dessert afterward - at one of Boston's best Theatre District restaurants.

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Last Celtics Home Game at the Garden

When:  April 14, 8pm
Where:   TD Garden, 100 Legends Way (off Causeway), Boston's West End
Closest T station: Orange and Green Lines/North Station
Tickets:  website

The Celtics play their last regularly scheduled home game of the season against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Garden.  Come cheer and show some green.

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Alvin Ailey at Citi Wang Theatre

When:  April 15 - 18, matinees and evenings
Where:   Citi Wang Theatre, 270 Tremont Street, Boston
Closest T station: Green Line/Boylston
Cost:  $35 - $70
Reservations/more information:  617-482-6661; website

Alvin Ailey brought a muscularity and vigor to American Dance that transformed it.  Under Artistic Director Judith Jamison for the past 20 years, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has continued and expanded Ailey's legacy, as you'll see in this electrifying performance at the Wang.

Check for half-price tickets at Bostix.

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6th Annual Boston International Film Festival

When:  April 16-25
Where:   AMC Loews Boston Common, 175 Tremont St, Boston Common
Nearest T station: Green Line/Park
Tickets:  $10 for most single sessions; $75 all-session pass; $250 VIP pass (you get to meet the stars and directors!)
More information:  BIFI Website   

"Eclectic" barely begins to describe the films showcased by the Boston International Film Festival, which range from avant-garde surrealism to documentaries about subprime mortgages and the experience of being Greek immigrants in L.A. in the '60s. 

Tickets are sold for "sessions," typically including a longer film bundled with several shorter films on a similar topic or theme.  It's fair to say there's literally something here for everyone. 

BIFF strives to bring together local and international independent and experimental films in this 10-day festival - take a look at the scheduled screenings, and you'll probably agree that they succeed!

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The Swan Boats Return

When:  Saturday, April 17
Where:   Boston's Public Garden
Cost:  $2.75 adults; $1.50 children 2 - 15 years; $2 seniors
More information:  Boston Swan Boats   

In a sure sign that spring has arrived, the pedal-powered Swan Boats return to the Lagoon in Boston's Public Garden.  Enjoy the pale green hints of spring foliage  as your boat glides around the Lagoon.

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Reenactments and drama at Paul Revere House

When:  Saturday, April 17 - Saturday, April 24
Where:   Paul Revere House, Boston's North End
Cost:  Some are free with the cost of admission to the museum:  $3.50 adults; $1 children 5 - 17 years; $3 seniors and college students; a couple cost $4.50 and require reservations - check the website below for details.
More information:  Paul Revere House website   

In commemoration of Patriots Day earlier in the month, a daily series of reenactments, dramatizations, and multimedia programs throughout school vacation week make the Paul Revere House an excellent place to bring children to see events and daily life in the late 1700s come alive.  Still another involves tracing Revere's path from his house to the banks of the Charles River where he embarked on his famous ride to sound the alert about the British.

Starting with a fife and drum concert, the events include a visit with Paul Revere (played by Boston actor Michael Lepage), a Midnight Ride storytelling program, and more.  Check the website above for details - this is sure to be an exciting week.

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Patriot's Day Celebrations

When:  Monday, April 19
Where:   Boston's North End, Lexington, Concord, other locations
Cost:  Free
More information: 
    Minute Man National History Park reenactments
    More events along Battle Road
    Paul Revere's ride reenactment
Note: Other reenactments take place in the area starting on April 10. Check the Minute Man website (above) for all the details. If you've never seen any of these reenactments, they are well worth seeing.
Photos and my recommendations for Patriot's Day events

Held annually on the third Monday in April (a Massachusetts State holiday), Patriot's Day commemorates the events leading up to the battles in Lexington, Concord, and present-day Arlington that marked the beginning of the Revolutionary War.  Reenactments, parades, and ceremonies occur throughout Saturday and Sunday, and continue through Monday.  Many of these take place in Lexington and Concord along Battle Road in the Minute Man National History Park.

In Boston, watch the National Lancers, a cavalry troop of the Massachusetts Militia dating back to 1836, reenact the start of Paul Revere's ride across the countryside to warn Samuel Adams and others that the British troops were on their way.  A lantern-lighting service on Sunday night in Old North Church in the North End begins the event.  On Monday morning, Paul Revere (as portrayed by a National Lancer) departs on horseback from Hanover Street in the North End at 10am.   

At Old North Bridge in Concord, watch the reenactment of the opening battle of the Revolutionary War at 6:30am and the arrival of the Sudbury Militia at 10:30am.

Also in Concord, the Patriot's Day Parade begins at 9am in Concord Center, passes over North Bridge at about 9:30, and then heads back into town.

In Lexington, the reenactment of the first skirmish between British troops and the Lexington militia takes place at 5am, and the town's Patriot's Day Parade begins at 2pm in Town Center. 

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Boston Marathon - the Patriot's Day Race

When:  Monday, April 19 - start times range from 9:22am to 10:30am
Where:   26 mile, 385 yard course between Hopkinton and Boston
Closest T station to the finish line:   See Boston Marathon for suggestions
Cost:  Free
More information about the Boston Marathon

The 114th Boston Marathon - one of the city's biggest events of the year - features 25,000 elite runners from around the world competing in a route made difficult by rolling terrain and features such as "Heartbreak Hill." 

Although the winners complete the course in just over 2 hours, many participants are still running hours later.  Registration to run in April, 2010 closed last November, but you can watch from anywhere along the Boston Marathon route - or check out qualifying times.  Or, if you attend the traditional Red Sox home game scheduled for Marathon Day, you'll be part of the crowd streaming into Kenmore Square just as the first runners arrive at the finish line on Boylston Street.

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Young Frankenstein at the Opera House

When:  April 20 - May 4
Where:   Opera House, Boston Theatre District
Closest T station:   Green Line/Boylston  
Ticket information

Broadway comes to Boston when "Young Frankenstein," a show based on Mel Brooks' 1974 cult classic film lampooning the Frankenstein story.  Broadway stars Roger Bart and Shuler Hensley are on board for this national tour in Boston's gorgeous Opera House.

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Independent Film Festival Boston

When:  April 21-28
Where:   Primarily at the Somerville Theatre, Davis Square, Somerville
Nearest T station: Red Line/Davis
Tickets:  Buy season passes (partially tax deductible) or individual tickets - see their website for pricing.
More information:  IFF Boston Website   

The 8th Annual Independent Film Festival Boston spans 8 days this year, and promises to be bigger and better than ever, with some familiar names and many new ones. 

IFF Boston showcases independent film makers from around the world, and the 2010 lineup promises lots of interesting viewing of almost 100 selections.  Boston film fanatics rate this festival as one of the best.

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Wine, Cheese, and the Pursuit of Happiness

What:  21+ event
When:   April 24, 6:30pm - 9:30pm
Where:   Boston Wine School,1354 Commonwealth Ave, Allston
Cost:   $100 for wine tasting, cheese, and dinner
Nearest T:   Green Line/Griggs St (Outbound) and Warren St (Inbound)
More info:   617-84-7150; Boston Wine School website

Boston wine critic Jonathan Alsop serves up 6+ wines, 6+ cheeses with a wine-pairing dinner in his "Wine, Cheese, and the Pursuit of Happiness" class at the Boston Wine School.  Check out other Friday and Saturday classes at BWS - could be the focal point of a great weekend trip to Boston.

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ICA - International Children's Film Festival - Made by Kids!

What: Family activity
When:  April 24, 10am - 4pm
Where:  ICA Boston, 100 Northern Ave, South Boston Waterfront
Closest T station: Red Line/South Station (about a 10 minute walk to ICA), or take Silver Line from South Station
Cost: Free for 2 adults per family with children 12 and under.

Artist / filmmaker Jim Capobianco shows and discusses his film, Leonardo, followed by a drawing and animation workshop for families.  Watch films made by children in the theater.  Go to the Art Lab and create collages about you life, ideas, wishes, and interests.

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Art in Bloom at Museum of Fine Arts

When: 
  - Saturday, April 24 - tours for children and their families
  - Sunday, April 25 - guided tours and lectures; members-only evening event
  - Monday, April 26 - more tours; free admission from 5pm - 9pm
Where:  Museum of Fine Arts, Boston's Fenway neighborhood
Closest T station: Green Line/Museum
Cost: Free with the cost of admission
More information: MFA Art in Bloom webpage

MFA celebrates the advent of spring with 50 fabulous floral arrangements throughout the museum inspired by works of art.  Other special tours, teas, and other activities add to the festivities.

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Quick Links:  Boston events calendars:  March   l   May  l  Other Months

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