Boston Events Guide
Best Boston holidays, celebrations, and festivals
Boston events, holidays, celebrations, and festivals take place during every month of the year.
Wondering what to do in Boston? Use this events guide to find out what's happening, and to find calendars for each month.
We include the top well-known events, sports, and festivals - and we also tell you about lots of "insider" events that regular tourist guides never mention but you'll totally enjoy!
Interested in Boston Events during a Particular Month?
Quick Links to Our 2012 Monthly Calendars
Throughout the year: Boston Film Festivals
And if you're interested in theater and shows: Boston Theatre District Shows
Want to tell others about an event in Boston? Add your information to the Events Calendars here.
Have a question about events? Ask here
January - Boston Events and Holidays
New Year's Day brunches and the L Street Brownies' famous New Year Day Swim get January events off to a great start!
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Day, a national U.S. holiday, celebrates the life of the famous civil rights leader with events at Faneuil Hall.
Boston Sports: Bruins | Celtics | Patriots
Our January Events Calendar gives you more information about these events - and lots more!
Two special Boston wine tasting events warm up the cold January nights - the Boston Wine Expo, which features wines from hundreds of wineries from all over the world in the largest consumer and trade wine event in the U.S., and the renowned Boston Wine Festival, a 3-month long food and wine pairing event created by one of Boston's top chef/oenophiles.
More Things to do in Boston in January - Find even more suggestions about what to do for fun in Boston in January
February - Boston Events
February in Boston may still be cold, but Valentine's Day warms the heart. Boston hotels sweeten the occasion with romantic specials to lure you to the city for a special celebration! Find out more about Valentine's Day Boston Hotel Packages
February packs in other exciting events - Super Bowl Sunday puts everyone in a party mood (find out how to celebrate Super Bowl in Boston), Boston's best college hockey teams compete on the ice for the Beanpot championship, the 10-day Boston Sci-Festival lets you immerse yourself in parallel worlds, and the New England Boat Show - New England's largest! - lets you fantasize about the return of warm weather.
Boston Sports: Bruins | Celtics | Patriots (when they get to the Super Bowl)
Find all the details - plus more fun events - on the February Event Calendar for Boston
Things to do in Boston in February - Find more suggestions about what to do in Boston in February
March - Boston Events
St Patrick's Day Events - Boston's biggest Irish celebrations include a huge parade through "Southie" (South Boston), while the city's Irish pubs pour green beer and feature live Irish music
Boston Flower and Garden Show - Come get ideas for your spring garden at the biggest and best garden show in New England
Spring Flowers - Trust me, when spring flowers finally begin to bloom in Boston, it's a BIG event! Get a preview of what you'll see, and where to see these gorgeous displays.
Restaurant Week in Boston - 2 weeks of big savings on lunch and dinner in many top Boston restaurants gives you plenty of delicious reasons to brave the strong March winds!
Running of the Brides - Sadly, this famous Boston wedding gown event took place for the final time, victim to Filene Basement's bankruptcy filing. But you can still view our Running of the Brides photos if you want to see how much fun it was, and check out Carson Kressley's Wedding Dress Tips.
Boston Sports: Bruins | Celtics
Boston has lots more interesting March events - the Boston Massacre Re-Enactment, an unusual official legal holiday called "Evacuation Day" that commemorates the departure of the British back in 1776 and just happens to fall on St Patrick's Day (which naturally leads to lots of green beer), two of the city's most popular film festivals, and much more - find all the details on the Event Calendar for March
April Events
Boston Marathon - Join the excitement of watching as elite athletes from all over the world compete in the famous Boston Marathon - one of the biggest Boston events all year!
Patriots' Day Holiday - Re-enactments, parades, and other special events in and near Boston commemorate the beginning of the American Revolution. Watch Paul Revere depart on his famous horseback ride across the countryside. Find details for 25 reenactments, parades, and other events on the Patriots' Day Schedule
Red Sox Opening Game - Schedule and Ticket information - The unofficial beginning of spring in Boston! The Red Sox return to Fenway, and all is right with the world!
Run of the Charles Races - The biggest canoing and kayaking race event in New England, and the perfect excuse to spend a day at the river - bring a picnic, and enjoy the spring!
Plus, plenty more fun April Events in Boston - the FIRST Robotics Competition (great kids event), Boston Lyric Opera's Annual Open House (think you don't like opera? This free event at the Schubert Theatre may change your mind), the huge Boston International Film Festival celebrating indie films of all genres, and more April events!
Boston Sports: Bruins | Celtics | Red Sox
More things to do in Boston in April - Find more suggestions about what to do in Boston in April when warm weather brings us back to life and we begin to consider packing away our sweaters . . . in a couple of months
May Events
South End Open Studios - Spend the day enjoying art in Boston's South End
Memorial Day Weekend Events - Find out about all the events during the 3-day Memorial Day Weekend in Boston
Hidden Gardens of Beacon Hill Tour - Once each year, Beacon Hill gardens normally hidden behind high walls open their gates to welcome you
Boston Sports: Red Sox
Event Calendar for May - More Boston May events, including Mother's Day events such as the Duckling Day Parade and Lilac Sunday at Arnold Arboretum
Things to do in Boston in May - Find more suggestions about what to do in Boston in May, when the whole city bursts into bloom, restaurants set up tables and chairs on the sidewalks for "patio" seating, and everyone heads outdoors
June Events
Scooper Bowl - For 3 glorious days, eat at all the ice cream you want guilt-free as you support an important cause
Boston Dragon Boat Festival - Watch the Charles River fill up with colorful "dragons"
Boston Harborfest - Starting on June 29, this HUGE Independence Day celebration - the biggest in the U.S. - features more than 200 events
Boston Sports: Red Sox
Event Calendar for June - FInd out about all of Boston's June events, including Bunker Hill Day on June 17th, a legal holiday in Boston and Suffolk County in honor of those who fought and died for American Liberty at Bunker Hill in 1775. There's almost too much to do this month!
Boston discount passes for attractions, tours, cruises
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July Events
Boston Fireworks and Boston Pops Concerts - Boston's famous July 4th celebration
Harborfest - Boston's huge 6-day celebration of American Liberty continues
Shakespeare on the Common - Enjoy Shakespeare under the stars - bring a picnic and blanket to these free productions under the stars
Boston Sports: Red Sox
Boston Events in July - Lots more fun Boston events in July!
Things to Do in Boston in July - Find more suggestions about what to do in Boston in July
August Events
Shakespeare on the Common - A continuation of the perfect way to spend a summer evening during August
Restaurant Week in Boston - 2 weeks of splendid dining at bargain prices - the summer menus are usually wonderful!
Boston Sports: Red Sox | Patriots
Event Calendar for August - More Boston Events in August, including some of the best North End traditional Italian feasts and festivals featuring food, music, saints, and singers
September Events
Boston Labor Day Events - Enjoy the last few days of summer leisure with these fun events
Boston Sports: Red Sox | Patriots
More September Events in Boston, including the Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival with loads of free and ticketed jazz events all over the city, Boston Fashion Week (OK, so our Fair City on the Charles may not exactly be the fashion center of the universe - but you can still have a lot of fun here), Boston Wine Week (Boston's top restaurants compete to see who can offer the best wines at bargain prices . . . doesn't get much better than this!), and the big Boston Film Festival, featuring world premiers along with a huge selection of top films from all over the world.
October Events
Columbus Day Parade - Huge parade through Boston's North End or East Boston (alternating years), plus other Columbus Day Weekend events
Head of the Charles Regatta - Watch athletes from around the world compete in this exciting 2-day rowing event
Fall Foliage - Leaves become spectacular during October, as foliage viewing, cruises, and tours provide a lot of fun in Boston and across New England
Halloween in Boston - Graveyards, ghosts, and goblins - Boston has them all! Join the fun as Bostonians celebrate this favorite event!
Halloween in Salem - Witches, ghosts, and the Haunted Happenings Grand Parade make Salem the New England center of Halloween events.
Boston Sports: Red Sox | Patriots | Bruins | Celtics
Boston Calendar for October - including the Fort Point Open Studios (one of Boston's biggest, oldest, and best art walks), OctoberFest German-style celebrations featuring music, dancing, and tasty beverages at Harpoon Brewery, the rapidly growing Boston Book Festival, and more!
Things to Do in Boston in October
November Events
Boston Thanksgiving - Where to Go for Dinner - Boston's best restaurants go all out to prepare their best meal of the year - and as Boston turkeys will be happy to hear, you'll find plenty of tasty vegetarian options too!
Thanksgiving Weekend Events in Boston - Top things to do in Boston during Thanksgiving weekend.
Boston Veterans Day Events - Huge parade, military history cruise, sales in all the stores, special meals, more.
Boston Sports: Patriots | Bruins | Celtics
Event Calendar for November, including the Boston Comedy Festival at Boston's many comedy clubs, Christmas tree lighting events, Black Friday shopping, and more!
Things to Do in Boston in November
December Events
Christmas in Boston - Discover why Boston is so special at Christmas time, and all the wonderful things you can do here to celebrate this magical season
First Night Boston - Boston's gala day- and night-long celebration to welcome the New Year - tons of events, and fun for everyone
Boston Sports: Patriots | Bruins | Celtics
Boston Calendar for December - Filled with special musical events such as Holiday Pops with the Boston Pops, the Boston Tea Party Reenactment, the special Black Nativity productions, The Nutcracker, and many more holiday events - another month when there's almost too much to do in Boston!
More Things to Do in Boston in December
Boston Film Festivals
With scenes of Boston featured in 500+ movies and television series, it's not a surprise that almost 2 dozen film festivals take place here every year. Find the Boston Film Festival Calendar for the entire year
Boston Theaters and Shows
Although we list a few of the biggest shows in the monthly event calendars, there are just too many to list all of them - especially since live theater and shows continue to expand! So we set up a special list. Check out our list of Boston Theatre District Shows
Boston Event Tickets
Although many Boston events are free, you'll need to get tickets for others - but no need to spend a fortune! Check out our guide about where to get Boston tickets - along with a few "Boston insider" tips about how to save money and even find half-price tickets to major events.
Did you know . . .
For Boston's biggest events - the Marathon, July 4th, New Year's Eve - hotels book up fast, and last-minute reservations can be hard to find at good rates. Here are a few suggestions to help you find hotel packages in great locations:
- New Year's Eve Hotel Specials
- Valentine's Day Hotel Specials
- Boston Marathon Hotels
- Hotels near July 4th Fireworks
- Boston hotels for Harborfest
Also, if you are planning to attend a graduation ceremony at one of Boston's 60+ colleges and universities during May or early June, keep in mind that these are some of Boston's largest events - and there's HUGE competition throughout the city and suburbs for hotel rooms at reasonable rates - so book as early as possible.
Questions about Boston Events?
Have a question about Boston events? Ask, and I'll do my best to answer.
First, though, check out what others have asked - I might have already answered the same question for someone else.
When asking your question, please fill out the whole form, including lines for name and location that say "optional."
After you send your question, you'll see a page that thanks you and asks you to set notification options. I highly recommend that you check the first 2 boxes so you'll be notified when I reply - otherwise, you'll have no way of knowing other than checking the website periodically. When you see my reply, please let me know if it was helpful!
Thanks for getting in touch, and enjoy your visit to Boston!
Susan
More suggestions for finding and enjoying Boston events
- Boston Travel Planner - 10 easy steps for planning your Boston trip
- Boston Neighborhood Map - Not sure where Back Bay is vs Beacon Hill? This map gives you the "big picture" so you'll know where events take place
- Return from Boston Events to Boston Tourism and Discovery Guide home page
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