Memorial Day in Boston - 2012 Events

10 Things to Do in Boston on this first summer weekend

Are you visiting Boston on Memorial Day, 2012?  

Most Boston locals head to Cape Cod, the Vineyard, or the New Hampshire mountains for the long weekend. 

For Boston tourists, that means restaurant reservations, show tickets, and even Red Sox tickets will be easier to get than usual.  You should also be able to find attractive Boston hotel rates for your Memorial Day weekend vacation. 

This special May holiday, always observed on the last Monday in May, falls on May 28th in 2012.  It is an American holiday in honor of those who died in wars defending our country.  If you're planning a Boston visit on Memorial Day weekend, you'll find ceremonies commemorating those who fought for freedom. 

In Boston, Memorial Day weekend marks the beginning of summer.  Here are 10 suggestions for ceremonies and events, plus fun things to do in Boston during this first long summer weekend.

1.  Massachusetts Military Heroes Garden of Flags -  May, 2012

Every year, the Massachusetts Military Heroes organization plants a Garden of Flags - 20,000 of them - in front of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument on Boston Common to commemorate the Massachusetts service members who have given their lives to defend the United States and our freedom. 

Flags will be in place from Thursday, May 24 through sundown on Monday, May 28.  A ceremony to honor Massachusetts service members killed in Iraq and Afghanistan will be held on the Common on Thursday, May 24th at 10am.  

2012 also marks the 66th Annual Memorial Day services to be held on Saturday, May 26, 11am at the Veterans Memorial Park in the Back Bay Fens in Boston's Fenway neighborhood.  Veterans Memorial Park (sometimes called the Sergeant Charles Andrew MacGillivary Memorial to honor a local hero), a tranquill green area with monuments commemorating those who fought in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, can be found near the Kelleher Rose Gardens.

2.  Red Sox at Fenway -  Memorial Day, May 28, 2012

Watch the Red Sox play the White Sox at Fenway Park on Memorial Day.  (Here's the schedule). 

Every home game has sold out at Fenway since 2004, and tickets can be notoriously hard to get at a reasonable price, even on the resale market - so a weekend when most Boston locals happen to be elsewhere presents a rare opportunity to enjoy less ticket competition and often below-face-value tickets - so don't miss it! 

Check for tickets:   AceTicket  |   TicketLiquidator  |  ScoreBig (make an offer)

3.  Shop the Memorial Day sales

If you love to shop, don't miss Boston's Memorial Day Weekend deals - you can easily save enough to pay for your weekend in a nice hotel.   Because Boston's hot weather really only lasts for about 2 months, summer things get put on deep discount sale early - yes, by this weekend!  Best places to look?  If I had to pick just one spot among all Boston shopping areas and malls, I'd focus on Back Bay - Prudential Center for upscale stores, Copley Place for international designer boutiques, and Newbury Street/Boylston Street for more designer boutiques, unique local stores, and Nike and the other big athletic gear stores.

For an even bigger adventure (and possibly bigger savings), Wrentham Village discount outlets can't be beat!

4.  Free Open House at Museum of Fine Arts - Monday, May 28

Balance baseball with a little culture - visit the Museum of Fine Arts for free on Monday from 10am - 4:45pm.  MFA's Fenway location is close to the ball park - so the perfect Memorial Day plan might be to have lunch at a Fenway restaurant, spend the afternoon at the museum, grab a quick bite and something cool to drink at one of the sports bars near Fenway Park, and then walk over to the game.

5.  Explore Boston - Go on a walking tour

Boston by Foot, a non-profit organization, features a knowledgeable and enthusiastic group of 200+ volunteer guides who offer some of the most interesting walking tours in town at very reasonable prices - tickets generally run about $8-$15.  Tours on Memorial Day typically include walks around the historic Beacon Hill neighborhood, the Victorian Back Bay neighborhood, and along the Freedom Trail.  No reservations necessary; pay your guide in cash when you arrive at the meet-up point.  Check out times and other details on the Boston By Foot Website.

6.  Go to a show - And stop by the Street Performers' Festival

Most Boston theaters are closed on Mondays - but if you're coming to Boston for Memorial Day weekend, you'll find plenty of shows and performances on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  (After all, you'll be at the Red Sox game on Monday, right?)   Check Boston theatre listings.

For free entertainment, head to Faneuil Hall Marketplace, where the annual Street Performers Festival will be going on from Saturday through Monday.  Over 50 mimes, jugglers, puppeteers, magicians, and comedians will entertain you.

7.  Explore the city - By bike

With so many Bostonians (also known as lunatic drivers, although of course I'm not referring to myself) out of town, Memorial Day weekend presents a great opportunity to explore Boston by bike safely.  Join a group tour - offerings on Monday range from UrbanAdventours include tours of the Freedom Trail, Beacon Hill, and Back Bay - or rent a Hubway bike for an hour or two and explore on your own.  More about Boston bike tours, rentals, and paths

8. Head to the beach  . . . in or near the city

Although Boston itself is on a harbor, real beaches - yes, with sand and places to lie in the sun or buy a hot dog and slush - are closer than you might think.  True, they're not the Cape but you can get to them on public transportation and avoid hours stuck in traffic.  So throw your swimsuit and towel into a bag, slather on some sunscreen, and check out beaches in Boston and local favorite, Castle Island.

9.  Cruise out to the Harbor Islands

Boston's largest park is actually offshore:  the Boston Harbor Islands National Park Area.  Although the park includes 32 island and 2 peninsulas, only a few of the islands are open to the public and accessible by ferry - but they provide plenty of recreation, places to picnic, and spectacular scenery.  Best of all, you can get to the closest one in only 15 minutes, and it's like being in a different world.  More about Boston Harbor Islands

10.  Visit America's first garden cemetery

Although Memorial Day started as a remembrance of those who died in military service, it is also an occasion for remembering others who have departed, and one of the most beautiful spots in the Boston area for doing this is Mount Auburn Cemetery.  Flowering trees and flowers, exquisite statuary and sculptures, and a gently rolling landscape complete with ponds and resident ducks fill the 175 beautifully landscaped acres.  Part botanical garden, part final resting place, Mount Auburn attracts large crowds of admirers during May, arguably its most popular month, but like the rest of Boston, crowds thin out during this long holiday weekend.  

Directions to Mount Auburn Cemetery (580 Mount Auburn Street, Cambridge) by public transportation:  From Boston, take the Red Line to Harvard Square.  At the station, take either the Watertown Square or Waverley Square trolley (#71 or #73). Get off on Mount Auburn Street at Aberdeen Avenue.  Mount Auburn is across the street - you'll see the entrance gate.  Cross Mount Auburn at the light.  Free admission.

You may also like . . .

Getting around on Boston's Public Transportation	Boston Events for May - More Fun Things to Do	Walk through History on Boston's Freedom Trail

Don't forget that with so many people out of town, restaurant reservations will be easy to get.  Use our guide to Boston restaurants to choose where to go.

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