Exploring Boston and New England - Summer

Not sure where to beat the heat?  Want to know more about free concerts? The best place to see the July 4th fireworks? Or how to travel to New York City for only $30? Browse the links below to find some of the best attractions in the area or click this link for a presentation which highlights different activities and attractions that Boston and New England have to offer and includes various links for further resources.

Summer Activities

Agricultural

Massachusetts Farmers' Markets

Pick-Your-Own

Strawberries (Massachusetts)
Blueberries & Raspberries (Massachusetts)
Vegetables (Massachusetts)
Flowers (Massachuesetts)

Visit a Bay State Farm and Farm B&Bs

Arts & Culture

Boston Landmarks Orchestra: Free Summer Concerts

City of Boston ParkArts

The Commonwealth Shakespeare Company
Each July, Boston is treated to a free production presented over the course of 2.5 weeks on Boston Common.

Events at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics:
Monthly Observatory Nights, Sci-Fi Movie Nights, Author's Nights and Children's Night.

HarborWalk Sounds @ the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA):
Free outdoor jazz concert every Thursday evening, 6-8:30pm, beginning July 9th.

The Lowell Folk Festival
The largest free folk festival in America. Don't miss it on the last weekend in July!

Museum of Fine Arts
MFA Summer Fridays (July and August) and MFA First Fridays (September through June) feature gourmet hors d'oeuvres, special exhibitions, cool cocktails and Boston elegance from 5:30 pm to 9 pm in the Museum of Fine Arts' lush Calderwood Courtyard. Cash bar. Entry is included with general MFA admission.

Outdoor Recreation

The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University (FREE!)
Visit the oldest public arboretum in North America and one of the world's leading centers for the study of plants. Free tours and family events.

The Cambridge Arts Council presents their FREE Annual Summer in the City

Fenway Park Tours
Visit the park where the Babe pitched, The Kid hit, Yaz dazzled and Ortiz still thrills young fans today.

Hatch Shell Events (FREE!)

WODS Oldies Concerts; WBZ Friday Ficks; WCRB Classical Concerts

Mass Parks

Memorial Drive's Car-Free Sundays
Go in-line skating down 1.5 miles of bustling street closed off to vehicles during the summer and early fall. In-line skate lessons and skate rentals available. 617-890-1212.

Movies By Moonlight at the Boston Harbor Hotel
Rowes Wharf: FREE Classic film screenings at dusk.

Music Cruises on Boston Harbor
This summer-long series features live rock bands on Thursdays, live blues bands on Fridays, and a double shot of Boston radio DJs spinning tunes on Saturdays. All cruises are 21+ and depart from 60 Rowes Wharf, Gate C.

Pawtucket Red Sox

The Tango Society of Boston
Summertime tango by moonlight, 8pm to 11pm, over the Weeks Footbridge at Memorial Drive just east of JFK Street. Arrive at 8 pm for a 15-minute lesson. Free!

Urban Parks: Recreational Resources and Activities

Exploring Boston & New England in the Fall

Want to know more about free concerts? The best place to see fall foliage? Or how to travel to New York City for only $30?

Browse the links below to find some of the best attractions in the area or click this link for a presentation which highlights different activities and attractions that Boston and New England have to offer and includes various links for further resources.

Pick-Your-Own Apple Orchards

Pick-Your-Own Pumpkins

Farmers' Markets

Haunted Happenings: American's Halloween Festival
Nobody celebrates Halloween quite like Salem, Massachusetts. October is a magical month that blends traditional autumn celebrations with the excitement of Halloween -- three weeks of fun for the whole family in one of America's most historic and picturesque seaports. While in Salem, also visit the "Friendship" -- a full-sized replica of a 17th century schooner that is permanently docked in Salem Harbor, the House of Seven Gables, and the Salem Children's Museum, and the Peabody Essex Museum. For visits in any month except October, savings coupons are in the Entertainment Book for many of Salem's museums and some restaurants.

The Trustees of the Reservation website is a great resource for information about lighthouse tours, canoe tours, family fun days, craft fairs, barnyard tours, places to swim, hike, picnic etc. across the state of Massachusetts.

MFA First Fridays
(September - June) feature gourmet hors d'oeuvres, special exhibitions, cool cocktails and Boston elegance, 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm in the Museum of Fine Arts' Koch Gallery. Admission to MFA First Fridays is free for Museum members. Non-members pay the general admission charge, which is $13 after 5pm. MFA First Fridays offers a cash bar and is for adults age 21 and over only. 617-369-3935.