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Things to do in Boston this weekend, July 31st - August 3rd

July 31, 2025

Hello and welcome to the Thursday newsletter! August is here!

THURSDAY - JULY 31st

Patriots Training Camp @ Gillette Stadium @ 10AM
Watch the team practice, explore the fun-filled activities, games and photo opportunities, plus keep an eye out for special guest appearances! Ends 8/10.

Museums at Night @ Harvard Art Museums @ 5PM
Get ready for an evening of art, music, food, and more! This event is free and open to everyone.

Harborwalk Sounds @ ICA @ 6PM
Grab a drink, enjoy the cool ocean breeze, and hear some of Berklee College of Music’s outstanding musicians perform on the waterfront.

Concerts in the Courtyard: Patty Larkin @ MFA @ 7:30PM
Enjoy MFA’s summer music tradition showcasing the hottest talents from Boston and around the globe.

Dive Bar Night @ Crystal Ballroom @ 7PM Crystal Ballroom turns into a classic dive bar and you’re invited to sit at the bar, have a drink, have some pretzels, watch TV, and listen to music.

FRIDAY - AUGUST 1st

First Fridays Party: White Hot @ ICA @ 5:30PM
Wear your best summer whites for the latest edition of ICA’s iconic sunset party on the waterfront.

‘Star Wars: Return of the Jedi’ in Concert @ Koussevitzky Music Shed @ 8PM Take an intergalactic musical journey with the Boston Pops as they perform John Williams’ iconic score to live picture.

Dvořák & Bonds in Concert @ Sanders Theatre @ 7PM Harvard Summer Chorus presents the Boston première of Antonín Dvořák's original 1876 ‘Stabat Mater’ in its rarely performed version, interwoven with selections from Simon Bore.

Lost 80’s Live Tour @ Wang Theatre @ 7PM This unique concert is filled with all your favorite 80’s songs performed by the artists you know and remember, featuring A Flock of Seagulls, General Public, Big Country, & more.

Davido @ Agganis Arena @ 8PM With Victony & Morravey

Sematary @ Brighton Music Hall @ 7PM With Ghost Mountain, HACKLE, & Anvil

Keith Wallen @ The Palladium @ 7PM With Levels, Major Moment, Silent Season, & Scarecrow Hill

SATURDAY - AUGUST 2nd

Africa Connect Food Festival @ Waltham City Hall @ 12PM Get ready to experience the vibrant flavors and rich culinary traditions of Africa from savory stews to delectable desserts.

Candlelight: From Bach to The Beatles @ Huntington Theatre @ 7PM Hear a unique program featuring Bach’s classics and favorites from The Beatles.

Candlelight: The Best of Hans Zimmer @ Huntington Theatre @ 9PM Hear Hans Zimmer’s best soundtracks from ‘Inception,’ ‘The Lion King,’ ‘Interstellar,’ ‘The Dark Knight,’ and more.

Pantera @ Xfinity Center @ 7PM With Amon Amarth & King Parrot

Mickey Avalon @ The Palladium @ 8PM With Bill Rich!, Kaseek Ortiz, & Jaize

SUNDAY - AUGUST 3rd

Red Sox vs Astros @ Fenway Park @ 11:35PM Promotion: Kids Run the Bases

Dine Out Boston Begins!
Make sure to take advantage of delicious deals at this year’s participating restaurants.

Big Belly Food Festival @ Arts at the Armory @ 4PM The festival is bringing food lovers, rising food talents & underrated cuisines all together in one unforgettable day of discovery, connection, and full bellies.

Yoga and Meditation in the Galleries @ Peabody Essex Museum @ 9AM Start your Sunday with a meditative yoga session.

Nelly @ Xfinity Center @ 7:30PM With Ja Rule, Eve, Chingy, & St. Lunatics

The Fray @ Leader Bank Pavilion @ 7:30PM With The Strike & Cassandra Coleman

Clipse @ Roadrunner @ 8PM With Earthgang

Esha Tewari @ Crystal Ballroom @ 7PM With Gregory Thomas Pease (of Flycatcher)

ALL WEEKEND

All weekend - Yankee Homecoming @ Newburyport This week-long celebration features a parade, fireworks, live music, and vendors markets. Events include a cornhole tournament, a road rally, and an exhibition of artwork from all over New England.

All weekend - The Feast of Saint Agrippina Festival @ North End It’s feast season once again, bringing a carnivalesque atmosphere to the North End!

All weekend - Bonsai Show @ Franklin Park Zoo Discover the beauty and artistry of bonsai and Ikebana in this vibrant limited-time outdoor display.

All weekend - Akira Kurosawa Film Programme @ Coolidge Corner Theatre Don’t miss the legendary director’s 11 films all in new restorations. Ends 8/14.

All weekend - The Boston French Film Festival @ MFA The BFFF returns with a hand-picked lineup of the year’s most lauded Gallic cinema, ranging from stirring dramas to star-studded comedies. Ends 8/24.

All weekend - ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ Musical @ Company Theatre The gentle Quasimodo, the courageous Esmeralda, the conflicted priest Frollo, and the people of Paris come to life in this musical adaptation inspired by Victor Hugo's classic novel. Ends 8/17.

All weekend - ‘As You Like It’ Play @ Boston Common Shakespeare’s lush romantic comedy ‘As You Like It’ celebrates the joys and follies of human nature and the beauty of creating one’s own sanctuary, even in the face of great tyranny. Ends 8/10.

ONGOING

Ongoing - Open Market @ SoWa @ 11AM Sundays* One of the largest open-air farmer and artist markets returns this summer season! Ends 10/26.

Ongoing - Artisan Market @ Rose Kennedy Greenway @ 11AM Saturdays* Run by Somerville Flea, this summertime market features talented area artists, crafters, and independent designers. Ends 10/25.

Ongoing - Summer Market @ Seaport Seaport’s summer bazaar returns with a mix of popular returning artisans and new entrants, all offering a unique assortment of products from clothing to home décor, pet goods, food, and much more. Ends 9/21.

Ongoing - Downtown Boston Arts Market @ Summer Street Plaza Thursdays & Fridays* - Located in the heart of the city, the Arts Market features artisans, crafts people, and local creative talent selling their wares in Downtown Boston. Ends 10/24.

Ongoing - Farmers Market @ Copley Square Fridays* - The largest market in the city, Copley Square Farmers Market offers a cornucopia of local produce, meats, dairy, baked goods, and prepared meals, as well as some non-edible products. Ends 11/25.

Ongoing - Charlesgate Farmers Market @ Emerald Necklace Conservancy Sundays* - Come out to support your local farmers, small businesses, and musicians. Ends 10/5.

Ongoing - Summer in the City @ Harborwalk Terrace This Boston tradition lets you enjoy sundrenched days, waterfront views, and breezy nights with live music and al fresco dining. Ends 8/28.

Ongoing - Boston Lights: A Lantern Experience @ Franklin Park Zoo
NEW - Prepare to be dazzled by the magic of all-new lantern displays, immersive walkthroughs, enchanting interactive displays and Instagrammable moments at every turn. Ends 9/30

Ongoing - ‘Moonwalkers: A Journey with Tom Hanks’ Immersive Experience @ The Castle at Park PlazaExperience the story of humanity’s reach for the Moon in a 360° immersive journey through space and time narrated by Tom Hanks. Ends 8/31.

Ongoing - Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience @ Mercantile Center This captivating 360º digital art exhibition invites you to step into the universe of the Dutch genius, Vincent van Gogh. Ends 8/17.

Ongoing - ‘Monsters of the Deep: Between Imagination and Science’ Exhibition @ MIT Museum Using historical prints, this exhibit traces the scientific process of observing, measuring, and describing that turned whales from monsters into mammals. Ends 1/2026.

Ongoing - ‘Sara Cwynar: Alphabet’ Exhibition @ ICA In this exhibition, multi-disciplinary artist Sara Cwynar examines the excess of pictures in today’s image-saturated culture through a vast archive of visual material, including self-made, downloaded, and found photographs. Ends 8/3.

Ongoing - ‘Believers: Artists and the Shakers’ Exhibition @ ICA The exhibition reunites a group of past works as well as new pieces created by artists who lived with, worked alongside, and were inspired by the lifestyle, architecture, and culture of the Shaker community. Ends 8/3.

Ongoing - ‘The Visionary Art of Minnie Evans’ Exhibition @ MFA Experience Minnie Evans’ imaginative and intricately detailed drawings inspired by the artist’s religious beliefs, interest in mythology and history, and the landscapes in her native North Carolina. Ends 10/26.

Ongoing - ‘Van Gogh: The Roulin Family Portraits’ Exhibition @ MFA Displaying 23 works by the artist, this exhibition explores Van Gogh’s tender relationship with one family who became subjects of his groundbreaking portraits. Ends 9/7.

Ongoing - ‘Qi Baishi: Inspiration in Ink’ Exhibition @ MFA Renowned for his modernization of Chinese ink painting, Qi Baishi’s works convey rural sentiments with bold landscapes, lifelike animals and plants, and lively and amusing figures. Ends 9/28.

Ongoing - ‘Deep Waters: Four Artists and the Sea’ Exhibition @ MFA Weaving together artworks by four artists made over centuries and across the Atlantic, this exhibition follows a genealogical thread united by the sea. Ends 11/9.

Ongoing - ‘Rituals for Remembering’ Exhibition @ MFA This exhibition brings together works by influential Cuban artists María Magdalena Campos-Pons and Ana Mendieta whose art explores the notions of displacement, exile, and nature as transformative tool. Ends 2/15/2026.

Ongoing - ‘Ming Fay: Edge of the Garden’ Exhibition @ ISG Museum The Gardner Museum springs to life with the large-scale sculptures of Ming Fay, constructing a space of wonder that calls on visitors to view the world around them with new appreciation. Ends 9/21.

Ongoing - ‘The Solomon Collection: Dürer to Degas and Beyond’ Exhibition @ Harvard Art Museums The exhibition spotlights over 135 works, including paintings, sculptures, drawings, and prints by some of the most significant artists from the Renaissance to the 20th century, and offers visitors an intimate view into the highly personal yet inherently collaborative nature of art collecting. Ends 8/17.

‘Jung Yeondoo: Building Dreams’ Exhibition @ Peabody Essex Museum Photographing ordinary families and individuals, Artist Jung Yeondoo’s work invites viewers to take a closer look at those strangers we don’t notice and imagine their dreams. Ends 1/25/2026.

Ongoing - ‘Draw Me Ishmael: The Book Arts of Moby Dick’ Exhibition @ Peabody Essex Museum ‘Draw Me Ishmael’ is the first exhibition focused on the book arts of the hundreds of editions of Herman Melville’s Moby Dick - the most persistently pictured of all American novels. Ends 3/29/2026.

Header image credit to Mike Norris on Pexels.