Things to do in Boston this weekend, July 3rd - 6th

July 02, 2025

Hello and welcome to the Wednesday newsletter! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday and a great weekend. I threw in a few extras on July 4th for you picky readers.

THURSDAY - JULY 3rd

FRIDAY - JULY 4th

Boston Pops July 4th Concert @ Hatch Shell @ 7PM Keith Lockhart leads the Boston Pops orchestra in a special Independence Day concert featuring classic American tunes and a lively fireworks show.

Bridgewater Arts & Music Festival @ Bridgewater University Enjoy live music, children's events, family-centered entertainment, plus shop from over 30 crafters selling handmade and unique items.

Fourth of July Celebration on The Charles @ Hyatt Regency Boston @ 4PM
Enjoy food trucks, games, tastings from city’s breweries, live performances, and more!

Harborfest Parade ＋ Declaration Reading @ Old State House @ 9AM Boston’s oldest Independence‑Day ritual: fife‑and‑drum march from City Hall Plaza, then a live balcony reading of the Declaration.

USS Constitution Underway ＋ 21‑Gun Salute @ Castle Island @ 10AM “Old Ironsides” sails the harbor and fires a ceremonial salute off Fort Independence

Firecracker 5K Road Race @ Norwood Town Center @ 5PM Flat out‑and‑back course, post‑race block party, and prizes for most patriotic kit.

“Stars, Sips & Stripes” Patio Party @ Sam Adams Brewery (JP) @ 12PM Beer‑garden cookout with live bands, limited‑release pours, and lawn games; runs Fri – Sun.

July 4th Dinner ＆ Fireworks Cruise @ City Cruises, Commonwealth Pier @ 7PM Boarding at 7 PM for a buffet dinner, rooftop deck, DJ, and frontrow harbor fireworks.

Fireworks View @ View Boston (Prudential Skydeck) @ 8PM Adults‑only package: two drinks, food voucher, and reserved indoor/outdoor perch 50 floors up.

SATURDAY - JULY 5th

Summer Festival @ Chinatown @ 10AM Enjoy live cultural performances including lion dance and Chinese folk dance, plus arts and crafts stations, food trucks, and vendors market.

‘The Unteachables’ Comedy Show @ City Winery @ 7:30PM Known as the students who were always the loud kids in the classroom, this group of stand-up comedians bring unfiltered comedy and lived experiences from educating America’s youth.

All-Rachmaninoff Program @ Koussevitzky Music Shed @ 8PM Featuring acclaimed pianist Daniil Trifonov

Sheer Bliss: Queer Joy Dance Party @ Jacques Underground @ 7PM Featuring Ten10Billion, Ms. Mango, & Mx. Demeanor

Dinty Child + The Bench Warmers @ Passim @ 8PM With Kat Wallace, Sean Staples, & Naomi Westwater

SUNDAY - JULY 6th

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

Summer Boston Celtic Music Festival @ Passim @ 7PM Featuring Adam Hendey Band, Katie McNally & Neil Pearlman, and Matt & Shannon Heaton

ALL WEEKEND

THURSDAY & FRIDAY - Boston HarborFest @ Downtown Join in on one of America’s finest Fourth of July Celebrations including a parade, block party, live music, and much more!

All weekend - Quincy 400 Maritime Festival Join the City of Quincy at Marina Bay over the 4th of July weekend for a spectacular 3-day celebration of Quincy's rich coastal heritage! Enjoy live performances, historical reenactments, tours, bike & wagon parade, and more.

All weekend - Berkshire Arts Festival @ Great Barrington Celebrating its 125th year, this New England tradition brings together over 175 artists, workshops, food, puppet shows, and more.

All weekend - ‘Two Strangers (Carry A Cake Across New York)’ Musical @ Loeb Drama Center Taking inspiration from traditional rom-coms, this funny and inventive new musical balances life’s sweetness and struggle as two characters discover the meaningful impact a stranger can make in life. Ends 7/13.

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 - 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 - 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 7/27.

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 - ‘Edvard Munch: Technically Speaking’ Exhibition @ Harvard Art Museums The exhibition offers rare insight into the Norwegian artist’s innovative techniques and the recurring themes across his paintings, woodcuts, etchings, and combination prints. Ends 7/27.

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.