Best 4th Of July Parties Around Boston
4th of July Fireworks and Boston Pops Performance
DCR Hatch Memorial Shell
47 David G. Mugar Way
Boston, MA 02108
(617) 626-1250
www.hatchshell.com
Date: July 4
When it comes to parties celebrated by the whole city of Boston, there's nothing that comes close to the massive 4th of July fireworks spectacular, featuring the Boston Pops orchestra. Kicking off at 8 p.m. with the Boston Pops orchestra's rousing and inspirational rendition of symphonic, patriotic music, the whole city comes together around 10:30 p.m. to celebrate one of the nation's most elaborate and fantastic fireworks displays. Cars and crowds gather quickly on this day, and extra security measures will be in place this year, so get there early. Also note that foot travel or public transportation comes highly recommended when the whole city (and then some) descends all at once. Martina McBride will reportedly be the musical guest and the event will be hosted by "The Commish," Michael Chiklis.
Boston Harborfest
45 School St.
Boston, MA 02108
(617) 227-1528
www.bostonharborfest.com
Date: July 2 through 7
Taking place the week of July 2nd through the 7th, Boston's Harborfest is a family-friendly event which focuses heavily upon the city of Boston's historical and cultural heritage, dating all the way back to the American Revolution. Daily special events include the Party on the Place, Children's Day and the always-amusing Chowderfest, which puts all of the city's wild and varied takes on traditional "chowdah" to the test in a fierce competition. The fact that the Boston Harborfest lasts for an entire week makes this party easy to schedule for even the busiest of families; a great way to combine history and celebration for this most patriotic of holidays.
IndepenDANCE Party Cruise
200 Seaport Blvd.
Boston, MA 02210
(212) 724-3900
www.oncruises.com/events/boston
Date: July 4
Kicking off at 7:30 p.m. sharp on the 4th of July, this three-hour-plus party aboard the Provincetown II cruise ship eliminates all of the typical Independence Day annoyances which confound most Bostonians -- including traffic jams, crowds and obscured views of the fantastic fireworks display. A live DJ, cash bar and great view of the fireworks show are some of the featured amenities on the IndepenDANCE Party Cruise, returning to Rowes Warf at 11 p.m., just in time to venture back out into the boisterous, bustling city.
4th of July Pub Crawl
Boston, MA
(855) 851-0399
www.pubcrawls.com
The infamous website known as PubCrawls.com has organized a sprawling Pub Crawl throughout the city of Boston, guaranteeing a very un-sober Independence Day for those seeking to escape the crowd and traffic of the Esplanade this holiday season. For those unfamiliar with how PubCrawls.com operates, the website works with participating Boston-area bars and pubs for weeks beforehand, organizing unique drink specials and discounts for all those who sign up to follow PubCrawls.com's featured crawl route. It's a fun and unique way to get some friends together for an adventurous good time this Independence Day.
Old Sturbridge Village Independence Day Celebration
Old Sturbridge Village
1 Old Sturbridge Village Road
Sturbridge, MA 01566
(508) 347-3362
www.osv.org
Date: July 4
Old Sturbridge Village gathers visitors and tourists on a daily basis, celebrating all of old New England's historical charm with its dedicated family of employees and volunteers. For Independence Day, however, Old Sturbridge Village goes all out with its celebratory spirit, kicking off a family-friendly party which features fireworks, games (sack racing, pie eating) and music, primarily martial and band music celebrating the revolutionary spirit. There's also juggling, magic shows and a reading of the Declaration of Independence to entertain families, all at an affordable price, with free parking to boot. A fireworks display will follow the festivities.
George Pacheco has been writing professionally about arts and entertainment for over a decade. A graduate of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, George currently resides in a humble New England home with his wife, cat and massive music and film collection. His work can be found at Examiner.com.
