Celebrate the Fourth of July Weekend in Boston with Harborfest
America’s largest Fourth of July celebration kicks off the weekend with the 40th edition of Boston Harborfest. From July 1-4 enjoy a series of events stretching from Downtown Crossing to the North End and from the Boston Common to Boston Harbor.
“The City of Boston is known as the Cradle of Liberty for our role in the Revolution, and so it’s fitting that we are home to one of the largest Fourth of July celebrations in the country,” says Mayor Michelle Wu. “Harborfest is an opportunity to reflect on and celebrate our journey toward independence.”
During the weekend, local and international leaders will oversee military music and pageantry during kick-off events in Downtown Crossing on July 1, a spectacular concert and fireworks display on July 2 at Christopher Columbus Park and a turn-around sail of the USS Constitution in Boston Harbor. Boston Harborfest ends July 4 with a 1 p.m. reading of a historic Frederick Douglass speech and a free ice cream social in Downtown Crossing.
Check out our guide to events happening over the holiday weekend at https://www.bostonharborfest.com/schedule/. Happy Fourth of July!
JULY 1
12 p.m. – Harborfest Opening Ceremony with City of Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, city and state elected officials, the British Consul General, travel and tourism industry leaders, and presence of military and historical groups. Includes ceremonial cake-cutting, Colonial “living historians” and more.
JULY 2
12 p.m. – Chowderfest. Visitors can sample a variety of chowders from local restaurants, as a panel of judges visit each vendor and declare a chowder winner. (Summer Street Plaza, Downtown Crossing)
6-9 p.m. – Harborfest Pre-Fireworks Concert featuring Sweet Harmony and local talent performing Broadway standards and iconic patriotic songs, with children’s activities throughout. (Christopher Columbus Park, North End)
9:15 p.m. – Boston Harborfest Fireworks (Inner Harbor @ Long Wharf/Columbus Park) Presented by M&T Bank, a spectacular display lights up the city sky above Boston’s Inner Harbor at approximately 9:15 PM.
JULY 3
12-2 p.m. – Patriotic Pooch Parade (Summer St. Plaza). A beloved annual event for our four-legged loved ones with a guest panel awarding great prizes for Best in Show, Best Team, Most Creative, and Most Patriotic. Registration is required here to enter.
12-6 p.m.– Revolutionary War Re-enactors (Downtown Crossing)
JULY 4
9 a.m. – City of Boston’s 246th Independence Day Celebration. A short parade steps off from City Hall Plaza and passes Granary Burying Ground, where wreaths will be laid on the graves of patriots. The parade continues through Downtown Crossing to the Old State House.
10 a.m. – Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company carries on its tradition of reading the Declaration of Independence from the balcony of the Old State House.
11:30 a.m. – USS Constitution sails through Boston Harbor (viewing shoreside and around Boston Harbor)
1:00 p.m. – “What to the Slave, is the Fourth of July?” the famous speech by scholar and abolitionist Frederick Douglass gets a public reading by citizens including youth and community leaders, with performances from gospel singers and dancers. (Downtown Crossing Steps)
1:30 p.m. – Ice Cream Social (Downtown Crossing Steps)
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