Six Days
if by Sea
The Boston Pops
celebrates the Fourth
Boston takes its maritime history and
Independence Day seriously, July 1–6,
with a festival that includes more than
200 events. The six-day fete honors the
past with battle reenactments and historical tours of the Bullfinch State House, the
Old South Meeting House, the Old North
Church and the Freedom Trail. There also
are lunchtime cruises of Boston Harbor,
tours of the new federal courthouse and
some visiting tall ships, concerts and
pub crawls.
The biggest draws are the Fourth of
July concert and fireworks display, introduced by the Boston Pops’ playing of the
William Tell Overture at the Hatch Shell,
and Chowderfest. On July 6, some 2,000
gallons of New England’s signature dish—
clam chowder—will be prepared by area
restaurants, ladled out and judged by more
than 11,000 samplers for the coveted title
of Boston’s Best Chowder. 617-227-1528;
bostonharborfest.com.
ave
Date
NORTH END BACK BAY
the
Feast Days Bastille Day
Sundays July 11
through It’s a street party, à la
September française, to celebrate
From Madonna del the storming of the
Grazie to Rocco, Bastille and French
Domenic and Anthony, independence.
Catholic saints are hon- 617-912-0400;
ored with street festivals frenchlib.org
highlighted by parades,
Italian food and live music. northendboston.com
CITY GUIDE
Boston
All the
World’s
a Stage
William Shake-
speare’s most
famous pastoral
drama, As You Like
It, runs July 18–
Aug. 3 on the
Boston Common
(coincidentally, the
Common was for-
merly a cow pasture
before becoming a
city park). The Com-
monwealth Shake-
speare Company’s
production includes
the Bard’s usual
web of power strug-
gle, love, deception,
gender issues and
comedy as well as
the introduction
of his strongest
female character,
the fair Rosalind.
617-482-9393;
citicenter.org.
REVERE BEACH
New England
Sand Sculpting
Festival
July 14–20
Contestants from
around the world compete for big prize money,
and the admiration of
beachgoers, in the field
of sand sculpting. revere
beachpartnership.com
CHINATOWN
August Moon
Festival
Aug. 17
Mooncakes, dragon
dancing, kids with
lanterns and fireworks
are put to good use
for a traditional Asian
full moon celebration.
617-350-6303
ROXBURY
Roxbury Film
Festival
July 28–Aug. 3
Film screenings,
acting workshops,
panel discussions and
celebrity-laced parties
all are fodder for the
10th annual festival.
roxburyfi lmfestival.org
