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| Though you
won’t bob for apples, wear pointed hats or tote a goody-bag
at this birthday party, you can still eat cake, rock out and
chow down. Bostonians know how to host a shindig and when
they celebrate the birth of a nation, they tend to go all
out.
The 24th annual Boston Harborfest, which takes place June 29–July 4, is one of the largest Fourth of July celebrations in the nation. This six-day festival strives to honor the past, celebrate the present and educate future generations with more than 200 events, including historical reenactments, tours, harbor cruises and concerts. At the top of Boston’s list of Independence Day traditions is the annual free Boston Pops concert at the Hatch Memorial Shell on the Esplanade. In 1974, Arthur Fiedler, the famed Boston Pops conductor, decided to add some oomph to Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture with howitzer cannons, fireworks and church bells. Fiedler’s goal was for “all hell [to] break loose,” and it has ever since. Now, thousands of people from all over the country annually congregate along the banks of the Charles River at this beloved extravaganza, which culminates with a 23-minute union of musical majesty and more than 17,500 pounds of pyrotechnics which reach as far as 1,500 feet high and can be seen 15 miles away. And speaking of fireworks, visitors to the Esplanade should be prepared for some flying picnic baskets, as many Fourth fanatics line up at dawn and risk life and limb to grab some prime lawn space in front of the concert stage. With all the patriotic hoopla going on, it’s easy to get discombobulated, so here’s a handy guide to help you celebrate the Fourth in true patriotic style. |
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Wednesday, June 29
The Boston Harborfest Opening Ceremony begins at noon
at Faneuil Hall. Grab a slice of the 500-pound birthday cake
commemorating Boston’s 375th birthday (refer to story, page 22)
while enjoying the musical stylings of Four Guys in Tuxes. The
party continues from 12:30–2 p.m. with Music at the Marketplace.
Thursday, June 30
Visit the City Hall Plaza from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. for the 11th
annual Children’s Day. Be a kid again yourself, or bring a kid
and join in on the fun festivities with jugglers, face painters
and Wayne Potash and the Music Fun Band. This self-proclaimed
“rollicking” group performs folk, bluegrass, pop and blues,
ensuring a romping good time for kids and kids-at-heart.
Friday,
July 1
Jump-start the weekend at noon with The Flounders in concert at
City Hall Plaza. Enjoy the sounds of the summer as they perform
songs from Jimmy Buffett, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Bob Marley
and more until 3 p.m. The music at City Hall Plaza continues with
Chrissy Cerretani in concert from 4:30–7 p.m. This local blues
singer’s vocal vivacity and pulsating presence should definitely
heat things up as the sun goes down.
Saturday, July 2
Start the morning off with a bang—of drums, that is. Hear the
roving fife and drums of the Middlesex County Volunteers along
the Freedom Trail from 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Then come rock out at noon
with Reckless Daughter at the Plaza. This six-piece rock, folk,
funk and blues band is sure to tap into all of your musical taste
buds. Return to the Plaza at 6 p.m., where popular world
music/party band Entrain entrances audiences at the Party on the
Plaza. From 7–8 p.m., hear “Drums in the Night” as the Middlesex
County Volunteers Fife & Drums perform music from the American
Revolution to the present at the courtyard of Old City Hall. Or
end your evening at the Sunset Parade, an age-old military
ceremony conducted by the U.S. Navy at Pier One, Charlestown Navy
Yard, adjacent to the U.S.S. Constitution.
Sunday,
July 3
Craving a creamy, clammy concoction? Attend Boston’s
annual Chowderfest at City Hall Plaza from 11 a.m.–5 p.m., where
more than a thousand gallons of New England’s favorite soup are
ladled out to well over 10,000 chowda buffs who determine
“Boston’s Best Chowder.” Then, if you can lug that stomach full
of chowder to the Esplanade, celebrate the Fourth early at 8:30
p.m., as the Boston Pops give a sneak preview of their
Independence Day concert—minus, however, the 1812 Overture,
cannons and fireworks. Some tricks, after all, have to be saved
for the big show.
Monday,
July 4
Kick off the Fourth by watching the U.S.S. Constitution make
her annual cruise around the harbor and listen for her 21-cannon
salute to the nation near Castle Island at noon. See Boston by
sea aboard one of the many local cruise lines from 9:30 a.m.–2
p.m. For those of you looking for a celebration on solid ground,
head over to the balcony of the Old State House at 10 a.m. to
hear a reading of the Declaration of Independence where it was
first read in Boston in 1776. Catch the tales of the men and
women of “Old Ironsides” in a live theater performance every hour
from 11 a.m.–4 p.m. at the U.S.S. Constitution Museum, or mosey
down to City Hall Plaza at 1 p.m. for the conclusion of the
concert series with sultry soul quartet Jada. Of course, if
you’re a diehard Fourth Fanatic, you’ll be sacrificing all of
these celebrations for your plump patch of primo property at the
Hatch Shell. The Oval opens at approximately 9 a.m., so bring a
blanket and a bag lunch if you want to snag a spot close to the
stage for the annual “Pops Goes the Fourth” concert by the Boston
Pops Orchestra at 8:30 p.m., which culminates in a brilliant,
fiery display of pyrotechnics and bombast. It’s the way true
Bostonians have said “Happy Birthday” to their country for more
than a quarter-century.
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FOURTH
OF JULY ON THE ESPLANADE Hatch Memorial Shell on the Charles River Esplanade July 3 July 4 For more information: www.july4th.org |
HARBORFEST HIGHLIGHTS
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