The mother of all protests is once again honored as the 244th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party takes place December 16, marked by a reenactment that starts where it all began—the Old South Meeting House. Stand-ins for Sons of Liberty icons such as Paul Revere, John Hancock and Samuel Adams debate the British tea tax from 6:30–7:30 p.m. in a ticketed event before a fife and drum band leads the masses to the waterfront, where, at the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, revelers can witness the dumping of actual tea from London’s East India Company into the harbor at 8 p.m. In a new twist for 2017, the tea toss also includes expired loose leaves sent in by the general public, who can cheer on the colonial-costumed reenactors in the grand finale of the night for free.
