- New Year's Day - January 1st, see the L-Street Brownies, a group of elderly swimmers (many in their eighties and nineties) take their annual plunge in the icy waters at Carson Beach
February- Boston's Chinatown - mid-February, Chinese New Year celebrations
- Wine Festival - held at the Boston Harbor Hotel at Rowes Wharf, includes a rare wine auction and the Anthony Spinazzola Gala, New England's premier culinary event
- The Museum of Afro-American History - in conjunction with the New England Conservatory of Music, celebrates Black History Month
- Ice Hockey - several Sundays, the annual Beanpot Hockey Tournament between college teams
March- St. Patrick's Day Parade - March 17th, big celebrations throughout the city. Also Evacuation Day, commemorating the expulsion of British troops from South Boston by General Washington in 1776
April- The Red Sox - another hopeful season at Fenway Park
- Swan Boats - the return of the swan boats in the Public Garden is a real sign of spring
- Patriot's Day - the Monday nearest April 19th, re-enactments of Paul Revere's famous ride from Hanover Street in Boston's North End to Lexington
- Boston Marathon - on Patriot's Day, the local Athletic Association fills the streets with runners from Hopkinton to the Back Bay
May- Great Boston Kite Festival - mid-May, this event is held at Franklin Park
- Arnold Arboretum - celebrations of the 400 varieties of lilac in bloom, on 'Lilac Sunday'
- Ducklings - from Beacon Hill to the Public Garden lagoon, people 'make way for ducklings' during their Mother's Day waddle
June- Early Music Festival - early June, this week-long event takes place once every other year, in odd-number years. It features dozens of lectures, classes and performance of a rare, fully-staged baroque opera
- Scooper Bowl - with proceeds going to the cancer-fighting Jimmy Fund, this is an 'all you can eat' ice cream bonanza
- Bunker Hill Weekend - mid-June, weekend of activities culminating in a parade on Bunker Hill, remembering the battle in Charlestown
- Boston Yoga and Chant Fest - mid-June, held at the Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel and Trade Center in Marlborough, this is a two day event featuring yoga presentations, classes, Indian dance performances, children's yoga and much more besides
- Boston Globe Jazz Festival - lasting a week, at venues throughout the city
- Fourth of July celebration - late June / early July, the city's annual Harborfest includes a concert with fireworks over the harbor
July- Boston Pops Concert and Fireworks Display - early July, this is a wonderful musical extravaganza at the Hatch Shall
- Chowderfest - sample New England clam chowder from the city's best restaurants
- Civil War Battle Re-enactments - weekend closest to July 18, held at the Robert Gould Shaw and 54th Regiment Memorial on the Common
- Lowell Folk Festival - late July, more than 100,000 music-lovers make their way to Lowell for this festival
- Marblehead's Race Week - end of July, attracting boats from all along the Eastern seaboard
August- Dragon parade - mid-August, this parade through Chinatown is part of the August Mood Festival
- GreenFest - mid-August, with various interactive exhibits and ongoing entertainment, organic and vegetarian cuisine, and environmentally friendly fashion
September- Cambridge River Festival - mid-September, numerous events take place along the Charles River
- North End 'Feasts' - the North End honors a variety of saints with great food and music (Italian)
October- Columbus Day Parade - early October, this parade travels from East Boston to the North End
- Massachusetts Cranberry Harvest Festival - Columbus Day weekend, held in both Plymouth and neighboring South Carver's Edaville Cranberry Bog. The nation's oldest county fair, the Topsfield Fair, recalls our farm heritage
- The Bruins and Celtics both start their basketball seasons
November- Pilgrim's Stroll - weekend before Thanksgiving, modern-day Pilgrims walk through Plymouth's historic homes
- Boston Ballet's Nutcracker - late November to early January, the start of another season
December- Christmas Lights - trees in the shopping centers and on Boston Common are covered in thousands of tiny lights - and also on the big evergreen in front of the Prudential Center
- Newbury Street Holiday Stroll - entertains shoppers with music, food and holiday activities
- Boston Tea Party Re-enactment - mid-December, this event takes places at the Tea Party Ship and Museum and also in Cambridge at Harvard's Sanders Theater
- Christmas Celebrations - general festivities, including music at Faneuil Hall, dance and folk plays from around the world
- New Year's Eve - this is a full day and night of outdoor and indoor concerts and festivities, culminating in fireworks over Boston Harbor
The Marshfield Annual Fair, the Chowderfest, the Boston Pops concerts and St. Patrick's Day celebrations are just a few of the great number of spectacular events that complement this most famous city. There are also many popular festivities that take place in nearby Cambridge.
