How to Celebrate the 4th of July in Boston

The 4th of July is just around the corner and the city is buzzing with excitement. When it comes to Independence Day celebrations, there’s nowhere like Boston. After all, it all started right here! Check out the best events, from annual concerts to the reading of the Declaration of Independence.

Festivals and Fireworks

Boston Harborfest
Date: July 1–July 7, 2019 
Location: Multiple locations around Boston
The biggest 4th of July event in Boston takes place all over the city. Boston Harborfest will be inaugurated at Faneuil Hall and followed by a week-long celebration that includes historical reenactments, Freedom Trail walks, boat tours, live entertainment and the Freedom Trail Changing of the Guard reenactment. 

Boston Pops Preview Concert
Date: July 3, 2019. Gates open at 5pm, concert starts at 8:30pm  
Location: DCR Hatch Shell on the Esplanade between the Longfellow and Massachusetts Avenue Bridges
With Boston skyline as its backdrop, the city gathers along the banks of the Charles River for Boston Pops, the iconic 4th of July celebration. It consists of a free concert conducted by Keith Lockhart and featuring the Boston Pops Orchestra, also known as “America’s Orchestra.” This year’s guests include Queen Latifah, Arlo Guthrie, Texas Tenors, Amanda Mena and Tanglewood Festival Chorus. Attending the preview concert will be a similar experience to the 4th of July concert except that there will be no fireworks and it will be less crowded. 

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Boston POPS Does the Fourth & Fireworks
Date: July 4, 2019. Gates open at 9am, concert starts at 8pm 
Location: DCR Hatch Shell on the Esplanade between the Longfellow and Massachusetts Avenue Bridges
If you want the full Boston Pops experience, the head to the Hatch Shell on the 4th of July. In addition to the same music and artists as the preview concert, spectators will be treated to a spectacular fireworks display. 

Parades and Historical Reenactments

The City of Boston's Official Independence Day Commemoration
Date: July 4, 2019 from 9am to 12pm
Parade Route: Starting at Congress Street City Hall Plaza, Government Center, 1 City Hall Square Boston 02201 and ending at Paul Revere Mall, North End Boston. 
Organized by the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts, the official 4th of July parade and flag raising ceremony is a unique event. Attending will feel like traveling through time back to 1776! It starts at City Hall Plaza and ends the Granary Burial Ground, where wreaths are laid on the graves of patriots. 

Reading of the Declaration of Independence
Date: July 4, 2019 from 9:30am to 10:30am 
Location: Old State House, 206 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02109
On July 18, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was read on the Old State House balcony, a historic moment in US history. Today, Boston reenacts the reading on the same day and on the same balcony as part of the city’s official commemorations. 

Join Boston in celebrating history and inject some creativity to the celebrations by staying at Studio Allston. Consult our last-minute hotel deals!