June 28 – July 5, 2011: Re-enactments, Zombie Survival, Kite Flying, Harborfest, and 83 July 4th Celebrations just in Massachusetts!

06/28/11 by Johnny Monsarrat

I got an angry note this week from someone who went to one of the thousands of events I list every year and didn’t like it. Go figure. You guys know that I don’t actually run all these events, right? My opinion may differ from yours, and sometimes events don’t come as advertised (although I try to attend as many as I can to give a personal recommendation). Try to have the following attitude: you can have fun anywhere, even at a small town event, with the right friends along. But it’s still smart to do your own research ahead. If you have to write me, maybe you could say something like, “Thanks for the free blog.”

Anyway, this week is your chance to get out of Boston and spend your tourist money on some smaller town that needs it. Last year I sort of blew a gasket and listed 330 Independence Day celebrations in New England. This year I’ve gone to the same level of depth but kept it local to Massachusetts, listing more than 100 celebrations within a quick drive from Boston. But you can still see the Big list of last year’s 330 July 4th Celebrations. They don’t change that much year-to-year. I hope you are having an awesome week. Now get out there and do something fun!

-Johnny

p.s. Love this blog? Subscribe to email, , or and if you help get the word out, I’ll put you on my priority list to win free stuff and send you the FREE 27-page Spring 2011 Guide, with over 720 off-beat attractions you won’t find in the blog!

This week’s top items are below, or see the complete Boston Events Insider.

Mon 7/4Southeast MassSturbridge, MA (Old Sturbridge Village)
The event of the week is July 4th at Sturbridge Village. It’s my favoirte live action recreation museum, featuring the 1830s. I’ve been there and the entire day is full of educational fun, plus the fireworks that end the evening are fantastic! Old Sturbridge Village, Sturbridge, MA.508-347-3362-. see details on the complete Events Insider
Wed 6/29Boston MetroRe-enact the Boston Tea Party
The 4th of July is about a lot more than parades and fireworks. Consider seeing a re-enactment instead, or joining one! Raid a British ship with the Sons of Liberty, throw tea in the Harbor and fire the cannons! Admission $25-$35, reservations required. The Liberty Clipper, Boston, MA.617-742-0333. see details on the complete Events Insider
Sat 7/2Boston MetroContinental Congress re-enactment
This re-enactment of the Continential Congress is a must-see! Join re-enactors like former US President John Adams and talk about issues like slavery, federalism, and taxes. 11am-12pm. Old State House, Boston, MA. see details on the complete Events Insider
Sun 7/3Metro WestNathaniel Hawthorne’s Birthday
The Old Manse is also doing a celebration favoring an old-timey New England author who wrote about the Salem Witch Trials. 269 Monument Street, Concord, MA.978-369-3909. see details on the complete Events Insider
Sun 7/3 – Mon 7/4Boston MetroBoston’s 4th is also on July 3rd!
Obviously, if you’ve never been, it’s fantastic to see the Boston Pops concert and fireworks on the Esplanade. Come early and don’t sit close to the actual orchestra or you’ll get trampled. But did you know that you can beat the crowds by attending the practice concert (no fireworks) on July 3rd, 8pm?7/3 @ 8:30pm: Esplanade Concert. 7/4 @ 9am: Parade from City Hall Plaza, 9:45am, Reading of the Declaration of Independence, Old State House, 10:30am, Independence Day Oration, Faneuil Hall. 7/4 @ 8:30pm Esplanade Concert & Fireworks @ 10:30pm. City Hall Plaza, then Esplanade, Boston, MA. see details on the complete Events Insider more
Fri 7/1 – Mon 7/4Metro WestNeedham, MA – Needham Celebrates 300
Independence Day is about a LOT more than sitting in overcrowded Boston, listening to an orchestra that you can only hear on speakers! Last year I went overboard and found 330 other celebrations in New England. This year’s I kept the same level of depth, but kept it to Massachusetts. Make it an excuse to spend a weekend elsewhere, especially in towns like Needham, which is having its 300th anniversary and making a real weekend of it. Festival 7/4 @ 5pm, then fireworks. Parade 7/4 @ 8:30am followed by kids events, live music. Memorial Park, Needham, MA.781-444-3924. see details on the complete Events Insider more
Fri 7/1 – Mon 7/4North ShoreMarblehead, MA – Festival of Arts, Sand Sculpture Competition & July 4th
Or check out this all-weekend festival of arts, with a sand sculpture competition, a kite festival, and July 4th events including a “Horribles Parade”at 10 and fireworks at 8:45. Marblehead, MA.781-639-2787. see details on the complete Events Insider
Wed 6/29 – Mon 7/4Boston MetroBoston Harborfest
Boston Harborfest always offers something interesting. The trick is to ignore the stuff that happens all year (like guided tours, whale watches, and museums) and go for the special stuff. Check out the detailed schedule for a full list of events. Meanwhile, look for highlights here on the blog! City Hall Plaza, One City Hall Plaza, Boston, MA.617-436-6339. see details on the complete Events Insider

And a lot more this week at Boston Events Insider, the most popular events blog in New England, including:

Party on the Plaza, Fireworks over the Harbor, Zombie Survival Training, Cape Verdean Festival, Opening Day at Frog Pond, Amesbury Block Party, Maplewood’s Second Annual Carnival, Yarmouth Summer Celebration Kick-Off, Archaeology Field School, Brockton Fair, Lexington Lions Club Carnival, Boston Chowderfest, Sunset Clambake on Spectacle Island, Kite Flying on Spectacle Island, Berkshires Arts Festival, New England Summer Nationals, Marblehead Festival of Arts, Benjamin Franklin in Boston: A Walking Tour, Annual Children’s Day On the Plaza at City Hall, Family Fun Olympics at Davis Farmland, French Film Festival, Arlington, MA, Boston, MA: Rent a canoe, Burlington, MA, Canton, MA, Everett, MA, Revere: July 3rd Celebration, Somerville, MA, Waltham, MA, Winthrop, MA, 4th of July Celebration, Ayer, MA, Bedford, MA, Concord, MA Picnic in the Park, Acton, MA – Acton’s 275th Anniversary, Franklin 4th of July, Franklin, MA, Lexington, MA: An Old-Fashioned 4th of July, Lincoln, MA, Natick, MA, Newton, MA, Pepperell, MA, Stoughton, MA, Sudbury, MA, Walpole, MA, Danvers, MA & Horribles Parade, Gloucester, MA – July 4 & Horribles Parade, Manchester, MA, Rockport, MA Parade & Beach Bonfire, Salem. MA, Salisbury Beach, MA (July 4th & Sand Sculpting Spectacular), Swampscott, MA, Amesbury, MA, Harvard, MA, Lowell, MA: Fireworks on the Merrimack, Andover, MA, Billerica, MA, Chelmsford, MA, Methuen, MA, North Andover, MA, Tewksbury, MA, Duxbury, MA, Hingham, MA, Middleborough, MA, Plymouth, MA, Weymouth, MA, Bridgewater, MA, Brockton, MA, Attleboro, MA – Attleboro Kidz 4th Fun!, Edgartown, MA, Fall River, MA, Nantucket, MA, New Bedford, MA: Greater New Bedford Summerfest, Seekonk, MA (Seekonk Speedway Thrill Show), Sharon, MA, Taunton, MA, Auburn, MA, Bellingham, MA, Milford, MA: Milford Fireworks at Plains Park, Millbury, MA, Rutland, MA, Shrewsbury, MA, Webster, MA, Worcester, MA, East Longmeadow, MA, Westfield, MA, Amherst, MA (and Hadley, MA), Greenfield, MA, North Adams, MA, Pittsfield 250th Anniversary, South Hadley, MA, Springfield, MA, Barnstable, MA, Barnstable, MA, Centerville, MA, Chatham, MA, Falmouth, MA, Hyannis, MA, Mashpee, MA, Onset, MA: (and Wareham, MA), Orleans, MA, Provincetown, MA, Sandwich, MA, Alton, NH, Amherst, NH, Andover, NH, Portsmouth, NH: An American Celebration, Brandon, VT, Shakespeare on Love & A Shakespearean Cabaret, The Cherry Orchard live from London’s National Theatre, 6th Maine Battery Cannon Firings, The Midsummer Magick Faire Grand Opening & Fire Festival!, Round Hill Highland Games

Love this blog? Subscribe to email, Facebook, or Twitter and please tell your friends and get the FREE 27-page Spring 2011 Guide, with over 720 off-beat attractions you won’t find in the blog!