Spring is officially here and we can’t think of a more magical time to explore Boston and take full advantage of everything the city has to offer! Boston in the spring comes with a list of can’t-miss classic activities like going to a Red Sox game at Fenway Park, spectating the famed Boston Marathon, or riding a Swan Boat at the Public Garden. But in this week’s blog, we give you nine not-so-typical things to do before, during, or after your spring event in Boston.
ARTS & CULTURE
Catch a movie at the Boston International Film Festival
April 11-16, 2019
The Boston International Film Festival strives to bring together in Boston local, national, and international filmmakers by promoting the world’s most artistic and creative independent and experimental films. The festival features more than 100 screenings and live events held at three major venues in downtown Boston and over 200 filmmakers, actors, writers and industry insiders from 20+ countries.
>>See the 2019 schedule
Check out ArtWeek
April 26 - May 5, 2019
Launched in 2013 and produced by the Boch Center, ArtWeek has become an annual award-winning innovative festival featuring hundreds of unique and creative experiences in dance, fashion, media arts, spoken-word, poetry, writing, contemporary visual arts, music, design, film, and much more.
>>Check out the 2019 event calendar
Enjoy a Sunday concert at Isabella Gardner Museum
Selected Sundays starting April 7
Music has been an integral part of the Gardner experience ever since the Museum opened in 1903 with a celebration that featured a performance by members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The Sunday afternoon concert series dates back to 1927 and continues to this day as the longest running museum music program in America. The Sunday Concert Series features classical masterpieces, performed by celebrated icons and rising stars on Sunday afternoons. See the calendar for more information about upcoming concerts.
Check out MFA’s first Frida Kahlo Exhibit: Frida Kahlo and Arte Popular
until June 16, 2019
This exhibit tightly focuses on Kahlo’s lasting engagements with arte popular, exploring how her passion for objects such as decorated ceramics, embroidered textiles, children’s toys, and devotional retablo paintings shaped her own artistic practice. A selection of Kahlo’s paintings—including important loans from the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), and the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin—is brought together with representative examples of arte popular.
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
Visit the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University
open daily from sunrise to sunset
Occupying 281 acres, the Arboretum’s living collection of trees, shrubs, and woody vines is recognized as one of the most comprehensive and best documented of its kind in the world. The living collection is supported by comprehensive curatorial documentation, herbaria containing more than 1.3 million specimens, extensive library and archival holdings, and a 43,000-square-foot state-of-the-art research center. You can explore the Arboretum on your own or join one of the free guided tours led by their knowledgeable staff (beginning April 13).
Watch the American Revolution Begin
starting April 6th
Each year in mid-April, thousands of people flock to historic Lexington and Concord and Minute Man National Historical Park to celebrate Patriots’ Day (a special Massachusetts State holiday commemorating the opening battle of the American Revolutionary War, April 19, 1775).
The holiday (officially observed on Monday, April 15, 2019), and the entire weekend, is celebrated with parades, reenactments and commemorative ceremonies.
>>Check out the full calendar of events
Visit the Cambridge Center roof garden
Open daily, dawn to dusk
Cambridge has a secret rooftop garden located at 4 Cambridge Center in Kendall Square. The garden offers stunning views of Kendall Square and Boston’s skyline, as well as walking paths, various types of flowers, and even lawn games.
Enjoy stunning views from the Observation Deck at Independence Wharf
Open daily 10 am-5 pm
Another one of Boston’s hidden gems is the observation deck on the 14th-floor of Independence Wharf (0.8 miles from the BCEC). It offers sweeping views of the Fort Point Channel, Boston Harbor, the Seaport, and beyond. It is completely free, but visitors must sign in and show ID at the front desk.
Address: 470 Atlantic Ave, Boston, MA 02210
Hike the Blue Hills
Open dawn to dusk
Experience the natural beauty of Massachusetts just a few miles outside Boston. Blue Hills Reservation stretches over 7,000 acres, covering parts of Quincy, Braintree, Canton, Dedham, Milton, and Randolph. There are 125 miles of trails to explore through forests and wetlands, up hills, and more.
For a panoramic view of Boston’s skyline, go for the Skyline Loop, where you will climb several summits within the Blue Hills range, including Great Blue Hill—the tallest peak in Blue Hills Reservation.
For more things to do in the spring, check out 10 Things to do in Boston This Spring for Under $25. Or visit our guide of What To Do for shopping, dining, arts & music, historic landmarks, and sports & entertainment suggestions. To give you a better idea of Boston’s make-up, also check out our guide to all the neighborhoods of Boston and our past blog posts focusing on the South Boston Waterfront, Back Bay, and North End.
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