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Here are the Boston Open Streets 2024 dates and locations

The program kicks off May 5 in Dorchester.

The first of five Open Streets in 2023 was held in Jamaica Plain. Photo by Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff

By Kristina DaPonte

2 minutes to read

With warmer weather on the way, the City of Boston will open some of its streets again to pedestrian-friendly events and activities.

Mayor Michelle Wu announced Tuesday that Boston Open Streets will return for another season starting May 5. This year’s events will expand to include Hyde Park, and extend the events’ hours in all participating neighborhoods.

This year’s events will take place between 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. in the following locations:

  • Dorchester (May 5) on Dorchester Avenue; between Ashmont St. and Linden St.
  • Roxbury (June 22) on Blue Hill Avenue; between Warren St. and Dudley St.
  • Jamaica Plain (July 21) on Centre Street; between Lamartine St. and South St.
  • Hyde Park (Aug. 11) on River Street; between Hyde Park Ave. and Fairmount Ave./Davison St.
  • East Boston (Sept. 15) between Meridian St. from Maverick to Porter St. and Bennington St. from Porter to Day Square.
  • Allston–Brighton (Oct. 20) between Harvard Avenue and Brighton Avenue; between Cambridge St. and Commonwealth Ave.

Along with the addition of Hyde Park, the events’ hours extended in every neighborhood, which previously ended at 3 p.m.

Boston Open Streets started in 2022 aiming to “help people experience streets as public spaces where communities thrive,” according to the City’s website. Certain streets in various Boston neighborhoods close to vehicular traffic for a few hours a day to open up the neighborhood to community events.

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The mayor also announced that the dates for Open Newbury Street, a program of similar structure that occurs on multiple weekends throughout the summer and fall, will be announced in the next few months.

“It turns out that reclaiming our streets, even for one day, helps build community in a way that lasts all year long,” Wu said at a press conference at the Boston Public Library Hyde Park Branch.

Jascha Franklin-Hodge, the city’s chief of streets, spoke about how the city is partnering with the Disabilities Commission to ensure accessibility, the public works department to keep the streets clean, the Boston Police Department to ensure safety for all, and others.

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“Year after year, thousands of our residents get to experience the streets as vibrant, shared public spaces,” he said. “Open Streets are a great opportunity to explore a new neighborhood in our city, as they showcase the best of the communities where they happen.”

Mayor Wu was joined by other city officials and Hyde Park leaders to detail the importance of bringing family-friendly activities, community-building events, and local business showcases to neighborhood streets.

“I hope everyone — your children, your parents, your friends — will fall in love with something at Open Streets,” said Ruthzee Louijeune, the president of Boston City Council. “It shows us how we can use streets differently and how streets really help to build community.”

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