Events

10 free things to do in Boston in July

From outdoor movies and concerts to an Italian feast.

Outdoor summer movies at the Prudential Center in Boston. Prudential Center

4 minutes to read

Summertime and the livin’s easy. But you don’t have to spend a fortune to enjoy all the city has to offer. There are plenty of activities to experience all without shelling out a single dollar. Get your fill of sunshine, outdoor movies, celebrate our country’s birthday, and so much more. Here are 10 things to do in Boston for free this July.

1. Start Independence Day early at Harborfest

Expect to enjoy hundreds of activities throughout Independence Day weekend, as the city’s historic landmarks come alive with family-friendly fun during one of America’s largest Fourth of July festivals. It all kicks off with the annual opening ceremony in Downtown Crossing on July 2 and continues through July 4 with historical reenactments, State House tours, Macy’s Great American fashion show, beer gardens, and much more. Living historians and an array of local musical acts, including the Middlesex Country Volunteers Fifes & Drums Concert, will perform in Downtown Crossing and Cristopher Columbus Waterfront Park. The Boston Pops Fireworks cap off the festivities with a spectacular display with several vantage points over the Charles River. (Various locations, Boston)

2. Celebrate the birth of our nation

All eyes are on Boston for Independence Day, and there’s good reason. The July 4th Pops Concert and Fireworks Spectacular is one of the country’s biggest Independence Day celebrations. The Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra kicks off the concert at 8 p.m. (vying for a seat on the lawn starts in the wee hours of the day) and plays familiar favorites and rousing patriotic music, complete with real cannon fire, on the Esplanade. The evening ends with fantastic fireworks above the Charles River. You can also catch the day-before rehearsal (minus the fireworks) for the same experience you’ll get from the Boston Pops during the big birthday party. (DCR Hatch Memorial Shell, Boston)

3. Enjoy music in a sweet little park

Sunset Concerts at Symphony Park feature Berkeley musicians in one of Boston’s most charming outdoor spaces, located between Berklee College of Music and Symphony Hall. This annual series is brought to you by Berklee College of Music, Fenway Civic Association, Friends of Symphony Park, and the City of Boston. July concerts, which all take place at 6 p.m., include Sofia Sunshine on July 8, Tom Almeida and Friends on July 15, George W. Russell Jr. and the Reimagined Project on July 22, and Augustina on July 29. (Symphony Park, 39 Edgerly Rd., Boston)

4. Head to the Pru for an outdoor movie

It’s lights, camera, action at the Prudential Center’s annual outdoor movie series. Hosted in South Garden every Saturday evening from July 12 through August 23, you’ll watch films that run from classics to recent blockbusters. Movie selections begin at dusk, with music entertainment starting at 6:30 p.m. This month’s screenings include “Miss Congeniality” on July 12, “13 Going on 30” on July 19, and “Shrek” on July 26. (800 Boylston St., Boston)

5. Appreciate orchestral sounds along the Charles

Boston Landmarks Orchestra brings orchestral music to the Hatch Shell with three experiences in July. The Longwood Symphony Orchestra, the orchestra of Boston’s medical community, opens its season on July 16 at 7 p.m. The Best of Boston on July 23 at 7 p.m. is held in celebration of the orchestra’s 25th season and showcases some of Boston’s most celebrated composters of the past and present, including familiar music by Leonard Bernstein and John Williams. The season ends with Prokofiev’s charming Peter & The Wolf and More on July 30 at 7 p.m. (DCR Hatch Memorial Shell, Boston)

Audience members watch a free Shakespeare on the Common performance in Boston.

6. Experience the Bard’s works on Boston Common

The Commonwealth Shakespeare Company’s annual alfresco productions
“Shakespeare on the Common” are being held this year during the months of
July and August. This summer troupe takes on “As You Like It,” beginning July 23 and running through August 10. Showtimes are at 8 p.m. (Aug. 1 and 9 are at 1 p.m.). Bring your own blankets or chairs, or you can rent chairs online in advance or on-site for $10. (Parkman Bandstand, Boston Common)

7. Get spicy at Superette’s summer salsa nights

Spice up your Thursday evening and join in the fun to salsa and bachata style music at The Superette courtyard on July 24 from 6 to 8 p.m. Watch sizzlin’ steps from Urbanity Dance and live music by Clive and Blues Productions. All are welcome to participate in free public lessons. Bring your own freestyle moves or ask the Urbanity Dance instructors to teach you the basics. Reserve your spot here. (70 Pier 4 Blvd., Boston)

8. Stroll a famous street on sunny Sundays

Open Newbury Street begins in July, and has become a summer tradition in Boston. The mile-long, eight block stretch of shops, salons, galleries, and restaurants becomes a pedestrian-only walkway on Sundays in the summer. People-watching is paramount, and each day is different with music in the air, some shops offering free samples, and plenty of window shopping, as you stroll from Berkeley Street to Massachusetts Avenue. This month’s dates are July 13, 20, and 27 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Newbury St., Boston)

9. Celebrate Puerto Rico and its culture

Attracting more than 50,000 attendees each year, the two-day Puerto Rican Festival of Massachusetts returns to Boston on July 26 and 27 from noon to 9 p.m. What began in 1967 at Blackstone Park is now a huge celebration in Franklin Park, where you can immerse yourself in the rich Puerto Rican culture and enjoy live performances by local and international artists, kiosks selling typical Puerto Rican food and arts and crafts, carnival rides, and more. The festival culminates with the Puerto Rican Parade at noon on July 27 across from the Roxbury Community College, where the community showcases its culture through fabulous floats, colorful dance troupes, singers, dancers, and appearances by distinguished honorees. (Franklin Park Playstead Pierpont Rd.,
Boston)

10. Start off Italian feast season

The eagerly awaited feast season in the North End begins on the last day of July, with the celebration of Saint Agrippina taking over the neighborhood streets through Aug. 3. The celebration begins with an opening ceremony at 7 p.m. on July 31, followed by the procession of Saint Agrippina led by the children of the Saint Agrippina Society at 7:30 p.m. (Hanover Street, Boston)

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