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10 things to do in Boston this Marathon weekend
BosTen is your weekly guide to the best events and coolest things to do in Boston.
Welcome to BosTen, your weekly guide to the coolest events and best things to do in Boston this weekend. Sign up for our weekly email newsletter here. Have an idea about what we should cover? Leave us a comment on this article or in the BosTen Facebook group, or email us at [email protected].
Catch an extra special Red Sox game
While the on-field performance of the 2023 Red Sox team isn’t up to par so far, the fan experience at Fenway Park will offer something special during this weekend’s series against the Los Angeles Angels. Prior to Saturday’s game, there will be special pregame ceremonies for both One Boston Day and celebrating the anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier. Then on Sunday, the Sox will welcome back members of its 2013 World Series Championship team, and the anthem will be sung by Zac Brown Band, the country band who have been fixtures at Fenway Park’s concert series. Finally, Monday’s matchup will have the Red Sox playing in the same “Boston” jerseys they wore in 2013 prior to David Ortiz’s “This is our f****** city” speech, and fans will receive Boston Strong T-shirts. — Kevin Slane
Jog over to BAA Fan Fest and Marathon Expo
The 127th Boston Marathon kicks off Monday morning, but the festivities begin the Friday before, as runners and their support squads arrive in Boston. The Boston Marathon Expo returns to the Hynes Convention Center Friday through Sunday. Free and open to the public, the expo features vending booths from official Boston Marathon sponsors, and it’s also where runners check in when they first arrive to pick up their bibs, race packets, and t-shirts. Highlights at the Boston Marathon Expo include the Adidas Boston Marathon store, photo ops, and sponsor booths from Gatorade, Boston Beer Co., Honda, Maurten, Marathon Tours & Travel, plus dozens of other health and wellness vendors in the Marathon Marketplace. After the expo, head over to Fan Fest in Copley Square, just steps from the finish line, which also runs Friday through Sunday and is open to the public. The Fan Fest will feature marathon sponsors, live music, special guest panels, and a race weekend clinic. — Natalie Gale
Honor the city and its people on One Boston Day
It has been 10 years since the Boston Marathon bombings killed three people and injured hundreds more during the 2013 Boston Marathon, and both the city of Boston and the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) will host remembrance events on Saturday, April 15 — One Boston Day. The city will host an early-morning private gathering and wreath laying at the memorial sites for the families who lost loved ones. Honor guards — including the Boston Fire Department, Boston Police Department, Boston Emergency Medical Services, and Suffolk County Sheriff Department — will be present at the memorial sites throughout the day. At 8 a.m., the BAA 5K, featuring 10,000 participants, will begin and end in Boston Common. After the B.A.A. 5K race, the city will open Boylston Street between Dartmouth and Fairfield streets so that members of the public can visit the sites. Then at 2:30 p.m., the public is invited to a dedication of a new commemorative Boston Marathon finish line, the ringing of bells, and the unveiling of a One Boston Day marker on Boylston Street along with Gov. Maura Healey, Mayor Michelle Wu, B.A.A. leadership, members of the One Fund community, members of the 2013 Red Sox team, first responders, hospital leaders, and local running groups. — Kristi Palma
Load up on carbs before the Boston Marathon
Whether you’re running in the race or just watching as a spectator, The Colonnade Hotel’s LUCIE Drink + Dine is the perfect place to load up on carbs. From Friday through Marathon Monday, you can order dishes like the cacio e pepe, ricotta gnocchi, cavatelli, braised chicken pappardelle, and linguine with clams in a white wine sauce. To drink, you may enjoy a cocktail like the Cranberry Mule. The restaurant is not far from the finish line, so you might make a meal part of your plans for the big day. –Shira Laucharoen
Pre-game for the Boston Marathon at Miel Brasserie
The Provence-themed restaurant Miel Brasserie at the InterContinental Hotel is encouraging runners to get ready for the Boston Marathon by pre-gaming: that is, eating a hearty plate of pasta from their Carbo-Loaded Menu. The Sunday before the event, you’ll be able to order pappardelle Bolognese, chicken pesto cavatappi, and mushroom cacio e pepe. Each dish is $26.20 and is sure to keep you sustained while you cover the 26.2-mile route. –Shira Laucharoen
Get ‘unfiltered’ at Hot Stove Cool Music
Hot Stove Cool Music is coming back this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. with music, comedy, and lots of talk about baseball (naturally), at an event that will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the 2013 Boston Red Sox World Series championship and raise money to support Theo Epstein’s Foundation To Be Named Later. Ryan Dempster, who capped off a 15-year MLB career by pitching for that championship team, will bring his “Off The Mound” show — a regular feature of the Marquee Sports Network in Chicago — to the City Winery, where he’ll host a talk show-style sit-down featuring “comedy, stories and unfiltered talk.” And if you like music with your unfiltered talk, no worries — Dorchester’s own Kay Hanley, lead singer for Letters to Cleo and a Hot Stove regular, will be there as well, fronting a supergroup featuring Gail Greenwood from Belly, singer-songwriter Will Dailey, Chris Cote (Upper Crust, Duke Robillard), and other special guests. Throw in performances from former Red Sox pitcher Bronson Arroyo and Hall of Fame baseball journalist Peter Gammons, and you’ve got an event for the ages. Tickets are currently on sale at www.citywinery.com/boston. — Peter Chianca
Tune in with Itzhak Perlman at Symphony Hall
Itzhak Perlman has been honored with 16 Grammys, four Emmys, a Grammy lifetime achievement award, and a Genesis Prize. But he also has quite a bit more going for him. He’s appeared on TV shows ranging from “Sesame Street” to “The Frugal Gourmet.” He performed at President Obama’s first inauguration. He played the violin solos in Steven Spielberg’s “Schindler’s List.” Born in Israel, he got his first violin at 3, later studied at Tel Aviv’s Academy of Music and, at 13, traveled to the U.S., where he nabbed two spots on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” was accepted at the Juilliard School and, at 18, made his debut at Carnegie Hall. And he’s still regularly performing with orchestras around the world. His “An Evening with Itzhak Perlman” — in which he’s accompanied by pianist Rohan De Silva — has him telling stories, matching them up with a multi-media presentation and, Stradivarius tucked under his chin, playing his heart out. Tickets for his Sunday afternoon show at Symphony Hall are available now through the Celebrity Series of Boston. — Ed Symkus
Witness history (reenacted) in Lexington
Each year on Patriots Day, some of the best runners in the world take off from Hopkinton around 9 a.m. for the Boston Marathon. But much earlier that same day, costumed reenactors gather on the Lexington Battle Green to reenact the first battle of the Revolutionary War, held 248 years ago that day. The main event starts at 5:30 a.m. on Monday, but there are also plenty of additional events earlier in the weekend, including reenactments of events like the Call to Arms and Paul Revere’s ride as well as live music and historical tours out of the Lexington Visitors Center. Following the battle on Monday festivities continue through the afternoon with parades, wreath laying ceremonies on the battle green, and tours at historical sites around town like Buckman Tavern and the Hancock-Clarke House. — Natalie Gale
Enjoy free admission to the Concord Museum
Monday is the first day of April school break for many students across the state, which means free admission to a number of Massachusetts museums and institutions thanks to Highland Street Foundation’s Spring Week. Fittingly, the museum you can visit for free on Patriots Day is the Concord Museum, which in late 2020 revamped its April 19, 1775 exhibit to highlight rare artifacts and incorporate new voices of those who were present at the early Revolutionary War battles. — Kevin Slane
Cap off Marathon Monday with some wine
Begin the week with something new — in your wine glass, that is. Bubble Bath brings back its popular Guest Somm Monday series beginning this upcoming Monday, with wine experts pouring their personal picks by the glass at High Street Place. Bubble Bath, a fun-loving food-hall wine bar by Big Heart Hospitality and celeb chef Tiffani Faison, typically features the largest list of Champagne in Boston with more than 30 wines by the glass, says BHH sommelier Charlie Gaeta. Show up at any point in the evening from 5 p.m. until close for a special menu curated by the guest somm, who will be behind the bar pouring wine and dropping knowledge. A live DJ usually joins the fun to set the vibe with music, and High Street Place‘s full array of food is available, including Bubble Bath’s fine selections of gourmet hot dogs and popcorn. — Jacqueline Cain
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