10 free things to do in Boston in June

From live music to colorful festivals to outdoor workouts, these city events are all free.

Enjoy a free workout this summer with Seaport Sweat. Seaport Sweat

4 minutes to read

With spring in full swing, June is peppered with plenty of ways to enjoy the city inside or out without shelling out a single penny. From a sweat sesh on the harbor to appreciating art to a parade celebrating local history, here are 10 things to do in Boston for free this June.

1. Enjoy music al fresco at the BPL

The Central Library’s Concerts in the Courtyard Series runs from June 6 through Aug. 29 and showcases a variety of artists and musical genres in the library’s iconic Italianesque courtyard at the Copley Square branch. These free
performances are held in the McKim Building Courtyard (or the Rabb Lecture
Hall during inclement weather) on Friday afternoons only in June at 12:30 p.m., and on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. and on Fridays at 12:30 p.m. during July and August. Each show lasts approximately one hour. (700 Boylston St., Boston)

2. Groove with some live blues

Head over to The Liberty Hotel lobby for live blues music performed by Hot
Sauce Band every Monday from 6:30 to 9 p.m. On various Mondays, the hotel
also partners with whiskey and bourbon brands, so you could even catch a tasting of fine spirits. Follow the hotel on Instagram to find out which Mondays include the tastings. (215 Charles St., Boston)

3. Dive into Portuguese culture

The 20th anniversary of the Boston Portuguese Festival returns to Boston’s City
Hall Plaza on June 8 from noon to 8 p.m. for a vibrant celebration of Portuguese-American pride. Showcasing local and internationally-renowned Portuguese cuisine and entertainment, as well as Portuguese-American social and cultural organizations, this year’s program will feature performances ranging from fado to folk. Fuel all that dancing at the food tents where you’ll score traditional bifana, pastel de nata, and many other traditional dishes (available for purchase) before washing it down at the wine and beer garden. (City Hall Plaza, 1 City Hall Square, Boston)

4. Walk towards an end to MS

On June 8, you can take part in a fundraiser at the UMass Boston Campus Center Lawn that benefits multiple sclerosis. The Walk MS unites the MS
community in the largest gathering of its kind to raise funds and make a
difference for everyone living with the disease. You can choose a one- or three-
mile route, and all donations are welcome. The site opens at 8:30 a.m., with the ceremony kicking off at 9:45 a.m., and the walk beginning at 10 a.m. (UMass Boston Campus Center Lawn, 100 Morrissey Blvd., Boston)

5. Enjoy smooth sounds and salty air

Boston’s favorite free waterside concert series at the Boston Harbor Hotel is
getting a glow up this season. The gorgeous sunset over the Atlantic Ocean
remains the same, but visitors to the 25th Annual Summer in the City Entertainment Series can expect an expanded bar and menu of shareable bites, pop-up experiences, and new sounds filling the harbor air. Running from June 12 through Aug. 28 on Tuesdays through Fridays, the harbor comes alive with bands performing nightly on the Boston Harbor Hotel’s floating barge stage for jazz, soul, country, R&B, DJs and more. Returning bands like Soul City and Country Wild Heart and The Pulse of Boston will join 10 new bands. Shows are from 6 to 10 p.m. (70 Rowes Wharf, Boston)

6. Watch dragon boats speed along the Charles

Certainly more colorful than the Head of the Charles, the Boston Hong Kong
Dragon Boat Festival is held every year in honor of an ancient celebration that
originated in China. Now in its 46th year, this year’s event is on June 8 from noon to 5 p.m. and includes traditional Asian arts and crafts by the festival committee and the Greater Boston Chinese Cultural Association, a dragon and lion dance, martial art demonstrations, Asian dance and music, traditional Japanese Taiko drumming, and more. While most of the festivities take place on the Cambridge side of the Charles, you can still enjoy all the excitement of the incredible dragon boat races along the river from the Boston side. (John W. Weeks Foot Bridge on the Charles River and Memorial Drive, Boston)

7. Support the future of Boston’s youth arts and music

The 12th annual Concert in the Park is the debut spring concert event featuring the best youth performing groups of New England’s Inspire Arts & Music. Held in the heart of Post Office Square in Norman B. Leventhal Park on June 12 at 5 p.m., the two-time DCI silver medalist Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps will showcase its 2025 season before a summer tour across the country. The Hyde Park Youth Percussion Ensemble, comprised of elementary students from Hyde Park and East Boston, will also perform alongside the Crusaders for an unforgettable evening of young talent. (Norman B. Leventhal Park, Franklin St., Boston)

8. Commemorate Bunker Hill Day

This is a big year for the Battle of Bunker Hill. Celebrating its 250th birthday, the first major battle of the American Revolution on June 17, 1775, is the guest of honor at a number of events held throughout Massachusetts. A tradition since 1786, the Bunker Hill Day Parade follows a route throughout Charlestown on June 15 starting at 12:30 p.m., beginning at the intersection of Vine and Bunker Hill streets, down Main Street, and concluding on Winthrop Street by the Charlestown Militia Training Field. (Charlestown)

9. Head outside for a workout

Seaport Sweat returns for its milestone 10th season of free outdoor workouts.
Running through Sept. 30 in the Seaport Common, more than 100 free fitness
classes take over the green space for HIIT, strength training, dance cardio, yoga, and more, all set to live music from DJ Sprino. New for 2025 is Sweatapalooza, a fitness festival debuting on June 21 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The celebration will be led by longtime Seaport Sweat favorites Eliza Shirazi and Bron Volney, with a special guest instructor presented by Go To Bermuda. In addition to high-energy workouts, the event will feature a live DJ, exciting pop-ups, and giveaways to hype you up. (Seaport Common, Boston)

10. Sing along to some soul music

While most of the arts and culture events of the Boston Art & Music Soul
Festival’s new week-long Momentum are ticketed, you can still get in on the fun with a free party at Emerson’s outdoor performance venue, UnCommon Stage. On June 26 from 4 to 8 p.m., S.O.U.L.Stice: Play Playe Edition offers up an early evening of guest DJs, music performances, interactive games, and curated karaoke that all celebrate Black joy, arts, music and culture. (corner of Tremont and Boylston streets, Boston)

Be civil. Be kind.

Read our full community guidelines.