10 things to do in Boston this Labor Day weekend (2024)

Things to Do

BosTen is your weekly guide to the best events and coolest things to do in Boston.

By Kevin Slane

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 [emailprotected].

Enjoy free admission to 3 museums

In previous years, the Highland Street Foundation hosted Free Fun Fridays, a summer-long program that provided free admission to dozens of the state’s museums every Friday. This year, the nonprofit is taking a different approach, offering free admission to a new museum or cultural institution each day during the month of August in what it’s callingAugust Adventures. Participating in the final weekend are the Sports Museum and Boston Bruins Heritage Hall in Boston (Thursday), the Cape Cod Museum of Art in Dennis(Friday), and Mass Audubon’s Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary (Saturday). (Daily through August 31 at various times and locations) — Kevin Slane

Light up at Illuminate the Harbor Fireworks

The Fourth of July isn’t the only time to enjoy fireworks in the city. This Thursday, Boston Harbor Now (in partnership with the Meet Boston) will put on a fireworks display in the harbor beginning at 8:30 p.m. Before the pyrotechnics, head to either Piers Park in East Boston or Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park for live music and family-friendly games from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Regardless of where you are along the Boston Harborwalk, you should have a great view.(Thursday, August 29 at 8:30 p.m.; various Boston Harbor locations; free) — Kevin Slane

Get medieval with King Richard’s Faire

Starting Saturday, you can don your finest 1300s fashion and head to King Richard’s Faire, New England’s oldest and longest-running renaissance fair. Located on an 80-acre wooded site in Carver, the fair will welcome acrobats, aerialists, jugglers, fire-eaters, and hundreds of other talented performers to its eight stages. The fairgrounds will be open Saturdays, Sundays, and Monday holidays through mid-October. For lords and ladies who prefer a Faire experience sans children, there are 21+ pub crawls on Sept. 8, 22, and on the Faire’s final day on Oct. 20. (Saturday, Aug. 31 through Sunday, Oct. 20; 235 Main St., Carver; $26-46; all ages) — Kevin Slane

Shoot a historical hole in one in Charlestown

Every day through the end of October, you can putt putt your way through history at the USS Constitution, thanks to a newly erected nine-hole miniature golf course dedicated to the ancient ship located in the Navy Yard. Each hole also features a trivia game, where you can answer questions about Old Ironsides or about the city of Boston in general. Test your skills and your knowledge of the ship and Boston trivia at each hole. The mini golf course is open 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., weather permitting.(Daily from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Outside Building 22, Charlestown Navy Yard, Charlestown; free) — Cheryl Fenton

Take a ‘Little Women’ tour at Castle Hill

Nearly every facet of the life of Louisa May Alcott, author of “Little Women,” was inextricably tied to the Boston area. And yet none of the big-screen adaptations of Alcott’s novel had ever been filmed in Massachusetts until Greta Gerwig’s 2019 version, which used gorgeous locations across Eastern Massachusetts. Some of the most stunning scenes were shot at the Crane Estate in Ipswich, which is the subject of the Trustees’ tour this Saturday. The 90-minute tour will take you behind the scenes of the production, walking you through Castle Hill and along its sloping lawns. If you’re curious, we published a full guide to all of “Little Women”‘s filming locations.) (Saturday, Aug. 31 from 10:30 a.m. to noon; 290 Argilla Rd., Ipswich; $16-24; all ages) — Kevin Slane

Shop local at the Greenway Artisan Market

Celebrate the long weekend atGreenway Artisan Market, an outdoor market that will bring dozens of local makers, artisans, craftspeople, and small business owners of all kinds to the Rose Kennedy Greenway this Saturday. Run by the team behind theSomerville Flea, the event is set up at the corner of High Street and Atlantic Avenue, and typically features food trucks like Cookie Monstah, The Dining Car, Gogi on The Block, Moyzilla, Revelry, Papi’s Stuffed Sopapillas, serving up street food of all kinds at nearby Rowes Wharf Plaza. (Saturday, Aug. 31 from 11-6 p.m.; High St. & Atlantic Ave., Boston; free) —Natalie Gale

Tap into the Roots at MGM Music Hall

At first, back in the late-1980s, when drummer Questlove and rapper Black Thought laid the groundwork for a band, they called it the Square Roots, and their “stages” were the street corners of Philadelphia. They became a quartet with the addition of rapper Malik B and bassist Hub, and shortened their name. Only Questlove and Black Thought have remained over the years, but no matter the lineup, the upward trajectory of The Roots has never stopped. Their first major label album, “Do You Want More?!!!??!,” was released in 1995, the same year they played at Lollapalooza. Their 1999 album “Things Fall Apart” went platinum. A decade later, while still regularly recording new material, they landed the gig as house band on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.” Sure, they’re a rap group, but the variety of the music they’ll play during Sunday’s show at MGM Music Hall will surely include pop and rock and jazz. And they’ve always stood out from the crowd since adding “Tuba Gooding Jr.” on sousaphone. (Sunday, Sept. 1 at 8 p.m.; 2 Lansdowne St., Boston. $101 and up) — Ed Symkus

Say goodbye to summer at The Speedway

So long, summer — it’s been real. If you’re hoping to give the season one last hurrah, head to Charles River Speedwayin Brighton on Monday for the market’s fourth annual Labor Day Weekend Party. There will be live music all day, global street food from Wanderlust, archery in the adjoining Garage B space, specialty pies from Big Little Pies, a pop-up co*cktail bar from Birds of Paradise, and special food and drink options from anchor tenants like Notch Brewing, The Koji Club, and Super Bien. (Monday, Sept. 2 from 12-5 p.m.; 525 Western Ave., Boston; free) — Kevin Slane

Enjoy free admission to the ICA

Labor Day means that many local establishments will be closed or have shorter hours, but not the Institute of Contemporary Art. Typically closed on Mondays throughout the calendar year, the ICA will offer free admission for Labor Day this Monday. That said, you’ll want to visit before Labor Day if you want to check out ICA Watershed, the museum’s seasonal outpost in East Boston that is reachable by free ferry but closes for the season on Sunday. (Monday, Sept. 2 from 10-5 p.m.; 25 Harbor Shore Dr., Boston; free) — Kevin Slane

Salsa the night away in Charlestown

The Anchor, Charlestown Navy Yard’s open-air destination, offersfree outdoor salsa and bachata classes and dancing by the waterfront every Monday night through the month, beginning on Labor Day this weekend. Sabor Latino Boston, Salsa y Control, and DJ Hernan come together to host Saborcito at The Anchor, a dance class-meets-party set on the beautiful courtyard patio complete with comfortable lounge seating, free standing tables, and views of Boston. Come anywhere from 6 to 9 p.m., but if you need a little instruction, the free salsa lessons begin at 6 p.m.(Monday, Sept. 2 from 6-9 p.m.; 1 Shipyard Park, Charlestown; free) — Cheryl Fenton