The City of Boston is definitely an OG tea spiller. And, on December 16, the city is poised to celebrate the 250th anniversary of when its colonists showed intolerance to tyranny by tossing all the tea into the Harbor to defy British rule. This is known as the Boston Tea Party of 1773.
The commemorations this year will feature unprecedented levels of collaboration between organizations across Boston and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, culminating in a grand-scale, live reenactment of the Boston Tea Party on December 16, 2023.
What was the Boston Tea Party?
If you’re late to the history lesson party, here’s a breakdown of the famous local event. This political protest took place at Griffin’s Wharf in Boston on December 16, 1773, when angry colonists showed their frustration with Britain’s “taxation without representation” by dumping 342 chests of tea into the harbor. The tea was imported by the British East India Company, a massive British corporation founded under Queen Elizabeth I that would have given today’s tech giants like Google, Apple, or Amazon a run for their money as one of history’s biggest, most dominant. This event rallied the patriots to begin their fight for eventual independence from Britain.
Are there any informational events about or re-enactments of the Boston Tea Party?
A full evening of reenactments will play out on December 16 across Boston at several historic locations.
Starting off, Faneuil Hall & The Boston Tea Party: A Protest in Principle takes place on December 16 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. The 90-minute presentation takes place inside Faneuil Hall and explores the dramatic events of the Boston Tea Party as well as the Centennial and Bicentennial Commemorations that followed. The indoor event is sold out, but there will be screens outside on the plaza. Head over to the Old South Meeting House for a reenactment of the meeting of the body of the people at 6:15 to 7:15 p.m. put on by Revolutionary Spaces in the room where it all happened. Tickets are available here.
During the reenactment, Patriots & Loyalists is held in Downtown Crossing from 6 to 7 p.m., as crowds gather to listen to a Town Crier blast out the news of the tea crisis and citizens of colonial Boston take to the streets to discuss its ramifications. Around 7:30 p.m., the 250th Boston Tea Party Anniversary Rolling Rally begins at 310 Washington St. to Milk St. to Pearl St. to Pearl St. Extension.
The evening ends with Boston Harbor, a Tea Pot Tonight! at 8 p.m. when thousands line the Harborwalk and watch as the Sons of Liberty storm aboard the brig Beaver and ship Eleanor to destroy chests of tea. You’re encouraged to yell “Huzzah!” as you witness the dramatic recreation of the Destruction of the Tea. Fun fact: the loose-leaf tea they’ll use for the 250th reenactment was collected by the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum from a global loose-leaf tea drive.
Where can I celebrate the Boston Tea Party with a cup of tea?
While there are plenty of places to have an afternoon tea in Boston, many eateries around the city have special celebrations to commemorate the Boston Tea Party. Raise a cup with pinkies up on Thursdays through Sundays throughout December with exquisite teas, champagne, sweet treats, and decadent savory bites at the Grand Afternoon Tea at Boston Harbor Hotel’s waterfront Rowes Wharf Sea Grille. Woods Hill Pier 4 also pays homage to Boston Tea Party’s spirit with spirits - a hot toddy tea cocktail with gin - and tea-infused duck hash on their brunch menu. The restaurant is also extending its afternoon hours so you can watch the Tea Party festivities in the Harbor.
Where can I stay overnight in Boston for the festivities?
If you feel like spending the night in town, some hotels are offering revolutionary deals. Indie hotel Dagny Boston has a special rate for a stay on December 16 and select Sundays throughout December that includes complementary Boston Harbor tea bags. The Langham, Boston adds in a Paddington hot chocolate experience and tickets to the Boston Tea Party Museum, while hotels like the Ritz Carlton and Boston Marriott Copley pay homage to the patriots who protested unjust taxation with a 16.45% discount (our current tax rate). You can also throw a little tea party of your own up in your room at The Lenox with a tin of whole leaf tea from Cambridge-based MEM Tea and chocolate chip cookies from local Top Shelf Cookies.
Where can I learn more about the Boston Tea Party?
Throughout the year, you can visit the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum to be a part of the famous event that forever changed the course of American history. The multi-sensory experience includes live actors, historic artifacts, interactive exhibits, and full-scale replica 18th-century sailing vessels. They even have their own tea room, where you can sample some of the five teas thrown over during the Boston Tea Party.