The best things to do in Boston this weekend: July 4-6

The city’s historic landmarks come alive with family-friendly fun during one of America’s largest Fourth of July festivals – Harborfest. Hundreds of activities throughout Independence Day weekend kick off with the annual opening ceremony in Downtown Crossing on July 2. The fun runs through July 4 with historical reenactments, State Hours 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. 

There’s good reason why America’s eyes are on Boston for Independence Day. It's the home of the country’s biggest patriotic celebration, the July 4th Pops Concert and Fireworks Spectacular. The Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra puts on their best performance of familiar favorites and rousing patriotic music, complete with real cannon fire, on the Esplanade, beginning at 7pm (although people vy for lawn seats in the wee hours of the morning). The evening ends with fireworks above the Charles River. The "Oval" opens at noon, with the Mugar Family Fireworks starting at approximately 9:40pm. You can also catch the day-before rehearsal (minus the fireworks) for the same experience you’ll get from the Pops during the big birthday party. 

Savor the season at highly anticipated Annual Lobster Party at Petit Robert Bistro in the heart of Boston’s South End. A summer tradition celebrating the flavors of the sea with an elegant French touch, you can indulge in a specially curated five-course menu crafted by Chef Chris Ipus that highlights fresh, locally sourced lobster in a refined dining experience. The meal begins with an amuse bouche of Lobster Mousseline, and continues with the next four courses of creamy lobster soup, lobster salad on watercress with fennel and Mandarin with a champagne vinaigrette, stuffed half lobster with cognac tarragon cream sauce, and a peach soufflé with Grand Mariner creme anglaise.

Each summer the ICA offers residencies for choreographers to develop new work. Get a special sneak peek at exciting works in progress by Eiko Otake and DonChristian Jones on July 6 at 2pm. Inspired by the ever-changing nature of water and the body as a river of memories, Eiko Otake and DonChristian Jones, who began their collaboration in 2017, will continue to develop and expand their artistic connection at the ICA. In a work-in-progress presentation overlooking the Boston Harbor, Otake and Jones will share new materials and engage in conversations with visitors. Bonus: It’s also the first Sunday of the month, which translates to Play Date: Free Family Art Day - art-making, gallery activities, performances, and workshops designed to deepen connections with contemporary art. 

Passim's Summer Boston Celtic Music Festival (BCMFest) returns to Harvard Square on July 6. The day kicks off at 3pm with free shows on Palmer Street right outside of the Club, with performances by Irish fiddler Clare Fraser and her trio, followed by a powerhouse supergroup featuring Erin Hogan, Kate Knudsvig, Helen Kuhar, and Kat Wallace in Forsyth. The festival moves indoors Sunday night at 7pm with a ticketed show featuring Boston's versatile multi-instrumentalists Matt & Shannon Heaton, guitarist Adam Hendey and his band, and the dynamic fiddle-and-piano duo Katie McNally and Neil Pearlman. 

Each summer the ICA offers residencies for choreographers to develop new work. Get a special sneak peek at exciting works in progress by Eiko Otake and DonChristian Jones on July 6 at 2pm. Inspired by the ever-changing nature of water and the body as a river of memories, Eiko Otake and DonChristian Jones, who began their collaboration in 2017, will continue to develop and expand their artistic connection at the ICA. In a work-in-progress presentation overlooking the Boston Harbor, Otake and Jones will share new materials and engage in conversations with visitors. Bonus: It’s also the first Sunday of the month, which translates to Play Date: Free Family Art Day - art-making, gallery activities, performances, and workshops designed to deepen connections with contemporary art. 

Dockfest at The Anchor in Boston is a week-long celebration, beginning July 1 and running through July 6, that features themed cocktails, live music, movie nights, and more. On the tails of The Anchor’s recent feature in Conde Nast Traveler as "Where to Watch the Boston July 4th Fireworks in 2025," this hot spot in one of Boston's historic neighborhoods offers up a ton of fun and fireworks views. Patio reservations are free, but there are also ticketed meals such as the BBQ Package with themed drinks and swag and Red White & Brews Package For Two (which adds beer and Rocket Pop margaritas to the mix). There’s also a VIP Mezzanine Experience with reserved seating, private bar access, food and beverage, and VIP patriotic swag.

Tom Hanks narrates an epic experience that offers a unique new perspective on humankind's past and future voyages to the Moon. This new in-person immersive cinematic experience by Lightroom and Paquin Entertainment Group is opening June 27 at The Saunders Castle at Park Plaza and will serve as the first stop of the North American tour of The Moonwalkers: A Journey with Tom Hanks. The 50-minute show transforms the venue into a spectacular voyage to the Moon, combining powerful storytelling, rare NASA archival footage, and cutting-edge spatial audio to bring the gripping stories of the Apollo missions to life.

From jazz to soul, country to R&B, and even DJs, Boston’s favorite free water-side concert series - Summer in the City Entertainment Series – returns for its 25^th season at the Boston Harbor Hotel. Running Tuesdays through Fridays from June 12 through Aug. 28, the Boston Harbor comes alive with bands performing nightly on the hotel's floating barge stage with the sunset over the Atlantic Ocean as their backdrop. Enjoy smooth sounds and salty air, with shows from 6-10pm. New this year is the expanded bar, a revamped menu of shareable bites, and pop-up experiences. Check here for the lineup.