Large Pride rainbow flag flying

Things to do in Boston for Pride Day

Boston’s Pride For The People parade and festival is one of the biggest, brightest and most beautiful in the States, pulling in several thousand participants and around a million spectators for its week-long celebration of love, diversity and inclusion. Baked beans, the Boston Red Sox and that bar ‘where everybody knows your name’ ain't the only thinks to get excited about around these parts: there are also some fine, buzzy ‘gayborhoods’ to explore, like South End, Jones Hill and Jamaica Plain, all of which transform into oceans of rainbow flags and lights for Pride. The week promises all manner of events across the city, from burlesque nights to brewery cookouts, fashion shows and queer cinema. Raise your rainbow flag and dive in for our guide to all the best things to do in Boston on and around Pride Day…

Pride Parade, Block Party & Festival

Boston building lit up in rainbow colors

There will be oodles of fun LGBTQ+ events taking place in Boston through Pride Month, with the majority happening in the days leading up to the parade and festival. We’re talking movie screenings, drag brunches, community events, queer walking tours, picnics, bar crawls and much more. The top of the iconic Prudential Tower will light up in rainbow colors to kick off Pride Month and again on the day of the parade, in support of the LGBTQ+ community. Check local listings for further info and tickets on all June events in Boston.

The big day usually lands on the first or second Saturday of June, when revelers line the streets of the South End to catch a glimpse of outrageous floats, flamboyant drag queens, marching bands, stilt walkers and all manner of other extravagantly garbed participants and performers. The Boston Pride For The People Parade kicks off late morning at Copley Square, painting its celebratory rainbow across the South End before landing up at Boston Common for a top-notch family festival complete with DJs, drag queens and international headline acts. The festival is free and runs from around midday until early evening.

Boston church with rainbow flags

Meanwhile, over at City Plaza, there’s a slightly more grown-up vibe at the free Pride Block Party, which runs for a couple more hours after the Boston Common festival wraps up. This one’s for 21+ attendees only, and promises rather more risqué entertainment in the form of foul-mouthed drag kings and queens, pole dancers and more. New England craft breweries provide the lubrication and DJs spin the party tunes until around 8PM.

Top Tip: Boston Pride for the People recommends Arlington St and Boylston St subway stations on the green line or Back Bay Station on the orange line for the best Parade-viewing opportunities. But get there in plenty of time as it does get extremely busy!

Find about more about the next Boston Pride For The People event here.

Boston Pride After Parties

Club DJ in action

Fear not: the end of ‘official’ festivities does not mean the party’s over. Far from it, in fact. Indeed, Boston’s Pride after parties are the stuff of legend. Hit up South End stalwart Club Café on Columbus Avenue for some of its legendary cabaret and late-night dancing. The fabulous Liberty Hotel – an utterly transformed former prison in Beacon Hill – usually has a number of events running through Pride Month, including brunches, fashion parades and more. That there will be DJs and live acts playing into the small hours on Pride Saturday is a given.

Try the lively Midway Café, a well-established dive bar in Jamaica Plain with regular live music, or mosey over to Dorchester dBar for craft cocktails and all-night dancing at one of Boston’s best-loved LGBTQ+ clubs.

It’s the morning after the night before, so what better than a rejuvenating drag brunch to help brush those cobwebs away? There will be dozens of these running across Boston during Pride Month, with local favorites including South End Mexican restaurant Cósmica, the Boston Summer Shack over in Back Bay, and the aforementioned Liberty Hotel. Bloody Marys and mimosas naturally come as standard. Again, local listings are your friend for the latest info on all Boston club nights and brunches.

LGBTQ+ Culture in Boston

Plaque on the Boston Freedom Trail

Something of a trailblazer, Boston is one of those places that’s very much *steeped* in history. Not only the birthplace of the American Revolution, it’s also the capital of Massachusetts, famously the first US state to legalize gay marriage. Go Boston!

As a result, there’s plenty of queer culture to explore, and this is brought to the fore during Pride Month, where museums, walking tours and even castles get in on the action.

The Freedom Trail comprises 16 historic Boston monuments and locations that, between them, contain the entire history of Beantown. There are walking tours of the route – which includes Boston Common, the 17th-century King’s Chapel cemetery and Paul Revere’s House, year-round, many with guides in period dress. Pride Month sees the addition of an excellent ‘Rainbow Revolutionaries’ option, highlighting key players in Boston’s LGBTQ+ community (and their fight for liberty) through the ages.

Hairy ankles in high heels

For something a little (ok: a lot) more light-hearted, pop on your heels and hop aboard a drag-tacular trolley tour of Boston’s most significant female and queer landmarks. However, we’d recommend flat shoes for top Boston LGBTQ+ walking tours like this one.

It’s also worth a day trip out to Hammond Castle and museum up the coast in Gloucester. Founder John Hammond is something of an LGBTQ+ Massachusetts icon so it’s no surprise that there are several special events running here throughout Pride Month, including exhibitions, readings and film screenings.

Visit Boston’s Top Attractions

Boston's famous swan boats

If you’re in town for a few days and fancy fitting some serious Beantown sightseeing around all that drinking, dancing and drag-brunching, the Go Boston pass is your friend. Choose an Explorer or All-Inclusive option, depending on whether you have specific attractions in your sights or simply want the freedom to visit as many as you’d like over several days. The pass can save you up to 50% on standard entry prices for Boston tours, activities and attractions and includes:

  • The View Boston Observation Deck, up top of the iconic Prudential Tower.
  • A tour of Fenway Park Stadium, home of the legendary Boston Red Sox.
  • A ride on the famous Boston swan boats.
  • The absolute treasure trove of art and artifacts that is the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.
  • A sunset cruise of the Charles River Basin.
  • A guided tour of the charming clapboard farmhouse in nearby Concord, where Louisa May Alcott wrote (and set) American literary masterpiece ‘Little Women’.
  • ...and much more!

Find out more and choose your Boston attractions pass here.

Pride parade participants draped in rainbow flags
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
Freelance travel writer

Stu caught the travel bug at an early age, thanks to childhood road trips to the south of France squeezed into the back of a Ford Cortina with two brothers and a Sony Walkman. Now a freelance writer living on the Norfolk coast, Stu has produced content for travel giants including Frommer’s, British Airways, Expedia, Mr & Mrs Smith, and now Go City. His most memorable travel experiences include drinking kava with the locals in Fiji and pranging a taxi driver’s car in the Honduran capital.

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10+ Things to Do in Boston Labor Day 2019 Weekend & September

The end of summer, traditionally marked by Labor Day, is a great time to enjoy that last getaway before school and work pick back up again. If you're taking a Labor Day weekend trip to Boston, you won't be short of things to do. Many fun local activities and attractions in Boston offer special events or exhibits at the end of August into September, so there's a lot of promise in late summer vacations. So make the most of the last few days of summer in Boston! If you’re looking for things to do in Boston Labor Day weekend 2019 and into September, check out our list of the best local activities and attractions. A few ideas include: St. Anthony's Feast New England Aquarium Whale Watch Fenway Park Tour Swan Boats of Boston Somerville Fluff Festival And more! Save on Attraction Admission Regular admission to a number of these Boston attractions are included on the Go Boston® pass. Choose as you go from dozens of top attractions and save up to 55% on combined admission vs paying at the gate. See all available passes, attractions & prices – Learn more. Please note, the special events taking place at these attractions may be separately ticketed and not included on the Go Boston pass. Searching for more events later in the fall? Check out our Boston Fall Events post for fun activities in October and November. St. Anthony’s Feast August 22-25, 2019 The North End Headlining the weekend before Labor Day is the very Boston-esque St. Anthony’s Feast. This has long been famous as the largest Italian religious festival in New England. It’s a huge affair that takes over much of the North End neighborhood: part parade, part pageantry, part ceremony, and all excitement. The actual procession begins at noon on Sunday. The Santa Lucia festival brings up the rear on Monday, a shorter but no less grand celebration. This is a must do for a local Labor Day experience -- be sure to add it to your itinerary. For a full schedule of events, consult the St. Anthony’s Feast website Getting In: Admission to St. Anthony's Feast is free. New England Aquarium Whale Watch Fenway Park Tour Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour Go for a Bike Ride Swan Boats of Boston The Boston Children’s Museum While there are tons of great museums in the Boston area that appeal to the whole family, the Boston Children’s Museum is truly the perfect candidate for keeping the kids happy. You’ll find tons of interactive exhibits that focus on everything from science and environmental awareness to culture and the arts. The kids will enjoy playing while the learn - it's the best of both! Be sure to check their events calendar for any special exhibits or attractions that may occur during your visit. Getting In: Boston Children's Museum tickets are included on the Go Boston pass. All Hands to Mischief! at the USS Constitution Museum August 31 - September 3, 2019 Charlestown Navy Yard Come to the USS Constitution Museum this Labor Day weekend to learn about how sailors spent their spare time at sea. The hands-on, interactive activities are great for kids. You can practice writing with a quill pen, play your hand at a nineteenth century board game, and get a temporary nautical tattoo. If you're interested in Old Ironsides herself, consider a cruise like the USS Constitution Cruise which escorts you out to the ship in Boston's Inner Harbor and past other major sights like the Bunker Hill Monument and the Boston Tea Party boat. Getting In: Admission to the USS Constitution Museum is separately ticketed and is not included with the Go Boston pass. For more information about this attraction and to purchase tickets, visit the attraction website. USS Constitution Cruise tickets are included with the Go Boston pass. The Boston Arts Festival September 8 & 9, 2019, 11:00 am - 6:30 pm Christopher Columbus Park “Summer in the City” Movie Series Tuesday – Friday, all summer Boston Harbor Hotel What the Fluff? September 21, 2019 Union Square, Somerville This delightful event is perfect for visitors of all ages. Now in its 13th year, this fun festival celebrates all things fluff -- the delectable marshmallow treat that was invented right in Somerville back in 1917. The festival incorporates live music, toys and games for kids, beverages for adults, and tons of fluff-related food items. There's even a cooking contest for the best inventive fluff recipe. Deadline for submissions is September 18! Somerville is located just a little bit north west of Boston proper -- you can get to Union Square easily via bus. Getting In: Admission to the Fluff Festival is free. Remember to Save on Attraction Admission So there are a few examples of fun and exciting things to do in Boston during Labor Day Weekend and into September. There is so much to do in Boston that you're sure to have a great end to your summer vacation. Remember, some of these great attraction options are included on the Go Boston pass, where you can save up to 55% on combined admission vs paying at the gate. Please note, the Labor Day weekend events taking place at some of these attractions may be separately ticketed and not included with the Go Boston pass. We hope you consider visiting some of these attractions to help round out your summer vacation in Boston in style.
Katie Sagal
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Little Women Filming Locations in Boston

Little Women is a classic American novel written by Boston author Louisa May Alcott. It tells the story of four sisters as they come of age during the American Civil War in Boston. There are already TV, film, and theater versions of the novel, but another adaptation will hit the big screen in 2019. Greta Gerwig’s remake of Little Women could be one of the most authentic retellings, as they filmed in Boston and the surrounding areas. Check out the Little Women filming locations in Boston below, including... Harvard Town Hall Louisa May Alcott’s House, Fairmont Copley Plaza Arnold Arboretum And more Save on admission Admission to many popular Boston attractions that appear in Little Women is included in the Go Boston pass. You could save up to 55% on admission vs gate price.  Who wrote Little Women ? The original Little Women novel was written by author Louisa May Alcott. Alcott published the novel in 1968 in two volumes. It was very popular, so as a result, Alcott wrote two sequels to Little Women called Little Men and Jo’s Boys. Who’s in Little Women (2019)? Little Women (2019) is directed by Greta Gerwig and stars Saoirse Ronan as Jo, Emma Watson as Meg, Florence Pugh as Amy, and Eliza Scanlen as Beth. Timothée Chalamet plays Laurie, Meryl Streep plays Aunt March, and Laura Dern plays Mary March. Where was Little Women filmed? Little Women (2019) was filmed in Boston and the surrounding area. Gerwig wanted the film to be authentic, so she shot on location in Massachusetts. Take a look at the Little Women filming locations below... Harvard Fairmont Copley Plaza in Back Bay   View this post on Instagram A post shared by Fairmont Copley Plaza, Boston (@fairmontcopley) on Jul 25, 2019 at 1:38pm PDT You can see the beautiful ballroom of the Fairmont Copley Plaza in the Little Women trailer. Plus, additional filming took place in the surrounding Back Bay area. Coincidentally, if you’re visiting the Plaza or the Back Bay, you’re near the start of the Boston Movie Mile Walking Tour. See where famous films like Ally McBeal, Ted, Good Will Hunting, and The Departed were filmed. We’re sure Little Women will soon be added to this list. This is a must for movie fans visiting Boston. Arnold Arboretum Louisa May Alcott House View this post on Instagram A post shared by Amber (@amberjanice79) on Sep 4, 2019 at 9:27am PDT Little Women fans can’t visit Boston and not visit the Louisa May Alcott House in Concord. Explore Alcott’s home, complete with artifacts like her writing desk. See the house that inspired the setting of Little Women, and where the novel was written. An expert guide will take you from room to room, telling you everything you ever wanted to know about the famous author and her family. Areas outside of Boston Many scenes were filmed just outside of Boston, in towns such as Concord, Lawrence, Stoughton, Ipswich, and Lancaster. All of these towns are an hour or less by driving away from Boston, so are great day trip destinations. Visit these towns to see more of Massachusettes and for a wider understanding of Little Women’s setting. Additionally, they could be ideal spots of some fall-time leaf-peeping! In summary Little Women was filmed in key sites across Boston and the surrounding area. More importantly, many of these locations are public, so you can see them for yourself. Anyone whose favorite book is Little Women has to visit these filming spots on their next Boston vacation. Save on admission The Go Boston pass includes admission to many popular Boston attractions and Little Women filming locations. You could save up to 55% on admission vs gate price. Share your trip with us Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and share your Little Women adventure with us. Tag us at @GoCity and use #GoCityPass on your travel photos to keep us up to date with your vacation!
Seren Morris

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