Things to do on Labor Day weekend in Boston 2024

Things to do

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

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. Do you have any idea what we should cover? Leave us a comment on this article or in the BosTen Facebook Groupor send us an email to (email protected).

Enjoy free entry to 3 museums

In years past, the Highland Street Foundation has hosted Free Fun Fridays, a summer program that offered 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 in August as part of its August Adventures program. Participating during 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 until August 31st at various times and locations) – Kevin Slane

Light up at the Illuminate the Harbor fireworks display

The Fourth of July isn’t the only time to enjoy fireworks in the city. For the tenth year in a row, Boston Harbor Now (in partnership with the City of Boston) is hosting a fireworks display in the harbor, launched from two barges between the Seaport and South End. Visitors can watch the fireworks from the official viewing areas at Fan Pier, Christopher Columbus Park, or Piers Park. (Thursday, August 29, 8:30 p.m.; various locations in Boston Harbor; free) – Kevin Slane

Experience the Middle Ages with King Richard’s Faire

Starting Saturday, you can dress in your finest 14th-century fashions and head to King Richard’s Faire, New England’s oldest and longest-running Renaissance faire. Held on 80 wooded acres in Carver, the faire welcomes acrobats, aerialists, jugglers, fire-eaters and hundreds of other talented performers to its eight stages. The fairgrounds are open Saturdays, Sundays and holiday Mondays through mid-October. For lords and ladies who prefer a faire experience without the kids, there are 21-and-over pub crawls on Sept. 8 and 22, and the last day of the fair on Oct. 20. (Saturday, Aug. 31-Sunday, Oct. 20; 235 Main St., Carver; $26-$46; all ages) — Kevin Slane

Hit a historic hole-in-one at Charlestown

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

Take a Little Women tour on Castle Hill

Nearly every aspect of the life of Louisa May Alcott, the author of “Little Women,” was inextricably linked to the Boston area. And yet none of the big-screen adaptations of Alcott’s novel were ever filmed in Massachusetts until Greta Gerwig’s 2019 version, which took advantage of beautiful locations in Eastern Massachusetts. Some of the most stunning scenes were shot at the Crane Estate in Ipswich, the subject of the Trustees’ tour this Saturday. The 90-minute tour takes you behind the scenes of the production, walking you through Castle Hill and along its sloping lawns. If you’re curious, we’ve published a complete guide to all of the “Little Women” filming locations.) (Saturday, August 31, 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 at the Greenway Artisan Market, an outdoor market bringing dozens of local makers, artisans and small business owners of all kinds to the Rose Kennedy Greenway this Saturday. Organized by the team behind the Somerville Flea, the event takes place on the corner of High Street and Atlantic Avenue. It usually features food trucks like Cookie Monstah, The Dining Car, Gogi on The Block, Moyzilla, Revelry and Papi’s Stuffed Sopapillas, which serves up all kinds of street food at the nearby Rowes Wharf Plaza. (Saturday, August 31, 11 a.m.–6 p.m.; High St. & Atlantic Ave., Boston; free) – Natalie Gale

Discover the roots at MGM Music Hall

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

Say goodbye to summer at the Speedway

Goodbye, summer—it was real. If you want to give the season one last hurrah, head to Brighton’s Charles River Speedway on Monday for the market’s fourth annual Labor Day Weekend party. There’s live music all day, international street food from Wanderlust, archery in the adjacent Garage B space, specialty pies from Big Little Pies, a pop-up cocktail bar from Birds of Paradise, and special food and drink options from anchor tenants like Notch Brewing, The Koji Club, and Super Bien. (Monday, September 2, 12-5 p.m.; 525 Western Ave., Boston; free) — Kevin Slane

Enjoy free entry to the ICA

Many local institutions are closed or have reduced hours on Labor Day, but not the Institute of Contemporary Art. The ICA is normally closed on Mondays year-round, but on this Monday it is offering free admission for Labor Day. However, you’ll want to come before Labor Day if you want to check out the ICA Watershed, the museum’s seasonal outpost in East Boston, which is accessible by free ferry but closes on Sunday for the season. (Monday, September 2nd from 10am-5pm; 25 Harbor Shore Dr., Boston; free) — Kevin Slane

Salsa all night in Charlestown

The Anchor, the Charlestown Navy Yard’s outdoor destination, offers free outdoor salsa and bachata classes and dancing on the water every Monday night of the month, starting Labor Day this weekend. Sabor Latino Boston, Salsa y Control and DJ Hernan come together to host Saborcito at The Anchor, a mix of dance class and party on the beautiful courtyard patio with comfortable lounge seating, freestanding tables and views of Boston. Come between 6 and 9 p.m., but if you need a little guidance, the free salsa lessons start at 6 p.m. (Monday, September 2, 6-9 p.m.; 1 Shipyard Park, Charlestown; free) – Cheryl Fenton