Here’s what to expect for Boston’s 4th of July celebrations
Fourth of July celebrations are set to kick off around Boston this Thursday and Friday.
The 2025 Boston Harborfest will continue through Friday night, culminating in the massive Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular over the Esplanade.
“For more than 50 years, this event has been one of the largest and most beloved July 4 celebrations in the whole country,” said Jan Devereux, of the BSO. “It remains free to the public as the BSO’s gift to Boston and beyond.”
Thursday, July 3:
Salute to the U.S. Army 250th from 12 to 5 p.m. at the Downtown Crossing Steps: The event features the 215th Army Band of the Massachusetts Army National Guard and several other bands.
Re-Enactors and Live Entertainment from 2 to 8 p.m. at the Summer Street Stage: The festivities will feature the bands Unlikely Strummers, Lucky 13, and more, with historical re-enactors and costumed entertainers throughout. Also at the stage, the Macy’s Great American Fashion Show will take place from 2 to 3 p.m., and a Shore Leave Block Party will pop up from 6 to 8 p.m.
Boston Harborfest at Christopher Columbus Park from 2 to 6 p.m.: Band performances and children’s activities will take place in the park during the festival. A Greenway Artisan Market will take place nearby.
Friday, July 4:
City of Boston’s 249th Independence Day Celebration at 9:00 a.m. from City Hall Plaza to Old State House: The parade will march from City Hall to the Granary Burying Ground for a wreath laying on the graves of patriots, before marching to the Old State House, for a reading of the Declaration of Independence at 10 a.m.
Annual Oration at 10:30 a.m. at Faneuil Hall: Starting in 1771, the event began to commemorate the Boston Massacre and later evolved to mark the country’s independence.
Middlesex County Volunteers Fife and Drums Concert from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. at Downtown Crossing: A concert throughout the neighborhood will feature “authentic folk music and iconic patriotic hymns from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries.”
Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular from 7:00 to 11:00 p.m. on the Esplanade: The celebration will kick off an hour earlier this year and feature the annual concert and fireworks show. The Oval opens at 4 p.m., the music begins at 7 p.m. and fireworks will kick off around 9:40 p.m.
The event will feature LeAnn Rhimes, Leslie Odom Jr., Bell Biv DeVoe, the Soldiers’ Chorus of the U.S. Army Field Band and Boston Children’s Chorus, along with the Boston Pops Symphony Orchestra. The event will be broadcast live on WHDH Channel 7 all night and nationally broadcast from the CW network from 9 to 10 p.m.
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More information on the celebrations can be found at bso.org/boston-pops-fireworks-spectacular.
