ONGOING
The Strand Theatre
A 1, 400 seat house in Dorchester, the Strand hosts a wide variety of entertainment from Gospel to Shakespeare. Learn more about The Strand Theatre.July & August
Arts on the Arcade
Running every Wednesday, July 6th - August 31st, from 11- 3pm. A free lunchtime performance program runs from noon - 2pm in conjunction with the Farmers' Market on City Hall Plaza.
GospelFest
One of New England's most popular Gospel celebrations, this free gospel showcase features local and national talent. Past performers include Dottie Peoples, Kirk Franklin and Karen Clark Sheard. Gospelfest is in its 11th year and will be returning to City Hall Plaza Sunday, July 17th from 5pm-8pm with a performance by award-winning Gospel artist, Marvin Sapp.
Caliente: A Celebration of Latin Music
This free event celebrates the Latin arts in Boston. The 2011 concert is Saturday, July 30th from 7-9pm at City Hall Plaza. This year the headliner is Latin Grammy Award winner, Milly Quezada. Milly was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and is considered the “Queen of Merengue.”Jerry Rivera was the headliner for the 2010 concert and attracted over 25,000 people to City Hall Plaza. Watch Event Video.
Waterfront Performing Arts Series
Featuring a blend of the emerging and established performing artists from the Boston arts community. This free series in the past has included Boston Ballet, Boston Lyric Opera, Riverside Theatre Works and the Boston Pops Ensemble. The concerts take place at Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park on select Tuesday evenings from 6-8pm in August. The 2011 schedule includes Tribute to the North End on August 2nd, Opera Boston on August 9th, the Chu Lin Dance Company on August 16th and Complete Works of Shakespeare (abridged) on August 23rd.
Boston Urban Music Festival
Expanding on the Peace Hip Hop Concert, with its message of "peace," local and national performers will gather together to celebrate this new show that will showcase the very best in urban music. This free event takes place on City Hall Plaza on a Saturday evening in August. Past performers include Slick Rick, CL Smooth and Rakim. The 2010 concert featured the music of Wiz Khalifa, Ryan Leslie, M-Dot and Bad Rabbits & the Riot, which also drew over 25,000 people to City Hall Plaza. The 2nd annual Boston Urban Music Festival will be Saturday, August 6th from 5pm-8pm.
September
(ahts): The Boston Arts Festival
The Boston Arts Festival takes place at Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park right by Boston's scenic waterfront. This free arts extravaganza features a specially built artists' village housing over 60 juried visual artists exhibiting and selling their works of art. There are two stages that provide entertainment from Boston's many arts organizations. Past performances include Boston Ballet, Boston Children's Museum, Opera Boston, Jazz Hip Hop Orchestra, Maeve Gilchrist and OrigiNation. There are also many interactive family friendly activities throughout the park. The 2011 festival will be Saturday and Sunday, September 10th - 11th from noon - 6pm.
For more information, visit ahts: The Boston Arts Festival. See the 2010 Boston Arts Festival Program.
January
MLK: A Gift of Song
This annual free event in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. runs every January at a major downtown venue. It features the best of local talent and a national headliner. Past performers include Jennifer Holliday and Patte LaBelle. Watch a video of Patti LaBelle's MLK Jr. tribute.
