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 3rd - August 28th, 2013 from 11- 3pm. A free lunchtime performance program runs from noon - 2pm. Arts on the Arcade has a new location and will take place on the plaza between City Hall and Faneuil Hall.
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 12th year and will be returning to City Hall Plaza Sunday, July 15th, 2013 from 5pm-8pm. The 2012 headliner is Kim Burrell.
Caliente: A Celebration of Latin Music
This free event celebrates the Latin arts in Boston. The 2013 concert will be Thursday, July 18th from 6-9pm at City Hall Plaza. The headliner will be announced in the spring!
Past headliners include Willie Colon (2012), Milly Quezada (2011), and Jerry Rivera (2010).
2011 Milly Quezada Performance
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 2012 schedule:
August 7, 2012 – Commonwealth Shakespeare Company
August 14, 2012 – Boston Swing Central
August 21, 2012 – Boston Opera Collaborative (6pm-7pm) & A Celtic Session (7pm-8pm)
August 28, 2012 – Annie Royer and an evening of French Cabaret Classics
The 2013 schedule of performances will be announced in the spring! In addition there will be a film screening immediately following each performance.
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 4th annual Boston Urban Music Festival will be Saturday, August 3rd, 2013 from 5pm-8pm. The 2012 headliner was Outasight.
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 2012 festival kicked off Friday night, September 7th with a special opening performance by Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, from 6pm-9pm.
Festival hours: Friday, September 7th, 2012 from 6pm-9pm, Saturday and Sunday, September 8th and 9th, 2012 from noon - 6pm for visual artists and 12:30-6:30 for performances.
For more information, visit ahts: The Boston Arts Festival.
January
A Day of Service and Celebration in Honor of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Mayor’s Office of Arts, Tourism & Special Events, the Museum of African American History and the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras (BYSO) will present a free tribute concert in honor of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, January 21, 2013 at 1pm at Faneuil Hall. The program features a moving selection of classical music, spirituals and freedom songs performed by the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras’ Intensive Community Program, conducted by Marta Zurad. Ernest G. Green, (member of the Little Rock Nine and is a Consultant) will deliver the keynote speech. In addition to the keynote speaker, a distinguished roster of leaders read from Dr. King's most memorable writings and speeches. Take a look at last year's photos from the celebration.
Past keynote speakers include Nikki Giovanni and past performances include Jennifer Holliday and Patte LaBelle. Watch a video of Patti LaBelle's MLK Jr. tribute.
