Things to do in Boston for Memorial Day Weekend 2024

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. Have an idea about what we should cover? Leave us a comment on this article or in the BosTen Facebook group, or email us at [email protected].

Honor the fallen at Boston’s Memorial Day Flag Garden

Each Memorial Day weekend for the past 14 years, the Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund and its volunteers have created a garden of flags on Boston Common near the Soldiers and Sailors monument. In total, the group places more than 37,000 flags, one for every service member from Massachusetts who has fallen in the line of duty from the Revolutionary War until now. The result is a breathtaking display of red, white, and blue that must be seen to be believed. (Now through Monday, May 27 at various times; 139 Tremont St., Boston; free) — Kevin Slane

Rock out at Boston Calling 2024

Boston’s biggest music festival is back again this weekend with Ed Sheeran, Tyler Childers, and The Killers headlining at the Harvard Athletic Complex Friday through Sunday. This Boston Calling 2024 lineup features a mix of strong local acts like Bad Rabbits and Kieran Rhodes early in the afternoon, with headliner-level talent including Renee Rapp, Megan Thee Stallion, and Young the Giant taking audiences into the evening. Tickets for all three days of shows are still available, though single-day GA and Platinum passes for Sunday’s concerts are now sold out. For more info on ticket availability and set times, check out our full guide to Boston Calling 2024. (Friday, May 24 through Sunday, May 26 from 1-11 p.m.; 65 N. Harvard St., Boston; $196 and up) — Kevin Slane

Watch ‘Jurassic Park’ with a live orchestra

Throughout its 2023-24 season, the Boston Symphony Orchestra has been paying tribute to legendary composer John Williams, who previously served as the BSO’s Music Director and is currently its Boston Pops Laureate Conductor. Following performances of Williams’ compositions for the “Star Wars” and “Harry Potter” film franchises in the fall, Keith Lockhart and the Spring Pops orchestra will perform Williams’ iconic score to the 1993 blockbuster “Jurassic Park” this weekend. The full-length movie will be projected in HD, with the orchestra playing live to picture throughout its two-hour runtime. (Friday, May 24 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, May 25 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; 301 Massachusetts Ave., Boston; $58 and up) — Kevin Slane

Watch fireworks in the Seaport

Boston Seaport is partnering with Massachusetts Fallen Heroes for a Friday night fireworks show in honor of veterans, soldiers killed in action, and Gold Star families. Similar to the display on Boston Common, Seaport Common has its own flag garden, which will be on display all weekend. The fireworks start at 9 p.m., and your best bet for viewing them is along the Harborwalk — specifically at Fan Pier and Pier 4. (Friday, May 24 at 9 p.m.; 85 Northern Ave., Boston; free) — Kevin Slane

Climb aboard for a whale watch

The New England Aquarium’s whale watching season is off to a late start this year due to the migration of the endangered North Atlantic right whales. New England Whale Watch, in partnership with Boston Harbor City Cruises, typically begins offering trips in March, but had to wait until last weekend to kick off the season this year. The cruises, which give thousands of passengers an up-close look at whales each year, depart from Boston’s Central Wharf and run three to four hours on high-speed catamarans. They travel to Stellwagen Bank Marine Sanctuary, a feeding ground for many whale, dolphin, and bird species. Tickets for Friday’s whale watch are sold out, but Saturday, Sunday, and Monday are still available. (Friday, May 24 through Monday, May 27; 248 Atlantic Ave., Boston; $50-70) — Kristi Palma

Discover the fun of Discovery Day in Lexington

This Saturday, a stretch of Mass Ave. in the center of Lexington will close to vehicles from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. as 90+ local retailers take to the streets for Discovery Day, the town’s annual street fair. The whole family will find food, fun, and games as they walk through the town center, while adults can settle in at the beer garden run by Craft Food Halls. After Mass. Ave. reopens, the beer garden will stay open a little longer to let you finish your drinks before hitting the road. (Saturday, May 25 from 10-3:30 p.m.; 1822 Massachusetts Ave., Lexington; free) — Kevin Slane

Take a ride on a swan boat

For almost 150 years, the Paget family has been giving Public Garden visitors a swan’s eye view of the Boston park’s peaceful lagoon. What started as a singular small row boat in 1877 is now a fleet of 12 graceful swan pontoons. With beautiful weather in this weekend’s forecast, now is the perfect time for tourists and residents to take a ride. The 30-foot pontoon vessels (each carrying 25 passengers with one driver) are pedaled around the lagoon for a chance to enjoy the bustling heart of Boston from a more peaceful vantage point during the 15-minute ride. (Daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; 4 Charles St., Boston; $3-4.50) — Cheryl Fenton

Visit the MFA for free on Memorial Day

In what has become an annual tradition, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, will offer free admission on Memorial Day. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis, which means that visitors may want to consider queuing up before the MFA opens its doors at 10 a.m. Sweetening an already great deal, visitors who score the free tickets will also receive free admission to the MFA’s current special exhibit, “Hallyu! The Korean Wave,” which is normally a $7 surcharge. The exhibit, on display through July 28, features more than 200 objects — including costumes, photographs, videos, and props — that help trace the rise of South Korea’s influence on global culture, particularly in the past decade or so. (Monday, May 27 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; 465 Huntington Ave., Boston; free) — Kevin Slane

Enjoy free admission to the ICA

Like the MFA, the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, also offers free admission to visitors on Memorial Day each year. Unlike the MFA, the ICA allows visitors to reserve free passes ahead of time, with registration opening at 10 a.m. Sunday via the ICA website. The museum is also offering free admission for families on Saturday, May 25, and has a day of family-focused activities planned to celebrate its new kid-friendly interactive installation, “Building Worlds”. If that’s not enough, the museum’s Watershed exhibition space, located across the Harbor in East Boston, is now open for the season. (Saturday, May 25 and Monday, May 27 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; 25 Harbor Shore Dr., Boston; free) — Kevin Slane

Honor fallen service members aboard the U.S.S. Constitution

The U.S.S Constitution has been holding Memorial Day-focused events throughout the second half of May, asking visitors to make a paper poppy to honor the military members past and present in their lives. The poppies will be used as part of a ceremony aboard the ship on Monday morning when crew members will honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. The service is open to the public, and begins at 11:20 a.m. If you’re busy at that time, the museum is also offering free admission to service members, veterans, and their families for the entire month of May. (Monday, May 27 at 11:20 a.m.; Charlestown Navy Yard, Boston; free) — Kevin Slane