This post covers the best things to do in August in Boston, including evening, free, as well as family-friendly things to do, all updated for 2022.
- Top 10
- Nighttime
- Free Activities
- Family-Friendly
- August Weather
- Things to Do Anytime
TOP 10 THINGS TO DO IN AUGUST
This section lists our top 10 things to do in Boston in August
If you’d like to see some of the most popular things to do in the city, check out these posts:
Keep in mind that many of the things listed here are included for free or at a discount with a Boston tourist discount pass .
1. See a Sporting Event
Seeing Fenway Park is often a highlight for any baseball fan's trip to Boston.
Baseball season is in full swing during August, which means you'll have plenty of opportunities to go to Fenway and see the Boston Red Sox!
Baseball
Of course, if baseball isn’t your thing, the NFL is in their pre-season. You can also find a few soccer games with the New England Revolution.
Football
Soccer
Take a look at all the games happening in Boston .
These games are great activities for the whole family to attend together. For more kid-friendly activities, check out the section below.
2. Attend a Concert
Is there anything better than spending an evening listening to live music by your favorite artist surrounded by other fans?
Boston brings in plenty of big-name artists such as:
- Norah Jones | August 2nd
- Incubus | August 3rd
- Barry Manilow | August 4th
- Mötley Crüe/Def Leppard | August 5th, August 6th
- Shawn Mendes | August 5th, August 6th
- Alicia Keys | August 9th
- Swedish House Mafia | August 9th
- Kendrick Lamar | August 10th
- Lyle Lovett | August 13th
- Blondie | August 14th
- Elvis Costello | August 15th
- Franz Ferdinand | August 15th
- The Goo Goo Dolls | August 16th
- Lady Gaga | August 19th
- Styx/REO Speedwagon | August 19th
- David Gray | August 19th, August 20th
- Imagine Dragons/Macklemore | August 20th
- The Beach Boys | August 24th
- UB 40 | August 25th
- Korn/Evanescence | August 26th
- James Taylor | August 29th, August 30th
- Ben Folds | August 30th
Take a look at all the concerts in Boston.
And check out the nighttime section below for more things to do at night.
3. Sightseeing Tours
Summer is the perfect time to get outside and enjoy the city!
There are lots of events happening in August, so we suggest getting a fun overview of the city to start your trip.
Our most popular pay-what-you-wish walking tour is the Freedom Trail tour. Of course, if you’d rather go on your own, you can always use our free, self-guided tour.
Another interesting side of the city to see is the North End neighborhood, also known as Little Italy.
If you’re looking to see more ground than you can cover on foot, summer is the perfect time for bus tours and boat tours.
4. See a Live Comedy Show
There will be at least two well-known comedians performing live stand-up comedy in Boston this month.
Hilarious story-teller and overall grumpy guy Bill Burr will be in Boston in August 2022.
He'll be performing at Fenway Park on August 21st.
Wanda Sykes will be appearing at the Chevalier Theatre, just five miles from Boston.
Amy Schumer is putting on four shows at the Wilbur Theatre, two on August 17th and two on August 18th.
There are likely at least a few other comedians doing stand-up in Beantown during this time of year, so make sure to check this list of comedy shows in Boston.
5. Attend the Theatre
Boston is a big theater city, with multiple stage productions touring in the city or having residencies.
This month, The Buddy Holly Story will have a run at the North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, MA, August 17th, 20th, 24th, and 27th.
You'll also find Much Ado About Nothing playing at Free Shakespeare on the Common - July 20th - August 7th.
There are plenty of other shows are happening in Boston, too!
Most of the productions have evening shows, which makes this the perfect way to spend an evening. Look at the section below for additional nighttime activities.
6. Movies in the Park
For the month of August, you can take the family to Christopher Columbus Park right by the harbor in the North End for free movies.
The schedule for August 2022 includes:
- Chariots of Fire | August 5th
- Mary Poppins | August 12th
- Thomas and Friends/Finding Dory | August 19th
- Apollo 13 | August 36
Movies start at 8:00 PM.
Bring a chair or blanket and enjoy a movie with your family in the park!
For more fun and free events, check out the free activities section below.
7. Attend Boston Jazzfest
Scheduled to take place on August 22nd between 12:00 PM and 9:00 PM, Boston Jazzfest will be hosted at the Maritime Park in the Seaport.
Guests can expect to hear a lot of live performances from both well-known and local artists.
This event is free for all visitors, so all you have to do is show up and enjoy the music!
In addition to great jazz, there will also be a lot of food vendors in the area, so you might want to bring some cash along for treats.
Find additional fun and free events in the free activities section below.
8. August Moon Festival
Boston has a thriving Chinatown neighborhood that goes all out for the August Moon Festival each year.
This free festival is planned for August 14, 2022 from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
You'll see lion dances, martial arts competitions and demonstrations, folk dancing, and plenty of street vendors with souvenirs and street food.
Of course, there will be plenty of mooncakes for sale - the traditional food of the Moon Festival feast.
Don’t forget to find more free activities in Boston listed below.
9. Boston Seafood Festival
If you consider yourself a seafood connoisseur, don't miss out on the annual Boston Seafood Festival, which takes place on August 7th, from 11:00 am - 6:00 pm at Fish Pier on Boston Fish Pier.
The city has a long history of sea-related industry and food and celebrates it each August.
You can participate in delicious seafood tastings, watch chef demos and a fish cutting contest, relax in the Harpoon Garden, and see the traditional ceremony of the Blessing of the Fleet.
Tickets are $20 for adult general admission, $7 for child general admission ages 6-12 (kids 5 and under are free), and $55.95 for the lobster bake.
10. Save Money with a Tourist Attraction Discount Pass
The easiest way to save more money while seeing all the popular sites in Boston is by purchasing a tourist pass.
These passes work by bundling together many popular Boston attractions and tours all for one discounted price, saving you up to 55%.
They also can save you time by allowing you to skip the ticket lines at select attractions.
A few great attractions and activities included in the passes are:
- Legoland
- Skywalk Observatory
- Old State House
- Boston Children’s Museum
- New England Aquarium Whale Watch
For an in-depth comparison and look at reviews of all the discount passes available, take a look at our tourist pass post.
NIGHTTIME ACTIVITIES
Several of the fun activities, concerts, and productions to see listed above are all great evening entertainment.
This section includes more outdoor movies, parties, and events in Boston during August.
If you're looking for things to do at night, check out our full post.
Take the Beacon Hill Crime Tour
August is the perfect time to go out for an evening walking tour.
One of our pay-what-you-wish tours is the Beacon Hill Crime Tour, which goes into gory details about the Boston Strangler and the neighborhood he terrorized for over a year.
You’ll see homes of the victims and the Charles Street Jail.
Tours start at 4PM and last for a few hours.
NOTE : This tour is for participants 14 years old and older, due to the nature of the gruesome and historical events discussed.
Check out the Boston Museum of Science
This Boston institution has been around since 1830 and has grown into a large museum with 700+ exhibits, most of which are interactive.
They’re open late until 9:00 pm on Friday nights, which makes this a perfect nighttime activity after a day of walking around Boston.
Check out our article on the Boston Museum of Science here.
Tickets to the Museum of Science range from $24 to $29, but you can get in for free with some of the Boston tourist discount passes .
If you're looking for things to do at night, check out our full post.
FREE ACTIVITIES
From Shakespeare on the Common to outdoor concerts, Boston has a lot of free activities going on during August.
Check out the events below. If you're looking for more things to do, we have a full post on free activities in Boston.
Boston Calling Block Party
This concert series brings in bands to play each Thursday from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM for those aged 21 or over.
You'll find the music (and lawn games) at Dewey Square downtown, close to the waterfront.
Admission is free, but there is a cost for beer and wine.
Berklee Summer in the City
The Berklee College of Music puts on roughly 400 free concerts every summer, May through September.
You'll hear classical, contemporary, folk, Latin, and jazz music, among other genres.
For a list of scheduled concerts, click here.
Concerts in the Courtyard
Head over to the Boston Public Library on Wednesdays and Fridays to hear free concerts with a wide range of genres.
The great part about these free concerts at the library is that in case of bad weather, they move indoors instead of canceling.
- Wednesdays at 6:00 pm
- Fridays at 12:30 pm
For a list of who is playing in August, visit the Boston Public Library's list of scheduled events.
Boston GreenFest
Learn more about sustainable living at the free GreenFest , which will be held at the Boston City Hall Plaza and Faneuil Hall.
They'll have over 200 exhibitors set up with Eco-friendly fashion shows, cars, and robots.
There will also be constant entertainment in the form of live music, dancers, and other performers.
If you bring the kids, they'll be entertained with games and crafts at the EcoKids Center!
Dates are August 19th - 21st, 2022, from noon to 6:00 PM.
St. Anthony's Feast
The feast honoring St. Anthony is the largest Italian religious festival in all of New England.
You'll find the street party stretching across Endicott, Thatcher, and North Margin Streets, with the main parade on Sunday at noon.
Arrive on an empty stomach so you can sample the wide array of street food available to purchase.
The Festival runs from August 25th - August 28th, 2022.
Visit their website for a list of scheduled activities.
If you're looking for more things to do, we have a full post on free activities in Boston.
FAMILY-FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES
From outdoor movies to sporting events, the sections above list plenty of family-friendly ideas for how to spend your time in Boston. This section lists more events, kid-centered movies, and places to take the younger ones in your family.
If you're looking for even more inspiration for things to do with the kids in Boston, check out our full post.
Take a Duck Tour
August is the perfect time to get out on the water with a boat tour.
And one of the most popular boat tours to take with kids is the Duck Tour in an amphibious vehicle .
You’ll get to drive through the city with narration from a tour guide before launching into the Boston Harbor for a quick circuit on the water.
Free Family Flicks
Every Saturday night in August you can take the family to Prudential Center's South Garden for a free movie night!
We recommend bringing a picnic and blankets or lawn chairs.
Movies run from 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM
For a schedule of films, click here.
Faneuil Hall Marketplace Street Performers
Kids will be excited to see the world-class performers who have been appearing here since 1976, making it part of the fabric of Faneuil Martketplace.
Acts include a man who can twist his body into a knot, a juggler, an amazing acrobat, and escape artist, and much more.
Note: nearby is a Dino Safari Tour that runs through September 2022.
Boston Fan Expo
If your kids are fans of comics, Sci-Fi, anime or gaming, this three day event with family-friendly attractions is for you.
This year the event runs from August 12th - August 14th at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center.
2022 celebrity guests include actors from Star Wars, Star-Trek, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Smallville and more.
For a list of events and to purchase tickets, visit their website.
Go to a Kid-Friendly Museum
Boston is a city with an amazing history as well as some excellent current scientific organizations.
This means Boston has plenty of excellent museums to enjoy and learn from, and many of these museums are family-friendly and interesting to younger visitors.
- Boston Children’s Museum
- Museum of Science
- Boston Fire Museum
- The Mapparium
- The Coit Observatory
Some of these museums are free to attend, and others are included on several tourist discount passes .
Check out our full list of child-friendly museums here .
RELATED POSTS:
