What to do in Boston this weekend (Aug 29 - 31)

Also, if you have an event, new attraction, new hotel, or restaurant opening you’d like me to cover, don’t hesitate to contact me.

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New George Howell location opens in Back Bay. Lyrik Back Bay (400 Newbury St, Boston, MA 02115) welcomed the newest George Howell Coffee location to the Boston area this week. This is the third downtown Boston location, joining the cafes inside Boston Public Market and on Washington Street. Besides coffee, George Howell offers sandwiches (breakfast and lunch), toasts, and pastries. (Boston Restaurant Talk)

A new hot pot place is coming. Haidilao Hot Pot, a Chinese chain founded in the 1990s with only a handful of locations in the US, will open a Boston location on the corner of Washington and Avery Street. Plans mention seating for at least 200. (Boston Restaurant Talk)

Labor Day weekend travel is cheaper this year. According to AAA projections, the average price of gas in Massachusetts is 18 cents lower than it was this time last year. Hotel prices have also decreased, with a 11% drop nationwide. As usual, the best time to travel is in the morning; according to Axios Boston, these will be the worst travel times for Labor Day weekend 2025:

• Thursday (8/28): 1- 8 pm
• Friday (8/29): noon - 8 pm
• Saturday(8/30): 10 am - 6 pm
• Sunday(8/31): noon-5 pm
• Monday(9/1): 1-4 pm

Babe, wake up. The 2025 fall foliage predictions are here. For those thinking beyond Labor Day weekend, this autumn may not be as bright and vibrant as last year, but it will still have a good show of color. I’ve spruced up my guide on where to find the best leaf peeping spots in New England just in time to plan your autumn road trip. (savor + roam)

You’re now free to fly directly to Madrid and Nice. Anyone flying out of Boston Logan Airport in summer 2026 will be able to fly directly to Madrid, Spain, and Nice, France, thanks to new routes from Delta Airlines. The routes launch on May 16 and May 17, 2026, respectively.

United plans to head north again in summer 2026. And for those looking even further ahead, United Airlines announced it will once again offer nonstop service to Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, next summer. (The Points Guy)

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Everything here is happening this weekend only. Scroll down for recurring events every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in Boston. For more ideas of what to do, check my Boston Guide.

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The “Feasts of All Feasts” is returning to the North End. From 5 pm Thursday, August 28, through Sunday, August 31, at 11 pm, celebrate the 106th annual Saint Anthony’s Feast honoring Saint Anthony and Saint Lucy on Boston’s North End on Endicott, Thacher, and North Margin Streets. This authentic Italian street festival is free and open to the public, featuring a full schedule of activities, plus Italian food and drinks will be available for purchase from local and international vendors.

The Boston Jazz Festival returns to South Boston Maritime Park (D St and Northern Ave, Boston, MA 02210) for its 15th year on Friday, August 29, at 5 pm through Saturday, August 30, at 10 pm. Featuring performances from some of the best musicians in the business, there is a full schedule of events open and free to the public.

Also, since we’re about to turn the calendar to September, here’s your reminder that Allston Christmas is coming. Plus, Storrowing Season is here. Fingers crossed for a dry season.

This is your chance to see Jaws on the big screen. Attend the Jaws 50th Anniversary Re-Release on Friday, August 29, from 7 to 9 pm at the Museum of Science (1 Science Park, Boston, MA 02114). For $15, watch Jaws on New England’s only IMAX Dome screen.

End the summer with a Wicked celebration. Join residents and visitors at the Boston Common Frog Pond (38 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02116) for Mayor Michelle Wu’s Movie Nights, featuring Wicked, on Friday, August 29, from 6 to 10 pm. The festivities kick off with a pre-show party at 6 pm, with costume contests, trivia, surprise guest appearances, and more. The movie will start at dusk, and popcorn will be provided (while supplies last). This event is free and open to the public.

Kick off the long weekend with a beginner-friendly Build-a-Boob Pottery Workshop on Friday, August 29, from 6 to 8 pm at Sprout by Cityscapes (100 Summer St, Boston, MA 02110). Led by Pottery with a Purpose, attendees will participate in a hands-on workshop on pottery basics, including how to create pinch pots, coils, and learn techniques for decorating pottery. Tickets are $75 and include all materials (enough to make 1 - 2 pieces) and tools.

This is the final Friday (August 29) for the free Barre Fusion Class at Medal of Honor Park (775 E 1st St, Boston, MA 02127) from 5:30 to 6:30 pm. Attendees are encouraged to bring a mat, water, and 1lb weights.

Friday, August 29, is also your final chance to take advantage of a Free Tai Chi Class from 10 to 11 am at Elliot Norton Park (295 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02116).

Join friends of the Mary Ellen Welch Greenway for an End of Summer Greenway Cleanup on Saturday, August 30, from 10 am to 12 pm at the Marginal Street entrance.

Prepare for eclipse season with an Eclipse Gateway Workshop at Venus House (Cohasset St, Boston, MA) on Saturday, August 30, from 12 to 1 pm. Tickets are $30 and include your birth chart showing where the September eclipses fall, plus the astrological significance of each eclipse (Sept 7, Sept 21) and the energy to expect.

On Saturday, August 30, Brattle Street Plaza in Harvard Square is transforming into an Asian Night Market. From 5 to 10 pm, enjoy live music and carnival games, shop local vendors, and savor mouthwatering street food. Free entry, food and drink available for purchase.

Just in time for the end of summer, join the PAGU team for a Hand-Pulled Noodle Class on Saturday, August 30, from 11 am to 1 pm at PAGU Restaurant (310 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139). Tickets are $119 and include a hands-on, in-depth exploration of the science behind hand-pulled noodles, a look at vacuum sealing methods, and recipes to try at home. Food will be served during class.

Join Maddy at Laurel Greenfield Art inside Boston Public Market (100 Hanover St, Boston, MA 02108) on Saturday, August 30, for a Boston Skyline Painting Workshop. Tickets are $55 and include a canvas with pre-sketched outlines of the Boston skyline and watercolors for painting.

Start your Saturday grounded and focused thanks to a Free Meditation & Aims Offering on August 30 from 8 to 9 am at the Chinatown Gate (70 Beach St, Boston, MA 02111).

This is your chance to see Jaws on the big screen. Attend the Jaws 50th Anniversary Re-Release on Saturday, August 30, from either 5 to 7 pm or 8 to 10 pm, at the Museum of Science (1 Science Park, Boston, MA 02114). For $15, watch Jaws on New England’s only IMAX Dome screen.

There’s no RSVP on the Statue of Liberty or for Outdoor Movie Night at Aeronaut Brewing Company (14 Tyler Street, Somerville, MA 02143) on Saturday, August 30, from 9 to 11 pm. This week, they’re screening the ‘90s classic Clueless outside on the patio (weather permitting). This event is free. Food and drink will be available for purchase.

End the summer with a new piece of permanent jewelry with Glimmer & Grape, a one-day Spark by Simone pop-up on Sunday, August 31, from 12 to 2 pm at Petrova Chocolates North End (61 Salem St, Boston, MA). Petrova will be opening a curated selection of Eastern European natural wines to sip during your appointment. Booking an appointment is encouraged; however, walk-ins will be accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to availability.

End the weekend with a soothing Yoga & Soundbath Session at Dray Drinks (18 Union Park Street, Boston, MA) on Sunday, August 31, from 6 to 7:30 pm. Led by Peter Sacco (Bulldog Flow Boston), you’ll be guided through a grounding yoga session followed by a soothing sound bath. Tickets are $30 and include an NA social hour after class.

Sip, sculpt, and unwind with Pottery on the Patio, a pottery workshop led by Pottery With a Purpose at Downeast Cider (256 Marginal St #32, East Boston, MA 02128) on Sunday, August 31, from 1 to 3 pm. Tickets are $75 and include a two-hour hands-on workshop, materials needed for one to two pieces, and one complimentary drink from Downeast Cider.

As a reminder, the Commuter Rail has $10 weekend passes, which give the ticket holder unlimited travel on Saturday and Sunday. The pass is activated during your first trip on Saturday and remains active until Sunday night.

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Taste your way through Back Bay with a Back Bay Evening Chocolate Tour. For $55, take a guided walking + tasting tour of one of Boston’s most beautiful neighborhoods while learning about Back Bay’s historical and architectural significance. Plus, enjoy tastings at four different locations where you’ll sample hot chocolate, cookies, cupcakes, and cake from Back Bay’s most iconic establishments.

Learn the real history of Salem with a Salem Witch Tour from Boston: History, Hysteria, & Handcrafted Brooms. These guided tours begin at Boston’s North Station and take you through the streets and history of Salem before ending in a private broom-making workshop (including a custom spell). Tickets are $149 - $159 and include a round-trip train ticket, broom-making class materials, spell satchel, and guided walking tour of Salem.

You can find a full rundown of recurring walking tours, food tours, bus tours, and trolley tours of Boston in my Beginner’s Guide to Boston.

Start your weekend with a dose of wellness at The Hidden Art Gallery (25 Myrtle Street) in Beacon Hill, which hosts weekly Explore Meditation with Watercolor classes. Held every Friday from 3 pm - 6 pm, learn the basics of meditation while intuitively creating with watercolor. Classes are $55.

Ease into the weekend with a Friday Yoga Flow for all levels at Boston Public Library Honan-Allston Branch (300 N Harvard St, Allston, MA 02134) every Friday through September 19 from 3 to 4 pm. This event is free, but registration is required as each class is customized to participants’ preferences. Yoga mats, blocks, and straps will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis.

Surround yourself with skyline views during a Saturday Community Yoga session at Rooftop@Revere, on top of Revere Hotel Boston Common (200 Stuart St, Boston, MA 02116), every Saturday from 10 - 11 am. Tickets are $10 and include a post-session smoothie.

Every Saturday from June 21 through September 6, start your weekend with the Sweat and Sip Summer Yoga Series on the rooftop of High Street Place (100 High Street, Boston, MA 02110). Classes are $20 and include a $10 voucher to spend at any of the High Street Place Food Hall vendors.

Reconnect with your ability to digest and rest during a Sound Bath Meditation with Ramon of Ib and Flow (247 Walnut St, Brookline, 02445). Sessions ($50) are held every Sunday.

Wind down from the weekend and prepare for the week ahead with a Grounding Meditation session every Sunday from 5 - 6 pm at Blissful Monkey Yoga Studio (663 Centre Street, Boston, 02130) in Jamaica Plain. Led by Licensed Mental Health Counselor Brennan Mallonnee, you will be guided through techniques on how to calm stress responses and practice trauma-informed grounding techniques for anxiety. Tickets are $20. Yoga mats, cushions, and blankets are available, but you can bring your own.

If you’re trying to bring balance into your life this year, start your Sunday brunch with a gentle yoga flow with Brewery Yoga at Lamplighter CX. The class is held every Sunday from 12:30 - 1:30 pm at Lamplighter Brewing Co.’s CX location (110 North First Street, Cambridge, 02141) in their upstairs taproom. Tickets are $25 and include a beer token or a complimentary non-alcoholic drink.

If you’ve always wanted to learn how to navigate Boston by bicycle but have been too intimidated to start, join a Weekend In-And-Back Guided Ride with A Better City TMA. On Saturdays and Sundays from 9 am to 1 pm this spring and summer, join a free, three-hour bicycle ride from one of the many bike paths outside the city (meeting location disclosed upon sign up) and traverse the Urban Loop through downtown before returning to the start location.

If you need a weekend pick-me-up, come to The Moxy Boston Downtown (240 Tremont St, Boston 02116) for Rooftop Yoga on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 - 10 am. Led by Julianne Maquire (Saturday) and Claire Metrick (Sunday) from YogaHub, you’ll flow through a dynamic vinyasa yoga experience, expending energizing movement with breath and community. Tickets are $25.

If you’re new to oysters or want a fun way to spend a sunset this summer, don’t skip Shucking oysters by Boston Harbor with EBO Oysters + EBO Grocery-owner Alex Cervasio. Tickets are $65 and include a hands-on workshop on how to shuck oysters right on a dock in East Boston, fresh oysters, and a shucking knife you’ll get to take home.

Whether you already love screenprinting or are completely new to this printing method, DARK MODE hosts DIY Screenprinting workshops at their storefront in Bow Market (1 Bow Market Way, #24) in Somerville on Friday (7 pm) and Saturday (6 pm and 7 pm) nights. Tickets are $45, including t-shirts.

DARK MODE also hosts Candle Making and Intention Setting Workshops every Thursday at 7 pm in their storefront at Bow Market in Somerville. Tickets are $50.

Spend your Friday learning to make classic Italian cuisine with Self Up Cooking Classes (19 Kingston St) in Downtown Crossing from 6 pm - 9 pm. Every week, they host an Italian Dinner with Tiramisu Finale cooking class and dinner experience, where you can learn how to make a three-course meal, including a luscious tiramisu for dessert. Tickets are $100 and include all ingredients.

New to natural wines? Don’t miss the free wine tastings at Petrova Chocolates (61 Salem Street, Boston, MA) in the North End every Friday (3 - 7 pm) and Saturday (12 - 3). Each week, they open bottles of Eastern European natural wines from countries like Georgia, Bulgaria, and Greece.

Love Child hosts free wine tastings every Friday from 5 pm to 7 pm and Saturday from 12 pm to 3 pm at their South Boston location (364 West Broadway, Boston, MA). These tastings are free and require no reservations.

Whether you’re looking to get to know new beers or just have a happy hour to kick off the weekend, come out for Hop-Up Series: Local Brewery Tastings at Boston Public Market (100 Hanover St, Boston, MA 02108) on Fridays from 5 - 7 pm. This free tasting features a rotating lineup of breweries, including Frost Beer Works (August 8) and a patio beer garden featuring Dirigible Brewing Company and Red Apple Farm's hard cider (August 22).

Coffee lovers, this one is for you. Every Friday at 10 am, Counter Culture Coffee (374 Somerville Ave) in Somerville opens their Training Center for free coffee tastings. Anyone can learn and connect over perfectly brewed, high-quality, sustainable coffee.

Come to DeLuca’s Market Wine Cellar (11 Charles Street, Boston, MA 02114) in Beacon Hill for a free wine tasting every Friday from 4 - 7 pm. Every week, resident wine expert Donovan handpicks a mix of familiar favorites and bottles from up-and-coming vineyards or hard-to-find vintages to share among participants. No ticket is required.

Every Friday at 6:30 pm, GrandTen Distilling (383 Dorchester Ave) in South Boston holds Friday Night Flights: a chance to get to know their full line-up of spirits (plus special limited-run bottles not available elsewhere) at an intimate tasting. Tickets are $25, and seating is limited (10 max).

On Saturdays, Boston Harbor Distillery (12R Ericsson St, Boston, 02122) leads VIP tours ($50) and barrel-side tastings of their spirits ($20).

Come to The Urban Grape (303 Columbus Ave) in the South End on Saturday for The After Brunch, between 2 pm and 5 pm, for their weekly free wine tasting.

Shop local artisans every Thursday and Friday at the Downtown Boston Arts Market. Located in Downtown Crossing (8 Summer St, Boston, MA 02110) between Macy’s and Roche Brothers, this outdoor market will recur weekly from 11 am until 5 pm until October 24.

The Boston Open Market returns to Boylston Street, between Arlington and Charles (across from the Boston Public Library), every Saturday through October from 12 to 5 pm.

Alongside the Boston Waterfront, shop over 50 vendors at the Greenway Artisan Market on the Rose Kennedy Greenway. Beginning May 3, the market will be held every Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and every Saturday and Sunday beginning June 1.

Jamaica Plain holds its weekly Farmers Market every Saturday from 12 pm to 3 pm year-round in the Bank of America parking lot (677 Centre St, Jamaica Plain, 02130).

The Unique Square Farmers Market returns for their 21st season in Somerville’s Union Square Plaza (66-70 Union Square Plaza, Somerville, MA 02143) every Saturday through October 25 (except Sept 20).

One of Boston’s largest open-air markets, SoWa Open Market (500 Harrison Ave, Boston, MA), is held every Sunday from 11 am - 5 pm until October 26. Stop by to shop with various regional and local vendors, including food and beverage trucks.

Shop the Seaport Summer Market (88 Seaport Blvd, Boston, MA 02210) every Saturday and Sunday from 11 am to 7 pm. Like the winter market, the summer market is filled with unique vendors selling a wide range of items, from original artwork to pet supplies. Food and beverages will also be available for purchase, along with a DJ and a game area for all ages.