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Forget London! Boston is the place to be this summer – Metro US

Forget London! Boston is the place to be this summer

London may have the Olympics later this summer, but Boston right now has Harborfest, OpSail and the Fourth of July.

The major events are bringing Tall Ships from all over the world, nearly a million tourists and big bucks to Boston. Harborfest and OpSail kicked off late last week and continue through this week when the Boston Pops will play their annual Fourth of July concert on the Esplanade. The ships are also marking the bicentennial of the War of 1812.

More than 800,000 are expected to descend on the Hub and bring with them nearly $24 million in spending money.

With all of those people, transportation may get tricky, especially in the Seaport Distrcit where many of the tall ships will be docked and open for free tours.

Transportation officials started cautioning drivers Wednesday with announcements on highway signs warning of potential delays around the Harbor.

Parking restrictions in South Boston and in the Seaport area will be in place and some roadways may be shut down for pedestrians.

The area is also where multiple construction projects have broken ground and roads and walkways are already partially blocked.

However, Mayor Thomas Menino said recently that it wasn’t a concern for city officials who would be monitoring the events.

Not-to-miss events

Just some of the many events taking place this week

Free public tours of the tall ships will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Charlestown Navy Yard and from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. in the Seaport District. The ships in the Seaport will open from noon to 8 p.m. on Wednesday.

Starting at 11 a.m. Wednesday, the Navy Blue Angels will perform a fly-over during the USS Constitution’s annual turnaround from the Charlestown Navy Yard.

The Boston Pops perform their annual free concert on the Esplanade Wednesday with guest Jennifer Hudson. The concert starts at 8 p.m. with the fireworks display starting at 10:35 p.m.