East Boston

Summer Events Schedule

 

 

East Boston: The what


July 3-October 16
Farmer’s Market
Constitution Beach
799 Bennington St.
Tuesdays, 2-7 p.m.
Like at most farmer’s markets, you can expect to find an array of fresh vegetables and fruits, farmstead cheeses and homemade baked goods.  But at this one, you get to enjoy these products on a beach. 
Free
MBTA: Blue line to Orient Heights
www.mass.gov/agr/markets/farmersmarkets

July 27
A-7 National Night Out District Open House
Police District A-7, 69 Paris Street
3-6 p.m.
The local district police station will host an open house, featuring food, entertainment and kid’s activities, as part of the 24th annual National Night Out program.  This citywide celebration seeks to unify Boston communities and recognize the Neighborhood Crime Watch programs. 
Free
www.bostoncrimewatch.com

July 20-22
13th Annual Italian Festival
Central Square
July 20, 6-11 p.m., July 21 & 22, 3-11 p.m.
East Boston is home to a large Italian-American community and this popular event is where they, along with others, come to celebrate all things Italian.  Central Square transforms itself into an Italian “piazza” where festival goers can sample authentic Italian cooking and take in the live entertainment.
Free
MBTA: Blue line to Maverick Station
www.italiaunita.org

August 2
World Music & Dance Night
American Legion Playground
300 East Eagle Street
5-9 p.m.
The evening, sponsored in partnership with ZUMIX, the non-profit cultural organization dedicated to building community through music and the arts, and NOAH (Neighborhood of Affordable Housing), begins with a teen event at 5 p.m. and culminates with the headliner for everyone at 7 p.m. 
Free
www.cityofboston.gov/parks

August 18
East Boston Pride Day
Piers Park, Marginal Street
4-8 p.m.
Join your fellow Eastie neighbors at the beautiful Piers Park for a fun-filled day of entertainment.  Kids can delight in face painting and cotton candy, while adults can enjoy live music and other festivities.  Take advantage of the spectacular city skyline views and the Piers Park Sailing Center while you’re there.
Free
MBTA: Blue line to Maverick Square
www.cityofboston.gov/arts

September 9
ZUMIX Harvest Festival
Piers Park, Marginal Street
1:30-6 p.m. (rain date September 16)
This annual festival brings the local community together for an afternoon of family-centered activities and entertainment.  Contests like the Harvest Competition for gardeners and the 10th annual Pie Contest are highlights.  Don’t miss New Orleans Jazz group Hot Tamale Brass Band, who perform before Sox home games at Fenway. 
www.zumix.org


East Boston: The where

Suffolk Downs
New England’s only remaining thoroughbred racetrack, Suffolk Downs
has been the setting for many historical moments.  Celebrated horse, Seabiscuit, raced here eight times, winning the MassCap in 1937, and the Beatles’ final Boston performance was held in 1966.  Betting is easy and fun, and there is a variety of wagers to choose from. 
MBTA: Blue line to Suffolk Downs
www.suffolkdowns.com

Trinity Neighborhood House
This designated Boston Landmark was built in 1847 and got its name in 1917.  Because of East Boston’s harborside location, it was a regular port of entry for immigrants coming to America.  This so-called settlement house offered services to the immigrants and the poor.  NOAH, the Neighborhood of Affordable Housing, restored the landmark in 1993 and it now serves as a home for elderly and disabled residents.
406 Meridian St.
www.bostonhistory.org

Temple Ohabei Shalom Cemetery
As the first legally established Jewish cemetery in Massachusetts, this burying place holds an important place in the state’s history.  Temple Ohabei Shalom was formed in 1842 by German Jews from Boston’s Fort Hill and was the city’s first synagogue.  Prior to 1844, Boston Jews were sent to Rhode Island, the West Indies or Europe for burial in sacred ground.  The cemetery remains active today and marks Boston’s historic Jewish presence. 
Wordsworth and Horace Sts.
www.ohabei.org

Santarpio’s Pizza
Bostonians love their pizza and Santarpio’s makes what is widely considered the city’s tastiest pie.  Conveniently located along the route to and from Logan Airport, residents and visitors alike make a ritual of stopping for the perfectly balanced blend of crust, tomato and cheese.  Established in 1903 and inducted into Boston’s Hall of Fame, the family-owned business is considered by some pizza connoisseurs to make the best pizza in the world. 
111 Chelsea St.
www.santarpiospizza.com

East Boston Branch Library
Established in 1869, this arm of the Boston Public Library was the first municipally supported branch library in the United States.  It opened in the old Lyman School with collections from the East Boston Library Association and a large sampling of Clipper ship books from the Sumner Library.  Its present building was built in 1914 and holds an impressive number of books about East Boston’s history.
276 Meridian St.
www.bpl.org/branches

East Boston: The skinny

• The East Boston we know today was originally five islands-Noddle, Hog, Breed’s, Governor’s, Bird and Apple-and was connected using landfill.  The two largest islands, Noddle and Hogs, are where most people currently live and work.
• Logan Airport, New England’s primary international airport and the 20th busiest in the U.S., resides in East Boston and is almost completely surrounded by water.
  
• The Boston Sugar Refinery was built in East Boston in the 1830s and is credited for the creation of white granulated sugar.  
• NFL player Jermaine Wiggins, the former New England Patriots tight end, is widely referred to as “The Pride of East Boston,” having grown up in the neighborhood.