Dorchester

Summer Events Schedule

 

 

 

 

Dorchester: The what

 August 12
Boston Landmarks Orchestra “Salute the Red Sox”
Dorchester Park
6 p.m.
Nothing is as beloved in Boston as the Red Sox, except maybe the Patriots. Founded in 2001, the Landmarks Orchestra performs free classical concerts in historical, geographical and architectural settings. This concert is a nod to America’s favorite pastime and will feature an old classic, “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” as well as a Landmarks original, “Lifting the Curse: A Story of the Red Sox,” narrated by NECN Sports Anchor Chris Collins.
Free
www.landmarksorchestra.org


August 20
Mayor Menino’s Monday Night Movies 
The Playstead in Franklin Park
Dusk
Mayor Menino presents the last in his summer movie series. “Happy Feet,” winner for Best Animated Feature Film in 2006, hits the big screen with recognizable voices from Robin Williams, Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman.
Free
www.mass.gov/parks

September 8
EXPO Four Corners
Washington and Bowdoin streets
Noon to 4 p.m.
Dorchester’s Four Corners Main Streets program throws this community festival every year. The kids will enjoy a moonwalk and a clown making balloon animals. The local fire department brings a truck to explore, and the annual hoops tourney and street dance party provides entertainment for all.
Free
www.fourcornersms.org

September 15 & 16
2007 Boston Folk Festival
UMass Boston
It’s been 10 years since the Folk Festival started as a kick-off to the fall coffeehouse season, and this year’s won’t disappoint. In honor of this 10th anniversary, the organizers are saluting Massachusetts performers. Three stages set up on the waterfront will provide musical entertainment throughout the weekend with spectacular views of the harbor.
Call 617.287.6911 for more information and ticket pricing.

September 18
3rd Annual Martinis on the Avenue
The Blarney Stone
1505 Dorchester Ave.
7-10:30 p.m.
Fields Corner and St. Mark’s Area Main Streets present their annual fundraiser, Dotini ‘007-Shaken or Stirred. The evening will benefit the local Main Streets programs in their efforts to revitalize Dorchester business districts. On the agenda: great food, music and the Dotini, Dorchester’s unofficial martini of choice.
Tickets $30 in advance, $35 at the door.
www.fieldscorner.org/events

September 20
Walk along Neponset River
Leaves from Pope John Paul Park, Gallivan Boulevard entrance
5 p.m.
Join The Boston Harbor Association and Boston Natural Areas Network President Valerie Burns for a walk along the Neponset, highlighted by a visit to the 70-acre Pope John Paul Park and the new Neponset II Park.
Free, reservations required.
www.tbha.org or 617.482.1722


EVENTS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.


Dorchester: The where

John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
Located on a 10-acre park, the JFK Museum is dedicated to our nation’s 35th president, a man deeply rooted in the state of Massachusetts. Tours of the museum show the life, leadership and legacy of President Kennedy. Don’t miss current exhibit Jacqueline Kennedy Entertains: The Art of the White House Dinner, running through April 3, 2008. As the wife of President Kennedy and arguably America’s most elegant First Lady, Jackie took great pride in her innovative approach to entertaining, and this exhibit illustrates that.
Columbia Point
www.jfklibrary.org

James Blake House
Boston’s oldest house is thought to be built in 1648 by James Blake for his new bride, Elizabeth Clap, the daughter of Deacon Edward Clap, one of the original settlers of Dorchester. The house passed through the Blake family and was eventually sold to the City of Boston in 1895. The Dorchester Historical Society now maintains its preservation and turned it into a museum of early American home construction.
735 Columbia Rd.
www.dorchesterhistoricalsociety.org

Dorchester Avenue
Once known for its many authentic Irish pubs, Dorchester Ave., and its surrounding areas, now house a variety of restaurants devoted to a variety of cuisines, representing the diversity of the neighborhood. The Ashmont Grill (555 Talbot Ave.) has become a popular hot spot, featuring comfort foods with a twist, and Ka Carlos (33 Hancock St.) provides a unique Cape Verdean experience complete with traditional dishes such as katchupa and feijao pedra. Settle in to any of the bars with a Dotini, the custom martini made with childhood-favorite candy, dots, and only served in Dorchester.

Dorchester: The skinny

• Famous Dorchester residents include Red Sox shortstop Julio Lugo, former Massachusetts Speaker of the House Thomas Finneran, Hollywood hottie and Oscar-nominated actor “Marky” Mark Wahlberg and legendary singer Donna Summer.
• Dorchester Day is always celebrated on the first Sunday in June as an homage to the day, June 1, 1630, the neighborhood was founded.
• The Mather School, the first public elementary school in America, was established in Dorchester in 1639 and still operates today for kids in kindergarten through 5th grade.
  
• America’s first chocolate factory, the Baker Chocolate Factory, opened in 1765 in Dorchester and operated for 200 years. Keen Development ultimately turned the historic mill buildings into affordable housing apartments.