August is packed with ways to make the most of summer on The Greenway! From our annual Food Truck Festival, Truck and Tractor Day, and free fitness classes to live music, community celebrations, and after-work fun, there’s something happening almost every day. Read on to discover what’s coming up this month and start planning your next visit.
On The Greenway
Boston Race Amity Arts and Music Festival
Hosted by National Center for Race Amity
August 1 | 12 to 6 PM | Rowes Wharf Plaza
The Boston Race Amity Arts and Music Festival is an annual festival that showcases and celebrates cross-racial friendships and collaboration as a path to advance social justice and unity. Enjoy the music and art displays, be inspired, and learn about ways to take action and get involved!
Off the Clock: Therapy Dogs
Presented by the Greenway BID
August 4 | 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM | Dewey Square
Did you know? Research shows that the act of simply petting a dog reduces stress. Take a break, wind down and relax with a furry friend!
Carousel of Curiosity: Stone Living Lab
Presented by the Greenway BID
August 5 | 11 AM to 1 PM | Greenway Carousel
Our Carousel of Curiosity series continues this month with a free science class hosted by Stone Living Lab. Bring your friends and family to the plaza by the Carousel for a fun experience for all ages.
Jazz in the Park
Hosted by North End Music & Performing Arts Center (NEMPAC)
August 6 | 6:30 to 8 PM | North End Carolyn Lynch Garden
Experience the magic of live jazz under the open sky with NEMPAC’s Jazz in the Park series. Gather with fellow music lovers in a beautiful outdoor setting as talented jazz musicians deliver soulful performances that are sure to leave you feeling inspired and uplifted.
Truck and Tractor Day
Powered by Eversource
August 7 | 11 AM to 2 PM | Rings Fountain
Get up close with an incredible lineup of vehicles—from tractors to bucket trucks and even The Greenway’s own electric horticulture vehicles! Plus, enjoy free face painting, hands-on crafts, and more!
FREE Carousel Rides
Courtesy of Highland Street Foundation
August 7 | 11 AM to 8 PM | Greenway Carousel
As part of Highland Street Foundation’s August Adventures series, the Greenway Carousel will be FREE to ride all day!
One Day Only Fest
Hosted by Kickback Boston
August 8 | 2 to 8 PM | Dewey Square
Join Kickback Boston for their annual event featuring live music, local DJs, food, and games!
August Moon Festival
Hosted by Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association
August 9 | 10 AM to 5 PM | Auntie Kay and Uncle Frank Chin Park
Celebrate the August Moon Festival, one of the most important holidays in Chinese culture, with a day of vibrant performances, cultural traditions, and community celebration. Enjoy lion dances, Chinese opera, Asian folk dance, delicious food, and vendors offering gifts and souvenirs throughout Boston’s Chinatown.
Off the Clock: Dewey After Dark
Presented by the Greenway BID
August 14 | 7:30 to 10:30 PM | Dewey Square
Enjoy live DJs, glow-in-the-dark activities, food trucks, face painting, dancing, and more at Dewey Square! Plus, the Night Shift Beer Garden will be open late so you can sip, socialize, and celebrate Friday evening in the heart of Boston.
Films At The Gate
Hosted by Asian Community Development Corporation
August 14, 15, and 16 | 5:30 to 10 PM | Auntie Kay and Uncle Frank Chin Park
This annual festival enlivens Chinatown, bringing together people of all backgrounds and ages, while also introducing kung fu films to a new generation and restoring a tradition of shared, public experience of Chinese-language films in Chinatown.
Food Truck Festival
Presented by M&T Bank and the Greenway BID
August 22 | 11 AM to 5 PM | Wharf District (Rowes Wharf Plaza to Greenway Carousel)
Celebrate with us as we close out the summer with our Food Truck Festival! Stop by the Wharf District for this annual event featuring 15 food trucks, artisan vendors, an inflatable obstacle course and inflatable rock wall + slide, mini-golf, free face painting, family-friendly activities, local beverages and more!
Carousel of Curiosity: Build Your Own Fairy House
Presented by the Greenway BID
August 26 | 11 AM to 1 PM | Greenway Carousel
Let your imagination take root as kids create magical fairy houses using natural materials found on The Greenway and plenty of creativity! This hands-on activity is perfect for young artists who love crafting, storytelling, and a little bit of nature’s magic.
Around The Area
Curiosity Kitchen
Hosted by the Boston Children’s Museum
Daily | 10 AM to 2 PM | Boston Children’s Museum
Explore our outdoor pop-up exhibit that celebrates the delights of playing with natural materials! Make a mud pie, crush up some pinecones, or add pebbles to your stone soup. Materials and activities change frequently so be sure to check out what the chef’s daily specials are. Enter at your own whisk!
Midday Munchies
Hosted by Boston Public Market
Wednesdays in August | 12 PM until supplies run out | Boston Public Market Info Desk
Brighten up your Wednesday with samples from a rotating selection of Boston Public Market vendors! Enjoy a tasty, locally sourced snack, sip, or treat from one of our small businesses. Offerings change weekly, so check back every Wednesday to discover your new favorite.
International Moves & Food
Hosted by the Esplanade Association and Boston Dance Alliance
August 3, 10, and 17 | 6 to 7:30 PM | DCR Hatch Grove on the Esplanade
Join us for International Moves and Food, starting Monday July 13th in partnership with Boston Dance Alliance. This free dance series is led by local professional teaching artists and culture bearers who share dance traditions that connect us & reflect us right here in Boston and across the globe. Each week will bring a new style, supportive learning environment, and great music to guide us through class. Following a 60-minute class, participants are invited to enjoy free food and beverages from local restaurants for a chance to connect socially!
Music & Movement
Hosted by the Esplanade Association and Boston Music Project
August 7, 14, 21, 28 | 10 to 10:45 AM & 11 to 11:45 AM | Esplanade Playspace
Music & Movement is a summer-long, interactive music program at the Esplanade Playspace designed for children and their caregivers. Each week, children will sing songs, dance to music, and enjoy storytime led by trained Boston Music Project teaching artists. Children must be accompanied and supervised by a caregiver at all times and are encouraged to join in as well!
All-Ages Insect Safari
Hosted by the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University
August 15 | 10 AM to 12 PM | Arnold Arboretum Conifer Collection
Join us for an interactive look at all the tiny critters that crawl, fly, or slither through the Arboretum landscape. We will have sweep nets and bug boxes to catch bugs in Kent Field, digital microscopes to get a closer look, and entomologists to help us identify everything we find. This is an all-ages, interactive program: come prepared to move around and get up close with some bugs and insects!
Summer’s Bounty Fest
Hosted by Boston Public Market
August 18 – 20 | 10 AM to 3 PM | Boston Public Market
Get ready for a seasonal celebration highlighting the best of New England’s summer harvest! Boston Public Market will burst into flavor and fun as Summer’s Bounty Fest takes over three themed days, each spotlighting beloved local finds. Enjoy vendor demos and tastings, contests, and crafts in support of local growers, artisans, and food producers.
The Dagny’s Summer Sendoff Block Party
Hosted by the The Dagny Boston, in partnership with Fin Point Oyster Bar & Grille and Tradesman Coffee Shop & Lounge
August 20 | 5 to 7 PM | Behind The Dagny, 60 Batterymarch Street, Boston
Celebrate the final stretch of summer with a free community block party featuring a live DJ, 360° video booth, photo booth, airbrush tattoos, complimentary bites by Fin Point & Tradesman, a cash bar, local vendors, giveaways, and family-friendly activities between Boston’s Financial District and downtown — at The Corner of Work and Play.
Plant-Based Fabric Dyeing: A Drop-In Event
Hosted by the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University
August 23 | 12 to 3 PM | Arnold Arboretum Hunnewell Lawn
Many of the plants grown at the Arboretum have been used as natural dyes for centuries: goldenrod for yellow, stinging nettle for green, madder or bloodroot for pink. Join fiber artist Maggie Ruth Haaland on the Hunnewell Lawn to learn about some of these natural dyeing methods and get a chance to try some of your own.
Tracing our Footprints/Carving Chinatown’s Future
Exhibit at the Pao Arts Center
July 16 – October 17 | Pao Arts Center
Chinatown is a neighborhood shaped by generations of artists, organizers, business owners, and residents who have worked together to create a vibrant and dignified home for immigrant and working-class communities. Through eight past and ongoing projects led by four collaborating organizations, the exhibition offers a behind-the-scenes look at how cultural planning can strengthen community connections, celebrate Boston Chinatown’s rich history, and imagine its future. The exhibit includes reflections from key organizers, artists, and staff who continue to work for the community.
Experience Chinatown Murals on View
August 29 – October 18 | Pao Arts Center
See the murals that respond to this year’s prompt, “What makes Chinatown abundant?”
Download Our Monthly Flyer
If you’re looking for family-friendly fun or an after work outing in Boston this month, we hope you’ll visit The Greenway! You can also download a PDF version of our Monthly Roundup to print or share with friends, family, or your next adventure crew.
