Spring is in full swing and Boston is coming alive once again. From flower festivals to tea parties and everything in between, here are the top events, activities, and things to do in Boston this month.
1. Enjoy a performance of classical music under candlelight
Calm your mind and experience classical music in a whole new light with these sensational concerts located in historical Boston venues. Throughout May, the Candlelight Concert series will feature a wide variety of themed repertoires. Get tickets here!
2. Swing for a good cause at the inaugural HEADstrong Invitational Golf Outing at TPC Boston
The HEADstrong Invitational Golf Outing at TPC Boston welcomes golfers, sponsors, and supporters for an afternoon of purpose-driven play benefiting families impacted by cancer. Founded by Nick Colleluori, the HEADstrong Foundation is a non-profit that offers financial, residential, and emotional support to families affected by cancer. The proceeds will benefit Nick’s House Boston, a residential space for families impacted by cancer serving as a “home away from home” during treatment.
This is the 20th anniversary of the HEADstrong Foundation and first gold outing. The event takes place on Monday, May 18 at 1 PM at TPC Boston, 400 Arnold Palmer Blvd, Norton, MA 02766. Learn more about registration here.
3. Celebrate mom with a festive brunch
May 10 is Mother’s Day! Take mom out for a classic Mother’s Day brunch or get matching bracelets zapped to your wrists as a symbol of unconditional love!
4. …or take mom for a spin in a private helicopter
Helicopter Tour Boston is an awesome treat to show mom just how much she means to you! The private rides fit two passengers, and have a photographer on board, so you and mom can capture the memories while staying present in the moment! You can fly over the city, take a sunset ride, a night tour, or for the Cape fans check out the sea from above!
Find it at 125 Access Rd, Norwood MA
Norwood Memorial Airport
5. …and treat her to a proprietary laser facial in Back Bay
If your mom is a self-care junkie or tech fanatic, she’ll love the proprietary laser facials at Skin Laundry. Bridging the gap between consumers and professional-grade medical lasers, Skin Laundry offers quick 15-minute facials that pause the clock and give an instant glow. Treat her to one facial or enroll her in “Laundry Club” for some regular pampering.
6. Go on a self-guided foodie adventure with clues and mystery picnics
Enjoy the lovely springtime weather and go on an adventurous culinary experience! This mystery picnic date includes solving puzzles and riddles sent to your smartphone to figure out the location of your stunning secret picnic spot. You can go on this 3-hour picnic extravaganza celebrating your mother or with a group of friends—it’s up to you!
7. Take an educational (and delicious) pizza tour in the North End
Whether you’re looking to entertain out-of-towners or want to learn some pizza history yourself, you can enjoy a pizza-powered guided tour around Boston’s historical North End. On the tour, you’ll visit five history-laden Freedom Trail sites and snack on pizza as you go along. Get your tickets to the experience here.
8. Work out in Seaport at Boston’s largest free outdoor workout series
Looking to get in shape this summer? We have the perfect activities for you! Seaport is bringing back their free outdoor workout series, Seaport Sweat, from May 4 through September 30 this year. Back for its eighth season, the community-driven series offers nearly 200 fitness classes.
9. Sun and slurp on Boston’s only floating oyster bar
On a sunny day, have an adventure in East Boston. The 245-foot floating “Tall Ship” is one of the best places in the city for a waterfront meal and making new friends.
10. Explore Boston’s 21-stop innovation trail
Candy factories. The instant camera. Getting Apollo spacecraft to the moon. The first surgery under anesthesia. The Innovation Trail shows a myriad of discoveries and advancements from a diverse group of men and women, how gaining our independence as a nation after the Revolution was just the beginning. What happened in Boston after America became an independent nation is equally as astounding and this 21-stop trail from Downtown to Cambridge shows it all.
11. Attend Lilac Sunday at the Arnold Arboretum
Harvard’s beloved Arnold Arboretum has a beautiful selection of trees year-round, but it’s most popular in early May when the lilacs bloom near the path on Bussey Hill. Their annual Lilac Sunday always falls on Mother’s Day (which is May 10 this year), and it’s a gorgeous display of springtime blooms.
12. Gallup through fields of Lavender in Holden
To celebrate one of the prettiest times of the year, The Farm at Summitwynds blooms into a Lavendar Haze, with over 4,000 lavender plants in the ground. Walk through fields of lavender all through the summer, try lavender honey, check out the show horses, and snap photos at the retro lilac photo booth.
13. Visit a magical rose garden
The Kelleher Rose Garden reopens in May for the season, and it will only get more beautiful as the season progresses! The garden contains more than ten classes and 200 varieties of roses. In total, the garden has almost 1,500 plants! It’s completely free to visit and it’s open to the public from 7am to 5pm daily, May through October.
14. Dine at a rooftop restaurant
It’s officially rooftop season in Boston again. From Lookout’s stunning views of the Seaport to Felipe’s Taquería’s cozy rooftop with twinkling lights and scrumptious tacos, these awesome Boston rooftops have it all! Enjoy the warmer weather and check out our favorite rooftops in the city.
15. Kickoff summer with a trip to one of these local beach towns
Two Massachusetts beach towns were named among the “best small coastal towns in America.” Take a trip for Memorial Day or plan a few throughout the month!
16. Toast with oolong and scones at the Public Library’s secret tearoom
Whether for Mother’s Day or just a treat, the Boston Public Library Tea is a quintessential experience. The elegantly refined tea towers with yummy treats and fragrant sips.
17. Cheer on the Sox at Fenway Park
It’s Sox season and if you’re out of things to do, a Red Sox game never fails! After, grab dinner and make sure to check out this late-night donut spot in Fenway serving up fried deliciousness until 2 AM.
18. Take a round-trip train to Portland, Maine with a BOGO deal
Bostonians can take the Downeaster to Portland and split the fare with a friend for a BOGO round-trip deal. Treat yourself to one of the best lobster rolls in the world while you’re there!
19. Hang around a private treehouse in Vermont
Winvian Farm offers a lovely hideaway just under 3-hours from the city. You can have your very own treehouse and live in it too! Check out our full list of abstract retreats in and around the city for the perfect Memorial Day Weekend.
20. Celebrate Cinco de Mayo in style
May 5, Cinco de Mayo, celebrates the Mexican victory over the French in the 1862 Battle of Puebla. It is not Mexican Independence Day, which is actually September 16. However, festivities hold strong on May 5 across the globe. Celebrate with a free outdoor festival at Downtown Crossing!
21. Visit the massive Daffodil & Tulip festival in the Berkshires
Open now through mid-May, Naumkeag’s fifth annual Daffodil & Tulip Festival lets you wander through 8 acres of springtime flowers in full bloom. Decorated with over 75,000 daffodils and tulips, you’ll be able to tiptoe through the garden and the first floor of the house, which has a seasonal gift shop inside right now. Read more about it here.
22. Join Project Bread’s 58th Walk for Hunger
The annual event returns on Sunday, May 3 to the Boston Common. The event features family-friendly activities, food and entertainment along the 3-mile loop. In its 58th year, Project Bread invites you to help raise more than $1 million to support the leading statewide food security organization’s approach to ensure food access for all children and families in Massachusetts. Register, learn more and donate here. Registration is free but donations and fundraising are encouraged!
23. Celebrate the Kentucky Derby at The Newbury
Join The Newbury for a Derby days watch party brimming with live beats and Derby-inspired hors d’oeuvres. The event benefits the BINA Farm Center. The farm center fosters community through the power of equine programs. The event takes place Saturday, May 2 from 4-7 PM.
24. Sail around the Boston Harbor for a day of sightseeing
Cruise aboard the beautiful Adirondack III, a 80-foot pilot schooner of the 1890s on this 90-120 ride through the beautiful Boston Harbor. You’ll sail past Seaport, Castle Island, Fort Independence, Spectacle Island, and Long Island Head Light. The knowledgeable captain and crew will show you Boston like you’ve never seen it before on this family-friendly ride filled with history and beauty!
Meet your captain at the Classic Harbor Line Boston behind the Boston Harbor Hotel
25: Visit Egypt without leaving Boston at the King Tut Exhibit
Step inside the most famous archaeological find in history without leaving Boston! Discovering King Tut’s Tomb: The Experience is now open at The Castle at Park Plaza, offering an immersive, family-friendly journey into the Valley of the Kings. Walk in the footsteps of Howard Carter as you explore meticulously replicated chambers, golden shrines, and the iconic sarcophagus. With stunning VR recreations and deep dives into the science of mummification, it’s a must-see for history buffs and curious kids alike.
