Women are incredible! Here, here!
But we’re not going to complain about a whole month and day, March 8, dedicated to celebrating, uplifting, and leveling the playing field for women around the world. Boston will celebrate and honor its female talent with a series of dinners, workshops, and various events led- by women and for women. Check them out below:
1. Engage at the 25th annual Boston International Women’s Day Breakfast
Attend this free breakfast open to all Bostonians! The communal meal will be held at Simmons University in Fenway with panelists to spark conversation. Karen Holmes Ward of WCVB will moderate the breakfast which will be held on International Women’s Day on March 8.
Wednesday March 8 from 9 AM to 11 AM
At Simmons University 300 Fenway Boston, MA 02115
2. Savor a 6-course women’s day dinner at Grana featuring some of Boston’s top female chef’s
4 incredible female chefs will unite to create a dinner to remember. GRANA at the Langham Hotel will host chefs: Rachel Miller (Nightshade Noodle Bar), Tiffani Faison (Big Heart Hospitality), Inna Khitrik (Inna’s Kitchen), and Lydia Shire (Scampo). As a special twist, each chef will invent a dish in honor of a woman who deeply inspires them.
Proceeds from the $185 tickets will go to The Women’s Lunch Place which provides daytime shelter, meals, and advocacy for Boston women in need. Contact 617-451-1900 to reserve your visit or visit Grana’s Instagram page.
March 29 at GRANA at the Langham Hotel 250 Franklin St, Boston, MA 02110
3. Pamper yourself at an award-winning women-owned spa
Haven Beauty is a “Best of Boston” award-winning woman-owned spa. It’s the ultimate treat for anyone, and an incredible way to support a woman-owned business. The entire staff is filled with incredibly talented female leaders in beauty, hair, yoga, and massage!
Find Haven Beauty at 14 Church Street Hopkinton, MA 01748
4. Support an exceptional woman-owned business
Boston has no shortage of incredible female-owned businesses to support. Below are a few of our tried-and-true favorites:
- Riviera Clothing Company for incredible pieces all designed by the owner, Anne Sommers
- Chic Cheese Chick for revolutionary cheese boards delivered straight to your door
- Sweet Mazie’s for edible artwork
- Petrova Chocolates for innovative truffles and other bites
- Kured for the “Chipotle of charcuterie” founded by a recent BC grad
- Solodko for Ukranian pastries from an innovative sister-duo
- Choc Allure for elevated sweets and chocolate tasting experiences
5. Dine at one of Boston’s best women-owned restaurants
If you’re more of a foodie than a shopper, you can opt (or double) to support a woman-owned business by dining at some of the spots mentioned! Some of our favorite women-owned restaurants (disclaimer: being women-owned is just a perk, but these restaurants are worthy of their title because of their excellence!):
- Nightshade Noodle Bar by 2023 James Beard Nominated Chef, Rachel Miller
- Menton by Barbara Lynch
- Oleana by Ana Sortun
- Madhouse Cafe by J.Shia
- Mei Mei by sisters Irene and Mei Li and brother Andrew Li
6. Meet inspiring female leaders at the TogetHER conference
The 3rd annual TogetHER conference is just in time for International Women’s Day. The celebration will connect 6 inspirational leaders: America’s Test Kitchen’s Elle Simone Scott, Paralympic athlete, Noelle Lambert, City of Boston Poet Laureate, Porsha Olayiwola, Founder and owner of injeanius, Alison Barnard O’Brien, Founder and CEO of Booty by Brabants, Kelly Brabants, and NBC10 Boston “The Hub Today” correspondent and moderator for the evening, Kwani Lunis. In both a networking session and panel, the women discuss what it took to forge their paths.
Wednesday March 8 from 6 PM to 8:30 PM
Showcase Cinema de Lux at Legacy Place; 680 Legacy Place Dedham, MA 02026
7. Get in the groove at PULSE studios for a day of empowerment
Just in time for International Women’s Day, Derby St. Shops will host “Fully Empowered.” The day will consist of a 50-minute high-energy fitness class at PULSE and will be followed by a networking session while guests have the opportunity to shop local woman-owned businesses.
Guests are invited to enjoy a 3-course lunch courtesy of Japanese seafood spot, Nomai while learning from 3 talented South Shore speakers: life coach, Meagan Fitzgerald; private wealth advisor, Caroline Nolan; and spiritual energy healer, Amber McMahon. You can reserve your visit online!
Wednesday March 8 from 10:30 AM to 2 PM
Nomai at Derby Street Shops, 94 Derby Street, Hingham, MA, 02043
8. Support up and coming female lawyers with The Follies annual auction
New England Law Boston’s annual The Follies auction will take place at the Envoy Hotel in Seaport. Items will be auctioned here will be used to fund unpaid internships for NELB law students focused on women’s rights. Auction item inquiries can be forwarded to alejandra.Roman@nesl.edu through March 10 at 5 PM.
Thursday March 23 from 6 PM to 9 PM
70 Sleeper St, Boston, MA 02210
9. Attend the Let’s Talk Womxn of Boston soiree
19 of Boston’s best women in food and beverage will take over a secret location in the city for Let’s Talk Womxn members to taste their incredible creations. Let’s Talk Womxn is an action movement of 700+ women restaurateurs & entrepreneurs backing each other.
For the event, tastings will be available courtesy of Thistle & Leek, Dole & Bailey, Jinny’s Pizza, and more! Standard admission is still available for this March 1 event, which will begin at 5:30 PM and be held in a private Back Bay location. Learn more and reserve your visit with Let’s Talk.
10. Shop local at West Elm’s women in business pop-up series
Every weekend through March, the West Elm store in Fenway will host different women-owned business. It’s your chance to meet and greet some of your favorite local creators that you’ve been admiring online. Pop-ups will run Friday through Sunday every weekend in March. Exact dates and times vary, contact the Fenway store for more information.
Find West Elm Fenway at 160 Brookline Ave, Boston, MA 02215
11. Check out Seaport’s She-Village
The Current, a first-of-its-kind retail incubator and pop-up village, now in its 10th “season,” the goal of The Current allows small businesses to experiment with a temporary brick-and-mortar storefront, usually for the first time ever or a first location in Boston. Past tenants include Glossier, who now have a new store coming to Boston after experimenting!
The current first kicked off in 2018 with the “She-Village,” featuring only women-owned businesses! The rotation of businesses is ever-changing, but the mission of uplifting minority business owners is ever the same!
Find The Current at 101 Seaport Blvd.
12. Shop female-founded businesses at CambridgeSide’s special Pop-Up
Support local, women-owned businesses at this special vendor pop-up celebrating Women’s History Month! Featuring a selection of jewelry, home décor, art and more from local women-owned businesses, the Pop-Up Market will take place on Level 1 from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Vendors will include Crownbox, August Sun Candles, Queens Essentials and more.
Find it on March 18 from 11 AM to 8 PM on Level 1 at 100 CambridgeSide Place
13. Tour the historic impacts of women on New Bedford at the Whaling Museum
The New Bedford Whaling Museum hosts a special highlights tour for Women’s History Month in which visitors can entrench themselves in the journeys of historic female figures including Marian Shaw Smith, Elizabeth Marble, and Eulalia Mendes who all helped preserve, grow and establish the New Bedford we know today. Tours are 60-minutes long and include museum admission.
Find the special tours Tuesday- Saturday through March at 1 PM
Find the Whaling Museum at 18 Johnny Cake Hl, New Bedford, MA 02740