Follow Our Events & Programs!
Please check back often, as we update this calendar frequently as dates for seasonal programs and events are confirmed. Click the calendar page icon (left of printer) to select by event type and scroll down on this page to learn more about upcoming annual events and recurring programs.
Here you will find
UPCOMING EVENTS
River Fit Spring Fitness Series
Nature Therapy & Forest Bathing
When: Wednesdays, April 29th – May 27th at 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Where: Otis Grove (21 Memorial Dr, Boston, MA 02116, USA)
Join us in a guided meditation and activities designed to deepen our connection with the natural world and awaken our senses.
Broadway Burn
When: Thursdays, April 30th – May 28th at 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Where: DCR Hatch Memorial Shell – 47 David G Mugar Way, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Join us at the Hatch Shell for a cardio dance class with a Broadway playlist!
Park Bench Chats
When + Where:
- 4/15 @ 8:00 AM – 9:30 AM at Dartmouth Comfort Station
- 5/13 @ 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM at Community Boating Inc.
- 6/2 @ 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM at Blossom St. Footbridge
- 7/8 @ 8:00 AM – 9:30 AM at DCR Hatch Grove
- 8/12 @ 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM at DCR Hatch Grove
- 9/9 @ 8:00 AM – 9:30 AM at Community Boating Inc.
- 10/7 @ 8:00 AM – 9:30 AM at Dartmouth Comfort Station
Come chat with Executive Director Jen Mergel and EA team! Enjoy some treats (we have treats for your dog too!) and learn about the past, present, and future of the Esplanade! Commuters, runners, strollers, and rollers are welcome!
Salsa ASL by the Shell
When: Saturday, May 2nd, 2026 at 1:00pm
Where: Hatch Grove by the front lawn area of the DCR Hatch Memorial Shell and Arthur Fiedler Footbridge
Think Outside the Vox, Silent Rhythms, and the Esplanade Association present Salsa ASL by the Shell, an accessible ASL Salsa dance celebration. Led by DeafBlind Dance Instructor Kerry Thompson, this immersive event centers on Disability Joy, bringing together disabled and non-disabled dancers, Deaf, Blind, DeafBlind, and wheelchair users on a radically inclusive dance floor.
Rooted in Memory
When: Sunday May 3rd – Wednesday May 6th at 8:00 PM – 10:30 PM
Where: Eliot Memorial Garden (21 David G Mugar Way, Boston, MA 02114, USA)
Rooted in Memory, a commission created by Stories & Spaces and produced by Illuminus, is coming to the Charles River Esplanade! This series of site-specific installations among riverfront trees will utilize projection mapping and spatial audio to animate our memories and relationships with the trees, our environment, and each other.
GroundBeat Concert Series & Community Day
When:
- Community Day – May 31st @ 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- June 3rd, June 10th, June 17th @ 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Where: DCR Hatch Memorial Shell (47 David G Mugar Way, Boston, MA 02108)
Join us on the Esplanade for this FREE riverfront concert series celebrating Boston’s vibrant music scene. Each concert is produced by local creators and showcases a diverse lineup of artists, bringing communities together through music, culture, and connection.
All performances take place at the iconic DCR Hatch Memorial Shell and feature live music, beautiful views of the Charles River, and a lively atmosphere with vendors, lawn games, and family-friendly activities.
ANNUAL EVENTS
Annual Charles River Cleanup
Every year the Esplanade Association participates in the Charles River Earth Day Cleanup! It is one of our biggest volunteer days of the year with around 400 volunteers. Groups and individuals all come together to clean up the beloved Charles River along the Esplanade.
Annual Summer Dock Party
The Esplanade Association holds an Annual Summer Dock Party, set against the incomparable backdrop of the Charles River at sunset, as well as in the lovely Eliot Garden, the event has become a social highlight for Bostonians. Approximately 400 guests will enjoy a sunset dinner, drinks, and dancing at Community Boating, Inc. The funds raised at each year’s event will support the Esplanade Association‘s work to revitalize, enhance, program, and maintain the park, while providing the community with free summer programming.
Community Day
Community Day celebrates everyone in and around the Esplanade! Every year the park fills up with folks excited for a day of program-packed events including the Esplanade 5K, a GroundBeat Music Concert, Children’s Programming, food trucks, vendors, and more!
Esplanade 5K Run & Walk
We can’t wait for hundreds of fellow Esplanade-lovers to be a part of the Esplanade 5K Run & Walk.Run/Walk/Jog the most popular route in Greater Boston along the Charles River Esplanade! Enjoy the beautiful backdrop of Boston, all while supporting your favorite Boston park.
Moondance Gala
The Moondance Gala is an annual celebration of the beautiful park. You can enjoy an evening along the iconic shoreline of the Charles River Esplanade. The night starts off with cocktails, followed by dinner, an auction, and ending with dessert, and dancing. This event enables the Esplanade Association to further enhance, revitalize, and enrich the park experience for everyone.
FREE RECURRING PROGRAMS
GroundBeat: The Esplanade’s FREE Riverfront Music Series was launched as a new music program on the Esplanade in 2018 by the Esplanade Association. GroundBeat aims to increase opportunities to perform on the Esplanade for local producers and artists across greater Boston who are committed to increasing inclusivity and diversity in Boston’s arts scene.
Guided Tours
The Esplanade Association offers FREE guided walking tours on the Esplanade to share the park’s amazing stories, plants, and wildlife. Guided walking tours will last about an hour-and-a-half and cover roughly a mile of the Esplanade and over 150 years of history! Enjoy topics ranging from History to Public Art, all whilst experiencing the iconic riverside park.
River Fit Fitness Series
The Esplanade Association hosts FREE seasonal fitness classes in the Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. Come to the park every week for a variety of outdoor fitness classes with some of Boston’s most popular fitness instructors. Previous class types included yoga, zumba, dance, HIIT, and more!
International Moves & Food
Wednesdays at 5:30–7pm from September 24th to October 9th
Join us on the Esplanade for International Moves & Food! You’ll learn the steps to various cultural dances at these interactive demonstrations led by professional artist educators. After you learned some new moves, you can enjoy free food and beverages from a local restaurant, all celebrating the dance’s culture!
Children in the Park (Chip)
Children in the Park (ChiP) is a program aimed at providing an engaging day outside in nature for Boston area youth to experience the wonders of outdoor play and exploration. This program is tailored to work with organizations and summer camps with children ages 5-17 in and around Boston, children must be attending a partnering organization or summer camp to participate.
Music and Movement
Music and Movement is a summer-long, interactive music program at the Playspace Playground designed for children and their caregivers. Each week, children will sing songs, dance to music, and enjoy story time led by trained Boston Music Project teaching artists. Caregivers are encouraged to attend and take part in the music games with their children.
