What to Do This Memorial Day Weekend

Each of the 37,000 flags planted by the Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund on the Boston Common each Memorial Day honors a fallen Massachusetts veteran. Photo courtesy of Flickr Contributor mgstanton

This Memorial Day weekend, more than 37 million Americans will hit the road, thanks to a strong job market and lower gas prices. It’s expected to be the heaviest traveled Memorial Day in a decade. But for those who are staying local, Boston is a great place to spend the holiday. There are a number of events commemorating those men and women who have died while serving in the armed forces. And there are a number of celebratory events—concerts, music festivals, and open markets—to help you kick off the unofficial start of summer. Check out our list of event highlights below.

Honoring America’s Fallen Soldiers

Saluting Our Heroes at the USS Constitution Museum

The USS Constitution Museum pays tribute to the sacrifice of our nation’s veterans. The museum, devoted to the War of 1812, will host a series of family activities throughout the weekend. Events will include firing a salute with miniature homemade cannons, building toy ships, and a lesson in the art of flag folding. Guests can also catch the museum’s award-winning A Sailors’ Life for Me! exhibition, which highlights the hardships faced by marines aboard the USS Constitution during the war.

The USS Constitution Museum, in the Charlestown Navy Yard, Charlestown, Mass., is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; phone: 617-426-1812. Suggested donation is $5 to $10 for adults, $3 to $5 for children, and $15 to $20 for families. Admission to the museum is free for all active-duty, retired, and reserve military personnel. Saluting Our Heroes events and activities are being held Saturday, May 23, through Monday, May 25. Take an MBTA Green Line trolley or Orange Line train to North Station and walk over the Charlestown Bridge, following signs for the Freedom Trail.

Note: While the museum is open, the ship USS Constitution will be closed to tours until June 9, while it is transported to dry dock for repairs.

Flag Garden at the Boston Common 

Each year, the Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund transforms the Boston Common into a sea of red, white, and blue with the help of volunteers who plant 37,000 American flags—one for each of the Massachusetts men and women who have died in the armed services, dating back to the Revolutionary War. The Flag Garden is at the foot of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in the Boston Common.

The Flag Garden is atop Flagstaff Hill on the Boston Common. Take any MBTA Green Line trolley to Arlington or Park Street. Sponsor a flag here. The garden will remain on display through Memorial Day, Monday, May 25.

Veterans Memorial Park 69th Annual Memorial Day Service

An observance to honor fallen service members will be held at Veterans Memorial Park in the Back Bay Fens on Saturday, May 23. The tranquil green park has monuments commemorating those who fought in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. After the service, stroll through the adjacent Kelleher Rose Garden, with its more than 2,000 rose bushes and over 100 varieties of climbers, tea roses, and floribundas.

The Veterans Memorial Park 69th annual Memorial Day service is Saturday, May 23, at 11 a.m. Veterans Memorial Park is in the Back Bay Fens, a parkland in Boston’s Fenway neighborhood. Take an MBTA Green Line trolley to Hynes Convention Center, switch to the E trolley outbound, and get off at the Museum of Fine Arts stop. The park is a 10-minute walk.

Honor & Tribute: Boston’s Third-Annual Memorial Day Concert

Honor the country’s fallen military service members in a musical tribute hosted by the City of Boston’s Veterans’ Services, with performances by the Boston City Singers and the Metropolitan Wind Symphony. The sunset concert, featuring a program of patriotic music, is at the Parkman Bandstand in the Boston Common.

The Honor & Tribute concert is Monday, May 25, at the Parkman Bandstand in the Boston Common from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The concert is free. Take an MBTA Green Line trolley to either Boylston or Park Street.

Cambridge Memorial Day Parade and Observance

Parades will be held across the nation on Memorial Day to commemorate the holiday. The Cambridge Memorial Day Parade and Observance, on Monday, May 25, will begin with a cannon salute on the Cambridge Common in Harvard Square before proceeding along Mount Auburn Street to the Cambridge Cemetery, 76 Coolidge Ave., where an observance, with rifle salute, musical performances, and a bugler playing taps, will be held. The parade will include color guards, bands, drill teams, and local youth organizations, along with veterans groups and police and fire personnel.

The Cambridge Memorial Day Parade and Observance is Monday, May 25, on the Cambridge Common beginning at 9:30 a.m. and is expected to arrive at the Cambridge Cemetery, 76 Coolidge Ave., at 11 a.m. Take an MBTA Red Line train to Harvard Square.

Other Memorial Day Weekend Events 

Boston Red Sox vs. Los Angeles Angels at Fenway Park

What would summer be without baseball? The Boston Red Sox host the Los Angeles Angels in a three-game series beginning Friday, May 22. So head on down to Fenway Park, major league baseball’s oldest ballpark, for a fun time with family and friends.

The Boston Red Sox take on the Los Angeles Angels on Friday, May 22, at 7:10 p.m., Saturday, May 23, at 7:15 p.m., and Sunday, May 24, at 1:35 p.m. Purchase tickets here or visit the Red Sox ticket office, 4 Yawkey Way; hours: Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Boston Calling Music Festival

Billing itself as Boston’s largest music festival, this twice-a-year event has become a must for serious music aficionados. The spring 2015 Boston Calling Music Festival kicks off on Friday, May 22, and runs through Sunday, May 24, on Boston City Hall Plaza. Some of the biggest names in music headline the event, among them Grammy-winning American singer-songwriter Beck, who kicks off the festival on Friday, May 22; American rock band My Morning Jacket on Saturday, May 23; and local rock band the Pixies on Sunday, May 24. When you need to refuel, head to one of the many food vendors setting up shop at the festival—from Tasty Burger to food trucks from around New England.

Boston Calling Music Festival will be held on Boston City Hall Plaza Friday, May 22, through Sunday, May 24. The main entrance will be on Congress Street. Attendees can purchase three-day passes, weekend passes for just Saturday and Sunday, or single-day passes to any of the three days here. Gates open on Friday at 6 p.m. and music ends at 11 p.m. On Saturday and Sunday, gates open at noon and the music ends at 11 p.m. Take any MBTA Green Line trolley to Haymarket.

The South End Open Market @ SoWa 

Formerly known as the SoWa Open Market, the newly rechristened South End Open Market @ SoWa has become one of Boston’s most popular warm-weather weekend attractions. Each Sunday from May through October, artisans, food trucks, and a farmers market take over a three-block area along Harrison Avenue in Boston’s South End. More than a dozen food trucks offer a range of cuisine, from grilled cheese and pizza to bánh mì sandwiches. The Farmers Market offers locally grown produce, specialty foods, flowers, and plants. And the Arts Market offers a wide range of jewelry, ceramics, clothing, and artwork.

The South End Open Market @ SoWa is every Sunday from May through October, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the South End. The Farmers Market is at 500 Harrison Ave.; the Arts Market is on Thayer Street between Harrison Avenue and Albany Street; the Vintage Market is at 460 Harrison Ave.; and the Food Truck Court is at 540 Harrison Ave. Take any inbound Green Line trolley to Copley Square, then the number 9 bus to City Point/Copley Square via Arlington Street, and get off at the Albany and East Berkeley stop.

Free Memorial Day Admission to the Museum of Fine Arts

Regarded as one of the finest museums in the world, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston (MFA) contains more than 450,000 works of art. In honor of Memorial Day, the museum will offer free admission on Monday, May 25. Visitors will have the opportunity to make art of their own in various workshops, tour galleries with knowledgeable staff, and view the museum’s current special exhibitions, which include Hokusai, featuring paintings by Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849), the first Japanese artist to gain an international following; Leonardo da Vinci and the Idea of Beauty, a collection of master drawings by da Vinci and Michelangelo; and Gordon Parks: Back to Fort Scott, a series of photos taken by the acclaimed African American photographer of his hometown of Fort Scott, Kans.

The Museum of Fine Arts is at 465 Huntington Ave.; phone 617-267-9300. The MFA Memorial Day Open House is on Monday, May 25, from 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Take an MBTA Green Line E trolley or the number 39 bus to the Museum of Fine Arts stop or the Orange Line train or bus routes 8, 47, or C2 to the Ruggles stop.

Rebecca Jahnke can be reached at rsjahnke@bu.edu.