City leaders in Boston are expanding the Open Streets and Open Newbury events for this year in Boston, adding two additional neighborhoods and extra weekends.
A major initiative for Mayor Michelle Wu has been to boost neighborhoods for residents and visitors by temporarily closing down streets to cars, and making them pedestrian-only. It's all in an effort promote local businesses and attractions, and have people experience streets as public spaces.
“I still remember very vividly the sounds that happen when you take away the buzz and hum of car traffic and replace it with kids laughing and the pitter patter of their feet running down the street. Impromptu chess games out on the street. A line dance in the middle of Dorchester Ave. The sounds of people getting to know each other, sharing and telling their own stories and supporting their local small businesses," Wu said.
Last year the city held events in Jamaica Plain, Dorchester and Roxbury. This year, those locations will return, along with events in the Allston/Brighton and East Boston neighborhoods. The schedule of events is as follows:
Get Boston local news, weather forecasts, lifestyle and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Boston’s newsletters.
- Sunday, June 25 on Centre Street n JP
- Saturday, July 15 on Blue Hill Avenue in Roxbury
- Saturday, Aug. 19 at Harvard Avenue and Brighton Avenue in Allston/Brighton
- Sunday, Sep. 17 on Dorchester Avenue in Dorchester
- Sunday, Oct. 15 in East Boston on Meridian Street
Events will be tailored to each neighborhood, but the mayor said across the board to expect food trucks, art installations, performances and fun and games for residents of all ages.
Additionally, Open Newbury will run every Sunday from July 2 through October 15 - 16 weekends. That's ten more weekends than last year.
Local
In-depth news coverage of the Greater Boston Area.
Open Newbury launched on Newbury Street in Back Bay with a pilot program in 2016. Open Streets launched in 2022 in three neighborhoods of the city.
For more information on the program, click here.
