Boston is preparing a celebration for the ages as we look back on a fateful night two and a half centuries ago.
A major historical milestone is on the horizon for not only Boston, but for the entire country and arguably the world.
This coming Saturday, Dec. 16, is the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party — the fateful night where a group of American Patriots threw 342 chests of tea overboard in a bold act of protest against British Parliament.
There's a lot of hype building ahead of the big anniversary, with several organizations finalizing their plans for a grand-scale reenactment Saturday.
"The Boston Tea Party was actually the culmination of years' worth of public protest, non-importation efforts and general unrest," Creative Manager at Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum Evan O'Brien said. "The central point was representation in government."
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Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum is one of several groups and institutions playing a role in the upcoming celebration.
Saturday's reenactment, which will span Downtown Boston, is separated into five acts. The event will begin at Faneuil Hall, and include stops at Downtown Crossing and the Old South Meeting House, before a rolling rally heads to the waterfront, culminating in the Destruction of the Tea at Atlantic Wharf.
Most of the reenactment is free and open to the public — including the tea throwing at 8 p.m., which will encourage interaction from onlookers. Thousands of people are expected.
"We received tea donations, probably about 3000 or more have been mailed to the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum from all over the world," O'Brien said. "Small envelopes to large packages, personal notes and art projects, personal reasons why people are contributing tea."
While Saturday will mark a special day in American history, the museum works to remember the tea party everyday.
Among the attractions are replica ships, a tea room where samples are available of the kinds of tea thrown, along with priceless artifacts. The museum is in possession of the only tea chest known to exist from the actual tea party.
O'Brien hopes that the people who partake in the anniversary reenactment are left with plenty of food for thought.
"It’s a moment to commemorate our collective history, reflect on that history, build a better community and history for everyone," O'Brien said. "And it’s a great way to celebrate Boston. What happened here in Boston ultimately changed the world, and it began here on December 16, 1773, with the Boston Tea Party."
