The Boston Dragon Boat Festival takes place annually on the banks of the Charles River in Boston and Cambridge. This year, the Boston Dragon Boat Festival takes place on Saturday, June 9, and Sunday, June 10, with activities from 7 a.m. - 5 p.m. each day.

Starting in 1979, Boston Dragon Boat Festival, the first and oldest such festival in North America, has grown from a small neighborhood event commemorating the death in 200 B.C. of the beloved Chinese poet-patriot Qu Yuan to the largest Asian-American cultural event in New England, drawing more than 20,000 participants and spectators.

Each year, 30-40 teams from the US and Canada compete over a 500-meter course in an energetic race to the finish line. The teams practice in the spring to prepare for the June races, paddling in sleek, colorful 39-foot, Hong Kong-style dragon boats. Along with dragon boat races, the festival also presents performances from various Asian cultures, Asian food, and arts and crafts, representing traditions of this ancient Chinese celebration.

The Boston Dragon Boat Festival fosters learning and exploration of diverse multi-cultural heritage, especially that of the Asian-American heritage in New England. The goal of the festival is to provide a common setting through which citizens of diverse backgrounds may share goodwill. The short-term impact is a day of friendship, and the long-term impact will be bonds forged within a heritage activity and extended to life-long understanding among people of diverse backgrounds. Shared participation in arts and athletics not only serves as unifying strategies, it also improves community life and health and fitness for all.

The Highland Street Foundation's Free Fun Fridays program offers visitors no-cost admission to many of the most treasured cultural venues in Boston and across Massachusetts. The program was created to increase access and enrichment opportunities for children and families throughout Massachusetts during the summer months. Every Friday, from the end of June through the end of August, multiple sites are open for free.

This year, the Free Fun Fridays program boasts 24 venues in Boston:

• June 29: Lyric Stage Company
• July 6: Boston Children's Museum
• July 13: Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate, The Sports Museum
• July 20: Museum of Fine Arts Boston
• July 27: Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, Boston Athenaeum, Arnold Arboretum
• August 3: Franklin Park Zoo
• August 10: Boston Harbor Islands National & State Park, Institute of Contemporary Art / Boston, Nichols House Museum, Museum of the National Center of Afro-American Artists, The Greenway Carousel, Freedom Trail Foundation
• August 17: John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Commonwealth Museum, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Old State House, and Museum of the First Corps of Cadets
• August 24: Museum of African American History
• August 31: USS Constitution Museum, Mary Baker Eddy Library and Mapparium

Since 2009, Free Fun Fridays has drawn more than 900,000 visitors to venues throughout the Commonwealth. The program has grown to include participating venues in every corner of the state, helping them open their doors for free to the community.

The Highland Street Foundation is committed to addressing the most pressing needs and concerns for children and families in Massachusetts and California. We provide access and opportunities in education, housing, mentorship, health care, environment, and the arts.

The 36th annual Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl, presented by Valvoline Instant Oil Change. is the nation's largest all-you-can-eat ice cream festival. Whether you're a volunteer or professional ice cream eater, you play a huge part in our mission to conquer cancer.

Made possible by the generous contributions of the industry's largest ice cream companies, the Scooper Bowl has raised more than $6.3 million in the past 35 years for cancer research and patient care at the world-renowned Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. 

Grab your spoons and mark your calendars! Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl is proudly held on City Hall Plaza June 5, June 6, and June 7 from 12 - 8 p.m.