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Boston Event Calendar - March 2016

Best celebrations, parades, festivals, fun!

Boston's famous St Patrick's Day parade - top March Event

March is a wonderful time to visit Boston!  Expect to feel the first hints of spring - and perhaps enjoy the return of warm weather.

***z-google-top-left-336x280.shtml***Lots of fun activities pack the Boston Event Calendar for March 2016, so you'll find lots to do and see.

Our famous Saint Patrick's Day Parade draws huge crowds of spectators - but there's a lot more.

Dine Out Boston, the Flower and Garden Show, and the Boston Massacre reenactment ...

Plus awesome concerts by the Dropkick Murphys at House of Blues and TD Garden, Celtic Woman, Romeo Santos, and many more top performers.

And don't forget the Underground Film Fest and Big Apple Circus.  So take a look at the event calendar for March, make your hotel reservations, and come enjoy Boston!

Please note:  Except where noted, most events on this page are for last year.   Look for more updates closer to March.

St Patrick's Day Parade - 2016 

Boston's famous St Patrick's Day Parade takes place in South Boston ("Southie"), and starts at the Broadway T station on the Red Line.  

Don't forget to wear green and bring a camera!

When:  Sunday, March 20 (to be confirmed), 1pm - lasts about 3 hours
Closest T station: Red Line/Broadway

More about the St Patrick's Day Parade plus tips for getting there

More about other St Patrick's Day events

See our recommendations for the most convenient places to stay - especially if you're also catching the Dropkick Murphy's concert

Boston Flower and Garden Show 2016

Dream about spring as you gaze at the lush gardens and gorgeous floral displays at the Boston Flower and Garden Show at the Seaport World Trade Center.  This year's special theme is "Nurtured by Nature," and you'll find lots of inspiration and tips about beautiful landscaping and urban agriculture (look for the beekeeping exhibit!) in the numerous display gardens. 

The weather outside may not be balmy, but all the displays of horticultural tools and products, garden furniture and ornaments, and hand-made crafts will make warm temperatures seem a little bit closer.  

Where to stay nearby:

• Seaport Hotel - Right across the street from the World Trade Center  
• Westin Boston Waterfront - About 2 blocks away, next to the Boston Expo and Convention Center
• More South Boston Waterfront hotels near the Flower Show

When:  March 16 - 20 (10am-8pm on March 16-17; 10am-9pm on March 18-19; 10am-6pm on March 20)
Where:   Seaport World Trade Center, South Boston Waterfront
Cost:  $20 Adults, $17 Seniors (65+), $10 Children 6 - 17; Children 5 and younger are free
Where to eat nearby:  Seaport restaurants overlooking the Harbor

More about the Boston Flower and Garden Show

Return to top - Boston Event Calendar for March

More Boston Flower and Garden Events

Lady of the Camellias at the Opera House

This event is from last year - look for 2016 updates soon.

Boston Opera House, 246 Tremont Street  - Through March 8

Follow the story of Armand, a poor young artist who finds his true love with someone he can never be with and feel his love, pain, and yearning as he attempts to run away with his forbidden love, the Lady of the Camellias.  This magnificent ballet will bring you to a deeper understanding of love and desire.

Get Best Tickets Now!

More Boston Theater and Shows March

These events are for last year - look for 2016 deals closer to March

• Brian Brooks Moving Company - Shubert Theatre tickets - Through March 1
• Gov't Mule - Orpheum - March 12
• Boston Lyric Opera: Katya Kabanova - Shubert Theatre tickets- March 13-22
• Tristan & Yseult - Cutler Majestic Theatre - March 13-14 - Check Goldstar for discount and half-price tickets
• Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater - Wang Theatre - March 26-29 - Check Goldstar for discount tickets
• Disney with the Divas: A Musical Comedy - Shubert Theatre tickets - March 27
• Harlem Globetrotters @ TD Garden - Check Goldstar for discount tickets - March 28-29
• Blue Man Group @ Charles Playhouse - Check Goldstar for half-price tickets - Ongoing

Tickets:

TicketLiquidator  |   AceTicket  | Goldstar - half-price tix 

Boston Luxury Hotel March Special Deals

These deals are from last year - look for 2016 updates soon.

Boston luxury hotels rates are still seasonally lower in March than they will be in a couple of months - so pamper yourself with the best while getting a bargain.  

- Ritz-Carlton Boston Common - The "Comfort You" special package gives you a $100 credit per stay when you stay 2 nights in a deluxe room, and $200 credit per stay when you stay 3 nights...move up to a suite, and get $200 for 2 nights and $400 for 3 nights.  Rates start at $355 USD per night.  Compare other discount rates

- Fifteen Beacon - Through March 19, the Winter Wishes Special lets you stay 2 nights for 10% off per night and 3 nights for 15% off, with rates staring at $295; or choose the Romance on the Hill Package where you'll get early check in (based on availability), a half bottle of Veuve Clicquot Champmagne, chocolate covered strawberries, and a late check out at 2 pm.  Rates start at $495.  Compare other discount rates and get reviews

- Eliot Hotel - Through March 31, the Winter in the City package includes a night in a suite, free overnight valet parking, and complementary buffet breakfast for two in Clio; available through March 31st.  Rates start at $279.  Compare other discount rates

Boston discount passes for attractions, tours, cruises

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Dropkick Murphys at House of Blues

When:  March 12-15 - House of Blues Boston

This event is from last year - look for 2016 updates soon.  The Dropkick Murphys are usually here every year for St Patrick's Day!

See Boston's favorite Celtic punk rock group, the Dropkick Murphys play their iconic favorites at House of Blues to celebrate St Patrick's Day in their home town.  

Their shows here usually sell out way in advance - maybe because their "Shipping Up To Boston" song is practically a city anthem, or because their hit "Tessie" will forever be associated with the Red Sox and the World Series in 2004, or maybe because you never know what other groups they'll share the stage with - Aerosmith?  Springsteen? 

Get your Dropkick Murphys tickets now!!!

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Half-price tickets for Boston events in March

These deals are from last year - look for 2016 updates soon.

Find discount & half-price Boston Theatre tickets for March

- Blue Man Group @ Charles Playhouse - Ongoing
- Back Bay Chocolate Tour - Boston's Back Bay neighborhood
- Boston Celtics basketball at TD Garden
- Huzzah! Tavern Nights at the Boston Tea Party Museum
- Odyssey Cruises - Brunch, Lunch, Dinner on Boston Harbor
- The Donkey Show- Oberon, Cambridge
- Boston Chocolate Workshop at Elephant & Castle Pub
- Nick's Comedy Stop - Boston Theatre District

Find even more half-price events!

Return to top - Boston Event Calendar for March

A St Patrick's Day Celtic Sojourn

This event is from last year - look for 2016 updates soon.

If you're a fan of Brian O'Donovan's Celtic Sojourn program on Boston's WGBH radio or his Celtic Sojourn Christmas celebration, you'll want to be sure to get to his celebration of Irish and Celtic music, dance, and storytelling in A St. Patrick's Day Celtic Sojourn at Sanders Theatre in Cambridge. 

When:  March 14-15, Sanders Theatre
Ticket information: 1-617-496-2222
Check Goldstar for discount tickets

More St Patrick's Day concerts

More Boston Concerts & Shows - March

2016 concerts coming soon!

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Find more Boston concerts for March & other months

Winter Dine Out Boston

This event is from last year - look for 2016 updates soon.

When:  March 1 - 6 and March 8 - 13
Where:  Top Boston restaurants - many choices in every neighborhood!
Cost:  $15, $20, $25 - depends of the restaurant you choose (prices to be confirmed)

Twice each year, you can enjoy fine dining at very affordable prices at the best Boston restaurants.  Sample the latest "hot" restaurants where normally you'd pay much more, visit old favorites, and explore a few places you've never tried before.   

Check Dine Out Boston for participating restaurants and other information.  And don't forget to check tips for getting the most value out of Dine Out Week!

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Boston Underground Film Festival

This event is from last year - look for 2016 updates soon.

When:  March 25-29
Where:  Brattle Theatre, Harvard Square, Cambridge
Closest T station: Red Line/Harvard
More information: website

The Boston Underground Film Festival screens independent, provocative, and experimental films and videos that deliberately push the envelope in style, content, and form.  

What can you expect to see?  An exciting mixture of experimental feature films, music videos, animations, documentaries, and shorts that celebrate and embrace the controversial, the confrontational, the political, and the alternative visions of their makers and their audiences.

If you're coming specifically for the festival, here are several hotels convenient to Harvard Square to consider:

• Harvard Square Hotel   Rates & Reviews
• Charles Hotel    Rates & Reviews
• Sheraton Commander Hotel   Rates & Reviews

Find more Boston film festivals

Return to top - Boston Event Calendar for March 2016

St Patrick's Day 5K Race in Southie 

This event is from last year - look for 2016 updates soon.

Just a couple of hours before the big St Patrick's Day Parade starts on Sunday, March 15th, the St Patrick's Day 5K Road Race kicks off at 11am from the South Boston Boys and Girls Club at 230 West 6th Street. 

Head over to cheer on the 1,750 runners, who are carrying on a long tradition - this race first started back in 1945.  You can identify the first 600 entrants by their official long-sleeved race shirts designed by one of the race's most famous sponsors, the Dropkick Murphys, Celtic punk rock group with Southie origins. 

Sponsorship money and donations raised by the marathon racers goes to support South Boston youth programs.  More details and registration at the South Boston Boys and Girls Club website.

More St Patrick's Day events

Photo courtesy of South Boston Boys and Girls Club

Free tour of Symphony Hall

This event is from last year - look for 2016 updates soon.

When:  Select Wednesdays at 4pm and Saturdays at 2pm during Symphony Season (October - late April) - dates for March include March 4, 7, 18, and 28, but call 617-638-9390 to confirm and to make reservations
Where:  Symphony Hall, Massachusetts Avenue Lobby, Fenway
Cost:  Free - but you need to RSVP
More information:  Boston Symphony Orchestra website

Musicians and engineers consider Boston's Symphony Hall to be the most acoustically perfect concert space in the United States.  It is also gorgeous.  Join BSO volunteers on a behind-the-scenes tour of Symphony Hall and hear about the hall as well as the history and traditions of the famed BSO's musicians and conductors.

Return to top - Boston Event Calendar for March 2016

More Fun Boston Tours

Boston Trolley Tours	Boston Harbor Tours	Boston Duck Tours	More Boston Tours

Boston Whale Watching Season Begins!

This event is from last year - look for 2016 updates soon.

Boston whale watching cruises start on March 28th! 

These 3-4 hours excursions take you through Boston Harbor and out to Stellwagen Bank, a protected marine area about 25 miles east of the city.  Marine biologists or naturalists serve as guides to make sure you don't miss a thing.

Be sure to bring your camera!  

Get your whale watch tickets and reservations

More about Boston whale watching cruises

Big Apple Circus:  Metamorphosis

This event is from last year - look for 2016 updates soon.

When:  March 24 - May 10
Where:   City Hall Plaza
Closest T station: Green and Blue Lines/Government Center
If you drive:   Nearby parking garages
Tickets:  $25 - $100; 800-922-3772

Get ready for excitement under the big top when the Big Apple Circus sets up its tents on City Hall Plaza for an all-new show featuring talented performers from around the world.  With a ringmistress, jugglers, horses, trapeze artists, dogs, clowns, and live music from the Big Apple Circus Band, the show packs in plenty of laughs and thrills for your whole family.

Check Goldstar for half-price tickets

Jesse Cook - "Nuevo Flamenco" Guitarist

This event is from last year - look for 2016 updates soon.

Highly regarded guitarist Jesse Cook performs at the Wilbur Theatre in Boston's Theatre District on March 11 and 12 at 7:30pm. 

Cook is considered one of the most influential figures in "nuevo flamenco" music, which brings together many world music influences including flamenco rumba and jazz.

Get your tickets now

Closer to the concert dates, you can also check Goldstar for half-price tickets

First Fridays at MFA

This event is from last year - look for 2016 updates soon.

Art, live music (usually jazz), and a cash bar featuring signature cocktails, wine, and tapas provide the perfect setting for meeting up with friends (and making new ones), relaxing, and enjoying the MFA's elegant ambiance.  Part social event, part opportunity to enjoy the Museum and the art within it.

When:  March 6, 6:00 - 9:30pm (and also the first Friday of most months)
Where:  Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave, Boston's Fenway neighborhood
Nearest T station:  Green Line/Museum
Cost:  Tickets required; get free ticket with museum admission ($25)
Must be:   21+
Boston Insider's Tip:  Arrive early to get your ticket - they do fill up

Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins at the Garden

This event is from last year - look for 2016 updates soon.

March marks the last full month to catch a Bruins or Celtics game during this season as they wrap up in April.

Home games at TD Garden are scheduled for almost every day in March.

Bruins Schedule & Tickets - 2016

March 1 vs Calgary - 7:00pm
March 3 vs Chicago - 7pm
March 5 vs Washington- 7pm
March 10 vs Carolina - 7pm
March 12 vs NY Islanders- 1pm
March 24 vs Florida - 7pm

Celtics Schedule & Tickets - 2016

Sunday, March 2 vs Portland - 7:30pm
Wednesday, March 4 vs NY Knicks- 7:30pm
Wednesday, March 9 vs Memphis  - 7:30pm
Friday, March 11 vs Houston - 7:30pm
Monday, March 16 vs Oklahoma City- 7pm
Sunday, March 21 vs Orlando - 7:30pm
Wednesday, March 23 vs Toronto - 7:30pm

More useful information:

• Hotels near TD Garden
• Parking garages near the Garden
• Sports bars near the Garden
  

Harpoon St Patrick's Festival

This event is from last year - look for 2016 updates soon.

Celebrate St Patrick's Day a little early with corned beef and cabbage, live music by Irish and rock bands from the Boston area, and of course, Harpoon beer and Harpoon Celtic Red.   More information: St Patricks Day Events

When: Friday, March 6, 5:30-11pm and Saturday, March 7, 1pm-9pm
Where: Harpoon Brewery, 306 Northern Ave, South Boston Waterfront
Nearest T station: Red Line/South Station; take Silver Line 2 or 3 and get off at Harbor Street, or take the free shuttle from South Station - look for shuttle signs behind the station.  Note: there is no parking at the brewery for the festival
Cover charge:  $20; bring a designated driver or stay over in one of the nearby South Boston Waterfront hotels)
Important to know: Tickets are not sold in advance, and capacity is limited - so arrive early!
Age: 21+
More information: Harpoon Brewery website - click on "Festivals"

Boston Massacre Reenactment

This event is from last year - look for 2016 updates soon.

When:  March 7; Massacre re-enactment at 7pm
Where:   Old State House Museum, 206 Washington St, Boston; outdoor re-enactments take place in front of the Old State House at the corner of State and Congress Streets
Closest T station: Orange and Blue Lines/State Street
Tickets: Required only for inside events due to space limits inside the museum; free with Museum admission but you should get them as early as possible to avoid disappointment.  Outdoor events take place in front of the Old State House and do not require tickets. 
More information: 617-720-1713

Find out more about what really happened at the Boston Massacre - and where to find the almost-hidden site

Return to top - Boston Event Calendar for March

Boston Irish Film Festival

This event is from last year - look for 2016 updates soon.

When:  March 19-22
Where:   Somerville Theatre at Davis Square
Closest T stations: Red Line/Davis Square (Somerville Theatre)
Cost:  $10 per film or a Festival Pass for $50 (to be verified for 2015)
Reservations/more information: Film Festival website

March is the month for all things Irish, and this 4-day Boston Irish Film Festival will make you think you're back in the Emerald Isle.  Films focus on Ireland and Irish culture, and what it means to be Irish in the 21st century.  More than 3,000 fans attend this popular film series.

Films showcase feature the very best of contemporary Irish cinema - about 30 premiers, features, shorts, and documentaries in all, with a focus on productions unlikely to otherwise be shown in the U.S. 

Coming to Boston specifically for the Festival?  Harvard Square hotels are the closest - walk or take the Red Line of the T to Davis Square.   Two hotels close to the Harvard Square T stop to consider:

• Charles Hotel    Rates | Reviews
• Harvard Square Hotel   Rates | Reviews

Find more Boston film festivals

Return to top - Boston Event Calendar for March

Chinese New Year Events - Lion Dance Parade & Chinatown Main Street Cultural Village

This event is from last year - look for 2016 updates soon.

When: Sunday, March 1; parade usually starts around 11am, although sometimes speeches take place first and the parade kicks off after they finish and usually lasts about 2 hours; Cultural Village runs from 12 noon to 3pm
Where:  Beach Street and other nearby streets in Chinatown, Boston; Cultural Village takes place at the the China Trade Building at the corner of Boylston and Washington Streets
Closest T station: Orange Line/Chinatown (or walk over from any Downtown Boston T station
Cost: Free

Chinese New Year officially starts on February 19 to welcome the Year of the Goat.  One of the most popular Chinese New Year activities in Boston is the huge Chinese New Year Parade in Chinatown featuring Lion Dances, drums, and firecrackers - truly an awesome event! 

Chinatown Main Street Cultural Village features free fun activities - calligraphy, dough characters, origami, balloons, and more!

More information about the CNY Parade - plus photos

Where to go for Dim Sum after the parade

Quick Links to other Boston events calendars:  February   l   April  l  Other Months

Continuing during March in Boston

Boston Wine Festival at Meritage Restaurant

Noon Concerts at King's Chapel on the Freedom Trail

Looking ahead to April . . .

Boston Marathon	Best Boston Marathon Hotels	More Boston Events for April

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Top Boston Events Each Month!

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