July in New England: Best Events and Things to Do

The dog days of summer seem to have us in their sultry grip early this year. And the temptation to crank up the AC and binge watch the third season of The Bear is real… I get it. But July in New England is all about vacations… even if you can only break away long enough for a road trip to Natick, Massachusetts, to binge eat the Italian beef sandwiches at Culinary Delights, an unassuming spot known for the kind of Chicago-style eats the first season of The Bear made us all crave.

If the heat has you feeling too lazy to make New England travel plans, that’s why we’re here. Our Yankee team is 100% motivation and 0% perspiration, or something like that (I’m a writer; I don’t do math). If you’re not a subscriber (why aren’t you a subscriber?!), you can flip through the digital version of our July/August issue right now and discover our picks for the best things to do in popular destinations including Cape Cod and Boothbay Harbor. 

Plus, read on for my top Independence Day and July weekend event picks, July’s best travel deals in New England, and a guide to where you’ll find us out and about this summer.

New This Month in New England

Dawnland Festival of Arts & Ideas | Bar Harbor, ME

Maine’s Abbe Museum, a leading preserver of Native American culture, presents the first Dawnland Festival of Arts & Ideas July 12-14 at the College of the Atlantic. In addition to featuring a Native Arts Market, the programming spotlights conversations by with Indigenous leaders on timely topics including climate, democracy, and food systems. The Festival is free and open to the public.

Newport Design Week | Newport, RI

If interior design is your passion (or profession), you’ll want to attend the inaugural Newport Design Week in Newport, Rhode Island, July 24-28. A gathering of decor lovers is long overdue in this seaside city many regard as the birthplace of American design.

Celebrate the Fourth of July in New England

4th of July Celebration | Bristol, RI

America’s oldest continuous Independence Day par-tay, Bristol’s 4th of July Celebration, is back for the 239th year with all of the patriotic ingredients you’d expect: a parade, music, carnival rides, and fireworks.

Harborfest | Boston, MA

One of our nation’s largest July 4 celebrations is relatively new by comparison. For the 42nd year, Boston Harborfest fills the city with celebrants, drawn to a four-day schedule of all-American happenings, many of them free. Events in the city kick off on July 1 and culminate with the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular on the Fourth of July. New for 2024, Harborfest coincides with the US Navy’s celebration of Navy Week in Boston. The Navy Band will perform a pre-fireworks concert on July 2 at Christopher Columbus Park, and you can catch them again on July 4 at Long Wharf. Also new this year: a downtown beer garden for revelers 21 and up.

Weekend of July 6-7, 2024

The Great Elephant Migration | Newport, RI

It’s the first weekend for a summer-long exhibition that makes Newport a must-visit destination for those who cherish elephants, art, and the well-being of our planet. Be among the first to greet 100 life-size Indian elephant sculptures, on outdoor display at Salve Regina University, The Breakers, Rough Point, and Great Friends Meetinghouse.

The Great Elephant Migration herd, which attracted 5 million fans when it toured the UK in 2021, is an international collaboration between Indigenous artisans, contemporary artists, and cultural institutions. This free public art installation is meant to boost Indigenous-led conservation efforts and to inspire peaceful human and animal coexistence. Newport is the first stop on a planned year-long US migration, which will see these beauties—made from lantana camara, one of the world’s most invasive weeds—journey to New York City; Miami; Blackfeet Nation; Buffalo Pastures in Browning, Montana; and Los Angeles.

Weekend of July 13-14, 2024

Moxie Days | Lisbon, ME

If you’re a fan of that medicinal-tasting yet oddly refreshing soda, patented back in 1876 as “Moxie Nerve Food” by a Mainer, Dr. Augustin Thompson, then Moxie Days are for you. This 40th annual festival celebrating a true taste of New England promises to be the largest one yet, with madcap happenings that range from a chugging contest to Maine’s longest parade. Wear orange if you want to fit in.

Brimfield Outdoor Antiques Show | Brimfield, MA

Join the treasure seekers at the second Brimfield Outdoor Antiques Show of 2024, which runs July 9-14. This enormous gathering of sellers and shoppers has been a tradition since 1959.

Hillsboro Summer Festival | Hillsboro, NH

If you missed seeing a parade and fireworks on July 4th, head to the Hillsboro Summer Festival: an old-timey community celebration that’s been a tradition for more than 35 years. The carnival runs July 11-14, but the main events, including the RC Rock Crawl Competition (you don’t see that every day!) are reserved for the weekend.

Weekend of July 20-21, 2024

Yarmouth Clam Festival | Yarmouth, ME

I always get a giggle out of the clam mascot that roams around this enduring festival, which has saluted the humble clam for 57 years. If you’re heading to the Yarmouth Clam Festival, July 19-21, you’re in for more food and fun than you imagine. Try not to fill up at a pancake breakfast because there is so much to sample, starting, of course, with fried clams (plus steak sandwiches, a literal ton of French fries, and strawberry shortcake). You’ll be thoroughly entertained by everything from a parade to the Diaper Derby, from live bands and K9 demos to the Main St. Rumble car show. And there are fireworks on Saturday night, too.

Revere Beach International Sand Sculpting Festival | Revere, MA

It’s the 20th anniversary for this seaside festival that elevates sand play to an art form. In addition to creations by some of the world’s foremost sand sculptors, the Revere Beach International Sand Sculpting Festival features food trucks and vendors galore, amusement rides, live music, and a fireworks display.

Vermont Brewers Festival | Burlington, VT

Few states have a beer culture to rival Vermont’s, and the annual Vermont Brewers Festival is the pinnacle of all the creativity that’s brewing. Get tickets for Friday night’s kickoff on July 19 or one of two sessions on Saturday, July 20, and sample from a selection of more than 200 beers including many served here and here alone. Live music, games, food trucks, and Vermont-made products are also on tap.

Full Moon Dinner at Rosebrook Lodge | Bretton Woods, NH

On Sunday, July 21, board a gondola for an elevated dining experience at the Omni Mount Washington Resort‘s mountaintop Rosebrook Lodge. Each installment in the resort’s Full Moon Dinner Series is a culinary journey to remember. This month, your exquisite three-course meal (and optional wine pairings) are illuminated by the Full Buck Moon.

Weekend of July 27-28, 2024

Lowell Folk Festival | Lowell, MA

Bringing together musicians and makers from all parts of the globe, the annual Lowell Folk Festival, July 26-28, is the most fun you can have for free this weekend. You’d have to go to Seattle if you wanted to experience a larger folk festival. And if you wanted to find one that’s older than this? Well… you can’t.

July’s Best Travel Deals

Unlimited Golf at Woodstock Inn & Resort | Woodstock, VT

If golf is your passion, Vermont’s Woodstock Inn & Resort is your destination. Rates start at $661 per night for the Unlimited Golf package, including accommodations for two and unlimited golf at the Woodstock Country Club, where the challenging 18-hole course was designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. You’ll also have free use of a golf cart and practice facilities, including a driving range and putting greens.

Free Admission to The Clark and Discounted Berkshire Opera Tickets | Williamstown, MA

If free is your favorite price, there are many opportunities to enjoy free admission to The Clark Art Institutein the Berkshires this month. The museum will be open free on the 4th of July in celebration of the 10th anniversary of its post-expansion re-opening. July 4 is also the opening date for Fragile Beauty: Treasures from the Corning Museum of Glass, on exhibition through October 27, 2024. Admission is free again during Community Day on July 14. And you can also visit The Clark any Wednesday night from 5 to 9 p.m. free of charge through September 25.

While you’re there… find the sculpture of Charles Gounod, snap a selfie with it, and either email the image to marketing@berkshireoperafestival.org or post it on social media and tag both @berkshireoperafest and @clarkart. You’ll receive a discount code for tickets to Berkshire Opera’s performances of Gounod’s Faust this August.

Free Yoga at The Rooftop at the Revere Hotel | Boston, MA

You don’t have to be a hotel guest to join this summer’s free Saturday Community Yoga classes at The Rooftop at the Revere Hotel. Just register for your complimentary 10 a.m. class online, bring your own yoga mat, and enjoy the views and the rejuvenation.

Yankee Out & About This Summer

Grassy Strip Music Series at Madison Beach Hotel | Madison, CT

The Grassy Strip Music Series at Madison Beach Hotel in Madison, CT, features a remarkable line-up of artists this summer. Just bring a blanket or lawn chair, and enjoy these free Thursday night performances through August 29. Look for me on August 1, when the program features Masters of the Telecaster G.E. Smith and Jim Weider with special guest Jake Kulak.

A Taste of New England at Spruce Peak | Stowe, VT

And get your tickets now for A Taste of New England in partnership with Yankee Magazine at Spruce Peak in Stowe, Vermont, on August 22-25. Watch last year’s video, and hear it from me: This is the New England foodie weekend you do not want to miss. We’re looking forward to seeing you there!