After a two-year hiatus, The Friends of the Public Garden can’t wait to kick off the season with our Summer Celebration on Brewer Plaza on Thursday, June 20, at 12:15 PM to 2:15 PM. This event is free and open to the public. Join us for entertainment by local artists and free lunch from Bon Me. For more information, visit https://friendsofthepublicgarden.org
The Friends of the Public Garden invite you to the public launch of the Henry Lee Fund for Boston Parks, on Tuesday, June 11 at 11 am at the Parkman Bandstand in the Public Garden. Learn more at https://friendsofthepublicgarden.org/leefund/
The Henry Lee Fund for Boston Parks will provide small grants for tree and sculpture care and support special projects in public greenspaces in underserved neighborhoods throughout Boston. At the heart of the Lee Fund is a commitment to equity in the quality of our public greenspaces. Henry led the charge to ensure that the Public Garden, the Boston Common, and the Commonwealth Avenue Mall are healthy and vibrant public spaces. Yet beyond these greenspaces, his civic vision of the health of all of Boston’s parks will inspire our outreach to community groups, advocates, and other nonprofit organizations to ensure that Lee Fund grants will spread his impact to the citizens and neighborhoods that need it most.
Join The Friends of the Public Garden in Boston’s most beautiful parks on May 12 for Duckling Day! We are so excited to gather once again at Parkman Bandstand for the most adorable event in Boston.
Before the Parade, join us for Playtime on the Common, a vibrant array of family entertainment from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. All activities are included with event admission.
Registration: $35 per family. Register https://friendsofthepublicgarden.org/events/ducklingregistration/
A party dedicated to preserving and protecting our nation’s first public park, our oldest public botanical garden, and a historic park Winston Churchill once dubbed “the grandest boulevard in North America,” The Green & White is the single largest source of funds to support the three parks. The Green & White is a gathering of people and organizations who know healthy parks are essential to a healthy community. The evening is a celebration of the partnerships that make this work possible.
Please join The Friends of the Public Garden for an unforgettable night. The party will take place Friday, April 19 at The Newbury Boston. Reserve your tickets at https://friendsofthepublicgarden.org/gwsponsors/ You may also make a donation if you cannot attend. Questions may be directed to Amanda McGuire, Development Manager, at amanda@friendsofthepublicgarden.org or (617) 959-1900.
You are cordially invited to the 54th Annual Meeting of the Friends of the Public Garden on Thursday, April 9 at 6 pm at the UMass Club, Amherst/Boston Room, 32nd Floor, 1 Beacon Street in Boston. Reception to follow. Please RSVP by April 2 by signing up HERE or calling 617-723-8144.
Looking for a fun way to warm up on a cold January day? The Friends of the Public Garden invites you to join them for a magical day of Skating with Friends on the Frog Pond. The event will feature free skate rentals (while supplies last), and free cocoa thanks to our partner the Skating Club of Boston. Skating assistants will be on hand. Last year’s event had to be cancelled due to warm temperatures, so keep an eye on the weather.
Skating is FREE, tickets available only on the day of the event, Sunday, February 19, starting at 9:30 am. There are no advance reservations. There will be 5 different 90 minute skating sessions at 10 am, 12 pm, 2 pm, 4 pm, and 6 pm accommodating up to 225 skaters per session.
For up to date information visit https://friendsofthepublicgarden.org/
The Friends is excited to once again steward the annual Holiday Lights on the Mall. For the first time, the Holiday Lights will extend all the way to Kenmore Square! Join us at the Mayors lighting ceremony on the first block of the Mall on November 30, beginning immediately after the Boston Common Tree Lighting.
The iconic holiday light display along the Commonwealth Avenue Mall was the vision of Parks Commissioner Justine Liff and philanthropists Joan and Ted Bernard Cutler, inspired by the illuminated tree-lined boulevards of Paris. Their sense of civic pride inspired others in the neighborhood to support the cause and the all-volunteer Committee to Light the Commonwealth Avenue Mall was born.
In 2022, the Committee joined with the Friends, creating a new committee to work with the Friends staff to raise the funds necessary to make this annual light display possible and to support the ongoing care of the park.
The Friends is proud to be stewards of this special holiday tradition and excited to work with our community to increase support for the Mall year round.
Today, the lights illuminate the park from early December to April each year and, beginning in 2023, stretch from Arlington Street to Kenmore Square. To donate, and for more information on times, visit https://friendsofthepublicgarden.org/holiday-lights/
The Boston Women’s Heritage Trail invites you to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Boston Women’s Memorial on Saturday, October 21 at 11 am. Meet at the statue on Commonwealth Avenue at Fairfield Street, on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall. Meredith Bergmann, Sculptor, will be the featured speaker. The event is co-sponsored by the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay and by The Friends of the Public Garden. In case of inclement weather, the event will take place at the Boston Public Library in Copley Square. Free.
The Friends of the Public Garden and the City of Boston encourage members of the public to join them for the next Tool House Public Meeting on June 28 at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom. The City will present the final design plans for the Tool House in the Public Garden with a Q&A session to follow. Learn more about the project here and find more details about the public meeting here.
This project is a partnership between Public Facilities and Parks and Recreation Department and is looking to improve the Tool House which is home to the maintenance for the Public Garden and storage for the Swan Boat operations.
For more on the history of the public garden please visit the public gardens page.
Please join the Friends of the Public Garden as we flip the switch and celebrate the installation of permanent lighting at the William Lloyd Garrison and Domingo Sarmiento statues on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall. On Wednesday, May 24 at 8 pm, gather near the Garrison statue on the Dartmouth-Exeter block. The ceremony will take place near the Garrison, and attendees will then be welcome to travel up to the Gloucester-Hereford block to view the newly lit Sarmiento, as well. The lighting and landscape improvement work was made possible by the generosity of Back Bay neighbors during the Friends’ 50th Anniversary Capital Campaign. To learn more about the May 24 celebration or the Friends’ work in your three parks, please visit friendsofthepublicgarden.org or call (617) 723-8144.
