Patriots Day is held each year on the third Monday in April to commemorate the battle of Lexington and Concord, the first shots fired in the American Revolutionary War. Massachusetts residents take a holiday to celebrate American history and watch the Boston Marathon, one of the most well-known sporting events in the world. Here’s how you can participate in Patriots’ Day events around Massachusetts.
The Boston Marathon
The Boston Marathon has been held each year on Patriot’s Day since 1897 (save a brief pause in 2020), making it the world’s longest-running annual marathon. It is New England’s most widely viewed sporting event, regularly attracting tens of thousands of participants and hundreds of thousands of spectators. Interested in attending the marathon? Learn more here.
Patriots’ Day Weekend in Lexington & Concord
Lexington & Concord
There are a number of commemorative events throughout Lexington on Patriots Day weekend, including a reenactment of the Battle at Lexington Green, tours of historic sites linked to the Midnight Ride of Paul Revere, musical performances, documentary screenings, and more. Tours of the Buckman Tavern, the Munroe Tavern, and the Hancock-Clarke house will run throughout the weekend. A parade will be held Patriot’s Day afternoon. See a full schedule at the town of Lexington’s website.
In Concord, the Concord Museum is offering free admission on Patriot’s Day and hosting a Minuteman encampment of reenactors outside the museum. A reenactment of the fight between Colonials and British Regulars at North Bridge, where the famed ‘shot heard ‘round the world’ occurred, will take place Patriot’s Day morning. View a full schedule of events for Patriot’s Day weekend on Visit Concord’s site.
Minute Man National Historical Park
Here is a full schedule of Patriots Day Weekend activities at the Minute Man National Historical Park, from April 13 – 15, 2024.
Event highlights include tactical demonstrations of the events of 1775 featuring hundreds of volunteer reenactors on Battle Road, open houses of some of the area’s revolution-era buildings, and vigils to honor those who lost their lives in battle.
Patriots’ Day Weekend in Boston
Patriots Day Weekend is a perfect opportunity to take in the sights and sounds of the Freedom Trail, a one-of-a-kind collection of over a dozen locations that played significant and notable roles in the American Revolution.
Visit the Paul Revere House in Boston’s North End to learn about Revere’s famous ride to alert the colonists that the British were coming! Children can meet Paul Revere himself at the house on April 13 from 1 to 3 p.m.
Nearby, you can also explore the Old North Church, where lanterns were briefly hung to signal that British Regulars were approaching by sea. Kids might have fun completing a scavenger hunt around the church with Prince the Cat to learn more about the building and its history, included with admission.
The Red Sox are home, as they are every Patriot’s Day weekend. This year the team will take on the Los Angeles Angels on April 12, 13, and 14, and the Cleveland Guardians on Patriot’s Day in what is traditionally one of the only morning games of the season. The league-leading Celtics are also home on Patriot’s Day weekend, facing off against the Charlotte Hornets on April 12 and the Washington Wizards on April 14.