Lawn on D Will Reopen May 21 with More Bocce and $3 Waters

Lawn on D Courtesy Photo

Lawn on D was a cute experiment. It really was. Let’s get a patch of grass, someone said, and make it “hip” with glow-in-the-dark swings, and beer, and art installations, and OMG look, you guys, cornhole! Yeah, that’ll bring the young people to South Boston. Next we’ll sneak in a residential building on the corner of B Street and 5th and call it SOBO Place. (Sadly, not a joke.)

Advertised as a wonderfully public place for all to enjoy, it quickly became apparent that ohhh, actually, Lawn on D will be closed most of the time. You can’t just come and bocce whenever you want, pfft.

Advertised as an affordable place for youths, it also became apparent that “affordable” equals overpriced water, because ohhh, actually, “Screw you, we’re the Convention Center,” and this thriving Waterfront is actually a barren wasteland we tried to brand the Innovation District back in the day. Pro tip: Go to Jimmy John’s across the street and get a sammie while you’re at it.

But I digress.

Frankly, it was unfair of anyone to expect Lawn on D to be better than it was last year, and the same applies this year.

Despite obvious and consistent shortcomings, and losing $2.3 million last year, the Globe reports, Lawn on D still saw decent turnouts in 2015, and so—powered by Citizens Bank (yeah, you’ll be reading that line over and over and over again at Lawn on D this summer, thanks to a naming-rights pact this writer won’t adhere to)—the Lawn will return Saturday, May 21, for a sophomore year.

Earlier this week, Lawn on D revealed its opening weekend lineup and debuted a new website. The opening weekend events:

• A children’s festival Saturday morning.
• An after-dark event Saturday with music and dancing.
• A jazz brunch for $25 a head Sunday morning.
• And finally, on Sunday night, the Lawn’s hosting a free screening of Fever Pitch. Excuse me while I go spam my group text. #Basic #SoGood

In addition to opening weekend, the website lists a couple “open lawn” events on Memorial Day and July 4th weekends and some “Lunch on D” dates. No mention of food trucks, no humongous inflatable rabbits, no Passion Pit concerts…yet. Surely better things must be coming, but for now, bocce. And cornhole. And OMG look, you guys, giant Jenga!

Lawn on D opening weekend, Saturday and Sunday, May 21 and 22, 420 D St. in the Don’t-Call-It-SoBo District, signatureboston.com.

Lawn on D’s new website. The young woman’s laughter is powered by Citizens Bank.