Waterfront Wellness Week is Back! Here are 7 Events You Won’t Want to Miss.

As spring rolls into summer, locals and visitors alike head to Boston’s beautiful waterfront for its welcoming mix of scenery, relaxation, and outdoor activities. And for the third year in a row, Bostonians have one more reason to enjoy it: Waterfront Wellness Week, an annual event series presented by the Coalition for a Resilient and Inclusive Waterfront. From Saturday, June 15, through Monday, June 24, the 10-day series will once again feature neighborhood-oriented activities and events, allowing everyone to enjoy the waterfront’s natural beauty and experience how it benefits the mind, body and soul.

The Coalition—a group of 60 local nonprofits, advocacy organizations, and cultural institutions—focuses on access, inclusivity, resilience, economic vitality, and public health for Boston’s harbor, islands, and rivers. Their goal is to ensure all Bostonians feel free and comfortable using the waterfront to socialize, sit, walk, run, sail, eat, stretch, and unwind.

And that mission extends to Waterfront Wellness Week. “Our aim is to highlight the many different avenues of wellness associated with being near or on public waterfronts,” says Ian Karby, Coalition health and wellness senior advisor. “By spotlighting the events of Waterfront Wellness Week, our hope is that everyone will find something that interests them and gives them a new reason to appreciate the unique and beautiful natural resources of the waterfronts in our city.”

During Waterfront Wellness Week, you can enjoy an array of planned activities—from outdoor yoga and fitness classes to mindfulness programming and community celebrations. The full lineup of events can be found on the Coalition’s website here, but if you’re wondering where to start, we’ve pulled out a few of the not-to-miss events hosted by Coalition partners to explore the blue and green spaces across Boston.

Juneteenth Joy Celebration

Head to the Francis D. Martini Memorial Shell Park and Moynihan Recreation Area along the Neponset River on Saturday, June 15, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., for Juneteenth Joy Celebration. This lively, family-friendly event, hosted by Coalition partners West Fairmount Hill Community Group and The Forum for Racial Equity, will feature A Color guard by The 54 Regiment Enactors, dancing and exercise classes, a kids’ play station, canoeing on the Neponset River, local food trucks, a red velvet cake and a collard greens contest, and shopping and giveaways. Masters of ceremony will be City Councilors Ruthzee Louijeune and Enrique Pepen. There will also be the unveiling of the traveling Living Histories of Color exhibit. More information can be found here.

Juneteenth Celebration at the ICA

On Wednesday, June 19 the Institute of Contemporary Art offers free admission, including free water shuttle service to the ICA Watershed. Timed tickets are required for the water shuttle and will be available to reserve beginning on Tuesday, June 18 at 10 AM.

Story Time in the Windermere Garden

Join The Trustees for a monthly series of story time in the beautiful Windermere Community Garden for young children and their families! During this time, Trustees staff will read picture books related to gardening, and program participants will meet new friends and have a chance to explore the plants growing in the garden. Free and open to all families with children—intended for ages 0-5 and their caregivers. The Windermere Garden is located at 9 Windermere Street in Uphams Corner. Pre-register for weather related updates.

Voices of the Waterfront & Yoga at the Aquarium

On Friday, June 21st perfect your fish pose and embark on an underwater exploration at the New England Aquarium. Coalition-created Voices of the Waterfront is a free exhibit, with 27 eye-catching, large-scale panels, wrapping the Aquarium’s exterior along Central Wharf. The panels include photos that showcase the creative ways people and organizations are accessing Boston’s waterfront and area waterways. And while you’re there, you can attend a yoga class at 8 a.m. to stretch and unwind in a unique atmosphere.

Java with Jimmy on Spectacle Island

On Saturday, June 22, James Hills, host of the popular talk show Java with Jimmy, will kick off the summer by leading a group via ferry to Spectacle Island. The event is a great way for participants to meet people from throughout the city and explore all that the island has to offer.

“We’ve partnered with the coalition for the past two years, highlighting the importance of climate equity, water safety, and the health benefits of equitable use of the waterfront. Now, for the third year of our partnership, Java With Jimmy on the Waterfront is going on the water to Spectacle Island!”

TACC: Savor the Square – Roxbury Family Celebration

Also scheduled for June 22 is the Roxbury Family Celebration at the Roxbury Branch of the Boston Public Library, one of seven monthly themed events presented by Savor the Square, a culturally inspired economic development initiative by The American City Coalition (TACC). With free entertainment, food, and fun, Savor the Square is a way of reimagining the Heart and Soul of Roxbury as a destination for residents and visitors alike. The event is hosted by Coalition partner TACC.

Boston Running Collaborative Youth Track Meet

Developed by the B.A.A., the Boston Running Collaborative (BRC) is comprised of organizations and individuals committed to building a diverse Boston running community, improving health and wellness, and expanding access to running and walking in Boston with a focus on communities of color.

On June 24, the BRC will host the Youth Track Meet at Moakley Park, the first of the Youth Development Meets that take place throughout the summer. Kids ages 4 to 14 can take part in this free meet, and all abilities are welcome.

Registration for the event will open at 5 p.m., and the meet will begin at 5:45 p.m. Participants are grouped by age and gender, and kids can join as many races as they would like. All participants will win a ribbon after each event.

To learn more about Waterfront Wellness Week and for a full list of activities, visit the Coalition’s website.

This is a paid partnership between The Coalition for a Resilient and Inclusive Waterfront and Boston Magazine