January

Date: Sunday January 6, 2008, 3:30 pm - 6:00 pm, $14.00
Event:  Boston Bruins Wives' Charity Carnival
Location: TD Banknorth Garden
Annual charity event to raise money for the Cam Neely Pediatric Foundation, helping children with cancer. Tickets are made available at the box office. The playing floor and hallways of Boston Garden are filled with games for children. Clowns and performers stroll around the building.  Famous Bruin players sign autographs for a fee, but often also walk the crowds for visitors to meet. View photos of a previous event.

February

Date: Friday February 22, 2008
Event: Filene's Basement Running of the Brides
Location: Filene's Basement Original Store
Annual bridal gown sale. Shoppers queue up before the store opens at 426 Washington Street. Shoppers excitingly enter the store and grab a gown, and a barter system occurs until every bride (hopefully) finds a gown with the right style and size for their wedding. There is a list of shopping tips for this event on the Filene's Basement website.

March

Date: Sunday March 16, 2008, 1:00 pm
Event: Saint Patrick's Day Parade
Location: Broadway, South Boston
Annual parade to honor Saint Patrick. South Boston is the ethnically Irish neighborhood of the city. The parade starts at the Broadway MBTA station, and travels east on Broadway to the sea. Lots of people wearing green, and many marching bands!  The pubs fill up similar to the celebration in New York City, and the event is more appropriate for adults after the parade. This procession commemorates Evacuation Day also, when the British abandoned Boston on March 17, 1776 in the American Revolution.

April

Date: Thursday April 10, 2008
Event: Martinis, Makeovers, and a Mission Event
Location: Neiman Marcus, Copley Place
Two Women On A Mission (twoAM) charity event at Neiman Marcus to fund breast and ovarian cancer research. Neiman Marcus makovers, trunk shows, and on-stie fashion consultations will inspire the shopper and the proceeds will go to a very worthy cause.

Date: Monday April 21, 2008
Event: Boston Marathon
Location: Hopkinton to Boston's Back Bay
America's oldest annual marathon. About 20,000 runners participate in this historic 26.2 mile human foot race. The finish line is in Boston's Back Bay District. Hundreds of thousands of tourists visit the city to watch the participants cross the finish line. The race also commemorates Patriot's Day, the date when the Battle of Lexington and Concord took place in 1775.

Date: Thu-Sat April 24-26, 2008, 12:00 pm - 10:00 pm, Admission is FREE
Event:  10th Annual Boston College Arts Festival
Location: O'Neill Plaza, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Ave., Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
Info Number: 617.552.2787
The Boston College Arts Festival is offered annually to members of the Boston College community and the surrounding areas to showcase the talents of Boston College's many artists. The three day long event features art exhibitions, concerts, theatrical and dance performances, literary readings, film screenings, a craft sale, demonstrations, participatory activities, and more. On Saturday children's activities are featured which include arts & crafts, an instrument petting zoo, story hours for all age groups, and this year a special parade featuring the Boston College Marching Band. This event is free and open to the public. It is both T (Green B Line, Boston College stop) and handicapped accessible.

May

Date: Sunday May 4, 2008
Event: 40th Annual Walk For Hunger
Location: Boston, Cambridge, & Newton
Annual charity walk. Volunteers walk (up to) 20 miles from Boston to Newton via Cambridge, and then back to Boston. Funds donated by sponsoring walkers are used to reduce hunger in Massachusetts. Food pantries, soup kitchens, food banks, and food salvage programs are supported by the Project Bread Organization. The first Walk For Hunger took place in 1969. View photos of previous events. Be generous in supporting this important.

Date: Mon-Sun May 11, 2008
Event: 9th Annual Boston Bakes For Breast Cancer
Location: Finale Park Plaza, 50 Park Plaza at Arlington St., Boston, MA 02116
Info Number: 617.632.3863 (Dana Farber)
Boston Bakes for Breast Cancer began in 2000 by Carol Brownman Sneider to pay tribute to her mother, Eva Brownman, who lost her battle with breast cancer in 1973 at age 44. This event is a sweet and delicious way to raise “dough” to battle breast cancer.  More than 100 restaurants and bakeries in the Boston area will bake unique desserts the week leading up to Mother’s Day, May 5 - 11.  One hundred percent of sales from a specially selected dessert will benefit breast cancer research and care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. There will be a kick-off celebration at Finale Park Plaza on May 1, for $45.

Date: Saturday May 24, 2008, 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Event: 15th Annual Radio 92.9 Earthfest
Location: Hatch Shell
Celebrate the Earth. Find Earth friendly Green products and services. Concerts, contests, and a whole lot more.

June

Date: Sunday June 1, 2008, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Event: 19th Annual Eddie Andelman's Hot Dog Safari
Location: Suffolk Downs Race Track East Boston
Annual charity event to raise money for the Joey Fund for Cystic Fibrosis. A ticketed event to support cystic fibrosis research. Free hot dogs, drinks, and many other food items after entering Suffolk Downs. Family fun and very crowded.  Live horse racing for those who gamble.

Date: Sunday June 8, 2008, 10:00 am
Event: NSTAR's Walk for Children's Hospital Boston
Location: Hatch Shell
This event is an annual pledge walk supporting Children?s Hospital Boston. Walkers can walk 2 or 7 miles or participate virtually. It?s a day when patient families and friends come together, when employees have a chance to show their company pride and enjoy each other outside the office, it?s a time for kids to walk a mile for other kids and it?s a day when everyone contributes to the important work of Children?s Hospital.

Date: Tuesday-Thursday June 10-12, 2008
Event: 26th Annual Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl
Location: City Hall Plaza
Calling all ice cream lovers! More than 40 flavors from Ben & Jerry’s, Breyers, Brigham’s, Cold Stone Creamery, Doriti Gelati, Élan Frozen Yogurt, Edy’s Grand Ice Cream, Garelick Farms, Gifford’s, Häagen-Dazs and HP Hood will be served for three consecutive days to support cancer care and research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Admission to the Scooper Bowl is $8 for adults, $4 for children ages 3-9, and free for children who are younger. Tickets and discounts for large groups are available online until June 6. Rain or shine, the Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl is open from 11:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 10, and Thursday, June 12. Hours will be extended until 8 p.m. on Wednesday, June 11. For more information and to purchase tickets visit www.scooperbowl.org or call (800) 52-JIMMY.

Date: Saturday June 14, 2008 12:00 pm
Event: Boston Gay Pride Parade
Location: Back Bay District & Boston Common
Annual festival and parade to celebrate gay pride and public awareness. The parade winds through several streets in the Back Bay, and ends on Charles Street between Boston Common and the Public Garden.

Date: Saturday June 14, 2008
Event: 2nd Drop Mountain Bike Meet
Location: Lynn Woods Reservation
Local mountain biking clubs gather at Lynn Woods to try out new gear and have fun.

July

Date: July 4, 2008
Event: Independence Day Celebration
Location:  Hatch Shell / Charles River Esplanade
Annual Independence Day celebration. There is a free Boston Pops Orchestra concert,  and a fireworks display on the Charles River after dark. From 400,000 to 700,000 people attend the event each year. Concert visitors should arrive at the Charles River Esplanade Hatch Shell early (with a blanket or small collapsible chair) as capacity is very limited. Many people view the fireworks from the Cambridge side of the Charles River. The fireworks are set off when the Pops are playing the finale of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture.

August

Date: Thu-Sun August 14-17, 2008
Event: Madonna del Soccorso Feast
Location: North End
Annual festival to honor the ancient fishing trade, and Madonna del Soccorso (Our Lady of Help). Boston's North End is the ethnically Italian neighborhood of the city. The feast includes a religious procession through the narrow streets carrying the Madonna Statue. A traditional event dating back to 1911. There are numerous cafes and restaurants in the North End, with many street vendors around also during the feast.

Date: Thu-Fri August 14-15, 2008
Event: 7th Annual WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio Telethon, and Trophy Talk Luncheons
Location: Fenway Park (Luncheons)
Phone: 877.738.1234
Help strike out cancer by tuning in to WEEI 850-AM Sports Radio and New England Sports Network (NESN) on Aug. 14 and 15, for the 7th annual WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon. The two-day event will feature compelling stories, celebrity guests, sports panels and emotional ceremonies. Listeners and viewers will be able to make a gift online or by phone to help raise funds for adult and pediatric cancer research and care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Sports enthusiasts have two opportunities to meet their favorite stars. On Thursday Aug. 14, WEEI’s John Dennis and NESN’s Tom Caron will host Trophy Talk, a luncheon at Fenway Park. Slated to appear are Bruins legend Ray Bourque and Sox pitcher Curt Schilling. On Friday, Red Sox announcers Joe Castiglione of WEEI and NESN’s Don Orsillo, will moderate Sit Down with the Sox, featuring a panel discussion with current Red Sox players. Tickets are $75 per person for each lunch.

September

Date: Sunday September 21, 2008
Event: 12th Annual Boston Arthritis Walk
Location: Prudential Center
12th Annual Boston Arthritis Walk at the Prudential Center in Boston. A one or three mile walk for all ages that benefits arthritis research and community programs. Registration begins at 9:30 am, with the walk starting at 11:00.

Date: Sunday September 21, 2008
Event: 20th Annual Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk
Location: Hopkinton, Wellesley, or Boston College
Info Number: (866) JF-1-WALK
One in three people will face cancer in their lifetime. Change the odds by walking in the Boston Marathon® Jimmy Fund Walk, presented by Hyundai Motor America, on Sunday, Sept. 21. Participants will walk one of five routes that follow the Boston Marathon course: the full 26.2-mile marathon, the half marathon from Hopkinton to Wellesley, the half marathon from Wellesley to Boston, a 5-mile route starting at Boston College or the 3-mile Boston Walk, helping to raise more than $7.2 million for cancer research and care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Mass. All walkers starting in the Hopkinton (26.2 miles or 13.1 miles), Wellesley (13.1 miles) and Boston College (5 miles) must raise a minimum of $250 in contributions; for the 3-mile Boston Walk, the requirement is $250 for walkers age 13 and older and $100 for walkers 12 and younger.

Date: Sunday September 21, 2008
Event: Hub On Wheels
Location: City Hall Plaza
Hub on Wheels is an annual charity bicycle ride with three routes: 10, 30, and 50 miles. The city-wide ride is Boston's largest cit-sponsored sporting event. Storrow Drive will be closed off to automobile traffic to provide for a safe and fun ride for bicyclists. The ride starts at 8 am at City Hall Plaza in Boston and there will be a post ride festival. The registration fee is $45, and an additional donation is strongly suggested. All proceeds from the event go to Technology Goes Home, a non-profit organization that provides training in technology and computers to Boston families.

Date: September 25-27, 2008
Event: BeanTown Jazz Festival
Location: Back Bay, Columbus Ave. (between Mass Ave. & Burke Street)
Annual BeanTown Jazz Festival hits the streets of the South End, with multiple jazz bands, food, arts & crafts, the Target family park, plus much more!

Date: September [TBD], 2008
Event: Boston Film Festival
Location: Local Theaters
Annual showing of original language and independently produced films. Seating is limited to the theater's capacity. Special events in past festivals have included visits by famous film stars including Jeff Bridges, Nicholas Cage, Jodie Foster, and Susan Sarandon.

Date: September [TBD], 2008, 12:00 pm-6:00 pm
Event: Boston Arts Festival
Location: North End, Christopher Columbus Park
Annual display of the works of local artists. A waterfront stage is erected for local performing artists, from such companies as the Boston Ballet and Boston Lyric Opera. There is also a children's art pavilion is set up for younger visitors.

October

Date: October [TBD], 2008
Event: Boston Comedy Festival
Location: Local Comedy Clubs and Theaters
Annual contest of stand-up comedians. There is also a showing of independent films in local theaters. "Historically Funny" event.

Date: October 18-19, 2008
Event: Head of the Charles Regatta
Location: Charles River, Cambridge or Boston
Annual rowing competition on the Charles River. 7,000 rowers will participate in 24 different events over the weekend. Row-a-Palooza concerts have been added to the schedule. The first competition took place in 1965.

November

Date: November 13-16, 2008
Event: 12th Annual Boston International Fine Arts Show
Location: BCA Cyclorama, 539 Tremont St.
Enjoy fine food, delicious wine, festive music, and of course, the first choice of a dazzling array of fine art. Complimentary catalog and re-admission throughout the weekend. Valet parking available. All proceeds benefit Boston Symphony Orchestra, Inc., which operates three of the most beloved musical institutions in the country: the Boston Symphony, Boston Pops, and Tanglewood.

December

Date: Wednesday December 31, 2008
Event: First Night
Location: Back Bay & Waterfront
Annual New Years Eve celebration. Visitors purchase a button that allows entry into many performances and exhibitions. Nearly a million people visit the city for this event each year. There is an impressive fireworks display over Boston Harbor at midnight.

Please email peter@celebrateboston.com if you would like us to consider adding your annual event to this listing.