Boston’s Black History Month Guide: Where to Shop, Learn, and Celebrate 🗣️🖤

Here’s how Boston is Commemorating Black History Month: Black Heritage Trail, Black-Owned Bookstore, and Other Events! (Jan 27th to Feb 2nd, 2025)

Boston’s Black History Month Guide: Where to Shop, Learn, and Celebrate 🗣️🖤
Foreground image of "Ain't No Mo" Broadway show cast member and background image of Grace by Nia.

WHAT'S POPPIN'

This Is How Boston is Commemorating Black History Month in the City 🎉✨

Black-Owned Business Market shown left and "Ain't No Mo" cast shown right.

What's Going On? - Feb 1st marks the start of Black History Month in Boston. The city comes alive with events, performances, and exhibitions honoring Black history, culture, and contributions.

Black History in Boston - Boston has a long and impactful Black history, from the fight against slavery to the Civil Rights Movement and beyond. The city was home to key abolitionists like Frederick Douglass and William Cooper Nell, and sites like the African Meeting House—America’s oldest Black church—continue to share these stories today. In the 20th century, neighborhoods like Roxbury became cultural and political hubs, fostering jazz legends, civil rights activism, and Black entrepreneurship.

5 Local Picks For Black History Month:

Black Heritage Trail 👞

Explore the 1.5-mile-long trail linking sites that explore the trials of the free black community from the late 1700s through the 1800s in Beacon Hill. These pivotal residents and activists were leaders in the Abolition Movement, the Underground Railroad, the Civil War, and the early struggle for equal rights and education. This location also includes the Museum of African American History and African Meeting House which is free to the public.

When:

  • Self-guided: Anytime
  • African Americans Patriots® Guided Tour: Buy Tickets

Where: 46 Joy St, Beacon Hill

Ain't No Mo Broadway Show 🎤😍

This 2023 Tony Nominee for Best Play dares to ask the incendiary question, ‘What if the U.S. government offered Black Americans one-way plane tickets to Africa?’ The answer is this high-octane comedy. The play moves through “the turbulent skies of being Black in today’s America,” and blends “sketch, satire, avant-garde theater and a dose of drag.”

$25 to $85 per ticket

When: On-Going Show Till February 8th | See Times

Where: SpeakEasy Stage Company, 527 Tremont Street, Boston

Learn More

Black-Owned Business Marketplace 🛍️

Celebrate Black History Month by supporting Black-Owned Businesses. Explore unique, hand-crafted gifts, bags, jewelry, and more from 16+ vendors!

Free

When: 2-day Event

  • Friday, February 7th | 12pm to 7pm
  • Saturday, February 8th | 11am to 7pm

Where: 1 Brattle Square, Harvard Square, Cambridge

Visit Website

Black Owned Bos. 👗

Rooted in community impact, Black Owned Bos. operates as a mission-driven, for-profit business committed to empowering black entrepreneurs. Shop their in-person retail store and online shop.

Online Shop

In-Person Retail Store:

When: Open Every Thursday to Sunday | 11am to 6pm

Where: 623 Tremont St, South End, Boston

Learn More

Grace By Nia 🎺

Owned by a Roxbury native and community leader, Grace By Nia is a black-owned supper and jazz club. They offer a soul-inspired menu, an intimate stage for live music, and a gorgeous cocktail lounge.

See Menu Prices

When: Open Every Wednesday to Sunday | Time Varies

Where: One Seaport, 60 Seaport Blvd, Boston

Learn More

Grace By Nia's unique upscale soul-inspired supper and jazz music club.

HIDDEN GEM

Boston’s Black-Owned Community Bookstore 📚

Boston's sole Black-owned bookstore improving access to literacy in the community.

💝 What Is It? - Frugal Bookstore is an affordable community bookstore located in Roxbury with a passion for promoting literacy among local youth and adults. Frugal has played a key role in diversifying the selection of children’s books in Boston Public Schools and offers the widest range of in-store Black literature in the Boston area.

📖 Supporting Local Black Authors - A visitor once described Frugal Bookstore as the “only store in Boston where you can find books written by and for Black people.” Beyond its shelves, the bookstore serves as a vibrant community space, hosting events like book readings and poetry slams that foster connections between Black writers, their stories, and the local community.

🚶 Getting There -Conveniently located in Nubian Square Market, Frugal Bookstore is easily accessible by public transit. Simply take the 1 bus for a direct route. Parking is also easy to find for those driving.

Frugal Bookstore 📚🤓

Visit Website

When: Open Everyday, Closed Sundays | 10am to 6pm

Where: 57 Warren St, Nubian Square, Roxbury


THIS WEEKEND

Harvard Art Museum at Night left, Boston Cocktail Challenge right.

Harvard Art Museum at Night 🖼️

Wander over 50 galleries, as well as enjoy a live DJ, snacks, beverages, and network with locals.

Free

When; Thursday, January 30th | 5pm to 9pm

Where: Harvard Art Museums, 32 Quincy Street, Cambridge

Boston Cocktail Mocktail Challenge 🍸

Gather your friends and enjoy a vibrant day of sipping, sampling, and celebrating the best in cocktails, mocktails, ready-to-drink (RTD) creations, and more.

$15 Per Ticket

When: Saturday, February 1st | 1pm to 8pm

Where: Time Out Market, 401 Park Dr, Fenway

How Bazaar Vintage Market 🛍️

50 small local businesses are selling all kinds of wicked weird & witchy wares! Enjoy a sensational selection of boldly bizarre vintage goods & mystically magical antiques.

Free Entry

When: All Weekend, February 1st & 2nd | 11am to 6pm

Where: The Charles River Speedway, 525 Western Ave, Boston

WINTERACTIVE Walkable Art Experience 🎉

Enjoy a free, walkable art experience featuring more than 15 artworks and interactive play elements as you stroll the streets of Downtown Boston.

Free

When: January 15th to March 30th | All Day

Where: Winthrop Center, 115 Federal Street, Boston

During Black History Month, we honor the efforts and accomplishments of African Americans in all walks of life and make a commitment to keep pushing for a more inclusive future.


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