Free In-Person Special Event
11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge MA, 02138
Join the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture on the longest day of the year—free of charge—to explore the galleries and new exhibitions at the Harvard Museum of Natural History, the Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology, the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments, and the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East.
Step outdoors to enjoy live music and performers, play lawn games, and make a flower crown. Ice cream, beverages, and food will be available for purchase from food trucks. Don’t miss out on this popular event for all ages!
Sponsored by the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture. Presented in collaboration with Revels, the Office of the FAS Chief Campus Curator, Harvard University Graduate Commons Program, and Mass Cultural Council.
Free event parking will be available at the 52 Oxford Street Garage. Please note that Divinity Avenue will be closed to traffic during the event.
The Harvard Museums of Science & Culture are an 8-minute walk through historic Harvard Yard from the Harvard Square MBTA Red Line station.
In case of rain, the museums will remain open and a select number of activities will be available. Please check the HMSC website for details.
Explore the Galleries
- Experience the world-famous Glass Flowers.
- Voyage to the depths of human imagination in the exhibition, Sea Monsters: Wonders of Nature and Imagination.
- Come face-to-face with the ocean’s most famous, misunderstood megafauna in Swimming with Sharks: A Deep Dive into Shark Biology and Behavior.
- Learn how scientific instruments have influenced the development of astronomy, navigation, physics, biology, medicine, electricity, and communication in Time, Life & Matter.
- See how measurements—a human invention—compare the world to itself in the new exhibition Measuring Difference. (Presented in English and Spanish).
- Explore Castaway: The Afterlife of Plastic, a new, innovative exhibition that documents the art collective TRES’ journey along the beaches of Queensland, Western Australia, and Tasmania, where they collected and photographed debris that had washed up from places as far away as China. (Presented in English and Spanish).
- Learn how the movement of goods and ideas around the ancient Mediterranean transformed the lives and livelihoods of people at all levels of society in Mediterranean Marketplaces: Connecting the Ancient World.
- Enjoy Art of Intimidation: Journey to Ancient Assyria, an augmented-reality Snapchat lens that brings large casts of sculpted panels from the famed royal palaces of ancient Nineveh and Nimrud to life before your eyes.
Enjoy Outdoor Activities
- Make your own summer crown with fresh flowers and greens to wear during the event. 5:00–7:00 pm or until supplies last.
- Marvel at circus performers, play lawn games, and enjoy live music.
- Purchase tasty treats and beverages from event food trucks and vendors.
- Enter the free Solstice Raffle for a chance to win HMSC museum memberships and special gifts from the museum shop.
ACTIVITIES
Location: 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge
Activities are appropriate for all ages.
Flower Crowns
5:00–7:00 pm
Design a summer crown with seasonal flowers, garden greens, and ribbons (while supplies last). Watch for a pop-up performance by Duncan Dance at around 5:15!
Community Chalking
5:00–8:00 pm
Participate in a community chalking project led by Cambridge-based artist Ponnapa Gift Prakkamakul. All ages are welcome to chalk along Divinity Avenue.
Lawn Games
5:00–8:00 pm
Participate in friendly competition and outdoor fun! Try your hand at cornhole, test your aim with flingball, shoot your shot in basketpong, or go head-to-head in a giant game of Connect 4. Whether you’re in it to win it or just here for the laughs, it’s game on!
Explore Scientific Instruments
5:00–8:00 pm
Make your own model of a classic navigation tool and discover how ancient sailors used the sun and stars to find their way. Examine objects from the collection with fellows from the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments (CHSI).
Solstice Raffle
5:00–8:30 pm
Stop by the HMSC Information Booth to enter a free raffle for museum memberships and gifts.
Shopping
5:00–9:00 pm
Stop by the museum shop at the Harvard Museum of Natural History and take home a memento from your visit.
PERFORMANCES
Time: 5:00–8:45 pm
Location: 7 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge
5:00 pm until sunset
Pop-Up Performances
Stilt walkers, jugglers, and acrobats will be performing throughout the event.
5:15 pm
Circus Arts Feature Show
In this annual tradition at the Summer Solstice Celebration, artists from Off the Ground Circus Arts will stage a daring performance of circus arts and acrobatics.
6:00-6:15 pm
Revels’ Procession of the Summer Sun
Join a procession of puppets, dancers, and musicians, along Divinity Avenue, presented by Cambridge-based theater and musical group Revels, and featuring the artistry of the Puppeteers’ Cooperative. The procession follows a kick-off on the Divinity Avenue Stage, featuring Duncan Dance.
6:15-6:45 pm
Contra Dancing
Sing with Revels songleader David Coffin, and follow dance caller Don Veino and the Here on the Hill Band, as they teach contra dancing–a style rooted in English, Scottish, and French country dances.
6:45-7:15 pm
Haitian Folkloric Dancing
Move with joy in this dance workshop led by Jean Appolon Expressions—a Roxbury, MA based dance organization that celebrates Haitian culture, traditions, and history. Presented by Revels.
7:15-7:30
Salvadoran Dancing
Enjoy a performance by Grupo Torogoz, a Chelsea, MA cultural organization that celebrates and showcases the rich culture of El Salvador through theater and dance. Presented by Revels.
7:45 pm
Dance to, or simply enjoy, a selection of funk, soul, R&B, Motown, and pop songs played by PK and the Mighty Seven, a nine-piece band based in Boston. This will be a fun party featuring melodies from the 1960s to the present.
8:20 pm
Solstice Countdown
Celebrate the official start of the summer season—count down the final minutes of the longest day of the year!
REFRESHMENTS
Time: 5:00 pm until sunset
Location: 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge
Ben & Jerry’s ice cream
Bon Me pan-Asian delights
Naco Taco Mexican treats
Roxy’s Grilled Cheese sandwiches
Zaaki Mediterranean cuisine
