The Harvard Museums Are Hosting a Solstice Party

Photo by Jeffrey Blackwell

While the rain is doing its best to make us forget about short sleeves, long walks, al fresco dinners, and basically all things that are good and happy, it can’t hold off the inevitable: Summer is coming, albeit tardily. In fact, this Friday—the summer solstice—Boston is due to get a whopping 15.7 hours of sweet, sweet day.

Looking for a way to fill every last minute of that precious daylight? The Harvard Museums of Science and Culture have a few ideas. To honor the longest day of the year, the museums will host a free summer solstice celebration on Friday from 5-9 p.m., complete with raffles, crafts, food trucks and “fire tattoos.”

Kick off your midsummer revelry with a dose of culture at the museums themselves—admission to the Harvard Museum of Natural History, the Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology, the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments, and the Harvard Semitic Museum will be free from 5-9 p.m., giving you plenty of time to wander. Outside, you’ll be able to  watch some “fire jumping” and circus performances, meet and greet with some furry friends at a petting zoo, and partake in some summery crafts (those aforementioned tattoos, and, yes, flower crowns). The soundtrack of the event will be a medley of international performances, from Greek melodies to flamenco to Celtic folk music. The Ben & Jerry’s, Bon Me, Tenoch, and Zaaki food trucks will also be onsite to curb your appetite.

And if the weather decides not to cooperate after all? The celebration (except for the food trucks) will move into the Museum of Natural History’s Geological Lecture Hall. A little rain can’t stymie the solstice.

Free, Friday, June 21, 5-9 p.m., 11 Divinity Ave., Cambridge, harvard.edu.