What’s New in BostonUSA?

What’s New in BostonUSA? is produced by the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau: Larry Meehan, VP,  Media Relations & Tourism Sales Tel: 617- 867-8231, e-mail: lmeehan@bostonusa.com Stacy Shreffler, Media Relations & Tourism Sales Manager, Tel: 617-867-8203 / email: sshreffler@BostonUSA.com; www.BostonUSA.com is Boston’s Official Visitor Information website. The GBCVB is proud to be partners with the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism, MASSPORT, Discover New England, Boston Mayor’s Office of Arts, Tourism & Special Events, & the Cambridge Office for Tourism.   BostonUSA Useful Links for Media, Tour & Meeting Planners: The Press Room of Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau: Press Room For BostonUSA events 2008 Events at a Glance    May 7, 2008 Edition

.Contents

1. Summer 2008 News:  now online What's New July 4th and Boston Harborfest 2008 Press Pack

2. Food & Wine: Brasserie Jo’s 10th!; New England Culinary escorted tours; Taste of Cambridge; Summer Restaurant  Week 2008 in 12 weeks! (August 10-15 & 17-22, 2008)

3. BostonUSA Green Visitor program : One Week Visitor Pass & Tanglewood Roundtrip Boston coach 

4. Sports: Patriots 2008 Season announced; Lacrosse Championships; Suffolk Downs; Boston Lobsters

5. Hollywood In BostonUSA this Summer: 10+ films underway; In town: Martin Scorsese, Mel Gibson, Brad Pitt

6. Performing Arts: new ‘Showcase Live! Facility at Gillette Stadium’s Patriot Place; Neil Diamond @ Fenway Park!

7. Gay Visitor news: The 2008 Boston Pride Parade Celebrity Marshal for 2008 is Will & Grace’s Leslie Jordan

8. Museums Exhibition news: Opening this fall “Karsh 100: A Biography in Images” at Boston Museum of Fine Arts; Renzo Piano renovation of Fogg building initiated, Sackler to display key artwork     
9. Boston & Cambridge Festivals : 35^th Festival Betances heritage of the Boston Latin community with music & food!  

10. Tours & Trails: New Cambridge online downloadable tour; new luxury dinner ship in Boston

11. Hotel & hotel package News: “Baseball” Freedom Trail 50! El Greco College Visit hotel packages & new hotels

12. Holiday Season 2008 highlights: Faneuil Hall Lighting, Shopping Season Biggest Ever starts Nov 28, 2008

13. Tall Ship Visits 2008 & 2009 News: French Ship ‘Belem’ & Uruguay Ship ‘Capitan Miranda’  in June

14. Air /Rail/Coach Service news: Acela train added;  AirOne Milan - Boston ;BoltBus; Helsinki-Boston service

15. BostonUSA Cruise Season 2008: Posting a 20% increase over 2007, the 2008 Boston cruse season is underway.

16. New Planning Links for Tour Planners; New BostonUSA online CityBreaks  Planner launched

1. Summer 2008 News: Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau has created extensive Summer information for media, tour planners, & consumers: for media click to view: What’s New This Summer in BostonUSA and specifically for July 4th click to view: What's New July 4th and Boston Harborfest 2008 Press Pack. For consumers

We have posted an-easy-to-read click to view: 2008 Summer Preview. Consumers can print the new 12-page “Summer In The City” color brochure from the click here www.BostonUSA.com home page---or call toll-free (in North America 1-888-733-2678--or e mail us at visitus@BostonUSA.com ---and we’ll mail the printed brochure. Please note that our two discount programs-the Summer 2008 ‘BostonUSA Specials Card’ and the Summer 2008 ‘Family Friendly ValuePass” contain more offers than ever before-and are free by emailing or calling us. Many special summer hotel packages available (see # 11) many more to follow on www.BostonUSA.com!

2. Food & Wine: The Colonnade Hotel Boston’s Brasserie Jo is celebrating its tenth birthday during the entire month of May with daily specials: Sunday Brunch for $19.98 per person (in honor of the year Brasserie JO first opened) and a complimentary cupcake station, Mondays: Chef station with complimentary crepes made to order, Tuesdays: $1.00 desserts, Wednesdays: Complimentary cheese course, Thursdays: $1.00 bar menu and $10.00 entrees, Fridays and Saturdays: special regional pairing menus for $19.98 per person, select wine list of 10 wines from 1998, wear a beret anytime throughout the month and receive a free gift card, all martinis are $10.00 throughout the month, and enter to win a trip to Paris - no purchase necessary. For more information or to make reservations, visit Brasserie JO…. Tour Trends/Sugar Tours has announced a series of 4 New England Culinary tours that begin in Newport & feature Boston (click to view: Culinary Adventures through New England …. The Colorado-based Globus Gateway tour company has announced an 8-day Culinary New England tour that begins in Boston (click to view:  Culinary New England - Food & Wine Vacation by Globus  ) ….This year’s “Taste of Cambridge” (June 19, 2008) will attract 2,000 to the outdoor courtyard at Technology Square, Cambridge from 5:30 - 8:30 pm…12 Weeks! The Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau and American Express present Summer Restaurant Week Boston August 10-15 & 17-22, 2008  The offer is incredible: 3-course lunches for $20.08 and/or 3-course dinners for $33.08 at more than 200 restaurants in Boston, Cambridge, the suburbs and beyond.  The www.BostonUSA.com/restaurantweek website with complete restaurant list, menus and reservations will online in early July. Soon to be announced: Restaurant Week Summer hotel packages. Lots more BostonUSA food & Wine events & tours Click to view: Culinary Events & Tours

3. BostonUSA Green Visitor program : One Week Visitor Pass & Tanglewood roundtrip Boston coach 

Visitors to Boston go gas-free during their summer visit: Take the Tanglewood coach from Boston to Tanglewood for Friday - and Saturday-night concerts this summer for just $30 round trip (₤ 15.2-- € 19.4!) . The Tanglewood coach  departs from Symphony Hall (easily accessible from hotels) at 4:30pm and makes a stop at the Riverside Train Station at 5pm. For further information, please call 888-266-1200.click  to view: more > …For British, European & Canadian visitors to Boston this summer using the extensive public transit one week “T”  pass which connects hotels, airport , attractions, shops, and parks could be the best bargain in the USA. At $15.00 USD- - ₤ 7.6-- € 9.7-- $15.02 CAD-- the Boston one-week “T” Pass provides unlimited travel on their subway, locus, bus, inner harbor ferry. To make the purchase even more convenient for arriving international visitors Boston Logan International Terminal has installed a “T”  Pass vending machine (all major credit cards can be used)  - and the one-week pass includes the 12-minute trip from the airport to downtown on the new Silver Line coach! Boston’s “T” web site now features interactive maps and a very useful ‘trip planner’: Click here for more information.

4. Sports: Patriots 2008 Season announced: The 2008 home season at Gillette Stadium begins Sept. 7 & concludes on Dec. 28: click to view  Official New England Patriots - Game Reports - Schedule…  Click to view: MAJOR LEAGUE LACROSSE ANNOUNCES 2008 SCHEDULE: The 2009 NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championships will return to Gillette Stadium in 2009. The 2008 championships, to be held May 24-26, 2008, were previously awarded to Harvard University (host) and Gillette Stadium (venue). Click to view: Gilette Stadium Awarded 2009 NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championships:  The 2008 Suffolk Downs (Horse racing) Season begins May 3 and continues through November 8, 2008. This year many new visitor programs (including a visiting chefs program) click here:  - Live Racing Season;  Family Fun Days;  Eddie Andelman's 19th Annual Hot Dog Safari;  Summer Twilight Racing Fridays . The 2008 Boston Lobsters (tennis) home games will be presented at the Ferncroft Country Club; first home match is July 7,  2008  Schedule: www.bostonlobsters.net... More sports events details visit Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau sports mini-site: Sports Preview

5. Hollywood In BostonUSA this Summer: ten + films underway in Massachusetts! Martin Scorsese Boston-set-and-filmed movie “Ashecliffe” (with Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, and Ben Kinsley); “The Surrogates” the Disney movie  (starring Bruce Willis); "The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past," (stars Jennifer Garner & Matthew McConaughey, Anne Archer, Michael Douglas, Emma Stone, and Lacey Chabert); in Lowell underway is "This Side of the Truth,"  (Jennifer Garner, Rob Lowe, Jeffrey Tambor, Jonah Hill, and John Hodgman); "Mall Cop" (Kevin James, Keir O'Donnell ,Shirley Knight, Raini Rodriguez, Stephen Rannazzisi & Adam Ferrara.)  Soon to film:  "Bride Wars," ( Kate Hudson, Anne Hathaway) "Sexual Healing," (James Gandolfini and Jesse L. Martin);  "The Proposal," ( starring Sandra Bullock & Ryan Reynolds)….In August Mel Gibson to film “ Edge of Darkness”.. Late this summer/fall "The Fighter,” (starring Mark Wahlberg & Brad Pitt)..

6. Performing Arts BostonUSA: The new 500-seat ‘Showcase Live! Performing space at Gillette Stadium’s Patriot Place opens in August ….Neil Diamond has been added to Boston’s record-breaking summer performing arts season - Diamond will perform at Fenway Park! (August 23) . This summer features major concerts by Celine Dion (Aug. 12), Kenny Chesney (July 26) , Roger Waters (July 9), Natalie Grant (July 25-26), Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers (June 13) , Dave Brubeck (June 13 & 14), Jethro Tull 40^th Anniversary Tour (Aug. 4)…. …. We have posted four 2008-2009 arts seasons in our press room;  Huntington Theatre Company's 2008-2009 Season Program, Opera Boston 2008-2009 Season Program, Handel and Haydn Society 2008-2009 Season Program, Boston Ballet 2008-2009 Season Program… The comprehensive 2008-2009 BostonUSA Performing Arts ‘click-to- view’ document will be posted on May 15 and announcement will be sent to all “What’s New in BostonUSA?” recipients.

7. Gay Visitor news: The 2008 Boston Pride Parade is set for June 14, 2008; Boston Pride’s Celebrity Marshal for 2008 is Leslie Jordan, the Emmy Award-winning actor, best known for his role as Beverley Leslie on "Will & Grace." Theme of Pride Week is  “Sustaining Our Community, Conserving Our World.” click to view: www.bostonpride.org/festival.

 

8. Museums Exhibition news: Opening this fall: “Karsh 100: A Biography in Images” at Boston Museum of Fine Arts; Renzo Piano renovation of Fogg building initiated , Sackler to display  key artworks     
In celebration of the 100th birthday of renowned photographer Yousuf Karsh (1908-2002), the Boston Museum of Fine arts  will host its September 23, 2008 - January 18, 2009 exhibition of the great portraitist's work; among his most famous iconic images in the exhibition: are ones he made of Winston Churchill (1941), Albert Einstein (1948), Pablo Picasso (1954), Georgia O'Keeffe (1956), Ernest Hemingway (1957), Jacqueline and John F. Kennedy (1960), Sophia Loren (1981), and Jessye Norman (1990). .. Goose Bumps! The Science of Fear opening Oct. 12, 2008 at Museum of Science Boston is a 6,000 sq ft  traveling exhibition featuring experiential and holistic view of fear science, examining the physiological, neurobiological and sociological aspects of fear. The exhibits will rate their response of visitors to fear-and explain the science behind the emotion and reflect upon its personal meaning. ..Harvard Art Museum (formerly the Harvard University Art Museums) comprised of the Fogg Museum, Busch Reisinger Museum, Sackler Museum, & 4 research centers initiates its Renzo Piano (architect) renovation program on June 30 with the closure of the Fogg building. Key  Fogg artworks will go on display at the Sackler building at 485 Broadway…details & more exhibitions click to view: Museum Exhibitions  2008-2009

9. Explore Boston & Cambridge Festivals & Celebrations: the 35^th Festival Betances July 18-20, 2008 celebrates the heritage of the Boston Latin community . This year three performance days: Fri. ‘Noche de Bohemia’ (Music of the Old Guard) Sat. International Day - 4-1/2 hours of free music from Peru, Mexico, Brazil, Columbia; on Sun. Puerto Rico Heritage Day - 4 hours of music!. Presented in Villa Victoria in Boston’s South End many food options . May is Asia Pacific Heritage Month (click to view) & Jewish American Heritage Month (click to view) . For comprehensive calendar & links click here: Explore Multicultural Events at a Glance 2008

10. Tours & Trails: New Cambridge downloadable tour; new luxury dinner ship in Boston

Cambridge Office for Tourism new downloadable walking tour is now available: visit their site  www.cambridge-usa.org The new audio and video walking tour offers a modern twist through Cambridge’s old walkways and distinct social fabric. Beginning & ending in Harvard Square, the tour offers visitors a first hand look at the people, sights and sounds that make Cambridge so unique.  The tour is available online as a virtual tour, or is downloadable to MP3 players, Windows mobile devices, and rental devices….New  180-foot $8 million 3-diamond 600-passenger luxury dining yacht Yacht Starship Cruises begins daily service May 30,2008  from Boston’s CruisePort Terminal at 660 Summer Street. Details on all tours  www.BostonUSA.com

11. Hotel & hotel package News: The Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau is happy to announce a special $79-$229 room & breakfast-for-two spring lodging promotion, through June 20, 2008; on June 21 the ‘Summer Specials’ promotion begins-visit www.BostonUSA.com ..Several Boston area hotels are offering “Baseball” hotel packages this summer in celebration of the Museum of Science “Baseball” exhibition (500 artifacts from Cooperstown Hall of Fame) & the World Series champs Red Sox. Click here for Baseball As America Hotel Packages. The Omni Parker House, the Boston Marriott Long Wharf, & the Hotel Commonwealth are offering room + Red Sox ticket (or Fenway Park Tour tickets) packages….Nine Boston hotels have created “Freedom Trail 50!” hotel packages: Come celebrate 50 historic years of the Freedom Trail and enjoy one or many of the special 50 events scheduled throughout the year. Click here for a list of 50th Anniversary Freedom Trail Hotel Packages. Lot’s more options this summer for visitors- College Visit Hotel Packages" … El Greco to Velázquez" Hotel Packages … What’s Next? Restaurant Week Summer (August 10-15 & August 17-22, 2008) hotel packages. ….Next new hotels to open? Regent Battery Wharf on Boston waterfront & the Mandarin Oriental on Boylston Street in the Back Bay. Most recently re-opened following extensive renovation - the former Radisson Cambridge is now the 203-room Courtyard by Marriott Boston-Cambridge at 777 Memorial Drive Cambridge. All rooms feature panoramic views of the Boston skyline, Cambridge, or the Charles River…. Click to view: What's New In BostonUSA: New & Renovated Hotels

12. Boston’s Holiday Season 2008 highlights : The Boston 2008 Holiday Season begins with the Boston Christmas Festival at the World Trade Center, & the 49^th Ellis Antiques Show Boston Park Plaza Castle November 1-2; the Faneuil Hall Lighting Ceremony, November 15; Merry Tuba Christmas, Faneuil Hall, November 29; the Boston Common Holiday Lighting, December 2; the Boston Ballet Nutcracker nightly performances on November 28; the 34^th Holiday Pops at Boston Symphony December 8 - 31, 2008 & FIRST NIGHT 2009 on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2008…Boston’s 5-month Shopping Season 2008 begins on Friday November 28, 2008 (Super Friday-the day after the American Thanksgiving Day) when shops extend their hours from early morning to late night through  New Year's Day 2009 (Thursday). Sales continue through March 29, 2009 with major shopping sales during the Dec 26-Dec. 31 period, ; the Martin Luther King, Jr. Weekend Jan. 16-19; Valentine's Weekend- Presidents'  Weekend Feb 13-16; Presidents/School Vacation Week Feb. 16-22,: St. Patrick's Weekend March 13-15-17, 2009.

13. Tall Ship Visits 2008 & 2009 News: Boston will host two Tall Ship visits this June: the 4-day June 19-22 visit of the French Ship ‘Belem’ at the Rowes Wharf  at Boston Harbor Hotel, and the  and the 5-day June 18-22 visit of the Uruguay Ship ‘Capitan Miranda’ at the Seaport World Trade Center pier. The major  2009  July 8-13, 2009 Tall Ships event now 14 months away - this will be Boston’s biggest Tall Ships event. The Sail Boston web site is now expanded, featuring maps, links & information: Visit www.sailboston.com .

14. Air /Rail/Coach Service news : On May 12 another Monday-Friday southbound Acela train will be added with 12:15pm departure from Boston …AirOne Italy's 2nd largest carrier; AirOne will offer 5 flights weekly Milan - Boston beginning Saturday, June 14, 2008….JetBlue will offer new daily non-stop New Orleans-Boston service today (May 1, 2008) … More $1.00-$14.00 one-way fare New York City -Boston coach service: BoltBus,  the new joint venture between and Greyhound & Peter Pan Bus Lines has launched low-cost daily non-stop 4-1/2-hour one way coach service from Penn Station to Boston’s downtown South Station. MegaBus will offer the low price service beginning on May 30, 2008.Each will offer ten trips daily. … Finnair will begin nonstop summer flights to Boston from Helsinki  three times a week June 12 to September 9, 2008.

15. BostonUSA Cruise Season 2008 : Posting a 20% increase over 2007 the 2008 Boston cruse season is underway. 116 ships carrying an estimated 280,000 travelers are scheduled, featuring 15 cruise lines with  Canada/New England, Bermuda, Caribbean, and trans-Atlantic itineraries. Beginning in May, Cruiseport Boston will be the homeport for Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Dream. She replaces Norwegian Majesty, a 1,500 passenger vessel which began calling the Port of Boston in 1994. Norwegian Dream, a 1,750-passenger ship will cruise weekly to Bermuda. She will also embark on a series of seven-day Canada/New England cruises. Cruiseport Boston  welcomes back Royal Caribbean’s Jewel of the Seas for an assortment of Canada/ New England and Caribbean cruises. Boston has been the homeport for 2,501- passenger Jewel of the Seas since her launch in 2004. New this season will be an inaugural visit by Holland America’s newest ship 2,104-passenger. Eurodam. Cunard Line’s 1,778- passenger QE2 will make a final visit to Boston on her “Autumn Colors” cruise before she becomes a floating luxury hotel in Dubai.

16. New Planning Links for Tour Planners ; New BostonUSA online CityBreaks  Planner launched

NEW for Tour planners: Online hotel, group attraction & receptive contacts: 

Click to view: BostonUSA CityBreaks Planner

Click to view: Hotel EDirectory 2008 Group Tour Sales Contacts

Click to view: BostonUSA Group Tour and Attractions Contacts for Tour Planners
Click to view: BostonUSA Receptive Network

Click to view: “BostonUSA 25” Car-free, Gas-free Day Trips for CityBreak Visitors