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Best Last-Minute Summer Activities For Families In Boston

When most people think of summer fun they don't necessarily think of Boston, but those who live in that great city know that there is a lot of summer fun to be had on its streets, on its waters and in its surrounding towns. Boston has all of the drive-in movie theaters, mini-golf courses, water parks, festivals and many other things Americans associate with summer. It also offers some of the finest sport fishing in the world, as well as well as many other delights to help make summer fun and memorable, right up to the last minute.

Mendon Twin Drive-In
(Photo Credit: Mendon Twin Drive-In)

Mendon Twin Drive-In
35 Milford Street
Mendon, MA 01756
(508) 473-4958
www.mendondrivein.com

Drive-in movies were a big part of summer back in the '50s, '60s and early '70s, and while most have gone out of business a few still remain, including the Mendon Twin Drive-In in the Boston suburb of the same name.  This is no ageing, antiquated dinosaur of a by-gone era.  The Mendon Twin is over 60 years old, but is still going strong thanks to digital and audio equipment upgrades, new screens, and a modern snack bar whose menu is so good that some fans admit coming there as much for the food as for the films.  The Mendon Twin shows four films a night, with a double-feature on each of its two massive screens.  Open seven nights a week from Memorial Day through Labor Day, the Mendon Twin is a summer treat for families, for young couples, and for couples still young at heart.

BostonFest
The Lawn on D
420 D Street
Boston, MA 02210
www.bostinno.streetwise.co

Date: Wednesday, August 9, 2017 from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m.

Boston is a city of many festivals, and one of the coolest in the summer is BostonFest, a street festival of music and more which takes place on D Street on August 9.  With live music, food trucks and a party atmosphere, BostonFest is a 21 or older event for young professionals in or seeking to break in to the tech industry.  Local firms on the cutting edge show off their best ideas as they compete for the title of "coolest company," and there are lawn games, activities, food and beer tastings and more to keep the party going.

Boston Fishing Charters LLC
(Photo Credit: Boston Fishing Charters LLC)

Boston Harbor Fishing Charters
Boston Harbor
Boston, MA 02180
(781) 400-0400
www.bostonfishingcharters.com

Although Boston is a harbor city, many of its citizens and visitors rarely go on the water - and there is a lot of water around Boston on which to go.  One of the most exciting things to do on that water is to go fishing, and not by sitting passively on a dock in the bay but by going out in a fast boat to actively fish for shark, tuna, flounder, cod, striped bass and more.  There are a lot of fishing boats available for charter in Boston, and Boston Harbor Fishing Charters puts sport and pleasure fishermen together with some of the finest and most experienced master anglers and charter captains in the business.  Most offer package deals for groups of up to six or more, which makes chartering a fishing boat a great way for a family, group of friends or co-workers to cap off their summer.

Related: A Guide To Charter Fishing Trips In Boston

CoCo Key
(Image Credit: CoCo Key)

CoCo Key Water Park
50 Ferncroft Road
Danvers, MA 01923
(978) 777-2500
www.cocokeyboston.com

What better way to end the summer than a family trip to a water park?  Such an end of summer bash is especially enjoyable when that park is not only close by but also indoors. That means there are no worries about being rained out, there is little chance of a getting a nasty sunburn, and no sweltering while standing in line for the rides. CoCo Key in Danvers is just such a place, and one that is only minutes from the city.  This 65,000 square foot indoor water park on Boston's North Shore has water slides designed for kids as young as two years old, as well as bigger, taller, faster slides for older children, teens and adults.   Rides, slides, pools, obstacle courses, and even water basketball and an outdoor spa offer attractions for visitors of all ages. There are day trip and overnight packages, cabanas to rent for privacy, and hotel accommodations.  There is a lot to do both in and out of the water here, and not just in the summer, as CoCo Key is open year-round.  That is a real bonus for New Englanders, for as the park's saying goes, "At CoCo Key, every day is a bright 84 degrees."

Monster Mini Golf
(Photo Credit: Monster Mini Golf)

Monster Mini-Golf
1560 Boston Providence Highway
Norwood, MA 02062
(781) 762-3100
www.monsterminigolf.com

Miniature golf and summer go well together, especially when the golfing can be done at night, under the lights rather than in the hot sun.  Monster Mini-Gold in Norwood, just south of Boston on Route 1, offers that and more, much more.  First of all, it is indoors, and air-conditioned.  Second, it offers an 18-hole mini-golf course with glow-in-the-dark animated monsters.  These monsters pop up, wriggle about and speak -or, more accurately, growl, as golfers face the many delightful challenges of this intricate and unique course.  Monster Mini-Golf also has a huge arcade and gamers and golfers alike can win prizes to take home.

Related: Best Mini Golf Courses Boston

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