Boston Together Again, A Summer And Fall Downtown Event Series, Announced
Boston-based, Black, and woman-owned events firm to host weekday programming from mid-July to mid-October.
Building on her commitment to bring business and vibrancy back to Downtown Boston, Mayor Michelle Wu and the Mayor’s Office of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion today announced Boston Together Again, a series of weekday cultural, food, and wellness events in Downtown running from mid-July to mid-October. From yoga in Copley Square, to music and dancing on City Hall Plaza, and movie nights on the Rose Kennedy Greenway at Dewey Square, Boston Together Again will be designed to bring and keep Bostonians together in community while driving foot traffic - and customers - to the City’s Downtown business districts. The first event will be held on Tuesday, July 19. All events will be free and open to the public.
In an effort to diversify and utilize local businesses in City contracting, the contract for Boston Together Again has been awarded to Rosemark Production, a Black- and woman-owned events firm based in Boston and led by Boston native Rose Staram. This selection was a result of the City’s sheltered market pilot program.
“As more people come back to work in person, we’ll have vibrant and exciting programming to ensure after-work fun and boost foot traffic to our small businesses,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “Boston Together Again is an opportunity for us to reimagine what’s possible for how we use our Downtown public spaces through months of creative events. By using our sheltered market pilot program to plan this event series, we’re also ensuring that local businesses have a voice in City contracting and in making Downtown a welcoming destination.”
Boston Together Again builds on the City’s efforts to activate and revitalize Downtown Boston as the City continues to emerge from the economic impacts of the pandemic. In April, the City hosted Boston Blooms, a one-day block party stretching from South Station to Downtown Crossing that welcomed employees, residents, and visitors back to Downtown.
“This effort is but one piece of our long term economic revitalization strategy to draw people from across the region back to our Downtown area,” said Segun Idowu, Chief of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion. “Thanks to the vision of Mayor Wu in launching the sheltered market pilot program, and with the support of our Supplier and Workforce Diversity team, this contract with Rosemark Production is another important step toward fulfilling our promise to foster a more inclusive economy and support our local BIPOC- and women-owned businesses.”
Starting in July of this year, Downtown Crossing, Copley Square, Dewey Square, City Hall Plaza, and Post Office Square will host diverse and dynamic community events nearly every weeknight through mid-October. Attendees can look forward to outdoor exercise classes from Equinox instructors, movies from the Coolidge Corner Theater, and more. A full calendar of events will be released here in the coming weeks.
"We applaud Mayor Wu and her team for their dedicated focus on the need to revitalize Downtown," said Cheryl Cronin, CEO of the Boston Public Market. "We all love the vibrancy of Boston, and in order to sustain this, we must get visitors and office workers back downtown. We're here, open and excited to welcome you back!"
The contract with Rosemark Production is part of Mayor Wu’s commitment to direct City resources to local, diverse businesses that are vital to expanding wealth-building opportunities and making City contracting more equitable.
"The Rosemark team could not be more proud to have received this contract from the City, and to be a part of Mayor Wu's vision to lift up our downtown,” said Rose Staram, Principal Owner of Rosemark Production. “As native Bostonians, we know how vital these districts are to the City. We also know the power of bringing our diverse and vibrant neighbors together, and that's exactly the power and the energy that Boston Together Again will capture."
Rosemark Production is one of the top Black woman-owned event firms in the country, providing venue construction, site and event management, and press logistics to major events around the United States. Most recently Rosemark served as the General Production Manager for the Presidential Inaugural Committee of Joseph R. Biden.
Part of revitalizing Downtown includes rethinking how the City can use public spaces for Boston’s residents and visitors alike. This includes the renovation of Boston City Hall Plaza, expected to be completed in August 2022. The renovation will create a more accessible and welcoming environment for more community events.
The City of Boston also recently hosted Copley Connect, a 10-day pilot project that transformed Dartmouth Street in Copley Square into a plaza space, and the Mayor announced the upcoming Open Streets events.
A full list of Boston Together Again events will be made available here.
