Duckling Day on Boston Common

Parkman Bandstand on Boston Common · Photo: Flavio Bruno via Google

• When: Sunday, May 9, 2027 (Mother's Day): check-in and activities from 10 am, parade at noon; rain or shine
• Where: Parkman Bandstand, Boston Common, 165 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02111
• Cost: Free
• Organizer: Friends of the Public Garden

Official Event Page

Duckling Day is a free family celebration of Robert McCloskey's children's book Make Way for Ducklings, held every Mother's Day on Boston Common. The next one is Sunday, May 9, 2027. It is organized by the Friends of the Public Garden and goes ahead rain or shine.

The day

Check-in opens at 10 am at the Parkman Bandstand, where every child gets a goody bag of duckling-themed items. The morning is Playtime on the Common: activity booths, lawn games, magic and live music on the grass around the bandstand. At noon the Duckling Parade sets off, retracing Mrs. Mallard's route from the book to the Make Way for Ducklings sculpture in the Public Garden.

Getting there

By T, take the Red or Green Line to Park Street, the Green Line to Boylston, or the Orange Line to Downtown Crossing and walk. MBTA bus routes 11, 43, 501 and 504 stop near the Common. For GPS, the bandstand is at 165 Tremont Street; paid parking is in the Boston Common Garage or the Transportation Building garages, and on-street parking is free on Sundays.

Good to know

The event is ADA accessible, and the parade route is level with no stairs or raised surfaces, so strollers and wheelchairs manage it easily.

Details checked against the organizer's official Duckling Day page, friendsofthepublicgarden.org/events/ducklingday, on September 28, 2026. Dates and times can change; confirm with the organizer before you go.