LYNN — Running from May 30 through mid-September, Save the Harbor/Save the Bays’ Better Beaches program brings free community events to regional DCR beaches. This includes Lynn and Nahant, which received $47,000 to support the summer programming.

Full listings of summer events are available at SaveTheHarbor.org. 

Twelve organizations will host free beach events throughout the summer on Lynn and Nahant beaches as part of the 2026 Better Beaches Program, a partnership between Save The Harbor/Save the Bay and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).

The program also brings free programming to beaches in Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, Dorchester, Quincy, and Hull. 

The Better Beaches Grant Program collaborates with local organizations to create free events on DCR beaches that connect people with Boston Harbor’s waterfront while breaking down barriers for people of color =, people who don’t speak English as their first language, and people with disabilities. 

More than $311,000 was awarded to 76 community and youth-serving organizations through the 2026 Better Beaches Program partnership with DCR. 

“My favorite thing about the Better Beaches partnership is that we’re welcoming new people to DCR beaches all the time,” DCR Commissioner Nicole LaChapelle. “We’re creating spaces where people of all abilities and backgrounds can come, feel more comfortable, and truly enjoy the waterfront. We’re grateful to Save the Harbor/Save the Bay for their longtime collaboration and shared goal of making these special spaces accessible to all.” 

Since the program began in 2008, Better Beaches has awarded nearly $2.5 million to community groups, artists, and collectives. Grantees have leveraged an additional $5.7 million in cash and in-kind donations for a total investment of $8.5 million supporting 1,846 events. 

“This year has brought many new challenges facing organizations like Save The Harbor/Save the Bay,” said Chris Mancini, Executive Director of Save the Harbor/Save the Bay. “We’re particularly grateful to be sharing these spectacular urban natural resources in a state that understands the value of our 40 years of work.”

“We are especially grateful for our long partnership with the DCR,” Mancini continued. “Not to mention the continuing support from the Healey-Driscoll administration and the Metropolitan Beaches Commission, as well as from JetBlue and all of our corporate partners whose support allows us to activate our beaches all summer long.”

Some of the Better Beaches events happening this summer on Lynn and Nahant beaches include the 2026 Lynn Music Festival by the Lynn Music Foundation on June 20 from 1-8 pm. At Red Rock Park, the Veterans Beach Party by E.F. Gilmore DAV of the North Shore on July 25 from noon-3 p.m. at Red Rock Park, Indigenous Ways of Land and Sea by Larry Spotted Crow Mann on July 20 from 10 a.m.-noon on Nahant Beach, the Lynn Shore Showdown by Beat The Streets New England on August 8 from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. at Nahant Beach, and La Cultura Fest by Millenium Latino Project on September 19th from noon-6 p.m. at Lynn Harbor Park. 

“For 40 years, we’ve seen how important it is to show our coastal communities how amazing a natural resource our local beaches are,” said Maya Smith, Save the Harbor/Save the Bay director of programs and partnerships, who oversees the Better Beaches Grant Program. “People deserve to have a free space to relax, recreate, enjoy, and connect with nature. It’s not only good for your physical health but also your mental and emotional health.”

Funding for the program comes from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and Save the Harbor’s annual JetBlue Shamrock Splash fundraiser. 

Save the Harbor also recognized support from the Healey-Driscoll administration, the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, JetBlue, the Coca-Cola Company, Massport, Liberty Mutual Foundation, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Bay State Cruise Company, Mass Bay Lines, and Eastern Salt. 

“Every summer, we look forward to the diverse events that bring people together on our region’s beaches thanks to the Better Beaches program,” said Metropolitan Beaches Commission Co-Chair Sen. Brendan Crighton. “It is encouraging to see local organizations and individuals be supported and empowered to have their community experience the beauty of our beaches.”