Flying kites, having a picnic, doing a good deed, collecting sea glass, or capturing the perfect landscape on film or canvas: it’s all possible right now at America’s Oldest Public Beach.
Revere Beach is one of the great summertime gems in Massachusetts and all of New England.
But the frigid days of late winter and chilly ramp-up to spring are still wonderful times to enjoy America’s Oldest Public Beach . A cold weather walk along the ocean in Revere can be a refreshing diversion for a weekday morning or afternoon, or a fun weekend family activity.
Bundle up for the wind that comes off the water and take a leisurely stroll through the sand or at the edge of the surf. Or stick to the sidewalk of Revere Beach Boulevard and take in the magnificent view.
You’ll probably work up an appetite – and fortunately Revere Beach and the immediate area around it is home to everything from the legendary food stand at Kelly’s Roast Beef and the massive subs from Nick’s Place, to the amazing Greek cuisine of Santorini and the popular Antonia’s at The Beach for Italian.
An exciting newer category of beachfront dining has been ushered in by restaurateur Michael Aldi with his Dryft, FineLine, and Cut 21 – offering a mix of both fine dining as well as casual fare.
Of course, for some of the greatest pizza you will find on the North Shore – or anywhere – Bianchi’s is an absolute must-visit.
Here are some other ideas and activities for a cold-weather or off-season visit to historic Revere Beach:
Collecting seashells and sea glass
Heavy winds, winter weather and the storm surges that result always churn up more of nature’s treasures such as seashells and sea glass. Wait for the calm and safety after a stormy day or two has cleared and you are bound to discover a bounty of these beautiful gifts from the ocean.
Flying a kite
The Revere Beach Kite Festival in recent years has helped kick off the official beach season in May. But you don’t have to wait until spring to go fly a kite! The vast sandscape at low tide in Revere is the perfect setting to take to the air and let the ocean breezes elevate and carry your kite. Winter is actually ideal for kite flying because the higher winds help keep a kite airborne with very little effort. And few other spots offer so much open sky as the beach!
Lending a hand and grabbing some trash
Thanks to the Massachusetts DCR, the City of Revere and the Revere Beach Partnership, America’s Oldest Public Beach is well cared for and clean.
But any public space can accumulate litter on a given day – very often washing ashore from the surf. You can become part of the community that is caring for Revere Beach by spending some of your time there picking up. Bring gloves for safety and sturdy trash bags or paper sacks. You can even make it a family activity by turning it into a competition. Give prizes for the most trash collected or the most unusual item. For kids it’s a great lesson in community service and social responsibility.
Building cold-weather sandcastles
There may be no beach more closely associated with world-class sand sculptures and sand castles than Revere Beach. The annual International Sand Sculpting Festival has made America’s Oldest Public Beach world famous for the creativity, technical skill and imagination of its participants. With the event drawing up to 1 million visitors over three days in the summer, the crowds are also astonishing.
But you can get your hands into the sand and have the beach mostly to yourself if you’re ready to brave colder weather for some winter sculpting.
Building with sand can be as simple as using just your hands, a paper or plastic cup or a single pail and shovel. Or get some basic sand molds to up your game. Everyone loves Castles Made of Sand!
Doing a photo-shoot on the beach or setting up for a day of drawing or painting
With your family, with your pet (October through March only), with a special someone, with your friends or simply by yourself to capture this beautiful setting forever: Revere Beach is a wonderful spot to shoot, stage and get inspired by photography.
It’s also the perfect spot to set up with your chair, easel or drawing pad and take in the ocean’s grandeur while creating a new work of art. Winter and the cold days of early spring aren’t just adequate for this activity: they are the ideal times for enjoying some solitude with your creativity.
Having a winter picnic on the sand
Pack a decadent lunch with cheese and crackers, fruit, sandwiches, pasta salad or whatever your ideal afternoon meal is and take to Revere Beach with a big blanket and your favorite person or people. No open fires please! They aren’t allowed. But the shine of the midday sun over the ocean will warm your soul, even if an extra layer or two might be needed to warm your body.
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