Catherine Messier

USS Constitution, nicknamed Old Ironsides, will sail from the Charlestown Navy Yard through Boston Harbor on Aug. 28, 2026, from about 10 a.m. to 1–2 p.m., with viewing locations including the Boston Harborwalk and Castle Island, where a 21-gun salute is planned. The ship is scheduled to sail again on Sept. 25 and Oct. 21. Free guided tours of the ship and visits to the USS Constitution Museum are also available in the Charlestown Navy Yard.

U.S. flags, including those at public buildings in Massachusetts, are ordered to fly at half-staff from the evening of August 25 through sunset on September 1 to honor the reported death of country music icon Dolly Parton. President Donald Trump issued the nationwide order, while Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey offered condolences and the state illuminated several bridges pink in Parton’s memory. The article also explains that half-staff observances mark mourning for national tragedies, remembrance days, and the deaths of government or military personnel, and distinguishes half-staff on land from half-mast at sea.