The first day of summer 2014 is June 21. And guess what? That’s this Saturday. That means you have extra reason to celebrate the fact that it’s going to be a great weekend in Boston. From a Salt-n-Pepa performance on City Hall Plaza to a pop up soccer inspired dinner on Sunday, get out there and get going before Monday rolls around again.

Friday

Free Chill Zone Day – All day – Cumberland Farms – Cumberland Farms locations are celebrating their Free Chill Zone Day, during which you can get any size Chill Zone drink, including slushies and soda, for free. If you upload a picture of your free drink to Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #GotMyFreeChillZone you’ll be entered to win a prize package.

Chefs in Shorts – 7 to 9:30 p.m. – Seaport Hotel –  The 17th Annual Chefs in Shorts cookout is this Friday, with chefs from the city’s leading restaurants grilling and whipping up summer fare for a great night. Tickets are $80 and include food, beer and wine.

Puccini, Prosecco, and Provolone: Italian Favorites with Opera On Tap – 7 to 8:30 p.m. – BCAE – The singers of Opera on Tap, a nonprofit organization looking to change the reputation of opera, will be performing this Friday night at BCAE, where cheese and Italian wines will be serves for a fun evening. Tickets are $19.50, $16.50 for members.

Rock the Boat Party Cruise – 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. – Boston Harbor – Join BSSC for a summer kickoff party cruise on the Boston Harbor featuring games, DJs, live music, drinks and dancing, followed by an after party at Whiskey Priest. Tickets are $23, $18 for BSSC members.

Phantom Gourmet Music and BBQ Festival – June 20 to 22 – City Hall Plaza – Phantom Gourmet’s biggest summer party is kicking off this Friday and continuing through Sunday on City Hall Plaza, with lots of barbecue, games, eating contests, live music, and more. See Salt-n-Pepa on Friday night and the Mighty Mighty BossTones on Saturday; concert tickets not included in daily passes. Get tickets here.

Saturday

Rock and Run – 10 a.m. – Assembly Row – This 5K obstacle race includes live music and a rewarding beer at the end to make for a fun competitive Saturday. Tickets are $75 until June 19 to join, or $85 on the day of.

MetroLacrosse Summer Tailgate – 4 to 7:30 p.m. – Harvard Stadium – Join the MetroLacrosse team for an afternoon of food, drinks and lawn games at Harvard Stadium, where all proceeds will benefit MetroLacrosse. Tickets are $30 and include food, drink and tickets to that night’s Boston Cannons game.

A Wild Affair – 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. – Stone Zoo – The 10th Annual Wild Affair at the Stone Zoo is this Saturday, inviting animal lovers and foodies alike to a tasting event featuring stations hosted by local restaurants and caterers. There will also be drinks sponsored by Deep Eddy Vodka; this is a 21+ events. Tickets are $50.

Sunday

Trash Bash 2014: Somerville’s 2nd Annual Recycled Art Competition – 12 to 6 p.m. – The Uniun – Presented by 3 Graces Productions and The Uniun, this competition challenges 40 artists of all ages to create something beautiful out of recycled trash. There will be judges, food and fun. Tickets are $5.

NHMS Pub Crawl – 1 to 6 p.m. – Lansdowne Street – Join NASCAR fans for a pub crawl down Lansdowne Street this Sunday, hosted by New Hampshire Motor Speedway and the Great American Foundation. There will be cornhole, drink specials and trivia throughout the day. Tickets are $15.

If You Feed Them, They Will Come – 3 to 6 p.m. – Strip-T’s – Strip-T’s is usually closed on Sundays, but they’re opening their doors for a baseball-themed pop up dinner and game viewing hosted by SoonSpoon. There will be baseball inspired snacks and meals, and your ticket ($45) includes 2 drinks.

New England Clam Bake – 3 p.m. – The Sinclair – The Sinclair in Harvard Square is kicking off their summer patio dinner series with a good old fashion New England clam bake. Head to the second level patio for lobster, mussels, clams and more, along with beers from Notch Brewing and an oyster shuck-off.

New England Revolution World Cup Watch Party – 5 p.m. – House of Blues – Join the New England Revolution team at House of Blues to watch USA take on Portugal on the big screen. The event is free, but will fill up fast.

World Cup 2014 at the Arsenal – 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. – The Arsenal on the Charles River – This outdoor showing of the USA World Cup game on Sunday is free to attend, and there will be lots of food on site, from Roxy’s Grilled Cheese, to FoMu ice cream, to Commonwealth’s Chef Nookie’s sausages on the grill.

Send Me to Vegas World Cup Watch Party – 6 to 10 p.m. – Green Briar – Head to the Green Briar in Brighton to watch the USA vs. Portugal game, and be entered to win a trip to Vegas while you’re at it from the restaurant and Budweiser. The event is free to attend, and just by going you’ll be entered into the contest. For more entries, tweet or Instagram with the hashtag #BudSendMeToVegas.

Image via MTV