BOSTON (SHNS) - Take this as either an advertisement or as a warning: next summer will be like no other.

In a six-week span starting in June, Massachusetts will celebrate the 250th anniversary of July 4, 1776, host seven men's World Cup matches, and welcome dozens of tall ships back to the waters around Boston for the first time in nearly a decade.

That combination, in the mind of the state's tourism chief, is "unprecedented.

"It is certainly a once-in-a-generation opportunity," said Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism Executive Director Kate Fox. "I can't think of a time when all of these things have happened at once."

The convergence of one of the most iconic international sporting events, a multi-day nautical showcase and a historical milestone is forecast to bring millions o

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