Bundle up for these winter events ❄️

Winter events happening around Boston

People walking in front of SoWa Boston chalkboard sign

Send this guide to local friends and family to spread the holiday cheer. | Photo by Chris Anderson

Get your fuzzy socks and hot cocoa ready. From local markets to holiday performances and festivals, Boston thrives in the wintertime.

Gather your family and friends to celebrate what makes the holiday season special with this guide featuring 50 winter events.

Holiday Markets

Fenway Flea Winter Market | Saturday, Nov. 19-Sunday, Dec. 18 | 12-5 p.m. | Time Out Market, 401 Park Dr. | Free to attend | The pop-up Fenway market returns on winter weekends with vintage clothing, artisanal goods, and plenty of gifts.

SoWa Winter Festival | Friday, Nov. 25-Sunday, Dec. 11 | Hours vary | SoWa Power Station, 550 Harrison Ave. | $10 | Grab your ticket at the door (no advance reservations are available) to enjoy live music and specialty cocktails while you shop at the indoor South End venue.

Harvard Square Holiday Fair | Friday, Dec. 9-Sunday, Dec. 11 and Friday, Dec. 16-Sunday, Dec. 18 | Hours vary | 33 Dunster St., Cambridge | Free to attend | Shop original and affordable gifts at the high-energy Cambridge marketplace.

Green lights on trees at Charlesgate Park, Boston — Think we can hit all of these tree lightings? | Photo provided by Emerald Necklace Conservancy

Light Displays

Holiday Trellis Lighting | Monday, Nov. 21 | 5 p.m. | Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park, Atlantic Avenue | Free | Catch the iconic blue lights with cookies, hot chocolate, and clam chowder.

Copley Tree Lighting | Monday, Nov. 28 | 5-6 p.m. | Copley Square, 560 Boylston St. | Free | Expect appearances from Santa Claus and Rudolph, plus musical performances from the Boston Children’s Chorus and Boston Pops Esplanade Brass Ensemble.

Boston Common Tree Lighting | Thursday, Dec. 1 | 6 p.m. | Boston Common Visitor Center, 139 Tremont St. | Free | Check out the city’s 51st annual tree, which traveled to Boston all the way from Nova Scotia.

Light Up Seaport | Friday, Dec. 2 | 5-9 p.m. | Seaport Common, 85 Northern Ave. | Free | Watch the Seaport area glow up, and stay tuned for details on the other neighborhood festivities.

Ready to make more holiday plans? Hit the link below for 43 more things to do this winter, from concerts to New Year’s Eve parties.

MORE WINTER FUN

The most wonderful time of year to get out and explore the city is…

A. Spring
B. Summer
C. Fall
D. Winter
E. All of them

CAST YOUR VOTE

Click here to have your event featured.

Wednesday, Nov. 16

Wine Bingo Night | Wednesday, Nov. 16 | 7-9 p.m. | Trident Booksellers & Cafe, 338 Newbury St., Boston | $10 | The bookstore and Baystate Wine & Spirits will host this fall wine tasting event, plus a classic game of Bingo.
Skip the Small Talk | Wednesday, Nov. 16 | 7-9 p.m. | Lamplighter CX, 110 N First St., Cambridge | $16.50 | Grab tickets to connect with new friends at the Cambridge Crossing brewery.

Thursday, Nov. 17

Love Affects: A Concert by Castle of Our Skins | Thursday, Nov. 17 | 6:30-8 p.m. | Boston Athenaeum, 10 1/2 Beacon St., Boston | $15-$20 | See a concert by the Black arts institution “Castle of our Skins” and explore how love influences our sense of self.
ICA Free Thursday Night | Thursday, Nov. 17 | 10 a.m. | Institute of Contemporary Art Boston, 25 Harbor Shore Dr., Boston | Free | The contemporary art museum in the Seaport is free for all visitors every Thursday from 5-9 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 18

Chunky Knit Blanket Making | Friday, Nov. 18 | 6:30-8 p.m. | CambridgeSide Mall, 100 CambridgeSide Pl., Cambridge | $75 | Head to the newly opened Cambridge store to learn how to make your own cozy blanket for winter.

Saturday, Nov. 19

Sweater Weather Brunch | Saturday, Nov. 19 | 11 a.m.-3 p.m. | Gather, 75 Northern Ave., Boston | Price of purchase | Celebrate the start of sweater season with a Seaport brunch, featuring Downeast Cider samples + swag and the new Gather fall menu.
Rhythm N’ Ride Group Bike Ride | Saturday, Nov. 19 | 11 a.m. | Roxbury Crossing, 1400 Tremont St., Boston | Free | Join the Boston Cyclists Union for an accessible group ride to Rhythm N’ Wraps.

We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

100+ MORE EVENTS

Day trip idea: See “Elf The Musical” in Portsmouth, NH 🎄

Steven Booth, Lothair Eaton, and the cast of The Ogunquit Playhouse’s 2018 production of “Elf The Musical” at The Music Hall. | Photo by Julia Russell

“The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear”...and seeing Elf The Musical, presented by the Ogunquit Playhouse at The Music Hall, of course. 🎶

Elf The Musical is sleighing through The Music Hall from Wed., Nov. 30-Sun., Dec. 18. Based on the classic holiday movie, Buddy the Elf sets off for the Big Apple to find his father and has some magical adventures along the way.

Tickets are on sale now ($45+) and group rates are available.*

GET ON THE NICE LIST

Weather

55º | Rain |100% chance of rain ☔

Plan Ahead

The city will host a poetry event called ALRIGHT on Thursday, Dec. 1 as part of The Earthshot Prize celebrations. Boston Poet Laureate Porsha Olayiwola will lead the interactive arts experience at the Boston Center for the Arts in the South End. Reserve your spot.

Open

The Boston Athenaeum has fully reopened following a $17 million renovation. Make plans to visit the historic membership library on Beacon Street + learn more about its history here. 📚

Development

Tufts is planning to begin construction on a new residence hall next year. The Boston Avenue building will be across the street from the new Medford/Tufts Station and is expected to open in fall 2025 with an outdoor plaza + ground-floor retail space that will be open to the public.

Sports

Tickets for the annual Beanpot hockey tournament go on sale Monday, Nov. 21. The event on Monday, Feb. 6, 2023 will feature battles between teams from Harvard University, Boston College, Northeastern University + Boston University. 🏒

Health

Selena Gomez was honored by the Boston-based Ruderman Family Foundation for her work in mental health advocacy. The pop star and actress received the annual Morton E. Ruderman Award in Inclusion for sharing her personal journey with mental health. (Boston.com)

Number

$69 million. That’s the price tag of the largest gift in Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s history. The record-breaking gift from the Pan-Mass Challenge will go toward accelerating cancer research, clinical trials, and treatment. 💸 (Mass Live)

Biz

Nancy Barnes has become the next editor of The Boston Globe and is the first woman to take on the role in the newspaper’s 150-year history. She was previously the chief news executive at NPR. (WBUR)

DYK

Did you know this is your last chance to share your Black Friday deals with our BOStoday readers? Promote your business with us by submitting a deal to be included in our Friday, Nov. 25 newsletter. Pricing varies by market + must be submitted by today, Wednesday, Nov. 16.

Shop

Psst — Thanksgiving is next Thursday, Nov. 24. If you’re planning to serve turkey, don’t forget that a meat thermometer is essential to avoiding a potential case of food poisoning. Try this waterproof digital meat thermometer with 53,000+ five star reviews or splurge on this smart meat thermometer that connects to your phone via Bluetooth.*

Content marked with an * is brought to you by our advertising partners and helps make this newsletter free.

Hop on the Mattapan Trolley 🚊

Hop on the Mattapan Trolley

This trolley line first opened in 1929. | Photo by @nobskaoldmanandthesea

While you’re out catching the final glimpses of fall foliage in Boston, we have a recommendation.

Did you know the Mattapan-Ashmont trolley service started in 1929, and currently features a fleet dating back to the 1940s? This local train journey is popular with photographers, as riders pass by plenty of trees + leaves between the two stations.

To ride on the oldest train cars still operating in the MBTA’s fleet, hop on at either Ashmont Station (accessible on the Red Line) or Mattapan Station (accessible on the Mattapan Line or via the 28 bus from Ruggles).

The ride takes ~10 minutes and bring commuters along the Neponset River. It’ll cost the same amount as a regular T ride ($2.40 one-way).

Check out the trolley schedule and read up on the MBTA’s planned improvements for the transit service.

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Sara.

Editor’s pick: You might recall that we recently shared about one world record broken by local TikTok stars Nick DiGiovanni and Lynn Davis — now, they’re trying for another.

Gobble up this story on how the pair hopes to earn the Guinness World Record after donating turkeys to food banks across the state this week.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Learn pro tips for recycling locally. ♻️

Connect with us.

Editorial: Jessica Burton, Sara Frazier, Sarah Leonhardt, Erin McPherson, Emily Shea | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Peter Baldassare | Advertise with us.

ADVERTISE | SHOP | CAREERS | ETHICS

Did a friend forward this free newsletter to you?

Content marked with an * is paid advertising. Content marked with an ^ is created by our content studio. The company may also generate commission from affiliate links in the newsletter.

Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.

P.O. Box 2505, Greenville, SC 29602

ADVERTISE | CAREERS | ETHICS | PRIVACY | THE BUY