As December unfolds, Boston transforms into a winter wonderland, offering an enchanting backdrop for the holiday season. The city comes alive with festive cheer, shimmering lights, and a calendar full of delightful activities. Whether you’re strolling through snow-dusted streets or soaking up the holiday spirit indoors, December in Boston offers something truly special.
This month, immerse yourself in the magic of neighborhood tree lightings, admire intricately decorated homes and boutiques, lace up your skates for an afternoon on the ice, or warm up with a cozy, holiday-inspired cocktail. From timeless winter performances to discovering unique treasures created by local artisans, Boston’s charm shines brightest at this time of year.
To help you savor every moment of the season, I've curated a robust list of activities to enjoy as we bid farewell to 2024 and welcome the joys of the new year.
Wishing you a season filled with warmth, wonder, and all the best that Boston and nearby towns have to offer. Happy holidays!
Events are arranged chronologically. Click on the event names to access full details.
Lightings and strolls
- 31 Nights of Light at the Prudential Center
When: Every day in December
Where: Back Bay
Cost: Free - Open Newbury Street Winter 2024: Holiday Stroll
When: December 8
Where: Back Bay
Cost: Free - Downtown’s Holiday Kingdom
When: Every day until January 2
Where: Downtown
Cost: Free - Light Up Seaport
When: December 6
Where: Seaport
Cost: Free - 10th Annual Union Square Holiday Stroll
When: December 7
Where: Somerville
Cost: Free - Boston Mayor’s Enchanted Trolley Tour & Tree Lightings
When: December 7-8
Where: Boston
Cost: Free - SOLSTICE: Reflections on Winter light
When: Select days, starting December 7-21
Where: Mt. Auburn
Cost: $10-30 - JP Holiday Light Show
When: Every day, starting December 7 through January 4
Where: Jamaica Plain
Cost: Free - The Speedway Holiday Stroll
When: December 8
Where: Allston
Cost: Free - Charlestown’s Holiday Night Out
When: December 11
Where: Charlestown
Cost: Free - Somerville Illuminations
When: December 12 through early January
Where: Somerville
Cost: Free - North End Holiday Stroll
When: December 13
Where: North End
Cost: Free - North Cambridge Holiday Stroll
When: December 14
Where: Cambridge
Cost: Free - Menorah Lighting
When: December 29
Where: Seaport
Cost: Free - Hanukkah Celebration at Arsenal Yards
When: December 30
Where: Watertown
Cost: Free - 10 Holiday Lighting Celebrations Coming to Boston in 2024
When: Throughout December
Where: Boston
Cost: Free - 10+ Places to See Holiday Lights Around Boston and New England
When: Throughout December
Where: Boston and New England
Cost: Varies - 14 Enchanting Holiday Strolls Coming to Boston in December 2024
When: Throughout December
Where: Boston
Cost: Varies
Winter Markets
- Snowport: Magical Winter Wonderland in Boston Seaport
When: Every day until December 31
Where: Seaport
Cost: Free - The Fenway Tree Farm
When: Every day until December 24
Where: Fenway
Cost: Free - Downtown Boston Holiday Market
When: Every Friday to Sunday until December 29
Where: Downtown
Cost: Free - Boston Christmas Trees
When: Every day until December 15
Where: Allston
Cost: Free - SoWa Winter Festival
When: Every day until December 22
Where: South End
Cost: $10 - Kilroy Square Holiday Market
When: Fridays to Sundays until December 8
Where: Quincy
Cost: Free - Boston Public Market Holiday Sip & Shop
When: Fridays to Sundays until December 22
Where: Downtown
Cost: Free - Hood Park Winter Village
When: December 21
Where: Charlestown
Cost: Free - Cultural Survival Bazaar
When: December 5-8
Where: Downtown
Cost: Free - Station Street Studios Holiday Market
When: Fridays to Sundays until December 22
Where: Brookline
Cost: Free - Small Mart Holiday Markets at Crystal Ballroom
When: December 7 and 21
Where: Somerville
Cost: Free - Christkindlmarkt - German Holiday Market
When: December 7
Where: Allston
Cost: Free - View Boston’s Holiday Sip & Shop by BWM
When: December 7
Where: Back Bay
Cost: $20 - Charles Square Outdoor Winter Holiday Market
When: December 7 and 14
Where: Cambridge
Cost: Free - Holiday Vintage Popup with Select Markets
When: December 7-8 and December 14-15
Where: Fenway
Cost: Free - The LOT’s Holiday & Christmas Market
When: December 7-8
Where: Southie
Cost: Free - Boston Women’s Holiday Market at The Speedway
When: December 8
Where: Allston
Cost: Free - Milk Row Studios Holiday Market
When: December 8
Where: Somerville
Cost: Free - Gifted Holiday Market
When: December 8
Where: Back Bay
Cost: $10 - Samuel Adams Winter Market
When: December 8
Where: Jamaica Plain
Cost: Free - Boston Hassle Flea Holiday Market
When: December 8
Where: Cambridge
Cost: Free - Pop-up Tree Farm
When: December 8
Where: Revere
Cost: Free - Artisans Asylum’s Winter Makers Market
When: December 8
Where: Allston
Cost: Free - 2024 Annual #ShopAAPI Holiday Market
When: December 11
Where: Back Bay
Cost: Free - Holiday Sip and Shop at Trident
When: December 12
Where: Back Bay
Cost: Free - Passport to Black-Owned Business Holiday Pop-Up
When: December 13-15
Where: Cambridge
Cost: Free - Harvard Square Holiday Fair
When: December 13-15 and December 20-22
Where: Cambridge
Cost: Free - 4th Annual Hollygay Market
When: December 14
Where: Fenway
Cost: $15 - A Holly Jolly Good Time Holiday Market
When: December 14
Where: Fenway
Cost: Free - BIZZY Wonderland Holiday Market & Festivities
When: December 14
Where: Revere
Cost: Free - Castle Island Holiday Shop & Sip Marketplace
When: December 14
Where: Southie
Cost: Free - Boston Women’s Holiday Market South End
When: December 14-15
Where: South End
Cost: Free - Canal District Winter Market
When: December 14-15
Where: Cambridge
Cost: Free - Teen Makers Holiday Market
When: December 15
Where: Fenway
Cost: Free - Sweets & Santa Holiday Soiree
When: December 15
Where: Somerville
Cost: Free - Boston Harbor Distillery Holiday Sip & Shop
When: December 15
Where: Dorchester
Cost: Free - The Holiday Bazaar
When: December 15
Where: Allston
Cost: $10+ - The 25 Best Holiday and Christmas Markets in Boston 2024
When: Throughout December
Where: Boston and outside the city
Cost: Varies
Festive restaurants and bars
- 10+ Festive Pop-Up Bars & Restaurants in Boston to Visit During the 2024 Holiday Season
When: Throughout December
Where: Boston and outside the city
Cost: Varies - The Fenway Chalet by Cisco Brewers
When: Select days until December 28
Where: Fenway
Cost: Free admission, pay as you go - Cozy Christmas Cabin at Hunter’s
When: Every day until early January
Where: Southie
Cost: Free admission, pay as you go - Holiday Decor at Prima
When: Every day until early January
Where: Charlestown
Cost: Free admission, pay as you go - Stratus Winter Oasis at View Boston
When: Every day until January 27
Where: Back Bay
Cost: $25+ - Wusong Wonderland
When: Every day until January 31
Where: Cambridge
Cost: Free admission, pay as you go - Avery Bar Chocolat: Hot Chocolate Table-Side Servize at The Ritz
When: Every Saturday and Sunday until December 29
Where: Downtown
Cost: Free admission, pay as you go - Beacon Hill Books & Cafe Holiday Tea
When: Every Sunday and Monday until December 30
Where: Beacon Hill
Cost: Free admission, pay as you go
Ice skating rinks
- Frog Pond Ice Skating Rink
When: Every day starting November 30
Where: Back Bay
Cost: $10+ - Skate at Canal District Kendall
When: Every day starting December 6 until mid-March
Where: Cambridge
Cost: $6-$16 - The 11 Best Outdoor Ice Skating Rinks in Boston: Winter 2024
When: December
Where: Boston
Cost: Varies
Festive performances and movies
- Boston Ballet Presents Mikko Nissinen’s ‘The Nutcracker’
When: Every day until December 29
Where: Downtown
Cost: $25+ - Holiday Pops at Symphony Hall
When: Select days until December 24
Where: Back Bay
Cost: $50 - Cirque Dreams Holidaze
When: December 6-8
Where: Downtown
Cost: $39.50
Info: Experience a one-of-a-kind holiday spectacular show. Watch your favorite holiday stories come to life in this Broadway-style production with music and a twist: contemporary circus arts. As you reimagine sugar plum fairies and other characters, you’ll be able to see talented aerial artists, jugglers, acrobats, and more. - Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’
When: Select days, December 8-22
Where: Back Bay
Cost: $20+ - The 2024 Annual Dunster House Messiah Sing
When: December 9
Where: Cambridge
Cost: Free - Anthony Williams’ ‘Urban Nutcracker’
When: Select days, December 12-22
Where: Back Bay
Cost: $29+ - Merry Movie Marathon
When: December 15 and December 22
Where: Jamaica Plain
Cost: Free - Disney on Ice Presents ‘Mickey’s Search Party’
When: Thursdays to Mondays, starting December 19-30
Where: Allston
Cost: $20 - ‘Home Alone’ in Concert by Boston Pops
When: December 27-29
Where: Back Bay
Cost: $55+
Festive experiences
- The Toy Shop at Hummingbird Books
When: Every day until December 31
Where: Chestnut Hill
Cost: Free - A Colorful Christmas at Castle Hill
When: Every Friday to Sunday until December 29
Where: Ipswich
Cost: $25 - LEGO Discovery Center Boston Holiday Bricktacular
When: Every day until December 31
Where: Somerville
Cost: $29.99 - All Aboard! Trains at Science Park Exhibit
When: Every day until January 13
Where: West End
Cost: $26+ - The Merriest Month at Bow Market
When: Every day until December 24
Where: Somerville
Cost: Free admission - Seaport Trillium x Tandem Vet Holiday Yappy Hour
When: Every Thursday until December 19
Where: Back Bay
Cost: Free - Boston’s Winter Fest 2024
When: Every day until January 25
Where: Charlestown
Cost: Free - Carolers & Cocoa at the Prudential Center
When: Every Friday until December 20
Where: Back Bay
Cost: Free - Holiday Wonderland at Prudential Center
When: December 7
Where: Back Bay
Cost: Free - Holiday Samtacular!
When: December 7
Where: Downtown
Cost: Free - Sabrina Carpenter PJ Party
When: December 7
Where: Back Bay
Cost: $18 - Gingerbread House Party
When: December 7
Where: Hyde Park
Cost: $40 - Dia de las Velitas
When: December 7
Where: Eastie
Cost: Free - Semi-Annual Winter Book Sale
When: December 7-8
Where: Somerville
Cost: Free - Gingerbread Standard Construction
When: Every Saturday and Sunday December 7-22
Where: Fenway
Cost: $185 - Books and Brews Holiday Bookfair
When: December 8
Where: Medford
Cost: Free - Creative Holidays: Make Your Own Wreath
When: December 20
Where: Watertown
Cost: $40 - Ugly Sweater Adult Night at LEGO Discovery Center
When: December 11
Where: Somerville
Cost: $19.99 - Wreathmaking Workshop at Lamplighter
When: December 11
Where: Cambridge
Cost: $75 - Merry Moakley
When: December 12
Where: Southie
Cost: Free - Holiday Inspired Chocolate & Non-Alc Beverage Pairing
When: December 12
Where: South End
Cost: $35 - MFA Hanukkah Celebration
When: December 12
Where: Fenway
Cost: $5 - Ugly Sweater Karaoke
When: December 12
Where: Fenway
Cost: Free - Portico Brewing’s Nightmare Before Christmas
When: December 13
Where: Somerville
Cost: Free - ‘Elf’ Movie Trivia
When: December 13
Where: Jamaica Plain
Cost: Free - Kendall Square Annual Holiday on Ice Show
When: December 14
Where: Cambridge
Cost: Free - 20s & 30s Holiday Party at Scorpion Bar
When: December 14
Where: Seaport
Cost: Free - Nautilus Pier 4’s Nauti or Nice Holiday Party
When: December 14
Where: Seaport
Cost: Free - Bad Santa 2024: Boston’s Original Santa Bar Crawl
When: December 14
Where: Downtown
Cost: $15+ - Gingerbread House Decorating Competition
When: December 14
Where: Downtown
Cost: $35 - Meet & Greet with Santa at High Street Place
When: December 14 and December 21
Where: Downtown
Cost: $10 - World Ice Skating Day: Free Ice Skating at the Frog Pond
When: December 15
Where: Back Bay
Cost: Free - Bears, Brews & Boys: Ugly Sweater Edition
When: December 15
Where: Dorchester
Cost: Free - Champagne Holiday Centerpiece Arranging Class
When: December 15
Where: Back Bay
Cost: $125 - Gingerbread House Building at Aeronaut
When: December 15
Where: Somerville
Cost: $20 - 28th Annual Ciclismo Classico Jingle Ride
When: December 15
Where: Arlington
Cost: $0-$25 - Holiday Jazz Brunch with the Rubin Brothers
When: December 15
Where: West End
Cost: $15-$30 - Winter Beer Dinner
When: December 19
Where: Jamaica Plain
Cost: $75 - The Somerville Chanukah Party
When: December 19
Where: Somerville
Cost: $25 - Bonde Social Club: Christmas Jazz on Vinyl
When: December 20
Where: Cambridge
Cost: $42 - 20s & 30s Let’s Explore Boston’s Holiday Lights
When: December 21
Where: Boston
Cost: Free - Boston Landing Holiday Bash feat. ‘The Polar Express’
When: December 22
Where: Allston
Cost: Free - Boston’s Big Band Christmas at City Winery
When: December 22
Where: West End
Cost: $32-$38 - Candy Engineering
When: December 26-27
Where: Chestnut Hill
Cost: $3 - Boston Common Frog Pond Skating Spectacular
When: December 31
Where: Back Bay
Cost: Free
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