Best Christmas things to do in Boston

The Nutcracker staged by Boston Ballet is one of the season’s most beloved traditions, enjoyed by generations since premiering in 1963. From the dancing to the music and the glittering sets, it's nothing short of holiday magic. Artistic director Mikko Nissinen’s production features opulent Georgian-era sets and costumes—the Nutcracker Bear, for one, is an icon. Seeing the performance at the Opera House, which runs about two hours with an intermission, is engaging for children and memorable for all ages. It runs from November 29–December 29, 2024.

Celebrate the holiday season with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The Holiday Pops is a Boston classic, with conductor Keith Lockhart at commanding a performance of festive favorites like "Sleigh Ride," "Jingle Bells" and more at the iconic Boston Symphony Hall. The program also pulls from cultural traditions around the world. Holiday Pops shows start December 5 this year and continue through the month, with a sensory-friendly concert option, kids matinees and even special guest performances. 

Forgo follies like crowded mall parking lots and missed package deliveries and instead treat yourself to a fun shopping experience—that also supports local. Check out our guide to the coolest pop-up holiday markets this winter.

The holiday pop-ups are defrosting for the season! Santa's Cantina at Loco Fenway debuted this week at Loco Taqueria’s Fenway location and it sets the bar high for holiday decor. The gigantic venue just off Lansdowne Street has decked the halls with more than 1,500 sparkling baubles, festive pink and green trees, decorative avocados (look for them!), a fly Santa statue and so many more holiday goodies. To pair with the vibes, a new cocktail menu has launched for the season, including Griswold Family Tree—a blend of blanco tequila, lime, agave, Pama Pomegranate Liqueur and cranberry, served in an ornament you pour yourself—and Glen Cocoa, a frozen treat with Grey Goose, chocolate liqueur. whipped cream and mini marshmallows. Special desserts are on the a la carte menu, including a peppermint-flecked chocolate Swiss roll. Santa’s Cantina supplements the typical Loco Fenway experience and continues through January.

Nothing says "welcome to chilly season" like a hearty cut of prime rib (just ask every dad ever). Puritan & Co. has brought back their popular prime rib Sunday dinners. The Inman Square favorite is serving a three course meal of salad, prime rib, your choice of two sides, and dessert for $65 every Sunday in December. Reservations are recommended but not required.

Zoo New England’s beloved holiday tradition, ZooLights returns to Stoneham to bring cheer and festive fun to visitors of Stone Zoo. Expect a winter wonderland of tree-lined paths lit by thousands of twinkling lights spanning 26 acres. Take a sparkling stroll through festively decorated Yukon Creek, home to black bears, Canada lynx and reindeer. Every Thursday, Mrs. Claus will make an appearance. ZooLights runs from Friday, November 15 through January 5, 2025.

Every Friday in December, The Koji Club at the Charles River Speedway will be hosting a luxurious holiday lunch. For $99 per person plus tax and tip, enjoy a three-course prix fixe menu of caviar, A5 wagyu beef and of course, dessert. Chef Moe Kuroki is preparing a creative interpretation of Japanese Christmas cake. Sake pairings can be ordered separately and in advance. This year’s newest addition? A personal-sized serving of The Koji Club’s signature caviar service with a jello shot pairing on the side. Reservations are recommended.

Can’t get enough holiday wonder? Winter Fest is just what you need. From the creative minds behind Boston’s Wicked Haunt Fest, Winter Fest debuts on December 5 at Hood Park in Charlestown. The event promises to transform two acres into a winter wonderland filled with massive light displays and family-friendly holiday magic. Visitors can meet Santa on weekends and see a life-size gingerbread house and toy workshop. For adults, the Après Ski Veuve Clicquot Gondola Lounge transports guests to Aspen for a champagne toast. Look for treats like decadent hot chocolate adorned with seasonal toppings like house-made marshmallow and crushed peppermint. Beer and wine will also be available. Live music and other entertainment is planned throughout the season.

Time to plan a trip for tea with your favorite friends or family. Locals and guests can enjoy a holiday afternoon high tea this December in the Garden Room of the Newbury hotel—so named for its prime perch on the Public Garden. The experience includes tiers of elegantly prepared tea sandwiches, freshly baked scones and holiday-inspired confections, paired perfectly with a selection of J’enwey Teas. You can also upgrade to cocktails or a glass of Veuve Clicquot Champagne. Tea will take place from December 21–23 at 3pm daily. 

The Feast of the Seven Fishes is an Italian-American Christmas Eve tradition of serving at least seven seafood dishes. It's a festive meal that you can join in whether you’re Italian or not at Geppetto on Tuesday, Dec. 24. Chef Will Gilson and the team at Cambridge Crossing will serve a five-course version for $110 per person, with dishes like clams casino, lobster and crab gnocchi and more. Reservations are recommended.

Elaborate displays of twinkling, glimmering holiday lights always get everyone in the spirit of the season, so let’s get jolly over festive decor! We found gorgeous lights displays, tastefully decorated trees, upside down trees and more all around The Hub and beyond. Get ready to drink in lights in town, or take a day trip to celebrate the sparkliest season!

What to know about this year's Seaport holiday market

The Seaport cosplays Christmastime in Europe—with a benevolent yeti—once again when Snowport reopens for the season on November 9. A pop-up marketplace, iceless curling rink, photo backdrop and food hall from developer-organizers WS, Snowport spans a city block in the Seaport and attracted 1 million visitors in 2023. (Read on for a new way to skip the lines on weekends!) The annual tree lighting is on December 6 and holiday festivities continue through Sunday, Dec. 29. The iceless curling lanes brighten up winter in the Seaport with free outdoor fun open through February.

Holiday Market in the Seaport

The outdoor “European-style” Holiday Market at 100 Seaport Blvd. is set to be New England’s largest this year, with plans to bring in more than 120 small businesses and 17 food and beverage options. Among the small businesses new to the Snowport Holiday Market are A Little Slice of Europe, selling specialty cheese; pottery and ceramics by Alyssa Bazaar; global pantry goods by Curio Spice; handcrafted chocolates by Petrova Chocolates and plenty more home decor, apparel, art and accessories. Returning vendors will include B and B Glass Studio and the Sleeping Candle. Sixty-five percent of vendors are local New England, and 83% identify as BIPOC and/or women-owned.

Food and drink at Snowport

Inside a heated tent sponsored by JetBlue, there are food vendors and four themed bars: the Jingle Bar, the Dizzy Dreidel, Betty’s Bar—named for Snowport’s pink brand ambassador, Betty the Yeti—and the snowy Blizzard Bar. Each spot will have its own signature cocktail and non-alcoholic drink. Local restaurants popping up for the season include Bluefin raw bar, Bocadillos empanadas and Caribbean cuisine, Pennypacker’s, ZaZ Restaurant, Dumpling Daughter and more.

Curling, live music and other winter fun at Snowport

Iceless curling is set up on Harbor Way and will stay open after the holiday season. It’s free to play (30-minute reservations are recommended), and lessons will be available through February. 

As if themed drinks and amateur curling aren’t instagrammable enough, there are plenty of activations around Snowport meant for the lens, from Betty the Yeti sightings to a 10-foot mistletoe arch. This is also no shortage of brand activations, like Presents Place by Lexus, a backdrop of colorful, oversize gifts.

Daily drop-in craft activities for adults and kids will happen at the Crafting Corner by the Maker’s Show (think: mason jar snow globes, wreath decorating, and sensory bins for kids). New to Snowport is the Music Stage by Mohegan Sun, set atop the Jingle Bar with plans for Mohegan Music Mondays concert series. A tree lot returns to Snowport at 99 Autumn Lane. In partnership with Christmas Tree 4 Me, it will sell holiday evergreens, wreaths, kissing balls and accessories like tree stands and lights. Tree delivery is available, too!

How to skip the line at Snowport

Also new this year: Timed-entry tickets you can buy to skip the line on weekends. (The Holiday Market is free to all via a general-admission line.) Check out ticketing options beginning November 1 with the new Seaport Insider App, which will also launch with a Snowport gift guide and special offers around the neighborhood. Weekend timed-entry tickets are $12 and $6 for kids and veterans. One dollar from every ticket will go to Jaylen Brown's Boston Xchange organization, which works to "build economically inclusive communities," according to the NBA MVP.

Snowport debuts on Saturday, Nov. 9. Closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas, it’s otherwise open daily through December 29. Hours are Monday–Thursday from 3–8pm, Friday–Saturday 11am–9pm and Sunday 11am–8pm. From December 9–29, daily hours extend 11–8pm and until 9pm Friday and Saturday. The annual Light Up Seaport tree lighting is on Friday, Dec. 6. Hanukkah begins on December 25 this year and will be celebrated at Snowport with a menorah lighting on the final day of the festival. 

There’s not much more New England than bundling up and pulling on snow boots for a hot cocoa run, even when the snow is falling. The great news is that Boston is brimming with rich, sweet, spicy and boozy hot cocoa options. Grab one of these comforting libations to warm up after braving the freezing cold this winter.

This holiday season will look unlike any other, but still, after all, it’s that time of the year when we stay in with the family — or book in at one of the best restaurants in Boston for a feast prepared by someone else—more on that below. Looking for things to do in Boston over the holidays, as well as places to eat and play? We’ve got you covered.