The best Boston events in November 2024

Get the gist of what it was like to be on board an ill-fated ship without leaving solid ground in Boston. An exhibit called “TITANIC: The Artifact Exhibition” has arrived in Boston, giving guests a glimpse into the lives of real Titanic crew and passengers. More than 250 artifacts from the ship are on view, as well as several carefully re-created rooms. Elsewhere in the exhibit, guests can learn about more recent Titanic-related endeavors, like protecting the wreck site for scientific analysis. The show at the Saunders Castle at Park Plaza is $40, and the attraction—which is open Wednesday–Sunday through February 2, with special holiday hours as well—is also hosting ballroom dance lessons and other events.

It's been a spectacular year for flowers and Boston, and growing season never ends at this eclectic museum. The courtyard at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is in bloom right now with colorful chrysanthemums at their peak puffiness. Head to the Fenway palace to see the chrysanthemums in all their glory. Also: First Thursdays of each month are free admission from 3–9pm.

Sam Adams has a new collab with an NBA Champion. (Derrick) White Ale is a taproom exclusive available only in Boston beginning Friday, Nov. 15, with a very special toast at the Faneuil Hall taproom. (Read more about that here!) (Derrick) White Ale is a refreshing take on the classic style, flavored with coriander, orange, rose hips and tamarind. The 5.3% beer is a taproom exclusive available only at Sam Adams' downtown and Jamaica Plain taprooms while supplies last. It's on draft and in cans, featuring a cartoon version of the smiling guard.

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. 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. New this year: You can buy timed-entry tickets to skip the line on weekends. (The Holiday Market is free to all via a general-admission line.) Here's everything you need to know about Snowport 2024.

The holiday pop-ups are defrosting for the season! Santa's Cantina at Loco Fenway has debuted 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.

Painter Georgia O’Keeffe and sculptor Henry Moore were contemporaries who never met, but their art speaks to a similar perspective on the natural world. A new exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, reveals these connections and more ways the artists were “in conversation” with the worlds around them. Get an intimate look at both artists' workspaces with recreated studios, and see more than 150 abstract works of art that illuminate ideas like playing with scale and negative space. The new exhibit, Georgia O’Keeffe and Henry Moore, opened last week and is here through January 20, 2025. It requires timed-entry tickets, which include general admission.

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. 

In normal times, the Hub’s cultural calendar is relentless, with plenty of noteworthy shows and events taking place across the city. Still, there's plenty of cool things to do around the Hub.