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 weeknds!) The holiday festivities end Sunday, Dec. 29, while the iceless curling lanes brighten up winter in the Seaport with free outdoor fun 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.