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在波士顿度假？ Feel the Joy with These Holiday Activities

From snow tubing to a self-guided lights tour, we’ve rounded up the best local festivities to get you in a celebratory mood

Every December, Boston transforms into the ultimate winter wonderland with plenty of performances, unique shops, and cold-weather activities to get you in the holiday spirit. Check out some of these classic, and under-the-radar, recommendations, from the Boston Ballet’s annual performance of The Nutcracker to a self-guided holiday lights tour in Somerville. 

Shopping

Sip & Shop Holiday Market 

The year-round Boston Public Market—which supports local small businesses—welcomes pop-up vendors for its Sip & Shop Holiday Market, open Friday through Sunday this weekend. Enjoy a seasonal cocktail from the bar and explore a wide selection of handmade clothing and accessories, ceramics and pottery, and small-batch jams, jellies, and relishes. 

The Boston Public Market Sip & Shop Holiday Market, 100 Hanover St., Boston, is open from 8 am to 8 pm on Friday and Saturday, December 20 and 21, and 10 am to 6 pm on Sunday, December 22. Find more information about the vendors here. 

SoWa Winter Festival

The ninth annual SoWa Winter Festival ends on December 22, so be sure you hit this shopping destination before you head home for winter break. The festival, held in the SoWa Power Station in Boston’s South End, features over 100 vendors selling handmade art, holiday gifts, specialty foods, and more. When you’re done shopping, hit up the nearby food trucks.

The SoWa Winter Festival, 550 Harrison Ave., Boston, is open through Sunday, December 22. Admission is $10. Find more information, including hours of operation, here.

The Holiday Market at Snowport

The long lines to enter show you how popular this bustling Seaport market is. But it’s worth the wait: the market features more than 120 local vendors, allowing you to knock out all of your holiday shopping, including apparel, home decor, and jewelry, in one go. 

Elsewhere, you can listen to live music, enjoy the twinkling lights, and sign up for 30 free minutes of curling. When you’ve had your fill, grab a snack and enjoy a cocktail or mocktail.  

The Holiday Market at Snowport, 100 Seaport Blvd., Boston, is open 3 to 8 pm Monday through Thursday, 11 am to 9 pm Friday and Saturday, and 11 am to 8 pm Sunday through December 29. Find more information here. 

Activities

Cocktails for a Cause at TimeOut Market

Head over to TimeOut Market to try one of three special Nutcracker-themed cocktails on the menu this month, like the Nutcracker Mai Tai, a delicious tiki-style punch made with Planteray 3 Stars rum and dark rums, lime, cinnamon-honey syrup, and house-made pecan orgeat. Better yet, this drink is also spreading the holiday cheer to those who need it most: TimeOut is donating $1 per cocktail sold to Cradles to Crayons, a nonprofit organization providing low-income children with everyday essentials. 

TimeOut Market, 401 Park Drive, Boston, is open 8:30 am to 10 pm Monday through Thursday, 8:30 am to 11 pm Friday, 9 am to 11 pm Saturday, and 9 am to 10 pm Sunday. Cocktails for a Cause ends on January 1. 

Ice-Skating at Boston Common’s Frog Pond

BU is a hockey school, so you might as well be a good fan and learn how to skate, too. The Frog Pond on the Boston Common offers a discount for college students every Tuesday from 6 to 9 pm: half-price tickets, and BU students can receive free admission on Tuesday, January 7, as part of the rink’s College Nights program. This is the perfect time to hit the ice, whether you’re an experienced skater or a newbie.

Boston Common Frog Pond, 38 Beacon St., Boston; view hours here. Tickets ($10 for adults, free for anyone under 4’10”) can be bought on site. 

Lights

See our full list here.

Menorah Lighting at Snowport

Photos courtesy of Boston Seaport by WS Development

The Chabad of Downtown Boston will host its annual menorah-lighting ceremony at Snowport, Seaport’s winter market, on December 29 (Hanukkah is December 25 to January 2 this year). The event will include the lighting of a colossal nine-foot menorah, treats, and more. 

Menorah Lighting at Seaport, 60 Seaport Blvd., Boston, Sunday, December 29, at 4:30 pm. 

ZooLights at Stone Zoo

Each winter, Stone Zoo, a small zoo in Stoneham, Mass., turns into a winter wonderland. Stroll down tree-lined paths of twinkling lights and make your way to Yukon Creek, where you can pay a visit to some of the zoo’s most special inhabitants, like black bears, Canada lynx, and reindeer. And if you happen to visit the zoo on a Thursday, keep an eye out for Mrs. Claus as she strolls through the zoo from 4 to 8 pm. Be sure to buy your timed ticket ahead of time because they do sell out.

ZooLights at Stone Zoo, 149 Pond St., Stoneham, is from 4 to 9:30 pm, daily except Christmas Day, through January 5. General admission for nonmembers is $18.95. Purchase tickets and find more information here.

Somerville Illuminations

For residents of this nearby suburb, Christmas lights are no joke. So much so that the Somerville Arts Council puts together an Illuminations map every year, marking local residences with extravagant holiday displays lighting up their front yards. Each year, Somerville residents take their decorations up a notch, with new and creative lighting schemes, so you won’t want to miss this local tradition. Hop in the car, or bundle up and go for a stroll, using the online map to set your route. 

Somerville Illuminations is set to end in early January, when residents begin to take down their lights. Find more information and the online map here. 

Performances

Urban Nutcracker

If you’ve seen The Nutcracker in years past and are looking for a new holiday show, check out Urban Nutcracker, a fusion of classical ballet, hip-hop, swing, flamenco, and urban tap and step. Now in its 21st year, this show is a relatable take on a seasonal classic, reflecting Boston’s diverse culture. Follow Clarice as she goes on the adventure of a lifetime and explores some of Boston’s most famous landmarks, before receiving a Nutcracker doll that comes to life with dance. 

Urban Nutcracker is at the Shubert Theater, 265 Tremont St., Boston, through December 22. View dates and purchase tickets, starting at $15, here. 

Home Alone in Concert

In our humble opinion, there’s no better Christmas movie out there than Home Alone. The heartwarming classic follows eight-year-old Kevin McCallister as he defends his Chicago home from klutzy burglars after his family goes on a holiday vacation and accidentally leaves him behind. Enjoy the film’s delightful score, from renowned composer John Williams (Hon.’85), performed live to picture by the Boston Pops.

Home Alone in Concert is at Symphony Hall, 301 Massachusetts Ave., Boston, Friday, December 27, at 7:30 pm, Saturday, December 28, at 7:30 pm, and Sunday, December 29, at 3 pm. Buy tickets here. 

Boston Ballet’s The Nutcracker

The beloved holiday tradition is back, at the Citizens Bank Opera House through December 29. Experience the magic of Mikko Nissinen’s choreography and Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s timeless score, as young heroine Clara is whisked away to a winter wonderland full of snowflakes, the Sugar Plum Fairy, and those damn rats.

The Nutcracker, Citizens Opera House, 539 Washington St., Boston, runs through December 29. Purchase tickets, starting at $30, here.

Disney on Ice: Mickey’s Search Party

Disney on Ice is bringing its high-energy show Mickey’s Search Party to Agganis Arena this holiday season. Watch iconic stories from your favorite Disney characters come to life, like Kristoff and his reindeer companion, Moana and Maui, the Fab Five (Mickey and friends), and more. It’s perfect for families and sure to delight Disney fans of all ages.

Disney on Ice: Mickey’s Search Party is at Agganis Arena, 925 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, through December 30. Purchase tickets, starting at $20, here.