Christmas & New Year
in Boston 2026 | 2027

Christmas and New Year in Boston 2026 | 2027

Boston makes a compelling Christmas escape, with historic neighbourhoods dressed for the season, two excellent Christmas markets, traditional concerts and a lively gay scene that keeps going long after the shops close.

• Hotel AKA Back Bay makes a convenient base between Back Bay shopping and South End nightlife. Set in the former police headquarters on Berkeley Street, it puts Copley Square, Boston Common and Club Café within walking distance.

Event Highlights

• Season: Saturday, November 7, 2026 To Friday, January 1, 2027
• Boston’s Christmas attractions stretch across several neighbourhoods, giving you plenty of reasons to stay for a long weekend.
• Spend an afternoon hunting for gifts at SoWa, follow the Christmas lights through Beacon Hill and finish with cocktails in the South End.
• Stay until New Year’s Eve and the city puts on First Night, a free celebration with music, ice sculptures and fireworks over Boston Harbor.
• Check out the 10 best hotels in Boston.

Boston Christmas Markets Schedule

Dates	What’s On	Location
6th Nov – 27th Dec	Snowport Holiday Market	100 Seaport Boulevard
20th Nov – 27th Dec	SoWa Christmas Market Closed Mondays.	SoWa Power Station, 550 Harrison Avenue
23rd Nov, 5pm	Holiday Trellis Lighting	Christopher Columbus Park
11th – 13th Dec 18th – 20th Dec	Harvard Square Holiday Fair	Galeria building, JFK and Winthrop Streets, Cambridge
Awaiting dates	Old South Church Christmas Craft Fair	645 Boylston Street, Copley Square
31st Dec, 1pm-5pm	Waterfront Ice Sculpture Stroll	Boston waterfront; sculpture locations to be announced.
31st Dec	First Night Boston Performance times to be announced.	Copley Square and city venues
31st Dec – 1st Jan, midnight	New Year’s Eve Fireworks	Boston Harbor; viewing at Christopher Columbus Park, Fan Pier and East Boston waterfront.

Dates are for November and December 2026, welcoming January 2027. All times are local.

Boston’s two main Christmas markets offer quite different experiences. Snowport is the bigger outdoor celebration, complete with themed bars and food stalls, while SoWa concentrates on independent designers, makers and unusual gifts.

Snowport Holiday Market

• Friday 6th November to Sunday 27th December 2026 – Best for: Outdoor market atmosphere, food and festive drinks.
• Snowport takes over 100 Seaport Boulevard with independent businesses selling gifts, jewellery, artwork, homeware and seasonal food.
• This is the market to visit when shopping is only part of the plan. Food stalls, themed bars and entertainment make it easy to spend the evening here with friends.
• Its distinction is the setting: a large outdoor Christmas market in the Seaport neighbourhood, with waterfront restaurants and harbour views nearby.
• General admission is free. An optional weekend fast pass offers a reserved arrival time.
• Stay at Seaport Hotel Boston, on Seaport Lane. You can walk to the market, return to drop off purchases and head back out for dinner without travelling across town. The indoor pool is a welcome bonus on a cold-weather break.

SoWa Christmas Market

• Friday 20th November to Sunday 27th December 2026 – Best for: Independent makers and shopping under cover.
• The SoWa Christmas Market fills the Power Station at 550 Harrison Avenue with over 100 regional makers, artists, designers and speciality food vendors.
• Come here for handcrafted jewellery, artwork and presents with a connection to the person who made them. The industrial building gives the market a character of its own.
• Its strongest advantage is being indoors. You can browse properly without keeping one eye on the weather, then continue into the South End for dinner.
• Admission is $10.
• Stay at The Revolution Hotel on Berkeley Street for a South End base within walking distance of SoWa and Club Café. Check the room category when booking: some rooms use shared bathrooms.

Harvard Square Holiday Fair

• Friday 11th to Sunday 13th December and Friday 18th to Sunday 20th December 2026 – A smaller craft fair combined with an afternoon in Cambridge.
• The Harvard Square Holiday Fair takes place on the lower level of the Galeria building, at the corner of JFK and Winthrop Streets.
• The juried selection combines regional craftspeople with travelling importers. It offers a different shopping experience from the larger Boston markets, with opportunities to speak to makers and browse individual stalls.
• Its location is the reason to give it a separate afternoon. Explore Harvard Square’s bookshops and cafés before visiting the fair.
• Admission is free. Opening hours: Fri noon-7pm, Sat 11am-7pm and Sun noon-6pm, on both weekends.
• Stay at The Charles Hotel on Bennett Street if Cambridge is your preferred base. The fair and Harvard Square are close by, with the Red Line connecting you to central Boston. 

Old South Church Christmas Craft Fair

• Expected December 5th (Epiphany) – Old South Church
• This smaller fair is worth watching if you enjoy handmade gifts and a historic setting beside Copley Square.
• Combine a visit with Back Bay shopping and Newbury Street once the church publishes its 2026 arrangements.
• Hotel AKA Back Bay keeps you within walking distance of Copley Square and gives you an easy route towards the South End afterwards.

Boston’s Christmas Lights

Build the lights into an evening out rather than trying to cross the entire city in one walk.

• Back Bay: Start around Copley Square, continue towards Commonwealth Avenue and the Public Garden, then finish with dinner or drinks in the South End.
• Waterfront: Combine Snowport with a walk towards the downtown waterfront and Christopher Columbus Park.
• Christopher Columbus Park: The trellis lighting takes place on Monday 23rd November 2026 at 5pm. Its blue-lit arches give this stop a distinctive setting beside the harbour.
• For a waterfront stay, Boston Harbor Hotel at Rowes Wharf places you close to harbour cruises and within walking distance of Christopher Columbus Park.

A Christmas Harbour Cruise

• Classic Harbor Line’s Cocoa and Carols Cruise offers a 90-minute trip aboard Yacht Northern Lights, departing from 60 Rowes Wharf.
• The decorated, heated salon makes this an appealing way to see the skyline without spending the whole outing outdoors.
• Hot cocoa, tea or coffee is included, with additional drinks available to buy.
• Choose your sailing from the operator’s booking calendar, then plan dinner on the waterfront afterwards.

Gay Boston After the Markets

Choose your evening by neighbourhood. Club Café works neatly with Back Bay and the South End; Dorchester deserves a separate night if you want dinner followed by a longer evening out.

• Club Café, 209 Columbus Avenue: Restaurant, cabaret and club under one roof. The Napoleon Room is a draw for live performers and show tunes, with drag brunch and other shows listed in the venue’s calendar. A convenient follow-on from SoWa or Back Bay shopping.
• dbar, Dorchester: A restaurant that becomes a lounge and nightclub as the evening progresses. Book dinner and check the events calendar if you want to make a night of it.

Christmas parties, drag brunch editions and New Year’s Eve tickets should be booked against the venues’ current calendars. The older recurring show times in the existing guide have been removed.

Where to Eat

• Boston Chops South End, 1375 Washington Street: A steakhouse option for dinner after SoWa, with a raw bar and an extensive wine selection.
• Yvonne’s, 2 Winter Place: A supper club serving sharing plates in central Boston. It suits a dressed-up dinner between sightseeing and a late evening out.

Reserve separately for New Year’s Eve and check the menu and seating arrangements for that night.

First Night Boston

• Thursday 31st December 2026, welcoming Friday 1st January 2027.
• First Night Boston brings free performances, art installations and celebrations to the city, with Copley Square at the centre of the programme.
• Choose a few events from the published schedule and leave time for dinner and the journey to your midnight viewing point.
• Keep the afternoon ice sculpture stroll and the midnight fireworks as separate parts of your plan, with an indoor break between them.

Waterfront Ice Sculpture Stroll

• Thursday 31st December 2026, 1pm-5pm.
• Boston Harbor Now’s Ice Sculpture Stroll brings ice sculptures to businesses and cultural landmarks along the waterfront.
• Pick a section of the route once the 2026 locations are published. Trying to cover every waterfront neighbourhood will leave little time to enjoy the stops.
• A stay at Boston Harbor Hotel gives you a downtown waterfront base for the afternoon and somewhere to return before the evening celebrations.

New Year’s Eve Fireworks

• Boston’s midnight fireworks welcome 2027 over the inner harbour, between the North End and East Boston.
• Boston Harbor Now lists public viewing at Christopher Columbus Park, Fan Pier’s Harborwalk and the East Boston waterfront.
• Choose your viewing area before dinner. Moving between neighbourhoods close to midnight can take a sizeable bite out of the evening.

Where to Stay

• Hotel AKA Back Bay: Our pick for combining Back Bay shopping, Christmas sightseeing and Club Café. Its Berkeley Street location works well for a first Boston visit.
• Seaport Hotel Boston: Choose it for Snowport, waterfront dining and a stay centred on the Seaport neighbourhood. An indoor pool adds appeal in winter.
• The Revolution Hotel: A South End option for SoWa and nights around Columbus Avenue. Compare room types carefully for private or shared bathroom arrangements.
• Boston Harbor Hotel: The waterfront luxury choice for Rowes Wharf cruises, harbour walks and New Year’s Eve.