Whether you start celebrating Christmas before or after Thanksgiving, Boston’s Seaport neighborhood has already made up its mind. Boston’s free annual winter holiday festival, Snowport, opens at the beginning of November, allowing its residents to fully delve into the holiday season almost as soon as Halloween ends. What began in 2021, as an open air holiday market highlighting local vendors, has turned into a highlight for many Boston residents and tourists alike, looking for an escape from the tasks of daily life into seasonal cheer and tradition. As the neighborhood’s tradition has grown, it has become a full-fledged “winter getaway,” hosting performers, holiday treats, and winter activities, such as curling. With all of these highlights the event has to offer, the line for entrance can often span the blocks of Boston in the windy winter cold. These lines have caused the event to begin even offering paid tickets for early entrance, just to beat that spanning line. But as Brown students and New England residents alike begin to celebrate the holiday season, many are asking themselves if the festival is worth having to pay or wait in line for hours.
How to Beat the Snowport Lines
While Snowport can oftentimes easily become crowded or generate a long wait, its daytime operations are often much more relaxed, with lesser attendance. While after dark, the market offers its charm of light displays and live music, the daytime experience still offers numerous local storefronts, delicious food, and a Christmas tree lot. Event-goers can find goods from over 100 stalls within the holiday market, with numerous highlighted Asian-, Black-, Indigenous-, Latinx-, LGBTQIA-, Woman-, and Veteran-owned options. Further these shops offer everything from children’s goods to art to jewelry. Just about anyone can find something up their alley at this Boston business highlight.
While the market and winter backdrop alone is worth the trip out to Seaport, the true spirit behind the event comes out once the sun goes down. With Mohegan Music Mondays, spotlighting local Boston musicians weekly, and its participation in Boston’s “Holiday Lights Trail,” it can often be worth it to brave the crowds for a look at this transformation of the town. While lines often generate at this time on weekends, Snowport offers a timed-entry option, selling tickets ahead of time amounting to $14 per person for adult entry. This option is a great way to participate in the nightly festivities without having to worry about freezing while in line or standing around for hours.
Events to Be on the Lookout For
While Snowport has daily events, shopping, and displays open to the public, the neighborhood offers select calendar events such as an Ice Sculpture Stroll on New Year’s Eve, Menorah Lighting, and appearances from Betty the Yeti within the area. These events remain free to the public, along with the rest of the festivities, yet the wait-time is often longer to gain entrance during these days. A great option to still participate in the holiday cheer without having to worry about keeping track of your calendar or immense lines is the curling lanes, offered daily. These lanes again remain free, while also hosting an online reservation that can allow you to avoid potential lines. These lanes are hosted outside of the market, being a great opportunity to experience Snowport without having to worry about getting into the market.
Seaport’s winter experiences offer a great way to escape the stress of final exams, work, or daily life and step into the holiday season for a day. Whether it’s a quick train ride away from Brown campus or further, Snowport can serve as the perfect opportunity to experience the best of Boston and prepare for winter. Other great winter activities can be found in 5 Fun Winter Activities in Providence to Shake the Winter Blues.