The most wonderful time of year has approached us fast. So many holiday festivities have been taking place. There are so many places to visit that have fun activities, but one city that I live right outside of has a lot of different and unique holiday activities for everyone to enjoy. During this time of year, Boston is such an exciting city to be in. Here is my recommendation for jolly festivities to do in Boston:
- Snowport
One of the most popular things to do in this city throughout the season is Snowport. Snowport is a holiday market that takes place at Boston’s Seaport. This holiday market features many different vendors selling unique items, tasty food and drink stands, and activities like iceless curling and festive workshops. This lively winter village has so many things to offer. It is a perfect place to buy gifts for friends and family. The price depends on how much you do or buy, but entry is free! Since the weekends are busy here, you can buy affordable timed-entry tickets! At night time, this place lights up and looks very vibrant. I recommend visiting the vendors Baked by Melissa which has a variety of delicious sweet treats and Cheapo Records which offers different apparel of famous artists! Snowport is definitely worth the time visiting!
- Boston’s Winter Fest
An underrated activity to do in the city in December is attend Boston’s Winter Fest! This is located in Hood Park, Charlestown. This event features a huge Christmas light festival, a Ferris wheel, a winter market, and ice skating! There are so many different things to do which makes this place very amusing! The dazzling light displays include an ice castle that you can walk through! Tickets to get in are super cheap with them only being around $5! You can get sweet treats to eat and shop throughout the market. Winter Fest also includes many photo opportunities such as a life size gingerbread house. This is a perfect thing to do at night with family and friends that has lots of festive vibes!
- The Nutcracker
The holiday season brings back one of the most iconic dance productions of all time, The Nutcracker. Boston Ballet has many performances every year at the Citizens Opera House. Boston Ballet is a prestigious dance company that is one of the top professional companies in the United States. They are about one or two shows a day up until a few days after Christmas. The company puts on a fabulous performance of this famous story each year. The dancers have highly trained dance experience to make this show magical. For people that love dance or just the holidays in general, this is an experience that is worthwhile.
- Ice Skating on Frog Pond
A tradition the city brings back every year is ice skating at Frog Pond. Frog Pond is located in the middle of the Boston Common. They offer ice skating all winter long! From free skating to taking actual lessons, this is perfect for anybody regardless if they know how to skate or not. It is open every single day of the week so it can accommodate anyone’s schedule! Boston Common is a historical place and while skating you can view the rest of the city that surrounds it! At night, beautiful lights turn on to make it really feel like the holidays! This is a super affordable thing to do with skates being no more than $18 and depending on height it can either be free or up to $12. This is an entertaining experience that is perfect for visiting the city for a day or weekend!
- First Night Boston 2026
Every single New Years Eve Boston hosts a huge first night celebration to ring in the new year. It is free to attend and perfect for all ages. This event features family-friendly activities, live music, ice sculptures, a parade, and fireworks! They have fireworks at around 7 o’clock in Boston Common for those who like to have an earlier night and then an even bigger display at midnight over the harbor! As someone who has gone to the earlier firework show, seen the parade, and visited the ice sculptures this is a must do event for every person. The parade starts at City Hall Plaza and ends at the Common that highlights many performances and celebratory groups! The ice sculptures feature many designs of the city crafted by famous ice carvers! Every Bostonian and visitor should get to experience this exciting event at least once in their lifetime.
This guide is an overview of some of the favorite holiday activities that the city has to offer. Boston is a city of history that is so magical to visit during this time of year. I hope these bucket-list festivities inspire everyone to come to this city!