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We’re well into the time of year with 4PM sunsets and getting bad colds. Wash your hands and enjoy your weekend!
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FRIDAY - DECEMBER 5th
Festival of Lights @ Worcester Common Oval This free, family-friendly event will host a number of lighting features, ice skating, food vendors, community organizations and performances.
First Fridays Party @ MFA @ 6PM
Unwind with MFA First Fridays, an exciting evening of music, live performances, dancing, art making, and more!
First Fridays: Wintry Mixer @ ICA @ 6PM ‘Tis the season to celebrate local art and artists! Enjoy live performances by innovative artists, dancing, art tours, and more.
Time Travel on Screen: ‘Looper’ Screening @ MIT Museum @ 7PM Enjoy a special film series exploring time travel through the lens of science fiction cinema.
Candlelight: The Best Of Joe Hisaishi @ Huntington Theatre @ 9PM Experience soundtracks from ‘Spirited Away,’ ‘Kiki’s Delivery Service,’ ‘Princess Mononoke,’ and more performed by a string ensemble.
John Brown’s Body @ Brighton Music Hall @ 7PM With Sundub
Bad Rabbits @ The Sinclair @ 8PM With Red Shaydez & DJ Troy Frost
Death Angel @ The Palladium @ 7PM With VIO-LENCE, Lions at the Gate, & Misfire
The Baxbys @ City Winery @ 8PM With South Pleasant Revival & Key Found
SATURDAY - DECEMBER 6th
Boston Women’s Holiday Market @ Huntington Theatre @ 11AM Calling all theatre lovers, Broadway buffs, and Back Bay holiday explorers - shop from over 25 women-founded local brands in one of the city’s most iconic cultural spaces.
Small Mart Holiday Market @ Crystal Ballroom @ 11AM Shop your holiday gifts at this curated market featuring 40+ beloved local artisans, vintage, makers and more!
Malden Winter Market @ Malden High School @ 11AM Celebrate the season with artisanal goods, creative gifts, delicious treats, and holiday sparkle!
Honky Tonk Holiday ft. the Talking Hearts @ Arts at the Armory @ 7PM Enjoy a dance lesson and a concert from the vibrant six-piece ensemble Talking Hearts.
Boston Pops Holiday Tour @ Hanover Theatre @ 8PM Capturing the magic of the Christmas season and the winter charms of New England, the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra perform holiday classics and new arrangements of seasonal favorites.
Candlelight: 90s Hip-Hop on Strings @ Simons Theatre @ 9PM Your favorite throwback Hip-Hop hits reimagined in classical sound! Featuring selections by Wu Tang Clan, Outkast, 2Pac, Nas, & more.
Aimee Mann + Ted Leo @ Chevalier Theatre @ 8PM With Paul F. Tompkins, Nellie McKay, & Josh Gondelman
Belmont @ Brighton Music Hall @ 6PM With Avoid & Super Sometimes
Highly Suspect @ The Palladium @ 8:30PM With Flight Attendant & Gemello
Boy Band Brunch: Holiday Edition @ City Winery @ 12PM Re-imagine the sounds and energy of NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, One Direction, BoyzIIMen, Jonas Brothers & more,
SUNDAY - DECEMBER 7th
BostonFestival of Indie Games 2025 @ Cyclorama @ 10AM - 5PM The Boston Festival of Indie Games is the biggest indie games event around and it's taking place on Sunday, where you can play dozens of new digital and tabletop games, meet the developers, and engage in some family-friendly fun.
Winter Market @ Sam Adams Boston @ 12PM Embrace the holiday spirit and enjoy a day of festive fun at this year's Winter Market featuring a variety of local vendors offering handcrafted gifts, artisanal goods, card making, and seasonal treats.
Somerville Flea Holiday Market @ Arts at the Armory @ 10AM Enjoy two jam-packed floors of gift buying goodness featuring curated vintage wares and artisan creations.
Play Date @ ICA @ 10AM Bring your kids for fun art-making activities, story time in the galleries, and a chance to meet other families.
Counter Intutitive 10-Year Anniversary @ Paradise Rock Club @ 2:30PM Featuring Prince Daddy & The Hyena, Sports, Masceal, Bay Faction, & more
Teethe @ Brighton Music Hall @ 7PM With Villagerrr
Jon Finn Group @ City Winery @ 7PM With Blues Mob
ALL WEEKEND
THURSDAY & FRIDAY - ‘A Sky Full of Stars: The Songs of Coldplay’ Concert @ Berklee Performance Center Step into a technicolor soundscape and experience a vibrant reimagining of Coldplay’s iconic catalog, presented by an exceptional global cast of Berklee students.
FRIDAY & SUNDAY - Handel’s ‘Messiah’ in Concert @ NEC Jordan Hall Once controversial, Handel’s ‘Messiah’ has become a true celebration of music and holiday cheer and is now an annual tradition for Boston Baroque.
FRIDAY & SATURDAY - ‘A Carol Chrtistmas’ Play @ Footlight Club Since 1997, Carol Gallagher and friends have put on a warm and hilarious Christmas show while fundraising for the beloved Footlight Club.
FRIDAY & SATURDAY - Shit-faced Shakespeare: ‘Hamlet’ Play @ The Rockwell Shakespeare’s timeless examination of human nature is reimagined in this raucous, interactive and vibrant theater experience where no show is the same. Ends 2/14/2026
All weekend - Visit with Santa @ Stone Zoo Experience the wonder of the season with a special visit with Santa at ZooLights! Ends 12/23.
All weekend - Kilroy Square Holiday Market @ Quincy Square Don't miss two weekends of holiday shopping in Quincy featuring unique local vendors.
All weekend - ‘’Twas the Night Before’ Cirque Performance @ Wang Theatre Cirque du Soleil’s new festive show brings a flurry of love, Christmas cheer, thrilling acrobatics and hugely lovable characters that will create a new holiday tradition for families to cherish. Ends 12/14.
All weekend - ‘The Slutcracker’ Burlesque Show @ Somerville Theatre Come see why people travel from across the globe to witness this homegrown burlesque spectacular. Ends 1/4/2026.
All weekend - Holiday Pops @ Symphony Hall Listen to Christmas classics performed by the Boston Pops orchestra lead by Keith Lockhart at Symphony Hall.
All weekend - ‘A Celtic Christmas’ Performance @ Calderwood Pavilion Prepare to be enchanted with some of the world’s finest Irish dancers and musicians bringing the spirit of Christmas to life, in a show that will make you laugh, cry, and sing into the night. Ends 12/14.
All weekend - Wicked Queer: Fall Focus Film Screenings @ MFA Join the MFA and Wicked Queer for a collection of films highlighting the best of summer and fall 2025 in queer cinema.
All weekend - ‘The Nutcracker’ Ballet @ Citizens Bank Opera House Boston Ballet’s annual production of ‘The Nutcracker’ is an exquisite spectacular featuring some of the world’s most challenging choreography and Tchaikovsky’s magical score performed by the Boston Ballet Orchestra. Ends 12/28.
All weekend - ‘A Christmas Carol’ Musical @ North Shore Music Theatre Join the more than one million people who have been dazzled by this original, award-winning adaptation based on Charles Dickens’ classic novella. Ends 12/21.
All weekend - ‘The Addams Family’ Musical @ BCA Plaza Theatre A comical feast that embraces the wackiness in every family, this magnificently macabre hit musical features everyone’s favorite creepy, kooky characters.
All weekend - ‘A Christmas Carol’ Musical @ Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre Step into the magic of Victorian England and rediscover the heart and soul of the holiday season with Commonwealth Shakespeare Company. Ends 12/23.
All weekend - ‘Black Nativity’ Musical @ Emerson Paramount Center This lively retelling features jubilant gospel music, dramatic dance, black vernacular, and Biblical narrative. Ends 12/21.
All weekend - ‘Fun Home’ Musical @ The Huntington Theatre Winner of five Tony Awards including Best Musical, ‘Fun Home’ is a beloved, groundbreaking, and emotionally rich story of seeing your parents through grown-up eyes. Ends 12/14.
All weekend - ‘The Sound of Music’ Musical @ Company Theatre Revisit the world’s most beloved musicals with The Company Theatre. Ends 12/21.
All weekend - ‘Annie’ Musical @ Wheelock Family Theatre
Beloved family musical about Little Orphan Annie, kicking off its Boston run this weekend. Ends 12/21.
All weekend - ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ Play @ Emerson Colonial Theatre Experience the wizarding world like never before at this record-breaking hit that brings the beloved story to the stage through astonishing theatrical magic. Ends 12/20.
All weekend - ‘A Sherlock Carol’ Play @ Lyric Stage This fresh and charming reimagining of two of the most beloved literary characters is a Dickens of a yuletide detective story that’s as “good as gold.” Ends 12/21.
ONGOING
Ongoing - Holiday Shopping Market @ Boston Public Market This holiday season, shop from 30+ small businesses selling unique handmade gifts, organic and homemade products, and more for your holiday needs. Ends 12/21.
Ongoing - SoWa Winter Festival @ SoWa Power Station The annual festival brings 125+ of the region's best small businesses selling everything from specialty food, art, crafts, and other goods. Ends 12/28.
Ongoing - Snowport @ Seaport Find gifts, treats, and plenty of family-friendly activities and surprises in this one-stop wonderland you can enjoy all christmas season. Ends 12/28.
Ongoing - WinterFest @ The Yard at Charlestown NEW - Prepare to be dazzled by stunning light displays, thrilling amusements, and a fantastic winter market brimming with artisanal vendors. Ends 12/30.
Ongoing - Holiday Shoppes @ Tuscan Village Tuscan Village is bringing back its open-air holiday market featuring 50+ small businesses and artisans. Ends 12/24.
Ongoing - Zoo Lights @ Stone Zoo Enter a winter wonderland of tree-lined paths lit by thousands of twinkling lights spanning Stone Zoo's 26 acres. Ends 1/4/2026.
Ongoing - Night Lights: Dazzling Gardens @ New England Botanic Garden Celebrate the season at the Botanic Garden with a winter light display like no other in the region! Ends 1/4/2026.
Ongoing - Edaville Festival of Lights @ Carver Experience one of New England’s oldest Christmas traditions featuring steam trains, Christmas lights, vintage amusement rides, Santa, and more! Ends 12/28.
Ongoing - Winterlights Winterlights returns to three special locations around Massachusetts with dazzling light displays, festive music, seasonal treats, and more. Ends 1/3/2026.
Ongoing - Historic Holiday Stroll @ Freedom Trail
Guided Dickens-inspired walk along the Freedom Trail highlighting Boston’s holiday traditions and lights. Ends 12/27.
Ongoing - Somerville Winter Farmers Market @ Arts at the Armory @ 9:30AM Saturdays* - This weekly winter market features 70+ local food vendors with the best locally grown and regionally produced foods.
Ongoing - ‘Monsters of the Deep: Between Imagination and Science’ Exhibition @ MIT Museum Using historical prints, this exhibit traces the scientific process of observing, measuring, and describing that turned whales from monsters into mammals. Ends 1/2026.
Ongoing - ‘Martin Puryear: Nexus’ Exhibition @ MFA The exhibition brings together sculptor Martin Puryear’s diverse artworks, highlighting his elaborate craftsmanship and sophisticated sources of inspiration—from global cultures, social history, and the natural world. Ends 2/8/2026.
Ongoing - ‘Of Light and Air: Winslow Homer in Watercolor’ Exhibition @ MFA Follow the major chapters in seminal American artist Winslow Homer’s career and learn about the various environments—ecological, artistic, social, and economic—that shaped his enduring work in watercolor. Ends 1/19/2026.
Ongoing - ‘Rachel Ruysch: Artist, Naturalist, and Pioneer’ Exhibition @ MFA This exhibition brings together 35 of the finest works by pioneering Dutch artist Rachel Ruysch, whose still life paintings invite viewers to reflect on the beauty of the natural world and women’s role in 18th century Netherlands. Ends 12/7.
Ongoing - ‘Rituals for Remembering’ Exhibition @ MFA This exhibition brings together works by influential Cuban artists María Magdalena Campos-Pons and Ana Mendieta whose art explores the notions of displacement, exile, and nature as transformative tool. Ends 2/15/2026.
Ongoing - Fall 2025 Exhibitions @ ISG Museum Paying homage to a seminal African American artist and lifelong Bostonian Allan Rohan, these series of exhibitions raise questions of whose legacy is preserved and what stories a metropolis reveals. Ends 1/19/2026.
Ongoing - ‘Portia Zvavahera: Hidden Battles / Hondo dzakavanzika’ Exhibition @ ICA Inspired by Indigenous Shona and African Pentecostal faith traditions, Zimbabwean artist Portia Zvavahera’s exhibition centers around wild animals, where bulls, snakes, rats, and owls represent mysterious forces and potential threats. Ends 1/19/2026.
Ongoing - ‘Sketch, Shade, Smudge: Drawing from Gray to Black’ Exhibition @ Harvard Art Museums This exhibition celebrates the act of drawing using familiar tools—charcoal, chalk, crayon, and graphite, showcasing how simple tools can be powerful vehicles for artistic expression. Ends 1/18/2026.
Ongoing - ‘Jung Yeondoo: Building Dreams’ Exhibition @ Peabody Essex Museum Photographing ordinary families and individuals, Artist Jung Yeondoo’s work invites viewers to take a closer look at those strangers we don’t notice and imagine their dreams. Ends 1/25/2026.
Ongoing - ‘Draw Me Ishmael: The Book Arts of Moby Dick’ Exhibition @ Peabody Essex Museum ‘Draw Me Ishmael’ is the first exhibition focused on the book arts of the hundreds of editions of Herman Melville’s Moby Dick - the most persistently pictured of all American novels. Ends 3/29/2026.
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