What's Happening in Boston: October 2026–New Year's Day 2027
Looking for something to do in Boston? Here's what's coming up.
Concerts, Bruins and Celtics games, festivals, Halloween celebrations, the Head of the Charles Regatta, Thanksgiving, holiday markets, Christmas lights, seasonal performances and New Year's Eve fireworks.
Whether you're planning a weekend in Boston, entertaining visiting family, or simply looking for something different to do, there's plenty on the calendar between now and January 1.
Some events are free. Others require tickets, and popular performances can sell out.
Bookmark this page. New events are added regularly.
🍁 October in Boston
October is one of Boston's busiest months, and for good reason.
The leaves are changing, college students have returned, hockey and basketball are getting underway, and the city's cultural calendar is packed.
🎤 Johnny Blue Skies & the Dark Clouds — October 13
Johnny Blue Skies & the Dark Clouds bring the Mutiny for the Masses 2026 Tour to TD Garden.
If you're heading into the city for the concert, consider arriving early and making an evening of it in the West End or North End.
📍 TD Garden
📅 Tuesday, October 13
🕗 8 p.m.
🏀 Celtics Preseason — October 14
The Celtics continue preparing for the regular season with a home game against Charlotte.
By now, Causeway Street is firmly back in sports season.
📍 TD Garden
📅 Wednesday, October 14
🎤 Olivia Rodrigo — October 15–18
Four nights. One arena. One very busy Boston weekend.
Olivia Rodrigo takes over TD Garden October 15–18, adding another major attraction to an already crowded weekend in the city.
If you're visiting for a concert, book restaurant reservations early and consider staying downtown.
📍 TD Garden
📅 October 15–18
🎃 Fall-o-Ween Children's Festival — October 16
Boston Common gets into the Halloween spirit with the City's free Fall-o-Ween Children's Festival.
Families can enjoy costumes, entertainment, games, treats and seasonal activities around the Frog Pond.
It's an easy way to celebrate Halloween with younger children before the big night arrives.
📍 Boston Common Frog Pond
📅 Friday, October 16
🕓 4–8 p.m.
💰 Free
Fall-o-Ween Children's Festival Information →
🚣 Head of the Charles Regatta — October 16–18
One of Boston's great fall traditions returns.
The Head of the Charles Regatta brings rowers and spectators from around the world to the Charles River for three days of racing.
You don't need to know anything about rowing to appreciate this event. Find a spot along the river, watch the crews race beneath the bridges, and enjoy one of the most beautiful weekends of the year in Boston and Cambridge.
📍 Charles River, Boston and Cambridge
📅 October 16–18
Head of the Charles Regatta Schedule →
📚 Boston Book Festival — October 17
Boston has always been a city of writers, readers and people with opinions.
The Boston Book Festival brings them together in Copley Square for a day of authors, books, storytelling and ideas.
It's one of New England's major literary gatherings, and the programming is free.
📍 Copley Square
📅 Saturday, October 17
🕙 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
💰 Free
🎬 Sweater Weather Fest — October 17
While readers gather in Copley Square, filmmakers and musicians take over City Hall Plaza.
Sweater Weather Fest brings film screenings, music, local vendors, industry discussions and an outdoor feature film projected onto Boston City Hall.
The festival runs from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Boston really does offer something for everybody on October 17.
📍 City Hall Plaza
📅 Saturday, October 17
🕑 2–11 p.m.
💰 Free
Sweater Weather Fest Information →
🍁 Fall in Boston — Get Outside While the Leaves Are Turning
October is one of the best months of the year to simply be outside in Boston.
Walk Beacon Hill. Cross the Public Garden. Follow the Esplanade. Wander the North End. Get onto the harbor while boats are still running.
Or find a quiet bench and enjoy the changing leaves.
New England puts on this show every year, but it doesn't last forever.
Read: Fall in Boston — The Best Things to Do in October 2026 →
🏀 Celtics Regular Season — Beginning October 23
Then the games start counting.
The Celtics open their regular-season home schedule against the New York Knicks on October 23.
The Chicago Bulls follow October 26, the Brooklyn Nets October 27, and Chicago returns October 30.
By late October, Boston has fully switched seasons. Sometimes literally in the same building overnight.
📍 TD Garden
🎃 Halloween Bash for Breast Cancer Prevention — October 24
The Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition hosts its 29th Annual Lesbians & Friends LGBTQIA+ Dance at Club Café in Boston.
The Halloween celebration includes music, dancing and entertainment while supporting MBCC's breast cancer prevention work.
Costumes are encouraged but not required.
VIP admission includes early access, hors d'oeuvres, a dance lesson and other special perks.
📍 Club Café, 209 Columbus Avenue
📅 Saturday, October 24
🕕 VIP Party: 6–8 p.m.
🕗 General Admission: 8–11 p.m.
💰 $20 general admission; $40 VIP in advance, $45 at the door
🔞 Ages 21+
🎃 Halloween in Boston — October 31
Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, giving Boston an entire weekend to celebrate.
From haunted attractions and ghost tours to costume parties, family activities and neighborhood celebrations, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the holiday.
Boston's long history also makes it a particularly good place to explore stories of ghosts, mysteries and things that supposedly go bump in the night.
If you're looking for a Halloween experience, plan ahead. Popular tours and events can sell out.
Explore the Boston Ghosts & Gravestones Tour →
🎃 The Blair Project at City Hall Plaza — October 31
Boston is giving Halloween its own downtown finale.
The Blair Project comes to City Hall Plaza with a concert and cultural marketplace celebrating women creatives through performances, installations, DJs and women-owned pop-up businesses.
The City lists the event as free, with additional scheduling details to be announced.
And the Bruins host Chicago at TD Garden that afternoon.
Apparently Boston looked at Halloween falling on a Saturday and decided not to waste it.
📍 Boston City Hall Plaza
📅 Saturday, October 31
💰 Free
The Blair Project Event Information →
🍁 November in Boston
Halloween ends. Boston does not.
November is when the city begins moving from fall into the holiday season. The Bruins and Celtics are in full swing, holiday markets open, and Boston starts turning on the lights.
It's also a wonderful time for a weekend visit if you prefer exploring the city without July heat or peak October crowds.
🏒 Bruins Hockey — November
November is a busy month at TD Garden.
The Bruins host the Vegas Golden Knights November 2, Florida Panthers November 8, Montreal Canadiens November 12, Minnesota Wild November 14, and Los Angeles Kings November 17.
Thanksgiving week brings another highlight with the traditional post-Thanksgiving matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs on November 27.
A Bruins game is one of the easiest ways to understand Boston in winter before winter has technically arrived.
📍 TD Garden
🏀 Celtics Basketball — November
The Celtics are home throughout November too.
Boston hosts Milwaukee November 4, Dallas November 15, Orlando November 16, and Atlanta November 27.
That last date is particularly interesting.
The Bruins play the Maple Leafs at TD Garden in the afternoon. Then the Celtics play the Hawks that night.
Two sports. Same building. Same day.
Boston knows how to turn over a Garden.
📍 TD Garden
🎁 Snowport Holiday Market — November 6–December 27
And suddenly, it's holiday-market season.
The Holiday Market at Snowport returns to the Seaport beginning November 6 and runs through December 27.
The open-air market brings together more than 120 small businesses and makers selling gifts, clothing, art, home goods and seasonal treats from chalet-style shops.
There is food. There are drinks. There are lights.
There will almost certainly be people posing for holiday photos while somebody else is trying to walk around them carrying something hot.
In other words, the Seaport at Christmas.
Admission is free.
📍 Seaport Common, 100 Seaport Boulevard
📅 November 6–December 27
💰 Free admission
🇺🇸 Boston Veterans Parade — November 7
Boston honors veterans with its annual Veterans Parade on November 7.
The parade begins near the Boston Public Library on Boylston Street and travels toward City Hall Plaza.
This is worth remembering in a city whose history is so often discussed in centuries.
History is not only something that happened here before we arrived.
📍 Back Bay to City Hall Plaza
📅 Saturday, November 7
🕛 Noon–3 p.m.
💰 Free
🎨 NOW OR NEVER: HOMECOMING — November 7
City Hall Plaza turns its attention to Boston's own creative community with NOW OR NEVER: HOMECOMING.
The free event celebrates local artists through showcases, live visual art and opportunities for people working across Boston's arts and culture community to connect.
Boston has world-famous museums and institutions. It also has people making things here right now.
They deserve some attention too.
📍 Boston City Hall Plaza
📅 Saturday, November 7
💰 Free
🎄 Boston's Christmas Tree Arrives from Nova Scotia — November 17
Before Boston lights its official Christmas tree, it has to get here.
And the journey is part of the story.
Nova Scotia has sent Boston a Christmas tree for generations as an annual gesture of gratitude connected to Boston's emergency assistance following the devastating 1917 Halifax Explosion.
It's one of those traditions that makes considerably more sense once you know the history behind it.
Boston helped Halifax. More than a century later, Nova Scotia still remembers.
The tree's arrival at Boston Common is celebrated with a public welcome.
📍 Boston Common
📅 Tuesday, November 17
🕚 Approximately 11 a.m.
💰 Free
🛍️ SoWa Christmas Market — November 20–December 27
Boston's South End offers a different kind of holiday shopping experience.
The SoWa Christmas Market brings together more than 100 artists, designers, makers and specialty food vendors inside the historic SoWa Power Station.
You'll find handmade jewelry, artwork, clothing, gourmet foods and gifts you probably won't find in a typical shopping mall.
The indoor setting is particularly appealing when the weather turns cold.
The market opens November 20 and continues through December 27, with special holiday hours and closures on Mondays and Christmas Day.
📍 SoWa Power Station, 550 Harrison Avenue
📅 November 20–December 27
🛍️ Hours vary by day
SoWa Christmas Market Information →
✨ Christopher Columbus Park Trellis Lighting — November 23
One of Boston's prettiest waterfront spaces starts looking considerably different after dark.
The annual holiday lighting of the trellis at Christopher Columbus Park returns November 23.
Thousands of lights transform the trellis beside Boston Harbor into one of those places that makes people stop walking, pull out a phone and decide they suddenly need a picture.
The North End is right there. The Harbor is right there.
And by late November, it gets dark early enough that you don't have to wait very long for the show.
📍 Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park
📅 Monday, November 23
💰 Free
🎤 Stevie Nicks — November 24
If holiday lights aren't enough for one night, Stevie Nicks comes to TD Garden November 24.
There are some performers whose names do most of the work.
This is one of them.
📍 TD Garden
📅 Tuesday, November 24
🍁 November Is Walking-Tour Weather
November may not be the first month people think of for exploring Boston on foot.
I think that can be a mistake.
The oppressive summer heat is gone. The city is generally less crowded than it was in October. And neighborhoods like Beacon Hill, the North End and Back Bay can be particularly good when the air gets sharp and you actually want to keep moving.
If you have visitors in town, especially around Thanksgiving, this is a good time to let somebody else tell you some Boston stories for a change.
A guided North End food tour is one way to combine sightseeing with some of the neighborhood's history and food.
Explore a Small-Group Boston Walking Food Tour →
🦃 Thanksgiving in Boston — November 26
Thanksgiving falls on November 26 this year.
Some people will be home cooking. Some people will be visiting family. Some people will be escaping family.
And plenty of visitors will simply be trying to figure out what is open and what there is to do in Boston over Thanksgiving weekend.
That deserves more than a paragraph here.
You'll find separate GoBoston guides to Thanksgiving weekend activities and dining, including where to eat Thanksgiving dinner in Boston.
Explore GoBoston's Boston Trip-Planning Guides →
🏨 Staying in Boston for Thanksgiving Weekend?
Thanksgiving weekend can be a particularly good time to stay downtown because so much can be done without a car.
You can walk portions of the Freedom Trail, wander the Common and Public Garden, explore Beacon Hill, cross into the North End, visit the waterfront, and reach TD Garden without spending the weekend moving your car from garage to garage.
Staying in Back Bay, Downtown, the Waterfront, or near the Garden puts many of Boston's favorite attractions within walking distance.
🏒🏀 A Boston Sports Doubleheader — November 27
If you have sports fans visiting for Thanksgiving, Friday is interesting.
The Bruins host the Toronto Maple Leafs at 1 p.m.
Then TD Garden turns itself over.
The Celtics host the Atlanta Hawks at 8 p.m.
Hockey in the afternoon. Basketball that night. Same building.
You don't have to attend both to appreciate what goes into making that happen.
📍 TD Garden
📅 Friday, November 27
🕐 Bruins: 1 p.m.
🕗 Celtics: 8 p.m.
🩰 Boston Ballet's The Nutcracker — November 27–December 31
A Boston Christmas classic returns.
Boston Ballet's production of The Nutcracker brings Tchaikovsky's music, spectacular dancing, beautiful costumes and elaborate scenery to the Citizens Opera House.
For many families, attending The Nutcracker is as much a part of Christmas as decorating the tree.
Performances begin Thanksgiving weekend and continue through New Year's Eve.
📍 Citizens Opera House, Boston
📅 November 27–December 31
🎟️ Ticketed
Boston Ballet's The Nutcracker →
✨ Lighting of the Ship at Martin's Park — November 28
One of Boston's newer holiday traditions returns to the waterfront November 28.
The Lighting of the Ship at Martin's Park transforms the park's wooden ship, fencing and pedestrian bridge with more than 1,500 feet of blue and white lights.
Santa arrives by boat with the Boston Police Harbor Unit.
There is live music, holiday treats and children's activities.
And because this is on the Harborwalk, the location does quite a lot of the decorating all by itself.
📍 Martin's Park, 64 Sleeper Street
📅 Saturday, November 28
🕔 5–6 p.m.
💰 Free
🎄 Copley Square Tree Lighting — November 30
November ends with Copley Square turning on the lights.
The annual Copley Square Tree Lighting begins at 5 p.m. November 30, with music, family activities and holiday festivities.
This year's celebration coincides with the reopening of the renovated Copley Square Park.
The Boston Public Library is on one side. Trinity Church is on another. The Fairmont Copley Plaza is across the street.
Boston gives you a fairly good backdrop before anybody plugs in a single strand of lights.
📍 Copley Square
📅 Monday, November 30
🕔 5–6 p.m.
💰 Free
City of Boston Tree Lighting Information →
🎄 December in Boston: Christmas, Holiday Events & New Year's Eve
December is when Boston really puts on a show.
The Christmas trees are lit, the holiday markets are busy, the theaters are filled with seasonal performances, and the city looks especially beautiful after dark.
Whether you're visiting for a weekend, bringing the children into town, shopping for gifts, or planning New Year's Eve, there's plenty happening between now and January 1.
And you don't have to spend a fortune to enjoy it. Some of Boston's best holiday experiences are completely free.
✨ Prudential Center's 31 Nights of Light — December 1–31
Look up when you're in Back Bay this December.
Every evening, the top of the Prudential Tower will be illuminated in a different color to recognize a participating nonprofit organization.
The annual 31 Nights of Light celebration has become one of Boston's more meaningful holiday traditions.
It's worth remembering that behind each color is an organization doing important work in the community.
📍 Prudential Tower, Back Bay
📅 December 1–31
💰 Free to view
🎄 Boston Common Christmas Tree Lighting — December 3
Boston's official Christmas tree, a gift from Nova Scotia, takes center stage December 3.
It's a tradition with a remarkable history, rooted in Boston's response to the devastating Halifax Explosion of 1917.
More than a century later, Nova Scotia continues sending a Christmas tree to Boston as an expression of gratitude.
The lighting celebration includes entertainment, music and thousands of lights throughout Boston Common and the Public Garden.
📍 Boston Common, near 139 Tremont Street
📅 Thursday, December 3
🕕 6–8 p.m.
💰 Free
Boston Common Tree Lighting Information →
✨ Commonwealth Avenue Mall Holiday Lights — December 3
Once the Boston Common celebration ends, the holiday lights continue into Back Bay.
The trees along Commonwealth Avenue Mall will be illuminated at 8 p.m., creating one of Boston's prettiest winter walks.
If you're already downtown for the Common tree lighting, consider continuing your evening through the Public Garden and into Back Bay.
📍 Commonwealth Avenue Mall
📅 Thursday, December 3
🕗 8 p.m.
💰 Free
Commonwealth Avenue Mall Lighting →
🎶 Boston Pops Holiday Pops — Beginning December 3
There are few Boston Christmas traditions more recognizable than the Holiday Pops at Symphony Hall.
The Boston Pops returns with seasonal music, festive performances and the kind of atmosphere that makes a trip to Symphony Hall feel like an occasion.
Families should also look at the special Holiday Pops Kids' Matinees, offered on selected dates.
If this is on your Christmas wish list, don't wait until the last minute to arrange tickets.
📍 Symphony Hall, 301 Massachusetts Avenue
📅 Beginning December 3; multiple December performances
🎟️ Ticketed
Boston Pops Holiday Pops Schedule & Tickets →
✨ Boston Frostival Holiday Drone Shows — December 5, 12 & 19
Here's something different for Christmas in Boston.
Boston Frostival is bringing holiday drone shows to the skies above Boston Common on three consecutive Saturday evenings.
Each night features two 15-minute shows celebrating the city's landmarks, traditions and holiday season.
December 5, 12 and 19 are the dates to circle on your calendar.
📍 Boston Common
📅 Saturdays, December 5, 12 & 19
🕕 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.
⏱️ Approximately 15 minutes per show
Boston Frostival Information →
🩰 José Mateo Ballet Theatre's The Nutcracker — December 5–20
Boston has more than one wonderful Nutcracker tradition.
José Mateo Ballet Theatre presents its 38th annual production of the holiday classic, offering another opportunity to enjoy Tchaikovsky's music and the story of Clara's magical Christmas adventure.
For families comparing holiday performances, it's worth looking at the different productions before deciding which one to attend.
📍 Greater Boston
📅 December 5–20
🎟️ Ticketed
José Mateo Ballet Theatre's The Nutcracker →
🩰 Anthony Williams' Urban Nutcracker — December 12–20
Boston has its own distinctive take on The Nutcracker, and it deserves a place on the holiday calendar.
Anthony Williams' Urban Nutcracker combines classical ballet with tap, hip-hop, flamenco and jazz, drawing on both Tchaikovsky and Duke Ellington.
The production brings Boston's neighborhoods and contemporary culture into a familiar holiday story.
It's an especially interesting choice for anyone who wants something beyond the traditional ballet.
📍 Shubert Theatre, Boston
📅 December 12–20
🎟️ Ticketed; prices start at $29 at the box office
Urban Nutcracker Tickets & Information →
🎭 Blue Man Group: A New Holiday Surprise — December 15–23
Blue Man Group returns to Boston with a holiday production.
Expect the group's familiar combination of percussion, visual surprises, comedy and audience participation, with a seasonal twist.
For families with older children or visitors looking for something different from traditional Christmas entertainment, this could be an interesting choice.
📍 Boch Center, Boston
📅 December 15–23
🎟️ Ticketed
🚶 Historic Holiday Strolls Along the Freedom Trail — November & December
Boston's holiday traditions have histories of their own.
The Freedom Trail Foundation's Historic Holiday Strolls explore how Christmas and other seasonal celebrations evolved in Boston.
It's a nice combination of history, storytelling and walking through the old city during one of its most attractive seasons.
For visitors who enjoy Boston's Revolutionary history, this is another way to experience it.
📍 Freedom Trail, Downtown Boston
📅 Selected dates in November and December
🎟️ Guided ticketed tours
Historic Holiday Stroll Information →
🎄 Christmas Eve & Christmas Day in Boston — December 24–25
Christmas Eve falls on Thursday this year, and Christmas Day is Friday.
Whether you're visiting family, staying downtown, or simply looking for something pleasant to do, Boston still has plenty to offer.
Take a walk through Beacon Hill, see the holiday decorations around the Public Garden, explore the waterfront, or enjoy the lights in Back Bay.
Many attractions, restaurants and shops operate on special holiday schedules, so reservations and a little advance planning are important.
For a more complete holiday itinerary, including seasonal tours, attractions and dining ideas, see our Christmas guide.
Christmas in Boston 2026: The Complete Holiday Guide →
🏒🏀 Boston Sports During Christmas Week
Boston doesn't take a holiday from sports.
The Bruins and Celtics bring plenty of activity to TD Garden throughout December, giving visitors another reason to spend an evening downtown.
A game can be the centerpiece of a Boston weekend, especially if you combine it with dinner in the North End or an afternoon exploring the city.
Check the current home schedules before making plans.
📍 TD Garden, 100 Legends Way
🎆 First Night Boston 2027 — December 31
Boston knows how to welcome a new year.
First Night has been part of the city's New Year's Eve tradition since 1976, bringing music, performances, public celebrations and fireworks into the heart of the city.
It's an especially appealing choice for families and visitors who want to celebrate without spending the evening in a nightclub or expensive hotel ballroom.
The celebration includes early-evening fireworks at 7 p.m. and a second fireworks display at midnight.
Additional performances and activities are scheduled throughout the day and evening.
📍 Downtown Boston and Boston Common
📅 Thursday, December 31
🎆 Early fireworks: 7 p.m.
🎆 Midnight fireworks: 12 a.m., January 1
First Night Boston 2027 Information & Schedule →
🥂 Boston Baroque New Year's Celebration — December 31 & January 1
For something a little different, Boston Baroque offers an elegant musical welcome to the new year.
The ensemble's annual celebration takes place at Harvard's Sanders Theatre, with performances on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.
It's an appealing alternative for visitors who prefer a concert to a crowded public celebration.
📍 Sanders Theatre, Cambridge
📅 December 31 and January 1
🎟️ Ticketed
Boston Baroque New Year's Celebration →
🌅 New Year's Day in Boston — January 1, 2027
Happy New Year, Boston.
After the fireworks, parties, concerts and celebrations, January 1 offers an opportunity to slow things down.
Go out for brunch. Take a walk along the Charles River. Enjoy the Common and Public Garden. Explore the North End or head toward the harbor.
The city can feel quite different on New Year's morning.
For anyone visiting from out of town, it's also worth checking which museums and attractions are open before heading out.
If you're staying through the weekend, don't rush home. Boston has plenty to enjoy after the Christmas lights start coming down.
🎟️ Make a Boston Weekend Out of It
If you're coming into Boston for a game, concert, festival or long weekend, you may be able to fit considerably more into the trip than the event that brought you here.
Boston's major attractions are close enough together that two or three days can cover a surprising amount of ground.
Visit the New England Aquarium, walk the Freedom Trail, explore Boston Harbor, or spend an afternoon at one of the city's museums.
If you're planning to visit several paid attractions, compare individual admission prices with a Boston sightseeing pass before buying everything separately.
SEE WHAT'S INCLUDED WITH THE GO CITY BOSTON PASS →
This is an affiliate link. GoBoston may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
For a closer look at whether a sightseeing pass actually saves money, I've done the calculations.
Read: Is the Go City Boston Pass Actually Worth It? Let's Do the Math →
🏨 Planning a Boston Holiday Visit?
If you're coming into Boston for Christmas, New Year's Eve, a show, a game, or a winter getaway, consider staying somewhere that allows you to explore on foot.
Back Bay, Downtown, the Waterfront, the Theater District and the area around TD Garden all offer convenient starting points for different kinds of visits.
A little planning can save time, transportation costs and unnecessary trips back and forth across the city.
📅 Keep Checking Back — Boston's Calendar Is Always Changing
Last updated: October 12, 2026
Boston has a lot going on, and no single calendar can capture everything. We'll continue adding concerts, festivals, sporting events, family activities and seasonal celebrations as new information becomes available.
Did I miss something? If you know about an upcoming Boston event that deserves a place on this list, I'd love to hear about it.
Email your suggestions with the event name, date, location and a link to more information. I'll be happy to consider it for inclusion.
Bookmark this page and check back often. There's always something happening in Boston.