Christmas is perhaps the favorite holiday for families! This holiday season is all about spending time with your loved ones and celebrating life. Luckily, Boston offers many options to help create amazing memories and have a lot of fun!
Take a look at our top picks for events you can enjoy with the whole family this 2021 holiday season in Boston, Massachusetts.
Families will get to take a tour through the African Savannah, Amazon rainforest, and the Great Barrier Reef of Australia, and many other amazing regions surrounded by hundreds of lanterns and custom-built exhibits handcrafted from silk, steel, and environmentally friendly LED lights!
Location:
Southwicks Zoo
DATES:
Ends on January 2. Wednesday to Sunday Evenings 5:30 PM- 10 PM
Families will get to enter a winter wonderland of tree-lined paths lit by thousands of twinkling lights and enjoy a one-way stroll through festively decorated Yukon Creek, home to black bears, bald eagle, Canada lynx, reindeer, and arctic foxes!
Location:
Stone Zoo
DATES:
November 19 – January 9 (Closed 11/25 & 12/25), 4 PM- 9:30 PM
Gather with family and friends to enjoy New England’s most beloved holiday tradition.
With brave toy soldiers, dancing snowflakes, and a tree that grows to the sky, The Nutcracker conjures the childlike wonder in us all.
Location:
Citizens Bank Opera House
DATES:
Nov 26–Dec 26, 2021. Hours vary by day
This is a perfect plan to enjoy in the holiday season!
Families will have an amazing time enjoying the beloved tradition that has captured the hearts of everyone everywhere! A thrilling spectacle of music and dance that transports audiences to the North Pole to glimpse the magical lives of Santa’s Scout Elves.
Location:
Wang Theater At The Boch Center
DATES:
November 26, 2021: 3 PM & 7 PM
Families will be lit up in time for the festive season with this ultimate holiday show!
You will follow the story of a young bird as he accidentally winds up at the North Pole and meets Santa!
Location:
Emerson Colonial Theatre
DATES:
November 27: 2 PM
Every year, Nova Scotia sends the City of Boston a Christmas tree to thank them for the help they provided after the Halifax Explosion.
It was on December 6, 1917, when 2 ships collided in Halifax Harbour, causing a devastating explosion. It killed nearly 2,000 people and left hundreds severely injured and homeless.
Location:
Boston Common
DATES:
December 2, 6 PM
Gather the entire family to enjoy the Boston Pops’ return for performances filled with holiday music favorites, the jubilant Pops sing-along, and a visit from Santa Claus himself! A great option for a holiday season plan!
Location:
Symphony Hall
DATES:
December 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24. Hours vary by day.
Kids and their grown-ups will discover the birds who tough out the winter at Barr Lake!
Families will become community scientists by helping the staff to identify and count as many species as they can! Kids ages 1-3 will have special topic-related programming where they will read stories, play, and more.
Location:
Barr Lake State Park
DATES:
December 4: 9:30 AM- 12 PM
This is a special show designed for all families with children or adults diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder or sensory sensitivities.
You will enjoy a shortened 60-minute version of the standard Holiday Pops concert, with a flexible, non-judgemental environment.
Location:
Symphony Hall
DATES:
December 5, 10 AM
Pups on a leash and well-behaved will have the chance to take their photo with Santa!
This is a great event to get on the holiday spirit with the entire family, even your furry friend! Humans are welcome in the photos as well!
Location:
Granite Coast Brewing Company
DATES:
December 5, 11 AM- 1 PM
These special family concerts are shorter in length, with no intermission, plus an opportunity for post-concert treats and a visit with Santa!
Children younger than 2 are admitted free.
Location:
Symphony Hall Boston
DATES:
December 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 23, 24. 11 AM
Families will love this amazing classic set in 1940s Indiana of a young and bespectacled Ralphie Parker who schemes his way toward the holiday gift of his dreams, an official Red Ryder® Carbine-Action 200-Shot Range Model Air Rifle.
Location:
Wang Theatre
DATES:
Dec 7 – 19, 2021: 7 PM
Have a great time enjoying Cirque Dreams Holidaze which lights up the stage in this popular and dazzling family holiday spectacular!
This annual tradition wraps a whimsical, Broadway-style musical infused with contemporary circus artistry into the ultimate holiday gift for the entire family!
Location:
Shubert Theatre
DATES:
December 10: 7:30 PM | December 11: 11 AM, 3 PM, 7:30 PM
Get ready to see Mickey, his friends, state-of-the-art technology, dazzling lights, and mind-blowing choreography, ice, and a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the entire family!
Disney On Ice is a family favorite, and it’s a perfect plan for the holiday season!
Location:
Agganis Arena
DATES:
Dec 23, 2021 – Jan 2, 2022. Hours vary by day.
