Boston's festive winter holiday markets pop up across the city during late November and December, bringing lots of holiday sparkle and cheer.
Drawing on traditions from European Christmas Markets to New England crafts fairs, these winter markets offer shoppers an appealing mix of comfort drinks (hot chocolate, mulled wine, winter cocktails, seasonal craft beers), delicious food to munch on, entertainment, kids activities, and plenty of handmade gifts and specialty food products, art, and clothing from local and New England artisans and artists.
So fortify yourself with a steaming cup of mulled wine as you stroll around the festive vendor stalls and get a head start on your holiday shopping as you soak up some holiday spirit.
What else can you expect? That depends on the market, but look for food trucks, ice sculptures, holiday workshops, performers, and carolers singing traditional holiday tunes.
Here's a roundup of the 6 best holiday and Christmas markets for you to visit in Boston in 2022.
Find more suggestions about what to do in Boston in December
Top photo: Christmas decorations in one of Boston's winter holiday markets, (c) Boston Discovery Guide
SoWa Winter Festival & Holiday Market
Enjoy hot mulled wine from a wine truck, hot cocoa from the hot chocolate hut, or brew from Jack's Abby Beer Garden, plus plenty of tasty food while you explore SoWa's Winter Festival - it's the biggest Holiday Market in Boston again this year with three adjacent locations for you to soak up the festivities.
The SoWa Holiday Market gives you the perfect way to get all your holiday shopping done in one place at this festive family-friendly event. You can wander through a fresh pine forest to visit visit over 100 local artisans and food vendors, admire the holiday window displays and lights along Thayer Street as you visit artist studios, showrooms, galleries, and boutiques, and explore an outdoor winter wonderland where a Trail of Lights leads you past food trucks and a fire pit.
And don't forget: SoWa First Fridays take place from 5pm-9pm on the first Friday of every month - so come back in January for another Friday evening of art, culture, and inspiration as the SoWa Art + Design District neighborhood's artists, galleries, shops, and showrooms open their doors and welcome you to come in.
Dates/Hours: December 3-12, 6pm-10pm; hours vary, so check the SoWa website for your chosen date | Free admission, but you can buy $5 tickets online for expedited access to the pine forest at the Power Station location on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday | 450-460, 500, and 560 Harrison Ave, in Boston's South End | Closest T station: Orange Line/Tufts Medical Center | Parking available at nearby lots for $10 (but they fill up fast so take public transportation to avoid the parking hassle)
In case you're not familiar with Boston, SoWa is the area south of Washington Street in the South End which many of the city's artists, galleries, showrooms, crafts people, and design studios call "home." You'll find some awesome restaurants, bistros, and bars in this area as well.
Snowport: Winter Holiday Market in Boston's Seaport
Seaport's popular European-style Winter Holiday Market at Snowport returns from November 19 through January 2 to light up the holiday season with shopping, fun activities, food, and beverages.
The market will feature 100+ small businesses selling art, jewelry, home goods, apparel, and other gifts and crafts, plus seasonal treats such as hot chocolate, freshly-made waffles, craft beer, and more. In addition, there will be lots of fun activities and events - check back later for the details.
After you explore the market, head over to Boston Common (85 Northern Ave) and try a curling session at the outdoor Curling Lanes - 30 minutes play time, and walk-up only (same hours as the Market).
Dates/Hours: November 19 - January 2; Mon-Thurs, 3pm-8pm; Fri-Sat, 11am-8pm; Sun: 11am-7pm | Free admission | 88 Seaport Blvd in Boston's Seaport District | Closest T station: Silver Line SL1 / Silver Line Way
Boston Christmas Market FAQS
- Is the Boston Government Center Christmas Market at City Hall Plaza open this year?
No - too much construction going on in that area - but check back next year! - Are any of Boston's winter holiday markets still open in January?
Yes, Snowport (Seaport's Winter Village stay open through very early January). - Do Boston's Christmas Markets charge an admission fee?
No - you can enter all of them for free
Christmas Craft Fair at Old South Church
Lovers of finely crafted beeswax candles, turned wood, and sparkling blown glass know to arrive early at Old South Church's Christmas Fair, where 30 New England artists and artisans will offer some of their finest work on one day only. The Boston Conservatory Brass will provide live music for the event.
Other sought-after creations include knits, photography, fine art, jewelry, pottery, and more. Of course you should shop for gifts - but you may be unable to resist buying something for yourself or your home as well.
After you leave the market, plenty more fantastic shopping opportunities await you along Newbury and Boston Streets.
Dates/Hours: December 4, 10am - 4pm | Free admission | Gordon Chapel in Old South Church, 645 Boston Street (corner of Dartmouth and Boston) at Copley Square in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood | Closest T station: Green Line/Copley | Find more info about Old South's Christmas concerts, pageants, and services
Visiting Boston for Christmas? Fun Things to Do
The Somerville Flea
For everyone on your holiday shopping list who is into vintage, re purposing, or not contributing to global warming while unnecessarily increasing the amount of "stuff" in the world but for whom you still want to get a meaningful gift, head over to The Somerville Flea's open-air Holiday Market near Davis Square and Union Square.
You'll find an enormous and ever-evolving array of vintage and antique wares, many of which have been expertly restored and re-purposed, plus artisanal products made by craftspeople using traditional means of production. There's a farmer's stand here as well.
Enjoy the live music, yummy snacks to buy, and the opportunity to keep your money local.
Dates/Hours: December 1 and 15, 10am-5pm | Free admission | Center for Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave, Somerville | Closest T station: Red Line/Davis
CraftBoston Holiday Show
The CraftBoston Holiday Show, put on by the highly-regarded Society of Arts & Crafts, is a huge holiday market that doubles as an exhibition space for almost 200 widely recognized local and national craft artists. Because of its size and the crowds that it attracts, it is held in the Hynes Convention Center in the Back Bay neighborhood. It's a fantastic place to shop for unique gifts as well as serious art, and tends to attract collectors and other artists as well as casual shoppers.
What can you expect? Look for crafts executed with the highest level of artistry: handmade wearable art, handblown glass, furniture, pottery and ceramics, leather, mixed media, paper, decorative fibers, baskets, metal, and much more.
If you miss the show or want to see more, stop by the Society of Arts & Crafts retail gallery (100 Pier 4; closed Mondays) in the South Boston Waterfront neighborhood.
Dates/Hours: December 13, 11am-7pm; Dec 14, 10am-6pm, Dec 15 11am-5pm | Admission $15, Seniors $12, Members $7.50, Students (must have student ID) and under 18: Free | Hynes Convention Center at 900 Boston Street, Back Bay neighborhood
Harvard Square Holiday Fairs
Harvard Square's Holiday Fairs are legendary - not surprising for a holiday event that's been going on for more than three decades, spans 3 weekends, and attracts a large and revolving assortment of vendors.
This is a juried fair, with carefully selected sellers from all over New England and the world. Look for handmade, beautifully crafted gift items. For example, you might find photography, hand-made clothing, artisan chocolates, olives and olive oil from Greece, LED-lit jewelry plus every other type of jewelry you can imagine, wooden utensils, pottery, West African crafts, glass art, candles, honey, mobiles, and lots, lots more. Not each vendor will be there each day, so you may want to come more than once.
Dates: Dec 7-8, Dec 13-15, Dec 19-22 | Hours: Weekdays 11:30am-7pm, Saturdays 10am-7pm, Sundays 12 noon-6pm | Free admission | St Paul's Church Hall (29 Mount Auburn Street, Cambridge; go through the Courtyard entrance)
Cape Ann Artisans Holiday Pop-In 2022
To find the perfect one-of-a-kind holiday gift, stop by the Cape Ann Artisans Pop-In along the beautiful Rockport and Gloucester coast. Local artists and artisans welcome you to visit their studios during this self-guided walking tour to see and perhaps purchase their paintings, sculpture, mosaics, photography, pottery, jewelry, and other wonderful creations such as the gorgeous hair ornament shown in the photo above.
Drive up from Boston for the day (or take the Commuter Rail) - or spend the weekend and go for walks along the beach, dine on lobster dinners, and browse in local boutiques, galleries, and antique shops. View Rockport Hotels
Holiday Pop-In: December 3 at 10am - 4pm
Where: Open Studio Tour map and more information at www.capeannartisans.com - or pick up brochures with route maps at the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce, the Rockport Information Booth on Rte 127, and at each studio. Look for the Studio Tour banner at each location
More information: Cape Ann Artisans website
Cost: Free
Christmas in Boston - Year-Round Holiday Marketplace
No roundup of Boston's winter holiday markets is complete without Christmas in Boston, where you can immerse yourself in all things Christmas year-round at its Faneuil Marketplace location.
Christmas in Boston should be your first stop whenever you need anything glittery and Christmasy - you can't beat it for ornaments of all sorts, including exquisite hand-painted creations from Eastern Europe.
Need an ornamental reindeer for your fireplace mantle? You'll find plenty of choices. Panda ornaments for your Christmas tree? No problem. Personalized Boston-specific ornaments? Lots of options. And you'll also find everything else you need to decorate for the holidays, including Santas and lots of cheer, whatever the season.
Combine your visit to Christmas in Boston with Faneuil Marketplace's festive Blink! lights and music show, and soak up the holiday spirit.
Dates: Open all year | Free admission | Faneuil Marketplace on Boston's Freedom Trail
More to Do in Boston in December
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