Where to See Holiday Lights and Holiday Performances in Boston

As the Holiday Season is approaching, more and more lights are starting to illuminate the city, and many of the city’s leading performing arts organizations are serving up an array of festive performances. Here are some of the best spots to visit with friends or family that are sure to get you in the holiday spirit: 

ZooLights at Stone Zoo


Photo: https://www.timeout.com/boston/things-to-do/where-to-see-christmas-lights-in-boston

Bundle up and head to ZooLights, where twinkling lights decorate the paths and areas around Stone Zoo’s animal enclosures. Wander the festooned Yukon Creek Pavillon among bald eagles, porcupines, lynx, reindeer, and arctic foxes.

 

Seaport Holiday Tree (a.k.a. Snowport)


Photo: Boston Seaport via https://www.timeout.com/boston/things-to-do/where-to-see-christmas-lights-in-boston

For the fourth holiday season, the Boston Seaport transforms into Snowport, a magical winter wonderland. Stroll the Winter Wonder Walk, check out the brightly-lit Christmas tree and enjoy outdoor play for all ages all December long.

 

Commonwealth Avenue Mall


Photo Credit: https://www.timeout.com/boston/things-to-do/where-to-see-christmas-lights-in-boston

If you’re shopping on Newbury Street during the holiday season, remember to scurry over to Comm Ave. A stroll along the beautifully lit, tree-lined pedestrian strip always provides a cheery holiday pick-me-up.

 

Boston Common Tree


Photo: https://www.timeout.com/boston/things-to-do/where-to-see-christmas-lights-in-boston

The famous Boston Common tree (which is donated to Boston from Nova Scotia each year) is up and ready to be viewed in awe this holiday season

 

Magic of Lights at Gillette Stadium

  
Photo Credit: https://www.timeout.com/boston/things-to-do/where-to-see-christmas-lights-in-boston

For a dazzling drive through holiday lights experience, head to Foxboro. You’ll stay in your warm car, taking it for a spin through a magical route bedecked with sparkling lights and holiday cheer. 

 

The Liberty Hotel’s Inverted Christmas Trees


Photo: https://www.timeout.com/boston/things-to-do/where-to-see-christmas-lights-in-boston

For something a little different, take a stroll through the lobby of the former Charles Street Jail—and the current-day Liberty Hotel—where seven inverted Christmas trees hang from the ceiling. Decorated by Boston florist and event designer Cityscapes, these holiday trees are suspended from the hotel lobby’s stunning 90-foot rotunda.

 

Boston Ballet’s The Nutcracker


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Boston Ballet’s annual performance of The Nutcracker has attracted a steady stream of revelers since the company began performing it in 1958. The current production, choreographed by Boston Ballet artistic director Mikko Nissinen, features acrobatic feats, fantastical sets, and that unforgettable score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

 

Black Nativity


Photo: https://www.bu.edu/articles/2022/14-live-holiday-performances/?utm_campaign=bu_today&utm_source=email_20221201_full&utm_medium=2_must_read_3&utm_content=lifestyle

Now in its 52nd season, Black Nativity is an adaptation of acclaimed poet Langston Hughes’ play of the same name. Presented by the National Center of Afro-American Artists, the show, which tells the story of Jesus’ birth using Black vernacular speech, gospel music, dance, and poetry, has become a beloved holiday favorite among Boston theater-goers.