BosTen is your weekly guide to the best events and coolest happenings in and around Boston.
Welcome to BosTen, your weekly guide to the coolest events and best things to do in Boston this weekend. Sign up for our weekly email newsletter here. Have an idea about what we should cover? Leave us a comment on this article or in the BosTen Facebook group, or email us at [email protected].
Kick off the holiday season at the Boston Common Tree Lighting
While some have already opened the floodgates of yuletide cheer, others are waiting for a sign that the Christmas season is upon us. The City of Boston is happy to shine some light (more than 7,000 of them) on the situation, with its signature December celebration and the 81st Annual Boston Common Tree Lighting beginning this Thursday at 6 p.m. Not only will the Boston Common become awash with dazzling lights, but refreshments, musical performances, and special guest appearances will help to send us merrily into the holidays. Mayor Wu will be joined onstage by members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Santa Claus, and Rudolph to kick off the season, as lights on the city’s most beloved tree go on at about 8 p.m. Twinkles set ablaze on 80-plus other trees throughout the Common and the Public Garden and a pyrotechnic display will follow. Those who can’t make the event can watch on WCVB Channel 5 at 7 p.m. — Cheryl Fenton
Prep for holiday party season with the Boston.com Cocktail Club
Hosting a holiday party this year and hoping to impress with a signature cocktail more interesting than spiked eggnog? This Thursday at 7 p.m., the Boston.com Cocktail Club will offer up some virtual holiday-themed cocktails sure to lift your spirits. Join host Jackson Cannon (The Hawthorne, Eastern Standard) and guest bartender LyAnna Sanabria (Papi) as they teach you how to make two holiday cocktails: the Air Mail and the Traditional Coquito. Attending the Zoom is free, and you can find a full list of necessary ingredients here. — Kevin Slane
Attend a Holiday Pops concert this season
Conductor Keith Lockhart and his guest conductors fill your heart with holiday cheer as the Boston Pops take you through yet another magical season starting this Thursday at 8 p.m. The 2022 Holiday Pops season offers 34 evening and matinee concerts Dec. 1-24, including six family-friendly matinees and a Holiday Pops sensory friendly concert. Programs will feature seasonal favorites, including the Boston Pops’ signature work “Sleigh Ride,” alongside new arrangements of holiday classics sure to add to the spirit of joyous music-making. Symphony Hall will be festively decorated for the season, and patrons on the orchestra level can order food and drink from its café-style tables. No Holiday Pops performance would be complete without a visit from Santa Claus and selections featuring the Tanglewood Festival Chorus under the direction of James Burton. Singing along is, of course, encouraged. — Cheryl Fenton
Celebrate the season at Snowport’s tree lighting
This Friday, the Seaport (which has been recently transformed into Snowport) will light its annual holiday tree. The festivities kick off at 5 p.m., during which guests can stroll through Snowport’s outdoor market, take photos with Snowport mascot Betty the Yeti, and see musical and aerial performances by aerialists just for the tree lighting event. A number of Seaport’s stores will have complimentary treats from 5-9 p.m., including sweets at…
Read More: 10 things to do in Boston this weekend: December 1-4, 2022