It’s January. Cold. Dark. Holiday fun is behind us. But wait! There are very good things about January. Like all the holiday “fun” is finally behind us.

What’s ahead? Loads of free time and amazing arts to fill up the calendar. Here are a few faves to warm your heart and sway your soul.

Beethoven & Romanticism

Symphony Hall, Boston Symphony Orchestra

All month long, the BSO and its maestro, Andris Nelsons, presents this Beethoven festival. The heart of fest is the complete cycle of the composer’s nine symphonies, performed in order at Symphony Hall for the first time since 1927. Not to miss, No. 9 and “Ode to Joy” featuring an astounding guest list —  soprano Amanda Majeski, mezzo-soprano Tamara Mumford, tenor Pavel Černoch, and baritone Andrè Schuen. Starts Jan. 8, bso.org

“Ain’t No Mo”

Calderwood Pavilion, SpeakEasy Stage Company/Front Porch Arts Collective

Dark, smart, funny, and sadly timely, this one-act from writer Jordan E. Cooper examines what it is to be Black in America. The satire has the U.S. government “solving racism” by offering Black Americans a free one-way ticket to Africa. It’s Black drag queen and flight attendant Peaches job to manage the passengers leaving from Gate 1619. Starts Jan. 10, frontporcharts.org

Boston Celtic Music Festival

Multiple Venues

Club Passim presents its 22nd annual Boston Celtic Music Festival in mid-January. A few friends are lending a hand. Along with shows at Passim, music, song, and dance traditions from Irish, Scottish, Cape Breton, Quebecois, and other Celtic communities will be on stages at Somerville Theatre, Crystal Ballroom, The Burren, and The Rockwell. Starts. Jan. 16, passim.org/bcmfest

“Peter Pan”

Citizens Opera House, Broadway in Boston

A new twist on an old classic, this version of “Peter Pan” hasn’t grown up but the material has. The cruel and cliched depictions of Native peoples and women have been removed thanks to a book update by Sicangu Lakota Nation member and 2020 MacArthur Fellow Larissa FastHorse. What remains is the humor, heart, story, songs, and magic. Director Lonny Price says the new tweak is the perfect gateway to theater for young people. “Part of why I wanted to do this is that it will be kids’ first experience in the theater, and I want them not only to fall in love with ‘Peter Pan,’ ” he told the Associated Press, “but to fall in love with the theater and to come back.” Starts Jan. 21, boston.broadway.com

Sarah Silverman

The Wilbur

Laugh it off. Or try to. 2025 is going to be a lot and Sarah Silverman knows that. On Jan. 25, join the funniest, dirtiest, smartest wit in the stand-up scene for jokes about, well, hmm, it’s hard to list any of the topics she likes to joke about here in print. If Silverman’s not your thing, this month the Wilbur also welcomes Tracy Morgan and Russell Peters. thewilbur.com

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Originally Published: January 3, 2025 at 7:27 PM EST

BOSTON – Happy New Year! It’s officially 2025, so why not start the new year with some fun, family-friendly light displays across Massachusetts?

Winterlights in Canton

Winterlights is open at the Eleanor Cabot Bradley Estate through January 4. The outdoor light show is fun for the entire family! They have warm cocoa, cider, and hand-baked desserts. Cozy up while you walk through the mile-long trail from 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Where: Eleanor Cabot Bradley Estate, Canton

When: January 3 and 4 from 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Cost: $30 for adults, $12 for children ages 3-13, and free for children under 2. Tickets are $5 cheaper for members. Concession items are available for purchase.

Click here for more information.

Winterlights on the North Shore

If you can’t make it to Canton to enjoy the Winterlights, they also have one on the North Shore! The Stevens-Coolidge House and Gardens in North Andover will be lit up for an outdoor experience. It’s open through Saturday from 4:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. Be sure to get your tickets in advance for either Winterlights experience.

Where: Stevens-Coolidge House and Gardens, North Andover

When: January 3 and 4 from 4:30 p.m. until 9 p.m.

Cost: $30 for adults, $12 for children ages 3-13, and free for children under 2. Tickets are $5 cheaper for members. Concession items are available for purchase.

Click here for more information.

2024 JP Holiday Light Show 

If you’re in the Boston area, Jamaica Plain hosts an annual holiday light show! The event projects the lights onto the steeple of Jamaica Plain’s First Baptist Church every thirty minutes from 5 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. Be sure to scan the QR code while there to listen to the music and dialogue for the event in Spanish or English!

Where: First Baptist Church, 633 Centre St, Jamaica Plain

When: January 3 and 4 from 5 p.m. through 8:45 p.m.

Cost: Free

Click here for more information.