Boston, MA
‘Tis the season to shop, sip, eat & play in Boston & beyond
Eat, drink, and be merry, that’s the go-to holiday motto. But we’re going to amend that. This year, how about: Eat, drink, shop, take classes, buy gifts, brunch with girlfriends, nosh with family, and yes — be very, very merry.
The next few holiday weeks are filled with fabulous events spilling over with all that fun stuff.
It starts as early as tomorrow, with a road trip for a smashing intimate in-person cocktail soirée and book signing with Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Bush, to celebrate their children’s book, “Love Comes First.” (https://aubergeresorts.com/whitebarninn/experiences/prelude-cocktails). From 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. the celeb sisters will be hosting and toasting with cocktails and light bites in the elegance-meets-rustic dining room of The White Barn Inn ((The Bush Family compound is located just down the road apiece in Kennebunkport, ME). For a $55 ticket you can meet them, get the opportunity to buy copies of their book for your favorite youngsters, and luxuriate in the stunning setting of the Inn—which is of course now decked out for the holiday. Not a bad idea to book a night to stay (aubergeresorts.com/whitebarninn) while you’re there, either, considering that Kennebunkport is currently celebrating Christmas Prelude, a weeks-long festival that’s one of the country’s most fun and boisterous holiday festivals.
And then this Saturday, Boston Public Market (https://bostonpublicmarket.org/happenings) is cramming its halls with tastings and classes as well as shopping events —swing in at noon for Jennifer Lee’s Vegan/Allergen-free Gingerbread Making Class. Or grab the kiddos and go next Saturday, Dec. 16 at 11 a.m. for Seven Hill Pasta Co.’s Kid’s Ornament Making Session. They’re all free, followed by holiday movies — and are an easy way to get holiday shopping done while picking up a new skill or two.
The Revere Hotel (reverehotel.com) is ramping things up and getting very merry indeed with their Festive Fridays throughout December. Think holiday cocktails, a live DJ from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., and fun activities — I’m especially looking forward to their Dec. 8 holiday shop: “Top it Off Holiday Pop-Up” — a melange of great gloves, ponchos, cute socks, and adorable hats (the shop is a winner of Oprah’s Favorite Things).
The Revere is also hosting a Bad Moms Brunch “Holiday Edition” on Dec. 10 and 17 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Rebel’s Guild (https://www.sevenrooms.com/reservations/rebelsguild). They’ll be screening the movie with plenty of cocktails and brunch bites.
Pretty much anytime in December, grabbing a cocktail in the Liberty Hotel (libertyhotel.com) lobby is always one of my favorite things to do before heading out for the evening, since the property has once again put up their dizzying and gorgeous upside-down Christmas trees across their soaring ceiling. The seven inverted Christmas trees, decorated by Boston florist and event designer Cityscapes, are suspended from the hotel lobby’s stunning 90-foot rotunda. Each nine-foot tall tree is decorated with lights, ornaments, and a touch of acrylic paint for extra shine. Paired with a potent peppermint martini, it’s a surreal and sensational new tradition.
All this shopping is making everyone hungry, no? Well, arm yourself with a fork and knife and get over to Waypoint in Cambridge (waypointharvard.com) for the epic and annual Feast of the Seven Fishes that Chef Michael Scelfo rolls out — he’s increased it to two nights this year due to popularity. It’s on Dec. 22 and 23, rings in at $77 per person, and includes dishes like fishermen’s stew (tomato-braised salt cod, mussels, calamari, and fried chickpea croquettes); pan-seared halibut (with potato crema, greens, chopped lobster, and crab gravy); and oysters with champagne and quince.
The Miracle Pop-Up at the bar at Kimpton Marlowe Hotel (hotelmarlowe.com) in Cambridge is the O.G. of cheeky local hotels doing holiday revelry. The winter wonderland is festooned with twinkling lights, and bartenders donning their favorite ugly Christmas sweaters while shaking up delish specialty cocktails under the watchful eye of a six-foot Santa. Drop in any night but Monday from now until Christmas.
As we reckon with summer’s departure, there are a variety of fun-filled events to welcome the first signs of fall. Visit two “carnivals,” each with its own twist: huzzah and hurrah with medieval jest at the Brighton Bazaar’s Knight Carnival or tinker and test interactive exhibits at the Cambridge Science Carnival. Also, Somerville celebrates its prized, local invention, Marshmallow Fluff, with the 20th annual Fluff Festival, complete with sticky games and extra sugary challenges.
Here are six no-cost activities and events for the week of Sept. 15-21, as well as two ways to save on the arts this season.
BOOK LOVERS UNITE If a book club had a silent disco equivalent, it might be the Boston Figurative Art Center’s BYOBook event. Unlike a traditional book club, everyone brings whatever book they’re currently reading to a guided discussion with fellow readers from 7-7:30 p.m. After, attendees are welcomed to read as they please on the studio’s couches or lounge area. Snacks and beverages from the studio will be available. Sept. 17, 7-9 p.m. Boston Figurative Art Center, 285 Washington St., Somerville. bostonfac.com
KNIGHT MARKET The Brighton Bazaar, in collaboration with roving merchant curators Medieval Merriment, will transform into the first-ever Knight Carnival for a night of Middle Ages-themed mischief. Immerse yourself in a live sword fight between armored knights from local melee club North Horde, a creature puppet show, fantasy-inspired musicians, a site-wide scavenger hunt, and a costume contest for attendees dressed in their Ren Faire best. If you have gold in your inventory to spend, vendors will be selling trinkets all night. Sept. 18, 5-10 p.m. Charles River Speedway, 525 Western Ave., Brighton. facebook.com/thebrightonbazaar
AUTUMN LEAVES The Boston Landing Fall Crawl celebrates the arrival of the season with a reptile show with snakes and lizards, pony rides, and pumpkin decorating. DJ Dukes will play a live set from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., and country singer Louis Bello will pick up from 2-4 p.m. Meanwhile, from noon-2 p.m., attendees can join a line dancing lesson. Churros are on the house (while supplies last), and barbecue eats and other Southern staples will be available for purchase. Sept. 20, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Boston Landing, 92 Guest St. bostonlanding.co
MARSHMALLOW MADNESS Don’t expect to come out of this one clean: Somerville, the birthplace of Marshmallow Fluff, celebrates this sticky-sweet legacy with the 20th annual Fluff Festival. In addition to live music and entertainment, the event will host unique games for prizes, including Fluff jousting, where participants use pool noodles with Fluff to knock others off a balance beam, and a Fluff hair-styling contest, where Fluff and Teddy peanut butter are provided for contestants to style the best ’do. .Attendees who arrive by cycle can access two free bike valets — one in front of Gracie’s Ice Cream and another by the intersection of Somerville Avenue and School Street. The fest is free to attend, but marshmallow-y foods and drinks will be available for purchase. Sept. 20, 2-6 p.m. 366 Somerville Ave., Somerville. flufffestival.com
UP, UP, AND AWAY The City of Quincy celebrates its 400th birthday with a Hot Air Balloon and Laser Light Show at Merrymount Park. On Pageant Field, attendees can play lawn games or journey 60 feet in the air in tethered hot air balloons. Meanwhile, roving costumed performers and food trucks can be found on Adams Field. At 9 p.m., the laser show begins, projecting streams and beams onto the overhead balloons and trees. Sept. 20, 4-10 p.m. Merrymount Park, Quincy. Reserve free balloon ride vouchers on the event’s website. quincy400.com
SCIENTIFIC WONDERS More than 150 booths showcasing STEAM’s finest (and most fun) will occupy the 17th annual Cambridge Science Carnival. Visit a robot petting zoo — featuring robots of the underwater, basketball, and gummy bear varieties — check out hands-on booths to make stomp rockets, sugar glass, or bath bombs. Members of the MIT Physics Department will perform demonstrations at 1 and 3:15 p.m., and the hosts of the “Tumble Science” children’s podcast will perform interactive songs at 1:45 p.m. Sept. 21, noon-4 p.m. Kendall/MIT Open Space, 292 Main St., Cambridge. cambridgesciencecarnival.org
Deals and Steals
FINE FOR FIVE Starting Sept. 18, the Museum of Fine Arts kicks off its $5 Third Thursdays programming. On the third Thursday of each month, from 5-10 p.m., general admission is pay-as-you-wish with a $5 minimum. A crisp Lincoln grants access to the main galleries, as well as special after dark programming exclusive to each event — this month is Latinx Heritage Night featuring drop-in art sessions to make Puerto Rican beaded bracelets and Ex-Votos paintings, live sets by the Rafa Moreno Band and DJ Montro, and special spotlight talks and guided tours. mfa.org
SYMPHONY SEASON PASS Full-time Boston students with a valid college ID can take study breaks with an (award-winning) symphony when they purchase a $20 H+H Masterpass. The exclusive pass can be redeemed to access up to eight Handel and Haydn Society performances through the 2025-26 season. (Some exclusions apply.) handelandhaydn.org/concerts-tickets/masterpass
Check individual event websites for the most up-to-date information.
Send info on free events and special offers at least 10 days in advance to ryan.yau@globe.com.
Ryan Yau can be reached at ryan.yau@globe.com.
Walker Buehler’s Red Sox tenure came to an unceremonious end on August 29 when he was released to clear a roster spot for top prospect Payton Tolle to make his major league debut. His Phillies tenure, however, got off to a pretty good start Friday night.
Buehler, who signed a minor league deal with Philadelphia within a couple days of Boston cutting him, got the start at Citizens Bank Park against the Royals and delivered, holding Kansas City to one run on five hits while striking out three batters and walking just one in five innings. Philadelphia, won, 8-2, and Buehler got the win, marking his first such result since August 8, when he turned in one of his best performances in a Red Sox uniform and tossed six shutout innings in San Diego.
For Buehler, who owned a 5.45 ERA in 112 ⅓ innings for Boston, it was the third outing since July 1 in which he didn’t issue multiple walks. In 23 games (22 starts) for Boston, he issued free passes at a rate of 4.4 per nine innings. He also allowed 22 home runs.
The Phillies added Buehler to the mix in an effort to give their top starters — Cristopher Sánchez, Ranger Suárez, Jesús Luzardo and Aaron Nola — some extra chances to rest down the stretch. For now, he’s slotting into Philadelphia’s rotation as a sixth option, but he could serve a bullpen role come October if he’s pitching well and manager Rob Thomson wants to try to tap into the playoff magic Buehler has provided throughout his career. The 31-year-old, who recorded the final out of the World Series last fall at Yankee Stadium, has a career 3.04 postseason ERA in 19 appearances and has pitched three times in the World Series.
“He fits right into that mold of being a Philadelphia baseball player,” Buehler’s new teammate, Bryce Harper said, according to The Athletic’s Matt Gelb. “Just a lot of fun to be around him. Obviously, he’s pitched in big moments, deep into the postseason. So getting a guy like that in our clubhouse is huge for us. And he went out there and did a great job tonight.”
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