Image via Tom Hilton/Flickr
Happy Thursday! Hopefully you’re in the holiday spirit, because this weekend of holiday cheer coming up in Boston – and if you haven’t done your shopping yet, don’t worry. There are plenty of crafts fairs to attend. Just watch out for Santa crossings.
Friday
First Fridays: Holiday Edition – 4 to 7 p.m. – Design Museum Boston – Design Museum Boston is opening its doors for a holiday-themed First Friday, where guests can sip festive drinks, shop for eclectic gifts and chat with local designers and artists.
First Fridays: British Invasion – 5 to 10 p.m. – ICA – Head to the ICA for their First Friday party, British themed. The night will kick off with a screening of 2014 British Arrows, focusing on the best of British commercials, and will include live music, drinks and bites.
MFA First Fridays – 6 to 9:30 p.m. – MFA – Enjoy holiday cocktails, a tour through the gallery and live music at the MFA’s First Friday celebration.
City Connect: A Night of Dancing, Drinks and Meaningful Connection – 7 p.m. – General Assembly – As part of City Awake, this cocktail and dance party brings together people of Boston who want to make meaningful connections, at an “anti-networking” party.
Honky Tonk Masquerade – 8 p.m. – Aeronaut Brewing Co. – This Honky Tonk Hoedown at Aeronaut in Somerville includes M&M Ribs, honky tonk music, a two-step lesson and plenty of craft beer.
North End Holiday Stroll – 6 to 11 p.m. – North End Shops – Twenty boutiques and shops in the North End will stay open late for a neighborhood shopping experience that offers up discounts, hot chocolate and more refreshing treats. Don’t miss the North End holiday tree on Cross Street.
CraftBoston Holiday 2014 – December 5-7 – Hynes Convention Center – Join the Society of Arts and Crafts and 175 exhibitors for a weekend perfect for crafters and hand-made gift enthusiasts. The Hynes Convention Center will turn into a concentrated shopping district filled with piece of art perfect for the holidays, so get your crafting on.
Arts Stroll and Shop – December 5-7 – The Street Chestnut Hill – Hosted in partnership with the Newton Cultural Alliance, Arts Stroll and Shop will take over The Street this weekend, with holiday events like a Candlelit Stroll, live ice sculpting, spiked hot chocolate station, local art, live music and more.
Harvard Square Holiday Fair – December 5-7 – First Parish Church Courtyard – Dubbed a “party where you can buy stuff,” the Harvard Square Holiday fair combines gift shopping with fun. The items on display come from a mix of New England craftsman, giving shoppers a way to branch out this season while buying gifts.
Fort Point Arts Community Holiday Sale – December 5-7 – 315 A Street – The 16th annual FPAC holiday sale takes place this weekend, when Fort Point artists will put their work on display for the season. Pick up a unique painting, sculpture or craft for under the tree.
Pop It Like It’s Hot (Chocolate) – December 5-26 – Revere Hotel Lobby – This gourmet hot chocolate pop up shop, featuring Taza hot chocolates, will appear at the Revere Hotel Lobby every Friday in December from 3 to 6 p.m. with decadent flavors like salted caramel crunch, banana coconut hot chocolate with macadamia nut, cinnamon mocha, peanut butter cup and s’mores.
Saturday
Hot Tamales Mexican Pop-Up Brunch – 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. – Kitchen Inc. – Estela Caldeza is partnering with the Somerville Arts Council to throw a pop up brunch featuring hot tamales and spiced Mexican coffee. This is Caldeza’s third pop-up restaurant in the incubator space. Two tamales and a beverage cost $10.
Christmas Craft Fair and Music Day – 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. – Old South Church – Thirty New England artists will come together to sell their handmade gifts in Copley Square. Among the shopping will be three live music sets, and hot cider will be available as well.
Free Holiday Movie at Assembly Row – 9:30 a.m. – AMC Assembly – Last month, Assembly Row ran a poll to find out what the favorite holiday films are, and the three winners will be screened for free this month at the AMC. First up is “The Polar Express.” Tickets are sold on a first come, first served basis.
15th Annual Santa Speedo Run – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Newbury and Boylston Streets – Speedo- and holiday-clad runners will take to the street on Saturday for the 15th Annual Santa Speedo Run, a fundraiser that benefits various local children’s charities. Head to the Back Bay to watch all the action fly by.
JP Crafts Fair – 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. – First Church in Jamaica Plain – Browse the vendor booths, enjoy music and lots of food at the bi-annual JP Crafts Fair.
12 Bars of X-Mas – 12 to 7 p.m. – Faneuil Hall – Join Crawl in Boston for a holiday-themed bar crawl through Faneuil Hall-area pubs and bars, clad in festive gear.
Santacon 2014 – 12 to 7 p.m. – Various bars – Ready Santas?? Grab your suit and parade throughout Boston this Saturday during Santacon 2014. The festivities will begin at Game On! where a donation to Toys for Tots is appreciated. Santas are encouraged to bring gifts to hand out to passerby. The bar crawl will weave its way through the city, ending up at Hurricane O’Reilly’s.
Sunday
Donuts & Drip Coffee Holiday Pop-Up – 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. – Eat Boutique – Head to the Eat Boutique pop up in Fenway for Black Magic drip coffee and Union Square donuts. Guests can also browse the small-batch food items before the shop opens.
Santa Paws – 1 to 3 p.m. – Orvis at Assembly Row – Grab your pooch for a photo op with Santa Clause this Sunday at Assembly Row. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Som|Dog.
CropCircle Kitchen Holiday Market – 1 to 5 p.m. – CCK Pearl – Support local food businesses and artists at CropCircle Kitchen’s Holiday Market. The event will include cooking demonstrations, live music, kids activities, and plenty of food and art.
Festivus of Comedy 2014 – 3 to 11 p.m. – Davis Square Theater – Kitsch in Sync Improv Comedy is celebrating the holiday season with three back to back holiday-themed shows, making it a true Festivus for the rest of us. Toys will be collected to donate to Toys for Tots.
