The Boston Parks and Recreation Department and the Friends of Christopher Columbus Park will host the 23rd annual holiday lighting of the signature trellis at Christopher Columbus Park in the North End.

Boston’s historic waterfront, will be transformed into a beautiful holiday display when the park’s 260 feet of trellis are illuminated with lights near the Marriott Long Wharf Hotel and throughout the park. 

Other festive activities include: 

• Musical performances
• Special guest appearance from Santa Claus and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. 
• Eggnog from H.P. Hood
• Hot chocolate and cookies from the Boston Marriott Long Wharf
• Clam Chowder courtesy of Joes Waterfront

The celebration is sponsored by H.P. Hood LLC and the Friends of Christopher Columbus Park.  Additional support is provided by Meet Boston.

Visit the Parks events page or call (617) 635-4505 for more information.

• Join us on Tuesday, August 22, from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. at Franklin Park (Playsted Field) for our Boston Children’s Rec Fest! Hosted by Mayor Michelle Wu and the Boston Parks and Recreation Department in partnership this is the perfect school vacation event for kids of all ages.
• This year's festival will feature music, giveaways, various attractions, treats, crafts, and much more! This event is FREE and open to all. 

Do you know of a local youth artist who's skilled at spoken word or is an amazing vocalist? If so, we're looking to showcase their skills and talent at the 2019 Dream Chasers event.

This event features a panelist of successful leaders of color in Boston and youth empowering performances. We are specifically looking for content that is inspirational and involves social justice. Auditions will be held on February 12 at the Tobin Community Center from 4 - 8 p.m.

Sign Up for auditions!

Mayor Michelle Wu, the Boston Parks and Recreation Department, and The Province of Nova Scotia will host Boston’s signature holiday celebration, the 84th annual Boston Common Tree Lighting, on Thursday, December 4, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in Boston Common, adjacent to the Visitor’s Information Center at 139 Tremont Street. Mayor Wu will be joined by Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston, marking the 54th year that Nova Scotia has given a tree to the people of Boston as thanks for relief efforts following the December 6, 1917 explosion of a munitions ship in Halifax Harbor. Within 24 hours of the disaster, a train loaded with supplies and emergency personnel traveled from Boston to Nova Scotia to aid in recovery efforts. Earlier this month, Mayor Wu visited Nova Scotia to highlight the partnership between the City of Boston and the Province of Nova Scotia. During her visit, Mayor Wu participated in the annual Tree for Boston tree cutting ceremony as the first Boston Mayor to attend and participate in the event. 

“Each year this special gift from Nova Scotia reinforces the neighborly bond that our communities have shared for over a century, and reminds us of the true meaning of the holiday spirit,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “I look forward to joining families from across Boston and our guests from Nova Scotia on Boston Common for a spectacular celebration of holiday cheer and this beloved tradition.”

WCVB Channel 5 Chronicle co-anchors Anthony Everett and Shayna Seymour will host a live broadcast of the event beginning at 7:00 p.m. Headlining the show will be the iconic American female vocal group, The Pointer Sisters, performing hits including “I’m So Excited.” This year’s lineup also features Nova Scotia blues sensation Matt Andersen, Disney on Broadway’s Belinda Allyn performing “Beauty and the Beast”, songs from Nova Scotia’s alternative-pop singer-songwriter Maggie Andrew, and a heartwarming performance by the Handel and Haydn Society Youth Choruses. 

Pre-show entertainment will kick off at 6:00 p.m., setting the stage for a magical night on the Common with performances by Boston Police Officer Stephen McNulty, Taste of Ireland’s A Celtic Christmas, Origination, and Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Joelle James.

The official holiday season kick-off in Boston includes the lighting of the City of Boston's official Christmas tree with approximately 5,000 lights, and the lighting of more than 50,000 lights throughout the Boston Common and Public Garden. This year’s historic Tree for Boston is a 45-foot-tall white spruce donated by Ronald and Claire Feener of Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia. 

The holiday lights throughout both parks will light up in sequence shortly before 8:00 p.m. when Mayor Wu will be joined onstage by Santa Claus and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. The show will close with a pyrotechnic display by Pyrotecnico.

The annual tree lighting on Boston Common is presented by the Boston Parks and Recreation Department and The Province of Nova Scotia. The event is supported by presenting sponsor Amazon, signature sponsor Meet Boston, key sponsors Constellation Power and JetBlue, media sponsors WCVB Channel 5 and the Boston Globe, and hotel partner Hilton Boston Park Plaza. A sampling village will feature giveaways and refreshments from H.P. Hood, Drakes Cakes, New England Coffee, Meet Boston, and Globe Santa while supplies last. Sponsors of the “Make the Common Glow for the Holidays” who make the lighting of the Common and Public Garden possible include The Lynch Family Foundation and Greystar. 

"Amazon is honored to serve as the presenting sponsor of the Boston Common Tree Lighting, a cherished tradition that brings our community together during the holiday season. This event embodies the spirit of joy and connection that makes Boston such a special place to live and work,” said Jerome Smith, Head of Community Engagement, New England & Canada, Amazon. “We're proud to support the City of Boston in creating magical moments for families across New England.”

At approximately 8:15 p.m., immediately following the celebration on the Boston Common, Mayor Wu will join the Friends of the Public Garden and the Committee to Light Commonwealth Avenue Mall to flip the switch to light up Commonwealth Avenue Mall in the Back Bay. The lights on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall will be lit from Arlington Street to Charlesgate.

Please call (617) 635-4505 or visit boston.gov/boston-common-tree-lighting for more information about the festivities. To stay up to date with news, events, and improvements in Boston parks visit boston.gov/parks, call 617-635-4505, join our email list, and follow our social channels @bostonparksdept on X, Facebook, Instagram, and @parks.boston.gov on Bluesky.