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].
Toast the season with Sippin’ Santa at Shore Leave
Santa Claus doesn’t get to take a vacation until after the holiday season, but the rest of us can take respite from the busyness at Sippin’ Santa, the annual holiday pop-up bar at Shore Leave. From decking the halls of the basement bar with twinkling lights, to piping in surf-rock carols through the speakers, Shore Leave is transformed into Sippin’ Santa with tons of attention to detail. Along with sushi and drink-friendly snacks, the menu adds signature Sippin’ Santa cocktails like White Russian Christmas, spiked with ancho chile liqueur; and the namesake mix of aged rum, amaro, lemon, orange, and gingerbread spices. — Jacqueline Cain
Stream ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’
Following the runaway success of the Massachusetts-filmed “Knives Out,” director Rian Johnson could’ve gotten away with delivering a straightforward, rehashed “Knives Out 2” for Netflix. Instead, “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” (streaming on Netflix starting this Friday) changes the game in unexpected and delightful ways. The characters and locale of “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” shift from the 2019 original, with Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig of James Bond fame) the only holdover. Instead of an old-money New England family, the mystery centers around Elon Musk-esque tech billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton, “Fight Club”), who invites a group of his longtime friends to his private Greek island in the midst of the pandemic. The first “Knives Out” was released in November 2019, and its word-of-mouth staying power made the film a holiday hit. “Glass Onion” suggests Johnson has enough juice to make his mystery movies a yearly tradition. — Kevin Slane
Skate into the holidays with Disney on Ice
Perfectly timed during school break for the holidays, Disney On Ice skates into the Agganis Arena through Jan. 2 with its latest spectacular — “Find Your Hero.” The show is a magical medley of classic and modern tales of “Moana,” “Tangled,” and “Frozen,” as they skate through their adventures. Experience Moana and Maui’s journey to return the heart of Te Fiti. Watch Rapunzel and Flynn go to great lengths to make her dream come true. Sing along with Ariel as she follows her heart to the surface. Celebrate the magic of courage and adventure with Belle and her enchanted friends. Whatever the story, it unfolds on the ice and you’ll be a part of it (along with Mickey, Minnie, and all their Disney friends). — Cheryl Fenton
Stroll through the Holiday Lights Spectacular at Roger Williams Park Zoo
On the heels of its annual Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular being named one of the best Halloween events in the country, the Roger Williams Park Zoo is hosting another walkthrough — its Holiday Lights Spectacular. The trail features 40 acres of huge lighting displays set to holiday music, and is open nightly through the end of the year, excluding Christmas Eve and Christmas. The entire exhibit walkthrough takes an estimated 60 to 90 minutes, and is open nightly from 5 to 9:30 p.m. As an added bonus, Santa will be visiting this Thursday night, and guests can enjoy fire pits, roast s’mores, on select Thursday nights will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. on Dec. 1, 8, 15, and 22. The zoo will also have a fire pit where guests can roast s’mores, and sip adult beverages. For more information, visit the zoo’s website. — Natalie Gale
See ‘Six’ at the Emerson Colonial Theatre
They may have been cast aside and beheaded but the six wives of Henry VIII are taking the microphone in Boston through the end of 2022 to remix 500 years of that royal historical heartbreak. From Tudor Queens to pop icons, “Six” sets the stage for these ladies to tell their stories in song during a modern celebration of girl power. The electrifying new musical phenomenon by Tony Award-winners Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss is part of the Lexus 22/23 Broadway In Boston season and features an all female cast and band through December 31 at the Emerson Colonial Theatre. The half dozen scorned and sassy exes in the North American tour of the Aragon Company cast include Khaila Wilcoxon as Catherine of Aragon, Storm Lever as Anne Boleyn, Jasmine Forsberg as Jane Seymour, Olivia Donalson as Anna of Cleves, Didi Romero as Katherine Howard, and Gabriela Carrillo as Catherine Parr. “Six” has won 23 awards in the 2021/2022 Broadway season, including the Tony Award for best original score (music and lyrics) and the Outer Critics Circle Award for best musical. — Cheryl Fenton
Après all day at the Lodge at Publico
Skiing has its positives, to be sure: Fresh air, mountain vistas, exercise. But getting off the hill comes with its own set of plus sides, from the warmth of the fireplace that’s been glowing all day to that first refreshing beer. Publico Street Bistro & Garden gets right to the après lifestyle with its annual Lodge at Publico pop-up, open every Thursday through Sunday until April 8. No matter how cold it is outside, the retractable roof, roaring fire pits, and flannel-draped couches keep the lounge areas cozy and comfortable. Publico chef Joel Howard is crafting a menu of lodge-inspired fare, such as pretzel-crusted chicken tenders with dijon cream, and grilled cheese and tomato soup. Beyond seasonal beers and the party-ready Shot-Ski, drink specials include tequila-spiked Lodge Cocoa and an Apres Old Fashioned, made with Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey. New this year, Gingerbread Lane is tucked inside the back of the Lodge to add more couch-style seating with reclaimed wood tables and personal TVs beneath boughs of sugary sweet décor. — Jacqueline Cain
Celebrate the season with ‘Winterlights’
As the nation’s first preservation and conservation nonprofit, The Trustees of Reservations’ landscapes and landmarks have a history of inspiring. And its holiday season celebration is no different. Three of the Trustees’ beautiful garden properties — Naumkeag in Stockbridge, Stevens-Coolidge House & Gardens in North Andover, and Eleanor Cabot Bradley Estate in Canton — sparkle with thousands of shimmering, artfully designed holiday lights during the annual “Winterlights.” This delightful, fun, and safe outdoor experience is family-friendly and packed with holiday revelry, food, refreshments, and more. While visitors to Naumkeag and Bradley can look forward to the same magic they’ve enjoyed throughout the years, there’s a brand new experience at Stevens-Coolidge, as The Trustees unveils a new route, more lights and displays, and a walk through the house brimming with seasonal splendor. — Cheryl Fenton
Get cozy on the couch for a holiday TV special
BosTen is full of things to do outside your home. But around the holidays, it’s just as likely you’ll be looking for activities to enjoy in the comfort of your own home. And what better way to mark the season than catching one of the long-running holiday specials? Longtime favorites include “Frosty the Snowman” (Thursday at 7:30 p.m. on Freeform), “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (Thursday at 8 p.m. on Freeform), and “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (Friday at 8 p.m. on NBC). For those hoping to catch “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” it won’t be on TV this year. But Apple TV+ will allow audiences to watch the special on demand from December 22-25 without a subscription here. For a full list of what to watch this season — both streaming and broadcast — check out our holiday movies and TV guide. — Kevin Slane
Get loud at a Hanukkah sing-along
Perhaps the most well-known Hebrew word around the world, “hallelujah” sparks joy whenever it is uttered. This Thursday, Temple Emanuel in Newton will celebrate Hanukkah with a hybrid concert featuring 18 different versions of “Hallelujah.” Lead by cantor Hazzan Elias Rosemberg, the Zamir Chorale of Boston will touch upon versions of the song that are “Jewish and Christian, classical and popular, North and South American, European and Israeli.” For tickets and additional information, visit Temple Emanuel’s website. — Kevin Slane
Gaze in awe at ‘The Immersive Nutcracker‘
Lighthouse Immersive — the company behind “Immersive Frida,” “Immersive Klimt,” and “Immersive Monet & the Impressionists” — has brought a different “Nutcracker” experience to Boston this holiday season with “The Immersive Nutcracker: A Winter Miracle.” The show features over 500,000 cubic feet of floor-to-ceiling projections of animated characters alongside footage of professional ballet dancers, starring Denis Rodkin and Eleonora Sevenard and set to Tchaikovsky’s iconic score. Tickets are available through the end of the show’s Boston run on December 31 via the Lighthouse Immersive website. — Natalie Gale
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