December 13th – 15th
It’s the most wonderful time of the year and there is no better place to spend it than historic Harvard Square. With so much to see and do, come for the weekend!
Hotels! Shopping! Dining! Ticketed Events! Outdoor family-friendly free events! Come Friday and stay for the weekend. Shop until you drop! Dine on the run or sit down for a luxurious dinner. When you’ve shopped and eaten your way through the Square, take some time to enjoy a show, concert, movie or a play.
Arrow Street Arts and Moonbox Productions
The Thanksgiving Play
Through December 15th
by Larissa FastHorse
Directed by Tara Moses
Isn’t it time we rethink Thanksgiving? That’s the question on the table when four politically correct performers get together to create a new take on the traditional holiday pageant. Good intentions turn into outright tension as the group struggles to re-envision history, all without ruffling any feathers.
Rambunctious, wild, and fearless, The Thanksgiving Play serves up history and humor with a steaming side dish of uniquely American hypocrisy. Are you ready to eat your words?
Tickets
SOLSTICE: Reflections on Winter Light
Through December 21st
SOLSTICE: Reflections on Winter Light is an annual event at Mount Auburn Cemetery that includes an outdoor journey through large-scale light and sound artworks, and an indoor experience with live music and candle lighting. Guests are invited to walk through the light-filled landscape, explore the Winter Solstice atmosphere, and to reflect on moments of change as the year ends and a new cycle begins. Connect to a landscape of exceptional beauty, consider an intention for the new year, or commemorate the memory of a loved one. Let the Solstice light your way as you encounter the unique spirit of Mount Auburn
Maccabee Bar Pop-Up
Through January 1st
Celebrate Hanukkah in style at the return of Maccabee Bar, the festive, Hanukkah-themed pop-up at Noir Bar! Enjoy seasonal bites like crispy latkes and house-made sufganiyot, paired with holiday-inspired cocktails in a welcoming, cheerful atmosphere. Open during regular Noir hours through January 1st. Walk-ins welcome, reservations encouraged.
Diary of a Tap Dancer
Through January 4th
Trailblazing tap dancer and choreographer Ayodele Casel and longtime collaborator and director Torya Beard (Chasing Magic, Funny Girl) return to A.R.T. this holiday season to share the joyful, resilient, and liberating spirit of tap. The electric new play weaves together dance, narrative, and song to reveal the power of reclaiming language, culture, and one’s own identity. This world-premiere production traces Ayodele’s life from her roots in The Bronx and Puerto Rico, while celebrating the extraordinary and often-overlooked women tap dancers who paved the way.
Tickets
Harvard Square Holiday Fair
December 13th – 15th
One of the oldest and most popular fairs in the Boston area. Held in Harvard Square for 6 days with free admission. Juried, with a mix of craftspeople from the region and world traveling importers. A great selection of beautiful, original, affordable gifts. Talking with the artist gives us a connection to what we are buying. A high energy marketplace with a great soundtrack. See old friends and make new ones. Located at 1426 Massachusetts Avenue
Midwinter Revels: The Selkie Girl and the Seal Woman
December 13th, 14th, 15th
A Celtic and Cabo Verdean Celebration of the Solstice
Sanders Theatre
Friday, December 13 – 7:00 PM
Saturday, December 14 – 3:00 PM
Sunday, December 15 – 1:00 PM
Sunday, December 15 – 5:30 PM
In a small fishing village off the shores of Galway Bay, a community gathers in the local pub to celebrate the season. A child enters looking for a package that may have been delivered for his mother, who comes from another coastal town – in Cabo Verde. Songs and dances are shared, and the pub dissolves into a portal for fantasy with a transformative retelling of the Selkie story, a Celtic myth about living between two worlds. Irish songs, jigs, and reels share the stage with dance, drumming, and traditional songs from Cabo Verde. In the Revels tradition, new community is catalyzed, and with it, hopes for a new year.
The performance length is about 2.5 hours, including intermission. Tickets
Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts
2024 Holiday Black Business Pop-Up
December 13th -15th
One Brattle Square (formerly Webster Bank)
Hosted by the Cambridge-Somerville Black Business Network, in partnership with the Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts, and Cambridge Local First, invites you to the 3rd Annual Passport to Black Business Holiday Pop-up!
Friday, Dec. 13 12:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Saturday, Dec. 14, 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Sunday, Dec. 15, 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Admission: Free! RSVP here
Celebrate the season and support local black-owned businesses. Explore unique, hand-crafted gifts, soaps, sauces, bags, jewelry, and more from 19 amazing vendors over three festive days! Don’t miss this opportunity to find one-of-a-kind holiday treasures while supporting black-owned businesses. Vendors include: Osei Beauty, KQs BUTTAs L.L.C, Ninawa Zero Waste Clothes, Love Balungi LLC, Maxine Lorenzo Designs, IK Ecojewelry, Akakpo & Co., Jahzara Fashion House, Nussli118, Elcee Jay Creations and more!
Sponsors include Beacon Capital Partners, City of Cambridge, Cambridge Savings Bank, and the Harvard Square Business Association
Black Christmas
December 13th – 15th
New 4K Restoration! Limited Edition 50th Anniversary Poster Available at Screenings!
Added Screening Fri, Dec 13 at 7:00!
Holiday movies are sentimental and uplifting, but surprisingly devoid of knife murders. BLACK CHRISTMAS—one of the most influential Hitchcockian slashers of all time—is here to help. When sorority sisters Olivia Hussey, Margot Kidder (Superman), and Andrea Martin find themselves under attack from a foul-mouthed killer, it’s up to police chief John Saxon (A Nightmare on Elm Street) to even the odds. But what about Keir Dullea (2001: A Space Odyssey), the brooding art-school pianist? Could he have something to do with the mutilation rampage? BLACK CHRISTMAS is a terrifying and demented holiday tradition that gets everything right. We’d expect nothing less from Bob Clark, the pioneering director of A Christmas Story. – American Genre Film Archive
It’s a Wonderful Life
December 13th – 16th
Jimmy Stewart plays George Bailey, a forlorn small-town banker who, while considering suicide, meets Clarence (Travers), an angel in training. Clarence shows George what life would be like if he had never been born, and through this George is able to realize how valuable one person’s life can be. Forget about watching this classic film at home on TV, we’re showing it the way it was meant to be seen: on the Big Screen on real-live 35mm film! IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE will screen on 35mm Fri, Dec 13 at 3:30 only; all other screenings are 4K DCP
Tickets
Wine Myths & Legends!
Friday, December 13th, 6:30-8pm
Embark on an enchanting journey into the realm of legends and myths with our Friday the 13th wine class. Step into a world where ancient tales intertwine with the art of winemaking, as we explore the myths, folklore, and legendary stories that have shaped the wine world throughout history.
As you delve into the depths of wine mythology, you’ll have the opportunity to taste a selection of wines inspired by these legendary tales. Guided by your wine educator, Christina, you’ll unravel the mysteries behind the symbolism, rituals, and traditions associated with wine throughout the ages.
Whether you’re a seasoned wine enthusiast or a curious seeker of stories, this wine class promises an evening of discovery and intrigue. Join us as we explore the magic of legends and the timeless allure of wine!
Cost: $85
Instructor: Christina Kach
Opera Experience LIVE! | Echoes of the Heart
Friday, December 13, 2024 | 7:00 pm
Free – $20.00
Longy’s performances are free and open to the public, but please register in advance.
Echoes of the Heart: Scenes from Opera, Operetta and Musical Theater
Experience the power of love in all its forms at Longy’s Opera Experience Live! class’s end-of-semester scenes program, Echoes of the Heart. This varied and dynamic evening will explore stories of love that reminisce, ignite, and ultimately extinguish, with twists and turns that will captivate and move you.
The program features a premiere of scenes from Blondine, an opera by Beth Wiemann, alongside a rich selection of beloved opera, operetta, and musical theater scenes, all brought to life under the direction of stage director Carol Mastrodomenico and music director Libor Dudas. The talented pianists Dasha Ovchinnikova and William Smith will accompany the students as they bring these powerful stories to the stage.
Tickets
A Holiday Evening with Penni Layne: WARM IN DECEMBER album release
December 13th
Vocal jazz and classic holiday songs performed by Penni Layne accompanied by some of Boston’s most sought after instrumentalists.
The Players:
Penni Layne – Vocals
Larry Jackson – Bass
Ryan Claunch – Piano
Steve Bankuti – Drums
Bijon Watson – Special guest – Trumpet
Tickets
ELAN TROTMAN-CHRISTMAS IN RIO
December 13th
Come out and enjoy Elan Trotman’s holiday show, “Christmas in Rio,”
Billboard Topping Contemporary Jazz Saxophonist Elan Trotman returns to the Scullers Stage with a special Holiday-themed Show titled “Christmas in Rio.”
Saxophonist Elan Trotman, has quickly become one of jazz’s most thrilling and emotive performers as he continues to stand out and push boundaries as a composer, performer, teacher and recording artist. Trotman’s playing, though inspired by Grover Washington, Jr., Kirk Whalum and Najee, displays his own fresh ideas and distinctive tone. So much so that the New England Urban Music Awards, and The Barbados Music Awards both named him Jazz Artist of The Year on multiple occasions.
Tickets
Charles Square Outdoor Winter Holiday Market
December 14th
Get into the holiday spirit at our Winter Holiday Market! Shop local vendors offering unique gifts on The Charles Hotel’s outdoor lower courtyard. Join us on Saturday, December 14th for a festive afternoon of shopping plus seasonal drinks at One Reason Garden Bar or Noir Bar. Don’t miss out on this seasonal event in the heart of Cambridge!
Exhibition Tour: Made in Germany? Art and Identity in a Global Nation
Saturday, December 14, 2024 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Corinne Wasmuht, 50 U Heinrich-Heine-Str., 2009. Oil on wood. Harvard Art Museums/Busch-Reisinger Museum, Gift of Ann and Graham Gund in honor of Martha Tedeschi, 2016.387. © Corinne Wasmuht.
Join us for an in-depth, hour-long tour of this special exhibition, on view through January 5, 2025.
Tickets
Cookies & Cocktails
December 14th 3:30pm – 5:30pm
Join our pastry team for a fun-filled afternoon of cookie decorating and festive cocktails.
$45 per person
Buy Tickets Here!
Santa Claus Jazz Band and Treats
December 14th, 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Outside of the Black Holiday Business Pop-Up, One Brattle Square join the Harvard Square Business Association as we present the Santa Claus Jazz Band. Bask in the glow of the sights, smells and sounds of the season! Plenty of hot chocolate and cookies will be available to give you that extra energy boost as you holiday shop!
HOLIDAY SWINGIN’ – A KAT EDMONSON CHRISTMAS
December 14th
Kat Edmonson is an award-winning songwriter and singer “with an equal foothold in jazz, cabaret and vintage cosmopolitanism pop” (The New York Times). Kat will perform swingin’ Yuletide favorites such as “Jingle Bell Rock,” “O Christmas Tree,” and “Let It Snow” as well as some of her original repertoire as part of her festive show, Holiday Swingin’! A Kat Edmonson Christmas.
Tickets
Brunch with Santa
December 15th, 11am – 2pm.
This will be a our brunch buffet. The price is $45/adults; $20 for kids 12 and under; and free for kids 5 and under. The brunch price includes coffee, juice, or soft drinks
Christmas in Harvard Square
December 15th
A well-known holiday tradition in Harvard Square, The Boys and Schola of St. Paul’s Choir will perform a concert of seasonal Christmas music on December 8 and 15 at 3:00 pm in St. Paul’s Parish. With a choir of over fifty singers composed of boys from St. Paul’s Choir School and professional singers from the greater Boston area, the audience will be treated to an unforgettable experience in one of Boston’s finest acoustic settings.
The program will feature works from a variety of time periods, countries, and instrumentations, accompanied by the Back Bay Brass, percussion, organ, and harp. In addition to traditional favorites, including Theodore Marier’s beloved setting of “Silent Night,” the musical selections will include timeless choral Christmas standards such as Britten’s “Hymn to the Virgin,” Pearsall’s “In dulci jubilo,” and Victoria’s eight-part “Ave Maria”.
Winter Warmth Drive 2024
While serving food at the Tuesday Night Meals Program at First Parish in December 2013, current Vice-Mayor Marc McGovern spoke with an unhoused woman who was in desperate need of warm blankets or a sleeping bag. That night the Winter Warmth Drive was born. Each year, with the help of First Parish, The Harvard Square Business Association and Cambridge residents, we raise over $20,000 to purchase hundreds of sleeping bags that we distribute to the unhoused community in Cambridge. These bags have been called, “life saving” and the community has now come to rely on them. We are asking for your help in raising those funds this year. To contribute to this important project, click here.
Toys for Tots
The Cambridge Fire Department, in partnership with the Marine Corps Reserve, are hosting their annual Toys for Tots campaign. If you would like to participate, please bring your unwrapped toys or books at the drop boxes located at any fire house in the city or at the Charles Hotel by December 16th. Thanks, in advance, for your generosity!