Holiday

Gingerbread Contest at Wenham Museum

Wenham Museum Gingerbread Contest is free to enter and open to all!

Everyone's invited to enter Wenham Museum’s gingerbread contest! Individuals, families, groups, teams–all are encouraged to create a Gingerbread House for this friendly community competition. Visit the 2024 Gingerbread House Contest page for contest details, rules and registration.  There is no fee to participate.

When: 
Tuesday-Saturday, December 8-21, 2024
Sunday, December 3, 2023 12-4pm
Location: 

Christmas in Salem House Tour

Tour some of Salem Massachusetts' historic houses all done up for the Holiday and raise funds for a worthy local cause

Historic Salem, Inc. hosts its annual holiday house tour in downtown Salem Massachusetts! Few communities have the rich legacy of historic houses that Salem, Massachusetts boasts. These homes, spanning four centuries, help define the character as well as the appearance of the city.  Every year Christmas In Salem focuses on a different neighborhood, and some of the homeowners invite visitors into their homes fully decked out in holiday regalia, and to explore a series of unique histories and architectural tales.

When: 
Saturday, December 7, 2024 10:30am–4:00pm
Sunday, December 8, 2024 11:30am–4:00pm

Manchester-by-the-Sea Holiday Tree Lighting

Celebrate the start of the Christmas Season in downtown Manchester, Massachusetts!

Beginning at 3:30pm, the MERHS Band, Chorus and Sound Waves and the Manchester-Essex Elementary School Chorus will perform an outdoor concert at Manchester Town Green. The Students from the Ballet de Mar will also perform four dances. The Manchester Woman's Club will serve hot chocolate donated by the Masons and Mrs. Claus and her elf will hand out Candy Canes. The tree lighting will go on at dusk regardless of the weather. Sponsored by the Manchester Woman's Club | Hot Chocolate donated by the Masons.

When: 
Sunday, December 8, 2024 9am-4:30pm
Tree Lighting begins at 3:30pm

Manchester Holiday Stroll

Shop downtown merchants, win prizes and have fun in Manchester Massachusetts!

Support Manchester Merchants, shop around town & collect stamps in your Holiday Passbook and you will have a chance to win some great prizes! Turn in your completed Passbook at Bravo by the Sea by 8:15 pm for a chance to win one of two prizes. This traditional passport shopping event will give participants an opportunity to see unique array of merchants in town, take advantage of holiday discounts, and maybe even win a great prize!

When: 
Friday, December 6, 2024 4-8pm

Santa-by-the-Sea!

Santa will arrive at Masconomo Park by lobster boat at 1 pm on December 2, 2017

Come to the the annual Jingle Bell Walk in Manchester! Santa will arrive at Masconomo Park by boat and lead the children in a parade around the park and then be available for pictures. There will also be a petting zoo, crafts, face painting, a candy cane hunt, refreshments and a visit from Mrs. Claus!  Sponsored by the Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce, Manchester Community Center, Manchester Mothers' Club and the Parks and Recreation Department.

When: 
Saturday, December 7, 2024 1-3pm

Santa’s Arrival & Tree Lighting in Rockport

Santa comes to Rockport Ma by lobster boat to kick off the Holiday season in Rockport Massachusetts!

Where else can you see Santa arrive by lobster boat? Santa will arrive at Rockport’s T-Wharf on Rockport Harbor following a brisk lobster boat ride across Sandy Bay. Then Santa will climb up onto a Rockport Forest Fire truck and proceed along T-Wharf and Broadway to the First Baptist Church, led by Rockport cub scouts.

When: 
Saturday, December 7, 2024 12:30-5PM

Holiday Happenings at ACM

Holiday Happenings at the Carriage Museum in Amesbury Massachusetts for photos, crafting and cocoa with kids at the Amesbury Carriage Museum in Massachusetts!

Get an early start on your holiday checklist with a day full of seasonal activities at the Industrial History Center in Amesbury Massachusetts! Decorate cookies, make a festive craft, and get the perfect photo for your seasonal greeting card.  Please be sure to register for your photo session in advance. For all other activities, just stop in during the listed times.

When: 
Saturday, November 23, 2024 9am-4pm

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Adirondack Leadership Program at Gordon College’s La Vida Center

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Salem's So Sweet Festival

Salem Massachusetts' retailers have some sweet surprises in store during the Salem's So Sweet Weekend Festival
Salem Main Streets and the Salem Chamber of Commerce invite you to come enjoy the annual Salem’s So Sweet Chocolate & Ice Sculpture Festival – a decadent tradition of delectable chocolate, sparkling ice sculptures, and Valentine’s Day shopping! Now in its 24th year, Salem’s So Sweet has become...
9:00 am to 10:00 pm

Winter Family Field Trip: Raptor Road Trip

Families are invited to Joppa Flats Education Center in Newburyport Massachusetts to learn about eagles and their behaviors. Photo: Bill O'Connor
With radios in hand, we will carpool to Bald Eagle viewing spots along the Merrimack River and walk short distances to spot eagles with our binoculars and birding scopes. We will be watch for fishing, and courtship displays. Stay warm and active with small group activities that feature raptor sound...
10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Kidleidoscope at Breakheart Reservation

Kidleidoscope is a program designed for preschoolers at Breakheart Reservation in Saugus Massachusetts
Come join our park interpreter for a story time and nature walk! Complete a small craft and explore the woods! Walks are gently paced and approximately 1 mile, though not accessible for strollers. Appropriate for families with children 3-5 years old. Meet at the Visitor Center.
10:30 am to 11:30 am

Family Owl Prowl

Join a Family Owl Prowl  at the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary. Photo: Scott Santino
Experience the excitement of an owl prowl as we take a hike under the light of the moon to look and listen for Barred Owls, Great Horned Owls, and Eastern Screech-Owls. Before we head out on our nocturnal adventure, we will learn fun owl facts in our cozy barn using real owl feathers, skulls, and...
5:30 pm to 7:00 pm
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