Boston Event Calendar - January 2012

Top picks for fun things to do in January in Boston

The Boston Event Calendar January 2012 is packed with lots of interesting things to do.

The weather may be cold outside - but you won't feel any chill as you sample top vintages at the Annual Boston Wine Expo, savor wine and food pairings at the internationally famous Boston Wine Festival, cheer at a Celtics or Bruins game, enjoy 16 days of Frozen Fenway, and celebrate Chinese New Year - the Year of the Dragon.

Many Boston hotels reward you during January with their cheapest discount rates of the year. With so much going on in the city, January is the perfect time to enjoy world-class music, museums, sports, restaurants, and more.

Chinese New Year's parade in Boston's Chinatown features Lion Dances

Don't forget to pack your camera, a warm coat, hat, gloves, and boots. If snow falls while you're here, grab your camera and head outdoors to capture the magic . . . and then visit one of our welcoming Irish pubs, historic taverns, or superb restaurants for a warm welcome, good food, and cheer.

Add an event to the Boston Event Calendar for January

Quick Links: Boston events calendars: December l February l Other Months

Frozen Fenway

Frozen Fenway brings 16 days of ice hockey and free public skating to Fenway Park. If you remember how much fun this was 2 years ago when the Boston Bruins hosted - and won! - the Winter Classic at Fenway, you know how exciting this is going to be!!! More

Free Boston Bridal Bootcamp at the Marriott

Brides-to-be will want to take advantage of the Boston Marriott Long Wharf's new Bridal Bootcamp Series. These free wedding planning seminars kick off with "Weddings 101" on January 19, "Passionate Planning on February 2, and "Spring into Color" on March 8.

The Marriott Long Wharf's wedding planners will share their best tips on planning a memorable wedding, introduce you to wedding vendors, and take you on a tour of the Marriott Long Wharf's spectacular new Harbor View Ballroom with breathtaking Boston Harbor views. You'll enjoy complimentary food and drink from the Waterline restaurant, and one lucky couple from each class will win a free weekend getaway at the hotel. Reserve a seat at the seminars by calling Joy Josey at 617-227-0800, ext 6594.

More: Check out the Marriott Long Wharf's Romance your Special Someone Package, available throughout most of 2012

Closest T station: Blue Line/Aquarium
Cost: Free

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Boston Celtic Music Festival - 2012

Boston's Celtic Music Festival on January 6-7, 2012, brings together over 100 musicians in a 2-day event to spotlight Boston area Celtic musicians and singers. Expect to hear lots of Irish fiddle music, Cape Breton, Quebecois, and even New England music as the musicians explore Celtic music from Europe to the New World.

The festival kicks off on Friday with a parade and concert at Club Passim in Harvard Square (yes, despite having "Boston" in its name, the festival actually takes place in Cambridge), and music and traditional dancing at the Atrium. Music continues throughout Saturday at several venues, ending in a rousing concert of music and dance on Saturday night.

Closest T station: Red Line/Harvard Square
Cost: Tickets required for various events, with prices ranging from $12 - $28; special pricing for children for some events
More info and full schedule: www.bcmfest.com

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Boston sports for January

Basketball, hockey, even football . . . Boston sports fans get lots of great action during January, with at least one home game scheduled almost every day.

TD Garden, where the Celtics and Bruins play their home games, is right in the middle of the city, so there's no excuse for missing an event!

Although the New England Patriots play at Gillette Stadium south of the city, you can take the Patriots Train on game days. Now that the Patriots have clinched the AFC East and wrapped up home-field advantage for the AFC playoffs, Gillette Stadium is going to be seeing lots of action!

Boston Team Schedules and Tickets for January 2012

If sports will be the centerpiece of your Boston visit, first make sure you get the tickets you want, and then make hotel reservations close to the action:

Photo courtesy of Henry Zbyszynski

More January Activities near Boston


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New England Patriots at the Super Bowl

Even though the Patriots play the Giants at the Super Bowl next month, now is when you should be making plans for celebrating this exciting February event - especially if you yield to temptation and go see it in person. Find out the best places to celebrate Super Bowl in Boston.

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Boston Wine Festival 2012

When: Friday, January 6 - Opening Celebration - Boston Wine Festival continues through April 1
Where: Meritage, Boston Harbor Hotel, 70 Rowes Wharf, Boston Waterfront
Closest T station: Red Line/South Station
Cost: Tickets for dinner and wine range from about $145 - $290, depending on what's being served. Brunches start at $75
More information

Twenty two years ago, Chef Daniel Bruce of the famed Meritage Restaurant located in the luxurious Boston Harbor Hotel launched the Boston Wine Festival, now the longest-running and most famous food and wine event in the United States.

What is it about? For 3 months, Chef Bruce pairs some of the world's finest wines with his exquisite cooking.

Chef Bruce, whose wine knowledge is exceptional even among Boston oenophiles, gathers bottles from the best boutique wineries around the world for events such as the Battle of the Cabernets, Super Tuscans, and Rising Pinots, as well as nightly dinners profiling the best from particular wineries or labels.

If you love excellent wine and superb food, this is a must-not-miss event.

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Boston discount passes for attractions, tours, cruises

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The Monkey King at Harvard's Peabody Museum

The Monkey King welcomes Chinese New Year and the Year of the Dragon in this special puppet show at Harvard's Peobody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology.

Behind the Mask Theatre and puppeteer Margaret Moody of Galapagos Puppets team up to present this special CNY puppet show with story, masks, and plenty of entertainment. Part of the Peabody's Family Fun Series, held on the 3rd Saturday of each month.

When: Saturday, January 21, 2012, 2pm-3:15pm
Where: Peabody Museum, 11 Divinity Ave, Cambridge
Closest T station: Red Line/Harvard Square
Photo: Courtesy of Galapagos Puppets
Cost: $5
More info and tickets: http://www.peabody.harvard.edu/exhibits - click on "Calendar"

Want a short preview? You can see the Monkey King (and Margaret Moody) in this short video:

Jazz Meets Burlesque at the West End Musuem

When: January 28, 2012, 7pm-9pm
Where: West End Museum, 150 Staniford St, Boston's West End
Cost: Suggested donation $10 - Register on the West End Museum website (click on Events, Programs & Tours
Nearest T: Green and Orange Lines/North Station

Relive the sounds of the 1940s heard in the now-demolished burlesque houses around Scollay Square in Boston's West End.

The West End Museum preserves and brings to life the history and culture of Boston's Old West End, mostly obliterated by urban renewal bulldozers during the 1950s. Enjoy the music, and tour this fascinating museum!

Boston Festival of Films from Iran

When: January 20 - 29, 2012
Where: Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave, Boston's Fenway neighborhood
Nearest T station: Green Line E/Museum
Cost: Tickets for most films are $11
More information: www.mfa.org

This fascinating film series gives a glimpse of some of Iran's finest contemporary films produced under punative censorship laws, including banned works by two filmmakers (Jafar Panahi, This is Not a Film, and Mohammad Rasoulof's Good Bye) recently sentenced by the Iranian government for "committing crimes against the country's national security."

Find more Boston film festivals

Boston Home Show at Suffolk Downs

When: January 27-29, 2012
Where: Suffolk Downs, Route 1A North, East Boston
Parking: On-site, free
Stay: Several Boston Airport Hotels with Stay-and-Fly Packages are nearby and offer great deals
More information: Home Show website

If home remodeling or building is in your future, this is your chance to see hundreds of products and services exhibited in one convenient space, talk to the experts, and collect business cards and brochures for follow-up. Expect to find everything from green energy options to outdoor furniture to fixtures, cabinets, flooring, windows, and more.

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Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebrations in Boston

Photo of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a national holiday celebrated on the 3rd Monday in January - January 17th in 2012 - to commemorate Dr. King's role in ensuring civil rights, peace, and equality in America. Dr. King lived in Boston for several years while he studied at Harvard and Boston University, where he received his Ph.D. in 1955.

Although numerous events take place around Boston to honor Dr. King, one of the biggest is at Faneuil Hall on Boston's Freedom Trail at 1pm on Monday, January 17, 2012. This event features a tribute by the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra's Intensive Community Program of talented young musicians, a tribute speech by poet Nikki Giovanni, and readings from speeches and writings of Dr. King by Justice Roderick Ireland, Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Court, and Phillip Clay, Chancellor at MIT. More information: http://www.afroammuseum.org/events.htm

Other suggestions for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day:

Visit Boston's Museum of African American History in Beacon Hill and walk along the Black Heritage Trail (the Museum is an excellent starting point).

Free admission at the Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave, Boston; special activities and performances all day

Free Family Folk Song Concert at Pierce Hall, New England Conservatory, 241 St Botolph St, Boston

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Half-price theater and sports tickets for January

Half-price Boston events in January

- Boston Wine Expo at the Seaport World Trade Center
- Odyssey Brunch, Lunch, and Dinner Cruises in Boston Harbor
- Vivaldi's Four Seasons by the Handel and Haydn Society at Boston Symphony Hall
- Gods of Carnage at Boston University Theatre
- Clifford the Big Red Dog at the Wilbur Theatre
- New York Dancers Monica Bill Barnes & Company at the ICA Boston
- Walking Tour of the North End
- Red at the Claderwood Pavilion, Boston Center for the Arts
- Mottley's Comedy Club
- Simply Sublime by Boston Ballet at the Opera House

Find even more half-price events!

Chinese New Year Events - Lion Dance Parade - 2012

When: Sunday, January 29, 11am - 5pm
Where: Chinatown, Boston
Closest T station: Orange Line/Chinatown (or walk over from any Downtown Boston T station
Cost: Free

Chinese New Year for 2012 officially starts on January 23 to welcome the Year of the Dragon. One of the most popular activities in Boston for Chinese New Year is the Lion Dance Parade in Chinatown.

Local kung fu groups perform the Lion Dance throughout Chinatown's streets. The "lion" visits each Chinatown restaurant. When the restaurant owner comes to the door and "feeds" it, the lion bows in gratitude and then performs a special dance, accompanied by clashing cymbals, drums, gongs, and firecrackers to scare away evil spirits.

Come early for brunch in one of the wonderful dim sum restaurants before the lion dances begin.

If you're visiting Boston and interested in hotels (enjoy low winter rates!) near the Chinese New Year festivities, here are the closest (they're also convenient hotels for Boston's Theatre District):
- Hyatt Regency - Very nice business hotel; look for lower weekend rates Rates & reviews
- Ritz-Carlton - Luxury hotel overlooking Boston Common Rates & reviews
- W Hotel - One of Boston's newest; trendy bar and restaurant Rates & reviews

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20th Annual Boston Wine Expo

When: January 22 - 23, 2012
Where: Seaport World Trade Center and Seaport Hotel (look for special Wine Expo rates), 164 Northern Ave, South Boston Waterfront
Closest T station: Red Line/South Station; then take free shuttle bus from corner of Summer St/Dorchester Ave to the World Trade Center (or about an 8-10 minute walk from South Station)
Tickets: Seminar only tickets start at $25, and wine tasting tickets start at $85
More information

Visitors from across the U.S. and around the world gather annually for Boston's biggest wine-tasting event - in fact, the largest consumer and trade wine event in the United States.

Choose tasting samples from among 1,800 wines from 300 international wineries, enjoy hors d'oeuvres from Boston's top chefs such as Marc Orfaly of Pigalle, Rachel Klein of Aura, and Michael Schlow of Radius, and watch cooking demos.

Ray Isle, Executive Editor of Food & Wine, will give the keynote presentation. You can also attend wine making seminars and presentations by wine experts from large and small wineries, reviewers, writers, and oenophile celebrities from around the world.

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Music at House of Blues Boston

Where: House of Blues, Fenway, Boston
Closest T station: Green Line/Kenmore
If you drive: Parking near House of Blues Boston

Come to House of Blues Boston near Fenway Park to hear an interesting mix of locally and nationally known indie musicians playing blues, jazz, R&B, and sometimes Gospel. January performers include Rebelution (Jan 12) and Collie Buddz (Jan 27).

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Frozen Fenway

New Year's Day Brunch (aka "Hangover Brunch")

When: Sunday, January 1

So, you partied all night to greet the New Year and slept most of the morning . . . but now you're awake and starving!

What Boston restaurants are serving New Year's Day brunch?

Fortunately, more than you might imagine:

Citizen's Public House (1310 Boylston St, behind Fenway Park; 617-450-9000) - More Fenway restaurants
Aquitaine (569 Tremont St, 617-424-8577) - More South End restaurants
Aura (Seaport Hotel, 617-385-4300) - More South Boston Waterfront restaurants
Brasserie Jo (120 Huntington Ave, 617-425-3240) - More Back Bay restaurants
Durgin Park (Faneuil Hall, 617-227-2038) - More Historic Downtown restaurants
Market (W Hotel Boston, 617-310-6790) - More Theatre District restaurants

Be sure to make advance reservations, as lots of Boston locals as well as visitors go out for brunch on New Year's Day to get a good start on the New Year.

L Street Brownies take the plunge

When: Sunday, January 1, 2012 at 8am (Registration for those making the plunge starts at 6:30am)
Where: L Street Bathhouse at Curley Community Center (617-635-5104), 1663 Columbia Road, Carson Beach, South Boston
Closest T station: Red Line/JFK-UMass Station; walk half a mile to the Curley Community Center. Alternately, take the T Red Line to Broadway Station and transfer to the #9 or #11 City Point bus.
Note: MBTA subway and buses run on a holiday schedule in New Year's Day; plan for long wait times.
Parking: Available along Day Blvd
Cost: Free

Are they crazy, or just incredibly fit and brave?

Ever since 1904, the L Street Brownies have celebrated the New Year by plunging into the icy waters of Dorchester Bay and raising money for local charities. If you're visiting Boston and want to have a true "insider" experience - taste of the real local culture - head to Carson Beach/L Street Beach for this famous Boston event on January 1.

Between about 500 and 1,000 swimmers participate in the New Year event. There's usually an Irish band playing (until they also jump in the water), a large cheering crowd of friends and onlookers, and plenty of good humor as towels, vitamin C, and flasks are passed around.

Many of the L Street Brownies, a polar bear swim club formed in 1902 and named after the L Street Bathhouse in South Boston where many of them swim every day, hot or cold, throughout the year. Although many members appear to be 50-something, a number are in their 80s and 90s and attribute their strong immune systems to the daily exercise and icy water.

More about Carson Beach and L Street Beach

Photo courtesy of Logan Ingalls

Looking ahead to February:

Quick Links: Fun Boston Events Year Round!


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Events added by other visitors

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