Boston Event Calendar
November 2009

Days are getting shorter . . . but that's the perfect excuse for getting theater tickets, going to a concert, and joining cheering crowds at a Boston Celtics or Bruins game. 

You'll begin to see special artisan fairs and pre-holiday events popping up all over town, and Boston shopping venues begin to fill with crowds.

If you're visiting Boston toward the end of the month, be sure to make restaurant reservations for a special Boston Thanksgiving dinner.   And if you're wise and organized, November is a great time to get your holiday shopping in Boston underway.

For even more ideas, check out fun things to do in Boston in November.

Quick Links:  Boston events calendars:  October   l    December

House of Blues Gospel Brunch

When:  November 1, 10am, and most other Sundays
Where:  House of Blues, across from Fenway Park, Boston
Closest T station: Green Line/Kenmore
Tickets:  Ticketmaster best prices

Start the month off right with the House of Blue's Sunday Gospel Brunch.  The soul-warming buffet features a mouth-watering selection of Southern down-home cooking, and the uplifting gospel music performance will transport you to another place an time. 

Green roofs and rain gardens at BAC

When:  November 2 - December 14 - each Monday from 1pm - 4pm
Where:  Boston Architectural College, 320 Newbury Street, Back Bay, Boston
Closest T station: Green Line/Hynes
More information:  617-262-5000 ; website
Cost:    $1,380 (for academic credit);  $950 (noncredit)

Look down on Boston rooftops these days and you'll see a lot of green . . . and no wonder: green roofs and rain gardens have emerged as 2 key landscape design elements that help control stormwater management while adding all the benefits of "green" to urban landscape environments. 

If you're fascinated by the aesthetics or environmental advantages of doing this, you'll want to sign up for this course.  Instructor Ann Kearsley provides "how to" and "why" perspectives, field trips, and guest lectures. 

This course is part of the Landscape Institution, which recently transitioned from Harvard's Arnold Arboretum to Boston Architectural College. 

If you're fascinated by design, check out other BAC offerings - most can be taken for credit or non-credit. 

Fiddler on the Roof

When:  November 3 - 15, matinees and evening
Where:  Boston Opera House, 539 Washington Street, Theatre District/Downtown Crossing (Downtown Boston)
Closest T station: Green Line/Boylston
Tickets:  Ticketmaster best prices

Chaim Topol, from the original movie cast, returns to Boston in his farewell tour as Tevye in the family-friendly "Fiddler on the Roof," part of the "Broadway Across America" series at the Opera House and Colonial Theatre during the 2009-2010 season.  

You'll be enchanted by this tale about shoemaker Tevye and his 5 marriage-aged daughters as they navigate love, engagements, weddings, rejection and more in the shadow of the soon-to-be Russian revolution.  You've probably heard the songs like "Matchmaker, Matchmaker," "If I were a Rich Man," and "Sunrise, Sunset" since birth, but hearing them live on the stage with dance, wonderful acting, and music is wonderful just the same.

How to Make an American Pie

When:  November 4, 6pm - 9pm
Where:  Boston Center for Adult Education, 122 Arlington Street, Bay Village, Boston
Closest T station: Green Line/Arlington
Cost:  $47 non-members; $40 BCAE members; supplies $15
More information:  BCAE website

Just in time for the holidays - spend an evening learning how to make classic American pies.  You'll learn the secrets of good crusts, and discover various ways to roll and shape them.  You'll also learn about making delicious fruit fillings and luscious pastry creams.  You'll even learn about toppings - pastry lattice, crumb toppings, and more. 

Sign up early to reserve your place - this class is sure to be very popular!

Basketball at the Garden

When:  Friday, November 6 at 7:30pm
Where: TD Garden, Boston
Closest T station: Orange and Green Line/North Station
Tickets through Ticketmaster

The Boston Celtics play the Phoenix Suns on their home court at TD Garden.   After their 2008 championship in the NBA Finals, you can feel the excitement in the air as fans hope for a season ending in an 18th trophy.  Keep your eyes on Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett.

Can't make this game?  The Celtics play 6 more home games in November (11/11, 11/13, 11/18, 11/20, 11/25, 11/27).

23rd Annual Christmas Festival

When:  November 6, 12 noon - 7pm, November 7 and 8, 10am - 7pm
Where: Seaport World Trade Center, 200 Seaport Boulevard, South Boston Waterfront
Closest T station: Red Line/South Station to Silver Line
Tickets:  $12 adults; kids under 14 free
More information:  website

This is your opportunity to do 1-stop holiday shopping when 300 artisans from all over New England gather here with their special products, fabulous holiday decorations, and festive foods. 

What your kids will adore is the Gingerbread House competition.  Boston's top restaurants, bakeries, hotels, and culinary schools bring their most fanciful concoctions.  Last year's winner?  Legal Seafoods - with its amazing, too-good-to-eat replica of Fenway Park.  After the winners are announced, these confectionary creations will be sold to you and other shoppers - a win-win, because all proceeds benefit a local charity.

Behind the scenes at Boston Lyric Opera - Free!

When:  November 7 at 11am - 5pm
Where:   Shubert Theatre, 265 Tremont Street, Theatre District, downtown Boston
Closest T station:  Green Line/Boylston
For more information: 617-542-4912; website
Cost: Free

Boston Lyric Opera's open house at the Shubert Theatre is an exciting and rare opportunity to see the inner workings of a theater and New England's largest opera company.  You'll get to see performances, back-stage activities related to the BLO's season opener, Carmen, dressing room tours, costumes, demonstrations, contests, and more.  Whether you're a long-time opera fan or experiencing opera for the first time, you're sure to find a lot to enjoy.  Seeing the gorgeous Shubert Theater up close is also a wonderful experience - bring your camera!

BLO is New England’s largest opera company.  Founded in 1976, BLO annually stages three productions at the Shubert Theatre, an Opera Annex production in "found" space, and a fully staged 1-hour English version of a popular opera aimed at younger audiences.

18th Century Music at the Old State House

When:  November 7 at 1-3pm
Where: Old State House, corner of Washington and State Streets on the Freedom Trail, Downtown Boston
Closest T station: Orange and Blue Lines/State Street (in the sub-basement of the building)
For more information: 617-720-1713; website
Cost: Free with Old State House admission (Adults - $7, Age 6-18 - $3, Seniors 62+ and students - $6, Children under 6 - free)

A student chamber music ensemble from Longy School of Music in Cambridge will perform 18th century music - exactly what might have been heard here when this lovely historic building was built 3 centuries ago. 

Rustic Overtones at the Paradise

When:  November 7, 9pm (doors open at 8pm)
Where: Paradise Rock Club, 967 Commonwealth Avenue, Kenmore Square, Fenway, Boston
Minimum age: 18+
Closest T station: Green Line B/Pleasant Street
Tickets through Ticketmaster

Get ready for an evening of horn-powered rock as the 7-member Rustic Overtones mix soulful vocals on songs such as “Rock Like War,”“Troublesome,”“Black Leather Bag," and “Dear Mr. President” at Boston's legendary Paradise Rock Club near Boston University. 

Don Henley Concert at the Wang

When:  November 11 at 8pm
Where: Wang Theatre, 106 Boylston Street, Theatre District/Downtown Crossing (Downtown Boston)
Closest T station: Green Line/Boylston
Tickets: On sale starting October 3rd - Broadway Across America website

Lots of excitement is building around this concert at the Wang Theatre by singer-songwriter Don Henley, who first caught national attention as a founding member of the Eagles and has gone on to acclaim as acclaimed solo artist with hits such as "Boys of Summer" and "The Age of Innocence." 

Museum of Fine Arts - Annual School Sale

When:  November 13, 12 noon - 8pm
Where: School of the Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Avenue, Fenway, Boston
Closest T station: Green Line E/Museum
For more information: 617-369-3204; website; or e-mail insideout@smfa.edu.
Cost:  Free admission, but spend generously - your art purchases support scholarships for fledgling artists

Collectors, art fans, and savvy shoppers eagerly look forward each year to InsideOut, the School of the Museum of Fine Arts's annual art sale. 

What will you see?   Thousands of pieces of art by the school's talented students, plus works by SMFA alumni and affiliated artists such as Nan Goldin and Ellsworth Kelly.  This is your chance to add to your collection of paintings, photographs, prints, sculpture, new media, and more - and who knows, even if you don't buy a Nan Goldin or Ellsworth Kelly, maybe the student piece you snap up will be by the next Nan Goldin or Ellsworth Kelly.

Boston International Antiquarian Book Show

When:  November 13, 5pm - 9pm, November 14, 12 noon - 7pm, November 15, 12 noon - 5pm
Where: Hynes Convention Center, 900 Boylston, Back Bay, Boston
Closest T station: Green Line / Hynes
For more information: 617-369-3204; website; or e-mail insideout@smfa.edu.
Cost:  $15 for Friday night preview plus Saturday and Sunday, $8 Saturday, $8 Sunday

If you love old books or are searching for the perfect Christmas or other type of gift for a your favorite bibliophile, you'll want to stop by this huge event.  Held annually, it draws visitors from all other the country and the world, and for good reason.  120+ dealers from the U.S., England, Germany, and the Netherlands exhibit and sell rare, collectible, and antiquarian books, manuscripts, autographs, maps, modern first editions, and fine and decorative prints.

Items that you'll find in 2009 include a signed, first edition of Amelia Earhart's first book, 20 Hrs 40 Mins (offered by Boston's own Brattle Book Shop at 9 West Street, downtown just a block from Boston Common), first editions of Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises and Three Stories & Ten Poems, and a first edition of the pamphlet form of the Proclamation of Emancipation By the President of the United States, To Take Effect January 1st, 1863, originally printed in Boston for distribution by Union troops to soon-to-be former slaves. 

Bring in your own books for appraisal by experts on Sunday, November 15, from 1pm - 3pm.

Conveniently located hotels include the Back Bay Hilton, the Mandarin Oriental Boston, the Colonnade, the Charlesmark, the Sheraton Boston, and the Lenox.

A Civil War Christmas at the BU Theatre

When:  November 13  through December 13 - times vary
Where: Boston University Theatre, 264 Huntington Avenue, Fenway neighborhood in Boston
Closest T station: Green Line E/Symphony
Tickets:  $30 - $72.50; half-price tickets are available for some dates through Goldstar (sign-up for free if you're not already a member); for regular-priced tickets, check the Huntington Theatre website

The Huntington Theatre Company's family-friendly production of a heartwarming play with music from Pulitzer Prize winner Paula Vogel takes place on Christmas Eve, 1864, as President and Mrs. Lincoln plan their gift-giving at the White House.  In a tapestry of American history, a Confederate soldier clashes with a Union blacksmith, while a fugitive slave searches for her daughter on her journey to freedom.

Bob Dylan & his band at the Wang

When:  November 13 - 15, 7:30pm
Where: Wang Theatre, 270 Tremont Street, Boston Theatre District
Closest T station: Green Line/Boylston
Tickets:  $50.50 - $80.50; on sale through CitiCenter (which manages the Wang Theatre)

Famed toupadour Bob Dylan and his band will give 3 concerts at the Wang Theatre.

Aerosmith's Joe Perry at House of Blues

When:  November 14, 6pm
Where:   House of Blues, across from Fenway Park
Closest T station: Green Line/Boylston
Tickets:  Ticketmaster best prices

Joe Perry, sublime Aerosmith guitarist from Boston's favorite hometown rock band, has hit the road with his own tour this fall after Steven Tyler's fall last summer cause the band to cancel its fall plans.  Don't miss this chance to hear the famed rocker in concert at Boston's House of Blues. 

Tickets are expected to sell out fast for this show, so don't wait to get yours!

Boston Youth Symphony Family Concert

When:  November 14, 12 noon
Where: Symphony Hall, Fenway, Boston
Closest T station: Green Line E/Symphony
Tickets: Free for kids under 18!  Adults $20  Call 888-266-1200 to request Free Kids Tickets (limit 4 per family)!
More information: BSO website

Conductor Frederick Cortese leads the Boston Youth Symphony, made up of musicians 12 - 18 years old, in a rousing rendition of Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf.  A special guest narrator will add to the excitement of this musical tale of adventure, trickery, and triumph.

Avenue Q in Boston

When:  November 17 - 22, matinees and evening shows
Where: Colonial Theatre, 106 Boylston Street, Theatre District/Downtown Crossing (Downtown Boston)
Closest T station: Green Line/Boylston
Tickets: On sale starting October 9th - Broadway Across America website

After a successful 6-year run in New York, "Avenue Q" comes to Boston as part of the popular "Broadway Across America" series.  This Tony Award-winning Broadway musical about humans and puppets living in a New York City neighborhood explores how life gets in the way of dreams.  Despite the Sesame Street-like puppets, the show recommends that audience members be 13+.

Ice Skating Begins at Frog Pond

Opening ceremony and skating:  November 19, 5:30pm
Normal hours: 10am - 4pm Mondays, 10am - 10pm Fridays and Saturdays, 10am - 9pm Tuesdays through Thursdays
Where:   Frog Pond in Boston Common
Closest T station: Green and Red Line/Park
Cost: $4 ages 14 and up; skate rental $8 for 14 and up, $5 under 14 
More information:  Ice skating in Boston

Boston's outdoor winter fun kicks off as Frog Pond transforms into a center-of-the-city ice skating rink in Boston Common.  An opening ceremony on November 19 features performances by area skating schools, followed by free public skating (skate rental costs the usual amount).

With Beacon Hill brownstones as a backdrop, ice skating on Frog Pond is a scene straight out of Currier and Ives.  Bring your skates, or rent them for a reasonable rate right at the rink.  You can also warm up with hot chocolate and goodies from the snack bar overseen by the chef from 75 Chestnut and Cheers. 

If you also love to watch skating, don't forget to reserve your tickets for Disney on Ice Tickets on December 26 - 29.

Fête le Beaujolais Nouveau at 75 Chestnut Restaurant

When:  Thursday, November 19
Where:   75 Chestnut (yes, that's also the address), Beacon Hill, Boston
Closest T station:  Red Line/Charles Street or Park (or walk over from Green Line/Arlington)
Reservations:  617-227-2175 - call after 5; website

Just past midnight on the third Thursday of each November, over a million cases of Beaujolais nouveau begin their journey from small villages across the French countryside to Paris for immediate shipment to wine lovers all over the world.  Banners proclaim the good news, and villagers celebrate.  (Not all the beaujolais leaves the villages!)

Join 75 Chestnut, beloved Beacon Hill restaurant, for one of the most animated rituals in the wine world, as they tap their first Beaujolais barrel of the season.  For this night only, the regular menu will feature some special dishes in celebration of le Beaujolais nouveau.  You, too, can lift your glass to Bacchus to cheer this special annual event.

New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium

When:  Sunday, November 22 at 4:15pm
Where:   Gillette Stadium, Foxboro
Patriots Tickets through Ticketmaster

The New England Patriots take on the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium in Patriot Place, where you can combine the game with some shopping and a meal at one of the entertainment complex's many excellent restaurants - a perfect way to spend a November day! 

Thanksgiving Day - Enjoy a great dinner!

When:  Thursday, November 26
Where:  Some of Boston's top restaurants
What you need to do:  Make reservations!

Enjoy a stress-free Thanksgiving by making reservations . . . let someone else do the cooking!   Some of Boston's top restaurants serve special once-a-year Thanksgiving dinners where you can enjoy a memorable meal.  To be sure of getting a table, you must make reservations.

"Black Friday" - Shopping bargains, sales, discounts!

When:  Friday, November 27 - as early as 5am in some places
Where:  Just about every Boston shopping mall, boutique, and discount store!
What you need to do:  Pack a few energy bars, start early, and keep your sense of humor!

Dubbed "Black Friday" because it's the day when retailers finally hope to make their biggest profits of the year, the day after Thanksgiving is the most frenzied shopping day of the year.  It's also the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season as shoppers swarm into Boston shopping malls, discount stores, and even normally pricy boutiques in search of deep discounts, bargains, sales, and other opportunities to snag the huge savings that merchants advertise.

Where to go?  Just about any retail location.  Check my pages on Boston shopping, Boston shopping malls, and suggestions for 1-stop holiday shopping in Boston to get some ideas.  Other great places to explore include Newbury Street shopping (a photo show in this page will whet your appetite), Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market, and for the foodies on your list, South End markets where you can scoop up the fixings for a gourmet basket.  For art lovers, you'll find one of a kind art and other items at all prices ranges in Newbury Street art galleries. 

And if your favorite shopping location is the Web, consider giving books about Boston or cookbooks by Boston chefs to everyone on your list.   A few clicks of the mouse, and you're done!!!

The Nutcracker Ballet at the Opera House

When:  November 27 - December 27, matinees and evening performances almost daily (except for Sundays)
Where: Opera House, 539 Washington Street, Theatre District/Downtown Crossing (Downtown Boston)
Closest T station: Green Line/Boylston
Tickets:  Boston Ballet website; 617-695-6955

Special discount deals (select dates only): 

  - "Sugarplum 4-pack" - buy 3 tickets and get 1 free - Code: AFFBPLUM
  - "Magical Date Night" - buy 1 ticket, get 1 for 1/2 off - Code AFFBDATE

Check Goldstar for half-price tickets to some performances (sign up for Goldstar is free).

Attending the Boston Ballet's annual production of The Nutcracker tops the "Best Boston holiday event" list for many Bostonians.  

You'll be enchanted by Clara's adventures in a magical winter world as she meets up with the Mouse King, the Sugar Plum Fairy, the Russian Dancers, and of course, The Prince.   With gorgeous music by Peter Ilych Tchaikovsky and stunning choreography by Mikko Nissinen, the Boston Ballet's performance will transport you into another world.

2009 - 2010 marks Boston Ballet's first season in the drop-dead gorgeous Boston Opera House.  It's hard to imagine a more perfect setting for The Nutcracker. 

If you're planning to attend this ballet, reserve your tickets as soon as you know your dates.  The best tickets get snapped up quickly, and (as I learned the hard way when my older daughter was 6 and badly wanted to go) sold-out performances are common.

Continuing from October . . .

Mary McFadden: Goddess at MassArt (see October Event Calendar)

More Boston Event Calendars

Quick Links:  Boston events calendars:  October   l    December