Wondering what to do in Boston after Thanksgiving Dinner?
Find out about the top Thanksgiving events and activities happening in Boston throughout the holiday weekend.
If you're spending Thanksgiving in Boston, you'll find plenty of fun things to do throughout the long weekend: Black Friday bargain shopping, a Bruins game at TD Garden, sparkling displays of Christmas lights at Faneuil Hall Marketplace, ice skating on Frog Pond, and plenty more.
You can even hit the ski slopes, especially north of the city.
And of course, don't forget Thanksgiving Dinner!
Top Photo: Kids playing in leaf piles on Boston Common, (c) Boston Discovery Guide
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1. Enjoy Thanksgiving Dinner in Top Boston Restaurants
Turkey takes center stage as Boston restaurants serve delicious Thanksgiving dinners - but you'll find plenty of non-traditional and vegetarian options as well.
You'll find a lot of choices - everything from elegant 3- and 4-course spreads to lavish buffets.
Check our guide to tasty Boston Thanksgiving dinner choices and make reservations.
After dinner, work off those calories by exploring historic Beacon Hill, strolling along Boston's Freedom Trail, or relaxing on the Rose Kennedy Greenway.
Want to find piles of leaves to play in like those in the photo at the top of the page? Head to Boston Common.
2. Catch a Thanksgiving Week Game or Concert at the Garden - 2023
Thanksgiving week and watching sports go together - and with TD Garden's convenient in-town location, attending a Boston Bruins or Boston Celtics game or even a concert couldn't be easier.
Here's the TD Garden schedule for Thanksgiving week and a ticket discount code:
Enter DISCOVERY 10 to save 10% on TicketLiquidator & TicketNetwork tickets
Find tickets for all TD Garden November Events
Need a Hotel or Apartment for Your Thanksgiving Visit?
Enter your arrival and departure dates at the top of Booking.com's Boston hotel map to find available hotels and apartments, rates, and reviews.
Booking.comMore about how to save on Boston hotels
Find hotels near TD Garden
3. Get into the Holiday Spirit at Faneuil Hall Marketplace
Get into the spirit of the holiday season by stopping by Faneuil Hall Marketplace. Although the Marketplace's festive Christmas tree lights don't go up until the week after Thanksgiving, you'll see plenty of decorations in the stores and restaurants.
Faneuil Marketplace is closed on Thanksgiving Day but open throughout the rest of the weekend.
Friday will be crazy but fun due to Black Friday bargains and shoppers, one of the biggest post-Thanksgiving events in Boston.
Shop for unique gifts with a Boston flavor, and enjoy the Marketplace's famous street performers. Enjoy the Annual Tuba Christmas Concert (150+ tubas!) on Saturday (check our November Events page to confirm date/time).
Visit historic taverns right around the corner and sample authentic New England clam chowder at North 26 across the street at the Bostonian Boston Hotel.
Find Boston's Christmas tree lighting ceremonies schedule
Hotels near Faneuil Hall Marketplace
More hotels near Faneuil Marketplace
4. Black Friday Shopping in Boston - Where to Go for Huge Savings after Thanksgiving
Black Friday shopping doubles as a competitive sport, so be prepared to get up early - really early - to snag the biggest bargains.
A favorite spot for prime Black Friday bargain-scoring territory in the middle of Boston is Newbury Street, where you'll find everything from designer boutiques to top-end consignment stores to big-box discounters such as H&M ... all competing for shoppers with low discount prices.
In addition, look for big sales at nearby Prudential Center.
For the biggest bargains, head down to Wrentham Outlets - but expect massive crowds, so go very early to get parking, or relax while a luxury coach (currently not available) takes you there.
For an alternative for outlet shopping, consider Assembly Row- only 5-10 minutes from Boston by subway.
If you're visiting Boston for Thanksgiving weekend and looking for a place to stay, the trendy Row Hotel at Assembly Row puts you right in the middle of everything this shopping/entertainment complex offers.
Black Friday sales on travel to Boston (or anywhere else)
More suggestions for Black Friday shopping in Boston
5. Boston Concerts and Theater during Thanksgiving Week
With the fall theater and concert season in full swing, Thanksgiving is the ideal time to take a break from cooking, eating, and shopping, and attend an exciting performance.
Save with these ticket discount codes when you book:
Enter DISCOVERY 10 to save 10% on TicketLiquidator & TicketNetwork tickets
Concert Schedules & Tickets:
You'll find lots of performances throughout the holiday week.
Here's a lineup of the biggest shows:
Top concerts in Boston in November 2023 are just now beginning to be announced - look for more soon!
- Wizkid - MGM Music Hall - Nov 4
- Warren Zeiders - House of Blues- Nov 10
Theatre Schedules & Tickets:
Holiday favorites including Boston Ballet's The Nutcracker dominate Boston's theater scene during Thanksgiving week:
- Small Town Murder Podcast - Wilbur Theatre - Nov 4
- Frozen: The Musical - Boston Opera House - Through Nov 12
- Chelsea Handler - Wang Theatre - Nov 17
- Derek Hough - Orpheum Theatre - Nov 21 - American Dancer
- Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer - Shubert Theatre - Nov 24-26
- The Nutcracker: Boston Ballet - Boston Opera House - Nov 24-Dec 31
- Chicago: The Musical - Boston Opera House - Nov 28-Dec 3
7. Plimouth Plantation on Thanksgiving Day
Visit the site of the first Thanksgiving by making a day trip to where the Pilgrims first landed and settled back in 1620.
Plymouth MA, just south of Boston, is where you can see the Pilgrim Monument and go on board a reproduction of the Mayflower ship that brought the Pilgrims to the New World.
Best of all, you can explore Plimouth Plantation, an amazingly authentic re-creation of the Pilgrim's first settlement where actors play the role of each of the 17th century settlers and Wampanoag Nation members who helped them survive.
Most convenient way to visit: Join this special Plimouth Plantation tour - you'll be picked up at your Boston hotel, and will get to visit Plimouth Plantation, Mayflower II, and explore the waterfront. Includes pick-up, transportation, admission - a terrific deal!
Free admission to Plimouth Plantation when you have a GoBoston Discount Card. Note: Plimouth Plantation is open through Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend, and then closes for the winter, reopening in mid-March - so don't miss this last chance to visit this year!
8. Ski Resorts Open on Thanksgiving Weekend (Ice Skating Too!)
New England ski areas open on Thanksgiving weekend include: Killington, Stowe Mountain Resort, Loon Mountain, Bretton Woods, Sunday River, and Sugarbush.
Several other resorts are opening earlier than usual, with at least some lifts and trails open before or just after Thanksgiving: Wachusett Mountain (open now; closed on Thanksgiving, and open again on Friday, 11/29) Jiminy Peake (opens 11/23) here in Massachusetts, Waterville Valley (11/23), and Sugarloaf (open now).
Be sure to check conditions before heading to any of these ski resorts, because New England weather is tricky in November - although Thanksgiving Day in Boston this year is predicted to be the coldest on record.
Massachusetts Ski Areas - More information
New England Ski Areas - More information
Ice Skating at Frog Pond
Although Frog Pond on Boston Common is not always open before Thanksgiving due to too-warm weather, it will be open this year except for Thanksgiving Day.
More about ice skating on Frog Pond
9. Boston Museums Open on Thanksgiving Weekend
Boston museums are closed on Thanksgiving Day, but almost all major museums will be open for the rest of Thanksgiving weekend.
Top museums to consider:
- New England Aquarium
- Children's Museum
- Museum of Fine Arts
- Museum of Science
- Boston Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA)
10. The Nutcracker at the Boston Opera House - Kicking Off in November
Get your holiday season off to a great start by getting tickets to the Boston Opera House for a soaring performance of Boston Ballet's The Nutcracker.
Enchanting dancers, Tchaikovsky's magical music, and the beauty of the Boston Opera House will transport you to another world. Opening night is at the end of November this year, and performances continue throughout December.
Get your tickets now:
Enter DISCOVERY 10 to save 10% on TicketLiquidator & TicketNetwork tickets
Boston's Winter Holiday Markets
Because Thanksgiving is so late this year, Boston's winter holiday markets don't open until early December.
Get ready for SoWa Winter Festival 2023, the biggest and one of the best, on December 3-15 (to be confirmed) (460 and 500 Harrison Ave in the South End).
Sip on hot mulled wine and hot chocolate (or other tasty brews), and enjoy the live ice sculpting, holiday workshops, artists studios and galleries, and over 130 of the area's best artisans and specialty food vendors.
Fun Things to See & Do in Boston during Thanksgiving Week
More to Do in Boston in November
More Boston Holiday Articles for You
- Where to have Thanksgiving dinner in Boston
- Christmas in Boston - What to do and see in Boston at Christmas
- First Night - Find out about Boston's huge New Year's Eve celebration and fireworks
- More Boston events in November
- More things to do in Boston in November
- December events in Boston
More Fun Ways to See Boston
More to Do in Boston as the Weather Gets Colder
