Join Jim Donahue, Curator of Historic Landscapes & Horticulture of the Preservation Society of Newport County, on Thursdays, December 5, 12 & 19 at ll am at The Breakers for a behind the scenes tour of the holiday decoration process. Preservation Society members $20, general public $25. This is an Adult Event. To register visit https://www.newportmansions.org/events/
I wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving. For two years, Boston Flora has been running as an independent, advertisement-free website publicizing live and virtual horticultural, environmental, and culinary educational events happening in New England and beyond. I encourage my readers to sign up for daily emails with the latest posts – click the Follow button at the end of any post – and to follow Boston Flora on Facebook (@BostonFlora) and Instagram (@Bostonflorablog) for the latest, last minute additions to the calendar. For me, maintaining the website is a labor of love, and today I give thanks for the opportunity to do so. Image courtesy of Real Simple.
Love and peace,
Francine Crawford
A special children’s celebration will be held on Saturday, November 30, at 4 p.m. at the Smith Family Waterfront in the Seaport District and Fort Point neighborhood when the Friends of Martin’s Park and the Boston Parks and Recreation Department host the fourth annual holiday lighting of the ship in Martin’s Park. The presenting sponsor is Nan Fung Life Sciences Real Estate. Additional support provided by MacKay Construction and WS Development.
Martin’s Park will be transformed into a beautiful holiday display when the ship, surrounding beach fencing, and pedestrian bridge are illuminated with over 1,500 feet of blue and white tube lights.
Other festive attractions include:
With donations, attendees will have the opportunity to take home a customized special souvenir of the fourth annual event while supplies last. Santa will arrive by boat with the Boston Police Harbor Unit at the Harborwalk. Entertainment will be provided by a cappella group Ball In The House performing a selection of holiday classics. Seaport’s own Betty the Yeti will make an appearance. Hot cocoa will be provided by Tuscan Kitchen. For more information, visit the lighting Martin’s Park page or call (617) 635-4505.
Well known as one of the finest holiday happenings in New England, Marblehead Christmas Walk is a signature event that captures the warmth of the holiday season throughout the entire town. This is a time when Marblehead’s historic charm shines bright, and the festive spirit of the holidays provide a truly enchanting experience.
Celebrate the 53rd Annual Marblehead Christmas Walk & Holiday Stroll. Join the Marblehead Chamber of Commerce Thursday, December 5th through Sunday, December 8th for a festive weekend including Thursday Night Preview Shopping, the Friday Tree Lighting, Saturday’s Santa’s Arrival by lobster boat and Parade, the Artisan’s Markets, Gingerbread festival, music and so much more! For more information visit https://www.marbleheadchamber.org/events/details/2024-marblehead-christmas-walk-2862
The Serge Hill Project for Gardening, Creativity, and Health was set up in 2021 by the wife-and-husband team of Sue and Tom Stuart-Smith. Based in an old orchard in Hertfordshire, England, the project draws on Sue’s work as a psychiatrist and psychotherapist, and Tom’s horticultural expertise as an internationally renowned landscape architect.
This Garden Conservancy online program on December 12 at 2 pm Eastern will explore how the idea for Serge Hill developed from an old orchard near their home into a not-for-profit initiative based on the understanding that working with nature can radically transform people’s health and well-being. They will explain how the programs and educational resources at Serge Hill are engaging those in the community who have the least opportunity to access the natural world.
$5 for members of the Garden Conservancy
$15 for General Admission
A recording of this webinar will be sent to all registrants a few days after the event. We encourage you to register, even if you cannot attend the live webinar. Register at https://www.gardenconservancy.org/
Now in its 50th year, the island’s world-renowned signature event lovingly dubbed “Stroll” takes place the weekend of December 6th to December 8th, featuring the eagerly anticipated arrival of Santa via his nautical “sleigh” at noon on Saturday. A host of holiday activities, including roaming carolers in Victorian garb, the Magical Talking Tree, craft shows, a European-style Christmas Marketplace and more guarantee fun for the entire family.Join us as we transform the island into a Winter Wonderland and create delightful memories at this year’s Christmas Stroll, December 6th through 8th, 2024.
Please note that two rows in the downtown Stop & Shop parking lot will be closed from the afternoon of December 6th to the evening of December 8th. The Stroll Marketplace will be open Saturday, December 7th, 10am-3pm.
When you arrive on island, please visit the Nantucket Chamber of Commerce at Zero Main Street, second floor, for a copy of the 2024 Official Stroll Program. For more information visit https://christmasstroll.com/
Come and celebrate the holiday season with us and the Historical Society of Old Yarmouth on Sunday, December 8th from 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM by joining our Christmas Stroll and walking along Route 6A in Yarmouth Port. Enjoy trolley rides, live music, entertainment, and delicious holiday treats!
After there will be a tree lighting ceremony and caroling on the Village Green. Free. Rain or shine. This event is sponsored in part by the Town of Yarmouth’s Tourism Revenue Preservation Fund.
The Young Friends of the Public Garden welcome all to attend the sixth annual Winter Party at 8 Park Street, overlooking the lights on Boston Common. Prepare to shine in your chicest and most dazzling attire as we support the downtown parks in style. The party takes place December 6 from 6:30 – 8 pm.
Tickets include two (2) complimentary drink tickets, light hors d’oeuvre, and access to a dazzling array of raffle and auction prizes. Your tickets await you now! Remember, sneakers, jeans, or athletic attire are not permitted at the venue.
Curated Cuisine is a monthly series at CitySpace at the Lavine Broadcast Center in Brookline hosted by WBUR and Boston University examining all things edible, from the chefs cooking the food to the writers reviewing the recipes. Meet the people shaping the food industry, both local and national and enjoy a post-show bite inspired by the conversation.
James Beard Award-winning culinary historian Jessica B. Harris joins Tamika R. Francis, founder of Food & Folklore, for a conversation about the updated edition of her book, A Kwanzaa Keepsake and Cookbook: Celebrating the Holiday with Family, Community and Tradition. The event takes place December 9 at 6:30 pm. Harris is the author of 12 critically acclaimed books documenting the foods and foodways of the African Diaspora including High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America, which inspired the Netflix docuseries of the same name.
A Kwanzaa Keepsake and Cookbook explores African American culture, food and family, featuring recipes and stories to help this generation create unique holiday traditions. Copies of the book will be available for purchase from our bookstore partner Frugal Books. Harris will sign and guests will enjoy a bite from the book following the conversation. Reserved tickets $30, General Admission $20, BU faculty and staff $15. Register HERE
On Saturday, December 14 at Garden in the Woods in Framingham, from 9:30 – 3:30, William E. Kuriger will help you investigate the taxonomic characteristics of deciduous, evergreen, and some herbaceous plants in winter. Students learn to use a dichotomous key and then identify a large inventory of twig and plant specimens before heading outdoors to practice these skills in the Garden’s living collection. Bring a bag lunch, a hand lens, and a copy of Fruit Key and Twig Key to Trees and Shrubs by William M. Harlow. Take home plant specimens. $102for Native Plant Trust members, $120 for nonmembers. Register at www.nativeplanttrust.org
