4 min read
Exhale’s arts and entertainment expert has curated Boston’s best weekend happenings, so you don’t have to.
It’s a Date
Friday, Dec. 7
Do This
Find sanctuary from the winter cold in the newly opened Happy Lamb Hot Pot in Chinatown. This is the restaurant’s second location (the first is in Cambridge) and both are related to the larger Little Sheep hot pot chain. Chinatown’s edition has an assortment of broths to choose among, as well as meats, vegetables, seafood and noodles a la carte. Indecisive eaters can get a split bowl with two broths for a culinary comparison.
Happy Lamb Hot Pot
5:30 p.m.–10 p.m.
Broths $4.25 per person, meats and seafood $5-10
693 Washington St., Boston
Limited street parking, Chinatown T stop
Then What?
Photo by Liza Voll, courtesy of Boston Ballet
Get into the holiday spirit with “The Nutcracker.”
Walk five minutes to the Boston Opera House for an opulent, classic rendition of “The Nutcracker” by Boston Ballet. Sip a glass of champagne, and take in the glamorous early 20th-century architecture. Whether you’re a lover of dance, fantasy or bejeweled costumes, the ballet’s sure to satisfy. If the “Nutcracker” doesn’t tickle your fancy, we’ve got a variety of alternative holiday performances.
Boston Opera House
7:30 p.m.
Starts at $37 per person
539 Washington St., Boston
Limited street parking, Boylston T stop
Friends Zone
Saturday, Dec. 8
Do This
Photo by Nicole Hailer Photography, courtesy of Boston Women’s Market
Shop for Soy Much Brighter Candles at Boston Women’s Market.
Do your holiday shopping while also supporting female entrepreneurs at the Boston Women’s Market Holiday Market. Browse handmade, ethically sourced goods, art and food from local female makers while listening to the sounds of Random Chants, an all-female a cappella group. Find unique products like ceramic dumpling ornaments and soy spirit candles in liquor bottles. You can also snag a beverage from the Hot Chocolate Bar to keep you fueled during your gift search.
AC Hotel by Marriott Boston Downtown
11 a.m.–4 p.m.
Free admission
225 Albany St., Boston
Limited street parking, Broadway T stop
Then What?
Photo by Chris Anderson/CDA Media, courtesy of SoWa
SoWa Boston’s Winter Festival puts you right in the spirit of the season.
Walk five minutes to the SoWa open market to keep the holiday vibes going at its Winter Festival. In addition to more local makers selling their wares, you can find live ice sculpting, gallery openings, a photo booth and live holiday music. Snack on bites by specialty food vendors or grab a craft cocktail from the holiday bar in the SoWa Power Station.
SoWa Boston
11 a.m.–7 p.m.
Free admission
450 Harrison Ave., Boston
$10 on-site parking behind the market, Broadway T stop
Then What?
Who wants pizza for lunch?
Walk two minutes to the brand new Union Park Pizza on Washington Street. This local eatery serves up pizza by the slice and the pie in flavors like “The Neighborhood” with caramelized onions and a mushroom blend from Mycoterra Farm in South Deerfield. If you’re more of a hands-on eater you can customize your own pie with a mix of meats, cheeses and veggies.
Union Park Pizza
12 p.m.–8 p.m.
$2-4 per slice, $13-20 per pie
1405 Washington St., Boston
Limited street parking, Back Bay T stop
Family Fun
Sunday, Dec. 9
Do This
Photo by Richard Koolish
Carolers in period costumes at the Dickens Holiday Festival
Celebrate December literary-style at the Charles River Museum of Industry’s Dickens Holiday Festival. Kids (and parents) can have tea with Mrs. Dickens and watch a performance of “A Christmas Carol.” There is a small market with old-time-style wares, a teapot racing game and a musical performance by carolers. A special emphasis is placed on Dickens’ wife Catherine, portrayed by actress Marci Diamond.
Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation
10 a.m.–4 p.m.
$10 per person, free for ages under 5
154 Moody St., Waltham
Free parking on site, Waltham commuter rail stop
Then What?
Photo courtesy In a Pickle
M&M pancakes promise to be mmm, delicious!
Pop over to the Moody Street favorite In a Pickle for a bite. This breakfast and lunch spot offers a wide spectrum of salads and sandwiches for all tastes. Breakfast is served all day, and the joint has a list of extravagant, rotating weekly specials like M&M pancakes and Dunk-a-roo waffles.
In a Pickle
6:30 a.m.–3 p.m.
Sandwiches $10-12, salads $9, breakfast $4-10
265 Moody St., Waltham
Limited street parking, Waltham commuter rail stop
Then What?
Photo courtesy of the Telephone Museum
Your kids will love these communication relics from the Telephone Museum.
Head next door to the Telephone Museum, but prepare to feel like a dinosaur while you explain the rotary dial to your kids. Part history, part STEM and all fun, the museum has an extensive collection of old-school phones. They also offer workshops in basic electric theory and electrical engineering, where you can deconstruct a phone and learn how it rings.
Telephone Museum
10:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
$8.50 per person, free for ages under 12
289 Moody St., suite 111, Waltham
Limited street parking, Waltham commuter rail stop
