10 things to do in Boston this New Year’s weekend
BosTen is your weekly guide to not-lame events in the city.
BosTen is your weekly guide to events and cool happenings in and around Boston. Skip Netflix this weekend—here are 10 ways to get out of your home and not be bored in the city. If you’d like BosTen delivered to your inbox every Thursday, click here. Want more things to do? Check out our events calendar at boston.com/events.
First Night
The annual outdoor celebration will be slightly more subdued this year. Due to financial constraints, the midnight fireworks display on the Waterfront will be replaced with a display of light and pyrotechnics above Copley Square and the Boston Public Library. There will still be fireworks, though—they’ll take place at 7 p.m. over Boston Common—as well as ice sculptures, a parade, and a number of demonstrations and performances on both December 31 and January 1. (Saturday, December 31 and Sunday, January 1 at various times; various locations; free; all ages)
Winter on the Waterfront
Venture away from the Common and check out some of the New Year’s celebrations that the North End, Waterfront, and Charlestown neighborhoods have to offer. Follow the ice sculpture trail for tons of food and family-friendly activities, or check out any of a dozen area hotels, museums, and cultural institutions for more of the same. (Saturday, December 31 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.; various locations; free; all ages)
James Bond New Year’s Eve Gala
We’re guessing that The Castle at Park Plaza won’t be filled with martini-sipping British spies and women with names like Pussy Galore during the James Bond New Year’s Eve Gala. Instead, you’ll have to settle for glamorous guests in their best tuxedos and cocktail dresses toasting the New Year in style. (Saturday, December 31 at 8:30 p.m.; The Castle at Park Plaza; tickets start at $60; 21+)
Saved by the ’90s at Brighton Music Hall
If you’re looking to leave 2016 in the rearview mirror, don’t look forward — look back to the ’90s instead. Brighton Music Hall will be bumping the best in boy band pop, east and west coast hip-hop, headbanging grunge, and everything in between from the decade that brought us The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Boy Meets World. (Saturday, December 31 at 8:30 p.m.; Brighton Music Hall; $15-25; 21+)
Jazz from the Ashes
If the ’90s aren’t enough of a throwback for you, Aeronaut Brewery and Brooklyn Boulders will be ringing in 1917 instead of 2017 with Jazz From the Ashes, a party featuring burlesque dancers, circus performers, brass bands, swing dancing, and gramophone records, as well as plenty of Aeronaut beer and Bantam cider on tap. All you need to do is dust off your pinstripe suit or slip into your flapper cocktail dress to turn back the clock for a night. (Saturday, December 31 from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m.; Brooklyn Boulders Somerville; $60; 21+)
Coppersmith’s $20.17 New Year’s Brunch Buffet
Ring in 2017 for $20.17 at Coppersmith’s brunch buffet. Along with a DIY Bloody Mary bar, Chef Jason Heard will prepare a selection of both sweet and savory dishes. Given the madness of New Year’s Day, reservations are recommended. (Sunday, January 1 from from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Coppersmith; $20.17; all ages)
Craigie on Main’s New Year’s Brunch
Want to kick off 2017 with an upscale meal? Feeling lucky? Craigie on Main chef Tony Maws is offering up a three-course New Year’s Day brunch full of the succulent meats the restaurant is famous for, and between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., management will choose one special table of people to receive their whole meal for free. (Sunday, January 1 from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Craigie on Main; $50 (or free if you’re fortunate); all ages)
Magnum, P.I. Brunch at Bar Mezzana
If you’re in Boston on New Year’s Day but dreaming of beautiful sandy beaches and ’80s-era mustaches, look no further than Bar Mezzana and its Magnum, P.I. Brunch. Sure, the temperature will likely be in the 30s or 40s, but with Hawaiian shirts, tiki cocktails, and a menu designed in honor of the iconic Tom Selleck TV show, it’ll feel like the 80s inside. (Sunday, January 1 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Bar Mezzana; a la carte; all ages)
The Plunge 4 Pete
In 2014, the Ice Bucket Challenge spread worldwide as millions raised awareness for ALS thanks in part to former Boston College baseball player Pete Frates, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2012. In keeping with the spirit of freezing water and raising money for ALS research, the BC baseball team is hosting the fifth annual Plunge 4 Pete polar plunge at Good Harbor Beach on New Year’s Day. (Sunday, January 1 at 12 p.m.; Good Harbor Beach; free; all ages)
First Day Hikes in the Boston area
If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to be more active, the First Day Hikes initiative is a great way to start: Guides from the National Parks Service and other outdoors groups will lead hikes in beautiful local parks. Although there are many First Day Hikes events nationwide, three recommended for the Boston area include hikes at Carson Beach, Blue Hills Reservation in Milton, and Nantasket Beach State Reservation in Hull. (Sunday, January 1 at various times; various locations; free; all ages)
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