The hub of New England's tourist industry, Boston hosts over 12 million visitors from around the globe every year. Any time of year, you can visit famed Fenway Park, walk around Boston Common, the country's oldest park, and see Faneuil Hall, where patriots like Samuel Adams have given speeches. However, visitors to Boston in December will find several special annual activities.
This annual December event takes place when visitors gather at the Old South Meeting House and participate in the re-enactment of this historical event as either Patriots or Loyalists. Three groups of 50 actors dress as Mohawk Indians, board ships in the harbor, retrieve chests filled with tea and hurl them into the water. You, depending on whether you are a protester or supporter, rally in a spirited demonstration of your opinion of the tea tax. Afterward, a parade is formed and you can follow it to the Boston Tea Party Ship to help dump the tea into the harbor. Admission is $9 and the event begins at 5:30 p.m., as of 2010.
First Night Boston, the largest, most elaborate and oldest of New Year's Eve events in the United States, began in 1976 and takes place annually on December 31, with nearly one million people attending each year. It is a 12-hour, city-wide celebration of the new year. You have the opportunity to explore and choose from ongoing events at more than 35 locations throughout the city. You can see musicians, artists and performers at such places as the Boston Public Library, Berklee Performance Center, Copley Square and other theaters and churches. After purchasing a button for $18, you will be allowed admission to all events. In the afternoon, see jugglers, acrobats, ice sculptures and listen to music. Beginning at 5:30 p.m., meet at Hynes Convention Center to begin the Grand Procession, a parade which mimics a Mardi Gras parade. At 7 p.m., fireworks light the sky over Boston Common. Just before midnight, a large fireworks display takes place over Boston Harbor to celebrate the new year.
Revels, a performance group, become the Christmas Revels for this annual December event that has been a Boston tradition since 1971. The Christmas Revels include troubadours, knights, ladies, dancers, fools and masquers. Set in a medieval manor, the performers explore traditions of the winter solstice from differing cultural perspectives through dance and music. Rounds and carols are sung, poetry is recited and Renaissance music is played. Performances for 2010 run from December 17 through December 29. Matinee and evening shows are available.
Written in 1741 by composer George Handel, the performance of this opera by the Boston Baroque is an annual December tradition for many attendees. Taking place at Jordan Hall at the New England Conservatory, this Grammy-nominated production, directed by Martin Pearlman, uses period instruments from the 1700s and is enhanced by the perfect acoustics of Jordan Hall, according to the Boston Discovery Guide. Ticket prices range from $27 to $68, as of 2010.
