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It's tree (and trellis and ship) lighting season in Boston. Here's the schedule
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Watch out for the big flatbed truck carrying Nova Scotia's "Tree for Boston" on the highway. It's expected to arrive on Boston Common later this morning, kicking off over two weeks of local holiday tree, trellis and ship lighting events. For those feeling festive early or just looking to shake those winter blues, here's look at the schedule:
Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 11 a.m. — Boston Common tree arrives
This year's 45-foot white spruce from Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia marks the 54th year that the Canadian province has donated a tree to Boston, as a gesture of gratitude for the city's quick response to the 1917 Halifax explosion. It also comes after Mayor Michelle Wu became the first Boston mayor to attend — not to mention participate in — the tree's cutting ceremony up in Nova Scotia last week. "Every single person from the customs agent at the airport to the people checking me in at the hotel all knew the story, all felt deeply connected to Boston, and in these trying times when there's so much to drive us apart, it was really nice to be reminded of how important these direct and local relationships are," Wu told WBUR's Eve Zuckoff.
The tree arrives via police escort Tuesday around 11 a.m. (Even Santa Claus is coming to town for the event.)
Saturday, Nov. 22 at 6 p.m. — Faneuil Hall tree lighting
This year, Faneuil Hall boasts a 30-foot Norway spruce and a slightly different location between the historic meeting hall and Quincy Market, according to Meet Boston. The marketplace has a full afternoon of festivities planned to celebrate the lighting.
Monday, Nov. 24 at 5–6 p.m. — Christopher Columbus Park trellis lighting
The North End waterfront park's canopy of 50,000 blue lights returns next Monday with an evening of music and free food, including eggnog, cookies and chowder.
Saturday, Nov. 29 at 5–6 p.m. — Martin's Park ship lighting
Geared toward children, Boston's youngest holiday lighting tradition illuminates the Seaport playground ship with 1,500 feet of blue and white tube lights and features a grand entrance by Santa via boat.
Monday, Dec. 1 at 4–6 p.m. — Copley Square tree lighting
For the first time since 2022, the newly/controversially renovated Back Bay plaza is hosting a tree lighting ceremony. It's also a chance to get a photo with Santa at the Fairmount Copley Plaza hotel.
Thursday, Dec. 4 at 6–8:15 p.m. — Common tree lighting, plus Commonwealth Avenue Mall lighting
Back on the Common, the city caps off its lighting schedule with a two-for-one. First, the city hosts a two-hour ceremony to light Common's tree, featuring Nova Scotian officials, free giveaways and lots of carols. The event will be live broadcast by WCVB starting at 7 p.m. The official tree lights — as well as Common's surrounding lights — will turn on around 7:55 p.m. (There's usually fireworks involved, too.) Minutes later, officials will flip on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall's all-white lights, too.
In other news:
On Beacon Hill: House and Senate negotiators have agreed to a compromise spending bill that closes the books on the fiscal year that ended this past summer. As WBUR's Chris Van Buskirk reports, most of the $2.3 billion bill goes toward unexpectedly high MassHealth costs and payments to hospitals formerly run by Steward Health Care.
- The bill also withholds additional money for county sheriffs amid scrutiny of recent budget overruns, while maintaining funding for free inmate phone calls.
- Additionally, it makes up to $10 million in matching funds available for costs, like transportation, related to next year's World Cup matches in Foxborough. (Gov. Maura Healey originally proposed providing $20 million straight up.)
On the picket line: It's the second day of a planned two-day strike by janitors at Harvard University. The union, which represents 800 custodians at the university, is protesting wages they say have not kept pace with the high cost of living.
- However, as the Harvard Crimson reports, the strike authorization bypassed the usual vote by membership, and it's unclear how many custodians will actually walk off the job. Roughly 60 workers picketed on Monday.
ICYMI: Healey has tapped Gina Kwon, a former colleague from her attorney general days, to lead the state's public safety and security office, which oversees state police, fire services and emergency management. Kwon replaces Terrence Reidy, a Baker administration holdover who retired in September.
P.S.— We'll find out tonight which Boston restaurants will be the first to make it into the Michelin Guide — and maybe even earn a star or two. The selections will be announced at an event in Philadelphia revealing the guide's 2025 Northeast Cities edition (this is also Philly's first year in the guide). While we wait for the critics' choices, here are some predictions from Boston chefs and WBUR readers.
