Boston is absolutely beautiful this time of year—taking a trip to the city for Thanksgiving break a great activity for the entire family. The temperature is nice and mild, and the city itself is pulsing with action. There are a myriad of options one can indulge in to satisfy all-ages and tastes. What follows is our top five ways to celebrate Thanksgiving in Boston:
Celtics vs. 76ers
The famed, TD Garden -home of the Celtics and Bruins – is conveniently located right in Boston and the arena itself is worth a visit regardless of what is occurring inside. But, on November 25th you can watch the Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers battle it out on the famed garden floor. The Celtics have a great young team; and although it’s still early, they are currently in the playoff hunt and are one of the most exciting teams to watch in the entire Eastern conference. And the atmosphere at TD Garden is nearly always electric, as the home crowd there is about an energetic as they come. Come for the basketball, stay for the atmosphere.
The Nutcracker at Boston Opera House
Sliding over into high art, if you’ve never seen Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, Thanksgiving weekend at the Boston Opera House is the perfect opportunity. The venue itself is simply gorgeous. It was originally opened in 1928 and features many stunning hallmarks of the designs of that period. It is massive, and lavish with beautiful chandeliers, large sections of marble and gold and a striking red carpet. The space was built for ballet. And the best aspect of The Nutcracker is it is one of the most widely palatable ballets in existence. It is a stunning piece with a wonderful story that can be enjoyed by everyone.
Plimouth Plantation on Thanksgiving Day
One of the best Thanksgiving events in the entire northwest for kids is visiting the Plimoth Plantation on Thanksgiving. The Plimoth Plantation is the location where the Pilgrims landed back in 1620, and thus, visiting it on Thanksgiving Day could not be more appropriate. The large space is kept as it was in the 1600’s and is filled with actors playing the roles of the original settlers and the native Wampanoag Nation members. Kids and adults alike can experience what life was like during that time and learn a great deal about the famed location. There are planned tours that lead groups through the plantation and along the waterfront, to really give patrons the full experience on the plantation. If you’re in the market for some history and education, you can’t go wrong here.
Skiing in the Berkshires
November is when skiing in the Northeast starts to get good—and within that region, the Berkshire mountains are hard to beat. The Berkshires are absolutely beautiful and are comprised of an array of different mountains that offer something for all skill-levels. The top two mountains in the region are Jiminy Peak and Butternut, both of which are large enough to satisfy experts while not massive enough to be absolutely daunting to beginners. Moreover, if downhill skiing or snowboarding isn’t your thing, there are many cross country ski trails in the area and tons of beautiful luxury lodges like The Berkshire Legacy, The Canyon Ranch and The Cranwell Spa & Golf Resort that provide the perfect atmosphere for some much needed r&r.
Black Friday Shopping
If you fancy yourself a retail maven, then Black Friday may as well be your Super Bowl. The day after Thanksgiving has been the day for the best deals in retail for years now, and many department stores in the Boston area are hosting incredible sales and promotions. For example, the Bon-Ton department store in Boston will be handing out gift cards to its first 200 customers ranging from $5 to $500 and that is on top of the huge sales throughout the store. Moreover, Best Buy has some great deals on flat screen TV’s, laptops, tablet computers, and nearly everything else, Macy’s is hosting “Walk In & Win” contests to accompany their massive sales, and nearly every other department store in the city has something special going on. If you can brave the crowds, you can get some remarkable deals on Black Friday in Boston.
