10 Dec Historic Downtown festivities make for a winter wonderland
People often think of Downtown Boston, the Common, and the Public Garden as great places to visit in the warmer months – but they are just as exciting in the winter.
Start your winter stroll in Downtown Crossing where the Downtown Boston Alliance (DBA), formerly the Business Improvement District, installed twelve giant nutcrackers, each with a detailed animal head adorning the top. You’ll find them standing tall along Washington and Summer Streets. The nutcrackers will remain up until January 2nd as a part of the DBA’s “Holiday Kingdom” installation, which also includes a festive array of lights and decorations in the Downtown area. 
Get your holiday shopping out of the way and admire these wonderful, whimsical, semi-anthropomorphic nutcrackers while you can! On Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays enjoy perusing beautiful handmade gifts from some local artists at the DBA’s Downtown Boston Holiday Market on the Summer Street Plaza from 11AM – 4 PM.
As the holiday market wraps up and the sun starts to go down, it’s a great time to make your way to Boston Common, and the Public Garden, both of which have been wonderfully lit up for the holiday season.
You can continue down the Commonwealth Avenue Mall, whose illumination has become a festive tradition by the Friends of the Public Garden for the past several years.
It may be colder and darker in December, but that just makes it easier to enjoy these holiday light displays in our iconic and historic downtown parks.