Create your holiday itinerary in Amherst! Our guide features all the top festive events and activities. From Amherst aficionados to first-time visitors, our guide illuminates the city's holiday heart.
One highlight to experience this season is the Boston Pops Holiday Concert, a spectacular musical celebration that brings together timeless Christmas carols and seasonal classics. If you're looking for a unique way to enjoy the holidays, Christmas by Candlelight at Old Sturbridge Village offers an enchanting evening filled with historic charm and festive traditions. And the Night Lights at New England Botanic Garden is something you definitely don't want to miss, showcasing stunning light displays that transform the garden into a winter wonderland. See more details on these and other fun events and activities below!
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Top Holiday Events In and Around Amherst
- Boston Pops Holiday Concert (Boston)
- Christmas by Candlelight at Old Sturbridge Village (Sturbridge)
- Night Lights at New England Botanic Garden (Boylston)
- Festival of Lights at Worcester Common (Worcester)
- Holiday Shows at The Hanover Theatre (Worcester)
- Lancaster Celebration of Lights (Lancaster)
- Stone Zoo ZooLights (Stoneham)
- Handel’s Messiah at Mechanics Hall (Worcester)
- Sturbridge Tree Lighting (Sturbridge)
- Southwick's Zoo Winter Wonderland (Mendon)
See these and even more events listed below!
Amherst Holiday Light Displays
Festival of Lights at Worcester Common
What to Expect:
Interactive light sculptures and live music performances.
Description:
The Festival of Lights at Worcester Common features numerous lighting displays, ice skating, food vendors, community organizations, and live performances, including a headline performance by Michelle Brooks Thompson, a finalist on NBC's "The Voice."
Where: Worcester | More Info: Festival of Lights at Worcester Common
Lancaster Celebration of Lights
What to Expect:
One-mile LED light display with festive decorations.
Description:
The Lancaster Celebration of Lights is a drive-through holiday light show featuring over 1 million LED lights, including a 90-foot Christmas tree and a 300-foot multi-colored tunnel.
Where: Lancaster | More Info: Lancaster Celebration of Lights
Night Lights at New England Botanic Garden
What to Expect:
Immersive winter light display with diverse attractions.
Description:
Night Lights at New England Botanic Garden features a breathtaking winter light display with over a quarter million lights, immersive experiences, and popular favorites like s'mores and a model train. Colorful landscapes and life-long memories await this winter.
Where: Boylston | More Info: Night Lights at New England Botanic Garden
Christmas on Runaway
What to Expect:
Synchronized light and music display in a residential neighborhood.
Description:
Christmas on Runaway in Lancaster features a spectacular light show synchronized to music, located at 24 Runaway Brook Road. The event is free, with a donation bin to raise funds for charity.
Where: Lancaster | More Info: Christmas on Runaway
Southwick's Zoo Winter Wonderland
What to Expect:
Holiday celebration in a zoo setting
Description:
Southwick's Zoo Winter Wonderland features over 4 million illuminated lights and handcrafted displays, including polar bear and singing penguin exhibits.
Where: Mendon | More Info: Southwick's Zoo Winter Wonderland
Stone Zoo ZooLights
What to Expect:
Holiday celebration in a zoo setting
Description:
Stone Zoo ZooLights features a 26-acre outdoor display of thousands of twinkling lights, including Yukon Creek with black bears, a bald eagle, Canada lynx, arctic foxes, and reindeer. Visitors can enjoy Instagrammable opportunities and festive decorations.
Where: Stoneham | More Info: Stone Zoo ZooLights
Amherst Holiday Markets and Shopping
Fruitlands Museum Holiday Open House and Craft Fair
What to Expect:
High-quality handmade local crafts.
Description:
Fruitlands Museum Holiday Open House and Craft Fair features a festive holiday market where visitors can shop for high-quality handmade local crafts, including jewelry, pottery, glass, wood, fiber arts, photography, and mixed media.
Where: Harvard | More Info: Fruitlands Museum Holiday Open House and Craft Fair
Amherst Holiday Shows and Entertainment
Christmas by Candlelight at Old Sturbridge Village
What to Expect:
19th-century Christmas carols re-interpreted by New England singer-songwriters.
Description:
Christmas by Candlelight at Old Sturbridge Village features historic interpreters, live music, and demonstrations of classic Christmas projects. Stroll through the decorated village, sample sweet treats, and explore the origins of winter holiday traditions.
Where: Sturbridge | More Info: Christmas by Candlelight at Old Sturbridge Village
Boston Pops Holiday Concert
What to Expect:
Traditional holiday music performed by a world-class orchestra.
Description:
The Boston Pops Holiday Concert features classic holiday music, including Jingle Bells, The Twelve Days of Christmas, and Sleigh Ride, performed by the renowned Boston Symphony Orchestra at Symphony Hall in Boston, MA.
Where: Boston | More Info: Boston Pops Holiday Concert
Handel’s Messiah at Mechanics Hall
What to Expect:
Annual performance of Handel's Messiah by one of America's oldest choral ensembles.
Description:
The Worcester Chorus, directed by Chris Shepard, presents an annual performance of Handel's Messiah at historic Mechanics Hall. This event is a holiday tradition for many families and choral music fans in the Greater Worcester community and beyond. The chorus will be joined on stage by vocal soloists and the Worcester Festival Orchestra.
Where: Worcester | More Info: Handel’s Messiah at Mechanics Hall
Merrimack Valley Ringers Handbell Concert
What to Expect:
Unique blend of handbell music and community spirit.
Description:
Merrimack Valley Ringers presents a dynamic handbell concert featuring a diverse repertoire of music, showcasing the art of handbell ringing with energy and precision.
Where: Worcester | More Info: Merrimack Valley Ringers Handbell Concert
Holiday Shows at The Hanover Theatre
What to Expect:
World-class holiday entertainment with talented performers.
Description:
The Hanover Theatre presents a variety of holiday shows featuring talented performers and festive entertainment. Enjoy a range of Christmas-themed concerts, plays, and other performances that are sure to delight audiences of all ages.
Where: Worcester | More Info: Holiday Shows at The Hanover Theatre
Amherst Other Holiday Activities
Sturbridge Tree Lighting
What to Expect:
Interactive holiday event with Santa, balloon making, and live music.
Description:
Join us at Sturbridge Town Common for the Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony, featuring Santa, Holly the Elf, balloon making, and live music by DJ Music Matters and the Tantasqua Choraleers and ShowChoir. Enjoy activities like a coloring contest and a holiday raffle supporting local charities.
Where: Sturbridge | More Info: Sturbridge Tree Lighting
Festive Fun in Nearby Cities!
Discover Holiday events in hundreds of cities worldwide. Check out these nearby locations for more festive fun!
- Northampton (7 miles)
- Holyoke (12 miles)
- North Chicopee (13 miles)
- Ludlow (14 miles)
- Chicopee (16 miles)
- West Springfield (19 miles)
- Springfield (19 miles)
- Westfield (20 miles)
- Agawam (21 miles)
- Enfield (27 miles)
- Gardner (30 miles)
- Windsor (36 miles)
- Worcester (37 miles)
- Pittsfield (38 miles)
- South Windsor (38 miles)
- Bloomfield (39 miles)
- Fitchburg (39 miles)
- Leominster (40 miles)
- East Hartford (41 miles)
- Manchester (41 miles)
- Keene (41 miles)
- Shrewsbury (41 miles)
- Hartford (43 miles)
- West Hartford (43 miles)
- Mansfield City (44 miles)