Create your festive itinerary in Salem with our guide. Discover all the best holiday events and activities. For Salem devotees and casual visitors, our guide is your ticket to festive fun.
Popular events during the holiday season include enchanting tours of historic homes, where visitors can admire beautifully decorated interiors that capture the spirit of Christmas. Additionally, guests will enjoy the charming experience of welcoming Santa while witnessing the Annual Holiday Tree Lighting, a delightful moment that brings the community together. And the Holiday Markets are something you definitely don't want to miss, showcasing a variety of locally-made gifts perfect for holiday shopping. See more details on these and other fun events and activities below!
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Top Holiday Events In and Around Salem
- Tour Historic Homes during Christmas in Salem
- Welcome Santa and See the Annual Holiday Tree Lighting
- Find Locally-Made Gifts at the Holiday Markets
- Rockport's Annual Christmas Pageant (Rockport)
- Iconic Jazz: Holiday with Pops
- Shop Small on Small Business Saturday
- Dine at Local Restaurants during Restaurant Week
- Ipswich Jingle Bell Walk (Ipswich)
- A Sinatra Christmas (Newburyport)
- Christmas with the Back Bay Ringers
See these and even more events listed below!
Salem Holiday Markets and Shopping
Shop Small on Small Business Saturday
What to Expect:
Local shopping promotion with curated discounts and promotions.
Description:
Shop Small on Small Business Saturday is part of the Shop Small movement initiated by American Express to encourage holiday shoppers to shop local during the holiday season. Find all participating small businesses in Salem listed on the Shop Small website.
Where: Salem | More Info: Shop Small on Small Business Saturday
Find Locally-Made Gifts at the Holiday Markets
What to Expect:
Locally-made gifts and fresh produce.
Description:
Find unique, handmade, and handcrafted gifts at the Salem Community Markets, showcasing local produce, flowers, meat, dairy, nursery products, and artisan food.
Where: Salem | More Info: Find Locally-Made Gifts at the Holiday Markets
Salem Holiday Shows and Entertainment
A Sinatra Christmas
What to Expect:
Nostalgic jazz performance of holiday and Sinatra classics.
Description:
Rich DiMare, an American jazz singer specializing in the Frank Sinatra songbook, performs holiday favorites like "Jingle Bells" and "White Christmas," along with Sinatra's iconic songs such as "My Way" and "New York, New York." Joined by Ron Poster and the Sinatra Ambassadors, this event promises a nostalgic and entertaining experience.
Where: Newburyport | More Info: A Sinatra Christmas
Iconic Jazz: Holiday with Pops
What to Expect:
Holiday concert with American Idol star and local choirs.
Description:
The Roanoke Symphony Orchestra presents a holiday concert featuring American Idol star Michael Lynche, the RSO Chorus, Guest Choruses, and the Roanoke Valley Children's Choir. Conducted by David Stewart Wiley, this event is a celebration of the season with timeless classics and contemporary favorites.
Where: Salem | More Info: Iconic Jazz: Holiday with Pops
Christmas with the Back Bay Ringers
What to Expect:
Handbell ensemble performing classic carols with intricate instrumentation.
Description:
The Back Bay Ringers present a festive holiday concert featuring a dazzling array of handbells, chimes, and percussion, celebrating the rich history of handbell ringing in Boston.
Where: Salem | More Info: Christmas with the Back Bay Ringers
Rockport's Annual Christmas Pageant
What to Expect:
Live re-enactment of the Nativity with a torch-lit procession.
Description:
The Rockport Art Association and Museum presents the 78th Annual Live Christmas Pageant, a torch-lit live re-enactment of the Nativity. The pageant begins with a torch lit procession from Dock Square to the Congregational Church, where the story of Jesus' birth is brought to life through a live narration.
Where: Rockport | More Info: Rockport's Annual Christmas Pageant
Salem Other Holiday Activities
Welcome Santa and See the Annual Holiday Tree Lighting
What to Expect:
Santa's arrival and holiday tree lighting with community procession.
Description:
Join Salem Main Streets and the City of Salem for a festive evening as Santa Claus arrives at the Hawthorne Hotel and the annual Holiday Tree is lit. Enjoy brass carols by Coventry Brass, a procession down Essex Street Pedestrian Mall, and History Alive performers. Participants are encouraged to bring lanterns, either store-bought or homemade, and electric candles are highly recommended for safety.
Where: Salem | More Info: Welcome Santa and See the Annual Holiday Tree Lighting
Tour Historic Homes during Christmas in Salem
What to Expect:
Tour historic homes with unique decorations and architectural features.
Description:
Explore historic homes in Salem, Massachusetts, during the Christmas season, featuring beautifully decorated interiors and unique architectural details.
Where: Salem | More Info: Tour Historic Homes during Christmas in Salem
Dine at Local Restaurants during Restaurant Week
What to Expect:
Celebration of local food and beverage community with special discounts and live events.
Description:
Dine at local restaurants during Eat. Drink. Triad Restaurant Week to savor authentic cuisine from over 50 participating eateries in the Triad area.
Where: Salem | More Info: Dine at Local Restaurants during Restaurant Week
Beauport Cruiselines Santa at Sea
What to Expect:
Holiday celebration on a historic harbor cruise.
Description:
Embark on a festive journey aboard Beauport Cruiselines, where the charm of Gloucester Harbor meets holiday cheer. Enjoy stunning views of the city's historic waterfront while surrounded by the sights and sounds of the season.
Where: Salem | More Info: Beauport Cruiselines Santa at Sea
Ipswich Jingle Bell Walk
What to Expect:
Student-led holiday event with community activities and charitable donations.
Description:
Join Ipswich High School Interact for a holiday celebration featuring Santa's arrival at Ipswich Town Wharf, caroling with Buddy the Elf, and a festive Jingle Bell Walk to Town Hall. Enjoy face painting, festive games, and holiday crafts while Ipswich-Rowley Rotarians serve hot dogs and hot cocoa. Bring unwrapped gifts for Toys for Tots and participate in raffles for Christmas trees and other items.
Where: Ipswich | More Info: Ipswich Jingle Bell Walk
Festive Fun in Nearby Cities!
Discover Holiday events in hundreds of cities worldwide. Check out these nearby locations for more festive fun!
- Peabody (2 miles)
- South Peabody (3 miles)
- Beverly (3 miles)
- Beverly Cove (3 miles)
- Danvers (4 miles)
- Saugus (7 miles)
- Wakefield (9 miles)
- Melrose (10 miles)
- Revere (10 miles)
- Reading (10 miles)
- Stoneham (11 miles)
- Malden (11 miles)
- Everett (11 miles)
- Chelsea (11 miles)
- Medford (13 miles)
- Winchester (13 miles)
- Woburn (13 miles)
- Gloucester (14 miles)
- Somerville (14 miles)
- Boston (14 miles)
- Wilmington (14 miles)
- Cambridge (15 miles)
- South Boston (15 miles)
- Arlington (15 miles)
- Burlington (15 miles)
- Belmont (17 miles)
- Brookline (17 miles)
- North Andover (17 miles)
- Lexington (17 miles)
- Watertown (18 miles)
- Tewksbury (18 miles)
- Jamaica Plain (18 miles)
- Billerica (19 miles)
- Quincy (19 miles)
- Waltham (20 miles)
- Haverhill (20 miles)
- Newton (20 miles)
- Milton (21 miles)
- Methuen (21 miles)
- Weymouth (21 miles)
- Braintree (22 miles)
- Lowell (23 miles)
- Dracut (23 miles)
- Dedham (24 miles)
- Needham (24 miles)
- Salem (24 miles)
- Chelmsford (25 miles)
- Wellesley (25 miles)
- Randolph (26 miles)
- Norwood (27 miles)
- Acton (27 miles)
- Westford (28 miles)
- Canton (28 miles)
- Natick (28 miles)
- Stoughton (29 miles)
- Brockton (31 miles)
- Framingham (31 miles)
- Framingham Center (32 miles)
- Derry (33 miles)
- Derry Village (33 miles)
- Nashua (34 miles)
- Marlborough (36 miles)
- Easton (36 miles)
- Mansfield (37 miles)
- Merrimack (39 miles)
- Portsmouth (39 miles)
- Franklin (40 miles)
- Milford (41 miles)
- Bedford (43 miles)
- Middleborough (43 miles)
- Manchester (43 miles)
- Taunton (44 miles)
- Leominster (44 miles)
- Shrewsbury (44 miles)
- Attleboro (44 miles)