Winter visitors to Boston stay busy at events celebrating regional traditions.
Boston draws domestic and international tourists to attractions throughout the year. Local venues like the Museum of Fine Arts, the Boston Science Museum and Faneuil Hall attract sightseers no matter the weather. This historic city has plenty to offer winter visitors interested in winter sports, food and the arts. You can build your Boston itinerary around a variety of winter events taking place between December and March.
The Beanpot Tournament
The Beanpot Tournament is a college hockey tournament that takes place the first two weeks of February. This winter event features four games between Boston University, Harvard University, Boston College and Northeastern University. The Boston Garden and the TD Banknorth Garden have hosted the tournament since 1952. The organizers of the Beanpot Tournament confer an MVP award on the best overall player and the Eberly Award on the best goalie. Visitors to the tournament can meet with Beanpot Hall of Fame inductees and view the Beanpot Trophy during the tournament.
The Beanpot Tournament
100 Legends Way
Boston, MA 02114
617-624-1000
beanpothockey.com
The Boston Wine Expo
The Boston Wine Expo has taken place the third weekend of January since 1991. The centerpiece of this winter event is the Grand Tasting, a large-scale tasting of nearly 2,000 wines from 440 wineries worldwide. Visitors can pay premium fees for access to rare and limited-edition wines at the Grand Cru Wine Lounge within the Seaport World Trade Center. The event features seminars all three days covering wine history, the process of creating wine and wine pairings. The single-day admission fee of $85 in 2010 covered the costs of food samples and a souvenir glass.
The Boston Wine Expo
1 Seaport Ln.
Boston, MA 02210
877-946-3976
wine-expos.com/boston
Boston Winter Jubilee
Beer lovers in Boston can attend the annual Boston Winter Jubilee at The Park Plaza Castle. This beer festival has been scheduled for the second weekend of January since 2002. Visitors paid $40 per person in 2010 to sample more than 200 beers from breweries throughout New England. This fee also covers seats at lectures about brewing, beer pairings and the history of beer. The Beer Summit organizes live music, comedy and other entertainment for all three days of the event.
Boston Winter Jubilee
50 Park Plaza at Arlington St.
Boston, MA 02116
617-426-2000
beersummit.com
First Night Festival
The First Night Festival is a citywide arts festival that takes place every New Year's Eve. This event started in 1976 and organizes attractions at 30 area venues. The Hynes Convention Center features the FedEx Family Festival with kid's art displays, dancing and circus shows. The First Night Festival also coordinates floats and marchers as part of the Metro Boston Grand Procession. The festival ends with a New Year's countdown and a fireworks display in downtown Boston.
First Night Festival
36 Bromfield St. #204
Boston, MA 02108
617-542-1399
firstnight.org
Tags: Beanpot Tournament, First Night, First Night Festival, Night Festival, Boston Wine