This is the 55th year that a tree has been donated and commemorates 109 years of friendship with Nova Scotia after the people of Boston provided emergency assistance when Halifax, Nova Scotia’s capital, was devastated by a maritime munitions explosion in the harbor in 1917. The first Tree for Boston was donated in 1971 by Joseph Slauenwhite from Lunenburg County.

Visit the Nova Scotia Tree page and Boston's Parks page for more information on the Tree for Boston, and follow our social channels to stay up to date with all the holiday lighting events: Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.

The Boston Parks and Recreation Department will host the annual Copley Square Tree Lighting starting at 5 p.m. on Monday, November 30, presented in partnership with the Friends of Copley Square, BXP, Sasaki, and Fairmont Copley Plaza.

This free event is sponsored by H.P. Hood LLC with additional support from Drake’s Cakes. The celebration will feature guided tour of the newly renovated Copley Square, arts & crafts, appearances by Santa Claus and Rudolph along with musical performances by vocalist Joelle James, the Boston Children’s Chorus and Symphonic of Emerson College. After the event attendees are invited to enjoy cookies and pictures with Santa in Fairmont Copley Plaza at 6 p.m.

Other 2026 holiday celebrations hosted by the Boston Parks and Recreation Department include the 24th annual holiday lighting of the trellis at Christopher Columbus Park in the North End on November 23, the lighting of the ship in Martin’s Park at the Children’s Wharf Harborwalk on November 28, and the Boston Common Tree Lighting followed by the lighting of the trees on Commonwealth Avenue Mall on December 3.

The arrival of Boston’s official 2026 Christmas tree from Nova Scotia will be celebrated on Boston Common at approximately 11 a.m. on November 17. The 45-foot white spruce was donated by Ronald and Claire Feener of Lunenberg County, Nova Scotia.

Visit the tree lighting events page or call 617-635-4505 for more information. To stay up to date with news, park improvements, and events, sign up for our email list and follow our social channels @bostonparksdept on Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.

The Boston Parks and Recreation Department and the Friends of Christopher Columbus Park will host the 24th annual holiday lighting of the signature trellis at Christopher Columbus Park in the North End.

Boston’s historic waterfront, will be transformed into a beautiful holiday display when the park’s 260 feet of trellis are illuminated with lights near the Marriott Long Wharf Hotel and throughout the park. 

Other festive activities include: 

• Musical performances
• Special guest appearance from Santa Claus and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. 
• Eggnog from H.P. Hood
• Hot chocolate and cookies from the Boston Marriott Long Wharf
• Clam Chowder courtesy of Joes Waterfront

The celebration is sponsored by H.P. Hood LLC and the Friends of Christopher Columbus Park.  Additional support is provided by Meet Boston.

Visit the Parks events page or call (617) 635-4505 for more information.

Mayor Michelle Wu, the Boston Parks and Recreation Department, and The Province of Nova Scotia will host Boston’s signature holiday celebration, the 84th annual Boston Common Tree Lighting, on Thursday, December 3, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in Boston Common, adjacent to the Visitor’s Information Center at 139 Tremont Street. Mayor Wu will be joined by Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston, marking the 55th year that Nova Scotia has given a tree to the people of Boston as thanks for relief efforts following the December 6, 1917 explosion of a munitions ship in Halifax Harbor. Within 24 hours of the disaster, a train loaded with supplies and emergency personnel traveled from Boston to Nova Scotia to aid in recovery efforts.

At approximately 8:15 p.m., immediately following the celebration on the Boston Common, Mayor Wu will join the Friends of the Public Garden and the Committee to Light Commonwealth Avenue Mall to flip the switch to light up Commonwealth Avenue Mall in the Back Bay. The lights on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall will be lit from Arlington Street to Charlesgate.

Please call (617) 635-4505 or visit boston.gov/boston-common-tree-lighting for more information about the festivities. To stay up to date with news, events, and improvements in Boston parks visit boston.gov/parks, call 617-635-4505, join our email list, and follow our social channels @bostonparksdept on Facebook, Instagram, and @parks.boston.gov on Bluesky.

The City of Boston and the Friends of the Public Garden to light the trees on the Mall on December 3, at 8 p.m., immediately following the Boston Common Tree Lighting. 

The Friends of the Public Garden are proud to take on this special holiday display and excited to work with our community to increase support for the Mall.

For decades, the iconic holiday light display along the Commonwealth Avenue Mall was the work of the all-volunteer Committee to Light the Commonwealth Avenue Mall. These neighborhood leaders banded together and created a beloved Boston tradition. In 2022, the Committee joined with the Friends of the Public Garden, creating a new Commonwealth Avenue Mall Enhancement Committee to work with the Friends staff to raise the funds necessary to make this annual light display possible and to support the ongoing care of the park. Join us on the Mall as we turn on the lights.

A special children’s celebration will be held on Saturday, November 28, at 5 p.m. at the Smith Family Waterfront in the Seaport District and Fort Point neighborhood when the Friends of Martin’s Park and the Boston Parks and Recreation Department host the fifth annual holiday lighting of the ship in Martin’s Park. Additional support provided by Nan Fung Life Sciences Real Estate, Caffe Nero and HP Hood.

Martin’s Park will be transformed into a beautiful holiday display when the ship, surrounding beach fencing, and pedestrian bridge are illuminated with over 1,500 feet of blue and white tube lights. 

Other festive attractions include: 

• Santa will arrive by boat with the Boston Police Harbor Unit at the Harborwalk
• Entertainment will be provided by Berklee School of Music artists Sofia Sunshine, duo Skye & Jo and singer/songwriter Mia McIntosh performing a selection of holiday classics
• Holiday beverages provided by Hood and Caffe Nero
• Meet the Boston Park Rangers Mounted Unit and explore the Boston Fire Department's Touch Truck
• Holiday arts and crafts lead by a local artist

For more information, visit the Martin's Park page or call 617-635-4505.