For over a century, Franklin Park has been a lively and beloved center of recreation, gathering, and discovery for the Boston community. Now, with newly allocated park funds, the City of Boston is planning ahead for the park’s next century!

Over the next 18 months, the City of Boston is partnering with a team of landscape architects, planners, ecologists, and community engagement experts to create a master plan for an engaging and diverse Franklin Park. 

Our work will build on previous planning efforts and improvements by the City and its partners. We look forward to building on these successes and incorporating even more feedback. It’s your opportunity to help shape the future of the park and connections to the surrounding neighborhoods.

Come to our Community Workshop on January 28, between 6 - 8 p.m. at the William J. Devine Golf Course Clubhouse at Franklin Park. Can’t make it? Share your thoughts on the Master Plan website, or sign up for project updates!

*Snow date: January 30, 6 - 8 p.m.

This is the 53rd year that a tree has been donated and commemorates 106 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.

The historic Tree for Boston will come from Mattie Settlement, Antigonish County this year. The 13.7-metre (45-foot) white spruce is being donated by landowners Hugh and Liz Ryan. “We have watched this tree grow from a young sapling to its present height for the last 30 years. We are happy and proud to donate this tree to Boston as a heartfelt thank you for all the help received during a great hardship in Halifax.” — Ryan family

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: Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

• Mayor Walsh
• City Councillor Tim McCarthy
• Barbra Lee (Founder and President, Barbara Lee Family Foundation)
• Catherine Allgor (President, Massachusetts Historical Society), and
• Elisa Birdseye (Curator, Hyde Park Historical Society).

We enjoyed special guest Coline Jenkins, great-great-granddaughter of suffragist Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Special thanks to the Public Works Department for making this bridge a reality.

Come see the $4.77 million in improvements to the pathways and perimeter of Jamaica Pond, including increased accessibility, new benches, newly planted trees, exercise equipment, upgrades to pathways and entrances, and improved drainage to protect water quality.

After the speaking program make sure to stick around for a walking tour of the pond with members of the project design team who can further explain all the exciting improvements!

The Boston Parks and Recreation Department will host  the annual Copley Square Tree Lighting starting at 5 p.m. on Monday, November 28, presented in partnership with the Friends of Copley Square, Boston Properties, Encore Global, and the Fairmont Copley Plaza.  

This free event is sponsored by H.P. Hood LLC and Dunkin’ with additional support from Drake’s Cakes. The celebration will feature appearances by Santa Claus and Rudolph along with musical performances by vocalist Ackeem Hill, the Boston Children’s Chorus, the Boston Pops Esplanade Brass Ensemble, and Daniela Gomez Munguia of Berklee College of Music. After the event attendees are invited to enjoy cookies and pictures with Santa in the Fairmont Copley Plaza.

BPHC will also be on-site in the BPL Exhibition room from 3:30 p.m.until 7:30 p.m. providing vaccinations.

Other 2022 holiday celebrations hosted by the Boston Parks and Recreation Department include the 20th annual holiday lighting of the trellis at Christopher Columbus Park in the North End on November 21, the lighting of the ship in Martin’s Park at the Children’s Wharf Harborwalk on November 26, and the Boston Common Tree Lighting followed by the lighting of the trees on Commonwealth Avenue Mall on December 1. 

The arrival of Boston’s official 2022 Christmas tree from Nova Scotia will be celebrated on Boston Common at approximately 11 a.m. on November 22. The 45-foot white spruce was donated by landowner Roddy Townsend of Christmas Island, along with his children Angela, Carmen, and Andrew.

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 Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

The Boston Parks and Recreation Department and the Friends of Christopher Columbus Park will host the 22nd 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: 

• Hosted by Sean Stellato
• Musical performances from North End Music and Performing Arts Center (NEMPAC), Miguel Cabrera, and Pitch Please
• 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

• LEGO (R) Discovery Center Boston - LEGO Tent 

• Coffee from New England Coffee

• Treats from Drakes Cakes

The celebration is sponsored by H.P. Hood LLC and the Friends of Christopher Columbus Park.  Additional support is provided by LEGO Discovery Center Boston, Celebrity Series, and the Blue Man Group. Special thanks to Sean Stellato.

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

Marigolds, with their bright orange color and scent, are thought to guide the spirits home. The City of Boston's citywide Dia de Muertos altar in Copley Square will contain 1,000 pots of marigolds, grown from seed and tended to since August by the Boston Parks Department Horticulture Unit.

We invite you to send us photos of your loved ones to be displayed on the altar at Copley Square Fountain. And, of course, we hope you will join us in Copley Square on November 1 and 2 to celebrate Dia de Muertos and those whose memories we keep alive.

• Lena Park Fab Lab in crafting papel picado
• the good folks of Morgan Memorial for contributing hundreds of photo frames, and
• the hundreds of Bostonians (near and far) who have contributed photos and memories to make the City of Boston’s ofrenda so special.