Best 5 Coastal Holiday Celebrations in New England

It’s a long, dark transatlantic journey for Santa once he wraps up business in Europe, and residents of New England’s seacoast take seriously their responsibility to guide him ashore. Dazzling lights and Rockwellian sights are only part of the scene: Long before the reindeer are hitched, these coastal communities turn up their warm-hearted spirit and invite all who wander through to bask in the glow.

Best 5 Coastal Holiday Celebrations in New England

Kennebunkport’s Christmas Prelude

Glance around at the candlelit faces of strangers, as your voice merges with the multitude singing tunes composed centuries ago. If there’s one holiday event guaranteed to give you chills, it’s candlelight caroling at St. Anthony’s Franciscan Monastery, a beloved component of one of the Maine coast’s most soul-nourishing celebrations. Santa and his lobster elves boat into town December 2, and there are nearly 12 days of jolly, kid-friendly activities. But grown-ups find their spirits uplifted, too, at the Walk to Bethlehem inn-to-inn stroll and other events that recall Christmas’s origins, at the firehouse lobster supper and the lighting of the lobster trap tree, and at Fire and Ice, a 21-and-up annual sellout featuring roaring fires and intricately carved ice bars. 11/29–12/9. Kennebunkport, ME. 207-967-0857; christmasprelude.com

Boothbay Lights

Yes, Virginia, it is possible to invent new holiday traditions in the 21st century. Proof awaits the moment you turn onto Route 27 and see homes and businesses decked to the hilt. Since 2015’s first Gardens Aglow light display at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, the entire Boothbay peninsula has gone all in on the merriment. Be there December 1, when revelers line the shore to await lighted vessels including a boat carrying Captain Claus and his entourage. During Boothbay Lights’ six-week-plus run, no event outshines the blockbuster nightly display of the botanical gardens “planted” with more than half a million bulbs. No matter how many Christmases you’ve seen, you’ll be mesmerized by the bright LEDs—lavender, yellow, blue—and by reflections in water and, on lucky nights, snow. 11/15–12/31. Boothbay and Boothbay Harbor, ME. 207-633-2353; boothbaylights.com

Christmas in Newport

It’s a blast to be in the Rhode Island city of Newport on December 1, when the tree lighting is held in Washington Square. This seaside city has had its own artillery company since 1741, and colonial-uniformed members fire a cannon to mark the holidays’ start. All month, events along the waterfront—which twinkles with candlelight-mimicking white lights—keep alive the noncommercial spirit of Christmas past. Choirs sing, doorways are decorated with splendid greenery, Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive by boat, and the Newport Historical Society’s holiday lantern tours shed light on the origins of Christmas traditions. Events that aren’t free support nonprofits. Even the fee you’ll pay to see Newport’s lavishly ornamented mansions is a gift that sustains these architectural treasures. 12/1–12/31. Newport, RI. 401-849-6454; christmasinnewport.org

Christmas in Edgartown

It’s just one wreath and a couple of multicolored light strings, but when the Edgartown Lighthouse becomes a beacon of joy, the oohs and ahhs from the caroling crowd are genuine. Board a “magic sleigh” to Martha’s Vineyard from the mainland—Hy-Line Cruises runs special ferries from Hyannis—and you’ll alight in the midst of a coastal community that celebrates with a ridiculously festive parade. You can help Vineyarders choose a clam chowder champ, score year-end deals on art and gifts, and stroll through sparkling scenes at Donaroma’s Nursery. You might not even have to bundle up, since island temperatures typically remain mild. There are dozens of activities, and the few that aren’t free raise funds to ensure year-rounders are cared for during the long quiet season. 12/6–12/9. Edgartown, MA. 508-939-0199; edgartownboardoftrade.com

Lantern Light Tours at Mystic Seaport Museum

It’s Christmas Eve 1876, and as you wander lantern-lined streets, board a carriage pulled by bell-jingling horses, and join in a circle dance by the fire, you’re immersed in America’s earliest holiday traditions. There’s more than nostalgia, though, to these entertaining evenings: A drama is unfolding, and you are caught up in the storyline as your in-character guide leads you aboard a historic vessel and into settings only Connecticut’s famously authentic seaport village can conjure. Each year, a new script keeps participants guessing and reminds even humbugs of Christmas’s lessons of love and acceptance. For an extra treat, book a late tour on November 24 and head first to Mystic River Park: Santa arrives via tugboat at 2 p.m., and the Holiday Lighted Boat Parade sets sail at 6 p.m. 11/23–12/23. Mystic, CT. 860-572-0711; mysticseaport.org