9 Best Coastal Christmas Celebrations in New England
From lobster trap trees to Santa’s arrival by boat, coastal Christmas celebrations are a hallmark of New England’s holiday season. Here are nine of our favorite merry meet-ups by the sea.
Among the nine lighthouses in the Newport area, the 1842 Newport Harbor Light on Goat Island stands out for its green beacon—which looks especially appropriate during the run-up to Christmas.
Photo Credit : Erin McGinnFrom lobster trap trees to Santa’s arrival by boat, coastal Christmas parties are a hallmark of New England’s holiday season. Here are eight of our favorite merry meet-ups by the sea.
Photo Credit : Nicole Wolf
9 Best Coastal Christmas Celebrations in New England
Kennebunkport, Maine
The historic village of Kennebunkport, Maine, is more than just a bustling summer place with stellar eat-in-the-rough lobster shacks and rocky, kayak-worthy coves. During Christmas Prelude, a two-week volunteer-run festival that kicks off with the memorable Dock Square tree lighting, you’ll find a buoyant, roving block party that’s part Whoville, part Mardi Gras.
See More:Christmas on the Maine Coast | Kennebunkport Christmas Prelude
Bristol, Rhode Island
Bristol is a town that believes in making the season last, and its Christmas Festival runs well into December. But two highlights are the pre-Thanksgiving Preview Weekend, which invites shopping, dining, and strolling downtown, and the Grand Illumination (Dec. 5), when Santa arrives, the tree is lighted, and a huge snowflake over Hope Street blazes to life. christmasbristolri.com
Photo Credit : Elizabeth Cecil
Nantucket, Massachusetts
The island of Nantucket is best known as a popular summer destination, but during the first weekend in December, it comes alive again for its annual Nantucket Christmas Stroll. Featuring festive decorations and a calendar chock-full of special events, the town hums with visitors enjoying the island’s unique brand of historic holiday cheer.
See More:Holiday Weekend on Nantucket, Massachusetts
Rockland, Maine
The world’s largest lobster trap tree, rising more than three stories tall and topped with a five-foot fiberglass lobster, is the centerpiece of the Festival of Lights, which also offers shopping and arts events, wagon rides, a parade, and Santa’s arrival via a Coast Guard boat (Dec. 4).
Photo Credit : Dean Digital Imaging Inc. | Courtesy of Mystic Seaport
Mystic, Connecticut
The holiday season kicks off with Santa cruising in on a festive red tugboat, followed by the tree lighting in Mystic River Park and a glittering lighted boat parade. Just a few days later, downtown Mystic hosts a holiday stroll amid hundreds of luminarias. mysticchamber.org
Ogunquit, Maine
When Christmas by the Sea comes around (Dec. 10–12), count on this beach town to show up with bells on. Past highlights have included tasting events, tree lightings, concerts, and of course Santa’s arrival by lobster boat, followed by a parade from Perkins Cove to the Main Beach. chamber.ogunquit.org
Photo Credit : Erin McGinn
Newport, Rhode Island
A holiday visit to Newport, Rhode Island, offers a merry whirlwind of shopping, dining, and strolling against a historic seaport backdrop thanks to the month-long Christmas in Newport festival. Founded in 1971, it celebrates the many sights, sounds, and flavors of the holiday season. christmasinnewport.org
See More:Christmas in Newport
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
For more than 15 years, Portsmouth has brightened the snowy season with a citywide, monthlong party called Vintage Christmas. Signature attractions have ranged from candlelight strolls at Strawbery Banke to a gingerbread house contest and free trolley rides. vintagechristmasnh.org
See More:Finding Christmas in Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Boothbay & Boothbay Harbor, Maine
Coastal Maine Botanical Garden’s annual lights extravaganza, “Gardens Aglow,” is a big lure during the Boothbay Lights festival, but also look for a lighted boat parade, the Festival of Trees, and fireworks. boothbaylights.com
Which New England coastal Christmas celebration is your favorite?
This post was first published in 2020 and has been updated.
