Snowport, an Extravagant Winter Holiday Market, Opens in Boston’s Seaport
Holiday season has arrived with tons of shopping, winter-y pop-up bars, Swiss raclette cheese, pasta served in a giant cheese wheel, and did we mention cheese? Oh, and a giant pink yeti.
Snowport. / Photo by Alexander Pickering
We’re not quite ready to admit that the holiday season has arrived—but, frankly, these 4:30 p.m. sunsets and 40-degree days are telling us otherwise. So, while we hope the real snow holds off a while longer, we’ll bid an enthusiastic welcome to Snowport, the Seaport District’s fifth annual holiday market (and lots more!) extravaganza. It debuts today, November 10, and runs through December 31. It’s a one-stop shop for knocking out just about everything on your holiday gift-giving list while sipping wintery cocktails, snacking on tasty treats, spotting a giant pink yeti named Betty, getting your Instagram on under a 10-foot mistletoe archway, and attempting iceless curling. Read on for the details.
The Shopping
Snowport’s holiday market features over 120 vendors, nearly two-thirds of which are local to New England. Look for jewelry, art, artisanal pantry items, apparel, bath and body goods, and lots more. We’re particularly excited for: bonbons from ChocAllure, one of Greater Boston’s best chocolatiers; baked treats from award-winning wedding cake maker Lizzie’s Bakery; luxurious locally made leather goods from Greylock; art made from up-cycled chopsticks from Chopstick Art; cozy winter clothes from the Vermont Flannel Co.; colorful prints (often inspired by Boston food!) by local artist Laurel Greenfield; and…a lobster nativity scene?
The Food and Drink
You’ll need sustenance to make it through the giant market, especially when colder temperatures settle in. Fortunately there’s plenty of comfort food at the market, with over a dozen options, including quite a lot of cheese—we’re not complaining. Look for Neapolitan pizza, arancini, and meatballs from Tuscan Kitchen; Swiss-style raclette cheese from Baked Cheese Haus; pasta made in a giant cheese wheel from, uh, Cheese Wheel Pasta; grilled cheese from Cheese Louise; lobster mac and cheese, chowders, and bisques from Bluefin; sweet and savory crepes from the Frenchman’s Crepes; coconut shrimp and jerk chicken from the food truck ZaZ; and lots more. Find seating inside a massive heated tent or an après ski-themed lounge.
To drink: hot mulled cider from Downeast Cider and loads of other seasonal cocktails and hot drinks. Snowport features four holiday-themed bars, including the bell-filled Jingle Bar and the dreidel-filled Dizzy Dreidel.
Look for Betty the Yeti at Snowport. / Photo by Lindsay Ahern
The Fun
There are activities, events, and photo ops all season long, including outdoor iceless curling, holiday tree and menorah lightings, Betty the Yeti sightings, craft workshops for both kids and adults (make a snowglobe, decorate a wreath, etc.), Instagram-friendly installations like a big mistletoe archway and a backdrop of giant gifts, and more. Find details (and other neighborhood happenings) on the Seaport-wide events calendar.
The Details
Snowport is operating daily though the end of the year (except for Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and December 26). From November 10 to December 10, it’s open from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. Extended hours kick in for the remainder of the season: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily (9 p.m. Friday and Saturday). The recommended parking spot is the One Seaport Garage, and the market is wheelchair- and stroller-friendly with ramps throughout and accessible restrooms.
While You’re in the Neighborhood…
If you have room left after everything on offer at Snowport, the Seaport has seen the arrival of lots of new restaurants lately. A few quick picks: Grace by Nia, for supper-club glamour (outstanding soul food and live music); Hook + Line, for modern New England seafood, or its sibling-neighbor shop, H + L Market, for lobster rolls, fried clams, and fresh fish on the go; Borrachito, for fast-casual tacos and more in the front (we recommend the ridiculously good birria quesadilla) and a secret speakeasy-style cocktail bar in the back; Zazibar, for a fun taste of the Caribbean (jerk chicken on a bubble waffle, anyone?) and fruity cocktails; and Boqueria, for tasty tapas galore.
Curling at Snowport. / Photo by Matthew Raifman
Snowport, 100 Seaport Blvd., Seaport District, Boston, bostonseaport.xyz/snowport.
