The holiday season sparkles in Western Mass! Get into the holiday spirit with Bright Nights at Forest Park – the northeast’s premier holiday lighting experience along a 3-mile drive. Experience a million dazzling lights, rides and entertainment at Six Flags Holiday in the Park. Try your luck at MGM Springfield and take a skate as you listen to holiday classics on the Ice Rink at MGM Plaza. The Springfield Museums get into the holiday spirit with their annual Gingerbread Exhibition and there’s always a jolly good time to be had at the Basketball Hall of Fame. Be sure to stop at The Student Prince for their holiday carolers, a gourmet meal and their famous holiday egg nog!  There’s so much to do in Western Mass, you’ll need a few days.

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November in Hampshire County is a perfect time to explore the wealth of handmade crafts in the area. From pottery to jewelry, and so much more, you’re sure to find gifts for everyone (and maybe yourself!) at Eastworks Open Studios or the Brushworks Arts & Industry 29th Annual Open Studios and Holiday Sale. Need to wind down after your shopping spree? Soak up some beauty at The Chrysanthemum Show at Smith Botanic Garden. And if you’ve got the kids in tow, catch the age-appropriate Happier FAMILY Comedy Show at the Eric Carle Museum. The Other Side of MA awaits!

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The holiday season is upon us — and local shops and galleries are stocked with great products for both gift-giving and holiday meals! The Country Road Christmas shopping tour of local businesses has turned into a month-long affair, starting November 5. The Gardner Area League of Artists launches its Holiday Art sale on November 6, and venues from the Petersham Art Center to Sitka Gallery and the Johnny Appleseed Visitor Center on Route 2 will be showcasing works made by local artists and crafters this month.

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Martha’s Vineyard’s beautiful November rejoicing Nature’s bounty: Folk Pottery sculpture-trail, through Thanksgiving; Out & About outdoor adventures on Mondays; Alpaca Walk-and-Talk; Karaoke @The Ritz (Tuesdays, November 2, 9, 16, 23, 30); DJ AP (November 4, 10, 11, 19 and 25 at 10 pm) Menemsha Hills StoryWalk (November 4 and 11); Refuge Safari@Cape-Pogue November 6 and13 at 10-11:30 am; Weekend Lighthouse-Tour (12-1:30 pm); Photographing MV (November 5 at 11 am); Veterans Day Sunset Cape Pogue Lighthouse-Tour; Seasonal Suppers Friday November 12 Chef Jenny Devivo’s cooking experience; Featherstone’s Holiday Gift Show November 12-December 16; Wicked Good Musical Revue at MV Playhouse November 12-14; and Vineyard Artisans Thanksgiving Weekend Festival November 26 and 27!

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The 38th Annual Holiday Walk returns to Williamstown on Saturday, December 4 with a line-up of fun, family-friendly festivities, including the ever popular Reindog Parade with Santa and Mrs. Claus, Gingerbread House Exhibition, Story Walk, Candlelight Yoga, and so much more. For a schedule of holiday fun, visit DestinationWilliamstown.org or call (413) 458-9077. Shop Small and Support Local!

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Paradise City Marlborough, November 19-21, has been New England’s “kick off the holidays” tradition for more than twenty years. A highly selective, beautifully curated showcase for 175 of the finest of independent American artists and makers, this event is a “must-see” for lovers of the arts in the Greater Boston region and beyond. Discover a treasure-trove of gift ideas, one-of-a-kind home furnishings, fashion, jewelry and fine art. Proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test required for entry. Face coverings required indoors.

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Photo credit: Marina Jube

Nantucket November. It’s not just alliteration, it’s the feeling of a slow autumn — a halting slide into fall colors, cranberry harvests, farm stands, polychrome hiking trails with Nantucket Walkabout. It’s Dreamland Stage Company’s George Orwell’s 1984 (on stage); Nantucket Supper Club (Washashore Farm); Thanksgiving and the Atheneum’s virtual Turkey Plunge, Nantucket Historical Association’s Festival of Wreaths, A Nantucket Christmas Carol; Christmas Tree Lighting 4 to 6 pm Thanksgiving Friday! Come for a day, a night, a weekend, a week...or longer.

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Visit the Rebecca Nurse Homestead, the only home of a person executed during the Salem Witch Trials open to the public, November 7 from 10 am to 3 pm in Danvers. Enjoy the SeaFestival of Trees, a holiday tradition filled with glittering trees and fun activities, open weekends November 20–December 5 at Blue Ocean Event Center. Stroll through the streets of Gloucester on November 21 at 1:30 pm for Cape Ann Museum’s Joe Garlands Walking Tour – The Fort.

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Join America’s Hometown Thanksgiving Celebration Friday, November 19 through Sunday, November 21! Celebrate the 400th anniversary of Thanksgiving with a parade and weekend of festivities at a beloved holiday occasion; an important link to our nation’s history and heritage. People from all walks of life have traveled to historic Plymouth Harbor and Waterfront to experience a bounty of authentic Americana. The celebration of Thanksgiving becomes history-brought-to-life as Pilgrims, Native Americans, Soldiers, Patriots, and Pioneers proudly climb out of the history books and onto the streets of Plymouth!

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ESCAPE is different for everyone. Some want an adventure by the ocean, while others want the freshest seafood around. This is your chance to escape and regain some of your freedom. Explore our expansive coastline, or find that treasure for your living room. It’s time to relax. Do it all, or do nothing at all. Less than an hour from Boston and minutes away from Providence. Escape is here waiting for you in Southeastern Massachusetts.

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Let the Berkshires light you up this holiday season. Come and enjoy a night out at Winterlights at Naumkeag. Here you will discover a magical outdoor experience filled with the sparkle from thousands of shimmering and artfully designed holiday lights. Then travel to NightWood at The Mount. Where you will find an ethereal winter landscape composed of music, lighting, and theatrical elements which will create seven unique scenes that evoke feelings of wonder, mystery, and magic. Come find your sparkle #intheberkshires.

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Two big concerts are coming to the Greater Merrimack Valley area in November! The Wallflowers are taking the stage at Cary Memorial Hall in Lexington on Saturday, November 6. A big part of the mid-90’s revival of roots-rock, The Wallflowers ruled the airwaves with hits including One Headlight, 6th Avenue Heartbreak and The Difference. On Sunday, November 14, Cheap Trick will perform at

Lowell Memorial Auditorium in Lowell. With over 5,000 performances spanning four decades and 20 million records sold worldwide, Cheap Trick is considered one of the most influential classic rock groups of the past 50 years.

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Tower Hill’s Night Lights

The most joyful season begins with building a holiday season bucket list, reserving theatre tickets and strolling down Worcester’s Women-Owned Shopping Trail to jumpstart your gift giving. Catch the Gilbert Players’ production of "Annie" at The Center at Eagle Hill or Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson at Hanover Theatre. Also, live in Downtown Worcester holiday shows ring in the season, such as "The Nutcracker" at Hanover Theatre, and Langston Hughes' "Black Nativity" performed at Mechanics Hall.

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The Annual Crafts of Colrain Studio Tour will take place November 13-14 from 10am to 5 pm in Colrain! Twenty artisans, from fine art furniture to artisanal beer, will be opening up their doors to visitors from near and far. See the flying sparks of iron on the forge and admire winter accessories woven from the fibers of animals grazing right outside the studio where the yarn was spun. Colrain's pastoral landscape is the off-the-beaten-path backdrop for all this creativity. Find out more!

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Photo credit: Kyle Klein

Boston's Holiday Season offers a festive selection of things to do. Come for the sights and check out the Holiday Lights trail to gaze at decorated landmarks. Catch live performances of the Nutcracker, A Christmas Story, and Holiday Pops, or visit Snowport for holiday shopping, rooftop igloos, and even curling. Boston's luxury hotels and intimate boutique properties delight you with their holiday packages trimmed with seasonal specialties and exceptional service.

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The patriotic Field of Honor (November 9-15) at Johnny Kelly Park in Dennis is a stunning display of American flags, part of a nationwide tribute to men and women in uniform. From glimmering whimsical characters to shimmering jewel-toned orbs, the hand-blown ornaments at Sandwich Glass Museum's Glassblowers' Christmas (November 19-December 30) are perfect for holiday gift-giving. And see the holidays in a whole new light at the beautifully illuminated Gardens Aglow at Heritage Museums & Gardens in Sandwich, which will wow you from November 26-December 26 (Friday-Sundays).

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