Greetings! Massachusetts is rich in arts and culture, so it's no surprise that exciting events, exhibits and festivals are held in the state's 16 regions all year long. Find out more below! 

There's no better place to find one-of-a-kind holiday gifts than Massachusetts' art and craft galleries! Left Bank Gallery in Wellfleet and Orleans is brimming with paintings, prints, sculpture, mobiles and an extensive collection of American functional pottery. The artist owners of Grow Gallery in Shelburne Falls don't have far to look for fellow artists and craftspeople; 75 percent of the work in the gallery comes from studios in the surrounding towns.  Fire Opal in Jamaica Plain and Brookline stocks ceramics, jewelry, glass, prints, and women's apparel. Find more galleries at massvacation.com/galleries.  Photo by Grow Gallery.

Plan your next cultural getaway to Massachusetts!

Imagine ...crisp sea air spiced with wood smoke drifts through a historic harbor village's cobblestoned streets, festively lined with decorated trees and warmly lit shops, while church bells chime familiar carols. The holiday season on Nantucket is magical! Nantucket Noel will be celebrated November 25-December 31. The celebration will be capped by our famous Christmas Stroll weekend December 2-4, as visitors are treated to special events from holiday house tours, Victorian carolers, and Mr. and Mrs. Claus arriving Saturday via Coast Guard vessel.

For more information on Nantucket Island, click here.

Visit the quiet North Shore town of Wenham and stop by the Wenham Museum to observe their 5th Annual Gingerbread Contest!  In honor of Wenham Museum's 90th year, this year gingerbread submissions will be renditions of iconic landmarks around the area.  These gingerbread houses will be displayed in the Gingerbread Express model train layout December 3-17. For additional cultural activities North of Boston, visit www.escapesnorth.com.

For more information on North of Boston, click here.

The Plymouth Philharmonic Orchestra presents "Holiday Pops" at Memorial Hall in Plymouth on December 10-11! Featuring various Christmas carols and The Pilgrim Festival Chorus performing "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" and a reprise of last year's popular performance of Irving Berlin's "Christmas." The Federal Furnace School Treble Chorus will also perform a sumptuous medley of holiday carols.  Children are invited to bring a toy and march in the annual "March of the Toys." Visit www.plymouthphil.org.

For more information on Plymouth County, click here.

First Night Worcester 2012 is the place to catch a rising star, wish upon a star, or be a star! Be it music, dance, puppetry, comedy, vaudeville, storytelling, theater, juggling, visual installations, improvisation, ventriloquism, mime, or magic, just imagine what you might discover at First Night this December 31st! Button admission cost is $10 through December 24th, $12 thereafter and $15 at the event. Children 7 and under are FREE. Find more information online at www.firstnightworcester.org or www.centralmass.org.

For more information on Central Massachusetts, click here.

That sound you hear is the holiday season shifting into gear in Williamstown! The annual extravaganza known as Williamstown Chamber Holiday Walk Weekend bursts on the scene beginning at 7 p.m. Friday, December 2nd  on Spring Street and beyond. The event draws people to Williamstown for shopping, entertainment and a fun-filled weekend of holiday cheer.  Festivities include the Reindog Parade, horse drawn wagon rides, the Penny Social, a craft fair, David Grover, magicians, Santa's workshop and more. 

For more information on the Mohawk Trail Region, click here.

Celebrate Christmas on Cape Cod this December 1-4, and create holiday memories by the sea that will be cherished and passed down for generations!  Every town and village puts their special stamp on holiday strolls, carols, parades, and festive harbor lights that will draw you into the heart and soul of this special place.  Rediscover all that is magical about the holidays, and visit www.ChristmasonCapeCod.com for fantastic offers on accommodations, shopping, dining and attractions!

For more information on Cape Cod, click here.

On December 31st, Boston's First Night Festival of the Arts will showcase the work of 1,000 artists in 200 performances and exhibits at 35 indoor and outdoor venues in the downtown area!  The New Year's Eve celebration runs from 1 p.m. to midnight and features lively music, dance, theater, a Family Festival at the Hynes Convention Center, a Grand Procession down Boylston Street, colossal ice sculptures dotting the city's landscape, and a spectacular fireworks display at midnight.

For more information on Greater Boston, click here.

Enjoy an  enchanting weekend of holiday fun in the historic village of Edgartown on Martha's Vineyard during Christmas on Edgartown on December 9-11!  A festival of lights, a wine and cheese party, a spectacular Dickens village display and the lighting of the Edgartown lighthouse are on Friday! Saturday brings the Artisan Festival, holiday concerts, craft workshops, an open house of the historic inns of Edgartown, the renowned Chowder Contest and shopping galore. Sunday ends with Breakfast with Santa! 

For more information on Martha's Vineyard, click here.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County's 31st annual Northampton Winter Craft Fair is set for December 3-4 at Northampton High School! The fair will be open both Saturday and Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Enjoy one-of-a-kind handmade crafts from 90 juried artisans, delicious food from Nancy Jane's Catering, a silent auction on Saturday and live musical entertainment by the Northamptones on Sunday and plenty of free parking.

Click for more information on Hampshire County-Amherst and Hampshire County-Northampton.  

Shop locally this holiday season!  Support local artists and businesses while purchasing unique holiday gifts. Downtown Lowell, Lexington and Concord are chock full of quaint restaurants and shops. Buy directly from artists at Lowell's Western Avenue Studios Holiday Open Studios Weekends on December 3-4 and 10-11. Lowell's Brush Art Gallery and Studios is open daily.  And don't forget to visit Lexington's Holiday Festival Night, complete with a visit from Santa, on December 2nd.

For more information on Greater Merrimack Valley, click here.

The holiday spotlight is on two museums in North Central Massachusetts! The Fitchburg Art Museum holds its fifth annual Holly Berry Craft Faire on December 2nd (4 to 8 p.m.) and 3rd (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.), featuring distinctive New England home accessories, designer fashions, artisan jewelry and more. On December 17th (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.), the Museum of Russian Icons in Clinton offers a Family Day with art activities, storytelling, and tours of "Celebrating the Season: Icons of the Nativity."

For more information on Johnny Appleseed Country, click here.

Hasbro GameLand, a dynamic new hands-on exhibit for children, opened to the public on November 25th in the Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History at the Quadrangle in Springfield! Made possible by a grant from the Hasbro Children's Fund, the exhibit pays tribute to Springfield entrepreneur Milton Bradley and explores games of memory, chance, speed, imagination, strategy and word play in a brightly-decorated, festive setting. 

For more information on Greater Springfield, click here.

MetroWest's cultural stars step into the past to bring you the best New England holiday traditions! At the Marlborough Festival of Trees, a dozen beautifully trimmed trees sit amidst Candyland, Santa's Workshop, and a Victorian railway. In Sudbury, Longfellow's Wayside Inn -the oldest continuously serving tavern in America-is a wonderfully decorated spot for a hot drink in a charming setting. Find a similarly festive setting at the Sherborn Inn, great for a holiday meal or tea.
Photo courtesy John Sklenak Photography. 

 

For more information on MetroWest, click here.

Southeastern Massachusetts is alive with holiday happenings!  Lights On! Taunton on December 2nd is a 90-year-old tradition of the lighting of Taunton Green. Enjoy local & regional talent, horse-drawn hayrides and Santa's  arrival. On December 3rd, the Historic Preservation Society of Fall River presents a Historic Holiday House Tour in five private historic homes. Then on December 10th, beautifully restored homes in New Bedford's historic neighborhoods open for the 20th Annual Holiday House Tour!

For more information on Southeastern MA, click here.