Holiday Lighting of the Ship at Martin's Park

The play ship at Martin's Park · Photo: Jack Chang via Google

• When: Saturday, November 28, 2026, 5-6 pm
• Where: Martin's Park, 64 Sleeper St, Boston, MA 02210
• Cost: Free
• Organizer: Boston Parks and Recreation Department and Friends of Martin's Park

Official Event Page

The holiday lighting of the ship at Martin's Park is a free children's celebration on Saturday, November 28, 2026, from 5 to 6 pm, at the Smith Family Waterfront on the Fort Point Channel in the Seaport. The Friends of Martin's Park and the Boston Parks and Recreation Department host it, and it is one of the city's newer holiday traditions.

At the lighting, the park's wooden play ship, the beach fencing around it and the pedestrian bridge are outlined in more than 1,500 feet of blue and white tube lights.

What happens

• Santa arrives by boat with the Boston Police Harbor Unit at the Harborwalk
• Holiday songs from Berklee musicians
• Holiday drinks from Hood and Caffe Nero
• The Boston Park Rangers Mounted Unit and a Boston Fire Department touch truck
• Holiday arts and crafts with a local artist

Where it is

Martin's Park is a waterfront playground at 64 Sleeper Street, on the Fort Point Channel side of the Seaport, where the play ship is the centerpiece.

Good to know

The event is outdoors on the waterfront after dark in late November, so bring hats and gloves for small children. The same week brings the trellis lighting at Christopher Columbus Park (November 23), the Copley Square Tree Lighting (November 30) and the Boston Common Tree Lighting (December 3).

Details checked against the City of Boston's official event page, boston.gov/calendar/2026-lighting-ship-martins-park, on September 28, 2026. Dates and times can change; confirm with the organizer before you go.