Boston’s Frostival: Drones, a Lodge and a 75-Foot Wheel
Boston's second Frostival runs December to April: drone shows on the Common, a Copley Square lodge and a Greenway Ferris wheel. How to time a trip.
Boston in January is not usually the pitch. Meet Boston, the city’s tourism board, is trying to change that. The second Boston Frostival runs from December 2026 to April 2027 and stitches the city’s winter events into one programme, anchored by three big set pieces: holiday drone shows over Boston Common, a lodge in Copley Square and a 75-foot Ferris wheel on the Rose Kennedy Greenway.
“The first year of Frostival was a great success, and we are excited to build on that going into year two,” said Martha J. Sheridan, president and CEO of Meet Boston. Both the lodge and the wheel have extended dates this time.
Here is how the season breaks down, and when to go for what.
December: drone shows on the Common
Holiday Drone Shows, Boston Common. Saturdays 5, 12 and 19 December 2026, with shows at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Each night has two 15-minute aerial displays showing off Boston landmarks and traditions. The media partner is Magic 106.7.
The rest of December is already full. Meet Boston’s Frostival calendar lists the Holiday Market at Snowport in the Seaport District daily until 27 December, the SoWa Winter Festival in the SoWa Art + Design District until 27 December, and the Boston Pops’ Holiday Pops at Symphony Hall until 24 December. It also points to Boston’s holiday lights trail and its most decorated bars and restaurants.
Read next · Travel GuideSled the North: Abitibi-Témiscamingue's Snowmobile Trails2 min →Best for: a pre-Christmas weekend with shopping, lights and a show. The 6 p.m. drone show leaves time for dinner.
New Year: First Night
Meet Boston folds First Night Boston, the city’s New Year’s Eve celebration, and the Wasabi Fenway Bowl into the Frostival line-up. Its winter art installations, such as Winteractive, and light displays in neighbourhood parks also count.
Late January to February: the Frostival Lodge
The Frostival Lodge, furnished by Wayfair, Copley Square. 22 January to 28 February 2027. Meet Boston describes six fully furnished living rooms, glass-enclosed fire pits next to Adirondack chairs, and a bar.
The programme includes a full bar and tea service, wine tastings, trivia and bingo, author readings, live sports broadcasts with NBC 10 Boston and weekly chef demonstrations by culinary partner The Catered Affair.
Best for: a late-winter city weekend built around food, drink and a fireside afternoon. Pair it with Dine Out Boston, the two-week restaurant promotion that returns in winter 2027, according to Meet Boston.
February to April: the Ferris wheel
Frostival Ferris Wheel, Rose Kennedy Greenway. 1 February to 25 April 2027. The 75-foot wheel offers panoramic views of the city and now runs for about three months.
Best for: anyone visiting from February through spring, including March Break families. It is the one Frostival set piece you can still catch in April, and the easiest to fit around a day of museums, a game or a long lunch, since it sits right on the Greenway in the middle of downtown.
Also on the programme
The Frostival umbrella covers live games at TD Garden, theatre, ice skating, cozy fireplace cocktail bars and wine and food festivals. Meet Boston has dedicated Frostival hotel packages and promotional rates on its site.
Plan it
- Dates: drone shows 5, 12 and 19 December 2026; lodge 22 January to 28 February 2027; Ferris wheel 1 February to 25 April 2027.
- Where: Boston Common, Copley Square and the Rose Kennedy Greenway are all central, and easy to combine on foot.
- Stay: check Meet Boston’s Frostival hotel packages before booking a room direct.
- Dress for it: these are outdoor events in a New England winter.
- Info: the full winter calendar is on MeetBoston.com.
For advisors
- Who to sell it to: couples and friends for a long weekend, food-led travellers, and families for March Break when the wheel is running.
- Canadian clients: Boston works as a short-haul winter city break from Toronto, Montreal and Halifax, and the Frostival calendar gives a reason to go in the off-season.
- What to book: a central hotel near Copley Square or the Greenway, using Meet Boston’s Frostival packages where they beat direct rates, plus Dine Out Boston reservations once dates are set.
- Timing: the three December drone Saturdays fall in peak holiday shopping season. Book hotels for those weekends early.
Sources
Alicia Loveday is Senior Editor at Not An Atlas. She's a mom who works in fashion and AI, which means she can style a look, prompt a model and pack a carry-on for the whole family before the coffee's done. She leads our travel guides and bigger stories, and firmly believes every itinerary needs one more outfit than strictly necessary.