Holiday Market Food and Drink: Seaport, SoWa, Salem

Where to eat and drink at Boston's Snowport and SoWa Christmas Market, plus Salem's Old Town Hall fair and Notch's German market, with hours and prices.

Boston Neighbor staffPublished November 9, 20266 min read

Boston
Salem

South Market at Faneuil Hall Marketplace in Boston, with the Custom House tower behind — Photo: ajay_suresh / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

Two of these markets are open or about to open in Boston, and only one of them is indoors. Snowport in the Seaport started November 6 and runs outdoors with a heated tent. SoWa’s Christmas Market opens Friday, November 20, inside. After that come Salem’s fair at Old Town Hall on December 20 and Notch Brewing’s German market in Salem on December 6.

Snowport Holiday Market, Seaport

The sixth Snowport Holiday Market runs November 6 through December 27 at 100 Seaport Boulevard, next to The Current. It is closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, and closes at 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve.

Food. Boston.com’s 2026 guide names Cheese Louise (grilled cheese), Cheese Wheel Pastas Boston (pasta made in cheese wheels), Dumpling Daughter (dumplings and baos), Lakon Paris (French pastries and plated desserts), Naughty Waffle (waffles) and Union Square Donuts. It calls the list partial and sends readers to the Seaport’s site for the rest.

Drinks. Four themed bars serve festive cocktails and warm drinks: the Jingle Bar, the Dizzy Dreidel, Betty’s Bar and the Blizzard Bar. Beer-garden-style seating is in the heated Warming Tent. Mohegan Music Mondays puts a local musician on top of the Jingle Bar at 5 p.m. each Monday.

Hours. Through December 6: Monday to Thursday 3 to 8 p.m., Friday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. From December 7: Monday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., with Friday to Sunday unchanged.

Admission is free through a general admission line. On Saturdays and Sundays you can buy a timed Fast Pass through the Seaport Insider app to skip a long wait: $15 per adult ($20 if bought the same day), $7 for veterans and for children 6 to 17, and free for younger children. $1 per ticket goes to Boston Xchange.

Also in the Seaport. Light Up Seaport is Friday, December 4, the menorah lighting is Thursday, December 10 and the Seaport Holiday Stroll is Saturday, December 12 from 1 to 4 p.m. with shop promotions. The Seaport’s calendar has times and locations.

SoWa Christmas Market, South End

The 11th annual market runs November 20 to December 27 indoors. It is closed Mondays, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

Hours in November. Opening night, Friday the 20th, is 4 to 9 p.m. Then Tuesday to Thursday 4 to 8 p.m., Friday 4 to 9, Saturday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Black Friday, November 27, is 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. From December 1: Tuesday to Thursday 4 to 9 p.m., Friday 4 to 10, Saturday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Christmas Eve 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Admission is $10, and children 12 and under are free.

Food and drink vendors. The market’s “Food & Drink” list has 18 names: Berry Sweets, Big Little Pies, Celes Confections, Chicken & Rice Guys, Crepe Shop, Eataly, Elite Dough Cookies, Lucy and Jane Matcha, Matilda, Moyzilla, Mexibites, Mr. Petisco, Native Colombian Food, Palak’s Chai Cart, Petite Sakura Bakery, Pieson’s Pizza, The Butcher’s Grill and Uncommon Ice Cream.

A separate “Gourmet Gifts” list covers food you take home, such as Golden Rule Honey, Mount Cabot Maple, DaVinci Chocolatier, SRL Chocolatiers, The Chocolate Pan, Craic Sauce and Q’s Nuts. The market’s tagline promises “specialty foods + cocktails,” and a “Wine, Beer & Spirits Tastings” section links to its own schedule on the SoWa site.

Salem Holiday Market, Old Town Hall

The 10th annual Salem Holiday Market is Sunday, December 20, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Old Town Hall, 32 Derby Square, with $5 admission at the door. New England Open Markets lists 60-plus makers, artists, collectors and dealers across two floors. It is a shopping fair, and the organizer’s page doesn’t list food vendors.

Notch Brewing’s German Holiday Market, Salem

Of the markets here, this one lists the most specific food and drink. Notch’s Salem taproom has a German Holiday Market on Sunday, December 6, from noon to 5 p.m. The listing promises local artisans and makers, Krampus, fire spinning, lagerbier, Underberg hot cider, sausages, leberkase and warm jumbo soft pretzels, plus a hot-poked holiday doppelbock. Notch’s page doesn’t state an admission price.

Faneuil Hall Marketplace

Faneuil Hall Marketplace’s calendar lists a Holiday Market from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday through Sunday, November 20 to 22, November 27 to 29 and December 4 to 6. The annual tree lighting is part of the program on Saturday, November 21, listed as 2 to 6 p.m.

Holiday market stalls and a lit tree at Downtown Crossing in Boston at dusk — Photo: Rhavasy / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Which one for a meal

SoWa has the longest named food list, and it is indoors. Snowport has the cocktail bars and the heated tent. Notch is the pick for a sit-down beer and sausage afternoon in Salem on December 6.

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