For the past two seasons, the holiday market at the SoWa Power Station opened the day after Thanksgiving. In 2024 the first day was Friday, November 29, and in 2025 it was Friday, November 28. This year it opens on Friday, November 20, six days before the holiday.
SoWa's posted 2026 schedules also put the specialty programming midweek. Almost every tasting and every themed night falls between Tuesday and Thursday. Saturdays get the longest hours and back-to-back music sets. If you live a few blocks from 550 Harrison Avenue, the midweek evenings have the most going on.
Three Seasons, Three Different Calendars
The market has been reworked every year since 2024. That year it was still called the SoWa Winter Festival, and it opened every day for the first time, from November 29 through December 22. Founder Mario Nicosia explained the change to Time Out Boston: "We made the decision to open seven days a week, giving visitors a greater opportunity to make the SoWa Winter Festival a part of their own holiday tradition." WBUR also covered the seven-day schedule that season and noted that craft workshops were new.
In 2025 the event kept the Winter Festival name, ran from November 28 to December 28, and closed on Mondays. In 2026 it carries a new name, the 11th Annual SoWa Christmas Market, and runs November 20 through December 27.
| Season | Name | Run | Weekly schedule |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | SoWa Winter Festival | Nov. 29 to Dec. 22 | Open every day |
| 2025 | SoWa Winter Festival | Nov. 28 to Dec. 28 | Closed Mondays |
| 2026 | SoWa Christmas Market | Nov. 20 to Dec. 27 | Closed Mondays, longer hours from Dec. 1 |
One holdover could confuse you. Further down SoWa's 2026 page, older text still describes an "8th annual" festival that runs "15 days over four weekends." That copy is left over from an earlier year. The dated schedule at the top of the page and the FAQ at the bottom both describe a run of about five weeks, Tuesday through Sunday.
Where the Programming Actually Lands
SoWa's tasting schedule lists 13 dates. Opening night, Friday, November 20, is one of them. Every other tasting falls on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday:
- Friday, Nov. 20: Bully Boy Distillers and Schilling Beer Co.
- Tuesday, Nov. 24: Chattermark Distillers and High Limb Cider
- Tuesday, Dec. 1: Gunpowder Distillery
- Wednesday, Dec. 2: Mast Landing Brewing Company
- Thursday, Dec. 3: Lo Siento Caliente Tequila
- Tuesday, Dec. 8: Flag Hill Distillery and House Wine
- Wednesday, Dec. 9: St. George Spirits
- Thursday, Dec. 10: 2XO Bourbon and Casa Mexico Tequila
- Tuesday, Dec. 15: Lo Siento Caliente Tequila and Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
- Wednesday, Dec. 16: Fernet Branca and Borghetti Coffee Liqueur
- Thursday, Dec. 17: Green Mountain Distillers and Oxbow Brewing Company
- Tuesday, Dec. 22: Bissell Brothers
- Wednesday, Dec. 23: Chattermark
SoWa hasn't posted start times for the tastings, so check the page before you go.
The themed nights follow the same pattern. On three Thursdays, December 3, 10 and 17, the entertainment schedule lists Country Night with JP Line Dance from 6 to 9 p.m. and a mechanical bull from 5 to 9 p.m. Those Thursdays also have tastings. On December 3 it's Lo Siento Caliente Tequila, on December 10 it's 2XO Bourbon and Casa Mexico Tequila, and on December 17 it's Green Mountain Distillers and Oxbow Brewing Company.
Weekends lean on music. On Saturday, December 5, the schedule runs Kaliloops from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Anna Daley Young from 3 to 6 p.m., and Kaliloops again from 7 to 10 p.m. On Saturday, December 19, Matt Koelsch, Better Late Boston and Slackville cover the day from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. If you want a pour from St. George Spirits, a tasting next to the line dancing, or both on the same night, you'll need to go midweek.
December Hours Stretch the Midweek Evenings
The posted hours point the same way. In November the market is open Tuesday through Thursday from 4 to 8 p.m., Friday from 4 to 9 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. On December 1, Tuesday through Thursday move to 4 to 9 p.m., Friday to 4 to 10 p.m., and Saturday to 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday stays at 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
So on a December weeknight you have five hours after a 4 p.m. opening. That's enough time to get home from work, walk over to Harrison Avenue, and still catch a full music set. On Tuesday, December 1, Stefan Couture plays from 5 to 9 p.m., the same night Gunpowder Distillery pours. On Wednesday, December 16, Maddi Ryan plays from 6 to 9 p.m., and Fernet Branca and Borghetti Coffee Liqueur are on the tasting list.
The week before Thanksgiving works the same way at November hours. Tuesday, November 24 has Anna Daley Young from 5 to 8 p.m. along with Chattermark Distillers and High Limb Cider. Wednesday, November 25 has Matt Koelsch from 5 to 8 p.m. The market is closed on Thanksgiving Day and reopens on Black Friday, November 27, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
What a Midweek Visit Costs and Where to Park
Admission is $10, and children 12 and under get in free. In the FAQ, SoWa says it has no large corporate sponsors. The fee covers staffing, décor, entertainment, cleaning, heat and utilities for the indoor market, plus City of Boston real estate taxes. Any money left over goes toward free events such as the SoWa Open Market and SoWa First Friday.
If you drive, parking costs $10 cash at 540 Harrison Ave., 500 Harrison Ave., 365 Albany St., 324 Albany St. and 274 Albany St. SoWa notes that the 540 Harrison lot is wheelchair- and stroller-friendly.
A few dates to plan around:
- Every Monday is closed, including December 7, 14 and 21.
- Thanksgiving Day, November 26, is closed.
- Christmas Eve, a Thursday, has short hours, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with Country Christmas Eve music sets by acts still listed as TBA.
- Christmas Day is closed. The market's last two days are Saturday, December 26, and Sunday, December 27.
The Events Calendar and Workshops sections of the market page still say "Coming Soon," so more midweek programming may be added before November 20.
Whose Tables to Look For
SoWa bills the market as more than 100 makers, artists, designers and specialty food vendors under one roof. On the vendor list, the food and drink tables include Big Little Pies, Chicken & Rice Guys, Eataly, Matilda, Moyzilla, Native Colombian Food, Palak's Chai Cart and Petite Sakura Bakery. For gifts, the list includes Ash & Rose, Gooseberry Leather Company, Eight Acorns Floral Design & Preservation, Fiorella Soapery, Julo Pottery Co., Zooguu and Irene Lynch Art.
If you want dinner before or after, SoWa's own FAQ lists nearby restaurants including Myers + Chang, Coppa, Toro, The Beehive, Kava, Shore Leave, Bar Mezzana and Yellow Door Taqueria. For coffee it points to The Buttery, Tatte and Cuppa Coffee.
The Weekend the Market Shares With Worcester Square
The first weekend of December brings the market and a neighborhood tradition close together. On Saturday, December 5, the market's new December hours give it a 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. day, with three music sets from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. The next evening, Sunday, December 6, the Worcester Square Area Neighborhood Association holds its 64th Annual Worcester Square Tree Lighting from 5 to 6:30 p.m., with live music, Santa, free drinks, cookies and cupcakes, and a free raffle to close the night. On that Sunday the market closes at 7 p.m., and Anna Daley Young plays from 4 to 7 p.m. You can spend the afternoon on Harrison Avenue and still make it to Worcester Square by 5 p.m.
If you need a quick dinner on the way between the two, there's a new option on Tremont Street. Boston Restaurant Talk reported on October 15 that Roma Pizza & Company has opened at 416 Tremont Street, in the space Rome Pizza held for about 30 years.
If you'd like to know what a home within walking distance of Harrison Avenue is worth this season, Georgia Balafas is glad to talk it through over a midweek coffee at The Buttery or Tatte. Request Your Home Valuation.
