Things to Do This Thanksgiving Weekend

Warren Towers will serve a traditional Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, November 26, open to all BU undergrads. Photo courtesy of BU Dining Services

An estimated 47 million Americans are expected to hit the roads this Thanksgiving holiday (the most since 2007, thanks to lower gas prices), and another 25 million plus are expected to travel by plane, according to the American Automobile Association. For those who have decided to forgo travel and stay in Boston, we’ve compiled a list of great things to do this weekend to help you celebrate the holiday season—from shopping and road races to theater and museum exhibitions.

 Where to Eat

Warren Towers Undergraduate Thanksgiving Dinner

Unlike years past, residence halls at BU will remain open throughout the Thanksgiving weekend this year. Dining Services is offering a special Thanksgiving dinner for undergraduates staying on campus. The dinner runs from 1 to 3 p.m. at Warren Towers, and the menu is traditional: turkey (gluten-free), cornbread and lemon sage stuffing, potatoes, sautéed kale, orange cranberry sauce, a salad bar, and apple and pumpkin pies. Also available is vegan maple-glazed tempeh with brussels sprouts.

The Warren Towers Undergraduate Thanksgiving Dinner is Thursday, November 26, at Warren Towers, 700 Commonwealth Ave., from 1 to 3 p.m. and is open to any undergraduate living on campus. Convenience points, dining points, and cash ($14.90) accepted. Find the full Warren Towers Thanksgiving weekend schedule here.

What to Watch

89th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

The annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is as much a part of the holiday tradition for many as turkey and stuffing. This year’s parade features performances by dozens of stars, among them Mariah Carey, Shawn Mendes, Jordin Sparks, Andy Grammer, Jake Owen, Train, and the Muppets. The famed spectacle’s lineup: 7 giant character balloons, 24 novelty-ornament balloons, balloonicles, and trycaloons, 27 floats, 1,100 cheerleaders and dancers, more than 1,000 clowns, 12 marching bands, and of course, the one-and-only Santa Claus.

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade airs on NBC from 9 a.m. to noon on Thursday, November 26.

Football

For many, Thanksgiving has become synonymous with football. This year the NFL is hosting a triple-header, music to the ears of gridiron fans who can’t get enough of the game. First up, the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Detroit Lions in Detroit. Next, the Carolina Panthers will battle the Dallas Cowboys in Texas. And the prime-time game features a showdown between the NFL’s long-standing rivals, the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers, in Wisconsin. The Packers will honor one of their all-time greats, retired quarterback Brett Favre, during the game. For those still craving football, be sure to catch the undefeated New England Patriots take on the Broncos in Denver on Sunday, November 29, at 8:30 p.m.

The Eagles-Lions game airs on FOX at 12:30 p.m. The Panthers-Cowboys game is on CBS at 4:30 p.m. The Bears-Packers game kicks off at 8:30 p.m. on NBC. The New England Patriots–Denver Broncos game airs on NBC on Sunday, November 29. Kickoff is at 8:30 p.m.

What to Do

18th Annual Boston Volvo Village Thanksgiving Day 5K Road Race

Prefer to be active and outdoors on Thanksgiving? Here’s a chance to support a great cause and burn off some calories before your holiday meal. The 3.1-mile Volvo Village 5K Road Race raises money to support the Greater New England chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Prizes go to competitors with the best times, and the first 750 crossing the finish line receive free T-shirts. There’s no fundraising minimum required, but all runners are encouraged to make a donation. Runners can register online for $20 here or on Thanksgiving for $25.

The Boston Volvo Village 5K Road is Thursday, November 26, at 9 a.m., at 75 North Beacon St., Brighton. On-site registration begins at 7:30 a.m. Take an MBTA #64 bus to the North Beacon/Saunders Street stop. For more info, call 800-344-4867.

Franklin Park Turkey Trot 5K 

Franklin Park is one of the city’s most beautiful parks, considered a jewel in the Emerald Necklace, the interlocking series of green spaces designed by landscape designer Frederick Law Olmsted. This event supports the Franklin Park Coalition’s seasonal programs: Elma Lewis Playhouse in the Park concerts, year-round volunteer days, woodlands restoration, line dancing, and fitness activities. Open to all ages, participants can run or walk. Prizes will be awarded to top finishers and those with the best costumes.

The Franklin Park Turkey Trot 5K is Thursday, November 26, at 9 a.m., at the Franklin Park Gold Clubhouse, One Circuit Drive, Dorchester. Preregistration is $25 for ages 18 and over ($10 for ages 6 to 17). Register here. For more information, call 617-442-4141.

MIT’s Annual Friday after Thanksgiving (F.A.T.) Chain Reaction

More than 1,500 people turn out each year for MIT’s Friday after Thanksgiving (F.A.T.) Chain Reaction. For this one-of-a-kind engineering feat, participants link their chain reaction devices together to form one giant chain reaction, which is set off at the end of the event. The 2015 theme is the 18th century, so expect to see references to the Founding Fathers and the French Revolution woven into people’s contraptions. The event will be emceed by renowned chain reaction creator Arthur Ganson and local artist Jeff Lieberman, who will also be on hand to help participants link their contrivances together.

MIT’s Annual Friday after Thanksgiving Chain Reaction is from 1 to 4 p.m. on Friday, November 27, at the MIT Rockwell Cage Gymnasium, 120 Vassar St., Cambridge. Tickets are $12.50 for adults ($15 at the door) and $5 for children ages 5 to 17, students, seniors, and with an MIT ID. Purchase tickets online here. Take an MBTA Red Line train to the Kendall/MIT stop.

Marine Life Exhibition at the Harvard Museum of Natural History

This new exhibition, at the Harvard Museum of Natural History’s Putnam Gallery, includes a floor-to-ceiling re-creation of the marine life found in New England’s coastal waters and a special interactive display, designed for all ages, on the fascinating world of jellyfish. An ocean exploration theater offers a multimedia journey into the oceans of the world, guided by Harvard biologists.

Marine Life is on view at the Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford St., Cambridge, open daily (except Thanksgiving) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for non-Harvard students, $10 for seniors 65+, $8 for children ages 3 to 18, and free for members and children under 3. Take an MBTA Red Line train to Harvard Square.  

Class Distinctions: Dutch Painting in the Age of Rembrandt and Vermeer at the Museum of Fine Arts

This groundbreaking show offers a whole new approach to 17th-century Dutch painting. Featuring 75 paintings—including masterpieces never before available for public viewing in the United States—the exhibition illustrates the ways paintings from the period represent the various socioeconomic groups of the new Dutch Republic. In the show are portraits, seascapes, landscapes, and genre scenes. Among the artists are Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Pieter de Hooch. The work is arranged according to 17th-century ideas about class distinctions.

Class Distinctions: Dutch Painting in the Age of Rembrandt and Vermeer is on view at the Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston, through January 18. The museum is open Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., and Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 9:45 p.m., closed on Thanksgiving Day. Admission is free for members and students with a BU ID; $25 for adults; $23 for seniors and students 18 and over; free for children ages 6 and under and youth 7 to 17 on weekdays after 3 p.m., weekends, and Boston public school holidays (otherwise $10). The museum is free to the public on Wednesday evenings. Find directions here.

Leap Before You Look: Black Mountain College, 1933–1957 at the Institute of Contemporary Art

This fascinating show pays tribute to the legacy of the small experimental college that opened in 1933 in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains. In its short history, the school exerted an enormous influence on postwar cultural life in America. The exhibition traces the role of faculty artists such as John Cage, Merce Cunningham, Robert Motherwell, Elaine de Kooning, Willem de Kooning, and Robert Rauschenberg. Black Mountain, which closed in 1957, is among the first institutions to emphasize the relationship among art, democracy, and globalism. On view are individual works by more than 90 artists affiliated with Black Mountain College as faculty and students.

Leap Before You Look: Black Mountain College, 1933–1957 is on view at the ICA, 100 Northern Ave., Boston, through January 24, 2016. The museum is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., closed Monday and on Thanksgiving. Admission is $15 for adults, $13 for seniors, $10 for students, and free for children 17 and under, museum members, and on Thursdays from 5 to 9 p.m. Find directions here.

ELF the Broadway Musical at Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre

Based on the 2003 Hollywood comedy starring Will Ferrell, this musical stage version debuted on Broadway in 2010, the tale of Buddy, an orphan who accidentally crawls into Santa’s bag as an infant and is transported back to the North Pole, where he is raised by elves. Santa gives Buddy his blessing to travel to New York City to find his birth father and discover his real identity. Along the way, he helps New Yorkers remember the true meaning of Christmas.

ELF the Broadway Musical is at the Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre, 270 Tremont St., Boston, through December 6. This weekend’s performances are Friday, November 27, and Saturday, November 28, at 2 and 7 p.m., and on Sunday, November 29, at 1 and 6 p.m. No performances on Thanksgiving. Ticket prices range from $30 to $125 and can be purchased online here or by calling the box office at 617-772-1116. Take an MBTA Green Line trolley to Boylston or an Orange Line train to Chinatown.

Boston Ballet’s The Nutcracker

Thanksgiving weekend marks the official launch of the Christmas season, and a magical way to get in the holiday spirit is by taking in Boston Ballet’s The Nutcracker at the Boston Opera House. This annual crowd-pleaser features choreography by Boston Ballet artistic director Mikko Nissinen. The show opens Friday, November 27, and runs through Thursday, December 31 (no performances Christmas Day). Be sure to buy your tickets in advance, as shows tend to sell out. Ticket prices range from $35 to $189.

Boston Ballet’s The Nutcracker is at the Boston Opera House, 539 Washington St., Boston. Purchase tickets online here or call the box office at 617-695-6955. Take any MBTA Green Line train to Park Street.

Ice Skating on the Boston Common Frog Pond

With winter’s chill finally creeping back, one of Boston’s most popular winter traditions returns: ice-skating on the Boston Common Frog Pond. But when? The website says “late November” and advises checking the Facebook page for updates. And then, the magic. Nestled inside the nation’s oldest public park, the Frog Pond is surrounded by trees strung with lights for the holidays. Admission is $5 for people 58 or more inches tall, and free for people under 58 inches. Skaters can bring their own skates or rent them for $10 ($5 for kids). You can also rent a locker for $2 and get your skates sharpened ($8 a pair).

Ice Skating on the Boston Common Frog Pond is Monday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Closed Thanksgiving Day. Take an MBTA Green Line trolley to Park Street.

Blink! A Light & Sound Extravaganza at Faneuil Hall

Once Thanksgiving is over, head down to historic Faneuil Hall to catch the annual holiday light and sound extravaganza Blink! (the marketplace is closed Thanksgiving, but open the rest of the weekend). The seven-minute show begins daily at 4:30 p.m. and repeats all evening long. It features 350,000 LED lights that have been choreographed to holiday music recorded by the Boston Holiday Pops. On Saturday, November 28, 150 tubas will serenade onlookers at Faneuil Hall during the Boston Tuba Christmas Concert from 2 to 3 p.m; free and open to the public.

Take any MBTA Green Line trolley to Park Street or an Orange Line train to State Street. 

Where to Shop   

For some, the day after Thanksgiving has become as much of a tradition as Thanksgiving. Many get up at the crack of dawn Friday (or even late Thursday night) and head to their local shopping center to get some of the best deals, from televisions to shoes.

Shops at the Prudential Center

Want to do all your holiday shopping in one location? You’ll make the people on your list happy if you head to the Shops at the Prudential Center, home to nearly three dozen stores, including LOFT, Vineyard Vines, Lululemon, Barnes & Noble, Lord & Taylor, and Saks Fifth Avenue. If you’re looking for Santa, you’ll find him at the Belvidere Arcade through Christmas Eve.

The Shops at the Prudential Center, 800 Boylston St., Boston, are open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (opening at 9 a.m. on Friday, November 27). Santa is available Sunday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Closed Thanksgiving Day.

Copley Place

Adjacent to the Prudential shops is Copley Place, perhaps Boston’s toniest mall. Featuring nearly 75 stores, Copley Place sports J.Crew, Gap, and Banana Republic, as well as Williams Sonoma. But the emphasis here is really on luxury goods: Tiffany, Eileen Fisher, Emporio Armani, Boss, Coach, and Neiman Marcus.

Copley Place, 100 Huntington Ave., Boston, is open Friday, November 27, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday, November 28, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday, November 29, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Closed Thanksgiving.

Newbury Street

If malls aren’t your thing, head over to Newbury Street, Boston’s premier shopping district, where you can stroll along eight blocks lined with art galleries, salons, restaurants, and shops ranging from the affordable (Forever 21, bebe, and H&M) to the expensive (Dolce & Gabbana, Burberry, and Chanel). Many of the stores are offering special sales on Friday, November 27 (Black Friday), and Saturday, November 28 (Small Business Saturday). Find a full list of Newbury Street stores here.

Take any MBTA Green Line trolley to the Hynes Convention Center, Copley, or Arlington stops.

CambridgeSide Galleria

This Cambridge mall is sure to be crowded on Black Friday, perhaps even at midnight on Thanksgiving Day, when it opens its doors to dedicated bargain seekers. There are more than 130 restaurants and stores, including Macy’s, Best Buy, H&M, Francesca’s, Forever 21, and Sephora. Be prepared for long lines and crowds of people. Find a list of stores having sales here and special college student discounts, with a valid college ID, here.

The CambridgeSide Galleria, 100 CambridgeSide Place, Cambridge, is open Black Friday, November 27, midnight to 10 p.m., Saturday, November 28, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday, November 29, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Find direction here.

Jennifer Bates can be reached at jenn.bates14@gmail.com.