"Since this is an indoor market, we are also responsible for utilities (heat!), water & sewer, electricity, and City of Boston real estate taxes." That line comes from the FAQ on SoWa's Christmas Market page, in the answer to why the market charges $10 at the door. Most of the South End's holiday calendar is free. This market isn't, and the reason ties back to the free Sundays on Harrison Avenue each summer.
The market opens tomorrow night, Friday, November 20, at the SoWa Power Station, 550 Harrison Avenue. It runs through December 27. If you went last year, this year's version has a new name, opens earlier and stays open later.
Eight Days Earlier, Under a New Name
Last year this was the "10th Annual SoWa Winter Festival." It ran November 28 to December 28, 2025, at the same 550 Harrison Avenue address. Admission was $10, and children 12 and under got in free. This year it's the "11th Annual SoWa Christmas Market." It brings more than 100 makers, artists, designers and specialty food vendors into the Power Station. The price is still $10, and children 12 and under are still free.
The numbering continues from last year, and so do the venue and the price. The calendar is what changed. Last year the market opened the day after Thanksgiving. This year it opens the Friday before, which adds a full extra weekend of shopping before Thanksgiving. It also closes one day earlier, on Sunday, December 27.
On Thanksgiving Day itself the market is closed. Black Friday, November 27, has daytime hours, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
December Evenings Run an Hour Later
November hours this year match last season's regular hours. On December 1 the schedule moves later. On most days in December, the market now stays open an hour past last year's closing time.
| Day |
2025 Winter Festival |
Nov. 2026 |
From Dec. 1, 2026 |
| Monday |
Closed |
Closed |
Closed |
| Tuesday to Thursday |
4 to 8 p.m. |
4 to 8 p.m. |
4 to 9 p.m. |
| Friday |
4 to 9 p.m. |
4 to 9 p.m. |
4 to 10 p.m. |
| Saturday |
10 a.m. to 9 p.m. |
10 a.m. to 9 p.m. |
10 a.m. to 10 p.m. |
| Sunday |
10 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
10 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
10 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
Opening night, November 20, runs 4 to 9 p.m. Christmas Eve hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the market is closed Christmas Day.
Sundays didn't change, so 7 p.m. is still the earliest closing time of the week. The Tuesday to Thursday evenings are the ones that got longer. After December 1, a weeknight visit after work has a full hour more than it did last year.
Where the $10 Goes
SoWa's FAQ says the market has no large corporate sponsors. It lists what the admission fee pays for:
- 20+ staff on site at all times
- Décor, activations and entertainment
- Cleaning and trash removal
- Heat, water and sewer, and electricity for the Power Station
- City of Boston real estate taxes on the building
According to the same answer, the admission fee lets SoWa charge vendors less per date than other markets do. That matters for a lineup made up mostly of small local businesses. Money left over goes to the neighborhood's free events, by name the SoWa Open Market, held every Sunday from May through October, and SoWa First Friday.
So the summer Sunday market on Harrison Avenue that costs nothing to walk through gets part of its funding from a winter market that charges admission. Heating and running the Power Station through the winter is what the ticket covers first.
Inside the Power Station
The vendor list groups its food and drink vendors in a section of their own. If you're planning to eat dinner there, these are the names:
- Savory: Chicken & Rice Guys, Eataly, Matilda, Mexibites, Moyzilla, Mr. Petisco, Native Colombian Food, Pieson's Pizza, The Butcher's Grill
- Sweet: Berry Sweets, Big Little Pies, Celes Confections, Crepe Shop, Elite Dough Cookies, Petite Sakura Bakery, Uncommon Ice Cream
- Something warm to carry: Lucy and Jane Matcha, Palak's Chai Cart
With that much food inside, a weeknight visit works as dinner plus shopping. The later December hours make that easier.
Just outside, there's a newer stop on the same stretch of Harrison Avenue. Boston Restaurant Talk reported in September that C'Yool Yemeni Cafe & Bakery had opened at 600 Harrison Avenue, in the space that used to be Atlantico. It serves Yemeni coffee, chai, breads and pastries. It's an easy stop for coffee before a Saturday morning at the market.
If you're driving, SoWa lists on-site parking at 540, 500 and 450 Harrison Avenue and at 274 and 365 Albany Street.
The Free Nights Come in December
Two free South End events fall in the first half of December. Both happen on Harrison Avenue or nearby, within about a week of each other.
SoWa First Friday, December 4. SoWa's events calendar lists a First Friday for December 4. The First Fridays page describes it as free, 5 to 9 p.m., with artists, galleries, shops and showrooms open at 450 and 460 Harrison Avenue. That's one of the programs the market's leftover admission money supports. On December 4 the market itself is open 4 to 10 p.m. under its new Friday hours, so you can do both in one evening, starting at the studios and finishing at the Power Station.
South End Holiday Stroll, Wednesday, December 9. The South End Business Alliance's Holiday Stroll runs 4 to 8 p.m., "rain, snow or shine." Neighborhood shops, restaurants and small businesses stay open late for the one night, and participating businesses offer seasonal food, drinks and pop-ups. The Jolly Trolley is back, and so is the annual South End Holiday Raffle. The list of participating businesses isn't final yet. South End businesses have until Monday, November 30, to fill out SEBA's participation form, and SEBA membership isn't required.
The Stroll is on a Wednesday, so the market is open that evening too, 4 to 9 p.m. under its December weekday hours.
Dates to Save
- Friday, Nov. 20: SoWa Christmas Market opening night, 4 to 9 p.m.
- Thursday, Nov. 26: Market closed for Thanksgiving
- Friday, Nov. 27: Black Friday hours, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Monday, Nov. 30: Deadline for businesses to sign up for the Holiday Stroll
- Tuesday, Dec. 1: Later December hours begin at the market
- Friday, Dec. 4: SoWa First Friday, free, 5 to 9 p.m.; the market is open until 10 p.m.
- Wednesday, Dec. 9: South End Holiday Stroll, 4 to 8 p.m.
- Thursday, Dec. 24: Market open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Sunday, Dec. 27: Last day of the SoWa Christmas Market
The Bayley & Natoli team at Colin Bayley follows the South End's calendar closely, from the Power Station to the Holiday Stroll. If you're thinking about how a home near Harrison Avenue fits into the neighborhood around it, contact us to Request a Home Valuation & Market Plan.
