SHOPPING
Utopia Gift Shop
What to buy: Handblown glass ornaments with trees, snowflakes, and gold accents—each one unique, which is more difficult to find than it might seem.
Why Go: The workmanship looks like an heirloom and feels expensive without the price tag to match. Ideal for looking thoughtful at your office Yankee swap. utopiagiftshop.com.

 
Melsy’s Illustrations
What to buy: Art prints and stationery sets that celebrate fashion, friendship, and a certain optimistic femininity—the kinds of illustrations you want to stick on your desk or frame on your gallery wall.
Why Go: Boston artist Jamel Wakim gets everyday glamour without teetering into precious. And she’s stepping it up a little for this season, with live glittering at the Snowport that makes a gift feel extra-special. melsysillustrations.com.

 
Starboard and Co. (★NEW for 2025)
What to buy: Handprinted linens featuring lobsters, nautical stripes, and ocean hues—New England maritime heritage without the kitsch.
Why Go: Starboard and Co. knows that coastal charm is most effective when it’s underplayed. Its linens give your holiday table a sense of place without going overboard. starboardandco3.com.

 
Nivas (★NEW for 2025)
What to buy: Handfelted mobiles, garlands, and ornaments—featuring dinosaurs, ducks, and hot-air balloons—made by female artisans in Nepal using natural materials.
Why Go: They’re fair-trade and sustainable without feeling too crunchy—the kind of newborn gift that looks beautiful in the nursery and lets you feel good about where your money went. nivascollection.com.

 
Gratinsta
What to buy: Nature-inspired jewelry—petals, wings, and foliage—made from recycled materials such as tiger’s-eye stone and jade accents. Standouts include the “Butterfly Tiger of Eye” necklace and the “Fall Leaf” adjustable ring.
Why Go: Designer Manali Shinde is tuned into quiet beauty, so her pieces feel delicate without being fragile. gratinsta.com.

 
New York Puzzle Company
What to buy: Puzzles made from responsibly sourced materials featuring images from the New Yorker and Vogue—cultural artifacts that feel as good to display as they do to assemble.
Why Go: Founded in Brooklyn by two friends with a thing for puzzles and nostalgia, these puzzles feel less like a rainy-day backup plan and more like the reason to cancel your evening plans. newyorkpuzzlecompany.com.

 
Eliana Curated (★NEW for 2025)
What to buy: Statement earrings made from upcycled luxury materials—Chanel buttons, YSL hardware, the sorts of details that usually end up in a landfill.
Why Go: Sustainable fashion doesn’t always look this sleek. Flashy enough to get compliments, eco-conscious enough to mention where they’re from when you do. elianacurated.com.

 
J.S. Dykes
What to buy: Handsigned, archival pigment prints of Boston icons—the Hood Milk Bottle, the Citgo sign, Acorn Street—in bold geometry and brilliant hues.
Why Go: Fort Point artist John Dykes treats the city like a serious muse, so his paintings feel less like tourist souvenirs and more like art that belongs in your living room. jsdykes.com.

 
Equals Me
What to buy: Handpoured candles made from toxin-free ingredients and coconut-soy wax—“Golden Hour,” “Into the Woods,” and other scents that make good on their names.
Why Go: They smell as nice as they look, which not all do. An excellent reason to draw yourself a bath this winter and breathe. equalsme.co.

 
Tuck’s Truffles (★NEW for 2025)
What to buy: Handcrafted truffles in flavors like candied-orange chocolate and raspberry macaron.
Why Go: For high-quality bonbons with global inspiration. Grab two jars: one to give, and one to devour. tuckstruffles.com.

 
Saltery (★NEW for 2025)
What to buy: Hand-harvested sea salts (made in Duxbury) with infusions of herbs, citrus, and spice—a pantry staple that also actually feels kind of vital.
Why Go: Founder Lily Leedom adds a dash of luxury to something you never knew needed an upgrade. South Shore sensibility meets culinary ambition. saltery.store.

 
The Snowport Tree Market
What to buy: Holiday trees, wreaths, kissing balls, and a panoply of accessories you’ll need (stands, lights, et cetera).
Why Go: One-stop shopping that doesn’t feel like settling. Choose your tree, load it yourself, or arrange to have it delivered. The ease is the point.

 
DINING
The Half Cookie
What You’ll Eat: Double-size cookies baked with real butter, Ghirardelli chocolate, and all kinds of add-ins. Fan favorites: sea-salt Nutella, Funfetti, and cookie-butter s’mores.
Why Go: They’re meant to share—half for you, the other half for someone else—but good luck not eating the whole thing. thehalfcookie.com.

 
Dumpling Daughter
What You’ll Eat: Dumplings, buns, and a sweet-spicy secret soy sauce. Specifically, don’t skip the pork-and-chive dumplings or roasted-pork buns.
Why Go: Nadia Liu Spellman is holding the torch these days for her parents (the legendary restaurateurs behind Sally Ling’s), and she’s doing it with her mom’s dumpling recipe. dumplingdaughter.com.

 
Lakon Paris Pâtisserie (★NEW for 2025)
What You’ll Eat: Elegant croissants filled with hazelnut cream, cheesecake cream, and strawberry jam, plus those absurdly Instagrammable tiramisu lattes.
Why Go: A smidge of Parisian luxury without the airfare. The aesthetics do not disappoint, and neither do the pastries. lakonparis.com.

 
The Frenchman’s Crêpes
What You’ll Eat: Handspun crêpes, hot off the griddle, in sweet and savory options.
Why Go: This is one of those times when the simplest pitch really is the best. thefrenchmansgoods.com.

 
Nagomi Bento (★NEW for 2025)
What You’ll Eat: Fresh, balanced bento boxes with kaarage chicken, pan-seared eggplant, pork katsu, and more.
Why Go: Nagisa Ikemura began making these meals to fuel her training as an athlete in Japan. That discipline shows—good-for-you food that tastes…well, good. nagomibento.com.

 
Baked Cheese Haus
What You’ll Eat: Swiss raclette—melted cheese, just-scraped from the wheel onto potatoes and bread.
Why Go: This fan favorite proves that a little gooey indulgence goes a long way on a cold Boston day. bakedcheesehaus.com.

 
Temperance Pizza (★NEW for 2025)
What You’ll Eat: Wood-fired pizza made with fresh ingredients, creative toppings, and a crust that’s perfectly charred.
Why Go: This spot gets it: nothing says holiday warmth like pizza straight from the fire. temperancelive.com.

 
That Fat Duck (★NEW for 2025)
What You’ll Eat: Poutine—golden, crispy fries fried in duck fat, piled with cheese curds, and generously topped with rich gravy.
Why Go: This Brooklyn-bred chef takes a Canadian favorite and transforms it into Snowport-gold.

 
ENTERTAINMENT
Mohegan Music Mondays
What You’ll Get: Berklee College of Music artists perform holiday covers and originals each Monday, beginning at 5 p.m.
Why Go: Mondays just got a little more bearable—live music that’s festive but not corny, well executed but not stuffy.

 
The Crafting Corner
What You’ll Get: A chance to build everything from Lego snow globes to ornaments to hearts with your kids—and for every heart shared across social media with #BuildToGive, Lego donates a set to a child in need.
Why Go: It’ll distract the brick fiends so you have time to make a difference. Win-win parenting.

 
Snowport Curling Lanes
What You’ll Get: Free iceless curling on Harbor Way, as well as free Learn to Curl tutorials with the North End Curling Club (select Saturdays from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.).
Why Go: Feel the zing of curling minus the chill or obligation. Reservations suggested, lessons offered, excuses vanquished.

 
Winter Wish Wall
What You’ll Get: A 25-foot interactive chalkboard where you can jot down hopes, memories, and wishes for the season, sponsored by Mass General Brigham Health Plan.
Why Go: A moment of reflection after the shopping madness. Sometimes the best thing to give is a little break.

 
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