On Sunday, Nov. 29, the Merrimack River decides when Santa and Mrs. Claus reach the boardwalk. After that afternoon the season runs on a weekly pattern with fixed hours: Friday evenings, weekend late mornings, one Saturday house tour and a drawing on the Monday of Christmas week.
Once you see that pattern, you only have to plan the season once. Here is how it works.
Sunday, Nov. 29 Runs on River Time
The Newburyport Rotary Club hosts the Santa Parade & Tree Lighting, held as usual on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. In a nod to the city's history as the birthplace of the U.S. Coast Guard, Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive on a boat from the Merrimack River Coast Guard Station, dock at the boardwalk and parade through downtown to the tree in Market Square.
The Rotary posts an official window of 3 to 5:30 p.m. Organizers shared a more detailed timeline with Newburyport.com:
- About 3:30 p.m. Santa and Mrs. Claus leave on the Coast Guard boat and head upriver toward Michael's Harborside, so people along the water get an early look.
- 3:45 to 4 p.m. The parade starts once everyone is lined up.
- About 15 minutes later the parade reaches Market Square, followed by roughly 15 minutes of caroling.
- 4:15 to 4:30 p.m. The tree is lit.
The same source says the river's tides can change Santa's arrival time, and that things move fast once the pair boards. That's why organizers suggest arriving early. In Market Square, the Mayor gives Santa the key to the city, which is kept at The Brass Lyon. The Newburyport and Triton High School bands and choruses lead the caroling.
The tree is supplied by the Greater Newburyport Chamber of Commerce & Industry, which also handles the city's holiday decorations as part of its beautification program. The tree lighting also kicks off the Chamber's month-long program.
The Next Morning, the Calendar Takes Over
The tree lighting opens The Port of Wonder, the Chamber's downtown holiday program, which runs Nov. 30 through Dec. 25, 2026. This is its second season. The 2025 version was billed as the "1st Annual".
The Chamber's Downtown Business Advisory Council leads the program. Its footprint covers State Street, Inn Street, Pleasant Street, Market Square and Water Street out to the Tannery. The Chamber describes the format as "weekend programming" that follows the tree lighting, so the season is built around repeating days rather than one big night.
The Chamber's 2026 sponsorship plan calls Market Square "the visual center piece." It describes lighting on the tree trunks around the square, more seasonal décor and a signature Christmas tree designed and decorated by Red Nose Décor, with décor "supporting the Santa Parade and Friday holiday nights." The plan treats those Friday nights as their own recurring event.
Three Fridays, and How the Third One Came About
Yuletide Invitation Nights fall on the first three Fridays of December, from 6 to 9 p.m. In 2026 that's Dec. 4, 11 and 18. According to the Chamber's listing, merchants host with refreshments and live entertainment while downtown shops and restaurants stay open. The nights reach beyond the downtown core to The Tannery Marketplace and Merrimac Place, and the event description also mentions Horton's Yard.
There weren't always three. The Daily News of Newburyport once reported that Invitation Nights customarily ran on the first two Fridays, and that some shops pushed to add a third. The paper also noted that participation and hospitality varied from one merchant to the next. Today the third Friday is part of the published schedule, and it lands one week before Christmas.
What carries over from week to week is the hours. Every Invitation Night runs 6 to 9 p.m., so each Friday in early December follows the same plan.
Weekend Late Mornings Belong to Brown Square
The weekend half of the pattern starts the morning after the first Invitation Night. Santa's Workshop opens at Brown Square on Saturday, Dec. 5, and runs Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. through Dec. 20. Kids can visit Santa, share wish lists and take photos.
That gives the season three paired weekends, each starting the morning after a Friday Invitation Night:
- Friday, Dec. 4 evening, then Brown Square on Dec. 5 and 6
- Friday, Dec. 11 evening, then Brown Square on Dec. 12 and 13
- Friday, Dec. 18 evening, then Brown Square on Dec. 19 and 20
The Chamber's 2026 plan calls Brown Square "the children's heart of Port of Wonder." It describes eight decorated holiday trees and a decorated workshop shed, along with free weekend activities for kids: gingerbread-house decorating, letters to Santa, crafts, children's music and rotating activities.
The same plan introduces something "New for 2026," a Santa Dog Parade for dogs and their families. It nods to Kennebunkport's holiday dog parade tradition and includes water stops, plus judging and awards for best dog costume and best family costume. Watch the Chamber's events page for its date as the season gets underway.
The Whole Season on One Grid
| When | What | Where | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday, Nov. 29 | Santa Parade & Tree Lighting | Waterfront boardwalk to Market Square | 3 to 5:30 p.m. window, tide permitting |
| Nov. 30 to Dec. 25 | The Port of Wonder | State, Inn and Pleasant streets, Market Square, Water Street to the Tannery | Season-long |
| Fridays, Dec. 4, 11, 18 | Yuletide Invitation Nights | Downtown, The Tannery Marketplace, Merrimac Place | 6 to 9 p.m. |
| Saturdays and Sundays, Dec. 5 to 20 | Santa's Workshop | Brown Square | 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. |
| Saturday, Dec. 12 | Newburyport Holiday House Tour | Pickup at the Newburyport Senior Center, 331 High Street | 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
| Monday, Dec. 21 | Green Ticket drawing | Market Square |
Only two rows fall outside the weekly pattern, and both fit around it.
The Saturday That Doubles Up, and the Monday After
The Newburyport Holiday House Tour is Saturday, Dec. 12, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., as a fundraiser for the Anna Jaques Hospital Aid Association. Tour books are picked up at the Newburyport Senior Center, 331 High Street, which also hosts a Holiday Gift Market and a Winter Wreath Auction. The tour lands on the middle Brown Square weekend, between the second and third Invitation Nights. That Saturday has the most going on of any day in the season: High Street in the morning and Santa's Workshop open downtown from 11 to 2.
On Monday, Dec. 21, the Green Ticket drawing takes place in Market Square. The Chamber's 2026 plan ties it to shopping and dining incentives across the district. The drawing comes the day after Santa's Workshop closes for the year.
Last season's version, as described on the event page of BANTER, one of the participating businesses, worked like this: one Green Ticket for a purchase up to $100 and two for a purchase over $100, with the December 21, 2025 drawing awarding $5,000 and $2,500 gift-card prizes. In both years the drawing date stays put on Dec. 21, and the program covers the same Fridays and weekends as the rest of the calendar.
Our office at 190 State St. sits inside the Port of Wonder district, so we'll be downtown on those Friday nights too. If you'd like to talk through a winter move, or just compare notes on the best spot to watch the Coast Guard boat come in, reach out to The Good Life Real Estate Group. Contact Us.
