The Greater Portland area offers a variety of holiday activities - here are a few of the highlights...see our calendar of events for a complete list of holiday activities.
Shop for a Cause Day
Saturday December 3rd Shop downtown Portland on December 3rd and a portion of the sales from participating stores will be donated to a local charity! Check back for a list of participating stores and information on the charity your dollars will support!
Merry Madness
Thursday December 15th 5-10pm - Shop ‘til you drop in downtown Portland!
Merry Madness kicks off downtown with music, food, and fun! Check back for hotel information and a list of participating stores offering food, drinks and late hours
It’s a night full of fun with your friends- shop, eat, and be merry!
Participating stores will remain open until 10 pm.
11th Annual Portland Harbor Christmas Boat Parade of Lights
Saturday, December 17, 2011, Parade Start - 4:45 PM
Take a Break from Shopping…Create a New Family Tradition! Come Along! See the Parade from the Ferry! Boat leaves at 4:30 pm; Tickets: $8 (children under 5 ride free)
PROCEEDS TO "Sail Maine” www.sailmaine.org
Tickets available at Casco Bay Lines - For Boat Registration, call Chris @ 207-408-7525
1st Annual Gingerbread House Competition at Residence Inn Portland Downtown
Help the Residence Inn Portland Downtown and the Ronald McDonald House build the way to better lives for children by showing off your holiday spirit during the 1st Annual Gingerbread House Competition. Entries are welcome in two divisions, amateur and professional! All houses will be displayed in the lobby of the Residence Inn from December 1st -16th for guests from around the world to see your contribution to a great cause.
Winners in each division will be chosen by viewer’s choice throughout the competition and announced during the finale complimentary brunch on December 16th from 9am-11am. Tons of prizes, food, silent auctions and smiles are expected for the finale brunch so please join us this holiday season to display your talent and creativity for a great cause!!!
All gingerbread houses will be auctioned off for the Ronald McDonald House on 12/16/11. For further information and to rsvp for complimentary brunch contact: Shannon Marden; 207.761.1660
Victoria Mansion Christmas Season: Deck the Halls
Our well-loved Christmas at Victoria Mansion is an annual highlight of the holiday season for many people from across the nation. This year's theme is Deck the Halls: the Carols of Christmas, and each room in the Mansion will be decorated by a professional designer inspired by a different Christmas carol from the Victorian period.
Holiday tours from November 25th 2011 to January 8th 2012, 11-4:30 PM Daily except Christmas and New Year's Day.
The Polar Express
The Polar Express™ is back! We've expanded our FIRST CLASS this year to include 3 cars and more seating. In these beautifully refurbished cars everyone drinks their hot chocolate in official Polar Express™ mugs (not available for sale), which become theirs to keep. Plus, we have added an early train at 2:45 PM.
Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays between November 25th and December 23rd.
2:45 PM, 4:00 PM, 5:15 PM, 6:30 PM
The Polar Express™ will come to life when the Maine Narrow Gauge train departs its Ocean Gateway depot for a journey to the "North Pole.” Holiday decorations inside the train will add to the festive atmosphere as guests on board meet the conductor, have hot chocolate and a treat, listen to a reading of the enchanting story over our sound system, and sing carols. Santa will ride back with everyone to the train station from a special outpost of the North Pole and every child will receive their special bell on board the train.
For Moms, Dads, Grandparents and other Christmas shoppers, there will be Polar Express™ merchandise available at the station. And bring your camera for a photo op with the conductor inside the station!
This year, light concessions will be offered inside the Ocean Gateway terminal.
Children are encouraged to wear PJ's! And this year the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad expects Steam Engine #4 will be back in service for the Polar Express train rides, bringing with it heated train cars for the enjoyment and comfort of passengers!
Be ready to board 15 minutes prior to the train's departure! The Polar Express leaves right on time.
Twelve Days of Christmas
Friday November 25th – Sunday December 18th
Every weekend during the holiday season (12 days in all!), downtown merchants, restaurants, and organizations host a celebration with holiday music, drawings for distinctive local items, activities for the entire family and more!
Check back for a list of participating stores who are offering raffle prizes every weekend!
The Nutcracker
Maine State Ballet performs the holiday favorite, The Nutcracker
2 weeks only at Merrill Auditorium
Sat. Nov 26 at 2pm & 7pm
Sun. Nov 27 at 2pm
Fri. Dec 2 at 7pm
Sat. Dec 3 at 2pm & 7pm
Sun. Dec 4 at 2pm
Purchase Your Tickets through PortTix - tickets.porttix.com
Ticket Prices - $55, $45, $35, $25 and $20
Senior and Child Discounts
Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen
Portland Stage is creating an enchanting new Mainstage holiday production of The Snow Queen, the beloved fairy tale of devotion, bravery and the triumph of love. When Gerda’s best friend Kai is bewitched and imprisoned by the mysterious Snow Queen, the young girl embarks on a journey to the land of winter to save him. With magical characters from crows to rosebushes to reindeer, Andersen’s story has warmed the hearts of children and adults around the world for almost 200 years.
December 2nd - 24th
TICKET PRICING
Regular Senior(65+) Students(13-25) Children(12 & under)
December 3 - 5 $30 $27 $15.00 $12
December 9- 12 $35 $32 $17.50 $12
December 16 - 24 $40 $37 $20.00 $12
Magic of Christmas
Join Robert Moody and special guests for a brand-new production of what critics and audiences are calling Maine’s finest holiday extravaganza. Celebrate the traditions, story and spirit of the season — experience the Magic for yourself, several shows between December 8th - 19th!
Above content provided by Portland's Downtown District