boston mayor trolley tour

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Mayor's Enchanted Trolley Tour

Boston’s Enchanted Trolley Tour continues the festive tradition of lighting holiday trees throughout Boston.

For the 27th year, the Mayor's Enchanted Trolley Tour will continue the festive tradition of lighting holiday trees while bringing holiday spirit to children across Boston. The event is sponsored by Bank of America, and includes visits with Santa, tree lightings, and more.

This year, the Mayor's Enchanted Trolley Tour will start on Saturday, December 2 , and end on Sunday, December 3 , in neighborhoods throughout Boston.

Have questions? Contact:

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Enchanted Trolley Tour 2023 flyer

Upcoming Trolley Days

There are no related events available at this time!

Enchanted Trolley Dates and locations

Saturday, december 2.

• 11 a.m. - Hastings Lot, West Roxbury 
• 12 p.m. - Wolcott Square, Readville
• 1 p.m. - Mattapan Square
• 2 p.m. - Hyde Square, Jamaica Plain 
• 3 p.m. - J.P. Monument, Jamaica Plain
• 3:45 p.m. - Brigham Circle, Mission Hill
• 4:30 p.m. - Bolling Building, Roxbury
• 5:45 p.m. - Blackstone Square, South End
• 6:45 p.m. - Oak Square, Brighton  

Sunday, December 3

• 12 p.m. - Codman Square, Dorchester
• 1 p.m. - Adams Corner, Dorchester
• 2 p.m. - M Street Park, South Boston
• 3 p.m. - Beach Street and Harrison Ave, Chinatown
• 4 p.m. - Paul Revere Mall, North End
• 5 p.m. - Winthrop Square (the Training Field), Charlestown
• 6:15 p.m. - Maverick Square, East Boston 

Who's Involved:

Mayor’s Enchanted Trolly Tour Schedule

Boston’s Enchanted Trolley Tour continues the festive tradition of lighting holiday trees throughout Boston.

For the 27th year, the Mayor’s Enchanted Trolley Tour will continue the festive tradition of lighting holiday trees while bringing holiday spirit to children across Boston. The event is sponsored by Bank of America, and includes visits with Santa, tree lightings, and more.

This year, the Mayor’s Enchanted Trolley Tour will start on Saturday, December 2, and end on Sunday December 3, in neighborhoods throughout Boston.

11 a.m. – Hastings Lot, West Roxbury

2 p.m. – Hyde Square, Jamaica Plain

3 p.m. – J.P. Monument, Jamaica Plain

3:45 p.m. – Brigham Circle, Mission Hill

4:30 p.m. – Bolling Building, Roxbury

4 p.m. – Paul Revere Mall, North End

5 p.m. – Winthrop Square (the Training Field), Charlestown

6:15 p.m. – Maverick Square, East Boston

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GALLERY: Scenes from the “Mayor’s Enchanted Trolley Tour”

By Mohan Ge Boston University News Service

Over the past weekend, Mayor Michelle Wu led her first “ Mayor’s Enchanted Trolley Tour .”

Boston University News Service photographer Mohan Ge was there to capture the city holiday tradition that spans multiple neighborhoods in Boston, complete with lighting trees and Santa.

Scenes from the celebration:

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Mayor's Enchanted Trolley Tour

Where: https://www.boston.gov/departments/tourism-sports-and-entertainment/mayors-enchanted-trolley-tour Neighborhoods across Boston Neighborhoods across Boston Boston , MA

Admission: FREE

Categories: Kid Friendly, Outside, Party

Event website: https://www.boston.gov/departments/tourism-sports-and-entertainment/mayors-enchanted-trolley-tour

For the 26th year, the Mayor's Enchanted Trolley Tour will continue the festive tradition of lighting holiday trees while bringing holiday spirit to children across Boston. The event is sponsored by Bank of America, with a special thanks to CityView Trolley Tours, and includes visits with Santa, tree lightings, and more.

This year, the Mayor's Enchanted Trolley Tour will start on  Saturday, December 3 , and end on  Sunday, December 4 , in neighborhoods throughout Boston.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3

11 a.m. - Hastings Lot, West Roxbury 

12 p.m. - Wolcott Square, Readville

1 p.m. - Mattapan Square

2 p.m. - Hyde Square, Jamaica Plain 

3 p.m. - J.P. Monument, Jamaica Plain

3:45 p.m. - Brigham Circle, Mission Hill

4:30 p.m. - Bolling Building, Roxbury

5:45 p.m. - Blackstone Square, South End

6:45 p.m. - Oak Square, Brighton  

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4

12 p.m. - Codman Square, Dorchester

1 p.m. - Adams Corner, Dorchester

2 p.m. - M Street Park, South Boston

3 p.m. - Beach Street and Harrison Ave, Chinatown

4 p.m. - Paul Revere Mall, North End

5 p.m. - Thompson Square, Charlestown

6:15 p.m. - Maverick Square, East Boston 

Follow the Mayor’s Office of Tourism, Sports, and Entertainment on social media @VisitBostonCity and visit boston.gov/visiting-boston to learn about more free, family-friendly events happening in the City of Boston.

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Salem tour guides could soon be required to pay licensing fees

The proposed fee, paid annually, would cost tour guides with groups of 10 or less $150, groups of 11 to 29  $250, and groups of 30 to 40 $350, by jericho tran • published april 18, 2024 • updated on april 18, 2024 at 8:10 pm.

While tourism can be a real treat in Salem , Massachusetts, the city says the costs are tricky. 

“Costs are starting to get close to a point where they’ll exceed the direct revenues the city brings in from things like parking and license fees,” said Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo. 

The city can draw tens of thousands of visitors a day during the busy Halloween season . With more licensed tour guides in the city as the area continues to grow in popularity, a change in license fees was proposed during the city council meeting last week. 

According to a letter from the mayor to city councilors, there are 175 licensed tour guides in the city, up from 28 in 2006 when the original ordinance went into effect.

Get Boston local news, weather forecasts, lifestyle and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Boston’s newsletters.

Tour guides who spoke with NBC10 Boston say the proposal came as a surprise.

“We found out about this on a Wednesday night and the city council meeting was on a Thursday and so we have less than 24 hours to put our ducks in a row,” said Jeffrey Lilley, a tour guide at Salem Uncovered. 

The proposed fee, paid annually, would cost tour guides with groups of 10 or less $150, groups of 11 to 29  $250, and groups of 30 to 40 $350. It also includes a discount of $50 for guides who don't use any form of amplification.  It also increases fees for violations.

“This year, my license cost me $10. Next year they want me to pay $350. I employ a few guides in the season so that would be $1,400 that I would then I have to spend on guide fees,” said Lilley. 

While Pangallo says this should only be the difference of adding a few extra cents to ticket prices, tour guides disagree.

“To say it's just a few cents on a ticket well then that would mean me imposing on a ticket which is technically not legal.”

If passed in the public hearing, the proposal would go into effect as soon as January 2025. 

“Hopefully we come out with a resolution that fits everyone's needs, and is something we can shoulder and something that's gonna benefit the city,” said Lilley. 

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The mayor called 26.TRUE the ‘real’ Boston marathon. Here’s why it’s unique.

Follow along with live updates from the 2024 Boston Marathon here

When Jeremy Guevara ran the Boston Marathon in 2022, one thought got stuck in his head as he jogged through suburban towns: “I wasn’t even supposed to be there.”

Everything about Guevara, a first-generation Latino weighing 250 pounds, stood out amid the sea of mostly white, lanky athletes trekking through Hopkinton, Wellesley, Newton, and Brookline.

“You don’t want to feel that way, especially when you’re already doing something really hard,” Guevara said.

The unmissable fact that the Boston Marathon is overwhelmingly white helped fuel the creation of the race Guevara ran this weekend over the more historic one: 26.TRUE, a marathon course entirely within the city of Boston that organizers and advocates say is crucial to ensuring that people of color see long distance running as a viable and welcoming sport.

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“The fact that you can look around you and there’s people that look like you and they feel like you belong is really important to us,” Guevara said.

On Saturday, Guevara ran 26.TRUE for the first time. At the starting line in Roxbury, Guevara said he was looking forward to running along on the route of the 32 bus, which he took every day as a child in Roslindale.

“The energy’s palpable. We’re ready to take on the streets. Everyone’s excited,” he said.

26.TRUE emerged in 2021 during the woes of the COVID-19 pandemic, when social distancing forced the Boston Marathon online. Members of the PIONEERS Run Crew thought it was “our chance to have our own route,” said Aliese Lash, one of the group’s captains.

Instead of running through Boston’s affluent suburbs, the 26.TRUE route spans most of Boston’s neighborhoods, with runners hitting Dorchester Avenue, River Street, Massachusetts Avenue, and Commonwealth Avenue, among other major throughways.

Lash said the 26.TRUE route is tailored to contrast with the public image of Boston; it lets participants who might not frequent Dorchester, Roxbury, or Mattapan learn more about these enclaves that contribute to the city’s culture nonetheless.

“When people think of Boston, they think of Downtown, or Newbury Street, Copley, or The [TD] Garden,” said Lash, who lives in Roxbury. “The neighborhoods where we live are so beautiful, so culturally diverse, and have so much to offer. That’s the city we know.”

The PIONEERS runners thought their marathon would be a one-time thing, but growing interest in the race convinced them “there’s something much bigger here,” said Lash. They convened again in 2022 along the same route, with more branding, sponsors, participation. Three years in, and it’s even bigger.

“This year, we had to cap it at 200 runners,” Lash said.

Early Saturday, Mayor Michelle Wu greeted runners at the starting line in Roxbury and called the event the “real” Boston marathon.

“We are going to support you all every step of the way every year as this grows,” she said before signaling the start, sending a phalanx of runners pouring from a parking lot and onto Dale Street, where they would return for the finish line.

An hour or so later found 31-year-old Safiya Gibbons running through Hyde Park, where her family cheered her on wearing purple T-shirts that read “Safiya’s Cheer Squad.” Her sister, Afiya Gibbons, said the family planned to follow Safiya along the route and root her on from different locations.

“This is the marathon to me, personally, because we’re actually running through Boston,” Afiya Gibbons said.

The growth of 26.TRUE, organizers said, proves there’s a hunger in Boston’s communities of color for long distance running. But the barriers to entry are high, and BIPOC representation of marathoners, let alone Black Americans, is scarce.

To be sure, the BAA has taken steps to make the Boston Marathon more accessible, including partnering with local groups to bring more people into the field. In 2021, the BAA launched the Boston Running Collaborative to expose neighborhoods of color to the many benefits of the sport, and worked with the city of Boston’s equity cabinet to give invitational bibs to runners who might not otherwise qualify.

Still, the number of people of color in the Boston Marathon has increased by small amounts. The BAA gives participants the option to fill out demographic questions ahead of the race. Of runners who responded, fewer than 1.5 percent identified as Black or African American, roughly 9 percent said they are Latino or Hispanic, and 10 percent Asian or Pacific Islander.

“We don’t see as much diversity as we’d like to see in the race, but we do feel like we’re making progress in that area,” said Scott Stover, the Boston Athletic Association’s chief marketing officer.

Black Americans have been in the peripherals of long distance running despite their massive contributions to the sport, said Jacob Fredericks, an assistant professor studying the history of long distance running at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He pointed to Ted Corbitt, the first Black American to run the Olympic marathon, in 1952, and Louis “Lou” White, who recorded what was at the time the fastest finish for a Black American at the Boston Marathon in 1949.

The two pushed for Boston’s running clubs to open their ranks to Black Americans, and created space for other aspiring marathoners through informal meetups across the East Coast.

“There are these Black American pioneers who are foundational to the creation of American marathoning as we know it today, but aren’t represented in the stories we tell ourselves about who a marathoner is,” Fredericks said.

Sports news coverage often focuses on Black sprinters rather than those in distance events, said Rochelle Solomon, a cofounder of the Black Unicorn Marathoners, which aims to build community among BIPOC Boston Marathon participants.

“Unfortunately, I don’t remember waking up and seeing runners like me run the Marathon,” Solomon said. “If I can’t see an image, I can’t see myself in that position.”

It does not help that running a marathon can be expensive. To enter the Boston Marathon, you must either qualify with a fast running time, volunteer to raise money for one of the event’s major partner charities, or receive an invitation from the BAA. It costs between $230 and $375 to register, depending on whether you’re a qualified US resident, qualified international participant, or invitational runner. Meanwhile, the 26.TRUE organizers charged $75 to $100 to register for this year’s event, depending on how early a runner signed up.

The Boston Marathon registration fees are on par with the other five major world marathons, but the fund-raising minimum for non-qualifying runners is far higher here. Most participants for the Tokyo marathon must raise at least $650, and $3,000 for the New York City Marathon. For Boston? At least $5,000.

Solomon said cost and time to prepare for a 26.2-mile race, along with the stresses of everyday life, might make a fund-raising or marathon goal unattainable for people with less money and time constraints.

“Folks have different concerns, different worries, and physical activity and running may not be one that’s ranked high,” Solomon said.

Then there was the now-notorious incident in the 2023 Boston Marathon, when Newton police officers blocked members of PIONEERS and TrailblazHers Run Co. , another running group for people of color, from interacting with runners on the course. On Thursday, TrailblazHers sued the BAA and Newton Police Department for its handling of the incident.

Jean Mike Remy, who is Black and a member of the PIONEERS, was watching the Marathon in Newton last year when police intervened and said the experience prompted him to “sign up immediately” for the 26.TRUE event.

“This is the only race in Boston I want to do,” the 40-year-old Remy said Saturday.

At the end of the race on Dale Street, every runner got to break through tape at the finish line as onlookers cheered and rang cow bells. Runners were also given medals bearing a map of the race course and the words “26.TRUE OUR CITY OUR WAY” and “PIONEERS RUN CREW.”

Peter Campbell, 38, traveled from Brooklyn, N.Y., to run 26.TRUE. He said he is using the race as training as he tries to qualify for the Boston Marathon. And while the 26.TRUE is untimed, he was the third runner to reach the finish line.

“I’ve never really seen the city so this was like my tour guide,” Campbell said. “It was great.”

Ariana Martinez, 28, who grew up in Mattapan, said she trained on the Boston Marathon route to run 26.TRUE. At the finish line, she called the experience “exhilarating.”

“It was so much fun to go by your neighborhood, see young kids cheering you on,” Martinez, whose family members and some co-workers were along the route for her.

“You’re running with your community,” Martinez said. “You’re running with people who grew up in the city.”

Tiana Woodard is a Report for America corps member covering Black neighborhoods. She can be reached at [email protected] . Follow her @tianarochon . Laura Crimaldi can be reached at [email protected] . Follow her @lauracrimaldi .

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Mayor Walsh to host 'Mayor on Main' Trolley Tour

The tour will celebrate the 22nd Annual Boston Main Streets Awards

Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced the return of the "Mayor on Main" trolley tour, a four-day event highlighting Boston's Main Streets (BMS) districts, beginning next week. During Mayor on Main, Mayor Walsh will visit businesses and present the 22nd Annual Boston Main Streets Award, which recognize an outstanding business owner and volunteer from each district. This year's Mayor on Main tour will be held Tuesday, June 26, Wednesday, June 27, Thursday, June 28, and Saturday, June 30, 2018.

"I'm excited for another year of the 'Mayor on Main' trolley tour, which is an incredible opportunity  to celebrate some of Boston's most dynamic small businesses," said Mayor Walsh, "From employing neighbors, contributing to local nonprofits and civic life, to investing in neighborhood improvement efforts, Boston's Main Streets are committed to their communities. I'm proud of initiatives like Boston Main Streets and business improvement districts, which support our local small business economy and I encourage everyone to visit, support, and explore Boston's small, local establishments."

Boston's 40,000 small businesses fuel the City's economy and generate $15 billion in annual revenue, and 170,000 jobs.  Boston Main Streets  provides funding and technical assistance to 20 neighborhood-based Main Streets districts throughout the City of Boston, and has served as a national model for urban areas seeking to revitalize neighborhood commercial districts. Boston Main Streets continues to empower individuals in the small business sector to have a direct role in the economic health, physical appearance, and development of their own community.

"The success of our local commercial districts is driven by the personal commitments of our main streets small business owners and community volunteers," said Joel Sklar, Board Chair for the Boston Main Streets Foundation. "We're proud to recognize individuals across all 20 districts who have become strong ambassadors for their neighborhoods and showcase the deep and lasting value of their hard work and personal contributions."

The tour will include 12 stops over the course of four days:

Tuesday, June 26

1:30 PM - Greater Ashmont - Zia Gianna Caffe

2:30 PM - Four Corners - 4 Corners Yoga + Wellness

Also honoring Fields Corner - Fresh Food Generation Café

3:30PM - Bowdoin-Geneva - Cape Verdean Taste

Also honoring Upham's Corner - Upham's Corner Health Center

Also honoring Greater Grove Hall - Lulu's Barbershop & Salon

Wednesday, June 27

1:30 PM - West Roxbury - Himalayan Bistro

Also honoring Roslindale Village - Birch St. House & Garden

2:30 PM - Hyde Park - Akiki & Sons

3:30 PM - Mattapan Square - Hair Stop

Thursday, June 28

1:30 PM - Dudley Square - Castillo's Liquor Store

Also honoring Chinatown - C Mart Supermarket

Also honoring Washington Gateway - Capital One Cafe at Ink Block

2:30 PM - Egleston Square - Sandy Wireless

Also honoring Hyde-Jackson - El Oriental de Cuba Restaurant

3:30 PM - JP Centre-South - Fresh Hair Salon

Saturday, June 30th

10:00 AM - East Boston - Jendriel Collision Center

11:00 AM - Allston Village - Coreanos Allston

Also honoring Brighton - Rockland Trust

12:00 PM -  Mission Hill - The Laughing Monk Café

The City of Boston operates the  Small Business Center , which serves as a one-stop neighborhood resource for small business owners and entrepreneurs ready to grow their businesses. In partnership with more than a dozen leading business service organizations, the City of Boston's Small Business Center provides high-impact professional training, networking and one-on-one coaching sessions during the first nine-week summer series in Mattapan.

One of the goals of the small business center is to empower minority and women-owned businesses. Entrepreneurs of color comprise 32 percent of all Boston businesses, generate $2.7 billion in revenue and employ 32,000 people, while 35 percent of small businesses in Boston are women-owned.

About The Mayor's Office of Economic Development

The Office of Economic Development's mission is to make Boston an appealing and accessible place for working families, entrepreneurs, businesses, and investors to innovate, grow, and thrive in a way that fosters inclusion, broadens opportunity, and shares prosperity, thereby enhancing the quality of life for all Bostonians and the experience for all visitors. Learn more on their  website .

About Boston Main Streets

Developed out of a partnership between the City of Boston and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Boston Main Streets initiative was created in 1995 as the first urban, multi-district Main Streets program in the nation, with the goal of establishing thriving commercial districts throughout the city. Boston Main Streets is a successful model for urban commercial district revitalization that strengthens local business districts through strong organizational development, community participation, resident and merchant education and sustainable development. Boston Main Streets continues to empower individuals in the small business sector to have a direct role in the economic health, physical appearance, and development of their own community.

About the Boston Main Streets Foundation

The Boston Main Streets Foundation is committed to making Boston's neighborhood commercial districts thriving, vibrant centers of commerce and community through its support of the Boston Main Streets program. The Boston Main Streets Foundation seeks to develop long-term strategies to increase the economic power and resources of neighborhood commercial districts while pursuing initiatives that build knowledge and capacity for Main Streets programs and the businesses they serve.

• Last updated: June 20, 2018

Official websites use .boston.gov

A .boston.gov website belongs to an official government organization in the City of Boston.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Mayor's Enchanted Trolley Tour

Boston’s Enchanted Trolley Tour continues the festive tradition of lighting holiday trees throughout Boston.

For the 27th year, the Mayor's Enchanted Trolley Tour will continue the festive tradition of lighting holiday trees while bringing holiday spirit to children across Boston. The event is sponsored by Bank of America, and includes visits with Santa, tree lightings, and more.

This year, the Mayor's Enchanted Trolley Tour will start on Saturday, December 2 , and end on Sunday, December 3 , in neighborhoods throughout Boston.

Have questions? Contact:

• icon-twitter icon-facebook

Enchanted Trolley Tour 2023 flyer

Upcoming Trolley Days

There are no related events available at this time!

Enchanted Trolley Dates and locations

Saturday, december 2.

• 11 a.m. - Hastings Lot, West Roxbury 
• 12 p.m. - Wolcott Square, Readville
• 1 p.m. - Mattapan Square
• 2 p.m. - Hyde Square, Jamaica Plain 
• 3 p.m. - J.P. Monument, Jamaica Plain
• 3:45 p.m. - Brigham Circle, Mission Hill
• 4:30 p.m. - Bolling Building, Roxbury
• 5:45 p.m. - Blackstone Square, South End
• 6:45 p.m. - Oak Square, Brighton  

Sunday, December 3

• 12 p.m. - Codman Square, Dorchester
• 1 p.m. - Adams Corner, Dorchester
• 2 p.m. - M Street Park, South Boston
• 3 p.m. - Beach Street and Harrison Ave, Chinatown
• 4 p.m. - Paul Revere Mall, North End
• 5 p.m. - Winthrop Square (the Training Field), Charlestown
• 6:15 p.m. - Maverick Square, East Boston 

Who's Involved: