Downtown New Bedford celebrates the holiday season this weekend with its much-loved annual event, dNB Holiday Stroll!

Family-Friendly Fun
Bring the whole family and enjoy a magical afternoon filled with holiday traditions and activities. Start with antique fire truck rides provided by the New Bedford Fire Museum, festive holiday music by the Southcoast Brass Band, and the cheerful sounds of the Seaglass Theater Company Carolers roving the historic cobblestone streets. Catch Santa Claus, who will be greeting kids around Custom House Park, and don’t forget to stop into the numerous shops, restaurants, and galleries throughout dNB!

Shop Local, Support Community
Downtown New Bedford is a hub of local creativity and connection, a sentiment shared by Claudia De Sousa-Baptista, who recently relocated her business, Bushwick Tailors Opportunity Shop, from the Kilburn Mill to 763 Purchase Street in dNB. “I love getting to connect with community in a more immediate way. I see downtown New Bedford as a microcosm of New Bedford as a whole, and I love that about it,” said De Sousa-Baptista. “Plus, it puts my shop in front of more eyeballs!”

When you shop at small businesses, 67 cents of every dollar stays in your community. “Shopping small makes a big impact,” says Elissa Paquette, owner of the boutique Calico on Union Street. Paquette also serves as board president of dNB Inc and has organized dNB Holiday Stroll for the past seven years. “Your dollars can go further than just great gifts!” says Paquette. “Shopping local helps to support jobs, artists and makers, and the overall vibrancy of our entire community.”

In addition to shopping small, dNB Inc has partnered with Walt’s Mobile Closet for a Holiday Toy Drive. Walt’s is a new-to-dNB non-profit that partners with local organizations across the Southcoast to provide clean, weather-ready clothing to folks in need. As part of this year’s Holiday Stroll, Walt’s will be collecting new, unwrapped toys for local kids. “Walt’s is excited to be participating in dNB Holiday Stroll this year,” says Walt’s Executive Director, Whitney Tully. Donate from 12-8pm in Bristol Hall at 752 Purchase Street, where Walt’s Mobile Closet will also be operating a toy train wonderland!  “You can make a monetary donation to support the toy drive,” say Tully. “Or purchase a discounted giftcard, donated from local businesses. All proceeds from giftcard sales will also benefit the toy drive.”

Stroll dNB “After Hours”
As the afternoon winds down, the fun is just getting started! Most downtown shops are staying open until 8 PM, while the nightlife kicks off with live music and holiday specials at local restaurants and bars. Head to The Pour Farm Tavern for acoustic tunes by Beth Barron from 4–6 PM, paired with festive drinks like Santa’s Hot Spiked Cider or a Toasted Marshmallow Martini. Over at Cork Wine & Tapas, sip on a Peppermint Mocha Espresso Martini while enjoying the acoustic magic of Bill Santos, performing live from 5–8 PM. Then, turn up the holiday vibes at Play Arcade, where Anj Kepinski will be spinning live from 8 PM to midnight.

Make this holiday season one to remember at the dNB Holiday Stroll! From shopping and family fun to late-night vibes and live music, there’s a little something for everyone. So grab your crew, hit the cobblestone streets, and experience downtown New Bedford, all decked out for the holidays!

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dNB Holiday Stroll is brought to you by Downtown New Bedford Inc, with sponsorship support from NB Creative and the New Bedford Local Cultural Council.

Downtown New Bedford Inc is a locally-funded, volunteer-run, non-profit organization here to hype our historic downtown in New Bedford, Massachusetts! We provide marketing, place-making and advocacy for the small businesses and stakeholders of the downtown community. Our mission is to bring more people downtown every day to shop, eat, and explore everything dNB has to offer!

Help us make more events like Holiday Stroll happen by supporting dNB Inc with a donation today!