Newbury Street Goes Car-Free for 8 Hours Dec. 6 as Open Newbury Holiday Stroll Returns

Newbury Street will shut to cars for eight hours on Sunday, Dec. 6, as the Open Newbury Holiday Stroll returns for a third year to close out a season the city says drew close to 100,000 people. Mayor Michelle Wu’s office announced the date on Oct. 30.

Dec. 6 event date · 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. car-free hours · 6 a.m. parking enforcement starts · Dec. 13 weather date

Street closures and parking rules

The route matches the summer series, with Newbury Street closed to vehicles from Berkeley Street to Massachusetts Avenue from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., according to the city’s announcement. The cross streets at Fairfield, Gloucester and Hereford will also be car-free. The other intersections, including Clarendon, Dartmouth and Exeter, stay open so emergency vehicles and regular traffic can get across the Back Bay.

Parking will be restricted on Newbury Street and some cross streets starting at 6 a.m., and the city says signs will be posted to warn drivers. Anyone who usually parks on Newbury on a Sunday morning should move their car before 6 a.m. to avoid a ticket or tow. If bad weather forces a postponement, the event moves to Sunday, Dec. 13. For other closures around the city, check our Boston road closures and traffic page.

What the city and businesses say

“We invite residents and visitors to enjoy this beloved Boston tradition and celebrate the season together,” Wu said in the release. Chris Osgood, the city’s interim chief of streets, called the stroll “a beloved annual tradition” and urged people to support small businesses this season.

The city is encouraging Newbury Street businesses to use their outdoor space for family-friendly activities, pop-up parklets and brand activations. City Councilor Sharon Durkan, who represents the Back Bay, said she was “thrilled to see the Holiday Stroll return for a third year.” Meg Mainzer-Cohen, president of the Back Bay Association, said the event brings “unique visitors” to what she called a “world-famous Victorian boutique shopping district,” and encouraged visitors to explore the rest of the neighborhood too.

By the numbers: the 2026 Open Newbury season

The city says this year’s Open Newbury program involved more than 100 businesses and welcomed close to 100,000 participants over nine events. That works out to roughly 11,000 people per event on average, by TBR calculations. The city’s figures are its own estimates and do not say how attendance was counted.

Sources: City of Boston, Oct. 30 and June 2026 releases; TBR calculations.

The city’s June schedule announcement listed ten summer and fall Sundays, from July 12 to Oct. 11, while the Oct. 30 release counts nine events. The city did not explain the difference in the release. The June announcement said the car-free stretch runs about a mile across eight blocks, and Durkan said then that more than 400 businesses operate on Newbury Street.

How Open Newbury got here

Open Newbury began as a pilot in 2016, according to the city, and has grown into a regular summer program listed on the Boston Transportation Department’s Open Newbury Street page. The Holiday Stroll was added in 2024 to extend the idea into the winter shopping season. The city used a similar car-free approach on Halloween, when more than 100 Boston streets went car-free for trick-or-treaters.

Planning your visit

Newbury Street is a short walk from the Copley, Arlington and Hynes Convention Center Green Line stations, which avoids the parking limits altogether. If you are making a day of it, the new Daily Provisions on Boylston Street is a block away. For more holiday events around the city, see our Boston events calendar.

Sources

• City of Boston: Mayor Michelle Wu Announces 2026 Open Newbury: Holiday Stroll (Oct. 30, 2026)
• City of Boston: 2026 Open Newbury schedule announced
• City of Boston: Open Newbury Street
• Six State Signal: Boston sets Dec. 6 for car-free Newbury Street holiday stroll