Newbury Street goes car-free again Dec. 6 for the third Holiday Stroll

Newbury Street will close to cars from Berkeley Street to Massachusetts Avenue on Sunday, Dec. 6, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the Open Newbury: Holiday Stroll, Mayor Michelle Wu's office announced Friday. The rain date is Dec. 13.

For Back Bay residents and drivers, that means parking restrictions and partly closed cross streets. For businesses, it is a chance to use the street for holiday shopping.

What the city says

• The route. The same stretch used for the summer Open Newbury series. Fairfield, Gloucester and Hereford streets will be car-free at their intersections with Newbury; other cross streets stay open for public safety access and traffic.
• Parking. Restricted on Newbury and some cross streets, with enforcement starting at 6 a.m. Signs will be posted.
• What happens. The city is encouraging businesses to set up family activities, pop-up parklets and other programming in their outdoor space.
• The season. The stroll closes out a nine-event 2026 Open Newbury season that involved more than 100 businesses and drew close to 100,000 people, according to the city. The holiday edition started in 2024; this is its third year.

"We invite residents and visitors to enjoy this beloved Boston tradition and celebrate the season together," Wu said in the release. City Councilor Sharon Durkan, whose district includes much of the Back Bay, said the holiday season "is the perfect opportunity to open Newbury Street to pedestrians." Chris Osgood, the city's interim chief of streets, called it "a beloved annual tradition."

Who runs the streets

Osgood has led the city's Streets Cabinet on an interim basis since August. Wu named him in late July, weeks after cyclist Louisa Gag was killed while riding her bike to City Hall, WBUR reported. GBH News also covered the appointment. He had served as chief of streets under former Mayor Marty Walsh. At the time, Osgood said he had no update on when a permanent chief would be chosen, according to the Boston Globe's report.

What our records add

Street events like Open Newbury are run by the administration and do not need a council vote. But several street safety items sit in council committees:

• Pedestrian safety. City Councilor Ed Flynn's order for a hearing on pedestrian safety, traffic calming and Vision Zero (docket 0333) has waited 263 days in the Planning, Development and Transportation Committee.
• Bikes and trucks. That committee holds a hearing Thursday, Nov. 5, on City Councilor Benjamin Weber's orders on the bike network plan and heavy truck safety (docket 1542), as we previewed.
• School zones. City Councilor Enrique Pepén's order for a hearing on safe school zones (docket 0327) has waited 263 days.

The council adopted a resolution in September recognizing October as Pedestrian Safety Month (docket 1862).

What's next

The city will post parking signs ahead of Dec. 6. The Nov. 5 bike and truck safety hearing is the next council session on street safety.