VariesFeatured
Seasonal & Holiday
St. Mary of Carmen Festival
Nonantum’s four-day Italian street feast — processions, a midway, sausage carts and fireworks.
Sat, Aug 22 – Aug 22
Nonantum
4.9(421)Things to do in Newton
65 results across all 13 villages
- FreeFeaturedOutdoors & Parks
Chestnut Hill Reservoir Loop
A flat 1.5-mile gravel loop around open water, with the Boston skyline on the far side.
Chestnut Hill
4.8(412) - $9–$16FeaturedArts & Culture
West Newton Cinema
A community-owned 1937 movie house showing indies, foreign film and matinee classics on six screens.
West Newton
4.8(356) - VariesFeaturedShopping
Newtonville Books
A beloved independent bookstore with a serious author-event calendar and excellent staff picks.
Newtonville
4.9(288) - $5–$30FeaturedFood & Drink
Nonantum Bakery Crawl
Generational Italian bakeries within a few blocks — cannoli, ricotta pie, and bread by noon.
Nonantum
4.8(312) - FreeFeaturedOutdoors & Parks
Hemlock Gorge Reservation & Echo Bridge
Hemlock-shaded trails above a rocky river gorge, with a stone aqueduct arch that echoes fifteen times.
Newton Highlands
4.8(276) - $10FeaturedOutdoors & Parks
Crystal Lake Beach
Newton’s only public swimming beach — spring-fed, lifeguarded, and a ten-minute walk from Newton Centre.
Newton Centre
4.6(341) - VariesFeaturedFamily & Kids
Newton Community Farm
The city’s last working farm — a farmstand, kids’ programs, and 300 years of continuous cultivation.
Thompsonville
4.9(187) - FreeFeaturedArts & Culture
Echo Bridge Photo Walk
The classic Newton shot: a stone arch over a gorge, best in the last hour of light in October.
Newton Upper Falls
4.8(197) - VariesFeaturedFood & Drink
Newtonville Farmers Market
A long-running Tuesday market on Walnut Street — produce, bread, flowers and prepared food.
Thu, Jul 30 · 1:30 PM–6:30 PM
Newtonville
4.7(203) - FreeFeaturedSeasonal & Holiday
Newton Centre Green Summer Concert
Free Thursday-evening concerts on the triangle green — bring a blanket and dinner from the square.
Fri, Jul 31 – Jul 31
Newton Centre
4.7(189) - FreeFeaturedOutdoors & Parks
Nahanton Park
Meadows, woods and a canoe launch on the Charles — Newton’s premier birding spot at 180+ species.
Oak Hill
4.8(164) - $10–$15FeaturedSeasonal & Holiday
Fall Harvest Festival at the Farm
Cider pressing, hayrides, a pie contest and live bluegrass on the farm’s one big public day.
Sat, Oct 3 · 11:00 AM–4:00 PM
Thompsonville
4.8(142) - VariesFeaturedShopping
Newton Highlands Village Square Stroll
Two blocks of independent shops — bookseller, bakery, hardware store, florist — around the Green Line stop.
Newton Highlands
4.6(154) - FreeFeaturedOutdoors & Parks
Cochituate Aqueduct Trail
A dead-flat grassy path along a buried 19th-century aqueduct, running for miles through backyards and woods.
Waban
4.7(121) - FreeFeaturedOutdoors & Parks
Auburndale Cove & Riverside Playground
A gentle Charles River cove with a sandy edge, big shade trees and one of Newton’s best-loved playgrounds.
Auburndale
4.7(96) - FreeFamily & Kids
Newton Free Library
One of the busiest public libraries in Massachusetts: huge children’s wing, museum passes, quiet study floors.
Newton Centre
4.9(508) - $8–$32Food & Drink
Dessert Crawl: Newton Centre Square
Four dessert stops within three blocks — ice cream, gelato, French pastry and a late-night cookie.
Newton Centre
4.8(226) - $22–$45Fitness
Charles River Canoe & Kayak — Newton Launch
Rent a kayak, canoe or paddleboard and put in on the flattest, prettiest water in the metro area.
Auburndale
4.8(214) - FreeOutdoors & Parks
Cold Spring Park Trails
67 acres of woodland loop trails, a cross-country course, and a Tuesday farmers market in season.
Newton Highlands
4.7(231) - $18–$34Food & Drink
Red Sauce Sunday Dinner
Old-school Italian-American dining rooms — chicken parm the size of a hubcap, at family prices.
Nonantum
4.6(244) - VariesShopping
The Street Chestnut Hill
An open-air shopping block with big-name retail, a cinema, and better-than-average patio dining.
Chestnut Hill
4.4(287) - FreeSeasonal & Holiday
West Newton Fourth of July Parade
Newton’s hometown Independence Day parade — decorated bikes, fire trucks, and a whole lot of candy.
Sun, Jul 4 · 10:00 AM–12:00 PM
West Newton
4.7(198) - $30–$60Food & Drink
Upper Falls Dinner on the River
Converted-mill dining rooms with exposed brick and a patio over the water — Newton’s best dinner setting.
Newton Upper Falls
4.5(213) - FreeArts & Culture
Boston College Campus Walk & Bapst Library
Collegiate Gothic towers, a hilltop reservoir view, and a reading room that looks like a cathedral.
Chestnut Hill
4.7(168) - FreeFitness
Upper Falls Greenway
A flat, paved rail-trail through the old mill district, with public art and a mile of easy walking.
Newton Upper Falls
4.6(158) - $12–$45Nightlife
Newtonville Restaurant Row
The village’s rebuilt Washington Street strip now holds Newton’s densest cluster of good bars.
Newtonville
4.5(176) - $20–$45Food & Drink
West Newton Main Street Dinner & a Movie
Eat on Washington Street, walk fifty feet to the cinema — Newton’s easiest night out.
West Newton
4.5(172) - FreeFitness
Charles River Greenway — Newton Corner Access
Hop onto the paved riverside path here and ride all the way into Boston without a traffic light.
Newton Corner
4.6(143) - $8–$12Fitness
Albemarle Field & Gath Pool
Newton’s big public pool complex plus turf fields, a track and a summer-long swim program.
Newtonville
4.4(167) - FreeSeasonal & Holiday
Nonantum Village Day
A one-day neighborhood block party with a road race, a parade, and the fire department’s hose spray.
Sat, Sep 5 · 10:00 AM–4:00 PM
Nonantum
4.7(118) - VariesFood & Drink
Chestnut Hill Farmers Market
Massachusetts growers, prepared food, and live music in the plaza on Saturday mornings.
Sun, Aug 2 · 9:00 AM–1:00 PM
Chestnut Hill
4.5(132) - $3–$25Food & Drink
Farm Stand Afternoon Pickup
Same-day-picked vegetables, eggs and flowers from a farmstand you can walk to from Newton Centre.
Fri, Jul 31 · 2:00 PM–6:00 PM
Thompsonville
4.8(96) - FreeSeasonal & Holiday
Waban Village Winter Tree Lighting
A small, genuinely charming tree lighting in the square with carols, cocoa and a fire truck Santa.
Fri, Dec 4 · 3:30 PM–4:30 PM
Waban
4.8(87) - $4–$14Food & Drink
Lower Falls Coffee & Pastry Stop
A small café on the Route 16 corner — good espresso, better scones, six seats.
Newton Lower Falls
4.6(104) - $4–$16Food & Drink
Waban Square Coffee & Village Errands
One block, one coffee shop, one market, one pharmacy — the platonic ideal of a small village square.
Waban
4.5(108) - FreeOutdoors & Parks
Pellegrini Park Bocce Courts
Real bocce courts with real regulars — show up, watch a while, and you will get invited in.
Nonantum
4.7(86) - FreeSeasonal & Holiday
Oak Hill Winter Sledding Hill
A long, open slope that becomes the neighborhood sledding destination after every storm.
Oak Hill
4.6(94) - FreeArts & Culture
West Newton Hill Architecture Walk
Grand Victorians, Shingle Style porches and Colonial Revivals on Newton’s most photogenic hill.
West Newton
4.6(94) - $14–$28Food & Drink
Newton Corner Sunday Brunch Row
Three brunch spots within a block of the Washington Street rotary, none of them requiring a reservation.
Newton Corner
4.3(118) - $15Family & Kids
Seed-to-Table Kids Workshop
A ninety-minute farm session for ages 4–8: plant something, harvest something, eat something.
Sun, Aug 2 · 9:30 AM–11:00 AM
Thompsonville
4.9(63) - FreeFamily & Kids
Newton Corner Playground at Cabot
Shaded modern play structures, a toddler section, and a splash pad in summer.
Newton Corner
4.5(88) - FreeArts & Culture
Mill District Studio Open House
Working artists open their mill-building studios one weekend each season — painting, ceramics, glass.
Sat, Aug 15 · 11:00 AM–5:00 PM
Newton Upper Falls
4.7(71) - FreeFamily & Kids
Auburndale Library Story Hour
Songs, rhymes and picture books for toddlers and preschoolers at the Auburndale branch.
Sat, Aug 1 · 10:30 AM–11:30 AM
Auburndale
4.9(58) - VariesFitness
Highlands Yoga in the Park
Donation-based outdoor vinyasa on the Cold Spring Park lawn, Saturday mornings.
Sun, Aug 2 · 8:30 AM–9:30 AM
Newton Highlands
4.7(68) - VariesNightlife
Trivia Night in the Square
Tuesday-night pub trivia in Newton Centre — teams of up to six, no cover.
Thu, Jul 30 – Jul 30
Newton Centre
4.4(91) - $18–$30Arts & Culture
Community Theatre Night in the Highlands
Local companies stage plays and musicals in a small Highlands house — tickets under $30.
Fri, Aug 7 – Aug 7
Newton Highlands
4.5(79) - FreeFitness
Charles River Canoe Launch at Nahanton
Put in on the Charles’s quiet southern bend — no motorboats, no crowds, herons everywhere.
Oak Hill
4.7(61) - FreeFitness
Auburndale Park Pickleball Courts
Four striped courts, open play mornings, and a very welcoming regular crowd.
Auburndale
4.5(73) - FreeOutdoors & Parks
Oak Hill Conservation Trails
Quiet, rooty single-track through Newton’s biggest stretch of unbroken woodland.
Oak Hill
4.5(72) - FreeFitness
Reservoir Sunset Run Club
A no-drop group run around the Reservoir every Thursday evening, all paces welcome.
Fri, Jul 31 – Jul 31
Chestnut Hill
4.6(64) - FreeFitness
Lower Falls Aqueduct to West Newton Ride
A flat six-mile out-and-back on quiet streets and aqueduct paths, ending at coffee.
West Newton
4.5(66) - $10Arts & Culture
Newton History Walking Tour
A 90-minute docent-led walk through the city’s first settled village and its Victorian streetscape.
Tue, Aug 4 · 2:00 PM–3:30 PM
Newton Corner
4.7(52) - FreeOutdoors & Parks
Farlow Park
A Victorian-era pocket park with a pond, weeping willows and Newton’s oldest planted landscape.
Newton Corner
4.4(67) - VariesFamily & Kids
Nahanton Park Community Gardens
Over a hundred garden plots on a sunny hillside — open to walk through, with a waitlist to grow.
Oak Hill
4.6(55) - FreeFamily & Kids
Hemlock Gorge Family Nature Hunt
A ranger-guided scavenger hunt through the gorge for ages 5–10, ending under Echo Bridge.
Sun, Aug 9 · 10:00 AM–11:30 AM
Newton Upper Falls
4.8(44) - FreeOutdoors & Parks
Charles River Path — Lower Falls Riverbank
A short, pretty riverside walk past old mill dams where the Charles drops toward Wellesley.
Newton Lower Falls
4.4(62) - FreeFamily & Kids
Newton Farmers Market Kids’ Craft Table
A free craft and seed-planting table for kids alongside the Tuesday market.
Thu, Jul 30 · 2:00 PM–5:00 PM
Newtonville
4.6(51) - FreeOutdoors & Parks
Blue Heron Bridge Crossing
A pedestrian bridge over the Charles connecting Newton to Wellesley — great heron spotting at dusk.
Newton Lower Falls
4.6(47) - FreeFitness
Waban Hill Tennis Courts
Public hard courts with a backboard, rarely a wait outside weekend mornings.
Waban
4.3(57) - FreeFamily & Kids
Angier Woods Short Loop
A twenty-minute wooded loop that feels like a real hike to a five-year-old.
Waban
4.4(48) - FreeFamily & Kids
Lower Falls Playground & Ball Field
A quiet neighborhood playground that never feels crowded, with a full ball field beside it.
Newton Lower Falls
4.4(39) - FreeArts & Culture
Norumbega Tower
A stone tower built in 1889 to commemorate a Viking settlement that almost certainly never happened.
Auburndale
4.3(41) - FreeFitness
Thompsonville Neighborhood Loop Walk
A flat two-mile residential loop linking the farm, Nahanton Park and Winchester Street.
Thompsonville
4.3(37) - FreeArts & Culture
Mill Village Architecture Walk
A self-guided loop past 19th-century mill housing, a 1811 church, and the old paper works.
Newton Lower Falls
4.2(33)
