City Hall Plaza comes alive with kid-friendly art activities from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Over at CanalSide Food + Drink in Cambridge, puppet shows keep the little ones entertained all afternoon, running from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Skaters can hit the ice rink until 6:30 p.m. By 5 p.m., the upbeat sounds of Afro-pop band Koliba kick off near City Hall, getting everyone ready for the evening fun.

As night falls, a colorful parade winds through the streets to Boston Common, where fireworks light up the sky at 7 p.m. for an early show. The evening rocks with music from The Femmes, while DJ WhySham keeps the crowd moving. Nancia brings powerful R&B, and STL GLD delivers hard-hitting hip-hop. At midnight, fireworks paint the harbor sky for the grand finale.

Smart partiers should grab the Red, Blue, Green, or Orange line trains downtown, and taking the commuter rail to Back Bay station is also a solid choice. You’ll also want to make sure you’re dressed warmly, New Year’s Eve in Boston can get pretty cold.