The Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau (tel. 888/SEE-BOSTON or 617/536-4100; www.bostonusa.com) operates a regularly updated hot line that describes ongoing and upcoming events. The Mayor's Office of Special Events, Tourism & Film (tel. 617/635-3911; www.cityofboston.gov/calendar) can provide information about specific happenings. If you're planning at the last minute, the "Calendar" section of the Thursday Boston Globe and the "Edge" section of the Friday Boston Herald are always packed with ideas.

January

Martin Luther King, Jr., Birthday Celebration, various locations. Events include musical tributes, gospel concerts, museum displays and programs, readings, speeches, and panel discussions. Check special listings in the Thursday Boston Globe "Calendar" section for specifics. Third Monday in January.

Boston Cooks, various locations. Restaurants throughout the area entertain celebrity chefs and cookbook authors, who design special dinners and take turns behind the stove. Other events include classes, demonstrations, and book signings. Call the Convention & Visitors Bureau (tel. 888/SEE-BOSTON) or visit www.bostoncooks.com. End of January.

Boston Wine Festival, Boston Harbor Hotel and other locations. Tastings, classes, lectures, receptions, and meals provide a lively liquid diversion throughout winter. Call the festival reservation line (tel. 888/660-WINE or 617/330-9355; www.bostonwinefestival.net) for details. January to early April.

Chinese New Year, Chinatown. The dragon parade (which draws a big crowd no matter how cold it is), fireworks, and raucous festivals are part of the celebration. Special programs take place at the Children's Museum (tel. 617/426-8855; www.bostonkids.org). Depending on the Chinese lunar calendar, the holiday falls between January 21 and February 19. In 2006, it's January 29.

February

Black History Month, various locations. Programs include special museum exhibits, children's activities, concerts, films, lectures, discussions, readings, and tours of the Black Heritage Trail led by National Park Service rangers (tel. 617/742-5415; www.nps.gov/boaf). All month.

School Vacation Week, various locations. The slate of activities includes special exhibitions and programs, plays, concerts, and tours. Contact individual attractions for information on programs and extended hours. Third week of February.

March

New England Spring Flower Show, Bayside Expo Center, Dorchester. This annual harbinger of spring, presented by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society (tel. 617/933-4900; www.masshort.org), draws huge crowds starved for a glimpse of green. Plan to take public transit. Second or third week of March.

April

NCAA Women's Basketball Final Four, TD Banknorth Garden. The event -- which sold out months ago -- marks the 25th anniversary of the Women's Final Four. If you're visiting for some other reason, don't expect to be able to find a reasonably priced hotel room or plane ticket. If you can, travel before or after this weekend. April 2 through 4, 2006.

Big Apple Circus (www.bigapplecircus.org), near the South Boston waterfront. The New York-based "one-ring wonder" performs in a heated tent with all seating less than 50 feet from the ring. Proceeds support the Children's Museum. Visit the museum box office or contact Ticketmaster (tel. 617/931-ARTS; www.ticketmaster.com). Early April to early May.

Red Sox Opening Day, Fenway Park. Even if your concierge is a magician, this is an extremely tough ticket. Check ahead (tel. 877/REDSOX-9; www.redsox.com) when tickets for the season go on sale in December. If you can't get tickets to Opening Day, try to see the game on Patriots Day, the third Monday in April. It begins at 11am so spectators can watch the Boston Marathon afterward. Early and mid-April.

Swan Boats Return to the Public Garden. Since their introduction in 1877, the Swan Boats (tel. 617/522-1966; www.swanboats.com) have been a symbol of Boston. Like real swans, they go away for the winter. Saturday before Patriots Day.

Patriots Day, North End, Lexington, and Concord. Festivities commemorate and reenact the events of April 18 and 19, 1775. Lanterns glow in the steeple of the Old North Church (tel. 617/523-6676; www.oldnorth.com). Participants dressed as Paul Revere and William Dawes ride from the Paul Revere House (tel. 617/523-2338; www.paulreverehouse.org) in the North End to Lexington and Concord to warn the Minutemen that "the regulars are out" (not that "the British are coming" -- most colonists considered themselves British). Musket fire rings out on the town green in Lexington and then at the Old North Bridge in Concord. Contact the Lexington Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center (tel. 781/862-1450; www.lexingtonchamber.org), or the Concord Chamber of Commerce (tel. 978/369-3120; www.concordmachamber.org), for information on battle reenactments. Third Monday of April.

Boston Marathon, Hopkinton, Massachusetts, to Boston. International stars and local amateurs join in the world's oldest and most famous marathon (www.bostonmarathon.org). The noon start means that elite runners hit Boston around 2pm; weekend warriors stagger across the Boylston Street finish line as much as 6 hours later. Third Monday of the month.

Freedom Trail Week, various locations in Boston, Cambridge, Lexington, and Concord. This is another school vacation week, with plenty of crowds and diversions. Family-friendly events include tours, concerts, talks, and other programs related to Patriots Day, the Freedom Trail, and the American Revolution. Third week of April.

May

Museum-Goers' Month, various locations. Contact individual museums for details and schedules of special exhibits, lectures, and events. All month.

Boston Kite & Flight Festival, Franklin Park (tel. 617/635-4505). Kites of all shapes and sizes take to the air above a celebration that includes kite-making clinics, music, competitions, and other entertainment. Mid-May.

Lilac Sunday, Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plain. This is the only day of the year that the arboretum (tel. 617/524-1717; www.arboretum.harvard.edu) allows picnicking. From sunrise to sunset, wander the grounds and enjoy the sensational spring flowers, including more than 400 varieties of lilacs in bloom. Mid-May.

Street Performers Festival, Faneuil Hall Marketplace. Everyone but the pigeons gets into the act as musicians, magicians, jugglers, sword swallowers, and artists strut their stuff. Late May.

June

Boston Pride March, Back Bay to Beacon Hill (tel. 617/262-9405; www.bostonpride.org). The largest gay pride parade in New England is the highlight of a weeklong celebration of diversity. The parade, on the second Sunday of the month, starts at Copley Square and ends on Boston Common. Early June.

Dragon Boat Festival, Charles River near Harvard Square, Cambridge (tel. 617/349-4380; www.bostondragonboat.org). Teams of paddlers synchronized by a drummer propel boats with dragon heads and tails as they race 500m (1,640 ft.). The winners go to the national championships; the spectators go to a celebration of Chinese culture and food on the shore. Second or third Sunday of June.

Central Square World's Fair, Cambridge (tel. 617/868-3247; www.cambridgema.gov). This celebration of unity and diversity features the usual food, crafts, and kids' activities -- and a twist that elevates the event far above the usual street festival: local and national musicians (rock, jazz, and blues). Early or mid-June.

Cambridge River Festival (tel. 617/349-4380; www.cambridgeartscouncil.org), Memorial Drive from John F. Kennedy Street to Western Avenue. A salute to the arts, the festival incorporates live music, dancing, children's activities, crafts and art exhibits, and international food on the banks of the Charles. Mid-June.

July

Boston Harborfest, downtown, the waterfront, and the Harbor Islands. The city puts on its Sunday best for the Fourth of July, a gigantic weeklong celebration of Boston's maritime history. Events surrounding Harborfest (tel. 617/227-1528; www.bostonharborfest.com) include concerts, children's activities, cruises, fireworks, the Boston Chowderfest, guided tours, talks, and USS Constitution's turnaround cruise. Beginning of the month (June 28-July 4, 2006).

Boston Pops Concert and Fireworks Display, Hatch Shell, on the Esplanade. Spectators start showing up at dawn (overnight camping is not permitted) for a good spot on the lawn and spend all day waiting for the sky to get dark enough for fireworks. Others show up at the last minute -- the Cambridge side of the river, near Kendall Square, and the Longfellow Bridge are good spots to watch the spectacular aerial show. The program includes the 1812 Overture, with real cannon fire and church bells. For details, check the website (www.july4th.org). July 4.

Boston Globe Jazz & Blues Festival, various locations, indoors and outdoors. Big names and rising stars put on lunchtime, after-work, evening, and weekend performances, some of which are free. Venues include the Hatch Shell on the Esplanade, Newbury Street, and Copley Square. Call the festival hot line (tel. 617/267-4301) or pick up a copy of the paper for a schedule when you arrive in town. Some events require advance tickets. Mid-July.

Puerto Rican Festival, Franklin Park. This 5-day event, instituted in 1967, is part street fair, part cultural celebration, with plenty of live music. Late July.

August

Italian-American Feasts, North End. These weekend street fairs begin in July and end in late August with the two biggest: the Fishermen's Feast and the Feast of St. Anthony. The sublime (fresh seafood prepared while you wait, live music, dancing in the street) mingles with the ridiculous (carnival games, tacky T-shirts, fried-dough stands) to leave a lasting impression of fun and indigestion. Visit www.fishermansfeast.com or www.saintanthonysfeast.com for a preview. Weekends throughout August.

August Moon Festival, Chinatown. A celebration of the harvest and the coming of autumn, the festival (tel. 617/542-2574) includes the "dragon dance" through the crowded streets and demonstrations of crafts and martial arts. Mid-August.

September

Boston Film Festival (tel. 617/331-9460; www.bostonfilmfestival.org), various locations. Independent films continue on the festival circuit or make their premieres, sometimes following a lecture by an actor or filmmaker. Most screenings are open to the public without advance tickets. Mid-September.

October

Salem Haunted Happenings, various locations. Parades, parties, a special commuter-rail ride from Boston, fortune-telling, cruises, and tours lead up to a ceremony on Halloween. Contact Destination Salem (tel. 877/SALEM-MA) or check the website (www.hauntedhappenings.org) for specifics. All month.

Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, TD Banknorth Garden (tel. 617/624-1000 events line, 617/931-2000 Ticketmaster; www.tdbanknorthgarden.com). The Greatest Show on Earth makes its annual 2-week visit. Mid-October.

Head of the Charles Regatta, Boston and Cambridge. High school, college, and postcollegiate rowing teams and individuals -- some 4,000 in all -- race in front of hordes of fans along the banks of the Charles River and on the bridges spanning it. The Head of the Charles (tel. 617/868-6200; www.hocr.org) has an uncanny tendency to coincide with a crisp, picturesque weekend. Late October.

An Evening with Champions, Bright Athletic Center, Allston. World-class ice skaters and promising local students stage three performances to benefit the Jimmy Fund, the children's fund-raising arm of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Sponsored by Harvard's Eliot House (tel. 617/493-8172; www.hcs.harvard.edu/~ewc). Late October or early November.

November

Thanksgiving Celebration, Plymouth (tel. 800/USA-1620; www.visit-plymouth.com). Plymouth observes the holiday with a "stroll through the ages," showcasing 17th- and 19th-century Thanksgiving preparations in historic homes. Plimoth Plantation, which re-creates the colony's first years, serves a Victorian Thanksgiving feast. Reservations (tel. 800/262-9356 or 508/746-1622; www.plimoth.org) are required and are accepted beginning in August. Thanksgiving Day.

December

The Nutcracker, Opera House, Boston. Boston Ballet's annual holiday extravaganza is one of the country's biggest and best. This is the traditional way to expose young Bostonians (and visitors) to culture, and the spectacular sets make it practically painless. Visit the website (www.bostonballet.org) for more info. For tickets, call Tele-charge (tel. 800/447-7400 or TTY 888/889-8587; www.telecharge.com) as soon as you plan your trip, ask whether your hotel offers a Nutcracker package, or cross your fingers and visit the box office when you arrive. All month.

Boston Tea Party Reenactment, Old South Meeting House (tel. 617/482-6439; www.oldsouthmeetinghouse.org) and Tea Party Ship and Museum, Congress Street Bridge (tel. 617/338-1773; www.bostonteapartyship.com). Chafing under British rule, American colonists rose up on December 16, 1773, to strike a blow where it would cause real pain -- in the pocketbook. A re-creation of the pre-party rally takes place at the meeting house; call ahead to see whether the ship has reopened during your visit. Mid-December.

Black Nativity, Converse Hall, Tremont Temple Baptist Church, 88 Tremont Street (tel. 617/723-3486; www.blacknativity.org). Poet Langston Hughes wrote the "gospel opera," and a cast of more than 100 brings it to life. Most weekends in December.

Christmas Revels, Sanders Theatre, Cambridge. This multicultural celebration of the winter solstice features the holiday customs of a different culture each year. Recent themes have included Victorian England and Romany Gypsies. Be ready to sing along. For information, contact the Revels (tel. 617/972-8300; www.revels.org); for tickets, call the box office (tel. 617/496-2222). Last 2 weeks of the month.

First Night, Back Bay and the waterfront. This is the original arts-oriented, no-alcohol, citywide New Year's Eve celebration. It begins in the early afternoon and includes a parade, ice sculptures, art exhibitions, theatrical performances, and indoor and outdoor entertainment. Some attractions require tickets, but for most you just need a First Night button, available for $15 or so at visitor centers and stores around the city. The carousing wraps up at midnight with fireworks over the harbor. For details, contact First Night (tel. 617/542-1399; www.firstnight.org) or check the newspapers when you arrive. December 31.