Kick off the Shop & Stroll at Thistle & Leek with a bit of complimentary mulled cider to keep you toasty warm during the walk down Union Street. Stop by to shop festive bottles of house-made Irish Cream, Eggnog, and pints of ice cream and sorbet.

Thistle & Leek is the only restaurant in Newton named to Eater’s 2023 list of Essential Restaurants to visit in and around Boston. It dishes out small plates that pull in flavors from around the world, complemented by local, in-season produce and creative cocktails. Since opening at the beginning of the pandemic, this comfortable and welcoming gastropub has become a Newton Centre destination for the lunch and dinner crowd. It’s a perfect dinner spot for after a day of shopping and strolling through the Centre! 105 Union Street

If there was any doubt that Union Street is Newton’s “Fashion Row,” just step into Revolve Boutique. It focuses on gently worn women’s clothing and accessories with well-known and high fashion names at modest prices. Here shoppers can find affordable Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Akris Punto, JW Anderson, and Louis Vuitton (just to name a few).

With four shops in greater Boston—including one on Newbury Street— Revolve may be the biggest player in the high-end consignment shop niche. This family-owned business’ three-part mission is to: provide everyone affordable access to quality clothing; support sustainability through reuse; and give back to the community. During The Stroll, Revolve is offering a store-wide 20% discount on clothing and shoes and 10% off handbags and accessories. 67 Union Street.

Sip while you shop? At The Cork & Board you can! From 1-4 PM during The Stroll, owner Ryan Gott is hosting a wine tasting, highlighting his picks for the holidays. There will be snacks to sample as well, pulled from the shop’s huge selection of specialty foods. The Cork & Board is perfect for holiday shopping in Newton Centre. From fine wines to craft beer, all of the components for crowd-pleasing cheese and charcuterie boards, and gifts for everyone on your list, you can check off a lot of boxes with a single visit to The Cork & Board. 1207 Centre Street (between Mr Sid and CVS.)

Gorgeous artfully hand-crafted soaps & candles made in small batches using the highest quality ingredients. Perfect for gift-giving, hostess gifts, and to treat yourself. The cold process soaps are created from local ingredients when possible, including lavender and other botanicals grown in the gardens of this Newton business. Hand-poured container candles are 100% American soy wax and the pillar candles are a blend of soy and beeswax. &Soaps is an environmentally friendly company that takes sustainability seriously--steering clear of plastics and petroleum by-products, and even uses solar energy to power the studio in which it makes its products. It's a local business that you can feel great about supporting, and is popping up at Newtonville Books! 10 Langley Road

Faux fur, warm and cozy Pandemonium scarves are 30% off at Folklorica all weekend long! Folklorica is a favorite jewelry destination in the greater Newton area—from classic looks to avant-garde statement pieces. The shop features local designers from Newton, Wellesley, other parts of New England, and throughout the US as well as international artisans from across the globe. And while this little Newton Centre shop made its name in jewelry, its collection also includes fashion accessories like warm and stylish gloves, mittens, scarves, and hats, as well as home accents. It’s the perfect spot for holiday shopping! 61 Union Street

Good Dog is one of only two record stores in Newton and the city’s only used bookstore. It’s the type of shop where you can explore the racks and shelves for hours and keep coming up with one cool find after another. Record lovers and readers can have a field day here, with its huge, eclectic inventory of records and books at modest prices. Stop in during The Stroll, and with a purchase of any 3 books or records get a 4th free (of equal or lesser value to the least expensive one purchased.)

Good Dog features imported, hard-to-find records of pretty much every music genre. And if you don’t yet have a turntable, or hope to get one for the holidays, it carries them too, including the #1 selling, brand new, still-in-the-box audio-technica. It’s books cover all genres too, from charming $2 board books for kids to vintage offerings and first editions of favorite titles. 1187 Centre Street, next door to Tango Mango.

At last year’s Holiday Shop & Stroll, mittens created by Barkley Shafer and her daughter, Ellie Bernstein, of Studio North sold out within an hour. Newton residents and seamstresses, this mother-daughter duo sews warm, buttery-soft mittens from reclaimed and up-cycled wool, in creative color and texture combinations. Every pair has a cozy fleece lining, with lots of attention to detail—like antique buttons—that you can only find with fine-quality hand-made items, produced one at a time. Studio North will be at Johnny’s Luncheonette during the Stroll—and, based on last year, you probably want to make it your first stop! 30 Langley Road

Don't miss stopping at Italian grocer Market-Tiamo for a one-of-a-kind Holiday Panettone & Wine tasting. Imported directly from Italy and made with the finest ingredients, the Panettone at this Italian grocery is like none other in the area, with an airy texture and a taste that puts common Panettone—the only ones we ever knew existed— to shame. There'll be sweet treats for little ones, too, so the entire family has a taste of Italy during the Stroll! 36 Langley Road

Green Lady opened just a few months ago and now cannabis is finally available to the 21+ crowd in Newton Centre. For the holidays, Green Lady has a Gift Giving Guide with lots of fun suggestions for adult stocking stuffers and Hanukkah gifts. It also offers free gift-wrapping with every purchase. This family-owned and operated dispensary focuses on product quality, community, and education. 21+ are invited to stop in during the Stroll and see how the Campbell family has transformed this new retail spot into a light, bright, and welcoming space. 740 Beacon Street (next door to Jake’s Falafel.)

Get 4 mochi donuts of any flavor, in a cute, made for 4 mini box for $14.95! Pon de Joy is one of the most fun new bakeries in Newton, specializing in mochi donuts, in a rainbow of colors and I-can’t-believe-they’re-this-good flavors. Mochi donuts are a fusion between American donuts and mochi— a Japanese dessert made from glutinous rice flour—that are lightly crispy on the outside with just the right amount of bounce on the inside. Pon de Joy’s mochi donut menu changes weekly so there's always something new to try! 212 Sumner Street

Newtonville Books is always a center of activity, with one crowd-pleasing event after another, and December 10th is no different! At 2 PM stop in for a Hanukkah party and Hanukkah story reading by Rabbi Keith Stern from Temple Beth Avodah. There’ll be a menorah lighting and latkes from Johnny’s Luncheonette, too. And of course, if you still need any holiday presents, you’ll be surrounded by books, gifts, cards, and stationery for everyone on your list. Newton’s premier soap and candle artisan, Meiera Stern of And Soaps, is also popping up in the bookstore with her gorgeous, sustainably made products. As usual, Newtonville Books will be a whirlwind of activity—and a perfectly fun and festive stop on the Holiday Stroll. 10 Langley Road

Families looking for a fun kids’ activity, or friends who want to add a little tie dye to their wardrobe, should make Tyed with Love one of their first stops on the Stroll. (Maybe visit Thistle & Leek next door first for a complimentary mulled cider and then pull up a seat at Tyed With Love.) This super cute pop-up opened just a few months ago offering both do-it-yourself tie-dye and clothing that has already been expertly tie-dyed for off-the-rack purchase. Not sure how to tie-dye? No worries, this family-owned and operated business will guide you through every step, giving hints along the way. The best part? Your house doesn’t get tie dyed and everyone can proudly show off their “I made it myself” original shirt, hat, or sweatshirt. 101 Union Street

Finally, a clothing store in Newton that gets us—on-trend without being over-the-top, comfy, and moderately priced. It’s about time! Stop at Dear Duchess during the Holiday Stroll for 10% off all purchases with a donation to The Village Bank Toy Drive and free candy canes for strolling kids of all ages. Racks are loaded with warm sweaters, and classic yet current tops and pants that can be dressed up or down. Dear Duchess has winter fashion accessories, too--hats, gloves, and scarves in cheerful prints and colors, and jewelry and bags for pulling winter looks together. 49 Union Street

Since opening less than two years ago, SALT has quickly raised the bar for baked goods all over Newton. Everything this sweet shop turns out is exemplary—you name it—Almond Croissants. Kouign Amman, Passion Fruit Tarts, Chocolate Bon Bons, and the list goes on and on. During the Stroll SALT is offering 10% off purchases to shoppers who donate a gift to The Village Bank’s Stuff-A Cruiser Toy Drive. How sweet is that?!? 792 Beacon Street

Whether you’re looking for a little Hanukkah present, a stocking stuffer, hostess gift, or an edible tree-shaped centerpiece for the holidays, French macarons from Woops are perfect for celebrations big and small. On December 8th through the 10th, Woops makes the holidays even sweeter with a “Buy 5 favor boxes of 3 macarons and get 1 box for free” promotion. Stop in and stock up for gifts for teachers, employees, friends and family. During Sunday’s Shop & Stroll they’ll also have complimentary hot (or cold) cider with purchase.

We dare you to find a better smoothie or acai bowl than what they whip up at 11:11 Healthbar in Newton Centre. This health food spot creates tasty smoothies designed to provide certain health benefits using only organic ingredients and no refined sugars. During the Stroll it’s debuting and offering samples of its new smoothie, the “Immune Elixir,” to boost the immune system in preparation for winter. It’s a concoction of coconut water, banana, pineapple, ginger, pure vanilla, celery, and a touch of honey. 11:11 Healthbar is a must-visit destination for those with dual goals of enjoying tasty smoothies and being health-conscious. Whether it’s breakfast on the run, before or after workouts, or a midday boost, this little shop has a way of delivering just what we need when we need it. 87 Union Street

There isn’t a more iconic restaurant in Newton Centre than Johnny’s Luncheonette. Known for their all-day breakfasts, you can enjoy locally-sourced comfort food for lunch and dinner, too, in a friendly down-home atmosphere. Here's one of their current holiday specials: Eggnog flapjacks topped with cranberry maple syrup. It's perfect for a pre-Stroll warm up meal.

For those who prefer custom one-on-one training sessions to reach their fitness goals, Fitness Together, Newton Centre’s personal training studio, is ready to help. Whether it’s increasing bone density, improving cardiovascular health, strength training, developing and sticking with a regular workout, or recovering from an injury, the studio’s professional trainers keep clients on-track so goals are achieved and time spent working out is focused and effective. Stop in during the Shop & Stroll and talk about your fitness goals. If you decide Fitness Together’s for you, take advantage of their special Stroll discount. 796 Beacon St., Suite 2