Weekend Fun: Hanukkah & Thanksgiving Celebrations, Free Ballet Workshops, Children's Book Fair in Brooklyn

11/20/13 - By Stephanie Ogozalek

Although Hanukkah and Thanksgiving don't officially arrive until next week, lots of seasonal celebrations take place this weekend. The Museum of Jewish Heritage, the 92nd Street Y and the Jewish Museum are all hosting Hanukkah parties, there's a Thanksgiving crafts workshop at the Cathedral St. John the Divine and you can mark both holidays at the Museum at Eldridge Street's merry mash-up Thanksgivukkah Extravaganzikah.

There's lots of awesome non-holiday fun, too, including two of our top event picks for November: the Brooklyn Museum's FREE Children's Book Fair and the Little Orchestra Society's lavish Firebird concert. Plus no-cost ballet workshops at the Children's Museum of the Arts.

These are just a few of the great things going on this weekend. All of our best bets are below. You can find additional options in our Event Calendar and our Holiday Fun Guide. Before heading out on your adventures, be sure to download our FREE Mommy Poppins Kids on the Go app so you can find the best family destinations wherever you happen to be in NYC.

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

Sign up for our FREE Mommy Poppins newsletters and get our weekend picks delivered to your inbox every Thursday morning.

All Weekend

Little Orchestra Society Presents: Stravinsky's Firebird – Midtown West
Little Orchestra Society's interactive concerts are a great way to introduce kids to famous classical works. This weekend, enjoy Igor Stravinsky's Firebird, a rousing version of an old Russian folk tale about Prince Ivan and a magical bird. My son and I saw this production last year and he loved its parade of Bunraku-style puppets, dancing, and projections of lights and shadows that helped bring the story to life. $17-$60

Alice in Wonderland Junior – Upper West Side
Fall down the rabbit hole with Alice and her fantastical friends as the West Side YMCA's Kids Company presents its musical adaptation of Lewis Carroll's classic tale. $27
 

Saturday, November 23

Children's Book Fair – Crown Heights
Celebrate quality kid lit at the Brooklyn Museum's seventh annual fest. Brooklyn-based children's authors including Adam Gidwitz, Edward Hemingway, David Ezra Stein and Oliver Jeffers will read from their recent titles. Plus there will be a performance of Sergei Prokofiev's classic Peter and the Wolf performed by the Brooklyn Conservatory Community Orchestra. Fair is FREE; Peter and the Wolf is $20 for adults, $10 for children ages 5 to 16 and includes museum admission

Trevor Day School Fall Festival – Upper East Side
Hit this school fundraiser for carnival rides, games, gifts, arts and crafts, and tasty eats. Free admission but there are fees for activities

Cathedral Pilgrims: A Thanksgiving Workshop – Morningside Heights
Celebrate the spirit of Thanksgiving at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine by creating corn husk dolls, pinched pots, turkey hats and other holiday accessories. Reservations recommended. $8 per child-adult pair

Asheba – Upper West Side
Catch this award-winning California-based musician as he shares traditional stories and calypso songs from his homeland of Trinidad at Symphony Space. $20 for adults, $15 for children

Party with the Power Rangers – Soho
Got a Power Rangers fan at home? Then you'll want to head to the Scholastic Store to see a preview of a brand-new episode of Power Rangers Megaforce, followed by a fun training session. Afterward, pose for pics with the heroes. Bonus: Bring a new pair of PJs to donate to the Pajama Program and get 20% off all your in-store purchases during the event. FREE but RSVP required

Monkey Monkey Music: Macaroni – Prospect Heights
Catch a high-energy concert by Meredith LeVande full of dancing, air guitar, bubbles and other tot-friendly fun at the main branch of the Brooklyn Public Library. FREE

Turkey Jam! Trusty Sidekick Theater & the Itty Biddies – Park Slope
Drop into the Old Stone House in J.J. Byrne Park for storytelling, arts and crafts, and music with the always inventive Trusty Sidekick Theater Company followed by a concert by delightful musical trio the Itty Biddies. $15 for adults, $5 children

See all Saturday events.
 

Sunday, November 24

The Art of the Flight with American Ballet Theatre – Hudson Square
In conjunction with the Children's Museum of the Arts' current exhibit Tweet (about birds not social media), kids can take a flight-themed dance workshop with teaching artists from ABT. No dance experience required. Workshops run in 20-minute sessions. Space is extremely limited and sign up upon arrival is required. Free with admission: $11

Chanukah Festival and Mitzvah Day – Upper East Side
Get into the holiday spirit while giving back to the community at the 92nd Street Y, where families can decorate dreidels and cookies, craft candles, sing Hanukkah songs and take part in a variety of service projects for all ages. Participants are encouraged to bring unwrapped gifts for the Y's holiday drive. $10 for adults, $15 for children

Miracle on 34th Street – Greenwich Village
Introduce your kids to the original NYC holiday classic on the big screen at Film Forum Jr. $7

Thanksgivukkah Extravaganzikah – Lower East Side
Hit the Museum at Eldridge Street's historic synagogue to celebrate Thanksgiving and Hanukkah simultaneously. Light the menorah, baste the turkey, make special Thanksgiving gelt (a.k.a. chocolate coins) and go on the Great Dreidel Scavenger Hunt. $15 per family

Hanukkah Family Day – Upper East Side
At the Jewish Museum's annual fete, families can craft one-of-a-kind menorahs out of found objects or food, decorate wooden dreidels, groove to a live concert by Yosi and the Superdads, and check out an extensive collection of menorahs, including the brand-new Menurkey invented by a 9-year-old Manhattan boy who'll be on hand to sign his creation. Free with admission: $15 for adults, free for children under 19

Spin into Hanukkah with David Grover and Grover's Gang – Battery Park City
More Festival of Lights fun. The wonderful David Grover will play a family concert of seasonal favorites at the Museum of Jewish Heritage to kick off the holiday. Ticket holders can also enjoy holiday-themed crafts and family-friendly tours of the galleries. $10 for adults, $7 children under 11

Chabad of Tribeca: The Chanukah Factory – Tribeca
I hear the Chabad of Tribeca puts on a heck of a Hanukkah party. Catch a cool bubble show, create holiday-themed crafts, learn how to make chocolate, get your face painted, chow down on latkes and doughnuts, and much more at this Willy Wonka-themed bash at City Hall Restaurant. In advance: $40 per family; at the door: $50 per family

See all Sunday events.
 

Don't forget: There's more fun to be found in our Event Calendar.