10 Hanukkah Events You're Gonna Like A Latke

Whether you spell it Chanukkah, Hanukkah, Hannukah, Hanukah, Channukah or something else entirely, the Jewish Festival of LIghts brings music, dancing, latkes, dreidels and more holiday fun. We've scoped out the most interesting and entertaining Hanukkah parties and events for kids in New York City. You'll have so much fun you're gonna plotz.

SAT DEC 5

MOEY CELEBRATES HANUKKAH
Tucked into a day of free not-especially-Hanukkahesque kid-friendly events including African Dance, Circle Games, and an Art Project, at 2:30 spunky soprano Moey and the full Moey's Music Party band will give a free Hanukkah concert with cute kiddie songs about dreidels, latkes, and holiday fun. Hopefully the whole audience will get up to dance the hora!

Moey's Chanukah Music Party from 2:30pm - 3:30pm and
Moey's Chanukah Music PartyWorkshop from 4:00pm - 5:00pm.

FREE at the JCC in Manhattan, 334 Amsterdam Ave. at 76th St.
For more information call 646-505-5708.

SUNDAY DEC 6th

HANUKKAH ART EXTRAVAGANZA at CMA IN SOHO

Children’s Museum of the Arts in SoHo hosts the JCP (Jewish Community Project). Hanukkah and Light are the working themes and children can work in different mediums on both individual projects and a group mural (for the JCP). For children ages three to nine.

Starts 10:00 AM
$20 per child

Children’s Museum of the Arts, 182 Lafayette Street (between Broome & Grand)

NOTE: We love the CMA. They are laid back, always original, and very mess-friendly.

HANUKKAH FESTIVAL AT THE 92ND ST Y
Build a menorah, create candles, design a dreidel, dress up in Maccabee garb, and make olive oil. Join Karina and Coco, sing along with Bananukah! with Danna Banana. Musical IQ offer a chance for kids to drum or they can make “leaping latkes” with Leaping Legs, Inc. The 92Y School of Music's Jazz Klezmer Ensemble offers tunes while kids enjoy treats and take part in the festivities.

10:30am-1:30pm 
$20 adults / $15 children, Free for children younger than two.

The 92nd Street Y, Lexington Avenue at 92nd Street

Order tickets online  

A HANUKKAH CELEBRATION WITH THE KLEZ DISPENSERS

Tap your feet to the bouncy tunes of classic holiday songs, Yiddish swing, and the band's own arrangements. Tip: preview some of their music via links on their website.

2:00 pm

Flushing Town Hall
137-35 Northern Boulevard, Flushing, NY

Ticket Prices: $15/$12 Members; $12 Children/$10 Member Children

More info at www.flushingtownhall.org, or call the box office: (718) 463-7700, ext. 222.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13TH

JCP DOWNTOWN'S FAMILY HOLIDAY PARTY
Party to include music from Bim Bom with Jacob Stein and from the Z-Brothers, Maccabee Games including hoops, dance and laser tag, arts and crafts, and traditional Hanukkah food.

11am, FREE
PS 234, Greenwich St and Chambers St.

BOBBY DOOWAH AND THE WHAT'S UP BAND:  A FUN FAMILY CHANUKAH CELEBRATION!
Dance , sing, enjoy a concert. 
(NOTE:: To me a quick sampling of Mr. Doowah’s very boppy and quirky tunes evoked 1960’s and 70’s kids cereal and toy commercials. Looks like some high energy fun.)

10–11 am

$12 member $14 non-member, or$14/$16 adults and children at door price

The JCC in Manhattan, 334 Amsterdam Ave. at 76th St.

For more information or reservations call 646-505-5708.

MAKE AN ELECTRIC HANUKKAH MENORAH/ TOUR THE EXHIBITION
The Jewish Museum invites you to tour the special exhibition Reinventing Ritual: Contemporary Art and Design for Jewish Life and work with multimedia artist team LoVid to create a simple electric Hanukkah menorah using low-tech electronics and sculptural techniques. Ages 8 to 12   

10:30 am – 12:30 pm
$12 per adult; $10 per child / $10 adult family level member; $8 child family level member

The Jewish Museum, 1109 Fifth Avenue at 92nd Street

Advance registration is required. Call 212.423.3337 to register or purchase tickets online: thejewishmuseum.org

CELEBRATE HANUKKAH WITH THE MACAROONS
With humorous intent the Macaroons shamelessly but expertly riff more classic licks (did I hear Steppenwolf? Their press release cites the Kinks…) hobbled somewhat by clunky lyrics (“Grab the shamus, light the flame, grab the dreidel, let’s play a game yeah yeah yeah yea “Mama said the thingy’s a Mezuzah”). They’re a 2-person spinoff of the (very clever) Jewish kids’ band The LeeVees, formed by the same two guys, Adam Gardner and David Schneider. Young music fans surely might wanna give’em a chance.

City Winery (155 Varick St), Doors 11 am / Show Noon

$5 Kids / $10 Adults / $25 Families

LATKES & APPLESAUCE BY THE POPPY SEED PLAYERS

This annual Hanukkah musical revue for kids ages 4-10 and their families returns to Merkin Hall. The Poppy Seed Players perform musical plays for children about the Jewish heritage and life in New York City. They’re joined on stage by the (completely charming) Kaufman Kids, a troupe of young performers from Kaufman Center’s Lucy Moses and Special Music Schools. I took my older daughter to this show a couple years ago and we loved it. The skits and songs were delightful and genuinely funny. Definitely worth seeing!

Show time is 11 am
Tickets: $20 OR a 3-concert Poppy Seed Players series subscription is $48
Merkin Concert Hall
129 West 67th Street (between Broadway and Amsterdam)
Tickets at 212 501 3330 or kaufman-center.org

WED DEC 16th

HOLIDAY HANUKKAH CELEBRATIONS AT THE JCC

Celebrate the holidays with crafts, stories, and more: a free drop-in program. Ages 5 Years + Under
10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

FREE at the JCC in Manhattan, 334 Amsterdam Ave. at 76th St.

For more information call 646-505-5708.