Things To Do in Connecticut this Weekend: Colonial Thanksgiving, Science, Fantasy of Lights

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Learn about Thanksgiving food science this weekend! Photo courtesy of the Bruce Museum

It's time to start gearing up for Thanksgiving! This weekend, there are plenty of ways to celebrate this season of thankfulness and traditions, with a little history and science thrown in. Take the kids to a Colonial Thanksgiving at the Welles Shipman Ward House, complete with hearth-cooked chicken pie and Marlborough pudding. Or, learn about the fascinating (and tasty) science behind Thanksgiving food at the Bruce Museum. 

If you just can't wait to get into the Christmas spirit, try the first performance of The Nutcracker this season, or visit the opening weekend of the annual Fantasy of Lights at Lighthouse Point in New Haven.

To make sure that you don't miss any of the fun, subscribe to our free weekly newsletters and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Read on for our highlights of events happening this weekend, and check our frequently updated daily events calendar for even more ideas.

Things To Do in Chicago this Weekend with Kids: Tree Lightings, Frozen, Theater

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Christkindlmarket Chicago brings a cherished German and European tradition with local charm to Chicago. Photo courtesy of the Christkindlmarket

It's beginning to look a lot like you-know-what around Chicago this weekend, with festive Christmas tree lightings in Bolingbrook and at New City, as well as the dazzling Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Light at the Museum of Science and Industry. Christkindlmarket returns to Daley Plaza, and families can tour beautifully decorated homes at the Wheaton Holiday Housewalk. And holiday theatre season kicks off with A Christmas Carol at the Goodman Theatre and the Emerald City Theater's production of Corduroy, based on the beloved children's book. 

The snow and chilly temps in Chicago have at least one upside: Consider us well-prepped for the release of Frozen 2, coming up at the end of the month. Three fun, Frozen-themed events for kids this weekend set the stage for a deep freeze: a FREE sing-along showing of Frozen in Elmhurst, a kid-friendly live theater production of Elsa and Anna's tale from the Northbrook Theater Youth Company, and a girl-powered Frozen Power Tea Party in celebration of Frozen 2's fearless heroines in Brookfield.

Can't get enough frozen stuff? FREE ice skating at Millennium Park McCormick Tribune Rink starts this weekend, too. For even more fun things to do with kids in Chicago, keep an eye on our event calendar. Stay warm, and pass the hot chocolate.

Things To Do in Westchester this Weekend: Nature Fun, STEAMFest, Supercross

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Learn all about insects at the Greenburgh Nature Center on Saturday, November 16. Photo courtesy of the center

All kinds of fun is coming up this weekend for Westchester and Hudson Valley kids, including multiple family-oriented shows, numerous intriguing nature programs, and, of course, ways to get in the spirit of Thanksgiving. Consider this the calm before the storm, because the holiday hullaballoo will be starting soon! 

Bring the family to work with clay, catch a sensory-friendly performance by Dan Zanes, get your American Girl doll ready for Thanksgiving, learn about creepy-crawlies at Bugging Out, or explore the different stations at the annual STEAMFest.

These are just a few of our top picks for the weekend; the rest can be found below, and there are even more fun and enriching opportunities on our Event Calendar. Consult our November GoList to plan the rest of the month, and sign up for our weekly newsletters to stay current with all our great findings!

Indoor Roller Rink Opens at Brooklyn's City Point with Family Skating Events

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Brooklyn’s only indoor roller rink Dreamland pops up at City Point Brooklyn this winter. Photo courtesy of Dreamland

If you were disappointed to hear that the roller rink at Industry City in Brooklyn's Sunset Park closed this fall, take heart: Lola Starr's Dreamland Roller Disco is popping up once again at City Point in Downtown Brooklyn from October 31 until February 15, 2020. Read on to learn more about the new location for this much-loved dance party on wheels.

Things To Do in NJ this Weekend: Polar Express, Kidz Bop, Gobble Gobble

Submitted by Laurie Rein on

Get into the Christmas spirit this weekend with a ride aboard the Polar Express in Whippany. Photo courtesy of the railway

This mid-November weekend sparkles and shines with the debut of holiday light displays throughout New Jersey. Drive though Skyland Stadium's dazzling, musical light displays, and experience Storybook Land's holiday parade, featuring the lighting of the park's tree.

There's plenty of family-friendly theater to choose from this week, including performances of Rumpelstiltskin, Frosty & Rudolph, and Kidz Bop World Tour. And Thanksgiving prep is underway with PAWS Discovery Farm's Gobble Gobble and Fosterfields' Thanksgiving Home & Armistice Observance.

Check out our Guide to Holiday and Christmas Events for NJ Families for more options, and look to our November GoList and event calendar for a complete listing of happenings this weekend and beyond.

CAMP Store and Play Space in Flatiron Launches New Toy Lab Theme for Holidays

Jody Mercier's picture Submitted by Jody Mercier on

The Toy Lab theme at Camp features a brand-new scooter test track.

CAMP, one of our favorite NYC stores where kids can play for FREE (and one of our favorite new additions to NYC last year, period) isn't your average toy store with a play space. The entire space reinvents itself every season, making it an imaginative wonderland designed for repeat exploration.

Situated on the corner of 16th Street and Fifth Avenue, CAMP looks like a retail shop from the street—albeit one with an on-site cafe and a funky collection of merchandise, from toys and games to books and clothing. But look closer and you'll see that there's something spectacular hiding behind a secret door. Find the entrance (with the help of a super-friendly CAMP counselor) and you're in for hours of fun, and a cool indoor place to play.

CAMP has reinvented itself again, with a toy-focused theme just in time for the holiday shopping season—read on for a peek inside.

Yayoi Kusama Returns to NYC with Mirrored Infinity Room in Chelsea

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Yayoi Kusama's Mirrored Infinity Room is illuminated by an LED lighting system which projects the appearance of infinite space. Photo courtesy of David Zwirmer Gallery

New York City might officially have a case of Yayoi Kusama fever. The 90-year-old Japanese contemporary artist, best known for her immersive infinity mirror rooms, debuts a new float in the NYC Thanksgiving Parade later this month, and will mount a large-scale exhibit at the New York Botanical Garden in May 2020. Meanwhile, just last week Kusama unveiled one of her celebrated new works at David Zwirner's Chelsea gallery, in an exhibition that is FREE and open to the public on a first come, first entry basis.

The installation, titled "Dancing Lights That Flew Up To The Universe," made our list of the most-anticipated family activities in NYC this fall. Part of the artist's "Every Day I Pray For Love" exhibition, Kusama's new infinity room is on display until December 14, and if you're looking for a unique art experience to share with your kids, this just might be it. For a look inside the space and tips on what to expect—and how to visit with kids—read on.

Elf on the Shelf Christmas Musical Coming to a Stage Near You

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The Elf on the Shelf takes the stage this holiday season in a U.S. tour. Rendering courtesy of Mills Entertainment

'Tis the season for festive lights, jingle bells, and, of course, figuring out clever poses and hiding places for your Elf on the Shelf every single day until Christmas. This holiday season, you can put a new twist on the holiday tradition with a performance The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Musical by Mills Entertainment​.

The show's nationwide tour kicks off on Thursday, November 14, in Easton, Pennsylvania, and continues through Tuesday, December 29, with stops in Atlanta, GA, Red Bank, NJ, Lynn, MA, Wallingford, CT, and Sugarland, TX, among others.

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