The holiday season is upon us, and what better way to herald its arrival than with the lighting of Christmas trees and menorahs? You don't have to head to Rockefeller Center to enjoy that holiday magic.

Many tree lighting events in Westchester have live music, toasty refreshments, a visit from Santa himself and—in some cases—some extra bells and whistles. Menorah lighting celebrations include parties, music, and plenty of tasty treats. Note that Hanukkah starts on Sunday, December 22 this year. We're still waiting for word on several Westchester menorah lightings—so stay tuned for updates!

Read on for a variety of lighting festivities, ranging from big celebrations to cozy, small-town affairs. Most of these events are FREE.

Looking for more seasonal fun? Check out our November GoList and be sure to browse our Event Calendar. Don't forget to sign up for our newsletters to keep up to date on our latest info.

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.

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.

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!