Visit a Christmas Town or Santa's Village Near You: 26 Christmas Villages That Absolutely Sparkle

Leavenworth, WA transforms itself into a snow globe at Christmastime. Photo courtesy of the Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce

Do you love the holidays? A stay in a top Christmas town or a trip to a nearby Santa's Village that goes all out for December 25 can be a great way to share that festive spirit with the whole family. Some of the most spectacular Christmas towns are right here in the US. These local spots celebrate Christmas with mega holiday lights displays, Christmas markets, special performances, and plenty of opportunities to meet with Santa Claus. Each of these unique locations gives us plenty of ways to celebrate the holiday season in style!

Read on to find an dazzling Christmas town or Santa's Village near you so your family can get into the holiday spirit in a big way, from Koziar's Christmas Village in Pennsylvania to Riverside, California. Find even more holiday (and winter) vacation ideas in our Family Travel Guide.

Best Restaurants Open on Thanksgiving in Connecticut 2024

These seats will be full once the carving stations are ready for Thanksgiving 2024 in Connecticut! Photo courtesy of the Griswold Inn.

Has your family decided to go easy this year and find a restaurant open on Thanksgiving 2024? This tasty food-centric holiday will bring families together again, as everyone is looking forward to relaxing with some good food and stimulating conversation. We don't blame you if you aren't looking forward to actually cooking that meal as there are many restaurants open on Thanksgiving in Connecticut serving up delicious and creative, inspired holiday meals. Many of these restaurants are open on Thanksgiving and offer special pricing for kids.

Mommy Poppins recommends making reservations ASAP, as seating can fill up very quickly. And if you're looking for a few extra laughs over the long Thanksgiving weekend, check out 25 Thanksgiving Jokes for Kids They'll Gobble Up.  And have fun throughout the season with 50 Thanksgiving Crafts, Games, and Activities for Kids and Families.

26 Restaurants Open on Thanksgiving in NYC

Celebrate Thanksgiving with Leuca. Photo courtesy of the Noho Hospitality Group

These restaurants open on Thanksgiving in NYC let New Yorkers of small-space kitchens who prefer rapid-fire take-out options leave the Thanksgiving cooking to someone else. Our picks for restaurants open on Thanksgiving include family-friendly spots in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island sure to make this Thanksgiving—which falls on Thursday, November 28, 2024—as easy and delicious as possible. Be sure to book your reservations soon.

Now, instead of deep-cleaning your apartment to host those far-flung relatives (and their expectations), you can spend Thanksgiving morning at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. What's more NYC than that?

Be sure to bookmark our Guide to Thanksgiving in NYC for more family-friendly holiday happenings. If you're visiting NYC this Thanksgiving and still looking for a place to stay, check out these family-friendly NYC hotels, or these Midtown hotels with views of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

21 Family-Friendly Restaurants Open on Thanksgiving in DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia

There are so many restaurants at which to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner in the DC area. Photo by Cotton Bro Studio via Pexels

Hosting Thanksgiving at home is a lot of fun, but let's face it—it's also a lot of work. Gathering the crew at a restaurant instead allows everyone to be together on Thanksgiving without all the hassle of cooking and cleaning. Luckily, there are plenty of restaurants open on Thanksgiving in DC and its surrounding areas where you can do just that.

Here are 21 restaurants open on Thanksgiving in DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia in 2024. Not only are they all kid-friendly, but many even offer special pricing for kids ages 12 and under. If you see something you like, make a reservation ASAP, as spots fill up quickly.

Wherever you choose to gather this Thanksgiving, bring some laughter to the table with our list of 25 Thanksgiving jokes for kids. For even more Thanksgiving fun, try one of our 50 Thanksgiving crafts, games, and activities for kids and families.

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2024: Where to Watch, What's New

Classics, like Tom Turkey, and newbies alike take flight in the 98th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2024.

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade celebrates its 98th anniversary this November, taking over the streets of Manhattan on Thursday, November 28, 2024, exhilarating the city with its boisterous marching bands, extravagant floats, and giant balloon characters. 

If you're planning to attend the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade with kids (and millions of others!), read on for the most up-to-date information on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade route, best viewing locations, and other highlights. Looking for where to see the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2024 on TV instead? Read on for that, too. You'll find more holiday inspiration in our Thanksgiving Fun Guide for NYC Families.

Enthusiastic paradegoers know the family fun actually begins the day before as the trademark giant balloons receive their annual helium injections—in fact, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon inflation is even included in our list of 100 things to do with your kids in NYC before they grow up. Check out our in-depth Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade inflation post for an overview of the Wednesday night festivities.

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