The Santa Cruise is a festive experience for the entire family. This lake cruise is a fun way to see holiday lights, visit Santa, and experience a family Christmas outing on the beautiful Lake Geneva. Just a quick hour and a half from downtown Chicago, you’ll find the adorable town of Williams Bay, home to Pier 290 and Gage Marina which hosts their annual Santa Cruise from Thanksgiving weekend through December 30th. From how to buy tickets to what to wear, we’ve rounded up everything you need to know about the Santa Cruise Lake Geneva. 

For more holiday travel ideas check out our Guide to Holiday and Christmas Activities for Chicago Families.

The NYC Winter Lantern Festival at Snug Harbor Cultural Center has become a family tradition in our house, and it lights up the nights again this holiday season. Our first trip to the holiday light show was three years ago when our daughter was a newborn. A visit to the Winter Lantern Festival provided a great way to escape the stress of first-time parenting and get lost in the world of imagination and light.

Back for another run, it doesn’t disappoint, bringing displays that more elaborate and brilliant spread across Staten Island's Snug Harbor Cultural Center’s grounds, the vast 8-acre botanical gardens lights up during the night, enchanting children and kids at heart with its displays. Find more stunning lantern and light shows in NYC, plus all our top holiday picks in our Guide to Holiday and Christmas Events.

During the holiday season, families and jammies go together like milk and cookies. Not only are matching family pajamas great for memorable photos, but there’s something about waiting for Santa in family Christmas pajamas that helps the time pass a little bit faster.

So keep your family cozy and coordinated with one of our picks from the best matching family Christmas pajamas sets of 2021. For more ways to make sure your tribe catches all the holiday vibes, check out cool (under $10) stocking stuffers, the best Christmas cookie recipes, and the funniest Elf on the Shelf antics.

Christmas in New York is nothing short of magical. From fabulous holiday windows to dozens of tree lightings, spectacular seasonal shows, and multiple iterations of The Nutcracker, New York is the place to be during the holiday season. The biggest star of all is, of course, Santa Claus himself. And as it turns out, the man of the hour is pretty busy in NYC in the days leading up to Christmas. There are plenty of spots to take a photo with Santa or even have a special meal with Mr. Claus, plus dozens more ways to share a special holiday moment with the big guy in the big city, from ice skating with Santa to gawking at the zaniest parade of Santas.

So grab a hot cocoa and read on for 25 awesome Santa-in-the-city experiences to enjoy before he takes flight from the North Pole on Christmas Eve.

My family relishes checking out the many holiday displays and Christmas lights in New Jersey. It’s one of our can’t-miss holiday traditions, so we couldn’t wait to see the brand-new Christmas village decked out with holiday lights, Santa, a gingerbread house, and more holiday activities at the Anne Ellen Christmas Tree Farm in Manalapan, New Jersey.

We’ve enjoyed the drive-thru Christmas lights popping up, but we also love the chance to get out of the car for an in-person stroll. The Village at Anne Ellen allows kids to do just that all while sipping hot chocolate, walking along an outdoor trail, and popping into different experiences from a North Pole post office to a model train room.

Through the magic of fairies, your car shrinks down to the size of a ladybug to experience the dazzling lantern displays of  A Bug's Night: Drive-Thru Adventure. Travel through 20 acres of spectacular lights, mapped projections, and animatronics at the Nassau County Museum of Art in Roslyn. Bugs are only part of this whimsical experience. 

A Bug's Night: Drive-Thru Adventure is one of three lantern shows debuting on Long Island this season, and is the only drive-thru lantern experience. For other holiday light drive-thrus and displays, check out our Holiday Fun Guide. 

Paw Patrol has been a staple in our house for years. My now 7-year-old son discovered the show when he was 3—his birthday cake that year is proof—and my daughter, at 4, while not as obsessed as her brother was at the same age, can rattle off all the characters and tell you her favorite (Skye), as of course, can I (Chickaletta, naturally). So, needless to say, they were both excited when they found out we’d be visiting the brand new Paw Patrol Experience at CAMP Hudson Yards. The Paw Patrol Experience, which kicked off in late November runs until Sunday, January 2, making it a great seasonal to-do, especially during the holiday break.

Read on for a full rundown of what you can expect at this immersive, interactive experience, and find more seasonal fun in our Winter Fun Guide.