The holiday season is in full swing, and there are tons of family-friendly events happening across Long Island. Celebrate the season by taking in a live show, the Nutcracker ballet, model train exhibit or bonfire. Or cook up some fun with each other by decorating gingerbread houses or with baking lessons.

Don't see your event listed here? Add it to our events calendar. And if you don't receive this post in your inbox, subscribe to our newsletter. And for plenty of more seasonal activities, be sure to check out our Long Island Holiday Fun Guide.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas and Chanukah as evidenced by the abundance of holiday happenings taking place in Westchester and the Hudson Valley! This weekend check out Frosty Fest, Holiday Spirit Festival, and SPARKLE: Nights of 10,000 Lights.

Make Holiday Decorations from Nature—perhaps some nice Winter Wildflower Arrangements--or for nature, as you Decorate a Tree for Wildlife. Enjoy the Hanukkah Celebration at RJCC, shop till you drop at the Chanukah Fun House and Gift Shop or take in the sounds of the season at Holiday Music and the Holiday of Christmas.

For a breather from the holidays, there’s the annual Toy and Train Show, Candy Bingo, a live performance of Curious George and NBA FIT Dribble, Dish & Swish.

Read on for just a few of the many happenings we’ve culled from our Event Calendar, then check out our December GOList for our top picks for the rest of the month. If you haven’t handed in your wish list yet, check out the best places to visit Santa in Westchester, and don’t miss our roundup of Chanukah events too! 

You can do no wrong this weekend.  There’s fun and frivolity at every turn, much of it free, and all of it fabulous. A lot of the festivities center around some guy named Kringle, but boats are big this weekend too, as are Nutcrackers and “winter” (as in snow).  And we may have dodged a Thanksgivvikah bullet this year, but that means it’s full-on dreidel time this week. (Let me hear you say men-orah).

But here’s where I’ve got to warn you: there’s just too much. We can’t fit it all in this post; even our calendar is bursting at the seams.  What we’ve got here is a highlights reel, but I guarantee you if you read the whole events calendar, you’ll find something you think we’re crazy for not including here. (And you’d be right!)

You may not be able to do it all, but we're confident that you will nonetheless find something awesome, something inspiring, something spectacular to fill your days. And remember, as always, the best is yet to come!

Keep reading for our some of our favorite picks for the weekend. 

It's the most wonderful time of the year... or so the song goes. Some may feel stressed through the holidays. Others look forward to December with great anticipation. Either way, the Mommy Poppins calendar has something for everyone.

Put on your ugliest Christmas sweater and run off holiday tension at the Ugly Sweater 5K at Fairmount Park. Be still and star gaze at the Delaware Museum of Natural History or enjoy the peacefulness of the Holiday Luminaria at Lock 60. 

Or, if your family has been stoked for the holidays for months, has already seen The Nutcracker twice, put the tree up weeks ago and is looking for a twist to the traditional holiday fun, consider watching a boat parade, see Santa arrive helicopter style or take a lunch cruise with Santa himself. No matter what you chose, enjoy the holiday as there are only two weeks left.

“Max and Ruby! Ruby and her little brother Max!”…and so begins Max and Ruby in the Nutcracker Suite. This re-imagined performance at the Tarrytown Music Hall was so much fun (especially for my Max-and-Ruby-adoring daughter), we've seen the show two years in a row. This unique live performance is filled with original music and dance numbers, colorful characters and some interesting twists on the classic Nutcracker tale.

If you are looking for a theater experience that will engage the whole family, allow for a certain amount of noisy restlessness and leave you with some great stories to tell at the next parenting meet up, this is the show for you. Read on for details about this live performance and tips to know before you go. Looking for more holiday productions? Check out our post on kid-friendly holiday shows. Also, be sure to check out our Holiday Fun Guide.

This weekend, there are lots of ways to get out there and experience the spirit of the season, no matter what holiday you celebrate. Christmas fetes include offbeat annual favorites like the Unsilent Night musical parade in the Village, Tuba Christmas at Rockefeller Center and Chinatown's East Meets West Christmas Fest. While Hanukkah technically begins next week, you can enjoy early celebrations at the Museum of Jewish Heritage and the 92nd Street Y.

This weekend also marks the reopening of the overhauled Cooper Hewitt Museum and the end of the road for restaurant/play space The Moxie Spot, which is going out with a big goodbye bash.

All of our best bets for the weekend are below. You can find additional options in our Event Calendar and our Holiday Fun Guide.

To say my family loves college football is an understatement. I originally met my husband at a game, and our firstborn's birth announcement was a replica of a Sports Illustrated cover with our son proudly wearing my alma mater's colors. Given our obsession, for us, the holiday season isn't just about seeing Santa, Christmas trees and department store windows, it's about watching college football. There are plenty of big college football events around this time of year, including the presentation of the Heisman Trophy and the annual Pinstripe Bowl, both of which take place right here in NYC.

Read on for all the details plus other ways your family can root for your favorite teams (be they near or far) right here in New York City.

Who’s ready for a break from the hustle and bustle of the holiday season? Take a breather from shopping, gift-wrapping and decorating, and enjoy the spirit of the holiday season at these fun and festive weekend events. Indulge your sweet tooth at Liberty Hall’s Gingerbread Workshop and Gerrard Berman Day School’s Chanukah Cookie Decorating. Celebrate everything Christmas at A. Casola Farms’ Winter Wonderland and down the shore at Casino Pier Holiday Party. And warm up with some great family-friendly performances of Elf at Paper Mill Playhouse and Max & Ruby in the Nutcracker Suite at iPlay America. For even more weekend fun, check out the full list of weekend activities in our Event Calendar.