Christmas Weekend 2024 in DC Top Things To Do: Christmas Lights, Breakfast with Santa, Waterskiing Santa, and More

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The DC Winter Lantern Festival features over 1,000 Chinese lanterns. Photo courtesy of the festival

Looking for the best things to do in DC this Christmas weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for this holiday weekend.

Santa Claus is coming to town, and there are plenty of fun things to do to celebrate. My family likes to see holiday lights when we have out-of-town guests and need something to do. There are also outdoor ice skating rinks to help keep that festive energy under control.

Children can delight in eating breakfast with Santa on Christmas Eve at Theismann's Restaurant, Ada's on the River, or Mia's Italian Kitchen. And be sure to catch Santa on waterskis in Old Town Alexandria on Christmas Eve.

Hanukkah begins on December 25 and the National Menorah will be lit on the Ellipse that evening.

For even more fun ideas, check out our list of what is open on Christmas Day in DC. Whatever you do, happy holidays from your friends at Mommy Poppins!

Christmas Weekend 2024 in NYC Top Things To Do: Make Music NYC, BCM Birthday & Hanukkah

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Skate beneath the historic Brooklyn Bridge while taking in the iconic views of the Manhattan skyline at Roebling Rink. Photo courtesy of venue

Looking for the best things to do in New York City this Christmas weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for this weekend.

You may still have gifts to wrap (or—gulp—shop for) and stockings to hang, but there's festive fun to be had all weekend and beyond. Make Music NYC returns for its winter solstice sessions and the Brooklyn Children's Museum is celebrating its 125th birthday with FREE admission all weekend. Our annual Christmas favorites include singing carols under the Washington Square Arch, catching a holiday show, and checking out the Dyker Lights.

Christmas Day marks the first day of Hannukah, and families can catch the Oran Etkin concert at the Jewish Museum or celebrate with Jazzukkah at the Museum at Eldridge Street.

No matter how you celebrate, Happy Holidays from the Mommy Poppins team!

Scuba with Santa, "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and More Top Things to Do in Dallas This Weekend

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Based on the classic animated short film, Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, and the rest of the Peanuts gang celebrate the holidays in 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' at the Dallas Children's Theater. Photo by Sylvia Elzafon/Sylvia Elzafon Photography

Looking for the best things to do in Dallas this weekend? Here are our picks for the coolest family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for this weekend.

The theater, musical, and visual arts are where it's at when it comes to things to do in Dallas this weekend. For those who want their holiday fun with a side of creativity, head to Meow Wolf's Winter Workshop. If you've got any theater kids at home, it's the last weekend Dallas Children's Theater will be performing A Charlie Brown Christmas, and your teen will get a kick out of Art Centre Theater's murder mystery dinner where guests will have to figure out who killed Rudolph.

If you're looking for a last-minute meet-and-greet with Santa, you can head to Reunion Tower or the Frisco Athletic Center to snag an underwater photo with a scuba-diving St. Nick. Honestly, it's not about finding things to do in Dallas or the rest of the Metroplex. It's about deciding between them all. 

Christmas Weekend 2024 in Philly Top Things To Do: Jolly Trolley, Selfies with Santa, Menorah Parade, and more.

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Bring the family to Main Street all season long for Holiday Light Nights. Photo courtesy of Manayunk

Looking for the best things to do in Philly this weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your schedule.

The countdown to Christmas is in full swing! Snap a Selfie with Santa for a good cause before the big night. Don't miss the Jolly Trolley in Manayunk for your last chance to shop on Main Street before the holiday. Drive on over to Cherry Hill for the annual Car Menorah Parade. If you love history, We love to take is slow at the Fairmount Park House Holiday Tour and take in the beauty and history of the houses. For more history during the holidays, Washington Crossing the Delaware is the place to be on Christmas day. 

Christmas Weekend 2024 in San Francisco Top Things To Do: Nutcrackers, Reindeer Games, Holiday Train Rides, and More

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The best way to spread Christmas cheer is to see Elf in Concert with the SF Symphony. Photo by Jaime Sumersille

Looking for the best things to do in San Francisco and the Bay Area over Christmas weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list.

All the last-minute shopping, gift wrapping, quick stocking stuffer trips, holiday lights, and grocery runs have led to this: Christmas weekend. Take a break and have holiday tea at the popular Teddy Bear Tea at the Ritz Carlton. See The Nutcracker with the San Francisco Ballet or Mark Foehringer‘s Nutcracker Sweets version for smaller kids. Grab a warm cup of hot cocoa, and lace up your skates for free ice skating, live music, and holiday kids activities starting this Saturday at Thrive City Winter Wonderland. 

For an extra stocking stuffer, enter the Wiggles Bouncing Balls! Tour Giveaway! We’re giving away a family four pack of tickets to The Wiggles Bouncing Balls! Tour concert. You can enter to win by signing up for our newsletter here!

Whether traveling or staying local, staying home or spending it with family and friends close by, we here at Mommy Poppins wish you a Merry Christmas from our family to yours. 

Christmas Weekend 2024 in Atlanta Top Things To Do: Santa Visits, Holiday Lights, and More

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The dazzling Glow Light Show offers a leisurely drive through illuminated installations for all ages. Photo courtesy of the event

 Looking for the best things to do in Atlanta this Christmas weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for this weekend! 

Christmas weekend is almost here, and kids in Atlanta are bursting with anticipation. Luckily, we here at Mommy Poppins have lots of ways for your family to make amazing memories all Christmas weekend long. Meet Santa, for last-minute gift requests and photo opps, at his Post Office at The Battery and Georgia Aquarium. It's also a great time to drive through Cosmic Sleigh Ride by World of Illumination, Glow Light Show, and Holiday Lights at Brook Run Park. We also have the scoop on all the best Atlanta Homes with Spectacular Christmas Lights! 

And make sure to enter the Wiggles Bouncing Balls! Tour Giveaway! This month, we're giving away a family four pack of tickets to The Wiggles Bouncing Balls! Tour concert. You can enter to win by signing up for our newsletter here!

Christmas Weekend 2024 in Orlando Top Things To Do: Theme Park Festivals, Holiday Lights, and More

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Winter Wonderland at Wekiva Island is back with a supersized Christmas tree, snow flurries, Christmas lights, Santa, and more! Photo courtesy Wekiva Island

Looking for the best things to do in Orlando this Christmas weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list!

Christmas weekend is here— hopefully the tree is decorated, presents are wrapped, and holiday plans are finalized. Assuming you're looking to get out of the house on Christmas weekend, Orlando is brimming with things to do. Celebrate Christmas in Orlando at SeaWorld, Epcot, Universal, or any of the other Central Florida theme parks open during the holiday weekend. Looking for Christmas lights? Check out amazing displays at Daytona International Speedway and Leu Gardens.

We've also rounded up the best Orlando Restaurants Open on Christmas Day for Kids as well as What's Open on Christmas Day in Orlando. Whatever your plans this weekend, have a very happy holiday from your friends at Mommy Poppins!

Christmas Weekend 2024 in Westchester and the Hudson Valley: Best Things To Do

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A Frosty Fest in Ulster Park features a drive-thru display of holiday lights and animations with music and actors. Photo courtesy of the fest

Looking for the best things to do in Westchester and the Hudson Valley this weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for Christmas weekend.

Families can enjoy pre-Christmas celebrations at Shake it Off's Cookies and Cocoa with Santa, which also includes a dance party, and at Santa's Workshop at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, where kids can decorate cookies, do holiday crafts with Santa, and enjoy a holiday lights drive-thru afterward. 

Other festivities this weekend include Kwanzaa 2024 at Hudson Hall, featuring African dancing, drumming, and crafts for kids, and a Winter Solstice Celebration at Olana State Historic Site, featuring sun-gazing activities and more.