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Christmas Weekend 2023 in NYC: Top Things To Do with Kids

Meet Santa, see holiday classics, and explore the winter wonderland that is PaleyLand this Christmas weekend in NYC. Photo by Jess Laird
Meet Santa, see holiday classics, and explore the winter wonderland that is PaleyLand this Christmas weekend in NYC. Photo by Jess Laird
12/22/23 - By Drew Kristofik

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. Our annual favorites include singing carols under the Washington Square Arch, catching a classic holiday show, and checking out the Dyker Lights.

On Christmas Day, families can catch the Nefesh Mountain concert at the Jewish Museum or celebrate Jewish and Chinese music on the Lower East Side.

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

More Things To Do in New York City this Week with Kids

Be sure to click through to each listing for all the details, including recommended ages and times.

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Witness a rice painting and more magic on stage with White Gold's Cambodian circus. Photo by Ranuth Yun
Witness a rice painting and more magic on stage with White Gold's Cambodian circus. Photo by Ranuth Yun

Best Things To Do in NYC this Christmas Weekend

Rawther Fancy Teas with Santa at the Plaza

Midtown East
Thursday-Monday, December 21-25
Eloise fans can enjoy a special holiday-themed Afternoon Tea menu at The Palm Court, with some delectable pink treats, of course. Santa spotting is on the menu, too. READ MORE

Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol

Flushing, Queens
Friday and Saturday, December 22 and 23
Chained and shackled, Jacob Marley is condemned to a hellish eternity. To escape his own chains, he must first redeem Scrooge. So begins a journey of laughter and terror, redemption and renewal, during which Scrooge’s heart, indeed, is opened; but not before Marley—in this irreverent, funny, and deeply moving story—discovers his own. READ MORE

Celebrate the Holidays at PaleyLand!

Midtown West
Saturday, December 23
The Paley Center's must-see holiday extravaganza fills five floors of the Paley with holiday fun and winter wonderland magic. Enjoy free hot chocolate, watch past and present holiday family specials on the big screen, discover the magic of a classic model railroad display, and so much more. READ MORE

Hip-Hop Holiday Celebration

Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn – FREE
Saturday, December 23
Celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip hop with NYC Parks and Jamel Gaines Creative Outler Dance Theatre.   READ MORE

Santa Fun Cruise with Kids' Activities

South Street Seaport
Saturday and Sunday, December 23 and 24
This Santa fun cruise with kids' activities invites guests to meet Santa and his elves, join in Christmas carol singing, drink cocoa, and eat sweet treats while listening to live holiday storytelling.  READ MORE

Christmas Eve on Sesame Street – 45th Anniversary Screening

Astoria, Queens
Saturday and Sunday, December 23 and 24
In this beloved 1978 TV special, Big Bird deals with a major question—how does Santa fit down the chimney? Bert and Ernie face their own gift-giving dilemma. The screening at the Museum of the Moving Image is preceded by a brief compilation of Henson holiday clips.  READ MORE

Sleeping Beauty

Lower East Side
Select dates through Sunday, December 24
The Abrons Arts Center presents this new take on the classic. This is the most woke Sleeping Beauty you'll ever see, with the princess and her pals defeating Evil Queen Karen with 40 pies in the face! This over-the-top, vaudevillian version of the fairy tale is a crowd-pleaser. READ MORE

Park Slope Panto’s Cinderella

Park Slope, Brooklyn
Select dates through Sunday, December 24
Cinderella is stuck at Flatbroke House, running errands for her beastly fame-obsessed sisters. Will she ever make it to Prince Prospect’s ball, or is there time to transform into a pumpkin–er–princess?! This buoyant comedy throws a modern spin on a classic fairytale, celebrating the triumph of true friendship over influencers. READ MORE

Kids Skate Hour: Santa and Friends

Sunset Park, Brooklyn
Sunday, December 24
Enjoy a Sunday morning skate with Santa and friends. Snap a picture with skating Santa, but watch out for his grouchy green friend, who just might pop up on the ice. READ MORE

Holiday Caroling Under the Washington Square Arch

Greenwich Village – FREE
Sunday, December 24
Join The Rob Susman Brass Quartet for a holiday celebration under the Washington Square Arch. The annual Christmas carol event fills the city streets with the sweet sounds of holiday carols. READ MORE

Family Concert: Nefesh Mountain

Upper East Side
Monday, December 25
Nefesh Mountain—singer Doni Zasloff and her multi-instrumentalist husband Eric Lindberg—present a blend of bluegrass, Celtic, and Appalachian melodies with a Jewish soul. They perform original melodies from their albums Songs from the Mountain and Beneath the Open Sky. READ MORE

Neighborhood Sounds: Celebrate Jewish and Chinese Music on the Lower East Side

Lower East Side
Monday, December 25
Christmas Day coincides with the first night of Chanukah! As the city shuts down on December 25th, the Museum at Eldridge Street on Manhattan's historic Lower East Side comes to life for an afternoon of Chanukah fun for all ages! Jam with The Jazzukkah Project, and be a part of a special candle lighting ceremony with historic menorahs from the remarkable Aharon Ben Zalman Collection.  READ MORE

Fancy Nancy Splendiferous Christmas

Midtown West
Select dates through Friday, December 29
What could be fancier than Christmas? Nancy has enough money to buy a brand-new sparkly tree topper, and she can't wait to decorate the Christmas tree. But when things don't turn out the way Nancy planned, will Christmas still be splendiferous? READ MORE

White Gold

Midtown West
Select dates through Saturday, December 30
Savor Cambodia’s artistic heritage with a circus celebrating healing, and joy…and rice, known throughout Southeast Asia as White Gold. Hypnotic dance, mesmerizing music, and dramatic live painting mix with juggling, tumbling, teeterboard, and other circus arts dating back 12,000 years. READ MORE

A Christmas Carol

Pelham, the Bronx
Select dates through Sunday, December 30
Red Monkey Theater Group’s Sean Coffey presents his one-man dramatic adaptation of Dickens’ classic story of love, compassion, and redemption. READ MORE

Cultures from Around the World

Upper West Side
Friday-Sunday through Sunday, December 31
Explore how countries from around the world celebrate the holidays through tradition and the act of gift-giving with this program at the Children's Museum of Manhattan.  READ MORE

The Paw Patrol Experience at CAMP Columbus Circle

Midtown West
Daily through Wednesday, January 31, 2024
Closed Christmas Day
No job is too big; no pup is too small! In CAMP’s immersive experience, kids train to become members of the PAW Patrol’s Junior Patrollers. They’ll run, jump, laugh, and play in a series of obstacle courses and activities, preparing them to assist the PAW Patrol in defending Adventure City. READ MORE

Astra Lumina

Flushing, Queens
Select dates through Sunday, February 11, 2024
Astra Lumina at Queens Botanical Garden is one-mile-long enchanted night walk through the garden that guides visitors on a journey to discover the wonder of visiting stars. Through the magic of projections, lighting, and music, astral energy transforms the garden into a celestial pathway, connecting visitors to the stars and the vast world around them. READ MORE

Trolls x CAMP

Flatiron District
Daily through Saturday, April 27, 2024
Closed Christmas Day
Step into the joyful, rainbow-colored world of Trolls for a one-of-a-kind musical adventure at Trolls x CAMP. Play and explore in Bergen Town, Vacay Island, and Pop Village —all your favorite locations from the Trolls movies brought to life! It all culminates with a wild, interactive car chase and a live Trollpop concert . READ MORE

Santa's Winter Wonderland

South Street Seaport
Daily through Saturday, December 30
Step into a winter wonderland filled with decorations, illuminated trees, games, and activities. Families can snack with Santa seven days a week, or settle in for a full meal, sit in Santa’s sleigh, write a letter to Santa, play in Rudolph's game room, visit Santa's s'mores-making station, steal a kiss under the mistletoe, and more.   READ MORE

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