All Weekend

The Flying Latke – Tribeca
It's the last weekend to catch this comical Hanukkah play about the meshugge Silversteins as they start a UFO panic by throwing a potato pancake out the window during a holiday food fight. $12

Family Films – Upper West Side
Film Society Lincoln Center's family movie series continues with a pair of Roald Dahl stories turned movies: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory on Saturday and James and the Giant Peach on Sunday. $6.

Brooklyn Lyceum Holiday Marketplace – Park Slope
This annual indie craft bazaar features more than 70 local vendors, photos with Santa, activities for kids, great eats and the live show Charlie Brown Christmas show. Free admission, Charlie Brown tickets are $10.

Yelp's Giftacular Holiday Market – Soho
More shopping: Yelp is sponsoring its first-ever holiday market featuring more than 80 retailers, local designers and crafty folk selling swanky wares. Free admission.

Travelin' Treats – Brooklyn Heights
Head to the New York Transit Museum to create edible trains and buses out of candy, cookies and cakes. While there, check out the recently opened exhibit ElectriCity: Powering New York's Rails. Free with admission: $7 for adults, $5 for children ages 2-17, free for kids under 2.

A Christmas Carol – Tribeca
This adaptation of the classic tale is set in Manhattan and performed by the ghost of Charles Dickens himself. $18.

Peter and the Wolf with Isaac Mizrahi – Upper East Side
The Guggenheim revives its annual holiday performance of Prokofiev's children’s classic, narrated by Isaac Mizrahi and featuring fabulous balloon sculptures by Jason Hackenwerth. $35.

Bronx Santaland – Morrisania
Visit with Santa and snap a few family photos at this fundraiser for the Liberty Development Community Center. Kids can also catch the mini-play A Bronx Christmas about how the big red guy gets into NYC apartments sans chimneys. $12, photos with Santa are an additional $5.

The New York Botanical Garden's Holiday Train Show – the Bronx
An annual family favorite, this amazing display features more than 140 NYC landmarks created out of natural materials with model trains running through the landscape. The NYBG also offers additional seasonal fun like Gingerbread Adventures and a new holiday film festival. $20 for adults, $10 for children ages 2-12, free for kids under 2.

Mommy Mornings – Nolita
Park Here, the indoor pop-up park that was open last winter, is back and this year, families can enjoy exclusive access to the faux green space—for a fee. Kids can romp in the space from 9am-noon with nary a hipster in sight. There will also be enriching activities like yoga, storytime, arts and crafts, and live concerts. $25 per session, $200 for a season pass.

A Charlie Brown Christmas – Park Slope
This faithful stage adaptation of the iconic holiday TV-special by Pig Brooch Theatre Company features Charlie, Lucy, Linus, Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts gang along with that sad little Christmas tree. A lively jazz trio plays Vince Guaraldi's memorable Charlie Brown music. $10, family four-pack $30.

Saturday, December 17

East Meets West Christmas Parade – Chinatown
One of our only-in-NYC favorites: Adjacent communities Chinatown and Little Italy come together to celebrate the holidays. Watch marching bands, Chinese Lion and Dragon Dance troupes, other entertainers parade down the street. Note: We can't find official confirmation of this event online but sponsor Little Italy Merchants Association says it kicks off at Canal and Mulberry Streets at 2pm. FREE

Winterfest at the Central Park Zoo – Upper East Side
At the final installment of the zoo's Winterfest celebration, families can enjoy seasonal crafts, face time with the animals and twinkling lights throughout the grounds. Kids can also meet the stars of the PBS series Super Why. Free with admission: $12 for adults, $7 for children ages 3-12, free for kids under 2.

Creating the Grid Family Workshop – East Harlem
Kids can explore the Museum of the City of New York's new exhibit The Greatest Grid: The Master Plan of Manhattan, 1811-2011, which chronicles the history of our city's layout, and then create a map showing what they think it will look like in the future. Free with admission: $10 for adults, free for children under 13.

Holiday Express with Jim Vagias – Prospect Heights
Storyteller Magic Jim takes kids on an imaginary around-the-world trip so they can experience holidays of many different cultures, including Christmas, Hanukkah, Diwali, winter solstice, Ramadan and Kwanzaa. FREE

R & R Saturdays – Upper West Side
The free Saturday family fun continues at the JCC in Manhattan with a magic show by David E. Ellis, menorah making, storytelling, indoor games and outdoor fun in the newly renovated rooftop playground, weather permitting. There are activities for parents too, like a live a cappella concert and yoga. FREE

Beastly Breakfast with Santa – Staten Island
Families can enjoy a hot breakfast buffet with Santa and his animal pals, followed by a special tour of the Staten Island Zoo. Preregistration required. $24, free for children under age 3. Includes photo with Santa.

Super Sabado: Super Holidays – East Harlem
December's edition of El Museo del Barrio's monthly Saturday family festival is all about the holidays. Kids can make maracas, sing along to traditional Latino holiday tunes, pose in the Three Kings photo booth and hear a concert featuring harpist Celso Duarte. FREE

Hudson Vagabond Puppets: The Snow Queen – Manhattan Beach
Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale is brought to life in this narrated dance and theater performance featuring elaborate costumes and a 12-foot snow queen. $12

Elizabeth Mitchell – Upper West Side
The super-popular kids' crooner brings her sweet tunes to Symphony Space's Just Kidding family performance series. Mitchell's band includes her husband and daughter, and they'll be joined by a few very special (but undisclosed) guests at this holiday show. $25 for adults, $15 for children.

Santa Claus Pajama Story Time – the Bronx
The historic Van Cortlandt House Museum celebrates the season with a reading of Clement Clarke Moore's Twas the Night Before Christmas, hot cocoa and a special appearance by Santa Claus. Kids can share their wish lists and pose with the man of the hour. Reservations required. $5 for children, free for adults.

Amahl and the Night Visitors – Upper West Side
The magic and excitement of Three Kings Day comes alive in this stunning staging of Gian Carlo Menotti's Christmas opera by the Little Orchestra Society. Tickets are $15-$45.

A Season of Lights: A Winter Solstice Celebration – Morningside Heights
The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine hosts the family art workshop A Season of Lights: A Winter Solstice Celebration. After a reading of Nancy Luenn’s Celebrations of Light about winter festivities around the world, families can make candles, craft Asian paper lanterns, and sculpt clay candelabras inspired by Hindu floating lamps, Jewish menorahs and Kwanzaa kinaras. $8 per adult-child pair.

Family Holiday Decoration Workshop – Harlem
Kids can head to Manhattan’s oldest house, the Morris-Jumel Mansion, to make cool colonial Christmas tree decorations. Advance registration required. FREE

Festival of Lessons & Carols – Midtown East
Revelers will sing Christmas carols on the steps of the main altar of St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Don’t worry if you don’t know the words, songbooks will be provided. RSVP required. FREE

Unsilent Night – Greenwich Village and East Village
If you're looking for a nontraditional caroling experience, head to the Village for this annual procession. A musical mob parades from Washington Square Park to Tompkins Square Park carrying boom boxes to create a "sound sculpture." Download the music online or show up early to snag a free CD. FREE

See all Saturday events.
 

Sunday, December 18

Annual Reading of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas – Washington Heights
Get into the holiday spirit at the 101st annual reading of Clement Clarke Moore’s holiday ode. This year Grammy Award-winning jazz bassist Ron Carter will recite the well-known stanzas followed by a lantern lit procession to Moore’s tomb for a wreath laying, plus caroling and cocoa. FREE

A Community Chanukah Celebration – Windsor Terrace
Celebrate the festival of lights at the Kings Bay Y with a glow-in-the-dark dance party, featuring a live DJ, a drum circle, storytelling, sing-alongs, and arts and crafts. Young revelers can snag free driedels, glow sticks and other toys, and chow down on piping hot latkes. Although this fete is free, the Y asks that families bring nonperishable food items for donation to its after-school program. FREE

Chanukah Lobby Celebration – Upper West Side
The lobby of the JCC Manhattan will be Hanukkah central on Sunday. Families can play dreidel, do arts and crafts, decorate cookies, catch a special holiday performance by Little Maestros and listen to Leslie Kimmelman read her book The Runaway Latkes. FREE

Brunch with Grandma – Upper West Side
Families can enjoy brunch with the Big Apple Circus' signature clown while being entertained by the troupe's acts. Bring your camera for photo ops with Grandma and leave with a free goody bag. $50.

Chip Taylor and the Grandkids – Tribeca
The songwriter behind the classic tune Wild Thing takes the stage alongside three of his granddaughters for a rootsy rock concert at 92YTribeca. The gang will be celebrating the release of Taylor's first children's album Golden Kids Rule. $15.

The Poppy Seed Players: Latkes & Applesauce – Upper West Side
The troupe revives its annual holiday musical revue featuring short seasonal skits, including a Hanukkah-themed version of A Christmas Carol and a parody of American Idol. This show is nearly sold out, so act fast if you want to go. $20.

Sunday Story Hour – Upper West Side
The newly opened New York Historical Society’s Barbara K. Lipman Children's Library hosts a storytime exploring ancient Dutch and English Christmas customs that became the basis for many NYC holiday traditions. Free with admission: $15 for adults, $5 for children ages 7-13, free for kids under 7.

Hanukah Family Day – Upper East Side
Head to the Jewish Museum for an afternoon of Hanukkah-themed fun. Make a menorah or a funky urban scene inspired by the museum's The Snowy Day: Art of Ezra Jack Keats exhibit. Other activities include a concert by Ben Rudnick & Friends and an animal art workshop by A Horse for Hanukkah illustrator Nancy Cote. While there, be sure to check out the annual display of menorahs curated by Maurice Sendak. Free with admission: $12 for adults, free for children under 12.

Winter Solstice Celebration & Holiday Market Place – Flushing
At the Queens Botanical Garden, families can take a guided wintertime walk, shop the artisan marketplace, enjoy storytelling or make nature crafts. FREE

A Hanukkah Celebration With Louie Miranda – Flushing
The children’s singer, storyteller and guitarist will put on a show about the origin of Hanukkah at Flushing Town Hall. Early arrivals will be treated to preshow arts and crafts. $16 for adults, $12 for children

Posadas y Pastorelas Mexican Family Celebration – East Harlem
The Museum of the City of New York partners with Mano a Mano for this annual Mexican Christmas family party, with crafts, music and food. Free with admission: $10 for adults, free for children under 13.

Chanukah Fever! with the Mama Doni Band – Upper East Side
The singer/songwriter and her band rock the 92nd Street Y with funky dance songs like "Oy Vey" and "Bagel Time" in honor of the holiday. $15

See all Sunday events.
 

Outside of NYC

If you're Jersey bound this weekend, head to Buchmuller Park to take a spin on the ice with Santa.

On Long Island, Port Jefferson’s Theater Three is presenting its annual holiday production Barnaby Saves Christmas about an elf who learns the true meaning of the holiday. My nephew has seen this show and loved it.

Take your tot to the free Santa’s Workshop in Manchester, Connecticut for refreshments and face time with Santa.

Don't forget: We have additional activity options in our Event Calendar and our Holiday Guide.

Planning an event? Submit it to our calendar.

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