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Holiday Lights, Gingerbread Houses, and More Things To Do in NYC this Weekend with Kids

The Brooklyn Nutcracker takes the stage at City Tech beginning Saturday. Photo courtesy of The PR Social
The Brooklyn Nutcracker takes the stage at City Tech beginning Saturday. Photo courtesy of The PR Social
12/3/25 - By Drew Kristofik

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

We're hopped up on holiday sweets in New York City this weekend, thanks to Gingerbread NYC: The Great Borough Bakeoff at the Museum of the City of New York, where the skyline gets a candy-coated makeover courtesy of talented local pastry chefs. Celebrate the display with a fun-filled Community Day on Saturday. If you want to try your own hand at baking holiday magic, Taste Buds Kitchen hosts a trio of expert-guided Gingerbread House Decorating Workshops. 

The whole city is aglow with holiday lights, and it gets brighter daily! Friday brings a lights-on moment to Historic Richmond Town, while the Bronx's Little Italy flips the switch Saturday. Plus, families can catch the sweet sounds of the Soweto Gospel Choir on stage at the Kupferberg Center in Queens. 

Keep reading for all our top picks for the weekend ahead!

Looking for even more fun things to do this weekend? Our New York City Events Calendar is packed with great family activities every day of the week—and you can filter by age, location, or even FREE events!

Not receiving our newsletter yet? Subscribe for FREE and get the best local family fun sent straight to your inbox. Already subscribed? Share it with a friend and start planning your weekend together!

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

Best Things To Do in NYC this Weekend with Kids

Santa Fun Cruise with Kids Activities

West Village
Weekends through Sunday, December 28
Meet Santa and his elves, join in Christmas carol singing, drink cocoa, and eat sweet treats while listening to live holiday storytelling. The kids can create and decorate their own paper gingerbread house and Christmas tree with stickers—and, of course, there are plenty of New York City sights along the way. READ MORE

Merry Mayhem at the New Victory Theater

Midtown West
Opens Friday, December 5
Exploding onto the stage in a rascally rainbow of high-flying frivolity, this multi-generational, muscle-bound ensemble tumbles, tussles and trapezes to the beat of a live rock band! Embrace the holiday frenzy and buckle up for a uniquely Aussie celebration of subversive circus fun. READ MORE

Traditional Tree Lighting in Historic Richmond Town

Richmond, Staten Island – FREE
Friday, December 5
Historic Richmond Town's free annual tree lighting celebration kicks off with musical performances by local groups. Santa Claus makes a special appearance, spreading cheer before the tree lights up. READ MORE

Peter and The Wolf with Isaac Mizrahi at the Guggenheim

Upper East Side
Opens Friday, December 5
Isaac Mizrahi narrates and directs Sergei Prokofiev's charming children's classic. Ensemble Connect performs the music, and the cast, wearing costumes by Mizrahi, performs choreography by John Heginbotham all to bring the 30-minute story to life. READ MORE

Seven in One Blow, or the Brave Little Kid at Axis Theater

West Village
Opens Friday, December 5
The Axis Theatre Company presents its 24th annual production of the beloved family holiday show, Seven in One Blow, or the Brave Little Kid. READ MORE

Parade on Rockaway

Rockaways, Queens – FREE
Friday, December 5-Sunday, December 7
Queens' annual Parade on Rockaway provides three days packed with holiday cheer, from the biggest tree lighting in Queens to a gift giveaway (featuring Santa) and a lovely parade of lights on Rockaway Boulevard. READ MORE

Soweto Gospel Choir at the Kupferberg Center

Flushing, Queens
Saturday, December 6
The multi-Grammy and Emmy Award-winning Soweto Gospel Choir, a 20-member South African ensemble celebrated worldwide for its vibrant blend of culture, faith, and joy, performs at the Kupferberg, featuring South African freedom songs, spirituals, and timeless classics by artists such as Aretha Franklin, Harry Belafonte, Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush, and Leonard Cohen. READ MORE

Christmas Party at Washington Market Park

Tribeca – FREE
Saturday, December 6
At this annual Christmas party in Washington Market Park, the big, red-suited guest of honor rides into the park in style: sometimes by pedicab, sometimes peddled by an oversize elf. READ MORE

Winter Wonderland at The Bronx Museum

Concourse, the Bronx – FREE
Saturday, December 6
Celebrate the magic of winter at The Bronx Museum's annual Winter Wonderland event, with art-making activities, festive music, hot chocolate, and more.   READ MORE

St. Nicholas Day Celebration at Wyckoff Farmhouse

Flatbush, Brooklyn – FREE
Saturday, December 6
Families are invited to NYC's oldest house for an outdoor celebration packed with craft activities, a tree lighting, and a special visit from St. Nick (who arrives on horseback around 2:30pm). Kids can sip hot cider, try some colonial games, create a holiday craft, and dress the tree.   READ MORE

Bronx Little Italy’s Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony

Ciccarone Park, the Bronx – FREE
Saturday, December 6
The beloved annual tree-lighting ceremony is back at Ciccarone Park. Attendees can get into the holiday spirit by meeting Santa and an elf, singing along with holiday carols, and enjoying Italian cookies and hot chocolate from local businesses. READ MORE

Holiday on the Hudson at West Harlem Piers

West Harlem – FREE
Saturday, December 6
Hudson River Park's annual holiday tree lighting party invites families to celebrate the season with winter arts and crafts, hot chocolate, and live music. READ MORE

Holiday Caroling with BKCM

Park Slope, Brooklyn – FREE
Saturday, December 6
The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music invites the community to join in a beloved tradition — holiday caroling! Spread cheer throughout the neighborhood, including in a reception in the BKCM Garden. READ MORE

The Brooklyn Nutcracker at City Tech

Downtown Brooklyn
Opens Saturday, December 6
The Brooklyn Nutcracker fuses ballet, hip-hop, and a variety of world dance genres to create a new holiday tradition. This performance transforms familiar Nutcracker characters and scenes to represent the diverse traditions and vibrant culture of melting pot Brooklyn. READ MORE

St. Nicholas Day at Onderdonk House

Ridgewood, Queens – FREE
Sunday, December 7
This annual St. Nicholas Day celebration features all the trappings of a traditional Dutch Christmas: Visits with St. Nicholas, free goody bag, singing, and a tree lighting. Learn the legend that Clement Moore made famous! Mulled cider and holiday treats available for purchase. READ MORE

Family Holiday Celebration at The Castle in Fort Totten

Bay Terrace, Queens
Sunday, December 7
Celebrate the holiday season with the Bayside Historical Society at a fun-filled day of festive crafts for kids, music, games, snacks, storytelling, and a special visit from Santa Claus himself! READ MORE

Winter Wonder at the Queens Botanical Garden

Flushing, Queens
Sunday, December 7
Celebrate the season with live music, crafts, and festive shopping. Snap photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, take selfies among the beautiful evergreen displays in the Garden, and enjoy seasonal drinks from the Holiday Bar. The night concludes with a lantern walk to the tree lighting. READ MORE

Gingerbread House Decorating at Taste Buds Kitchen

Chelsea
Select dates through Tuesday, December 23
Celebrate the holidays with family bonding and gingerbread fun, designing and decorating a gingerbread house surrounded by twinkling lights and delightful decorations. Taste Buds Kitchen's experienced instructors guide you through every step, ensuring a fun and memorable experience for all.   READ MORE

Gingerbread NYC: The Great Borough Bake-Off at the Museum of the City of New York

Upper East Side
Through Monday, January 19, 2026
The Museum of the City of New York invites bakers from across the five boroughs to create gingerbread displays revolving around the theme of “Iconic New York”—creating distinctive buildings, places, or things that represent their neighborhood, community, or borough. READ MORE
Catch a classic iteration of A Christmas Carol on stage at The Perelman this season. Photo by Manuel Harlan/courtesy of the production
Catch a classic iteration of A Christmas Carol on stage at The Perelman this season. Photo by Manuel Harlan/courtesy of the production

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The Holiday Train Show at the New York Botanical Garden is pure holiday magic. Photo courtesy of NYBG
The Holiday Train Show at the New York Botanical Garden is pure holiday magic. Photo courtesy of NYBG

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Places featured in this article:

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
Colden Auditorium at Kupferberg Center for the Arts
Museum of the City of New York
Big Apple Circus at Damrosch Park at Lincoln Center

About the Author

Drew Kristofik
Drew Kristofik’s career took a twist from editing teen magazines to a seven-year stint at MacNeil/Lehrer, followed by a long run at Nickelodeon/Viacom as Director of Content for Nick Online and Editor-in-Chief of ParentsConnect.com. A founding member of the Webby Award-winning GoCityKids, she’s written for Family Fun, Vanity Fair, and New York. Her middle school novel, The Time Boat, is available on Amazon Kindle. Drew keeps the MommyPoppins New York Events calendar spot-on and can be reached at events@mommypoppins.com.
Recent Articles By Drew Kristofik:
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