With the delicious holiday of Thanksgiving behind us, we are entering the most beautiful winter period of the year: the time of preparation and expectant waiting for Christmas itself. There is no other theatrical event than the two-act ballet of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker that more suitably expresses the beauty of the season.

Tchaikovsky's music is easily accessible for all: the dreamy costumes and gracious dance appeal to all little would-be prima ballerinas, the enchanting props and scenery mesmerize young and old alike. The action-packed scenes never fail to amaze our young grade school boys either.

Throughout the month of December, this classical ballet will be performed in many towns across Connecticut. The shows will be as diverse as our communities: young aspiring ballet students from dance conservatories, amateur and professional companies will put up their own interpretations of the show. Some perform the traditional plot and choreography, others dream up new readings of the original story and new dances to the well-known music. Below you can read a round-up of upcoming shows. Please, check the venues' or companies' websites for exact show times and ticket prices.

Do you have grand ideas of getting that special tree this weekend? Don't cut down a thing until you've read our round ups of Cut Your Own Tree Farms in both Litchfield and Fairfield Counties. If you are just looking for pure kid fun without celebrating the holidays just quite yet, the LEGO Kidsfest is happening all weekend in Hartford. You can also learn about shelter dogs at the Stepping Stones Mutt-i-grees event or catch Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs playing in Bridgeport.

Rumor has it that you can see Santa for breakfast at the Bushnell and then later on at Angevine Farm this weekend. Many towns are hosting their own Christmas tree lightings and Ridgefield, Stamford, Riverton, Mystic and Kent are no exception.

Hop aboard a Holiday train ride at one of these great places: Essex Steam Train Museum, Connecticut Trolley Museum or the Danbury Railway Museum or just watch a free screening of Polar Express at the Avon Theatre! It's Gingerbread Day all weekend at the Noah Webster House, Visions of Gingerbread in Stamford and an entire Gingerbread Festival awaits you in Kent. For those of you who feel like making something, Pratt Nature Center is creating holiday crafts or you can attend this Wreath Making Workshop in Norfolk. Lest we not forget our troops over the holidays, join No Drama Mama & Papas at the East Norwalk Library as they create cards to send overseas this Holiday Season.

Remember to like us on Facebook and Twitter for daily reminders of cool events happening around town. Here's our weekend list of activities:

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or the winter solstice, the month of December is packed with special seasonal activities in New York City. The MTA is running its cool Nostalgia Trains on the Sixth Avenue line, all of the department store holiday windows are up and Santa has made the Big Apple his temporary home.

Although the big tree in Rockefeller Center is already lit, there are many other holiday illuminations over the weekend, including Central Park's Dana Discovery Center's twinkly LED makeover and the colonial-era tree at Historic Richmond Town.

If you aren’t quite ready to start celebrating the holidays (like me—I am in complete denial!), check out non-seasonal fun like the French Institute's Family Saturdays, inexpensive screenings of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda at Lincoln Center, and the free Jazz-Age-themed Target First Saturdays celebration at the Brooklyn Museum.

Those are just a few of the great things going on this weekend. Read on for all of our picks and remember, you can find additional options in our Events Calendar and our Holiday Guide.

[UPDATED: NOVEMBER 12, 2012]

We're big fans of shopping local, which is why we gave our Holiday Gift Guide a local focus. Shopping at New York City's wonderful holiday craft fairs and bazaars is a great way to find one-of-a-kind gifts for everyone on your list while supporting resident artisans. You can pick up all kinds of treasures like handmade jewelry, accessories, toys, clothing and other original goods created by craftspeople. Read on for our round-up of six spectacular holiday craft fairs in NYC this season. Several of the events even offer entertainment for the kids so you can shop without the little ones tugging at your sleeve.

[UPDATED: NOVEMBER 11, 2012]

There are many wonderful holiday stories but none as iconic as Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. In fact, the tale was so popular when it was first published in 1843 that revelers took the holiday greeting "Merry Christmas" straight from its pages. This spooky Christmas ghost story is the ultimate tale of redemption and it still rings true after two centuries.

So this holiday season, don’t be a Scrooge! Take your Tiny Tim to see a family-friendly adaptation of this treasured classic. Since there are many stage versions of A Christmas Carol around New York City, we've highlighted the ones that are the most family-friendly.

[UPDATED: July 26, 2010]

We don't usually post about NYC hotels since, well, we all live here, and most of our readers do too. But with the holidays coming up, we know lots of out-of-town families will be looking for affordable kid-friendly places to stay. While staying in Times Square or another tourist area may seem like the way to go, we recommend the Upper West Side.

We've been focusing on this super-family-friendly neighborhood all month long, and it really is a kids' paradise with big attractions like the American Museum of Natural History and the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, Riverside and Central Park, and tons of places to play, eat and have fun. While hotels here are no bargain, they're usually a bit cheaper than their Midtown Manhattan counterparts. (We're not including prices though, since they change so often and many websites offer discounted rates.) Plus, since it's a residential area, visiting families can get a taste of how "real" New Yorkers live.

As a longtime UWS resident, I suggest these hotels to my family and friends when they come to town (they can't stay with me, my apartment barely fits my own family!). All five are within walking distance of the UWS' best spots and near subway lines that will have you in Midtown in minutes.