All Weekend

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.

Nutcracker in the Lower – Lower East Side
If you're looking for a more offbeat (and less expensive) Nutcracker experience, check out Urban Ballet Theater's version of the classic ballet, featuring krumping rats and popping soldiers, and set on the culturally diverse Lower East Side. $20.

Family Films – Upper West Side
Film Society Lincoln Center’s family movie series continues this weekend with Matilda on Saturday and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory on Sunday. $6.

A Christmas Carol – Tribeca
Manhattan Children’s Theatre mounts a just-for-kids musical adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic holiday tale. In advance: $18 for adults, $16 for kids; at the door: $20.

Gingerbread House Decorating Workshop – Tribeca
In these festive food workshops, kids create their own gingerbread house for the holidays. Live music and handy elves add to atmosphere. While it's a pricey party, all proceeds go to support the Church St. School for Music and Art. Advance registration required. $95.

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-$16, photos with Santa are an additional $5.

Saturday, December 3

R & R Saturdays – Upper West Side
The free Saturday family fun continues at the JCC in Manhattan with a live performance by WonderSpark Puppets, storytelling, art projects, indoor games and outdoor fun in the newly renovated rooftop playground, weather permitting. There are activities for parents too, like live music and aromatherapy. FREE

Postcard Making Workshop – Battery Park City
Kids can tour the exhibits at the Skyscraper Museum and then create a postcard inspired by what they see. Registration required by Friday at 5 pm. $5.

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

Family Winter Festival – Brooklyn Heights
Get some shopping done while the kids are entertained at the Brooklyn Friends School's annual fest. Pick up a holiday wreath or wares from local artisans as your children do crafts, hit a storytime, groove to live music, and get their faces painted and their hair styled. Free admission but there are fees for certain activities.

Holiday Party – Financial District
The New York City Police Museum celebrates all the December holidays with hands-on crafts and activities. While there, kids can learn about policemen around the world and try on international uniforms. Free with admission: $8 for adults, $5 for children under 13, free for kids under 2.

Target First Saturdays: Youth and Beauty – Prospect Heights
Travel back to the Jazz Age in honor of the Brooklyn Museum's new exhibit Youth and Beauty: Art of the American Twenties. Although the party lasts until 10pm, if you arrive on the early side your gang can enjoy a live concert by Hazmat Modine, a spoken-word tap-dance show, and learn the Lindy Hop and other period dances. Come dressed in your jazz best for the costume contest. FREE

St. Luke’s Christmas Fair – Greenwich Village
Kids can play games and win prizes at the Children’s Carnival, navigate a massive maze, sing karaoke, snack on baked treats, watch a puppet show, get their faces painted and their hair done, pose for photos and more. $8 for adults, $5 for children.

St. Nicholas Day – East Flatbush
Celebrate an old-fashioned Christmas at the Wyckoff Farmhouse Museum with a visit from Sinterklaas, who arrives on horseback. Kids can enjoy arts and crafts, colonial music, period snacks and maybe even feed carrots to Santa’s steed. $5 for adults, $3 for children.

Little Red Riding Hood: The Chinese Opera – Upper West Side
You've never seen Little Red like this! The classic tale comes to live at the American Museum of Natural History through Chinese theater techniques, stylized face painting, acrobatics, pantomime and elaborate costumes. $22.

Swedish Christmas Children’s Workshop – Murray Hill
Experience a Swedish julpysseldag, a.k.a. a Christmas craft day. Kids can learn how to make woven hearts, yarn tomtar and paper angels. Advance registration required. $10

Jeremy Plays Guitar – Park Slope
Jeremy, a children’s music educator and guitar player, rocks out at the Brooklyn Public Library's central branch. FREE

French Institute's Family Saturdays – Midtown East
You don't need to speak français to enjoy the institute's family days. The second installment features screenings of Georges Méliès' silent shorts with live musical accompaniment, a subtitled screening of the French animated film Eleanor's Secret, a bilingual storytime and more. $10-$20 per activity.

Nostalgia Shoppers' Special Train – Queens and Manhattan
On Saturdays through Christmas Eve, the MTA will run old-fashioned subways on the Sixth Avenue line. Take a retro ride with one swipe of your MetroCard!

See all Saturday events.

Sunday, December 4

Holiday Open House – Midtown East
The main branch of the New York Public Library goes all out at its annual holiday bash. Go on an insiders-only tour of the stacks, hear a variety of live music, compete in a geography trivia game or check out Charles Dickens’ personal copy of A Christmas Carol. Fun activities for kids include face painting, crafts, magic, storytelling and a stilt-walker. While there, you can also visit the Children's Center and explore NYPL's centennial exhibit Celebrating 100 Years. While this party is for NYPL members only, you can buy a membership at the door for $40-$100.

Le Theatre Motus: Baobab – Flushing
This innovative Canadian troupe uses percussion, puppetry and live actors to tell the African legend of the baobab tree and how it saves a village from drought. There is also a pre-show puppetry workshop with the cast at Flushing Town Hall. The show: $12 for adults, $8 for children. The workshop: $6 for adults, $3 for children.

Fantasia on the Loose – Crown Heights
Fantasia, the Brooklyn Children’s Museum's beloved 20-foot albino Burmese python, will greet guests and pose for photos during her annual appearance outside her cage. Free with admission: $7.50, but the museum will also be accepting donations for its live animal collection.

Winter Family Day Celebration – Murray Hill
The Morgan Library & Museum hosts its annual family fete. This year's attractions include performers from the Grand Falloons company playing Christmas Carol characters, excerpts from The Nutcracker, retro holiday photo ops, hat-making and English country dance workshops, and more. Free with admission: $15 for adults, $10 for children under 16.

Christmas in Richmond Town & Traditional Tree Lighting – Staten Island
Enjoy an old-fashioned holiday in the historic village. Watch the tinsmith create glittering tree ornaments, listen to Christmas carols and stories, snap photos with Santa, browse the holiday market, and take a horse and wagon ride. The tree lighting caps off the day of fun. Free with admission: $8 for adults, $5 for children ages 4-11, free for kids under 4, but there are additional fees for certain activities.

Okee Dokee Brothers – Tribeca
92YTribeca welcomes this funny folk duo, which performs a hybrid of bluegrass, folk, and rock and roll. $15

Eat Pie and Shop Holiday Gift Fair – Cobble Hill
Eating and shopping: A winning combination. Pies from Brooklyn’s best bakers (both home and pro) will be judged by a jury of aficionados. Enter your own pie or just taste them for $5 a pop. Parents can also shop at the holiday market while kids enjoy face painting and art workshops led by educators from the Children's Museum of the Arts. Free but there are fees for certain activities.

Hannukah Family Day – Battery Park City
Hear holiday tunes by the Macaroons and make Hanukkah crafts at the Museum of Jewish Heritage’s annual family fete. $10 for adults, $7 for children.

Thalia Kids Book Club: Chris Van Allsburg and Jon Scieszka – Upper West Side
Head to Symphony Space to hear author-illustrator Chris Van Allsburg (of Polar Express fame) discuss The Chronicles of Harris Burdick, a new short story collection in which writers like Kate DiCamillo, Stephen King and Sherman Alexie share imaginative tales inspired by the original illustrations from his 1984 wordless classic The Mysteries of Harris Burdick. Contributor Jon Scieszka will also read. $15.

Central Park's Dana Discovery Center’s Holiday Lighting – Harlem
Watch as the Victorian-style the center is illuminated with thousands of LED lights while enjoying cocoa, cookie decorating crafts, caroling and an appearance by Old Saint Nick, himself.

Carl Schurz Park Annual Tree Lighting – Upper East Side
Neighbors come together to sing Christmas carols, enjoy cookies, candy canes and hot chocolate, and watch the Christmas tree light up at this UES green space. Make it an interfaith night by sticking around for the lighting of the park's giant menorah right afterward. FREE

Park Avenue Christmas Tree Lighting – Upper East Side
These arbors were first illuminated in 1945 to commemorate those lost in World War II. Today, this tradition continues in honor of the brave men and women who make the ultimate sacrifice for our country. The lighting begins with a brief ceremony outside the Brick Presbyterian Church. FREE

See all Sunday events.

Outside of NYC

My family and I cut our own Christmas tree every year, so I can personally recommend firs from Wycoff’s Tree Farm in Belvedere, New Jersey, and the Lewin Farm on Long Island. Although I have never gotten a tree in Connecticut, there are quite a few farms in Litchfield and Fairfield Counties.

Take a cool Christmas trip to see Santa on old-fashioned trains in New Jersey.

The Stony Brook Village Center on Long Island is hosting its annual Holiday Festival, which includes a puppet show and other seasonal activities.

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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