Hi everyone,
The long weekend is here and hope everyone is having fun with family friends this Thanksgiving Day & Hanukkah!
We have lots of holiday related events going on with Macy’s Santaland opening for business bright and early tomorrow and we have the World’s Largest Menorah lighting going on all weekend and Shop Small on Saturday on Park Slopes 5th Ave and celebrate the Holiday Tree Lighting. Also Don’t forget to check out the Origami Holiday Tree at the American Museum of Natural History and Gingerbread Lane at the New York Hall of Science
In addition to those events we also have fun family events like Jim Henson’s Dinosaur Train Live! at NYU Skirball, Little Laffs at the Jalopy Theatre, Ben Rudnick & Friends at The Jewish Museum and Babe playing at Lincoln Center’s Howard Gilman Theater.
Listed below is just a sample of fun events going on this weekend so make sure to look at the calendar for a full schedule of the additional holiday events and also sing-a-longs, drop in yoga & art classes available this weekend so start planning your fun weekend!
Also if you have an event that you would like to have included on our calendar you can use the form on this link to submit it to us!
Enjoy the weekend!
~ Deirdre (mom to O & C)
Friday November 29th
Macy’s Santaland: Opening Weekend at Macy’s Herald Square
Santaland Opening Weekend Hours: Friday 11/29: 7am-9pm, Saturday, November 30: 8am-9pm, Sunday, December 1: 10am-9pm
Nothing will put you more in the Christmas spirit than a trip to Santaland! In this enchanted holiday wonderland, you can tell Santa what you’d like for Chirstmas, get your picture taken with him and enjoy all sorts of other wonderful holiday magic.
Santaland is open until December 24th. See here for hours. Also happening at Macy’s: Yes Virginia the Musical. A holiday tradition since 1976, Macy’s Puppet Theater recreates beloved tales through the art of puppetry. This year, come see “Yes, Virginia: the Musical.” Featuring the vocal talents of Matthew Broderick, Whoopi Goldber and an all-star Broadway cast, it’s a must-see show for kids of all ages 11/29-12/24. General admission tickets are $5 per person (children under 2 free)
Jim Henson’s Dinosaur Train – Live: Buddy’s Big Adventure at NYU Skirball Center (Greenwich Village)
Friday, November 29, 2013 11a & 2p (also 11a & 2p Sat 11/30 & Sunday 12/1). Tickets: $22-$49. Ages 3 & up.
With extraordinary design – combining lush projected backgrounds, magical special effects, unique hybrid puppet costume characters, and a full-sized replica of the Dinosaur Train – this show is guaranteed to transport you and your child on a time traveling adventure that is larger than life. So practice your dance moves and your dinosaur roars, and join Buddy, Tiny, King, Don and all of their diverse friends and family in this fun-filled, interactive live trip back in time to an age when dinosaurs roamed the earth….and rode in trains! PRE-SHOW: Join us one hour prior to each performance for an educational activity. Come to learn about dinosaurs and create your own dino puppet!
30th Annual Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony at South Street Seaport
Friday November 29th 6p
The Seaport’s 30th Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony will take place at the corner of Fulton and Front Streets on November 29th at 6pm. The event will feature live music, the opening of the See/Change ice rink, and the lighting of our Holiday Tree.
For more Friday events please click here!
Saturday November 30th
Holiday Kickoff at Books of Wonder (Flatiron)
Sat Nov 30th 1-3p. Free.
JERRY PINKNEY The Tortoise and the Hare
URI SHULEVITZ Dusk
CHARLES SANTORE The Little Mermaid + The Classic Tale of Peter Rabbit
SUSAN JEFFERS The Twelve Days of Christmas
Mozart’s Inside Game at Gleason’s Gym (DUMBO)
Saturday, November 30th from 4:30 to 5:30 pm for a free hour of classical music.
Free Holiday Concert for all Kids in the Neighborhood! Dan Barrett and Chala Yancy and their International Street Cannibals present in cooperation with Gleason’s Gym a free music concert. This show is for all children and their parents. They do not have to be members of Gleason’s Gym.
Small Business Saturday/Holiday Tree Lighting in Park Slope
Saturday, November 30, 2013 6:30pm
Fifth Avenue’s holiday season kicks off this week on November 30th, Small Business Saturday! This annual reminder to “shop small” (sponsored by American Express) is a growing holiday tradition, nationwide. Come down to see what Fifth has to offer and stay for our tree lighting event: 6:30 pm at S’Nice (3rd St and Fifth Avenue). There will music by the MS 51 Chorus, Rolie Polie Guacamole and Puppetry Arts, hot chocolate, candy canes and Santa! Then, we’ll be making Fifth Avenue an extra-special place to be for the next 3 Saturdays until Christmas. Stores will stay open until at least 9 pm, carolers will stroll the strip and Santa will be making stops along the avenue in an antique car.
For more Saturday events please click here!
Sunday December 1st
Little Laffs at the Jalopy Theatre (Carroll Gardens/Red Hook)
Sunday, December 1. Show starts at 10:30 (First Sunday of every month) Tickets: $5 Kids, $10 Adults, $25 Family
Little Laffs, “Big Fun for Little Ones” is a fun and entertaining variety show for kids ages 3-9, that mixes juggling, balloon art, music, comedy, and more. Located at the Fabulous Jalopy Theatre in Carroll Gardens/Red Hook, Brooklyn. Join us for an afternoon full of Little Laffs! Little Laffs – Big Fun for Little Ones! Kids Show feat. Lloyd H. Miller of the Deedle Deedle Dees
Family Concert: Ben Rudnick & Friends at The Jewish Museum (UES)
Sunday, December 1 2:00pm. Ages 3 to 7
JM Family Member Prices: $15 Adults; $11 Children 2 and up.
Blending musical styles from country to bluegrass, rock to second-line New Orleans, hear the eclectic original songs of Ben Rudnick & Friends. Boogie to select Hanukkah hits with their own unique twist along with favorites from the notable albums.
Holiday Stocking Decorating Workshop at Dazzle Divaz Party Boutique & Craft Studio (Bedford Stuyvesant)
Sunday December 1, 2013 12-2PM. $25 for 1 Adult 1 Child
You will receive 1 Glam Stocking and 1 Traditional Stocking Holiday Snacks,Music and lots of Fun! A perfect way to start the Holiday Season with your girl or boy!
For more Sunday events please click here!
ALL WEEKEND
Film Society Lincoln Center – Family Films: Babe at the Howard Gilman Theater (UWS)
Fri Nov 29th, Sat Nov 30th & Sun Dec 1st 11am. $7 per ticktet.
Introduce the kids to some family favorites this fall and winter.
This delightful Australian children’s classic, which tells the story of a pig who learns how to herd sheep, won an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. Rated G
Jim Henson’s Dinosaur Train – Live: Buddy’s Big Adventure at NYU Skirball Center (Greenwich Village)
Friday, November 29, 2013 11a & 2p, Sat 11/30 & Sun 12/1 11a & 2p . Tickets: $22-$49. Ages 3 & up.
With extraordinary design – combining lush projected backgrounds, magical special effects, unique hybrid puppet costume characters, and a full-sized replica of the Dinosaur Train – this show is guaranteed to transport you and your child on a time traveling adventure that is larger than life. So practice your dance moves and your dinosaur roars, and join Buddy, Tiny, King, Don and all of their diverse friends and family in this fun-filled, interactive live trip back in time to an age when dinosaurs roamed the earth….and rode in trains! PRE-SHOW: Join us one hour prior to each performance for an educational activity. Come to learn about dinosaurs and create your own dino puppet!
Macy’s Santaland: Opening Weekend at Macy’s Herald Square
Santaland Opening Weekend Hours: Friday 11/29: 7am-9pm, Saturday, November 30: 8am-9pm, Sunday, December 1: 10am-9pm
Nothing will put you more in the Christmas spirit than a trip to Santaland! In this enchanted holiday wonderland, you can tell Santa what you’d like for Chirstmas, get your picture taken with him and enjoy all sorts of other wonderful holiday magic.
Santaland is open until December 24th. See here for hours. Also happening at Macy’s: Yes Virginia the Musical. A holiday tradition since 1976, Macy’s Puppet Theater recreates beloved tales through the art of puppetry. This year, come see “Yes, Virginia: the Musical.” Featuring the vocal talents of Matthew Broderick, Whoopi Goldber and an all-star Broadway cast, it’s a must-see show for kids of all ages 11/29-12/24. General admission tickets are $5 per person (children under 2 free)
BAMKidstuff: Film Series at BAM Rose Cinemas (Fort Greene)
Fri Nov 29th-Mon Dec 2nd various times General Admission: $13
For adventurous cinephile families and movie lovers stuck in the city for the holiday, this series presents some of the greatest, most empathetic evocations of childhood by cinema’s favorite auteurs. 11/29 The Spirit Of the Beehive, 11/30 The River, 12/1 Fanny and Alexander, 12/2 Kes.
Origami Holiday Tree 2013-2014 at the American Museum of Natural History (UWS)
November 25th-January 12th. Grand Gallery, near the 77th Street exit on the Museum’s first floor.
An annual tradition, the delightfully decorated Origami Holiday Tree has marked the start of the holiday season at the Museum for 40 years. The theme of this year’s tree is Wicked, Wild, and Wonderful, honoring the Museum’s new exhibition The Power of Poison. Volunteers begin folding in July to complete hundreds of creations that will be displayed on the tree. During the holiday season, volunteers will be on hand to teach visitors of all ages the art of paper folding.
South Street Seaport Ice Rink Public Skating Hours
Everyday now until Sunday March 2nd 2014. Monday – Thursday: 11a- 9p, Friday – Saturday: 10a- 10p, Sunday: 10a – 9p
Admission – $10, children 5 and under receive FREE admission. Skate rental: $6, helmet rental: $6, bag check: $8
*Residents living in 10038 and 10005 zip codes, with valid ID, receive 50% off Admission, Skate Rentals and Helmet Rentals. Passes also available for purchase. See website for details.
Lighting of the Brooklyn’s Largest Hanukkah Menorah at Grand Army Plaza (Prospect Heights)
Every day until Wednesday December 4th (times vary). Free. All ages.
Brooklyn’s Largest Menorah stands at a whopping 32 feet tall (the maximum allowed by Jewish law), and has been towering over Grand Army Plaza since 1985. The annual Menorah lighting ceremony is a must for Jews and non-Jews alike. Every night The celebration is accompanied with live music and hot latkes for all. Special gifts are distributed to every child. Making this a family celebration and a must on everyone’s calendar.
Gingerbread Lane at New York Hall of Science (Flushing Meadows)
Now until January 12, 2014. Tuesday – Friday 9:30 am – 5 pm &Saturday & Sunday 10 am – 6 pm
Marvel at homemade gingerbread houses that are drafted, designed, baked, planned, built and decorated by chef Jon Lovitch over the course of an entire year. GingerBread Lane, a 1.5 ton, 300-square-foot village made entirely of edible gingerbread, royal icing and candy, is a contender for the Guinness World Record for the largest gingerbread exhibit.
The village includes an estimated 1,900 lbs. of icing, 400 lbs. of candy, and 500 lbs. of gingerbread dough. It is comprised of 152 gingerbread houses, 65 trees, four gingerbread cable cars, five gingerbread train cars, an underground candy subway station, candy trees and sugar signage. A behind-the-scenes window gives a peek into the makings of GingerBread Lane with ovens, models and ingredients made entirely from royal icing. Five two-foot-high nutcrackers, also made of royal icing, stand guard over the exhibit. Free with NYSCI admission.
The Centennial Holiday Fair at Grand Central Terminal(Midtown East)
Mon-Sat 10AM-8PM • Sun 11AM-7PM Christmas Eve 10AM-6PM (Closed Thanksgivng) in the Vanderbilt Hall now until December 24th
Grand Central Terminal’s 14th annual Holiday Fair, sponsored by Shaw Floors, is the only holiday market in the city to operate indoors. This season, the Fair will fill Vanderbilt Hall with 76 vendors for six weeks each offering a wonderful array of holiday gifts for all your loved ones including art, clothing for adults and children, handbags, jewelry and accessories for men and women, bath and body items, home goods, collectible toys, holiday items and gifts for pets.
The Centennial Holiday Light Show at Grand Central Terminal (Midtown East)
Thursday Nov 21st – Thursday Dec 26th 5-11p. Free.
The Holiday Light Show makes its return to Grand Central Terminal for its Centennial year. The show will light up the famous windows on the west side of the Main Concourse above Michael Jordan’s The Steak House N.Y.C. and Cipriani Dolci this holiday season.
12th Annual Holiday Train Show at Grand Central Terminal (Midtown East)
Now until February 23rd. M–F: 8a–8p, Saturday and Sunday: 10a–6p. (Closed for Christmas and New Year’s Day) Extended holiday hours from November 18 to December 24: M–F: 8a–8p, Saturdays: 10a–8p, Sundays: 10a–7p.
Trains are trips. Trips are adventures. This year memorable characters from Maira Kalman’s Next Stop Grand Central will be watching our Lionel trains as they zip, zap and whizz through their journey from Grand Central to the North Pole!
Feet Don’t Fail Me Now! at The New Victory Theater (Times Square)
Friday Nov 29th 2p & 7p, Saturday Nov 30th 2p & 7p & Sunday Dec 1st 2 & 5p. Seats in the Balcony start at $14 ($9 with Member discount). Rhythmic Circus from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Home-grown hoofers from Minneapolis hit the road with a trunk full of tap shoes, funky costumes and a big brass band, ready to burst onto the New Victory stage with FEET DON’T FAIL ME NOW! “Heatbox,” the human beat box, joins the swingin’ seven-piece Root City rockers to accompany each tap, shuffle and stomp with a clang, riff and refrain. It’s easy to see why this troupe was a 2012 winner of an Edinburgh Festival “Spirit of the Fringe” Award. In this joyous parade of genre-hopping music and hard-hitting percussive dance, you’ll be jumping out of your seat and moving to the beat! 60 minutes with no intermission.
Tap dancing with a live band. Created for audiences of all ages. Kids under the recommended age may be sensitive to the volume.
Three Bears Holiday Bash at Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre (Central Park/UWS)
Now until December 30 Monday through Friday at 10:30AM and 12:00PM. Additional show on Wednesdays at 2:30PM. Saturday and Sundays at 1:00PM. Tickets: $7/children & $10/adults.
The Three Bears Holiday Bash, is a variety show that celebrates the holiday season in song, dance, and puppetry. This production quickly becomes a comedy of errors when Baby Bear invites Santa to star in Mama and Papa
Bear’s annual holiday show. The audience also gets to join in on the fun with a “12 days of Christmas” sing-a-long during the performance!
Drawing from the stories of Hanukkah, the Night Before Christmas, and Kwanzaa, The Three Bears Holiday Bash is a great way to get into the holiday spirit!
For a full calendar of events please click here!