Hello everyone,
The full weekend in December is going to be a busy fun & cold one! We have a Free American Girl Movie Night at Jugeumos a Cantar, Polar Express Storytime at Barnes & Noble and a Bilingual Puppet Show at Gumbo to start the weekend!
Want to shop and have the children entertained? We have the Crafted at Canal Holiday Market, the Family Winter Festival at Brooklyn Friends School and Eat Pie & Shop at PS 29 this weekend. Go shop and help out our local schools and vendors! Also if you want to visit Santa we have Sinterklaas at Wyckoff Farmhouse Museum & Santa’s Village at Habana Outpost this weekend!
There are some super fun music events happening this weekend too with the Hip Tot’s Music Fest’s Holiday Celebration, Frolic’s 3rd Annual Rockin’ Holiday Show at Brooklyn Bowl and Berenstain Bears Live! at the New York Hall of Science!
I couldn’t get all the event on the blog list so make sure to scroll down to the ALL WEEKEND section for ongoing holiday events & 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 December 6th
Bilingual Puppet Show at GUMBO (Boerum Hill)
Friday December 6th at 4:30 pm. Tickets: $15. per child. $5 per Siblings and adults. Space is limited, please call to reserve: 718 855 7808P for Puppets present, One,Two,Tres! a bilingual puppet show. One, Two, Tres!’ is a bilingual (Spanish/ English) puppet show created for babies and children, up to 4 years old. Children become immersed in a magical world of puppetry, which focuses on visual, auditory and verbal stimuli and provides a wonderful bonding experience between parents and children. Each act has repetitive actions and simple musical rhythms, which babies can focus on and enjoy, and toddlers will be totally entertained in a creative, stimulating environment. The performance is specifically designed to run 25 minutes to cater to infant’s and toddler’s limited attention span.
Free American Girl Movie Night at Juguemos a Cantar (South Slope)
Friday Dec 6th 5-7p. Free. Movie: Felicity
Bring your doll and your matching outfit! Get out of the cold and enjoy an American Girl movie with us! There is limited space, so please arrive early. First come, first serve! We will have pop corn and refreshments for purchase. No outside food please. You are welcome to bring a mat or pillow to sit on. Small chairs will be available for the kids. This is a very casual event.
Polar Express Storytime at Barnes & Noble (Park Slope)
Fri Dec 6th 7p. Free.
Storytime, Special Event, Children’s Event – All aboard the Polar Express! Enjoy a reading of the holiday classic, along with fun activities.
For more Friday events please click here!
Saturday December 7th
Atlantic Avenue Children’s Story Readings Series at Sahadi’s (Brooklyn Heights)
Saturday December 7th 10-11a. Free.
Bring children 3-5 to hear stories by local authors. Winners of the Atlantic Avenue Children’s Literature Contest will read original stories along with selections from their favorite picture books. Judging panel includes Brooklyn-native Bruce Degan, illustrator of ‘The Magic School Bus’ series. Kids will decide the Kids Choice Award by voting for their favorite story. Free hot chocolate provided by Sahadi’s along with bookmarks for all but space is limited. Please RSVP on http://bit.ly/1i1YUiA to reserve a spot at one or more of the readings. December 7, 10am, Sahadi’s: Ruth Chan, “Where’s Bernie?” Multiple readings this month at multiple locations – please see full schedule on the website.
Crafted at the Canal Holiday Market at the Brooklyn Reuse Center (Gowanus)
Sat Dec 7th 10a-5p
Build It Green!NYC is pleased to announce that Crafted at the Canal, a reuse-themed holiday market, will return to our Brooklyn reuse center on December 7th, 2013. This year’s fair features over twenty vendors who incorporate reuse and upcycled materials in their one-of-a-kind crafts! Free coffee from Stumptown Coffee Roasters will keep visitors to the market roasty toasty, while vendors will continue to offer a wide variety of reuse inspired gifts. Products at Crafted at the Canal range from soy candles in recycled vessels, framed photographs in reclaimed lumber frames, upcycled art pieces, reuseable holiday cards, pet-friendly toys/clothes/dishes, recycled bicycle parts turned into jewelry, hand painted wooden objects, bike accessories, DIY bottle lamp kits, hand-crafted custom home decor and furniture, New York sea glass jewelry, handwoven recycled plastic bags, repurposed maps turned wallets, glazed lamps, and more! Plus a local vendor will be selling fresh made crepes and warm apple cider.
The NYC Compost Project, hosted at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden will be joining the fair on Saturday, showcasing worms and hosting family friendly composting activities!
Family Winter Festival at Brooklyn Friends School (downtown Brooklyn)
Saturday Dec 7th 1030a-5p
A great family event that takes over all 7 floors of Brooklyn Friends School, including the two gyms. There is holiday shopping at a craft fair with more than 50 vendors, a carnival filled with kids activities, delicious food, wreath and plant sale, craft making, a magic show and much more. Bracelets for the bouncy castle activities can be purchased at the event and individual pricing applies to other activities. There is no cost to enter the building and shop at the holiday craft fair.
Holiday Bazaar at The Church of St Luke & St Matthew (Clinton Hill)
Sat Dec 7th 11a-5p
Shopping, Activities for Kids and Caroling!!!
Come peruse the latest and greatest: quality jewelry, hand made one of a kind crafts, photography, art, vintage and handmade clothes, eco-bags, perfume, soap & stuffed animals made by local Brooklyn Based artisans and NYC vendors! These wares will definitely make unique holiday gifts for the whole family and yourself!
SINTERKLAAS (ST. NICHOLAS DAY) at Wyckoff Farmhouse Museum (East Flatbush)
Sat December 7th, 2013, 12-4p. $5 Adults/ $3 Children under 10/ FREE for kids 2 and under. FREE for Museum Members and Cool Culture Families.
Explore New York City’s oldest house and learn how the Dutch tradition of Sinterklaas evolved into the American tradition of Santa Claus with traditional music, treats, stories, and crafts. Start the day off at noon with a traditional concert by colonial balladeer Linda Russell. Enjoy a special visit from St. Nicholas as he arrives on horseback at 2pm. Grab a carrot and feed St. Nicholas’s faithful horse before signing the Red Book of who’s been naughty and who’s been nice. Sip on cider as Sinterklaas tells the tale of The Bakers Dozen before Santa Claus arrives at 3pm for photos and visits with the kids. Games, food and crafts will continue throughout the day: Try your hand at colonial games, nosh on holiday food to warm your soul, create a traditional pomander, or paint a Dutch clog for Sinterklaas before the outdoor tree decorating and lighting as the sun goes down.
Open Studio: Robert Indiana: The Mother of Us All at the Whitney Museum of American Art (UES)
Sat Dec 7th 2PM. For families with kids of all ages
In 1966 Robert Indiana designed the costumes for the characters in the opera The Mother of Us All, and was often influenced by other art forms such as music and theater. Families will explore Robert Indiana: Beyond LOVE and create their own theatrical characters.
Free with Museum admission. No registration is required.
For more Saturday events please click here!
Sunday December 8th
Hip Tot Music Fest’s Holiday Concert at Shapeshifter Lab (Gowanus)
Sun Dec 8th 11a. Tickets $10 in advance. $15 at the door (non-walkers Free). Click here for tickets.
HIP TOT MUSIC FEST’s holiday concert is happening on Sunday, December 8th at Shapeshifter Lab where The Suzi Shelton Band will make any “Tomboy in a Princess Dress” feel welcome–especially our Lady Claus. Our opening band, “” are bringing more holiday spirit to the stage with their happy tunes. Melanie Hope Greenberg will be telling us about some terrific holiday traditions with her book “Celebrations, Our Jewish Holidays”. There will be FREE crafts and face painting from KidVentrues NYC and giveaways and discounts from Seamless and Brooklyn’s own car sharing company Carpingo. Plus meet Hip Tot’s very own Santa.
Eat Pie and Shop at PS 29 (Cobble Hill)
Sunday December 8, 11am – 4pm
On Sunday December 8th, PS 29 is hosting its fifth annual Eat Pie and Shop holiday event. It’s a pie social, celebrity-judged pie contest, artisan gift fair, professional portrait studio and children’s activity (face painting, kids’ choice pie contest, batiking) wrapped into one awesome family event.
The Berenstain Bears Live! at New York Hall of Science (Flushing Meadows)
Sun Dec 8th 3-4p. Free with NYSCI admission.
Join NYSCI Explainers and the cast of The Berenstain Bears LIVE! as they perform “Fluff on your Tummy,” the energized dance number from the off-Broadway show, The Berenstain Bears LIVE. Following the performance, Mama Bear, Papa Bear, Brother Bear and Sister Bear will teach children the dance with some special bear nose painting to follow. The event is all part of NYSCI’s Healthy Living Weekend and will aim to teach kids about the importance of having fun with exercise and the benefits of healthy living.
Frolic Presents The 3rd Annual Rockin’ Holiday Show at Brooklyn Bowl (Williamsburg)
Sun Dec 8th Doors: 3:00 pm / Show: 4:00 pm. Tickets: $10-$20. Children under 6m free.
The 3rd Annual Rockin’ Holiday Show featuring… Little Rock-its by Frolic!, The Pop Ups, And special guests like like Natalie Elizabeth Wiess of Baby DJ School and a debut by The Screaming Keys. Other highlights: Holiday photo booth featuring SANTA, a holiday glitter tattoo booth, giftbag & Guest appearance by JACK FROST presented by The Big Apple Circus. Portion of event proceeds to benefit Little Essentials, helping to support Brooklyn families living in poverty.
For more Sunday events please click here!
ALL WEEKEND
Santa’s Village at Habana Outpost (Fort Greene)
Sat & Sun December 7th & 8th from 11am – 4pm. $25 per family.
Santa Claus is coming to Fulton Street!
Join Habana Outpost and My Brooklyn Baby for the 3rd Annual Santa’s Village on December 7th & 8th from 11am – 4pm.
Get your photo taken with Brooklyn’s hippest Santa, meet Mrs. Claus and get crafty with the folks from Brooklyn Doodles at our family craft table. You will leave with a gift bag, your finished craft projects, 2 prints as well as digital files of your photos and a heart full of Christmas cheer. Cost of admission is $25 per family. For more information, please visit www.mybrooklynbaby.com or email mybkbaby@gmail.com
Mother Africa at The New Victory Theater (Times Square)
Friday December 6, 2013– Sunday January 5, 2014 various times. See website for schedule. Tickets $17-$55. For Ages 5+. 100 minutes including one intermission.
Rich in rhythm and robust in song, MOTHER AFRICA’s acrobats, musicians and dancers light up the stage in a powerful performance of stunning African artistry. Featuring stilt walkers from Tanzania, jugglers from Ethiopia and a renowned contortionist from Kenya, modern circus arts meld with joyful dance and music among a marvel of traditional masks. Exuberant afro-beats radiate from the stage with every strike of the infectious djembe and strum of the mbira, while bazin and kitenge fabrics swirl in a spectacle of color. Merry and bright, this is one holiday party you won’t want to miss!
Film Society Lincoln Center Family Films: The Neverending Story at the Howard Gilman Theater (UWS)
Sat Dec 7th & Sun Dec 8th 11a. $7 per ticktet.
Introduce the kids to some family favorites this fall and winter.
The NeverEnding Story (102 minutes) – In the iconic 1984 epic fantasy film loosely based on the novel by Michael Ende, the introverted Bastian realizes that he has become a character in the strange book he is reading, and that he is involved in an important quest.
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)
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.
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!
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!