Hi everyone! December is flying by and this weekend there are so many fun holiday events to check out.
This weekend take the kids and enjoy Family Photos with Santa! and Brooklyn Brandenburgers Family Holiday Concert at Old Stone House, Alden Moves Dance Theater’s The Nutcracker at East Midwood Jewish Center, 7th Annual Winter Jamboree at Families First Brooklyn, Klezmer Hanukkah Party at Congregation Beth Elohim, Kids’ Cinema Club: The Muppet Christmas Carol at Industry City, A Charlie Brown Christmas Live at Shapeshifter Lab, 11th Annual St. Nicholas Cookie Walk at St. Nicholas of Myra Orthodox Church, Kids Camp: The Grinch at Alamo Drafthouse, Christmas Tinker Festival & Tree Lighting at Lewis H Latimer House, Hanukkah Family Day at The Jewish Museum, Holiday Movies For Toddlers at Epiphany NY Public Library, Unsilent Night in Washington Square Park, Family Christmas Bird Count in Prospect Park and Matt Heaton’s Holiday Hootenanny at Jalopy Theatre.
Don’t forget to check out long running events like the Holiday Lights at the Bronx Zoo, the 18th Annual Holiday Train Show at Grand Central Terminal, NYC Winter Lantern Festival at Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden, Survival of the Slowest at Brooklyn Children’s Museum, Holiday Express: All Aboard to Richard Scarry’s Busytown at New-York Historical Society, The Sleeping Beauty at Puppetworks, Film Forum Jr. Matinee at the Film Forum, Yeti, Set, Snow! at Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre, GingerBread Lane at New York Hall of Science, 42FT – A Menagerie of Mechanical Marvels at The New Victory Theater, The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show Experience at The South Street Seaport Museum, Because I Say So at The Duke on 42nd Street and Photos with Santa & Luminaries at Brookfield Place.
There are more events this weekend so check the calendar to see everything going on. Also like us on Facebook for last minute events and updates.
Have a wonderful time this weekend!
~ Deirdre (mom to O & C)
Friday December 13th
Holiday Movies For Toddlers at Epiphany NY Public Library (Kips Bay)
Fridays 1030a until December 20th. Free. Ages 1-3. This program will take place in the 3rd floor community room. Toddlers & their caregivers are invited to enjoy a short holiday themed age appropriate cartoon every* Friday morning in December! 12/13: A Charlie Brown Christmas & 12/20: Frosty the Snowman
Kids Camp: The Grinch at Alamo Drafthouse (Downtown Brooklyn)
Friday December 13th 1045a, Saturday-Sunday December 14th-15th 815a. 85 minutes. Rated PG. All Kids Camp screenings are Pick Your Price – $1, $3, $5 – with 100% of ticket sales donated to local nonprofits. Simply select “edit order” in the checkout process to select your ticket amount. Pick your price, bring the kiddos, and settle in for a holiday story that’ll make your heart grow three sizes (but not in a medically alarming way). Oh, those Whos down in Whoville think they’re so great, what with their singing and their dancing and their general festive spirit. But that famous green grump Mr. Grinch has a plot that’s sure to break their spirit: he’s going to steal Christmas. The whole family will love this adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ classic story. Featuring the voice talents of Rashida Jones, Pharrell Williams, Angela Lansbury, and Benedict Cumberbatch as the green meanie himself, THE GRINCH is a charming, funny, and ultimately uplifting story about the true spirit of the season. Purchase tickets here.
Library Playdate at Macon Brooklyn Public Library
Friday December 13th 11a-1p. Free. Stop by the Macon Library Playdate to enjoy fun games and activities that delight young children and encourage early literacy. Come to play and leave ready to turn ordinary objects in your home into your child’s favorite toys. For babies and toddlers birth to 3 years and their parents and caregivers.
42FT – A Menagerie of Mechanical Marvels at The New Victory Theater
Friday December 13th 7p & Saturday December 14th 2p, Sunday December 15th 12n & 5p. Tickets start $22. 1 hour and 45 minutes including one intermission. For everyone 5 and up. Behold! A man so strong he juggles trees! An acrobat so light she floats on air! With a brilliant blur of sequined stilts, feathered frocks and flashing circus stripes, the endlessly inventive Cirque Mechanics upends expectations in a dizzying, dazzling array of acts that have never before appeared on the New Victory stage. Bright with light, laughter and good cheer, this stunning spectacle is a high-flying hit for the holidays! Note there is a Sensory-Friendly performance: Saturday, 12/14 at 7pm. See website for details Also additional performances are ongoing until January 5th. See website for all event details.
See all the Friday events here.
Saturday December 14th
7th Annual Winter Jamboree at Families First Brooklyn (Cobble Hill)
Saturday December 14th 10-1230p. Tickets are $40/family – $30/for Families First members. On Saturday the 7th annual Winter Jamboree will be happening in Cobble Hill. Sponsored by Families First, the event will be a winter-wonderland celebration of family and community for families of toddlers to kindergarten-aged children. The Winter Jamboree features all the kids’ favorites: face painting, tattoos, arts & crafts, a bake sale, snacks and balloons! Our amazing friend, Hopalong Andrew, will be performing a concert and Erin Silber will be on-site to take holiday portraits of your child for only $25. Rumor has it that Santa will be showing up too!
Family Photos with Santa! at Old Stone House (Park Slope)
Saturday December 14th 10a-12n. $10/family. Santa Claus is coming to town on December 14! Santa will be making a pit stop in Park Slope; join us for a seasonal photo session with professional photographer Marc Goldberg. They will have crafts and hot coco to keep everyone cozy while Marc takes photos on a first-come-first-served basis. For $10, each family will receive a water-marked portrait from Marc, he will also have all of the photos available for purchase on his website and visitors are welcome to snap their own keepsake selfies.
Kids’ Cinema Club: The Muppet Christmas Carol at Industry City (Sunset Park)
Saturday December 14th 11a & Sunday December 22nd 11a. Free with RSVP. Industry City hosts the Sunset Park Kids’ Cinema Club with Rooftop Films. Join us on December 14th for a free screening of The Muppet Christmas Carol! The Muppet’s rendition of Charles Dickens’ classic tale puts a unique twist on a favorite holiday story. Note: Doors open 11a and 1130a film begins. RSVP is very much appreciated, but not required. This event is free/open to the public, and will take place indoors on the Factory Floor in BLDG 1 (entrance on 268 36th Street). Seating is first come, first served for all; RSVP does not guarantee entry. RSVP for December 14th and December 22nd here. Also check out The Elf December 15th and How the Grinch Stole Christmas on December 21st. See the website for all the details.
11th Annual St. Nicholas Cookie Walk at St. Nicholas of Myra Orthodox Church (East Village)
Saturday December 14th 11a-4p & Sunday December 15th 12n-3p**. COOKIES! Our Cookie Team bakes over 70,000 holiday confections – about 75 varieties. What makes the Cookie Walk unique is that you are in charge. You “take a walk” around tables ladened with cookies and hand-pick your favorites to fill an empty box. There are two sizes of boxes to fill: $15 & $35. CRAFTS! Family fun! Children 12 & under can create their own sweet masterpiece at our Little Elves Bakery & Workshop. No charge except to have FUN! CLAUS! Santa that is – will also visit through the day for pictures at our awesome Photo Booth. Just $5! And, after the last cookie is packed, be sure to visit Tinseltown, our gift market. ** As hard as we try not to, we can sell out. Please check website for updates!
Klezmer Hanukkah Party 2019 at Congregation Beth Elohim (Park Slope)
Saturday December 14th 4-6p. Tickets: $20 general admission, $15 for BKCM students & families and CBE members, children 10 & under free with RSVP. Join Congregation Beth Elohim and the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music for a Hanukkah season celebration of Klezmer, crafts and latkes! This is a very popular event. Advanced ticket purchase is recommended. Purchase tickets here.
See all the Saturday events here.
Sunday December 15th
Matt Heaton’s Holiday Hootenanny at Jalopy Theatre (Red Hook)
Sunday December 15th 11a. Tickets: $5 child, $10 adult, $25 family. Matt Heaton’s Holiday Hootenanny is a dance-filled, laugh-laced concert for the whole family. With his band the Outside Toys, Heaton performs hits from his shiny new album “Snow Day!” (Because nothing says holidays like fiddle drenched honky-tonk numbers, retro hi fi guitar stylings, and a rock solid rhythm section.) Heaton is one of Boston’s most sought-after family performers. He plays in every size of venue; from libraries to outdoor festivals. But during December, he dusts off the Santa hats and brings the festive seasonal numbers. From the Grinch and Rudolph to originals such as “Snow Day” and “Happy Holidays,” the Hootenanny appeals to adults as much as kids.
Hanukkah Family Day at The Jewish Museum (UES)
Sunday December 15th 11a-4p. RSVP recommended. RSVP here. Included with Museum Admission; admission is free for children 18 and under. For ages 3 and up. Celebrate the festival of lights as a family at the Jewish Museum! Build a sculptural Hanukkah lamp with funky found objects — a Jewish Museum tradition. Dance to the pop-rock tunes of Joanie Leeds & The Nightlights, sketch Hanukkah lamps from around the globe on a gallery tour, and watch a unique Hanukkah story come to life through a drawing performance.
ALDEN MOVES Dance Theater’s The Nutcracker at East Midwood Jewish Center
Sunday December 15th 12n & 5p. Advance tickets: $15 ages 2+, $25 adults 21+. Tickets At The Door: $30.00 for adults, $20 for kids (space permitting). Purchase tickets here. Ballet meets immersive theater to create a one-of-a-kind production of this timeless holiday classic. Featuring students and professionals of ALDEN MOVES Dance Theater, the interactive performance is designed to capture the imagination of the whole family. Be a part of the magic this holiday season!
Christmas Tinker Festival & Tree Lighting at Lewis H Latimer House (Flushing)
Sunday December 15th 230-530p. Free. Celebrate the holidays with tinkering, tree lighting, hot cocoa, and music! Artist-led tinkering activities from 2:30-4:30p. Hot cocoa and tree lighting at 5p. Space limited. RSVP here.
Unsilent Night in Washington Square Park (Greenwich Village)
Sunday December 15th 6p. Free. Meet at the arch in Washington Square Park at 5:45pm. Composer Phil Kline will lead a massive chorus of boomboxes from the West Village to the East Village in the 27th annual holiday presentation of UNSILENT NIGHT. People gather at the arch in Washington Square Park, and less than an hour and mile later, end up in Tompkins Square Park. Phil Kline will hand out a limited number of vintage boomboxes from his collection—and cassettes for those who bring their own. The public is strongly encouraged to bring their own boomboxes or sound-blasters, and to pre-download the track. Find out more about how to participate and download the tracks here.
See all the Sunday events here.
All Weekend
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show Experience at The South Street Seaport Museum [sponsored]
Saturdays-Sundays 10a, 1130a & 1p until December 29th and Thursday-Friday December 26th-27th 10a, 1130a & 1p. Tickets: $25 (Children under one are $5 with accompanying paid adult ticket). The South Street Seaport Museum presents The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show Experience, a fun-filled hour-long experience complete with an interactive puppet show, activities, and the opportunity to take a picture with The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Witness these timeless classics come to life during an interactive story time at The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show Experience. Created by Jonathan Rockefeller, The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show Experience features a variety of puppets, faithfully adapting three of Eric Carle’s stories, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, 10 Little Rubber Ducks, and of course, the star of the event – The Very Hungry Caterpillar. The experience lasts approximately sixty minutes, including a puppet show with special audience participation elements. Plus, all attendees will have the opportunity to take a picture with The Very Hungry Caterpillar! Each performance will feature The Very Hungry Caterpillar paired with the story. See the website for details.
A Charlie Brown Christmas Live at Shapeshifter Lab (Gowanus)
Saturday December 14th 12n, 2p & 4p -15th and Sunday December 15th 12n. 2p & 5p. Tickets: $15. Join the Peanuts gang again this year and help us celebrate our 11th anniversary at Shapeshifter Lab in Brooklyn!! We’ll still be performing the classic Charlie Brown Christmas special word for word and gesture for gesture and of course, what Charlie Brown Christmas would be complete without our jazz trio playing the iconic Vince Guaraldi score.
Brooklyn Brandenburgers Family Holiday Concert at Old Stone House (Park Slope)
Saturday-Sunday December 14th-15th 2-4p. Tickets: $15 adults, children under 16 free. Space is limited so order in advance here. The Brooklyn Brandenburgers have been a staple of OSHs musical programming since 2004 – and now they’re back and better than ever! The Brandenburgers are an ensemble who bring an eclectic mix of styles and genre to every performance which also includes one of Bach’s six Brandenburg Concertos. This year’s Family Holiday concerts feature the talented Eleonor Bindman on piano performing the Brandenburg Concerto #5, and a unique piece by Brooklyn composer Gene Glickman called The Folky Thirties Suite which includes 6 movements of compositions inspired by the American folk music and protest songs.
Luminaries at Brookfield Place (Battery Park City)
Luminaries will be on display daily 10a-8p December 4th-January 3rd. Free to attend. This mesmerizing installation and holiday tradition features a canopy of colorful lights emanating from hundreds of suspended lanterns. Luminaries was created by the LAB at Rockwell Group for Brookfield Place, inspired by the season’s traditions of sharing, giving, and community. LIGHT SHOWS (8am-10pm): Special light shows will be presented at the top of every hour, set to popular holiday songs by Michael Bublé, The Bird and The Bee, Tony Bennett, and featuring a new show featuring “Let it Snow” by Pentatonix! HOLIDAY WISHES (10am-8pm): The interactive exhibit includes three Wishing Stations located on the ground that will allow visitors to send a touch-activated wish to the canopy of lanterns above, activating a magical display of lights and colors. Brookfield Place will donate $1, up to $25,000, for every wish made during the holiday season to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer.
Family Christmas Bird Count in Prospect Park
Saturday-Sunday December 14th-15th 10a-1p. Free. Counts leave promptly on December 14 + 15 at 10:30 am, 11:30 am and 12:30 pm. Join Prospect Park Alliance at the Prospect Park Audubon Center for our Family Christmas Bird Count. On December 14 + 15, blooming naturalists of all ages will conduct a mock bird count and learn about the official Christmas Bird Count—a census of birds in the Western Hemisphere, performed annually in the winter by volunteer birdwatchers and administered by the National Audubon Society. This event helps conservation researchers track the long-term health of bird populations. Location: Audubon Center
18th Annual Holiday Train Show at Grand Central Terminal (Midtown East)
Ongoing until February 23rd 2020. Free. Hours: Monday–Friday 8a–8p, Saturday and Sunday: 11a–6p. Closed for special events and major holidays. Every holiday season, the New York Transit Museum’s Grand Central Gallery plays host to a city within a city with the display of a miniature electric railroad running over, through, and beneath some of New York’s most magnificent landmarks. Celebrating its 18th year of operation, this beloved annual holiday exhibit features model trains traveling along a 34’ long, two-level, “O” gauge model train layout. This year’s exhibit is set against a mural designed by cartoonist Julia Wertz. Departing from a miniature replica of Grand Central Terminal, the Transit Museum’s collection of Lionel trains including Metro-North, Polar Express, and vintage subway train sets will dazzle the eyes of children and adults alike as they make their way past New York landmarks and on to the North Pole!
Because I Say So at The Duke on 42nd Street
Thursdays & Fridays at 4p Saturdays & Sundays 10a & 1p until December 22nd. Tickets: $20. For ages 3-5y. Running time: 35 minutes with no intermission. From offbeat ideas to curious habits, each kid is truly one of a kind. In the unique universe of BECAUSE I SAY SO, colorfully-clad performers in trendy tracksuits ask the question: What if kids had absolute agency? With endless imagination, derring-do and daring dance, this renowned Swedish theater company helps us see and move through the world as little ones do.
Holiday Lights at the Bronx Zoo
Ongoing until December 31st (excluding December 24th-25th) and January 3rd-5th. Hours: Sunday-Thursday 5-9p & Friday-Saturday 5-10p. Tickets: $22.95 for children 3-12y, $29.95 for adult. Discount available for WCS. See website for details. Discover the holiday season at the Bronx Zoo. Animal lanterns, animated sculptures, and colorful designs will light your way throughout the park. Enjoy a magical night that’s greener than ever thanks to LED technology. There will also be roaming carolers, ice carving, a holiday train, costumed characters ad seasonal food & souvenirs. See the website for all the details.
Winter Zoo Wonderland at Prospect Park Zoo
Saturdays-Sundays 11a-3p. Free with Zoo admission. Every weekend in December and January, explore Prospect Park Zoo’s wintery outdoor trail, warm up in their indoor exhibits, and discover the special adaptations animals have to survive in the cold. You’ll be toasty warm at the Zoo as you find out who at the zoo loves the cold…and who doesn’t. Post your “Zoo Year” resolutions for a better planet on the Zoo’s special wall and on social media to inspire others.
Photos with Santa in Brookfield Place (Battery Park City)
Ongoing until December 24th. Hours: Tuesday-Friday 12n-8p, Saturdays 10a-8p, Sundays 10a-6p, December 24th 10a-4p. Closed Mondays except 12/23. Santa takes a break to feed his reindeer around 3-4pm each day. Create lasting photo memories with Santa at BFPL! Photo packages start at $29. See website for full pricing information. Walk ins for photos with Santa are welcome, or click here to reserve your spot in advance.
NYC Winter Lantern Festival at Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden (Staten Island)
Hours: Wednesdays-Thursdays 5-930p. Fridays-Sundays 5-1030p until January 12th. Also open Monday-Tuesday December 30th-31st 5-10p. Tickets: $25 general admission, $17 youth ticket (ages 3-12y), $20 Senior/Military/Student. After our success last year, the NYC Winter Lantern Festival is back to transform Staten Island’s Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden into a whimsical world of light. There will be over 1,000 lanterns on display, sculpted into magnificent figures of luminescent art. Bring your whole family to revel in eight acres of lights, live cultural shows, interactive exhibits, and more. For those of you who attended last year’s event, prepare yourself for a completely fresh, new, and unique display! Purchase tickets here.
Yeti, Set, Snow! at Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre (Central Park)
Mondays-Fridays 1030a & 1130a and Saturdays-Sundays 1p until February 23, 2020. See website for the full schedule. Tickets: $12 adult, $8 child. An original story and production from the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre, Yet, Set, Snow! is the story of a young girl named Widget, and her friend, Twig, who encounter a yeti named Pascetti on the first snow day of the winter season. Pascetti, who lives on a mountain top nearby, dislikes the snow. Through songs and snow day activities, Pascetti discovers not only that snow can be fun but also the value of friendship.
Holiday Express: All Aboard to Richard Scarry’s Busytown at New-York Historical Society (UWS)
Ongoing until February 23rd 2020. Museum hours: Tuesday-Thursday 10a-6p, Friday 10a-8p, Saturday 10a-6p & Sunday 11a-5p. Free with Museum admission. Holiday Express returns to New-York Historical this holiday season, reimagined to celebrate the 100th birthday of Busytown author and illustrator Richard Scarry. The installation showcases artwork and graphics of Scarry’s characters (like Huckle Cat and Lowly Worm!) from publisher Penguin Random House alongside Jerni Collection toys. Children and adults can also experience dynamic displays exploring the workings of the railroad, the services it provides, and the jobs required to keep people and goods moving.
GingerBread Lane at New York Hall of Science (Flushing Meadows)
Daily until January 12th 2020. Hours are Monday-Friday 930a-5p & Saturday-Sunday 10a-6p. Free with Museum admission. GingerBread Lane is the record-holder of the Guinness World Records for largest gingerbread village. In order to be eligible for the title, every element of the gingerbread display must be edible, and the display must imitate a village with houses, shops and town services such as a firehouse and police station. Creator Jon Lovitch will again try to break his own record with this year’s GingerBread Lane. This year’s GingerBread Lane includes a number of storefronts with quirky names: Eleven Pipers Piping – Piping Hot Soup, My Two Front Teeth General Dentistry, Visions of Sugar Plums Eye Glasses, and Letters to Santa – GingerBread Lane’s Post Office. Also check out the The Art of the Brick exhibit.
Survival of the Slowest at Brooklyn Children’s Museum (Crown Heights)
Ongoing until February 2nd 2020. Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday 10a-5p, Thursday 10a-6p & Saturday-Sunday 10a-7p. Free with Museum admission. Meet Roger the sloth! He has two toes, lives in Central America, and is visiting Brooklyn with his friends. Learn about how slow animals survive and thrive in our fast-paced world at BCM’s newest exhibit. Survival of the Slowest features 19 distinct habitats with live animals, including Roger the two-toed sloth, a blood python, a roughneck monitor lizard, and many more. Each day this exhibit will offer up-close experiences with slow and small species that survive and thrive in a world where large, strong, and fast animals are often at the top of the food chain. Survival of the Slowest prompts families to appreciate the different evolutionary paths of these incredible creatures, and showcases the value of deliberation in our fast-paced city. While exploring Survival of the Slowest, young visitors will explore concepts of biology and evolutionary science. Live animal presentations are offered throughout the day to educate, entertain, and most importantly, connect visitors with wildlife and nature.
Origami Holiday Tree at the American Museum of Natural History (UWS)
On display 10a-545p until January 12th (except 12/25). Free with Museum admission. Visit the American Museum of Natural History this holiday season to see one of New York’s most beloved displays, the Origami Holiday Tree—an annual tradition for more than 40 years. The theme of this year’s 13-foot tree is T. rex and Friends: History in the Making, with models inspired by the Museum’s special exhibition T. rex: The Ultimate Predator, which celebrates the most famous dinosaur species that was first discovered, named, and exhibited to the public by the Museum. Feeling crafty? Volunteers from OrigamiUSA will be on hand at the Museum to teach paper folding to visitors of all ages. Also check out the T. rex: The Ultimate Predator exhibit.
The Sleeping Beauty at Puppetworks (Park Slope)
Saturdays-Sundays 1230p & 230p until December 22nd. Suggested for 4 and up. Admission for a Child is $10, an Adult $11. Reservations are suggested: 718-965-3391 or e-mail us: puppetworks@twcmetrobiz.com (NO same day e-mail reservations). Perrault’s real Faery Tale with Music by Tchaikovsky.
Film Forum Jr. Matinee at the Film Forum (Lower East Side)
Saturdays-Sundays at 11a until December 8th. ALL TICKETS $9. Advance tickets on sale at the box office and online. Most programs appropriate for ages 5 and up. Classics For Kids and Their Families! December 14th-15th Disney’s THE ARISTOCATS