Hi everyone! Merry Christmas & Happy Kwanzaa! Enjoy the holidays with lots of fun events this weekend.
This weekend check out Kwanzaa at Brooklyn Children’s Museum, The Jewish Museum: Nefesh Mountain, The Nutcracker: A Free Virtual Event, Snow Fluff Craft and Winter Story at Greenbelt Nature Center, Nature Exploration: Prospect Park, Winter Tree ID in Fort Greene Park, Kwanzaa Celebration: Regeneration Night with Apollo Theater, Little Red Riding Hood at Puppetworks and New York Transit Museum: Virtual Holiday Nostalgia Train & Virtual Holiday Train Show.
Don’t forget about running events like Luminaries in the Winter Garden, Holiday Lights at the Bronx Zoo, Origami Holiday Tree at the American Museum of Natural History and Holiday Express: Toys and Trains from the Jerni Collection at New-York Historical Society Museum.
There are more events on the calendar so check it to everything going this weekend. Also like us on Facebook for last minute events and updates.
Enjoy the holidays & the weekend!
~ Deirdre (mom to O & C)
Friday December 25th
The Nutcracker – A Free Virtual Event
This video will be available to watch any time after its premier on December 24th at 7p on their YouTube channel through January 1. Presented by the New Paltz Ballet Theatre. Catch the performance filmed at the Bardavon in 2019! The New Paltz Ballet Theatre’s 22nd season presenting this classic holiday event featuring dancers from the New York City Ballet. Peter and Lisa Naumann, co-directors of the NPBT, have brought many fine regional artists together to create this beautiful production. Dancers, designers, and technicians have all contributed to make this Nutcracker a visual delight. Come along with Marie as she dreams of a fierce battle between giant mice and toy soldiers followed by a magical journey through the Land of Snow to the Kingdom of Sweets. This show is just what you’ll need to put you in the mood for the holidays!! This time Virtually!
New York Transit Museum: VIRTUAL Holiday Nostalgia Train & VIRTUAL Holiday Train Show
Celebrate the Holidays at Home with New York Transit Museum! See the videos here. Every holiday season, the New York Transit Museum celebrates the magic of New York City with two beloved annual traditions, our Holiday Nostalgia Rides and Holiday Train Show at Grand Central Terminal. This year, all Museum locations are temporarily closed. So, we’re bringing our historic vintage trains and model trains to you, right at home, with a Virtual Holiday Nostalgia Train and Virtual Holiday Train Show!
The Jewish Museum: Nefesh Mountain (virtual)
Friday December 25th 11-1145a. This performance is Free with RSVP, one ticket per household. YouTube link sent with RSVP. For all ages. Enjoy the toe-tapping sounds of Nefesh Mountain, led by singer Doni Zasloff and her multi-instrumentalist husband Eric Lindberg. Dance to a vibrant blend of bluegrass, Celtic, and Appalachian tunes with a Jewish soul, as the band performs original melodies from their notable family release Songs from the Mountain and heralded album Beneath the Open Sky along with holiday favorites such as Woody Guthrie’s “Hanukkah Dance.”
See all the Friday events here.
Saturday December 26th
Kwanzaa at Brooklyn Children’s Museum (Crown Heights)
Saturday-Sunday December 26th-27th 10a, 1230p, 3p & 530p. Free with Museum admission. Join us and Brooklyn-based Asase Yaa Cultural Arts Foundation for our 13th annual Kwanzaa celebration! Learn African dance, play the djembe drum, hear folktales of the African diaspora, create Zawadi gifts for family and friends, and explore Kwanzaa’s seven principles. Purchase timed entry tickets here.
Nature Exploration: Prospect Park
Saturday December 26th 11a-1230p. Free. Location: Audubon Center at the Boathouse. Our Urban Park Ranger hiking guides will introduce you to the hidden gems of New York City and places often off-limits to the general public. On our hikes, you may explore nature, discover our city’s rich history and diverse culture, or just unplug from the world to clear your head. On this moderately-paced hike, discover the nature of Prospect Park. We recommend wearing comfortable shoes or boots. See the website for details on Covid-19 protocols.
Snow Fluff Craft and Winter Story at Greenbelt Nature Center (Staten Island)
Saturday December 26th 11a-12n. Free. Appropriate for ages 4-8. Register here. Have you ever wanted to play with the snow outdoors but it didn’t come down the night before? Come to the Greenbelt Nature Center and join our educator Christopher Rommel for this all-outdoor program as he shows us how to make your own snow fluff. Also, stick around for interactive storytelling that will get you moving.
See all the Saturday events here.
Sunday December 27th
Winter Tree ID in Fort Greene Park
Sunday December 27th 11a-12n. Free. Location: Fort Greene Park Visitor Center. For this program, we will explore beautiful Fort Greene Park while learning how to identify trees by the bark, buds, and other distinctive characteristics. Enjoy the subtle beauty of trees in winter. See the website for details on Covid-19 protocols.
Little Red Riding Hood at Puppetworks (Park Slope)
Sunday-Wednesday December 27th-30th & Saturday-Sunday January 2nd-3rd. Tickets: Children $10 each, Adults $11 each(suggested for ages 3 and up). Charles Perrault’s Folk Tale adapted for Hand Puppets by Michael Thomas. Call for Reservations: 718-965-3391 or e-mail to: puppetworksinfo@gmail.com NO Same Day e-mail reservations please. Performances are @ 25% Capacity, Masks Required.
Kwanzaa Celebration: Regeneration Night with Apollo Theater
Sunday December 27th 7p. Free. Register here. The tradition of Kwanzaa at the Apollo continues in 2020 on the Apollo Digital Stage! Since 2006, the Apollo Theater has celebrated Kwanzaa, bringing families and communities together from all of New York’s five boroughs. This year we have witnessed unprecedented disruption – a deadly pandemic, social unrest, economic tumult, an exhaustive presidential race and uncertainty around every corner. This digital gathering to celebrate culture, tradition, ritual and community in New York and around the country is more important than ever. Join us on December 27th and exhale. Watch on their website, Facebook or YouTube.
See all the Sunday events here.
All Weekend
Luminaries in the Winter Garden (Battery Park City)
Ongoing daily 8a-10p until January 3rd. Free. Brighten up the holidays with Brookfield Place! This season we’re keeping our annual Luminaries tradition alive with the interactive installation in the Winter Garden. Luminaries, designed by the LAB at Rockwell Group, is inspired by the season’s traditions of sharing, giving, and community. The installation features a canopy of colorful lights emanating from hundreds of lanterns suspended among the palms. Touchless wishing stations located on the ground allow visitors to send a motion-activated wish to the canopy of lanterns above, prompting a magical display of lights and colors. For each wish, Brookfield Place will donate $1, up to $25,000 to ROAR (Relief Opportunities for All Restaurants),which supports New York City restaurant employees facing unprecedented economic hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.At the top of every hour, visit the Winter Garden for a special Luminaries light show (8a -10p) featuring: Winter Wonderland by Michael Bublé, Silver Bells by Tony Bennett, Carol of the Bells by The Bird and The Bee, Let It Snow by Pentatonix. See the website for all the details.
Holiday Express: Toys and Trains from the Jerni Collection at New-York Historical Society Museum (UWS)
Ongoing until February 21, 2021. Free with Museum admission. Purchase timed entry tickets here. Hours are Fridays 11a-8p, Saturdays-Sundays 11a-5p. Friday 10-11a is for Members and age 65+ and immunocompromised. A magical wonderland awaits visitors with the return of this holiday tradition. Featuring toy trains, figurines, and miniature models from the renowned Jerni Collection, Holiday Express transports young and old alike to a bygone era. The installation includes a variety of toy train stations dating from the turn of the 19th century to the WWII era, showcasing the evolving designs of American and European toymakers. New to the display this year are Marklin’s Onion Dome Station and Grand Station (1904–08). Visitors are greeted by animations and fun facts about the toys on nearby screens, and kids will be delighted by a specially created bench inspired by a sleigh in New-York Historical’s collection.
Holiday Lights at the Bronx Zoo
Select dates through January 10th 3-8p. Tickets are required and must be reserved in advance. Tickets start at $22.95. Purchase tickets here. Join us for five animal lantern safaris, ice-carving demonstrations, holiday treats, costumed characters, wildlife theater, stilt walkers, and more! Join us for a global safari in lights featuring illuminated animals from all over the world. Our five lantern safaris, spread out throughout the park each showcase a different wildlife region and will lead you on a fun, safe, and leisurely tour of the attractions. See the website for all the event details.
Origami Holiday Tree at the American Museum of Natural History (UWS)
On exhibit until January 10th (except 12/25). Location: Grand Gallery, first floor. Free with Museum admission. Museum is open Wednesdays-Sundays with timed entry tickets are available 10a-4p (museum closes 530p). 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 Cranes and Colors, featuring 1,000 brilliantly colored origami cranes, presented as symbols of peace and good wishes as New York continues to endure the many challenges posed by COVID-19, and drawing inspiration from The Nature of Color special exhibition, which explores the role and power of color in the natural world.The tree—which is the 49th Origami Tree, continuing a Museum tradition started in the 1970s—also features hundreds of other models relating to the Museum’s exhibitions, collections and icons.
Ice Skating at Winter Village in Bryant Park
Skating hours daily 8a-10p until March 7th. Admission is free. Skating rental vary by day. Reservations must be made in advance. See website for all the information on skating & the shops. Bryant Park is Manhattan’s winter wonderland. Enjoy New York City’s only free admission ice skating rink, the Holiday Shops, and rinkside eats and drinks at The Lodge Deck.
Indoor Exhibits Open at Brooklyn Children’s Museum (Crown Heights)
Museum hours Saturdays-Sundays 10a-7p. Museum admission: $13 per person (children under 1 free). BCM is delighted to have the indoor exhibits open. Make sure you don’t miss a minute of fun by ordering your tickets online in advance and reserving a timed ticket. There are two types of tickets to BCM: Play Session tickets and ColorLab Session tickets. Play Sessions are Saturdays & Sundays at 10a, 1230p, 3p or 5p (90-minute session). Come play in our exhibits! BCM favorite exhibits including Totally Tots, World Brooklyn, Neighborhood Nature, Collections Central and The Nest are open for exploration. For more information on BCM’s exhibits, check out our Permanent Exhibits page. Artmaking in ColorLab are Saturdays & Sundays at 1030a, 130p & 330p. Every weekend, BCM hosts artmaking workshops featuring a muse artist and family art projects inspired by their work. Families attending the 1030a & 1p ColorLab sessions may come up to 30 minutes in advance to play in BCM’s exhibits, and visitors attending the 3p session may stay up to 30 minutes after their workshop. Space is limited to ensure that families can spread out in our art studio. See our ColorLab page for more information on art workshops. Masks required. See website for all the details.
Brooklyn Public Library Vitural Storytimes
Daily usually at 11a & 2p (none 12/25). Free. Sometimes the storytimes are on the Brooklyn Public Library Family facebook page and other times they are on a specific branch facebook page. See the website for all the details.
Spineless Exhibit at The New York Aquarium (Coney Island)
Daily 10a-330p (park closes 430p) until March 2021. Admission included with ticket. All visitors must reserve a date-specific ticket in advance. Please check Know Before You Go for details. We have great news: The New York Aquarium is reopening on August 27! Buy tickets to see all of your favorite marine animals today and enjoy summer on Coney Island! Explore Spineless, our latest exhibit, and marvel and the jellies, octopus, and more. Come wave hello to Erie the sea lion and Murphy the Harbor Seal. Relax in Ocean Wonders: Sharks! and watch the rays, sharks, and turtles.
Children’s Museum of Manhattan at Home
CMOM is now open Wednesday-Sunday 10a-5p. CMOM at Home is still ongoing. Activities are sent in a daily email newsletter. CMOM can still be a part of your day through videos, sing-a-longs, games and so much more for you to do together with your family at home! Sign up for emails here. From slime-making, dance parties and being transported to Japan with a recipe for sushi, to making animal puppets from recycled materials around the house, creating a bedtime routine and storytimes, “CMOM at Home” is sure to delight. Each day of the week will feature a different theme: Magical Monday, Move & Grove Tuesday, Our World Wednesday, Artsy Thursday, Feel Good Friday, Storytime Saturday and Surprise Sunday.