Christmas Events Around New York City 2023
Celebrate Christmas with these family-friendly events all over New York City!
Psst… Here’s advice for how to have the Santa talk with your kids.
Manhattan
The Magical Hot Chocolate Experience
The Cauldron NYC Flatiron, 127 W 26th St., Flatiron District
Nov. 24-Dec. 31, Thursdays – Sundays, 12 – 3 pm
All ages
$29.99-$32.99 per adult; $24.99 ages 6 and younger; free for children younger than 2.
Construct your own magical hot chocolate in a cast iron cauldron with an interactive magic wand! This brand new experience is fit for wizards (and elves) of all ages, and is the perfect way to get you into the holiday spirit.
Holiday Sweet Treat Decorating Class at Flour Shop
Flour Shop SOHO, 177 Lafayette St., Soho
Dec.2-24, Saturdays and Sundays, 11 am – 2 pm
Ages 3 and older
$30
Decorate a sweet treat for the holidays and have fun being creative with all the sprinkles and frosting you could want.
New York City Opera Presents An Evening of Caroling
Bryant Park, 6th Avenue between 40th and 42nd Street, Midtown
Tuesday, Dec. 12, 6-7pm
All ages
Free
New York City Opera kicks off the holiday season with an evening of caroling at Bank of America Winter Village.
A quartet of singers from New York City Opera will perform an hour of iconic Christmas carols and holiday favorites alongside students from LaGuardia High School Show Choir, accompanied by a brass quintet featuring artists from New York City Opera Orchestra.
Watson Adventures’ Ho-Ho Holiday Midtown Family Scavenger Hunt
Paley Park, 3 E 53rd St., Midtown
Saturday, Dec. 16, 26, 10:30 am – 12:30 pm.
Ages 10 and older
$17.50-$21.50
Advance purchase is required
Discover the best of midtown’s lavish holiday displays on this seasonal scavenger hunt, including the windows along Fifth Avenue, the Rockefeller Center tree, Grand Central Terminal, the model train display in the Transit Museum Annex, and other festive highlights.
You’ll also visit locations from famous holiday movies such as Elf, Miracle on 34th Street, Scrooged and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.
NYSoM HolidayMania 2023
East Harlem Tutorial Program, 2050 2nd Ave., Harlem
Saturday, Dec. 16, 2 – 6 pm
All ages
Free
Celebrate the winter holidays, including Christmas, at a Winter Wonderland featuring Santa Claus, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, and more of your North Pole favorites spreading Christmas cheer!
Tea with Santa
Let’s Dress Up, 261 West 19th St., Stuyvesant Park
Sunday, Dec. 17, 1:30 – 3 pm
All ages
$65
Bring your little ones in for Tea with Santa. There will be a dress up and a holiday themed tea party. Plus children will have an opportunity to take a picture with the big guy (and maybe whisper some wishes in his ear).
Lessons & Carols at Brick Presbyterian Church
Brick Presbyterian Church, 62 E 92nd St., Upper East Side
Sunday, Dec. 17, 4 – 6 pm
All ages
Free
Brick Presbyterian Church will be hosting its time-honored and beloved Lessons & Carols service.
The traditional ceremony is modeled after the famous service sung at King’s College in Cambridge since 1918. By flickering candlelight, proclaim the message of Christmas through readings of carols and anthems, sharing the good news of light amid the winter’s darkness to the NYC community.
This year’s service will feature the world premiere of a new Magnificat by New York composer Jonathan Woody carrying a message of joyful renewal.
Christmas Eve Caroling
Washington Square Park, Washington Square N., Greenwich Village
Sunday, Dec. 24, 5 pm
All ages
Free
Christmas Eve, at 5 pm is the traditional time to celebrate the holiday with carols at the Washington Square Arch. “Peace on Earth, Good Will to Men” will ring out to remind us all of the true meaning of the holidays.
Bronx
Holiday House Tours
Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum, 895 Shore Road, Pelham Bay Park
Dec.9-30, see website for complete schedule
All ages
$15; $12 senior/student.
Bartow-Pell is Blooming for the Holidays! Come visit and experience the mansion in all its splendor and explore all the rooms with their beautifully decorated holiday trees.
Selfies with Santa and Cookies and Crafts
Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum, 895 Shore Road, Pelham Bay Park
Saturday, Dec. 16, 11 am – 1 pm
All ages
$15; free for adults when accompanied by a child.
Families are invited to explore the museum decorated with festive holiday trees in each of the period rooms, take selfies with Santa, and children can get creative decorating their own holiday cookies to take home in the conservatory.
Nature’s Workshop: Nature Ornament Making
Crotona Nature Center in Crotona Park, 1702 Crotona Ave., Park East
Saturday, Dec. 16, 1 – 2 pm
All ages
Free
Join the Urban Park Rangers to create your own nature inspired holiday ornament to take home for the holidays.
Brooklyn
Holiday Specials: Live DJ @ Ferox Ninja-Park. Ferox Family Holiday Party
Ferox Ninja Park, 72 Noble St., Greenpoint
Friday, Dec. 15, 4 – 7 pm
All ages
$30.99
Prepare for an evening of excitement with a chance to win incredible prizes in a raffle. Ferox facilities will be decked out in holiday decorations, creating a festive backdrop for an unforgettable night.
Whether you’re mingling with family and friends or showing off your ninja skills on the floor, their live DJ will keep the energy high!
Caroling on Atlantic
Beginning at M.PATMOS, 358 Atlantic Ave., Boerum Hill
Saturday, Dec. 16, 12 – 2 pm
All ages
Free
The Atlantic Avenue BID is sponsoring the Mistle-Tones, a caroling group this season to enhance the pedestrian and shopping experience in our corridor.
The carolers will make four stops at M.PATMOS, Iris Lingerie, Whisk, and Salter House. Enjoy the live music and enjoy holiday treats courtesy of the small businesses.
Stomp, Clap and Sing with FunikiJam’s Holiday Beat!
Brooklyn Public Library — Central Library, 10 Grand Army Plaza, Prospect Heights
Tuesday, Dec. 19, 10:30 – 11:30 am
All ages
Free
Go on a festive journey through the rich tapestry of holiday traditions in the heart of New York City! FunikiJam’s HOLIDAY BEAT, a captivating program that blends live concert elements with a vibrant stage show, is set to light up the stage this holiday season.
This one-of-a-kind Off-Broadway show promises to take you on a cultural adventure like no other, celebrating an array of holidays, including Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Diwali, Chinese New Year, and Shichigosan, all specially curated for kids and families.
Queens
JOYFUL NOISE Holiday Caroling in Kew Gardens
Meet in front of Roast n Co Café, 82-60 Austin Street, Kew Gardens
Saturday, Dec. 16, 2 – 5 pm
All ages
Free
Sing it with us, friends… “Here we go a-wassailing, along Kew Gardens way! To sing among the storefronts, and to the passersby to say: ‘We’ll be happy while we sing, and much joy to you we’ll bring!’ All are welcome. Singers, squealers, squeakers, and squawkers!
Skyview Christmas Art & Crafts
The Shops at Skyview, 40-24 College Point Blvd., Flushing
Saturday, Dec. 16, 2 – 4 pm
All ages
$20
Punch needle arts & crafts: Holiday-themed punch needle craft workshop taught by a renowned textile artist. Create your own masterpieces, making unique holiday decorations or gifts!
Redeemer Outdoor Living Nativity 2023
Redeemer Lutheran Church, Redeemer Lutheran Church, 36-01 Bell Blvd., Bayside
Dec. 16-17, Saturday and Sunday, 7:30 pm
All ages
Free
The Annual Outdoor Living Nativity Pageant, now in its 60th year, is a retelling of the story of the birth of Jesus, with music, narration, actors, and live animals. After the performance children may meet the animals and all are invited inside for free hot chocolate.
Christmas Crafts
Mitchell-Linden Queens Public Library, 31-32 Union St, Flushing
Wednesday, Dec. 20, 4 – 5 pm
Ages 6-11
Free
Kids and caregivers are invited to work on simple Christmas crafts!
Christmas Eve on Sesame Street—45th Anniversary Screening!
Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria
Saturday, Dec. 23, 1 pm; Sunday, Dec. 24, 12:30 – 5 pm.
All ages
$9–$20
In this beloved 1978 special, Big Bird deals with a major question—how does Santa fit down the chimney?—and Bert and Ernie face their own gift-giving dilemma. This special holiday screening will be preceded by a brief compilation of Henson holiday clips.
