Best Christmas things to do in NYC for a magical time this holiday season

The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree (NYC’s pride and joy) is a beaming and brilliant symbol of the holiday season. Tourists and native New Yorkers alike sure do love this towering tree.

The tree will be lit daily from 5am to midnight daily after a special light-up night ceremony on Wednesday, November 29. On Christmas Day, the tree is lit for 24 hours and on New Year’s Eve it is lit from 5am to 9pm. The tree goes dark for the season at 10pm on January 13.

More than 50,000 multi-colored LED lights wrap around the branches. It's topped with a three-dimensional Swarovski star that weighs 900 pounds and sparkles in 3 million crystals. Architect Daniel Libeskind designed the stunning star in 2018.

The Dyker Heights Christmas Lights display has definitely earned its stripes as one of the best New York attractions. What’s not to love about all that razzle-dazzle to get you in the Christmas spirit?

The Brooklyn neighborhood is home to the most over-the-top Christmas light decorations with life-size Santas, sleighs, snowmen and some houses even bump Christmas carols from loudspeakers. Crowds of all ages flock to the Kings County neighborhood to wander down the multiple blocks and avenues.

Most houses are decorated starting the weekend after Thanksgiving through early January.

You can walk through on your own, but a tour might be a little easier. Bus tours are back from A Slice of Brooklyn, Dyker Heights Christmas Lights and many more. There's even a Spanish language tour—vamos!

The tree at Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park will be lit on November 28 at 6pm, officially catapulting the city into the holiday season. 

As usual, the Winter Village will be replete with a slew of other offerings as well, including ice skating, holiday shopping and top-notch food and drink options.

You’ll get a kick out of this holiday stalwart, which still features Santa, wooden soldiers and the dazzling Rockettes. In recent years, new music, more eye-catching costumes and advanced technology have been introduced to bring audience members closer to the performance.

In the signature kick line that finds its way into most of the big dance numbers, the Rockettes’ 36 pairs of legs rise and fall like the batting of an eyelash, their perfect unison a testament to the disciplined human form. This is precision dancing on a massive scale—a Busby Berkeley number come to glorious life—and it takes your breath away.

GingerBread Lane—the world's largest gingerbread village—will return to Manhattan with NYC-inspired designs. Artist Jon Lovitch has been working on the detailed gingerbread display all year long. 

Year after year, Lovitch whips up thousands of pounds of icing and bakes hundreds of pounds of gingerbread to create massive gingerbread towns. Expect to see about 1,000 gingerbread houses, stores, breweries, dance studios, pizzerias, bakeries, ice cream parlors and more at the display. Look for pink nutcrackers drawn from the decor at Essex House, an ice rink as a nod to Rockefeller Center, a few homes that resemble those in Forest Hills, Queens, and lots of other NYC-inspired details. 

Find GingerBread Lane at Chelsea Market in Manhattan from November 26 to January 7 near the hallway with the twinkling lights. It'll be on view during market hours, 8am-9am daily.

Rockefeller Center, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Bronx Zoo, the Apollo Theater and more iconic New York City landmarks have been shrunken down and sugar-fied into gingerbread re-creations. Twenty-three gingerbread houses comprise this year's "Gingerbread NYC: The Great Borough Bake-Off" at the Museum of the City of New York.

The display is now on view through January 15 at the museum on the Upper East Side. The exhibition is included with general admission, which costs $20/person. Local judges awarded honors to the top-placing entries, but everyone can vote on their favorite for the People's Choice award.

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is bringing back its gorgeous, after-dark illuminated spectacular to its grounds through January 1, 2024.

Lightscape, an illuminated trail of art from local and international artists, features the iconic Winter Cathedral and a larger Fire Garden—all set to over a million lights, color and music. This year, it has been reimagined with a longer trail and new immersive experiences along the way, including “Supernova,” a 24-foot-high illuminated Moravian star, a sparkling new Chandelier Walk and a giant red poppy blossoms of Floraison that hover above the trail.   

Let it GLOW at the New York Botanical Garden this year at its fourth annual illuminated event. The outdoor light experience in the Bronx will brighten up the grounds with thousands of energy-efficient LED lights and festive installations. After dark, you can walk through this 1.5-mile colorful pathway featuring whimsical, picture-perfect installations. The experience reflects the surrounding gardens and collections with the Haupt Conservatory and Mertz Library Building as glowing centerpieces. It's all an ideal backdrop for a family holiday photo opp.

Beverages and light fare will be available at NYBG’s outdoor bars or the Bronx Night Market Holiday Pop-Up.

GLOW is open on select evenings through January 13, 2024.

Tickets, which can be paired with Holiday Train Show tickets for a little bit more money, are on sale now. GLOW plus train show tickets cost $54/adult and $39/child ages 2-12.

The beloved New York holiday train tradition at the New York Botanical Garden, going on for over 30 years, is back and bigger than ever.

Watch model trains zip past nearly 200 famous New York landmarks, like the Empire State Building, Radio City Music Hall, the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge and Rockefeller Center—all made of natural materials such as leaves, cinnamon sticks, twigs, bark and berries. The garden meticulously maintains its collection of 25 G-scale model trains that’ll chug along a nearly half-mile track (which is also overhead) in the warmth of the Conservatory. 

Or head outside to the all-new, outdoor train display. Be sure to snap a holiday photo at the garden's brand new mountainscape. 

While you're there, check out GLOW, a gorgeous outdoor light show.

Also mark your calendar for Bar Car Nights, 21+ evenings featuring the Holiday Train Show and curated cocktails. These special evenings feature music, experiences, food, and more—making for an ultimate adults-only night out.

The train show is on view through January 15, 2024.

For the first time since 2020, the New York Transit Museum is back with its beloved Holiday Train Show!

The exhibit features Lionel model trains traveling along a 34-foot-long, two-level, “O” gauge model train layout that winds its way through some of the city’s most iconic landmarks, including a mini Grand Central. 

It’s a fun display to show your kids or a sweet way to pass your time at Grand Central before you catch your train since it’s located at the New York Transit Museum Gallery & Store in Grand Central Terminal, Shuttle Passage.

Tickets are $5 per person and must be purchased in advance. Tickets become available three weeks in advance of a given date, on a rolling basis.

Train aficionados of all ages are certain to be transfixed by the scenic components of this show, featuring trains and toys from the Jerni Collection dating all the way back to 1850. With its unique, handcrafted and hand-painted pieces, the collection epitomizes the golden age of toy manufacture and transportation.

This year's exhibit includes toys that have never before been on display, including a magical castle, a sleek monorail and a charming miniature toy shop. The display also includes a toy plane version of a luxurious Pan Am Stratocruiser, a toy shop with miniature toys made in Germany in the early 1900s and a toy monorail made for the Leland Detroit Manufacturing Co. in 1932.

Lighting and accompanying music immerse visitors in the exhibit on the first floor of the New-York Historical Society & Museum on the Upper West Side. The exhibit's on view from November 24, 2023-February 4, 2024.

Perhaps one of the most conveniently located holiday markets is the Grand Central Holiday Fair. Running now through December 24, Vanderbilt Hall, the destination will highlight the work of 75 local food and craft vendors and small businesses known for their quality craftsmanship and products made within the state of New York or the U.S.

The Holiday Fair will operate seven days a week from 10am to 7pm on Mondays; and 11am to 6pm on Sundays. The space will be closed for Thanksgiving.

For more information regarding specific vendors and hours, click here.

Two million twinkling white lights adorn Hudson Yards for the shopping center's annual Shine Bright event. The display includes 115 miles of string lights, 725 evergreen trees dressed to create a gleaming forest, 16-foot tall illuminated hot air balloon decorations and a massive 32-foot hot air balloon centerpiece suspended in The Great Room of The Shops & Restaurants.

In addition to the awe-inspiring light display, there are plenty of photo opportunities, chances to visit Santa and stores to shop for everyone on your list. 

Shine Bright is running now through January 7, 2024.

The Bronx Zoo’s sparkling seasonal outdoor celebration featuring animated lights and LED displays of animals from around the world is back this year.

Expect the zoo to dazzle with 400 wildlife lanterns representing 100 species spread across an expansive area of the zoo. This year, the display showcases the wildlife of New York's ocean waters and wetlands, plus a new interactive experience celebrating bioluminescent creatures. Sixty-four new lanterns representing nine new animal species will make their debut this year.

Holiday Lights will run at the Bronx Zoo on select dates through January 7. 

Miracle on 9th Street and Sippin' Santa's decked-out editions will be popping up once again this holiday season.

In NYC, Miracle on 9th Street is now open at The Cabinet Mezcal Bar in the East Village. Meanwhile, Sippin’ Santa will take place this winter at Lower East Side neighborhood bar Thief as of November 22.

And as usual, the Miracle and Sippin' Santa holiday mug collections will also be making their return, with limited-edition glassware available for purchase exclusively at the pop-ups.

NYC is packed with holiday markets every fall with holiday spirit and unique gifts. While fancy Christmas window displays may entice you, NYC's holiday markets offer a chance to shop local. With everything from clothing to holiday ornaments to artwork, there's something for everybody on your holiday shopping list.

Shopping for the perfect gift doesn't have to be stressful; make it fun at these holiday markets.

An institution housing a colossal blue whale, massive dinosaur skeletons and thousands of glittering gemstones couldn't display just any ordinary holiday decor, of course. Instead, the American Museum of Natural History proudly presents a spectacular origami holiday tree each year.

About 2,000 colorful origami animals decorate the 13-foot-tall tree, a tradition dating back more than 50 years. Volunteers from around the world carefully fold the intricate ornaments, focusing on a theme that relates to the museum. This year's theme, "Proboscideans on Parade," was inspired by the new exhibit "The Secret World of Elephants." 

A cast of characters joins the elephants, including woolly mammoths, dinosaurs, blue whales, butterflies, zebras, birds and many others representing iconic museum exhibits. 

Find the tree in the Ellen V. Futter Gallery on the first floor. Visiting the tree is included with museum admission.

For the first time ever, Luna Park in Coney Island will be open during the winter for a new event called Frost Fest.

The park will be open on select dates through January 7 with legendary rides on site, a skating rink, holiday lights, shopping and Santa.

Tickets for the experience—offered on select weekdays and holidays, plus Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays—are now available here.

This magical 1954 production, set to Tchaikovsky's incredible score, includes the full New York City Ballet company and two casts of School of American Ballet students, as well as an onstage blizzard and a Christmas tree that grows from 12 to 40 feet. In the end, however, Balanchine's choreography is what holds it all together. It's enchanting.

Elevate your movie experience—literally—at the Empire State Building's brand-new film series. 

See Elf on Sundays, Dec. 3, 10, and 17. This 2003 Christmas comedy features Buddy the Elf, who adventures to find his father whose office is located inside the Empire State Building.

Tickets cost $130/person and include themed snacks and drinks, as well as access to the building's observation decks and museum.

During iHeartRadio’s annual touring holiday bash, Madison Square Garden becomes home to Z100’s Jingle Ball NYC. This year's blowout features Olivia Rodrigo, SZA, OneRepublic, and more on Friday, December 8.

Tickets start at $261 and tend to go fast.

Turns out, the North Pole knows how to throw quite a party. Join in on the fun at Santa's Secret, a seductive speakeasy and immersive wonderland hosted on the fifth floor of The Shops at Hudson Yards. 

Here's what's on tap: Eight different immersive installations, each one featuring spicy holiday-themed characters, like gingerbread girls and rugged lumberjacks. Plus, experience life-sized snow globes, incredible burlesque acts and holiday cocktails. Just don't let Santa party too hard—or how will he deliver all the presents with a hangover?!

The show runs until December 31. Tickets range in price from $55 to $75.

If Santa's sleigh gets stuck on a rooftop, don't worry: FDNY will be there to help. 

The fire department will show off their skills on Sunday, December 3 when they bring a ladder truck to bravely rescue Santa from the roof of the New York City Fire Museum. The rescue happens at 12pm sharp, so be sure you're on time.

Once safely inside the museum, Santa will pose for photos and hear gift requests from kids of all ages. 

The rescue is free to watch; it's $20/person to enter the museum and visit with Santa (get tickets here). Proceeds from the event support the museum's fire safety education to help children.

If you've never been to The New York City Fire Museum, it's worth checking out. The venue, the official museum of the FDNY, is located in a 1904 firehouse at 278 Spring Street. 

Cruise around Manhattan on a yacht decked out for the holidays with Classic Harbor Line's themed cruises. The mahogany-trimmed 1920s-style Manhattan II and Northern Lights motor yachts are trimmed in seasonal decor and ready to sail.

Tour offerings include a holiday brunch cruise, a holiday lights tour, a holiday jazz cruise with a live band, and a carols cruise with traditional hymns. Prices range from $106-$148/adult, depending on the tour option.

No matter which cruise you pick, you'll be treated to spectacular skyline views within the glass observatory of the yachts. Don't worry, the boats are heated, so you can enjoy the view without the chill. If you want to brave the winter air, guests are welcome to venture to the open bow for truly sweeping city views. 

Each group gets their own elegant table where you can enjoy the cruise with your loved ones and take plenty of photos. A mug of hot chocolate is included with each ticket, spiked if desired, with additional beverages available for purchase.

The 640 colorful lanterns created by the LAB at Rockwell Group are back at Brookfield Place for the season, ready to dance in a symphony of colors.

Open daily now through January 6, 2024 between 10am and 8pm, visitors will be able to send a motion-activated wish into the glowing lanterns up above. There's something simply magical about sending holiday wishes into a light-filled display of beauty. 

The destination will also host light shows every hour set to holiday songs including "Winter Wonderland" by Michael Bublé, "Silver Bells" by Tony Bennett, "Carol of the Bells" by The Bird and The Bee and "Let It Snow" by Pentatonix. Here's the schedule of performances.

Expect to be amazed by a beautiful show of light and music when you visit this Lower Manhattan mall during the holiday season. It's free to attend. 

As far as immersive experiences go, this one is bound to be delicious: Now through January 2, 2024, Rockefeller Center will be home to a Candy Cottage of Christmas Magic—which is exactly what it sounds like.

Ticketed guests will basically get to pluck candies off walls before setting off on a scavenger hunt through Rockefeller Center following instructions on an exclusive map handed out to all visitors. Upon completion of the game, folks will return to a transformed cottage to grab some more sweets. 

Tickets, which range from $25 to $45 depending on the day of the week and time you plan on attending, are available for purchase here.

Hordes dress up as Christmas characters from gingerbread cookies and reindeer, but of course, Kris Kringle is the most popular choice of those who attend this boozy bar crawl.

This is certainly one of the most controversial Christmas events in town, so try to avoid acting like a bad Santa. This year's SantaCon is on Saturday, December 9 throughout Midtown. 

For more information, visit SANTACON.NYC and RSVP on Facebook.

If SantaCon is a little too raucous for you, ElfCon has got you covered. This family-friendly hot cocoa crawl is made even sweeter by the fact that proceeds go to charity. 

On Sunday, December 10, kids and their families are invited to roam NYC in elf costumes as part of this fun event. Meet up to find the Chief Elf, then head with your fellow elves to participating cocoa locations. The start location will be announced closer to the event date.

Those who donate online will be eligible for a special Elf Passport to be stamped at each cocoa location, leading up to a special prize. Proceeds will go to The Trevor Project and the Making Headway Foundation. Get tickets here.

For more than 25 years, the Central Park Conservancy has been draping the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center in holiday lights and ringing in the season alongside a hot cocoa-bearing Santa. The festivities wrap up with the lighting of a flotilla of trees on the Harlem Meer. Extra tip: Print out this songsheet so you're prepared for the carols.

The event is scheduled for 5:30pm on Thursday, November 30, but the lights are illuminated all through the holiday season.

The NYC Winter Lantern Festival is returning for the 2023 season with more than 1,000 handmade Chinese lanterns to illuminate the cold season.

Head to the Queens County Farm for this whimsical walk-through experience where dinosaurs, dragons, fish and birds glow in gorgeous colors. The farm transforms into a radiant oasis where each unique piece holds a story of its own that contextualizes the experience even more.

The festival runs on weekend evenings now through January 7, 2024. Tickets start at $26/adult.

Jamaica, Queens' annual three-day celebration is back, running from December 1-3. Expect food vendors, an artisan holiday winter village, Christmas displays, a million-light parade, the largest Christmas tree lighting in Queens (on Friday night) as well as Santa and toy giveaways (on Saturday), live musical and dance performances and much more. The million-light Parade on Rockaway will take place on Sunday, from 130th-143re Street on Rockaway Blvd.

The event began nine years ago when the area needed a sign of hope after Hurricane Sandy. Since then, the event has continued every year to spread cheer. Activities are free to attend.

Austin McCormick and his risqué neo-Baroque dance-theater group Company XIV present a lavish erotic reimagining of the classic holiday tale, complete with circus performers, operatic singers and partial nudity. The word nutcracker has customarily conjured innocent wonder; now be ready to add glitter pasties, stripper poles and comically large stuffed penises to the toys in wonderland. Definitely leave the kids at home.

This hour-long original musical adaptation of Dickens's yuletide fable, created by composer Michael Sgouros and librettist-director Brenda Bell, returns for its 15th year at the West Village's Players Theatre. The updated set is inspired by traditional British panto.

This place takes the holidays to the extreme by stringing up thousands of lights, ornaments and garlands throughout its snug interior. Marvel at all the shiny things, then indulge in some hearty sausages and German brews.

Take your own NYC walking tour and stop by to see the lights at Saks, Radio City Music Hall, Central Park, the Plaza Hotel and more. Get ready to “ooh” and “ahh” at these landmarks and snap some photos of the most picturesque holiday light displays during the holiday season.

An illuminated wonderland awaits you just an hour outside of NYC. LuminoCity is back and it's taken over Eisenhower Park in Long Island.

The immersive, outdoor holiday spectacular of light sculptures and art installations invites visitors to walk through 36 sparkling displays exploring this year's theme of "Wonder Journey." The theme celebrates the holiday season with an "Alice in Wonderland" twist. Encounter iconic scenes from the Wonderland Tea Party to the iconic butterfly seat and a life-sized Queen’s Castle where visitors can slide down the Queen of Heart’s massive slide.

Tickets are available through January 7, 2024; $34 for adults and $22 for kids. VIP tickets start at $63.

Take a break from Christmas shopping and check out the state-of-the-art holiday light display at The Shops at Columbus Circle. The spectacle features a dozen 14-foot LED stars that do a colorful “dance,” flashing more than 16.7 million color mixes. You’ll be so moved, you won’t even care that you maxed out your MasterCard getting Aunt Judy that back massager she’s been wanting.

Daily light and music shows run every half hour from 5-11pm, with extended showings at 11:30pm and 12am on Saturdays, through January 1.

Shop local for gifts this year with The Queens Craft Brigade. This market hosts an exceptional community of makers exclusively from the borough of Queens. The independent, queer-owned market at Katch Astoria brings together talented makers exclusively from around the borough and has created monthly curated events featuring artwork, jewelry, fashion, crafts, and more.

Here's the schedule for winter 2023:

— November 25: Small Business Saturday
— December 9: Holiday Market

Head to the Bronx Little Italy to get into the holiday spirit. 

The tree lighting ceremony on Saturday, December 2, brings Santa, an elf, caroling, hot chocolate and Italian cookies to Ciccarone Park (at the intersection of East 188th Street and Arthur Avenue) from 4pm to 6pm.

Throughout the month of December (December 7-23), listen to carolers while shopping in the neighborhood for gourmet goods and presents. Whether stopping by local fish markets to prepare for The Feast of the Seven Fishes or picking up a gift basket for a loved one, the neighborhood offers countless butchers, bakers, delicatessens, pastry shops, specialty grocery stores, and more.

Looking for Hanukkah events? We've got you covered with our guide to the best events for the festival of lights. The festivities include menorah lightings, musical performances, a comedy show and some sweet treats.

This production interprets the classic with hip-hop choreography and an updated version of the holiday story; directed and choreographed by Jennifer Weber and adapted by Mike Fitelson, the production features onstage DJs, an amped-up version of the Tchaikovsky score and a short opening act by rap pioneer Kurtis Blow. 

Brooklyn Ballet's take on The Nutcracker, choreographed by artistic director Lynn Parkerson, emphasizes cultural and artistic diversity.

Alongside sequences that hew to the classic 19th-century tradition are interludes featuring street dance, flamenco, belly dancing, Chinese dance, hoop dance, hip-hop and the Hopak, a traditional Ukrainian dance.

The 2023 edition features Ingrid Silva and Dylan Santos in the pas de deux and krump specialist Brian "HallowDreamz" Henry as the Rat King, along with Aliesha Bryan, the Eva Dance Studio, Sira Melikian, ShanDien LaRance and Michael “Big Mike” Fields. Live music is provided by beatboxer Baba Israel, violinist Zafir Tawil, accordionist Mikhail Smirnoff and dizi flutist Yimin Miao.

John Kevin Jones goes to the Dickens in this one-hour account of the novelist's classic holiday ghost story, adapted with director Rhonda Dodd. The Merchant's House Museum, formerly the home of a wealthy 19th-century family, provides an atmospheric candlelit setting for Jones's tenth annual engagement. Select performances include a preshow reception at which the audience sips mulled wine and Jones recites Clement Moore's “A Visit from St. Nicholas.”

The mammoth Québécois neocirque troupe revives its first holiday-themed production, an extended riff on Clement Clarke Moore's 1823 poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas." Writer-director James Hadley's show follows a young girl who is yanked, on Christmas Eve, into a magical world where acrobatics and elaborate spectacle take the place of those boring old dancing sugar plums. 

The holiday decor experts at American Christmas have opened their doors to the public for a holiday extravaganza featuring 100,000 lights, 100 captivating animatronics and figurines in nine uniquely themed areas. This larger-than-life display is sure to dazzle. Tickets are on sale here for the experience just outside of NYC in Mt. Vernon.

This is the third year that American Christmas has hosted its public Holiday Lane event, and this year promises to be bigger and brighter than ever. Twice the size of last year's display, this iteration of Holiday Lane at American Christmas begins with a chance to write a note to Santa. Then, meet some reindeer, visit a land of sugar plum fairies, peek into the elves' quarters and explore the icy beauty of the Arctic.

Finally, end the trip at an area called Santa's Take Off where Santa's sleigh gets ready for its journey around the world. Santa himself will even be there on select days.