Our overview of family-friendly holiday and winter activities includes free and fee-based experiences in Brooklyn and beyond, including light shows, special dance and circus performances, unique holiday experiences, and more. Highlights of the season will include a free Santa Portrait Studio at City Point, Lightscape at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, multiple events for train-loving kids in Manhattan and the Bronx, the vibrant holiday decorations in Dyker Heights, Christmas in Historic Richmond Town in Staten Island, and the return of The Gingerbread City to the Seaport. Our overview features dates, locations, and ticketing information.
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Bklyn Holiday-Topia at City Point | Downtown Brooklyn
December 6 & 7 and 13 & 14 with a special pet night on December 11, 2025 | FREE
Join us for BKLYN Holiday-Topia at City Point — a festive celebration featuring free Santa family photos, holiday crafts, dreidel decorating, and merry moments for everyone — including your furry friends. Come make joyful memories and kick off the holidays — Brooklyn style! RSVP here.
Wallabout Wonderland Holiday Market | Bklyn Navy Yard
December 6 & 7 from 12 to 4 pm | FREE
The Brooklyn Navy Yard will be hosting its eighth annual pop-up holiday market, Wallabout Wonderland, on December 6th and 7th at the Yard’s Brooklyn Storehouse (Building 293). The market brings together over 150 local vendors offering clothing, accessories, home décor, artisanal foods, and more. Guests can enjoy a full lineup of free family-friendly activities including puppet show, cookie decorating and holiday crafts as well as hands-on workshops.
Lightscape at Brooklyn Botanic Garden | Prospect Heights
November 21, 2025–January 4, 2026 | Tickets start at $39/adult and $22/child during off-peak hours, free for children 2 and under
Lightscape is a winter light show that takes advantage of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s landscapes, trees, water features, architectural details, and paths to create a magical, otherworldly experience in the winter Garden. Along the trail, kids can enjoy hot chocolate and treats, and there will be mulled wine and hot cider for adults. Check out special Value Nights with discounted tickets: $29/adult, $15/child, and free for children 2 and under. There will also be Sensory-Friendly early entry on December 5 and December 30 for those with sensory sensitivity to enjoy reduced capacity. Learn more and see the full calendar here.
The Brooklyn Nutcracker | Downtown Brooklyn
December 6–14, 2025 | Tickets start at $37
The Brooklyn Nutcracker is back at The Theater at City Tech in Downtown Brooklyn. This is New York’s only culturally authentic and inclusive production, featuring artists from all over the globe, blending ballet with hip hop, African dance, belly dance, traditional Native American Hoop Dance, Chinese dance, flamenco, traditional Ukrainian Hopak, and even a krumping Rat King in an epic street dance battle! The production features larger-than-life projections of Brooklyn landmarks like the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens and the Flatbush Avenue subway station, along with motion-activated illuminated tutus. The Brooklyn Nutcracker also incorporates live musicians, including a beatboxer, accordionist, and the dizi Chinese bamboo flute. This unique production will run for five performances between December 6–14, 2025.
FL!P Circus at McCarren Park | Williamsburg
November 28–December 14, 2025 | Tickets start at $56.75/adult and $17.23/child with a special priced family four pack available
FL!P Circus is bringing its intimate big top experience to three New York City locations this season, including McCarren Park in Brooklyn. Created by the Vazquez family of Circus Vazquez fame, the show takes place under a distinctive red and white striped, 800-seat, climate-controlled big top tent, and no seat is more than 50 feet from the ring. The 2025 show brings together an entirely new cast of stellar international human talent who are guaranteed to wow. The performances include a daring act on the rolla bolla, a challenging aerial pole act, a stupendous display of balance on the slack wire, and many more “WOW!” moments! Show times are 7:00pm on weekdays, Saturdays at 1:00pm, 4:00pm and 7:00pm, and Sundays at 1:00pm and 4:00pm. A special family four pack discount is available online. Tickets can be purchased in advance or in person at the box office.
Dyker Heights Christmas Lights | Dyker Heights
Late November–First week of January | FREE
To see some of the most astounding Christmas light displays in New York City, visit the residential neighborhood of Dyker Heights in Brooklyn. Families may also opt to take a guided tour of the neighborhood’s lights—check out A Slice of Brooklyn and Dyker Heights Christmas Lights. Light displays typically appear following Thanksgiving and stay up through the first week of January. You can find the best lights from 11th to 13th Avenues (also known as Dyker Heights Blvd) to 83rd to 86th St.
Celebrate the Holidays at Brookfield Place | Lower Manhattan
Late November–December| FREE
Brookfield Place’s Winter Garden is home to many family-friendly events during the holiday season. Highlights of the season include:
- Keith Michael’s The Nutcracker | November 22 & 23 | FREE | The beloved holiday ballet returns to the Winter Garden! There will be four FREE ticketed performances in the Winter Garden with choreography by long-time New York Theatre Ballet choreographer Keith Michael. Click here to see performance schedule and registration information.
- Selfies with Santa | November 28–December 24 | FREE | Everyone’s invited to Holiday Under the Palms at Brookfield Place to get a selfie with Santa! On select dates, bring your pup for a fur-tastic photo op with Santa. Click here to see all hours for Santa Selfies!
- Milk & Cookies | December 15–December 24 | FREE | Visit the Winter Garden next to Selfies with Santa for a festive treat! Each day at 4:30 PM, a surprise Cookie of the Day will be revealed from one of the delicious Brookfield Place restaurants, paired with milk to make it extra merry. Available first-come, first-served while supplies last – so get there early!
- Holiday Harmonies | December 2, 9, 16 | FREE | Celebrate the holiday season with a lunchtime concert series Tuesdays in December from 12–1 PM!
- The Rink at BFPL | November 22–March 2026 | FREE |Glide into the season at The Rink at Brookfield Place— a 7,350 square-foot outdoor ice skating experience— reopening mid-November on the scenic Waterfront Plaza. Skaters can take in sweeping views of the Hudson River and New York City skyline while enjoying one of downtown’s most picturesque ice rinks.
Celebrate the Holidays at Hudson Yards | West Side of Manhattan
November 17, 2025–January 7, 2026 | FREE
Ring in the holidays at Hudson Yards! Highlights this season include:
- Shine Bright at Hudson Yards | November 17, 2025–January 7, 2026 | FREE | Over 2 million twinkling lights will adorn The Shops with 115 miles of string lights, 725 evergreen trees and a 32-foot hot air balloon.
- Photos with Santa, holiday performances, and a Festival of Lights Celebration | These events will be scheduled soon. Check here for more details.
Pinkmas at Edge | West Side of Manhattan
November 14, 2025–January 5, 2026 | Tickets start at $43/adult, $40/child, or $34/person if bought 14 days in advance, free for children 5 and under
Museum of Ice Cream’s beloved Pinkmas celebration takes place at Edge for the first time ever 1,100 feet above New York City. Guests can explore life-size interactive ice cream pints, take pictures in a giant snow globe, walk through a banana jungle exhibit, enjoy delectable treats and drinks, become an ice cream holding Statue of Liberty, and more. The whimsical installations combined with Edge’s extraordinary indoor skydeck create a holiday adventure unlike any other.
The Gingerbread City | The Seaport
December 4, 2025–January 4, 2026 | Free to enter exhibit but reserve time here, Purchase tickets for the workshop
This winter, The Gingerbread City – the Museum of Architecture’s much-loved festive experience – returns to the Seaport, bringing creativity, design and a generous sprinkle of holiday magic to the waterfront. Explore extraordinary edible creations created by New York based architects and designers. Visitors can also sign up to build and decorate their own take-home gingerbread house. The Gingerbread City will be open on weekdays from 10am-5pm and weekends from 9am-6:30pm.
Holiday Nostalgia Rides | Manhattan
Every Sunday in December from 10am-5pm | FREE with subway fare
This holiday season, the New York Transit Museum and MTA New York City Transit continue the annual tradition of Holiday Nostalgia Rides aboard our vintage 1930s train cars. Hop aboard and celebrate the magic of New York City during the holidays. Find departure times and station stops here.
Holiday Train Show at New York Transit Museum Gallery & Store | Grand Central Terminal
November 13, 2025—February 2026 | FREE
Celebrating its 21st year of operation, the New York Transit Museum’s Grand Central Gallery welcomes back its annual Holiday Train Show, a cherished tradition that captures the magic of miniature trains and New York City during the holidays. Lionel model trains, including Metro-North, the whimsical Polar Express, and vintage subway sets, travel a 34-foot, two-level “O” gauge layout that begins at a miniature Grand Central Terminal and winds past New York landmarks on the way to the North Pole. The train show is available to view 10:00am—7:30pm on weekdays and 10:00am—6:00pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
The Met Opera’s The Magic Flute | Lincoln Center
December 11, 2025—January 3, 2026 |Tickets start at $35/person | Best for ages 5 years and up
As the holiday season approaches, the Met turns Mozart’s masterpiece into a holiday adventure—performed in English, under two hours, and packed with vibrantly colorful sets, laugh-out-loud moments, and magical creatures the whole family will love. In addition to the December 14 matinee performance, the Met will host its annual Holiday Open House. This festive event invites children and families to explore hands-on musical activities and enjoy behind-the-scenes demonstrations led by the Met’s musicians, actors, dancers, and members of the Wig and Costume Shop. Highlights include face painting, creating your own Magic Flute-inspired ornament, meeting the “Bird” Dancers from the show up close, and much more.
Christmas Carousel in Greeley Square
November 21, 2025—January 6, 2026 | Tickets are $7
The double-decker Christmas Carousel at 33rd and Broadway in Greeley Square will open for the first time in NYC on Friday, November 21. Find the Christmas Carousel just steps away from Herald Square Park and the Macy’s Holiday Square shops. Riders will enjoy 360-degree views of holiday lights and cheer all the way up Broadway. The carousel is open daily from 10am—10pm.
New Year’s Eve Throwback: 90s x 2000s at The Scenario
The countdown is officially on! The Scenario 90s Dance Party is locked in with a New Year’s Eve takeover in Cobble Hill and a midnight dive into 90s and 2000s hip hop, pop, reggae and everything that moves the room! Headline DJ TY-Michelle joins DJ Marc Bars for the night. 21+ only. Tickets are $50 and include a glass of champagne at midnight. Space is limited at Le Boudoir on Atlantic Avenue, so get your tickets now.
Bronx Zoo Holiday Lights | The Bronx
November 21, 2025—January 4, 2026 | Tickets start at $41.95/adult and $26.95/child during off-peak hours, free for children 2 and under
Visit the Bronx Zoo’s Holiday Lights, a family holiday festival! During the evenings, the park comes to life with holiday cheer as immersive light displays, custom-designed animal lanterns and animated light shows sparkle across the zoo. There are 7 themed lantern trails representing almost 100 animal and plant species, plus interactive light projections, a holiday train, ice carving demonstrations, illuminated performers, seasonal treats like hot cocoa and s’mores, and more!
Holiday Train Show at New York Botanical Garden | The Bronx
November 15, 2025–January 11, 2026 | Tickets start at $35/adult and $25/child during off-peak hours, free for children under 2
Enter a winter wonderland unlike any other at the Holiday Train Show, where cherished seasonal traditions find a home in our enchanting train displays, by day…or night. Nearly 200 scaled iconic New York City buildings and structures are represented in the show, including the Brooklyn Bridge, Yankee Stadium, and the Statue of Liberty. The Holiday Train Show include more than 25 G-scale model trains and trolleys humming along nearly a half-mile of track. This year, you can join for select Holiday Train Nights or Sensory Friendly Mornings. There will also be fun winter and train-themed activities in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden.
Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas Light Trail at New York Botanical Garden | The Bronx
Now–November 30, 2025 | Tickets start at $39/adult or $39/child, free for children under 2
Join Jack Skellington, Sally, and Zero for an enchanted holiday adventure through the world of the beloved film, now featuring even more of your favorite characters, scenes, and songs. You’ll be dazzled as the classic film comes to life against the botanical beauty of New York’s most treasured garden. Be sure to print the scavenger hunt sheet before you go! The trail is open Wednesdays–Sundays from dusk until 10pm.
Christmas in Historic Richmond Town | Staten Island
December 5–7, 2025 | Tickets on sale soon
This December, Historic Richmond Town will be transformed into a Dickens-style holiday wonderland where guests of all ages will find themselves immersed in holiday cheer! On December 6 & 7, guests can enjoy living history demonstrations, shopping for gifts, crafts, commemorative items made by historic tradespeople, holiday performances, a visit from Santa and his helpers, an old-fashioned horse-drawn carriage, sweets, treats, and local eats, and much more! In addition to the fun activities listed above, a free community tree lighting will take place on December 5.
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Updated: November 18, 2025. Main Image: Dyker Heights Christmas Lights.
