Winter and the holiday season are a wonderful time of year! But sometimes there’s so much going on, that it becomes overwhelming to plan this special time with our families! That is why Rye & Rye Brook Moms has organized all the best activities in Westchester and the surrounding areas into one, easy to follow guide!
Events
Holiday Wish
A Magical Interactive Adventure BELIEVING IS THE GREATEST GIFT OF ALL
Now– Dec 24th
Stamford Town Center / 5th Floor Above Barnes & Noble
The Holiday Wish, an interactive, light-filled event made to entertain and inspire every member of the family. The enchanted design and illumination transport guests with a wonder-filled immersive experience. Our luminous holiday feature areas beckon everyone to follow the magic of their wishes. Even more, this journey puts children on a quest to rekindle their love of the holidays by doing one thing: believing.
Greenwich Reindeer Festival
November 26 – December 24
Photos with Santa Monday – Friday, 12pm – 6pm. Saturday, 9am – 6pm. Closed Sundays. Christmas Eve, 9am – 3pm
Sam Bridge Nursery & Greenhouses, 437 North Street, Greenwich
Santa and his three LIVE reindeer are returning to Greenwich for the 14th Annual Greenwich Reindeer Festival & Santa’s Workshop presented by Jenny Allen/Compass, “The North Pole on North Street”, The cherished town tradition continues for the fourteenth consecutive year at this expansive nursery where visitors can have their photo taken with Santa, meet the reindeer and also enjoy the new Santa’s Workshop, which provides more space for families while they wait in line for their photo with Santa. This all takes place just minutes from downtown Greenwich. A portion of ALL Photos with Santa benefit Kids in Crisis. Parking is free. https://www.greenwichreindeerfestival.com
Dear Santa Letters
Dates: Nov. 28- Dec. 13
Mailbox locations at Rye Recreation and Corner of Elm & Purchase St.
Rye Brook Recreation Winterfest
December 2nd
6:00 – 9:00pm
Pine Ridge Park
Rye Brook will bring in the holiday season with this Christmas Tree and Menorah Lighting Ceremony. A special guest from the North Pole will be in attendance.
Ice sculptures will be carved, train rides and there will be other events scheduled in the park.
Pancake Breakfast with Santa
December 3
8:00am – 11:00am
Register at bgcg.org
Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich will host its Annual Pancake Breakfast with Santa. The cost is $10 per person for all adults and non-member youth. Children under 2 are free. Thanks to a generous community sponsor, Club Members who show their membership card will eat for FREE! Cash or check at the door.
In addition to pancakes and all the trimmings, there will be photos with Santa, holiday music, and face painting. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Sleighbells on the Avenues
Holiday Lights at Crawford Park
NEW DATE AND TIME
December 9, 2022
6pm – 9pm
Tree Lighting at 5:00pm
Santa is coming to the Town of Rye along with food, music & family-fun activities! Join us for a family-friendly open house surrounded by thousands of sparkling holiday lights and the Crawford Park tree lighting.
* Selfies with Santa & Mrs. Claus
* Giant Inflatables
* Holiday Train Rides
* Hot Chocolate & Cookies
* Games by Todd Yahney
* Food Trucks
* Live Music Performances
* Thousands of Holiday Lights
The White Plains Annual Holiday Market
December 9 – 18
12pm – 7pm daily
Court Street between Main Street and Martine Avenue
The Market will feature 50+ artisanal vendors from around the Westchester County region. Pick up your Christmas tree or holiday wreath and find interesting and unique gifts for everyone on your holiday shopping list!
Port Chester Christmas parade
Saturday, December 10th, 2022
1:00 pm Line Up at King Street School Parking lot, Parade begins at 1:30 pm on King Street Parade to end at Lyon Park located at Putman Avenue and King Street in the Park itself
Now – December 23
American Christmas invites you to experience Westchester County’s premier holiday season attraction! Immerse yourself in our 10,000 square-foot holiday walk-through: take a stroll through Santa’s Village with Dickens interactive holiday vignettes, visit the elves, have a seat on Santa’s chair, or take a photo with one of our 50+ mesmerizing animatronics. With over 50,000 twinkling lights, Santa’s Village at American Christmas is sure to dazzle and delight guests of any age!
Then head over to the “real workshop” for a sneak peek behind the scenes to see some of New York’s most iconic Christmas displays being assembled. The tour culminates with a stop in the charming Christmas in America Shop and the Pop-Up Outlet where you can buy unique ornaments, large lawn displays, and fun vintage pieces used in displays all over the country.
• Free street parking in front of the building.
• Tickets are not needed to visit the Pop-Up Outlet & Christmas in America Shop.
www.christmas-in-america.com | 914-662-6964
Port Chester Fire Department Santa Run
December 18 11am start
Starting on Hawthorne Avenue toward Westchester Avenue, the PC Fire Department will transport Santa through the Villages of Port Chester and Rye Brook.
December 18 2pm-4pm
260 Stuyvesant Ave, Rye, NY
Wainwright House presents the Annual Children’s Holiday Party. Photos with Santa, Crafts, Snacks, Music and Cookie Decorating. Free for Members; $10/child for non-members
Chanukah
December 18
4:30pm
Register at chabadgreenwich.org
Celebrate Chanukah with Chabad of Greenwich! Join us for a night of festivities, complete with a Car Menorah Parade, Grand Menorah Lighting & Gelt Drop and a Chanukah Concert & Glow Party! Fun for all ages!
Menorah Lighting at Ridge Hill
December 18
4:00 pm- 6:00 pm
Fountain Plaza
Join us and Chabad of Yonkers to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah with a traditional Menorah lighting ceremony and celebration!
Head to Ridge Hill beginning at 4PM for family-friendly activities, delicious Hanukkah treats, and more! Plus, don’t miss out on the Gelt Drop, featuring our friends at Yonkers Fire Department! Collect all the chocolate gelt you can as they rain down from the highest point of the fire truck’s lift.
Menorah Lighting at The Cross County Center
Help us light the menorah and celebrate the Festival of Lights! Come to Cross County Center on Monday, December 19th, 2022 to light the menorah, near H&M, with the Chabad of Yonkers. Enjoy live music, cultural dancing and delicious treats for Chanukah. The event is free and takes place from 6pm to 8pm.
Menorah Lighting at The Gateway Shopping Center in Port Chester
Wednesday, December 21, 2022 • 5:30 pm • Courtyard (near the ULTA store)
Join us in the Courtyard for the lighting of the Menorah at Gateway Port Chester with Rabbi Ben Goldberg and Cantor Alexis K. Sklar from Congregation KTI. Thanks to the Village of Port Chester and the Port Chester Rye Brook Rye Town Chamber of Commerce. Whole Foods will be providing refreshments.
Shows
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical
November 26th at 2:00 pm and 6:00 pm
Palace Theatre, 61 Atlantic St, Stamford
Come see all of your favorite characters from the special including Santa and Mrs. Claus, Hermey the Elf, Bumble the Abominable Snow Monster, Clarice, Yukon Cornelius, and, of course, Rudolph, as they come to life in RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER: THE MUSICAL.It’s an adventure that teaches us that what makes you different can be what makes you special. Don’t miss this wonderful holiday tradition that speaks to the misfit in all of us.
Click HERE to purchase a post-show photo opportunity with Rudolph and his friends!
Shark-Diving Santa
Most Saturdays and Sundays, December 1-31, 2022, 10:45am & 12:45am
Santa Claus will join The Maritime Aquarium’s dive team in December to help demonstrate that sharks aren’t the blood-thirsty killers of myth. Several times each week through the holiday season (workload permitting), Santa will strap on his custom scuba outfit and enter the Aquarium’s 110,000-gallon “Ocean Beyond the Sound” exhibit, which is home to 7- and 8-foot sand tiger and lemon sharks. He’ll swim up to the exhibit window and pose with children, so bring your camera for a unique holiday photo. Santa is expected to participate in dives throughout the month of December. Please check the Aquarium’s website – www.maritimeaquarium.org – to confirm the dates when Santa can pull himself away from the North Pole and exchange his snow boots for swim fins
“The Polar Express 4D Experience” at the Maritime Aquarium
Fri. Nov. 25 (the day after Thanksgiving) and will play daily through Jan. 2.
Go on an extraordinary 4D adventure this holiday season on THE POLAR EXPRESS™! When a doubting young boy takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe. THE POLAR EXPRESS™ 4D Experience® is based on the inspiring and beloved Caldecott Medal winning children’s book by Chris Van Allsburg
https://www.maritimeaquarium.org/
Winter Wonderland – A Very Merry Holiday Show
December 10
11:00am-12:00pm
Doors open 10:30 am
Chappaqua Performing Arts Center
Purchase Tickets here
Come celebrate the holiday season with this festive show filled with song and dance, led by none other than the Clauses and their North Pole friends! Plenty of surprises and fun photo opportunities await you in this festive celebration!
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
December 21
7:00pm
White Plains Performing Arts Center
TICKETS
Ice Skating
Ice Skating at Ridge Hill
Lace up and skate over to Ridge Hill On Ice as we transform The Town Square Lawn into an outdoor ice rink for the holiday season! Guests will need to book ice skating reservations in advance to ensure a skating time slot. Walk-ups are also welcome, but we cannot guarantee you will be able to skate at that time. Purchase Your Tickets Here!
Ice Skating at The Cross County Center
The pop-up ice rink, located at Center Court near the Christmas tree, is not real ice, but is a smooth “glice” material, great for young and first time skaters. We wear real ice skates, but glide a little slower than on real ice (plus it’s not as cold!).
Ice Skating at Dorothy Hamill Skating Rink
November 25-December 24
Sue Merz Way, Greenwich
Dorothy Hamill Rink offers a variety of ice skating activities and programs for all ages.
Holiday Lights
Now — January 8, 2023
Bronx Zoo, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY
Select Dates
Stamford’s All New Holiday Stroll
Now – December 24
4PM to 8PM Thursdays – Sundays
Mill River Park, Stamford, CT
Tickets
Welcome to the All New Holiday Stroll. Walk through wonder. Explore monumental interactive displays, captivating illumination and a winter wonderland for a holiday experience made to inspire. The stroll includes a Winter Beer Garden, Christmas Village, Rides and Games.
November 25, 2022 – January 1, 2023
Kensico Dam Plaza, 1 Bronx River Pkwy, Valhalla, NY
Tickets
Westchester’s Winter Wonderland Drive-Thru Holiday Light Extravaganza, presented by Westchester Medical Center Health Network, will return to Kensico Dam Plaza bigger and better than ever with thousands of more lights, magical holiday animations and a live Santa! Guests will be dazzled and delighted along the 1.2 miles of holiday lights with new Elf Disco, a whimsical display of jubilant children from around the world, a breathtaking Peace on Earth LED display with animated trumpets and angels, and two new thirty-foot snowflakes to light up the largest holiday Christmas tree in Westchester! And if that is not enough, there is also a bigger and better snowstorm central that the whole family can enjoy right from the warmth and safety of your own car!
Train Shows
November 19, 2022 – January 16, 2023 10 am – 6pm
New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY
https://www.nybg.org/event/holiday-train-show/
Holiday on the Hill Train Show
Make Special Memories at Holidays on the Hill at Lasdon Park!
November 26 – December 31
Lasdon Park & Arboretum Somers, NY
Book your dates here
Holidays on the Hill is designed to bring holiday cheer for every age! G-scale trains will be chugging along on twelve multi-level tracks, under bridges, through tunnels, waterfalls and colorful holiday flowers and seasonal plants! The jolly old elf, Santa, will be available to meet with children in his Holiday Cottage located on the far end of the Conservatory Plaza at scheduled times during each session. Visits with Santa are available as space and time permits.
Photos with Santa
Santa Photos at The Cross County Center
Now- December 24
MAKE YOUR RESERVATION HERE
Santa will be available for photos and visits in his NEW winter wonderland cabin, located at Center Court, between Gap and Bath & Body Works. . Reservations are strongly recommended, but not required.
Photos with Santa at Ridge Hill
Now – December 24
Up on the rooftop click, click, click! Visit Santa at Ridge Hill throughout the season spreading holiday magic and taking photos with families to cherish for a lifetime. Click here for Santa’s schedule