A variety of seasonal events offer many opportunities to celebrate.
Westchester
Westchester’s Winter Wonderland, Kensico Dam Plaza, Valhalla
The Winter Wonderland Holiday Circus has showtimes on Friday, Saturday and Sunday through Dec. 31. Children can meet Santa and stroll through Candy Cane Lane. This year’s Christmas tree is over 40 feet tall.
Lyndhurst Mansion, 635 South Broadway, Tarrytown
Take a seasonal tour of the mansion, decorated with glittering ornaments, holiday dishes, and luxurious presents that are only on view for the holidays. Tours continue through Dec. 30, although the mansion is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, as well as Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Tours are every hour from 10 am to 4 pm. Tickets are $18 per person.
Holidays on the Hill Train Show, Lasdon Park, Somers
Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 30, the main building at the Lasdon Arboretum will feature a life-size display of Santa’s workshop, with Santa in residence. The main house will also feature a model train display and a fully decorated poinsettia tree with Christmas displays of Rudolf, Charlie Brown and the Grinch. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under.
Menorah Lighting Celebration at Stew Leonard’s Yonkers Store
Stew Leonard’s Yonkers store will have a Menorah lighting celebration at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 14. The celebration
begins with Cantor Chanin Becker of Scarsdale Synagogue-Temples Tremont and Emanu-El leading traditional Hanukkah songs, followed by the lighting of a 21-foot menorah. After the lighting ceremony, all are invited upstairs to the conference room for potato pancakes (latkes) and
applesauce, jelly donuts, hot cocoa, and juice.
The Chanukah Gelt Drop, Memorial Park, White Plains Road and California Road, Eastchester
Chocolate coins will rain from the sky at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 18, dropped by Eastchester Fire Department firefighters. There will be a menorah lighting, music, hot latkes and doughnuts. The event is organized by the Chabad Jewish Center of Bronxville.
Yorktown Sixth Annual Holiday Electric Lights Parade
Yorktown and Mohegan Lake Fire Companies present the Sixth Annual Holiday Electric Lights Parade at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 2, with snow date of Dec. 3. Parade ends with the lighting of the Christmas Tree at Jack De Vito Veterans Memorial Park.
Westchester Broadway Theater, Elmsford
Westchester Broadway Theater will present the holiday musical, The Christmas Voyager, with shows running through Dec. 23. The musical incorporates holiday songs into a theatrical celebration of the season’s spirit.
Winterscape, 1 Manor House Square, Yonkers.
The Yorktown Downtown Waterfront BID will stage a Winterscape Holiday Music and Craft Fair from 3 to 6 p.m. Dec. 16. Say hello to Santa, enjoy holiday music and carolers, sip hot chocolate and browse holiday crafts.
Putnam
Boscobel, 1601 NY-9D, Garrison
During the holiday season, the 19th century Neoclassical mansion will be decorated with historically-inspired garlands, fruits, and sweet treats. Expert docents guide visitors through each elegant room and entertain visitors with stories of early 19-century Yuletide traditions, many of which are still beloved today. Daytime holiday tours are offered through Dec. 31, with tours taking place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Breakfast with Santa, Tilly’s Table, 100 NY-312, Brewster
From 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. visitors can enjoy a breakfast buffet with Santa. Adults pay $20, children 4 to 12 years pay $15 and children under three are free. Tickets must be purchased in advance.
Rockland
The Nutcracker, West Nyack and Suffern
The Rockland Youth Dance Ensemble (RYDE) is a nonprofit organization, which was created to offer a forum for students and emerging artists, in dance and theater. The ensemble will present The Nutcracker at two locations this season. The Nutcracker Junior Company will perform Dec. 2 and 3 at Clarkstown South High School, 31 Demarest Mill Road, West Nyack and the Nutcracker Senior Ensemble will perform on Dec. 8, 9 and 10 at SUNY Rockland Community College, Cultural Arts Theatre, 145 College Road, Suffern.
Polar Express, Barnes and Noble, Palisades Center, West Nyack
The seasonal story will be read and holiday refreshments served at 7 p.m. Dec. 7.
Hudson Valley
Sinterklaas Events, Rhinebeck
The Sinterklaas Festivities on Saturday, Dec. 2 draw on the Hudson Valley’s Dutch heritage, but with modern day twists. Children are the focus — becoming kings and queens for the day, turning the switches of the original story into royal scepters. Children make scepters and crowns for themselves at the Crowns and Branches workshops. Festivities start at 10 a.m.
Yuletide Tea, Wilderstein Historic Site, 330 Morton Road, Rhinebeck
The Wilderstein Historic Site will host a festive holiday event featuring a variety of teas paired with finger sandwiches, homemade cakes, and cookies at 1 p.m. Dec. 9. Tickets are $30 for adults and $20 per child. Admission includes a tour of the decorated Queen Anne mansion.
Frozendale Festival, Main Street, Rosendale
Main Street Rosendale hosts the Frozendale Festival from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 9. Shops and galleries will be
open as well as an outdoor Winter Gift Sale. There will be a free 11 a.m. screening of the film The
Wizard of Oz at The Rosendale Theater.
Polar Express, Kingston Plaza, Kingston
The officially licensed train rides inspired by the hit Warner Bros. film The Polar Express and book by Chris Van Allsburg, will be run by the Catskill Mountain Railroad through Dec. 28. During the journey, the conductor will punch tickets while chefs serve hot chocolate, to the music of the motion picture soundtrack. At the North Pole, Santa boards the train to greet the children and gives special sleigh bells to all who believe. Adult tickets are $39, and children under 12 are $32.
A Frosty Fest, 778 Broadway, Route 9W, Ulster Park
Stroll down Candy Cane Lane, snuggle up on a hayride through Frosty’s Enchanted Forest, visit the Glistening Gardens, or pop into the Magical Mansion. Doughnuts, gingerbread, and a visit from Santa. Tickets are $9 for children, plus tax, and $12 for adults, plus tax. The fest runs through Dec. 23.
Photo by Joan Vos MacDonald –
Article from Rye Patch