Halloween is just the start of the holiday season, and NYC is already gearing up for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.
Put these winter and holiday events on your radar screen for ice skating, holiday shows, holiday trees, holiday shopping and department store windows, and more, including the NYC Marathon this weekend.
Best places to watch the NYC Marathon.
Canstruction NYC 2018 opens Friday.
Ice Skating in Rockefeller Center
The iconic rink opened early in October, and there’s an extensive list of packages for skating, rentals, lessons, and deals including breakfast or afternoon tea.
General admission skating is first come first serve, for 90 minute sessions. Prices are $25-$33 for adults, $15 for children, and skate rental is $2.50.
If you want to ensure admission, you’ll have to pay extra for a skip-the-line reservation, which includes rentals. These are the 2018/2019 prices for the least expensive reservation:
- Standard: $60 | October 13 – November 20, 2018
- Holiday: $75 -$150 | November 21, 2018 – January 1, 2019
- Standard: $60 – $75 | January 2 – February 24, 2019
The world famous and iconic Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree will be lit for the first time on Wednesday, November 28, with live performances from 7pm–9pm, at Rockefeller Plaza. The tree will remain lit and can be viewed until 9pm on January 7, 2019.
Winter Village in Bryant Park
The ice skating rink and European-style outdoor market opened on Sat. Oct. 27. There are more than 170 vendors selling handmade craft items, many with a NYC theme, and they’ll be open for shopping through Sunday, Jan. 2, 2019.
New this year is The Lodge, a giant food hall modeled after Swiss chalets. There are some 40 food vendors, including 12 restaurants and a cocktail bar, offering both full meals and quick warm-up snacks.
Ice skating is FREE. Rentals cost $15, and the rink is open from 8am to 10pm daily, and will stay open through early March.
The annual tree lighting is Tuesday, Dec. 4, hosted by Broadway, TV and film star Alan Cumming, with the annual Skatetacular ice skating show featuring two-time Olympian Johnny Weir.
Santa and his helpers will be in residence Dec. 16-23.
AMNH Origami Holiday Tree
- Monday, November 19–Sunday, January 13
An annual Museum tradition, the delightfully decorated Origami Holiday Tree and two merrily lit 19-foot Holiday Barosaurs welcome visitors to the Museum throughout the holiday season.
The theme of this year’s 13-foot tree is Oceans of Origami, with models inspired by the Museum’s special exhibition, featuring origami angelfish, lionfish, anglers, various sharks, whales, dolphins, tangs, eels, among other treasured models.
Volunteers, including local, national, and international origami artists, fold year-round, contributing to a collection of over 1,000 models displayed on the tree. Each year the 13-foot-tree features a different theme relating to special exhibitions or collections, which includes more than 34 million artifacts and specimens.
During the holiday season, volunteers will be on hand to teach visitors of all ages origami, the art of paper folding.
Holiday Train Show at NYBG
We’ll be adding more NYC holiday events as we get them, so check back regularly.
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