METUCHEN DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE

It’s New Year’s Eve weekend! Welcome 2024 at a concert, First Night celebration, fireworks and more.

WEEKEND

GLOW! Light Show and The Dazzling District
217 Berlin-Cross Keys Rd., Washington Twp.
Monday – Sunday
This lights display is epic – and so epic that the family moved it offsite from their house, and won an episode of The Great Christmas Lights Fight TV show this season! The video game-themed lights drive-through and walk-through also feature a 45-foot LED snowman, Ferris wheel, carnival games, food trucks and time with Santa.

Koziar’s Christmas Village
Bernville, PA
Monday – Monday
Situated on a farm in the middle of Berks County, PA, are acres of land and barns that are decorated for Christmas. Walk along guided paths to see the train sets, storyboards, huge inflatables, Christmas scenes and Ferris wheel. There are beautifully decorated gift shops and snack shops where you can admire the scenery while warming up.

Skylands Stadium Light Show & Christmas Village
Skylands Stadium, Augusta
Tuesday – Saturday
The 10th annual winter extravaganza includes a mile-long drive-thru course of magical displays of light, featuring everything from fully enclosed light tunnels and a majestic wreath arch to whimsical scenes of bears skating, dancing trees and more. After the drive, pull up to the Christmas Village, where you and your family can shop, eat, take a photo with Santa and make s’mores. Double S Smokehouse will cook BBQ. After dinner, stop by the Ice Cream Shop and Hot Chocolate Bar (where there will also be Irish cream, Sambuca and other liquors for adults).

Winter Wonderland Trail
Indian Acres Tree Farm, Medford
Tuesday – Saturday
Your night begins with a stroll through the woods filled with fun snowmen and trees made with upcycled materials from the farm. You’ll pass by illuminated boxes with miniature scenes, including a Fairy Garden. Further down the trail, you might stumble upon a secret gnome village. The path flows out of the woods and into the live Christmas tree fields, where you can waddle past a penguin igloo town, “fly by” Birdhouse Row  —but watch out for a runaway toboggan! Make your way into the White Pine field to experience a tunnel of lights snowing down on you. When you’re done, stop by the bonfires for hot chocolate and s’mores.

Patriots Week
Trenton
Tuesday – Sunday
There will be many activities to explore Trenton’s most notable historic and cultural sites while celebrating these historical dates that changed the course of the Revolution. The itinerary includes the Battles of Trenton Re-enactment, the Patriots’ Pub Crawl, and the Colonial Ball, as well as lectures, historical tours, puppet shows and more.

Boardwalk Basketball Classic Tournament
Wildwoods Convention Center, Wildwood
Tuesday – Sunday
The largest holiday co-ed basketball tournament in the country will feature about 1,000 high school boys and girls basketball teams from the South Jersey and Delaware Valley areas. The tournament kicks off with a special Battle at the Boards high school basketball showcase event on Saturday, December 23. The event will feature boys and girls games involving area schools such as Cape May Tech, Lower Cape May, Middle Township, Ocean City, as well as tournament co-hosts Wildwood and Wildwood Catholic, and many more from South Jersey and the surrounding areas.

December to Remember
Crystal Springs Resort: Grand Cascades Lodge in Hamburg and Minerals Hotel in Verona
Tuesday – Sunday
Activities include photos with goats, a live Nativity scene, gingerbread house decorating, mini tree decorating, ornament paint & sip, an elf scavenger hunt and dive-in holiday movies. Adults can hang out at Frosty’s Cantina, learn how to mix holiday drinks and take a tour of the massive wine cellar.

December in Smithville
Historic Smithville
Tuesday – Sunday
Throughout the month, come by for the Light Show on the Lake, holiday train rides, the Magic Talking Tree, s’mores on the green, lots of holiday shopping, and tons of holiday lights.

Winter WonderLights Holiday Lights Drive-Thru
Middlesex County 4-H, East Brunswick
Tuesday – Monday
More than 1.5 million lights are animated to some of your favorite holiday tunes. This year there are two new 30-foot trees in addition to the eleven 20-foot trees, a new tunnel, three magical tunnels, a tribute to first responders and U.S. Armed Forces, and tons of larger-than-life holiday-themed displays.

Lightscape
Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn, NY
Tuesday – Monday
Walk through a trail of 1 million lights that decorate the grounds of the garden, and listen as they dance to songs by Taylor Swift, Elton John, Mos Def and more.

Winter Wonderland For The Holidays
New Brunswick
Tuesday – Sunday
Activities include a gingerbread house decorating contest, ice skating, horse-drawn carriage rides, a Hungarian Christmas market, the Rutgers Big Chill 5K, theater performances at The State Theatre, selfies with Santa, a community Kwanzaa celebration and New Year’s Eve fireworks.

Coastal Holidays By The Sea
Pier Village, Long Branch
Tuesday – Sunday
Weekend events include rides on the Carousel, visits with Santa and holiday princesses, a juggling elf and stiltwalker show, and fireworks on NYE.

Deck the Hall – Festival of Trees
Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City
Tuesday – Sunday
Walk through the lobby to see beautifully decorated trees that have been sponsored by residents, businesses and local organizations.

Turtle Back Zoo Holiday Lights Spectacular
Essex County Turtle Back Zoo, West Orange
Tuesday – Sunday
Take a winter stroll through the zoo under the sparkling lights of over 50 winter and animal characters. On select nights there will be visits with Santa, ice sculpture demos, Grinch Weekend and Princess Weekend.

Holiday Adventure
Liberty Science Center, Jersey City
Tuesday – Monday
Check out all the cool science exhibits, plus the LSC Winter Train Ride, the sock skating rink, the holiday dance party, live science shows, the Mariah Carey Holiday Laser Show, the Laser Wonderland show, or any of the planetarium shows in the Jennifer Chalsty Planetarium. Meet penguins from Jenkinson’s Aquarium on December 27 and 28, and hawks and owls from the Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge on December 29 and 30. Check out The Science Behind Pixar, which goes behind the scenes of making your favorite Pixar movies.

Holiday in the Park
Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson
Tuesday – Monday
There will be millions of dazzling lights around the theme park when it is transformed for the holidays. There will be treats, a full lineup of holiday entertainment, visits with Santa and lots of photo ops – plus, many of your favorite rides will be open.

Christmas in Cape May: Winter Wonderland
Congress Hall and Beach Plum Farm, Cape May
Tuesday – Monday
The hotel fully transforms for the season and features family fun like Breakfast with Santa, Santa’s Workshop activities, outdoor igloos, a festive train ride around the property, a carousel on the front lawn, a Vendor Village, and holiday farm-to-table dinners at Beach Plum Farm.

Bergen County’s Winter Wonderland
Van Saun Park, Paramus
Tuesday – Monday
There will be outdoor ice skating, games, a beer and wine garden, ice bumper cars and weekly Bergen County-based live entertainment. December 27 is the kinara lighting.

Maccabee Bar
Ollie’s, New York, NY
Tuesday – Monday
A Boston bar owner is coming back to NY to share her Jewish heritage with holiday lovers, opening a Hanukkah-themed pop-up bar for the season.

Pink Wonderland
Bounce Sporting Club, New York, NY
Tuesday – Monday
This isn’t just a bar; there will be immersive decor, specialty cocktails, live DJs and other entertainment and themed photo ops, all pink, of course.

Made in Philadelphia Holiday Market
Dilworth Park at the West Side of City Hall, Philadelphia, PA
Tuesday – Monday
Celebrate the holiday season with more than 50 local vendors from Philadelphia and the tri-state area.

Phare Circus’ White Gold
Stage 42, New York, NY
Wednesday – Saturday
The story is based on a book about Buddha’s life, and shows how the rice grain is important in Cambodian culture and commerce. The stage show is complete with acrobats and Cambodian circus acts.

The Village at Anne Ellen Holiday Lights Display
Anne Ellen Tree Farm, Manalapan
Wednesday-Sunday
You’ll be surrounded by over 100,000 Christmas lights as you take the hayride from the farm market down to the holiday lights display. Visit Santa’s house, the train room, the life-sized igloo, the gingerbread house, the old school tree lot, the wall of lights, the post office, the cherry blossom field, and the maple sugar shack. There’s a shooting range where you can aim at holiday-themed targets using Orbeez ammunition. New for this year is Santa’s Coal Mine, where you’ll enter the mine’s tunnels to see the coal that fuels Santa’s sleigh – and is the same coal reserved for those on Santa’s naughty list. Also new is the Candy Cane Factory, where you’ll see the elves on the machines hard at work.

Spring Lake Christmas Train Village
313 Washington Ave., Spring Lake
Wednesday – Sunday
See the beautiful displays that will make you feel like you are traveling via rail through a winter wonderland.

Festival of Trees
Environmental Education Center, Basking Ridge
Thursday
Several rooms will be decorated with trees in a variety of themes. Note: the festival is closed Dec. 22-25.

Winter Lantern Festival
American Dream, East Rutherford
Thursday – Sunday
More than 1,000 handcrafted Chinese lanterns and lights will be on display. The lanterns are made with hand-painted silk cloth and LED lights. There will be gorgeous displays of Chinese myths, legends and zodiac-inspired lanterns designed as an animal kingdom, a sea world and a theme park. Look for mammoths, polar bears, penguins, and a 50-foot-tall lantern display of Sun Wukong. You can also make your lantern and dress up in traditional Chinese attire.

Phish
Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Thursday – Sunday
Phish announced their annual New Year’s Eve weekend concert at MSG.

KIMBERLY STOILIS / Jurassic Quest

Jurassic Quest
Atlantic City Convention Center, Atlantic City
Thursday – Monday
Jurassic Quest is known for its life-like dinos and for having some of the largest rideable dinos in North America. The event also includes live dinosaur shows and interactive science and art activities such as a fossil dig. Kids can see real fossils like T-Rex teeth, a triceratops horn and even a life-size dino skull.

PAW PATROL LIVE! THE GREAT PIRATE ADVENTURE

PAW Patrol Live: The Great Pirate Adventure
NJPAC, Newark
Friday – Saturday
It’s Pirate Day in Adventure Bay, and Mayor Goodway is getting ready for a big celebration. But first, Ryder and his team of pirate pups must rescue Cap’n Turbot from a mysterious cavern. When they do, they also discover a secret pirate treasure map. Your kids will see a new pup, Tracker, join the team.

OLD BARRACKS MUSEUM / To Princeton With Peale

Patriots Week: Historic March From Trenton to Princeton
Old Barracks Museum in Trenton to Princeton Battlefield
Saturday – Sunday
A group of reenactors will march on foot from Trenton to Princeton as part of this year’s Patriots Week celebrations. The group will represent Charles Wilson Peale’s Company at the Battles of Trenton reenactment on Saturday, and will set off for Princeton in the early morning hours of Sunday to recreate the historic march these soldiers took in 1777. The company will step off from the Old Barracks Museum at 2 am with the goal of arriving at Princeton Battlefield by 7 am, the same time the original company arrived to fight over 200 years ago. Arrive at the Old Barracks Museum by 1:30 am if you want to see Charles Wilson Peale’s company set off for their march to Princeton.

Winery Visit
Terhune Orchards, Princeton
Saturday-Sunday
Weather permitting, walk through the historic apple orchard. During cooler weather, seating is inside the wine barn with fire pits, outdoor heaters, and hot mulled wine. Tasting flights of Terhune wines to sample are available for adults. All ages can have fun with s’mores and hot cocoa kits. The Barn Door Café will sell lunch, while cheese plates and chips & salsa baskets are available at the winery. Live music will be on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

The Great American Songbook
Sunday at Westfield High School, Westfield
Monday at Siemenski Theatre, Basking Ridge
New Jersey Festival Orchestra will present a concert of Broadway song and dance showstoppers.

FRIDAY

Colonial Ball
Historic Trenton Masonic Temple, Trenton
You can dress for the time period (or not) as you dance and mingle with soldiers from the Battles of Trenton.

New Year’s Eve Celebration With Peas and Carrots
Monmouth County Library Headquarters, Manalapan
Wrap up 2023 with a special concert featuring many of your favorites from the ’50s through the ’70s played on a 6-string and 12-string acoustic guitar.

Kwanzaa Dance Party
Staten Island Children’s Museum, Staten Island, NY
Kids can learn West African drumming and dances from actor, musician and spoken-word artist Gregory Taylor and choreographer and dancer Walter Rutledge.

Rose Hall Comedy Show & Pop-Up Shops
Madison Community Arts Center, Madison
After five comedians take the stage, you can shop for some post-Christmas gifts at the holiday pop-up shop.

Magical Mystery Doors
The LeVoy Theatre, Millville
The tribute concert blends the music of The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and The Doors using modern video screens and lighting effects.

SATURDAY

Black Nativity 
Count Basie Center for the Arts, Red Bank
Black Nativity is a Gospel “song play” based on the Gospel of St. Luke, using the poetry of Langston Hughes and performed by an all-Black cast of singers, actors, dancers and musicians. It’s one of the first plays authored by an African-American to ever hit Broadway, and it has a powerful message of hope, joy, victory and liberation.

New Year’s Eve (Eve) Party
Downtown Metuchen
Come to the Plaza to celebrate the turn of the calendar a day before it actually happens.

The Trouble With Trenton Interactive Puppet Shows
Warren Street Plaza, Trenton
Dress warmly because there will be two puppet shows held outdoors, telling American history in a kid-appropriate manner.

DRIFTING FOCUS PHOTOGRAPHY / Old Barracks Museum Battle of Trenton Reenactment

The Battle of Trenton
Old Barracks Museum, Trenton
Start at the museum and follow the soldiers as they march to fight on the original battlefields. The Battle of Trenton reenactments will take place at 11 am at the Battle Monument, and again at 3 pm in Mill Hill Park.

Meditate & Manifest With Singing Bowls
Toms River Fitness, Toms River
Release and let go with a Forgiveness Ritual, clear your heart and mind for a renewed mindset in 2024, set intentions for the new year, pull an affirmation or oracle card, experience a guided meditation, have your energy cleared with sage, and relax during a live sound healing session with chakra singing bowls.

DJ Got Me Fit Dance Party
Staten Island Children’s Museum, Staten Island, NY
Local favorite DJ Got Me Fit will lead children in silly games and dances inspired by the latest pop music.

SUNDAY (NYE)

NYE 2024
Calandra’s Il Vecchio Cafe, Caldwell
There will be a family buffet during the day, and then a midnight celebration at night. You can also check out Frosty’s Snow Bar at La Taverna Lounge, which will be open as a pop-up bar through January 14.

New Year’s Eve
Calandra’s Mediterranean Grill, Fairfield
On New Year’s Eve, come by during the day with the kids for a family buffet, or call a babysitter and return at night for the adults-only dinner buffet and dance party.

NYE Buffet
Cucina Calandra, Fairfield
The NYE buffet is for adults 21+ and includes appetizers, salads, assorted entrees and pasta, a tower of Calandra’s assorted rolls, and a Viennese table with pastries, baked goods, and fruits.

New Year’s Eve Celebration
Dave & Buster’s, Wayne
Celebration Admission includes access to the appetizer banquet; a $20 Power Card with unlimited video game play; a special ginger ale New Year’s Eve toast; and a video countdown, all before 7 pm.

CRYSTAL SPRINGS RESORT

New Year’s Eve Celebrations
Crystal Springs Resort, Hamburg
There are a dozen different options that include kids and adults: a buffet and family party at Minerals Hotel, a buffet and DJ at the Canyon Buffet, open bar and live entertainment in the Emerald Ballroom, a 7-course elegant dinner at Restaurant Latour, a 4-course dinner at Springs Bistro followed by a Biosphere Bash, a family-style dinner with entertainment at Crystal Tavern, a 3-course dinner with open bar and live show at Crystal Cabaret, a 4-course dinner with entertainment at Kites Restaurant, a DJ dance party at Kites, and private dining inside a Champagne Chalet.

New Year’s Eve Celebration
MJ’s Restaurant, Bar & Grill, Matawan
There will be two rooms of entertainment for adults to celebrate NYE.

New Year’s Eve Dinner
Nunzio by Chef Michael DeLone, Collingswood
The menu for the prix fixe dinner will be announced soon.

First Night Ocean County
Casino Pier, Seaside Heights
Enjoy a New Year’s Eve afternoon of entertainment including a “Frozen” sing-along, a holiday magic show, a kid’s holiday concert, meet-and-greets with Mr. and Mrs. Mouse and the Australian Pups, and a kid’s dance party with a countdown to midnight balloon drop (at 4:30 pm).

New Year’s Eve
iPlay America, Freehold Twp.
The ultimate celebration includes a night of rides, games, party favors, confetti cannons, a DJ, giveaways and more.

First Night
Downtown Morristown
On NYE, Morristown becomes a stage. Everyone is invited to an alcohol-free celebration of arts and culture that will feature more than 70 performances, a film festival and a countdown to midnight with fireworks.

CITY OF OCEAN CITY DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY SERVICES

First Night
Ocean City
More than 70 events take place across 20 venues; don’t sleep in on New Year’s Day, because you can bring the family to First Day At The Beach, too.

NYE Fireworks Spectacular
Pier Village, Long Branch
To cap off a month of Coastal Holidays By The Sea, watch a fireworks display above the Jersey Shore to welcome in January.

New Year’s Eve Signature Dinner Cruise
Lincoln Harbor Marina, Weehawken
Sail into 2024, traveling by boat along the Hudson and East rivers.

New Year’s Eve at Son Cubano
Son Cubano, Port Imperial/West New York
There’s a Black Tie Gala Party on NYE for adults.

Countdown to Noon
Nickelodeon Universe, American Dream, East Rutherford
After a giant dance party, head to the Slime Stage for a countdown 12 hours earlier than when the clock strikes 2024. Stay and play all day with the All-Access Pass.

STATE THEATRE NEW JERSEY

Salute to Vienna New Year’s Concert
State Theatre NJ, New Brunswick
Although Vienna is a few hours ahead of us, their singers, dancers and orchestra will be stateside to ring in the new year.

New Year’s Eve Disco Ball
The Reeds at Shelter Haven, Stone Harbor
Put on your glittery bell bottoms and get your groove on during an evening for adults only that will include live DJ entertainment, a cocktail-style welcome, a three-course dinner and an open bar.

New Year’s Eve Extravaganza
Stress Factory Comedy Club, New Brunswick
Jesus Trejo will bring in 2024 with lots of laughs during two shows on NYE. Tickets to the early show include a buffet dinner, while the late show includes dinner plus an open bar.

New Year’s Eve Celebration
Blu on the Hudson, Weekahawken
Ring the bells while overlooking the Manhattan skyline. There will be food stations, a three-course dinner, a live DJ, sparklers, cocktails, and a champagne toast at midnight.

DAVID BURKE HOSPITALITY GROUP

Red Horse by David Burke
Bernards Inn, 27 Mine Brook Rd., Bernardsville
New Year’s Eve features a four-course prix fixe menu in the restaurant; or bring the adults to a NYE Supper Club & Party in the ballroom, complete with a cocktail hour, passed hors d’oeuvres, three-course prix fixe dinner, dancing to music by the Danny Bacher Sextet, Viennese dessert table and Veuve Clicquot Champagne Toast at midnight.

Kids Rockin’ New Year’s Eve Party
Shannon Rose, Clifton
From 4-7 pm, celebrate as the clock strikes midnight in Dublin. There will be face painters, bagpipers and balloons. Reservations are recommended.

Let’s Ring in 2024, Together!
Shannon Rose, Clifton
There are two different options for adults: an open bar or dinner with an open bar. Live music is by Radio Stranger and DJ Jon C, with a champagne toast at midnight.

Let’s Ring in 2024, Together!
Shannon Rose, Ramsey
Enjoy live music from The Mighty Spectrum Band and a champagne toast at midnight. You can also join for a 4-hour open bar with a 4-course dinner.

New Year’s Eve Celebration
Spuntino Wine Bar, Clifton
Choose from a tasting menu with or without a wine pairing.

STATEN ISLAND CHILDREN’S MUSEUM

Noon Year’s Eve Party
Staten Island Children’s Museum, Staten Island, NY
There will be two countdowns, one at noon and the other at 2:30 pm. Each party starts a half-hour before the countdown and includes a performance by Patrick Raftery and the Rock-A-Silly Band, confetti cannons, and a balloon drop.

VENTANAS Restaurant & Lounge
200 Park Avenue, Fort Lee
On New Year’s Eve, come for brunch earlier in the day; if you come for dinner, stay for the Masquerade Ball that starts at 10:30 pm with a four-course dinner party, entertainment and dinner party.

MONDAY (New Year’s Day)

First Day Hike
New Jersey Botanical Garden, Ringwood
Start your New Year on a self-guided family-friendly hike in the State Park woodlands at the NJ State Botanical Garden.

New Year’s Day Brunch
Crystal Springs Resort, Hamburg
The elaborate all-you-can-eat buffet will be complemented by live music.

First Day
Ocean City
Bring the family to First Day At The Beach, where there will be lots of family-friendly activities to celebrate the New Year.

First Day Hike
Forest Resource Education Center, Jackson
Start the new year in fresh Pineland air. The hike is an easy 3-mile walk through the uplands forest.

Book Launch: Stability: The Belle of the Ball
Clubhouse, 2 North Commerce Square, Robbinsville
Robbinsville resident Marie Renee Thadal is the founder of ITIAH Angels, which provides educational opportunities for children in Haiti. She is holding a book signing for “Stability: The Belle of the Ball” during a book launch that also celebrates New Year’s Day and Haiti’s independence. Traditional Soup Joumou, the symbolic soup of independence, will be served.

Chinese Food Pop-Up
Nettie’s House of Spaghetti, Tinton Falls
Chef Nicholas Wilkins will be cooking three savory Chinese dishes plus one dessert alongside Nettie’s chefs Chris Calabrese and Alessandro Urbisci, and Billy Vegas will be mixing up creative Asian-inspired cocktails. There will be an optional wine pairing curated by Tania Calabrese, available to purchase as an add-on to your ticket.

ONGOING

Makerspace Saturday
Museum of Early Trades and Crafts, Madison
First Saturday of every month
Whether you are looking for a kid-friendly project or for something creative to do after spending time at the museum, drop by Makerspace for hands-on activities in a new collaborative workspace geared toward kids ages 5 -12. Kids will build with LEGOs, paint, make jewelry, experiment with engineering and coding robots, and more.

Main Memorial Park Flea Market
Memorial Park, Clifton
Second Saturday of every month, March – December
There will be more than 100 vendors selling everything at bargain prices.

Tours of Crane House & Historic YWCA
Crane House & Historic YWCA, Montclair
Every Sunday
Take a self-guided tour to learn about the women of the Historic YWCA and the Crane family at your own pace. Take some time to walk through the gardens and meadow on site.

Wayne PAL Antique Collectibles Show and Vintage Flea Market
Wayne PAL Athletic League Complex, Wayne
First Sunday of every month, through April
The show features over 150 vendor tables in two large rooms and the front lobby where you can find vintage and sterling jewelry, glassware and Lenox, toys and trains, antique and collectible dolls and action figures, vintage postcards and photos and artwork, military, political and sports memorabilia including cards, magazines and newspapers, vintage coins and watches, classic rock CDs and more.

Frank V. Marina Flea Market
Frank A. Vincent Marina, Kearny
Second Sunday of every month, March – December
There will be more than 100 vendors selling everything at bargain prices.

Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
Bryant Park, New York, NY
Holiday shops open through January 2, 2024
The Rink and The Lodge, open through March 3, 2024
The rink is the largest, free ice skating rink in New York. You can relax at The Lodge, where you can eat and drink while watching skaters from the rinkside or overlooking the gigantic Christmas tree. The Holiday Shops by Urbanspace Markets is another huge draw and boasts more than 180 new and returning merchants in an open-air holiday market.

Festival of Trees
New Brunswick Performing Arts Center and Amboy Bank, New Brunswick
Through January 6, 2024
The trees on display will represent several countries and cultures and traditions from around the world. During the opening reception on Dec. 3, there will be special holiday musical performances, including by the Hungarian Scouts of New Brunswick, and refreshments.

Historic Smithville & Village Green
Smithville
Through Jan. 6, 2024
This quaint South Jersey shopping town gets all decked out for the holidays with a talking Christmas tree and “dancing” trees on Lake Meone, plus a train ride, s’mores by the bonfire and tons of boutiques for shopping.

Newark Winter Village
Mulberry Commons Park, Newark
Wednesdays – Sundays, through January 7, 2024
Spend time on-ice go-karting, ice skating, playing carnival games, renting a heated private igloo or getting food from local vendors.

Festival of Trees
Morven Museum & Garden, Princeton
Wednesdays – Sundays, through January 7, 2024
Take your time walking through the museum’s elegant galleries, where Christmas trees, mantels and porches will be decorated for the holidays by local businesses, garden clubs and non-profit organizations.

Holiday Lights at The Bronx Zoo
Bronx Zoo, The Bronx, NY
Select nights, through January 7, 2024
The zoo comes to life at night with immersive light displays, custom-designed animal lanterns and animated light shows. This year, there will be new lantern displays showcasing the wildlife of New York’s ocean waters and wetlands, plus a new interactive experience celebrating bioluminescent creatures.

Threading Memories
Art@Bainbridge, Princeton University Art Museum, Princeton
Through January 7, 2024
Korean-born artist MiKyoung Lee hosts her first solo museum exhibition. The exhibition features richly textured large-scale sculptures and wall-mounted works and explores themes of domesticity, family ties, and how we process memory and experience.

A Longwood Christmas
Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, PA
Select dates, through January 7, 2024
The beautiful landscape includes 1,100 acres of flowers, plants and trees. The 2023 theme is retro, with a nostalgic feel and throwback decorations to your favorite toys as a child. Everywhere you look, inside and outside, will be decorated for the season with bright lights and glittery tinsel.

A Very Furry Christmas Celebration
Sesame Place, Langhorne, PA
Select dates, through January 7, 2024
The theme park will be transformed into a one-of-a-kind Christmas wonderland with millions of twinkling lights, rides, decorations, and entertainment and activities. A
music and light show takes place at the 30-foot 1-2-3 Christmas Tree. There is a Sesame Street Christmas Parade with floats and performances. Santa’s Grand Illumination and Santa’s ‘Twas the Night Celebration will be in addition to special celebrations for Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, plus New Year’s Eve fireworks to close out 2023.

Big Apple Circus: Journey to the Rainbow
Lincoln Center’s Damrosch Park, New York, NY
Through January 15, 2024
More than 30 artists from all over the world will perform in costumes specially designed for the show, and there will be a live orchestra of eight musicians.

Antique Toy Train Show
The Museum of American History at Deptford, West Deptford
Thursdays-Sundays, through January 28, 2024
The show will feature O and O-27 gauge toy trains from the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. Lionel, Marx and American Flyer engines, with adjoining cars, will race against each other on two platforms.

Holiday Tea
The Mathis House, Toms River
Select dates, through January 31, 2024
Visit this gorgeous Victorian B&B with beautifully decorated tea rooms on the first floor, plus a year-round Christmas store in the attic. During the holiday season, come by for a special afternoon holiday tea or themed events like Friendsgiving Dinner, Scones With Santa, Most Wonderful Crime of the Year Murder Mystery and several holiday open houses.

Ice Skating at Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY
Through March 2024
The famous ice-skating rink returns to Rockefeller Center in NYC for its 87th season. While you’re watching the skating, or when you need to take a break from the ice, you can warm up inside the special skate chalets on the South Esplanade. This year will be the first time you can enjoy alcoholic beverages in the chalets, with a soon-to-be-announced menu of drinks by Other Half Brewery, served alongside a menu of après-skate bites. Skating runs through March but the chalets will be rentable from November 4 to January 14, 2024. Details on Family and Kids Day and opportunities to take photos with Santa will be announced.

Newport Skates
Jersey City
Through March 15, 2024
JC’s only outdoor ice skating rink is not only available for open skating but for lessons and parties, too.

Roosevelt Park Family Skating Rink
Roosevelt Park, Edison
Through March 31, 2024
There is open skating as well as skating lessons.

Night Forms
Grounds for Sculpture, Hamilton Twp.
Through April 7, 2024
You will have nighttime access to the art and horticulture throughout the sculpture park, which will be illuminated in an immersive experience.

The Science Behind Pixar
Liberty Science Center, Jersey City
Through May 5, 2024
Learn all about the science behind Pixar’s animated films. Kids can try a bunch of hands-on experiences like making a short film, creating a robot friend for “WALL·E” and designing a new movie set using props from “Monsters University.” Learn what animation rendering is, then practice it by rendering a scene from “Inside Out.” Create a digital sculpture from an artist’s sketch. Use lights to solve challenges similar to the ones Pixar faced in creating underwater scenes with virtual light in “Finding Nemo.”

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