Date and venue: Now through November 30 at the New York Botanical Garden

New York Botanical Garden’s hauntingly fun Nightmare Before Christmas Light Trail is your seamless transition from spooky season to holiday celebration. Step into some of your favorite scenes from the classic animated film, as Jack Skellington, Sally, Zero, and more come to life in this immersive light trail set among the lush flowers and plants. And no Nightmare Before Christmas-themed event would be complete without the iconic music playing.

Get Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas Light Trail tickets now.

Date and venue: Now through January 4 at Radio City Music Hall

If the Radio City Rockettes are back, then it really is the holiday season in NYC. The high-kicking precision dance troupe have returned to Radio City Music Hall for the annual Christmas Spectacular, dazzling audiences with jaw-dropping dances, sets, costumes — and even an appearance from Santa Claus himself. Don’t miss your chance to catch the Rockettes during their 100th anniversary.

Get Radio City Christmas Spectacular tickets now.

Date and venue: Now through March 1 at Bryant Park

An NYC holiday must-do is a visit to the Bryant Park Winter Village. Ice skate with free admission (skate and locker rental fees apply), shop at the holiday market, and hit up the delicious food vendors featuring all types of global cuisines. Just a short walk from the Theatre District, it’s the perfect place to hang out before or after a show.

Date and venue: Now through January 4 at Lincoln Center's Damrosch Park

The Big Apple Circus is back in NYC, taking up residency near Lincoln Center at Damrosch Park. Displaying high-flying acts and death-defying stunts, as well as comedic routines and more. Perfect for families, the Big Apple Circus is in town for the holiday season, making it a great stop on anyone’s seasonal trip to the city.

Get Big Apple Circus tickets now.

Date and venue: Now through January 11 at the New York Botanical Garden

The Bronx garden's annual train show includes nearly 200 replicas of landmark NYC buildings, all made entirely out of plant-based materials and tucked amid the NYBG's blooming conservatories. It's a beloved holiday tradition for all ages and a great way to escape the concrete of the city for an afternoon.

Get Holiday Train Show tickets now.

Date and venue: Now through November 23 at the Top of the Rock

The Wicked celebrations continue with a special photo opportunity at Rockefeller Center’s Top of the Rock. Anyone who visits the Top of the Rock Observation Deck through November 23 and purchases the Photo Pass will get an exclusive movie poster and can take a picture in front of an exclusive Wicked backdrop. You'll be defying gravity 67 stories above New York City!

To round out your experience, there are costumes from Wicked: For Good on display when you enter Top of the Rock on 50th Street.

Date and venue: Thursday, November 27 from W. 77th Street to 34th St. (Macy’s at Herald Square)

Whether catching it on TV or live in person, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a cherished holiday tradition. For its 99th year, the parade will celebrate with 34 balloons and 28 floats, plus singers, Broadway performances, marching bands, and of course, Santa Claus himself.

If you’re visiting the city, catch the parade along its route from West 77th St to Herald Square. It goes down Eighth Avenue until Columbus Circle and then along Sixth Avenue the rest of the way.

Date and venue: Now through January 5 at the Museum of Broadway

The Radio City Rockettes are high-kicking into their 100th year, and the Museum of Broadway is celebrating with a special exhibit. Learn how the Rockettes dance troupe started in Missouri and made its way to the historic Radio City Music Hall. Get an up-close look at their dazzling costumes, and even take a special photo with the famous Toy Soldiers.

Get Museum of Broadway tickets now.

Get Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes tickets now.

Date and venue: November 21-29 at 2 Penn Plaza

The arrival of the new Wicked movie means getting to hear the rest of the album — plus the movie’s two new songs. There’s an immersive listening pop-up from Universal Music Group in Midtown, which offers exclusive merch, including a limited-edition vinyl, and giveaways of real movie props, all in an Emerald City-inspired setting.

Date and venue: December 2 at Bryant Park

While Rockefeller Center has the city’s most famous tree lighting, Bryant Park’s is a little easier to get into — and it has a few extra activities to enjoy. Professional ice skaters perform, and actor and chef David Burtka (Neil Patrick Harris's husband!) hosts the 2025 ceremony.

Admission is free, but space is limited. The tree lighting starts at 5:30 p.m., but it’s recommended to arrive at 3:30.

Date and venue: Ongoing at the Tempo by Hilton in Times Square

If you're a bookworm and a Broadway fan, the Tempo by Hilton hotel in Times Square has a Room & Book package right up your alley. In partnership with NYC’s Book Club Bar, this special offer allows guests to receive a copy of the Wicked book, a bottle of wine, a cheese and charcuterie plate, and food and beverage credit to use at the hotel. And whether you’re staying at the hotel or just passing by, you can visit the Tempo’s lounge for a Wicked-inspired cocktail, the Necromancer.

Date and venue: Now through November 30 at the Times Square Edition Hotel Located a short walk from Wicked on Broadway at the Gershwin Theatre, the Times Square Edition Hotel is offering the perfect pre-show cocktails before catching the musical this month. Order the Defying Gravity (a whiskey cocktail with honey, mint, lemongrass, and jasmine tea) or the For Good (a margarita-inspired blend of tequila, curaçao, and lime).

Get Wicked Broadway tickets now.

Date and venue: Now through February at Grand Central Terminal

The New York Transit Museum is holding its 21st annual Holiday Train Show at Grand Central. This free, 34-foot display features miniature versions of NYC landmark buildings like the Empire State Building, the Brooklyn Bridge, and Grand Central.

Numerous model trains move along the tracks and wind among the buildings, and many are modeled after New York trains like the Metro North and the subway, plus the Polar Express. It’s open from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends, except for major holidays.

Date and venue: Now through January 7 at Hudson Yards

With over 100 miles of holiday string lights, more than 700 trees, and a massive floating hot air balloon, the holidays are unmatched at Hudson Yards during its annual Shine Bright event. Head west of the Theatre District to catch this shimmering light display and soak up the festive cheer.

There are also food, drink, and shopping options available throughout the Hudson Yards complex. Time it right, and you can catch live performances from a toy soldier dance troupe. If you visit after November 28, you can take free pictures with Santa.

Date and venue: Now through December 31 at Ophelia Rooftop Lounge

Sip on this gravity-defying cocktail named after Oz’s Emerald City, presented to you in a hanging glass. Head over to Ophelia in Midtown East for a pre- or post-show toast, and enjoy one short day in NYC at the gorgeous rooftop lounge.

Date and venue: Select dates through December 18

Stars from Broadway shows like The Lion King, Six, The Book of Mormon, and more will perform under the dazzling light display at The Shops at Columbus Circle this holiday season. These free concerts feature live performances and interviews with Broadway performers from today's hottest musicals.

Catch the shows at 5 p.m. on November 20 and December 4, 11, and 18, and see the full lineup here.

Date and venue: November 23-January 4 at the Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC NYC)

It isn’t the holiday season without at Charles Dickens’s classic tale. This award-winning production of A Christmas Carol is done in the round, so you can see the actors — who sing, dance, and even play bells — right up close no matter where you sit. Returning to the New York stage just for the holiday season, A Christmas Carol is a touching, and even sometimes chilling, story worth revisiting every year.

Get A Christmas Carol tickets now.

Date and venue: Nightly at 11 p.m. following Broadway shows

This unique late-night crawl kicks off the minute you leave your Broadway theatre, where you’ll be met by a fabulous drag queen as your guide. The 2-hour private tour meanders through Hell’s Kitchen and is filled with surprises at every turn, including live performances.

Broadway After Dark: The Curtain Call Crawl promises Broadway stories and “insider tea” in addition to cocktails and plenty of glam. Tickets start at $69 per person, and you must book as a group.

Date and venue: Now through January 3 at the David A. Koch Theater in Lincoln Center

The Nutcracker is a classic way to kick off the holiday season, and New York City Ballet is putting on its iconic annual performance through January 3. While the choreography stays true to the original from 1954, this year's production adds some exciting features, like a one-ton Christmas tree that grows up to 40 feet tall and an actual blizzard that takes place on stage.

For a an alternative, free Nutcracker option, the downtown mall Brookfield Place is holding three performances of Keith Michael’s The Nutcracker from November 22-23. The show is sold out, but there may be day-of walk-up availability on a first-come, first-served basis.

Date and venue: 44&X, on the corner of W44th Street and 10th Avenue

44&X has been a Hell’s Kitchen mainstay and favorite restaurant of Broadway-goers for decades. It’s even name-dropped in the currently running Off-Broadway play Messy White Gays, a satire that takes place over brunch in a Hell’s Kitchen apartment.

After announcing that it would shutter in November, 44&X will in fact stay open after all, just in time to put up its trademark holiday decorations. Make a day of it, and catch a performance of Messy White Gays to celebrate this restaurant's second act.

Get Messy White Gays tickets now.