30 things to do over Thanksgiving weekend
Discover plenty of things to do over Thanksgiving weekend, whether you're in the holiday spirit, or if you're more ho-ho-oh forget it.
Wed Nov 14 2012
Cranksgiving Photograph: Nate Mumford
If you're staying here over Thanksgiving weekend, chances are you've got your folks in town. In which case, it's the perfect time to take them to the festive sights—like Christmas lights and decorations, or holiday window displays—while the city's delightfully deserted. On the other hand, if you're here and are trying your very best to avoid Christmas in New York, we've got your agenda for a debaucherous or cultured couple of days away from the turkeys (see above).
RECOMMENDED: Thanksgiving in New York guide
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Thanksgiving weekend activities in the festive spirit
New York City Ballet: George Balanchine's The Nutcracker
- Price band: 2/4
- Critics choice
New York City Ballet continues with performances of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker, with scenery by Rouben Ter-Arutunian, costumes by Karinska and lighting by Mark Stanley, after Ronald Bates. The production is a magical occasion: Along with a one-ton Christmas tree that grows from 12 to 40 feet, there's a snowstorm of blizzard proportions and a nine-foot-wide Mother Ginger (her skirt, that is). The ballet, from 1954, never grows old. Visit the website for casting. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Sept 24 at 10am.
- David H. Koch Theater (at Lincoln Center) 20 Lincoln Center Plaza, at 63rd St
- Until Sun Dec 30
Lord & Taylor holiday windows
- Critics choice
- Free
Lord & Taylor marks the 75th anniversary of its annual festive displays with windows depicting a globe-trotting Santa Claus making the most of his day off.
- Lord & Taylor 424 Fifth Ave, between 38th and 39th Sts
- Until Mon Dec 31
Union Square Holiday Market
- Critics choice
- Free
Purchase gifts from more than 100 vendors at this outdoor bazaar. Look for Kristiana Parn stationery sets (six note cards for $18), Stories mounted art prints ($45 each), Organic Treatment facial serums ($38) and Pageant Print Shop antique Brooklyn and Manhattan maps ($200).
- Union Square Holiday Market 14th St to 17th St, between Broadway and Park Ave South
- Mon Dec 30
Holiday Under the Stars
- Critics choice
- Free
Take a break from Christmas shopping and check out Time Warner Center’s state-of-the-art holiday light display. The spectacle features a dozen 14-foot LED stars that do a colorful “dance,” flashing more than 16.7 million color mixes in time to classic Yuletide tunes. You’ll be so moved, you won’t even care that you maxed out your MasterCard getting Aunt Judy that back massager she’s been wanting. When you're done marveling, don't forget to check out the ten new stores that have recently opened at the TWC.
- Time Warner Center 10 Columbus Circle, at Broadway and 59th St
- Thu Jan 3
New York Transit Museum's Holiday Train Show
- Critics choice
- Free
Within Grand Central Terminal you’ll find the New York Transit Museum’s eleventh annual Holiday Train Show, an ode to all kinds of locomotives. You’ll feel positively giant while wandering around the 34-foot-long display, festooned with miniature versions of city landmarks like the Brooklyn Bridge and the Empire State Building. Watch as Lionel model trains travel over the river (the East River, to be exact) and through the woods to reach their final destination, the north pole.
- New York Transit Museum Gallery Annex Grand Central Terminal, E 42nd St, between Lexington and Vanderbilt Aves
- Sun Feb 10
Holiday Train Show
- Critics choice
In NYBG's wildly popular diorama, more than a dozen model railway trains traverse an incredibly detailed New York City scene, including such landmarks as the Empire State Building and Radio City Music Hall, made of natural materials such as leaves, twigs, bark and berries.
- New York Botanical Garden Bronx River Pkwy, at Fordham Rd
- Sat Jan 12 - Sun Jan 13
Radio City Christmas Spectacular
- Price band: 2/4
- Critics choice
You'll get a kick out of this holiday stalwart, which—after 80 years—still features Santa, wooden soldiers and the leggy, spunky Rockettes. Last year, new music, more eye-catching costumes, and advanced technology were introduced to bring audience members closer to the performance, and you can expect an even more dazzling extravaganza as the precision-dance troupe celebrates its 85th anniversary.
- Radio City Music Hall 1260 Sixth Ave, at 50th St
- Until Sun Dec 30
Citi Pond at Bryant Park
- Critics choice
- Free
Bryant Park’s 17,000-square-foot outdoor rink is free and open late. Don’t get too excited—the admission may be gratis, but you’ll have to shell out $14 to rent skates (or BYO). Still, it’s a veritable winter wonderland: After your skate, warm up at spacious rinkside restaurant Celsius, or browse the Holiday Shops at Bryant Park. If you want to practice your lutzes and axels with ample spinning room, try visiting during off-peak hours. RECOMMENDED: More rinks for ice skating in NYC
- Citi Pond at Bryant Park Sixth Ave, between 40th and 42nd Sts
- Until Sun Mar 3
Origami Holiday Tree
- Price band: 2/4
- Critics choice
More than 500 handmade origami ornaments adorn the holiday season's craftiest Christmas tree. This year's theme is "Museum’s Collections," so keep your eyes peeled for baubles representing exhibits and creatures from the AMNH’s trove, including lemurs, spiders, monkeys and even a murder of crows.
- American Museum of Natural History Central Park West, at 79th St
- Sun Jan 6
Holiday Under the Stars
- Critics choice
- Free
Take a break from Christmas shopping and check out Time Warner Center’s state-of-the-art holiday light display. The spectacle features a dozen 14-foot LED stars that do a colorful “dance,” flashing more than 16.7 million color mixes in time to classic Yuletide tunes. You’ll be so moved, you won’t even care that you maxed out your MasterCard getting Aunt Judy that back massager she’s been wanting. When you're done marveling, don't forget to check out the ten new stores that have recently opened at the TWC.
- Time Warner Center 10 Columbus Circle, at Broadway and 59th St
- Thu Jan 3
Winter Garden Holiday Lights
- Critics choice
- Free
A holiday tradition since 1989, the display features 50,000 twinkling white lights that are strung throughout the Winter Garden, transforming the glass-enclosed atrium into a festive wonderland.
- World Financial Center Winter Garden 200 Vesey St, at West St
- Until Thu Jan 3
Snowflake Spectacular
- Critics choice
- Free
The Great White North descends on Saks Fifth Avenue’s ten-story facade this season. This year’s LED holiday light projection features snow flurries and a yeti, who according to a tie-in tale by Daily Monster creator Stefan J. Bucher, came down from Siberia to live on the roof of the department store (as is the wont of fashion-conscious horror beasts the world over). The two-minute show repeats every seven to eight minutes and ties in with the Snowflake Spectacular display in the store's 12 windows.
- Saks Fifth Avenue 611 Fifth Ave, at 49th St
- Mon Jan 7
Holiday lights in Dyker Heights
- Critics choice
On the day after Thanksgiving, the neighborhood of Dyker Heights undergoes a transformation, as residents along several blocks in the area festoon their homes with elaborate holiday decorations. And we're not talking about a Christmas tree or a simple nativity scene: Among the kitschy pieces you might see are life-size reindeer, huge inflatable Santas and snowmen, Christmas carols blaring from loudspeakers and tens of thousands of lights.
The Rink at Rockefeller Center
- Price band: 2/4
- Critics choice
Even if the sidewalks are overrun with tourists, you’ll have ample room to skate at the city’s most iconic rink; only 150 people are allowed on the ice at once. Unfortunately, that also means that you should prepare for long lines. If you want the privilege of being among the first to hit the cold stuff in the morning, visit the rink’s website to make a reservation for the first skate of the day (daily 7am, Nov 9–Jan 7). RECOMMENDED: More rinks for ice skating in NYC
- The Rink at Rockefeller Center 30 Rockefeller Plaza, between 49th and 50th Sts
- Mon Apr 15
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- Thanksgiving weekend: Festive events
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