Are people who FaceTime while walking down the street literally insane?

The fabulous holiday icon of NYC, The Rockefeller Christmas Tree is a must-see for both locals and visitors during the holiday season, whether you’re visiting before ice-skating on The Rink at Rockefeller Center or just passing through.

More than 50,000 multi-colored LED lights wrap around the branches. It’s topped with a three-dimensional Swarovski star that weighs 900 pounds and sparkles in 3 million crystals.

The tree is lit up daily through mid-January. On Christmas Eve, the tree is lit for 24 hours and on New Year’s Eve it is lit from 5am to 9pm. 

Celebrate Kwanzaa returns to Brooklyn Children’s Museum this month, with a family-friendly celebration presented in partnership with the Brooklyn-based Asase Yaa Cultural Arts Foundation. From Thursday, December 26 through December 30, you can partake in Afrobeat and Soca dance workshops, try your hand at Djembe (West African hand drum) drumming, enjoy stilt walker and youth dance performance, take part in traditional candle lighting ceremonies, test your olfactory skills via an herbal sensory exploration with Brooklyn Supported Agriculture Community, and more.

Held every year on December 24, the MATZOBALL has been getting Jewish singles paired up in cities across the US since 1987. And this year, it’s back to spark romance and bring friends together in New York City, taking over Musica in Hell's Kitchen. From 10pm to 4am, Chosen People between the ages of 21 and 49 can schmooze and flirt throughout the club’s luxurious three levels. 

As MATZOBALL founder Andrew Rudnick says: "Nearly 50% of Americans are single. MATZOBALL was created to bring those singles together, face-to-face. Our attendees meet new friends, enjoy a night of crazy fun, and maybe even kindle a spark that could turn into a meaningful relationship."

The New York Transit Museum is giving the time-honored subway swipe a proper sendoff with a new exhibit called "FAREwell, MetroCard" (see what they did there?), opening on December 17 in Brooklyn.

The exhibit covers the full journey of the little yellow card that changed how the city moved. When the item launched in 1994, the goal was simple: retire the cumbersome token for something more fitting for the modern era. The show explores how that idea grew from clunky magnetic stripe prototypes into the systemwide rollout that reshaped the daily commute. Through early pilot brochures, SubTalk ads and photos of the first activated turnstiles, you'll realize how much work went into convincing riders to trust the new system.

It might be the most New York-y movie of the year: In Josh Safdie’s sports movie-cum-crime caper, Marty Mauser (played by Hell's Kitchen's own Timothée Chalamet) is a gifted but impoverished ping-pong player who’s only an inch or two from conquering all. By the terms of his own cutthroat world, he’s a loser who lives within touching distance of glory. One more push could make all the difference. Or get him killed. 

The most vivid depiction of Jewish life on the Lower East Side since Once Upon a Time In America, Marty Supreme is a stunning achievement, a breathless yet precisely controlled joyride full of vivid characters, hairpin turns and did-that-just-happen moments – and a modernist fairy tale about big ambitions colliding with grubby street-level realities and capitalism’s seedy imperatives. This is a film that’s built to last.  

In US theaters Dec 25, and UK and Ireland cinemas Dec 26

If you’ve ever wished your Christmas tree would hug you back, Dumbo House has you covered this winter.

Set on the Brooklyn waterfront and known for its baked-in skyline views, the members’ club has unveiled "Tree Huggers," a playful, immersive holiday installation by Brooklyn-based artist Derrick Adams. Part sculpture garden, part festive fever dream, the work has turned the Dumbo House terrace into a walkable maze of stylized Christmas trees, each one outfitted with long, cartoonish arms that reach out as if mid-embrace. It’s whimsical, slightly surreal and very much the kind of holiday cheer that feels distinctly New York.

"Tree Huggers" anchors Soho Winterland, the club’s seasonal takeover running through January 1, 2026.

Rid yourself of 2025’s baggage at the annual Good Riddance Day, inspired by the Latin American tradition of burning dolls that represent issues from the year before. On December 28 at noon, bring the things you want to forget to Broadway Plaza between 43rd and 44th Streets and symbolically banish away the bad vibes on provided forms. (Note: this is not a shredding, burning, or disposal event.)

Sid Gold’s Request Room is the premier live piano karaoke bar in the country, with iconic locations in New York, Detroit, Nashville and Washington D.C. Known for its magical, one-of-a-kind experience, the audience becomes just as much a part of the show as the singer on stage. With a songbook of over 1,000 titles, Sid Gold’s pianists don’t just play—they coach, harmonize and cheer you on, giving even the shyest voices the confidence to shine.

Every other Tuesday (including this Tuesday, December 16), Sid Gold’s very own John Khoury will be hosting a special karaoke night at Time Out Market New York, Brooklyn. Bringing his extensive repertoire, Khoury is well versed in the music of Frank Sinatra, Chappell Roan and everything in between. Performing now in the shadow of his beloved Brooklyn Bridge, John is ready to make Time Out Market the city’s newest stage for unforgettable sing-alongs.

The event starts at 7pm and is free to attend.

Get your tickets here. 

Cirque du Soleil, famous for defying reality (and gravity), is returning to New York City this holiday season. Due to overwhelming success, their special first and only holiday show, "Twas the Night Before..." will return to The Theater at Madison Square Garden December 4-28.

Inspired by the classic poem "A Visit from Saint Nicholas" by Clement Clarke Moore, Cirque's story follows a jaded young girl who rediscovers the magic of the holidays. Directed by James Hadley, a 25-year veteran of circus productions and live theater, "Twas the Night Before..." combines classic Christmas spirit with jaw-dropping acrobatic stunts. 

If you're equal parts sugar fiend and architecture junkie, we may have just found your dream holiday destination. The Gingerbread City is bringing its winter magic and sweetness back to the Seaport for a free display from December 5–28 at 19 Fulton Street.

It's created by over 100 New York-based architects, engineers and designers, so you know these gingerbread creations are going to be immaculate. Expect to see city parks, brownstones and skyscrapers created out of cookies, icing and candy. Plus, there's a chance to learn how to make your own gingerbread creations.