From Trees to Taymor: Our New York City Holiday Must-Sees!

Santa may keep track of who’s naughty or nice, but the only list we need this holiday season in NYC is of must-see holiday events, sights and shows.

After all, there’s no greater gift you can give yourself during Christmastime in New York City than finally seeing some of the city’s most iconic holiday sights up close and in person — from the star-studded tree lighting ceremony at Rockefeller Center to the world famous Radio City Christmas Spectacular.

So check our list twice to plan your holiday in NYC this festive season!

You’ve probably seen it on TV and yes, it’s that big! The giant Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center is a 76-foot Norway spruce trimmed with 45,000 multi-colored LED bulbs and topped with a 9 1/2-foot LED-lit Swarovski crystal star. This year’s lighting ceremony takes place Wednesday, Dec. 4 from 8-9 p.m., featuring live performances by Mary J. Blige, Toni Braxton, Mariah Carey, Kelly Clarkson, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, the Goo Goo Dolls and Ariana Grande. If you plan on attending, we suggest arriving early (some people start staking out their spot as early as noon!). The ceremony begins at 7 p.m. though the actual lighting doesn’t take place until nearly 9 p.m. But even if you can’t get close during that special event, the tree stays lit until Jan. 7, so there’s plenty of time throughout the holiday season to see it again! (And while you are there, don’t forget to go up to Top of the Rock for a bird’s eye view of the big tree below!).
The tree at Lincoln Center, home to the Metropolitan Opera House, may not be as big as the one at Rockefeller Center, but it’s just as merry. And the lighting ceremony on Dec. 2 promises to be a much more accessible event. You won’t have to line up for hours in advance to see Lincoln Center’s annual Winter’s Eve celebration, from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., which includes performances by Tony Award-winning Broadway legend Brian Stokes Mitchell (who also happens to be Rachel’s dad on the FOX TV show Glee), the Big Apple Circus, and Frank London’s Klezmer Brass All-Stars. The area’s sidewalks and public spaces will be filled with performers, jugglers, and stilt-walkers, while over 30 of Lincoln Square’s best restaurants will offer affordable food tastings at three separate outdoor locations from 6-8:30 p.m.
You have all of December to another two of our favorite Christmas trees in NYC: The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Christmas tree and Neapolitan Baroque Creche, which features more than 200 tiny, lifelike figures fashioned in the 18th century, and the origami Christmas tree at the American Museum of Natural History. This year’s theme, “Wicked, Wise and Wonderful,” draws inspiration from the “Power of Poison” exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History.
The best thing about Christmas shopping in NYC is taking some time to marvel at the elaborate holiday window displays along Fifth Avenue and in Herald Square. Plan your own tour to see Saks, Bergdorf Goodman, Lord & Taylor, and Macy’s, or hop aboard the Holiday Lights and Movie Sites Bus Tour, which stops at several of the city’s most famed holiday window locations.
If we had to pick just one Christmas show to see this holiday season….we would beg you not to make us choose! The Radio City Christmas Spectacular is a New York tradition, featuring the same high-kicking Rockettes dance troupe that has been appearing in the Christmas revue since the 1930s. This year’s show features an all-new finale “Snow,” which features mesmerizing floating spheres that drift above the dancers below. Meanwhile the Tony Award-winning Broadway version of A Christmas Story is returning to New York City this December, with a limited run at the Theater at Madison Square Garden. Featuring the same cast who originally brought the show to life on Broadway last year (including Dan Lauria as the Narrator), A Christmas Story The Musical tells the story first made famous in the darkly comic 1983 movie by the same name.
The Magic Flute is not a Christmas show per se, but this classic family-friendly opera at the Met still feels like the holidays to us. This Met’s Magic Flute production by Julie Taymor (director of the Lion King on Broadway and Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark) features stunning visual effects and elaborate costumes that truly bring Mozart’s beloved fairy tale to life.