--Christmas Celebrations and other Events For Families
Whether you're traveling to another city, or enjoying a "staycation", you can find Holiday Season fun for families. Scroll below for popular destinations.
See also:
- Great Places to See Santa
- Christmas Train Rides- including The Polar Express
- Holiday Lights- places with a million sparkles
- Holiday Season Packages- 10 ideas, around the US
- First Nights- family-friendly New Years Eve festivities
Holiday Season Events: Northeast
New York, New York
As you'd expect, this city knows how to celebrate the holiday season. About's Guide for NYC for Visitors highlights many events that are fun for families. She also has lots about the Holiday Windows at NYC department stores: free, and so entertaining for kids!
GoCityKids is a further resource for family-friendly events and shows: tree-lighting at Lincoln Center; Hanukkah celebrations; Bear-y Christmas at the Central Park Zoo; lots more. Check the Calendar.
No Place like New England for the Holiday Season
About's guide for New England finds fun in her neck of the woods... including one million lights in Hartford, Connecticut.
Boston:
Holiday Season Festivities
Tree-lighting ceremonies, best shopping, skating on Frog Pond, Christmas Revels, and lots more.
Washington DC: The Spirit of Kwanzaa
At the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, this annual "shake the rafters" celebration of dance, poetry, and song is over 40 years old. More
Kwanzaa Celebrations: LA, Philadelphia, New York...
Find more Holiday Season events by checking CityKids and entering the city of your choice.
Holiday Season: Orlando Celebrations
Orlando Florida -- the world's most popular family vacation spot -- turns up the dazzle during the holiday season.
Holiday Season Lights
About's guide for Florida for Visitors hits the high-lights: tree-lighting, candlelight parades, Christmas light extravaganzas at Disney World, Sea World, Cypress Gardens, and more.
Walt Disney World Celebrations
The weather may be warm but it's Winter Wonderland anyway, with over 1500 Christmas trees, and snow on Main Street. Decorating starts in November, and so do the annual celebrations. In the Magic Kingdom, Mickey has a Very Merry Christmas Party on many nights, and Mickey's Very Merry Paradefeatures a March of the Wooden Soldiers and dancing gingerbread men.
At Epcot, Holidays Around The World, has story-telling and traditions from different countries. Also at Epcot is the Candlelight Processional: a celebrity narrator presents the Christmas story, with music by a choir and 50-piece orchestra. At MGM Studios, the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lightshas 5 million of 'em-- twinkling lights that is, that twinkle even more in nightly "snow". And that's not all-- click above for more.
Universal Orlando
Expect decorations and festivities at these popular theme parks. Special Macy's Parade takes place nightly; and the reclusive Grinch makes an appearance at Seuss Landing.
Holiday Season, Christmas Events - More Locations
Southern California
For the Los Angeles area -- that other hotspot for theme parks-- check out many
December events including Disneyland Christmas Fantasy and several festivals. Also,
Universal Studios Hollywood has a Holiday Parade on many days.
California: LEGOLAND
At this family theme park tree-lighting's a bit unusual: the tree's made out of 245,000 green DUPLO® bricks. A holiday season Holiday Block Party runs during Christmas week, with fireworks.
More Holiday season in California:
About's guide for California for Visitors suggests "Five Cool Ways to Celebrate Christmas, California-Style." Harbor Parades in several cities, Carols in a cave, and an LA Santa who arrives by surfboard are just some of the possibilities.
Virginia-including Colonial Williamsburg
100 Miles of Lights, Kwanzaa in Richmond-- see many celebrations in Virginia at the link above. And of course Colonial Williamsburg shines at Christmas, celebrating in the style of the revolutionary period: Christmas is one of the best times to visit this popular family destination, where history comes alive as real-life people re-enact the past. Read more about
Colonial Williamsburg; then check Williamsburg
Christmas eventsonline.
Branson Missouri: Ozark Mountain Christmas
Christmas shows, tree-lighting, annual Adoration Parade, Festival of Lights, and Trail of Lights: Branson is a big-time destination at Christmas. Known as a venue for singers and other performers, Branson is also very much a family destination, with theme parks, Showboat, Scenic Railway, dinner shows (Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede), and Family Fun Centers.
Read more about Branson.
Cleveland Holiday Events
"Winterfest" Treelighting, Holiday Lights, WinterShow at the Cleveland Botanical Garden, Black Nativity, and more.
Multiple Cities
GoCityKids.com keeps adding cities; each one has a detailed calendar of family events.
London, England
From carolers under lamplights to figgy pudding: much of the way we picture Christmas comes from Victorian England. So visit in person, and enjoy outdoor skating, legendary toy stores, Medieval Christmas at the Tower of London, New Year's Day parade, and more.
For First Night Events (family-friendly New Year's Eve celebrations) in the US and around the world: continue to First Nights.
* photo courtesy of Universal Orlando
