This month’s guide features a variety of events in the New York City area, including popular events such as Gingerbread Lane’s Opening Weekend, the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, and the tree lighting at Rockefeller Center. For more information on this month’s calendar, take a look at our useful list of programs below.
November 1st-November 4th:
The Trolls Experience: Little (or big!) fans of Trolls can now see their beloved characters come to life in this exhibition taking place for the foreseeable future. Visitors will be able to journey through Critter Creak, go inside the Caterbus, and sing, dance, and hug their way to Poppy’s Best Day Ever bash. The experience takes place at 218 West 57th Street, Manhattan.
Sensory-Friendly Screening of Coco: On Saturday, November 3rd, visit the Museum of the Moving Image for a sensory-friendly screening of Coco, Pixar’s most recent movie. Purchase to the film includes same-day admission to the museum so families can browse exhibits on Jim Henson and Sesame Street before or afterward. The museum is located at 36-01 35th Avenue, Astoria, New York.
Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead): The American Museum of Natural History will have a full-day festival about the traditions and history of Dia de Muertos on Saturday, November 3rd. There will be performances by Mexican folk musicians and dance troupes, including the traditional pre-Hispanic dance ceremony dedicated to the Day of the Dead, as well as cultural and scientific activities and crafts for everyone. The museum is located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan at Central Park West at 79th Street. The Museum of the City of New York on the Upper East Side is hosting their own version on Friday, November 2nd.
Fox Fables: Fox Fables, a puppet adaptation of an Aesop’s Fable, is about a fox who loses his tail and with it, what makes him unique. This short but sweet play is under an hour-long and perfect for toddlers to young school-age children. Performances run from Saturday, November 3rd to Sunday, November 4th at the 14th Street Y, located at 344 14th Street at 14th Street and 1st Avenue in Manhattan.
Fall Foliage Walking Tour: The Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx offer more than 140 varieties of trees and Sunday, November 4th, visitors can join horticulturist Bill Logan on a walking tour of Woodlawn’s arboretum. Due to the limited amount of tickets available, interested parties should register to ensure a slot on the tour, which is meeting at the Jerome Avenue and Bainbridge Avenue entrance.
A Closer Look for Kids: The Museum of Modern Art is well-known for its’ children and family programs and on select weekends in November, kids and adults can engage in fun activities and peruse contemporary art. The program is suitable for children ages 5 to 10-years-old. The museum is located at 11 West 53rd Street in Manhattan.
November 5th-November 11th:
Election Day at Brooklyn Children’s Museum: Help children learn more about their civic duty by exploring the democratic process at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum on Tuesday, November 6th. While little ones may be too small to vote for the political leader of their choice, they can get some practice in for their future by voting on a new name for a museum animal and writing to elected officials about some of their hopes and dreams for their community. The museum is located at 145 Brooklyn Avenue.
The Lions Lego Zone: Encourage your child’s creativity by joining the Children’s Center at 42nd Street for a morning of building blocks and Legos on Tuesday, November 6th. Space is limited so make sure you arrive earlier than the 10:00AM start time to snag your ticket. The center is located in the heart of Manhattan at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building located at 476 5th Avenue on 42nd Street and 5th Avenue.
Diwali Family Celebration: Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights and is celebrated for five days across India and other parts of southern Asia. The celebration begins on Wednesday, November 7th and interested parties can visit the Museum of the City of New York on that day to enjoy a special performance, savor a traditional Indian treat, and mold and decorate their own diya to take home. The museum is located at 1220 5th Avenue and 103rd Street in Manhattan.
Disney on Ice Presents Mickey’s Search Party: Mickey and friends are in town for a limited time only this November! In this brand-new, high-flying adventure, the whole family can follow Captain Hook’s treasure map on their search for Tinker Bell. Performances take place from Wednesday, November 7th to Sunday, November 11th at the Barclays Center, 620 Atlantic Avenue, in Brooklyn.
Mickey: The True Original Exhibition: Celebrating nearly a century of Mickey, this showcase features his broad reach on entertainment and art. The show opens on Saturday, November 10th and is on display until February 10th, 2019, the exhibition is held at 60 10th Avenue in Manhattan.
Gingerbread Lane: This year’s Gingerbread Lane opens its’ doors on Saturday, November 10th at the New York Hall of Science in Queens. It has won the Guinness World Record for largest gingerbread village five years running and takes an entire year to draft, design, construct, and decorate. Visitors to this year’s workshops will have the opportunity to design and build their own version using all of the materials that Chef Jon Lovitch uses to create his masterpiece. The exhibition is on display through Sunday, December 30th at 47-01 111th Street in Corona, Queens.
The Muppets take Manhattan: On Sunday, November 11th, watch the Muppets on the big screen as they try to make their Broadway dreams come true. Featuring Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy, Muppets Take Manhattan is playing at BAM’s Peter Jay Sharp Building located at 30 Lafayette Avenue in Brooklyn.
November 12th-November 18th:
Grand Central Holiday Fair: It’s that time of year when holiday fairs open up in and around the city, including the Grand Central Holiday Fair. The one-stop shopping experience opens its’ doors on Monday, November 12th and wraps up on Christmas Eve. A range of products and price points ensures that there is something for everyone! Products are typically handmade using locally-sourced materials or a socially-conscious business model. While at the terminal, visit the 17th Annual Holiday Train Show at the New York’s Transit Museum Gallery Annex and Store.
Yeti, Set, Snow!: Looking forward to the winter holiday? Start off the season with an original story and production from the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre called Yeti, Set, Snow! The story is about a young girl and her friend who encounter a Yeti on the first snow day of the winter season. Pascetti, the yeti, is not a fan of snow, and it’s up to the two girls to show Pascetti that snow can be fun, as can friendship! Performances take place on Tuesday, November 13th and Wednesday, November 14th at the theater, located at West 79th Street in Central Park.
Elf the Musical: Elf the Musical tells the heartwarming story of Buddy, a young orphan child who crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is taken back to the North Pole. As Buddy grows up, he begins to realize he is not like the other elves and decides to head home to New York City to find his birth father and his true identity. Performances begin on Thursday, November 15th and take place until the end of December at the John W. Engeman Theater located at 250 Main Street, Northport, New York.
The Polar Express Train Ride: With Christmas weeks away, begin to get into the spirit by taking a ride on The Polar Express Train Ride in Whippany, New Jersey. There will be plenty of family entertainment, delicious hot chocolate and cookies to keep you warm, and a keepsake. The Polar Express train ride opens on Saturday, November 17th and runs through the end of December at 255 Cedar Knolls Rd., Whippany, New Jersey.
Thanksgiving with the Beasts: In observance of next week’s Thanksgiving, the Staten Island Zoo is hosting a special Thanksgiving meal for their animal family on Saturday, November 17th. In addition, the zoo will also feature the Red Storm Drum and Dance Troupe, celebrating Native American culture and its’ relationship with animals. The zoo is located on the north shore of Staten Island, at 614 Broadway, 10310.
Night Sky, Live!: Night Sky, Live! is a live-lecture presentation highlighting what the Long Island night sky will look like on the day individuals visit. Hosted by an astronomy educator at the Vanderbilt Museum, the program also mentions seasonal constellations, stars and year-round celestial events. The venue is located at 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport, New York.
Saturday Science: Decisions, Decisions: Saturday Science events are held throughout the school year, changing with each month to highlight the array of topics in neuroscience and the latest discoveries coming from the Zuckerman Institute labs. This month’s theme focuses on how your brain is able to make decisions and takes place on Saturday, November 17th at the Education Lab, Jerome L. Greene Science Center, located at 609 West 129th Street, New York.
Holiday Train Show: An annual tradition in New York, the holiday train show featuring more than 175 New York landmarks returns to the New York Botanical Gardens on Saturday, November 17th. This year’s show features Lower Manhattan with displays of the Statute of Liberty, Ellis Island, and making its’ debut, One World Trade Center. Advance reservations are highly encouraged. The gardens are located at 2900 Southern Boulevard in the Bronx.
12th Annual Brooklyn Children’s Book Fair: At this annual free event, children will have the opportunity to meet authors and illustrators of some of their favorite storybooks, picture books, and graphic novels. There is a full days’ worth of activities and events featuring author readings, illustrator presentations, and book-related art-making workshops. It takes place on Saturday, November 17th at the Brooklyn Museum, located at 200 Eastern Parkway.
Kids’ Silent Disco and Ping Pong Party!: This fun, silent dance party features three levels of live musical entertainment, glow in the dark equipment, and ping-pong games for children and adults. The four-hour event takes place on Sunday, November 18th at SPiN NYC, located at 48 East 23rd Street, New York.
November 19th-November 25th:
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloon Inflation: Prior to watching the balloons go down 5th Avenue, watch them get inflated the day before. The later you arrive in the evening, the likelier it’ll be that many of the balloons have been inflated. The entrance is at West 79th Street at Columbus Avenue. The 92nd annual parade takes place the following day, Thursday, 11/22. Don’t miss your chance to view Charlie Brown, the famed Apatosaurus, the Grinch and his loyal dog, Max, and many more.
Macy’s Santaland: Macy’s Santaland is back in action on Friday, November 23rd and will remain open until Christmas Eve. The magical wonderland will feature elves, a Kinder Sweet Shoppe, the Enchanted Forest with igloos, ice sculptures, Christmas trees and more, and the Lionel Trains Industrial City, with a slew of model trains zipping around a 6-foot tall Christmas tree. Considered to be the flagship of the Macy’s department store chain, it is located on Herald Square in Manhattan.
The Nutcracker: The beloved classic tale comes to life this holiday season with performances taking place from Friday, November 23rd to Sunday, December 30th at the David H. Koch Center in Manhattan. George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, with music by Tschaikovsky, is about a young girl caught in the middle of a battle between toy soldiers and mice. The theater is located at 20 Lincoln Center Plaza.
Pete the Cat: Based on the popular children’s book series Pete the Cat, Pete the Cat and the Biddle family are being brought to life in this delightful tale about the meaning of friendship, family, and having a good time. Performances take place Thanksgiving weekend, from Saturday, November 24th to Sunday, November 25th, at the BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center, located at 199 Chambers Street, New York.
Food Justice Festival: While Thanksgiving is a time to be grateful for what you have, it is also a time to think of the less fortunate. From Saturday, November 24th to Sunday, November 25th, visit the Brooklyn Children’s Museum for the food justice festival, which is an opportunity to contribute to their canned food drive, learn how to make your own healthy foods which can be preserved through the cold winter months, and more educational ways to get involved. The museum is located at 145 Brooklyn Avenue.
Germ City: Microbes and the Metropolis: Many adults and children have already completed their flu shot in anticipation of the season. Not only do germs run rampant through the winter, they’re present year-round! One way to learn more about infectious diseases and their impact on the human history is to visit the Germ City: Microbes and Metropolis exhibit on display at the Museum of the City of New York, located on the Upper East Side in Manhattan. It is on display at 1220 5th Avenue at 103rd Street until Monday, April 29th, 2019.
November 26th-November 30th:
19th Annual Winter’s Eve at Lincoln Sq.: On Monday, November 26th, visit New York’s largest holiday festival in Lincoln Square. The festival opens with the tree lighting in Dante Park, located at Columbus Avenue and West 63rd Street, and proceeds along Broadway from Columbus Circle to 70th Street. There will be free entertainment, outdoor food tastings, and street festivities for the whole family to enjoy.
86th Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting: The annual Rockefeller Center tree lighting takes place on Wednesday, November 28th at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York. Make sure to arrive early to ensure you can snag a good view! The tree will remain lit in the plaza between West 48th and 51st Streets and 5th and 6th Avenues until Monday, January 7th, 2019.
Cirque Dreams Holidaze: Take in a performance of what New York Daily News calls “A delicious confection of charm, sparkle and talent by the sleigh load.” This unique cast of cirque artists and talent features over 300 costumes, 20 of the world’s best acts, as well as elaborate costumed characters, snowmen, gingerbread. There will also be original music and seasonal favorites. Performances run from Thursday, 11/29 to Sunday, December 2nd, at the Kings Theatre, located at 1027 Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn.
Childcare Professionals Who Know NYC:
At the Nanny Authority, our nannies are familiar with age-appropriate seasonal activities and programs, so parents can feel at ease knowing that their children are a part of a cultural, educational lifestyle when they’re not around. To learn more about how we can assist you in your search for a professional nanny, contact us via e-mail or at 973-466-2669 today!