With so many events, here is what not to miss to keep you in the holiday mode.

(AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)
Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting
Wednesday, November 28
Ceremony, 7-9 pm
The unlit tree is here and the tree lighting represents the true start of Holiday Season in NYC for many New Yorkers.
Rockettes Radio City Christmas Spectacular
With up to 4 shows per day on weekends, the Rockettes are a tradition during the NYC Holiday Season for more than 75 years. Don’t miss the signature eye-high kicks, precision choreography and exciting, show-stopping numbers – including one with Santa.
The New York Philharmonic
Take a trip to the New York North Pole this year at Macy’s’ iconic Santaland. Perfect for the whole family, the 13,000-square-foot holiday display and indoor wonderland is located inside the Herald Square Macy’s at 151 West 34th Street. Inside, you’ll be met with caroling snowmen, prancing reindeer, a whimsical array of decor, and of course, Santa himself. Santaland opened on Friday, November 24, 2018, and runs through Christmas Eve. Tickets can be purchased here.
How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical
December 13–30, 2018
Enjoy the hilarious tale of Buddy, who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported back to the North Pole. Unaware he is actually human, Buddy’s enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth. With Santa’s permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to NYC to find his birth father, discover his true identity, and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is the crown jewel of New York City’s Museum Mile any time of year, but it takes on a dusting of Christmas magic all its own around the holidays.
During the Christmas season, visitors to the storied museum can stop by the Medieval Sculpture Hall to take in the Met’s magnificent tree—a 20-foot blue spruce—and spend long minutes marveling at the gorgeous 18th-century Neopolitan nativity scene displayed at its foot. For a little extra sparkle, catch a tree-lighting, daily at 4:30 p.m., with encores at 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on weekends.
Wollman Rink at Central Park
With shorter lines than The Rink at the Rockefeller Center and a killer view of the city skyline, the Wollman Rink at Central Park is the perfect place to go for a twirl with tourists and natives alike. Opened in 1949, the rink offers ice hockey, a skating school, party facilities, and skate rentals—so all you need to do is pack your mittens.
You might recognize this rink from Home Alone 2, where crooks Marv and Harry attempt to ice skate and plot crime respectively. Instead of getting up to no good yourself, you can stroll through the park afterwards and stop for a holiday weekend brunch at the famed Tavern on the Green restaurant, or head to the Central Park Zoo to watch the penguins race for fish.
Also check out ice skating rink in front of the Standard Hotel in the Meatpacking District. For beginners they have very cute penguins you can hold on to while you skate, and there is an outdoor cafe where you can get hot chocolate after you come off of the ice. It’s hours are: Monday – Thursday, 12 p.m. to 12 a.m., Friday 12 p.m. to 1 a.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 a.m., and Sunday 9 a.m. to 12 a.m. The hotel’s address is 848 Washington Street at 13th street.
Christmas With The New York Pops
This concert will have you in the holiday mood, no matter if you are a Scrooge. Christmas With The New York Pops brings out the classics at Carnegie Hall on December 21st and 22nd.
Rolf’s
New York City Holiday Lights Tours
New York City during Holiday season is a don’t miss! Get in the festive spirit by taking a Holiday Lights Tour. Choose from Bus Tours, Holiday Dining Cruises and Movie & TV Site Holiday tours.
There is no shortage of Santas and this will help you take the perfect photo.
Expect a long but jovial wait. You can reserve a time slot for photos beginning on Friday, November 25.
- Where: Macy’s West 34th St. bet. Broadway and Seventh Ave. on 8th Floor.
- When: Friday, Nov. 27-Thursday, Dec. 24th. See website for times.
- Cost: Free to visit but photos with Santa cost about $20 and up.
See Santa at the historic Apollo Theater in Harlem along with a free choir performance.
- Where: Apollo Theater in Harlem at 253 W. 125th Street
- When: Saturday, Dec. 3, 2 pm – 6 pm
- Cost: Free!
At the Bloomie’s Santaland lines are usually shorter than Macy’s and if you are a Sex and The City fan, a trip to Bloomingdale’s is essential!
- Where: Bloomingdales at 1000 Third Avenue at 59th St. 6th Floor
- When: Nov. 27- Dec. 23, 10am-6pm.
- Cost: Photo packages start at $22.
The wait to meet Santa Claus is about 10 minutes, but there is a lot to do here at Brookfield Place, from holiday-themed activities, from ornament making and coloring sheets to creative toys.
- Where: Brookfield Place in Battery Park City at 220 Vesey Street at West Street
- When: Friday, Dec. 2-Thursday, Dec. 24 (See website for times)
- Cost: Premium photo packages range from $27 to $49 with options for digital downloads.
- Tip: Since you’re there, why not go ice-skating at the new rink! See our ice skating post.
The Santa Experience at The Plaza
- Where: The Plaza Hotel, concourse level. Enter at 58th Street between Fifth and Sixth Aves.
- When: Friday, Nov. 27-Thursday, Dec. 24
- Cost: Photo packages start at $29.
Dance
Company XIV’s Seven Sins Is Back

There is even more temptation as Company XIV’s popular Seven Sins, announces their Fall schedule of performances, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays starting September 7. The final shows will be on Saturday, October 28 and Tuesday, October 31 ushering in grand Halloween festivities with a party to end parties!
Under the masterful hand of creator and director Austin McCormick, the cast is headed by pop star LEXXE and includes Robyn Adele Anderson, Donna Carnow, Chrissy Carpenter, Lola Carter, Erin Dillon, Alisa Mae, Alex Frankel, Hannah Gill, Syrena, Meg Iwama, Nicholas Katen, Brandon Looney, Nolan, Clairisa Patton, Scott Schneider, Chanel Stone, Marcos Antonio Vasquez. The creative team includes McCormick (Creator, Director, and Choreographer), Zane Pihlstrȍm (Costume and Scenic Design), LEXXE (Original Music), Sarah Cimino (Makeup Design), Brian Tovar (Lighting Design), Julian Evans (Sound Design) and Bryan Gonzales (Wig Design).
Join as Adam and Eve and prepare to take a bite out of your apple while watching this mystical dreamscape inspired by the fall of man and the seven deadly sins. Baroque burlesque beauties, lush design and inspired cocktails await you in one of the company’s most lavish and glittering productions to date.
“We have big plans for Théâtre XIV next year,” teases McCormick, “so this may be the last opportunity to plumb the depths of hell with us at Seven Sins for a while. “ Seven Sins incorporates everything you would want in a decadent evening of evening of awe, merriment, fun and sin! Are you ready to repent?
Single tickets prices are from $95.00 to $225.00. Théâtre XIV by Company XIV is located at 383 Troutman Street, Brooklyn, NY (Bushwick), an easy and quick trip from Manhattan on the L Train to Jefferson Street station. For information and tickets go to www.companyxiv.com
Founded in 2006 by classically trained, nightlife impresario Austin McCormick, Company XIV produces the most spectacular burlesque performances in New York City. High and lowbrow entertainment intermix with lavish design to deliver sensual, decadent extravaganzas inspired by the court of Louis XIV. With concurrent productions of Cocktail Magique—a variety show of intoxicating illusions at a luxurious new venue around the corner from Théâtre XIV— and Seven Sins, there has never been more glitter on offer in Bushwick!
Art
Events For September

Hot time summer in the city. What is cool and what is happening is what this column is about. Get ready Labor Day starts the fall season. The US Open continues, it is the 22nd anniversary of the September 11 attacks. The Feast of San Gennaro, the Curtain Up Broadway Festival continues in the Theatre District!, The Armory Show, New York Fashion Week and lots of art make NYC an exciting place to be.
Until 9/3: Shakespeare in the Park The Tempest at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park.
Until 9/15 The Malibu Barbie Café, at 19 Fulton Street at the South Street Seaport. Each reservation includes your choice of entree and side item, full access to the Barbie Cafe experience and a 90-minute table reservation. Early bird pricing ranges from $22-$30 for kids and $39-$49 for adults depending on the date and time. You can buy additional drinks, dessert and food.
Until 10/3 Earth Poetica, for free in the lobby of 3 World Trade Center.
9/1: Bryant Park Picnic Performances Langston in Harlem 7pm
9/ 2 – 4 and 9/9 – 10: Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit is in Greenwich Village. The exhibit features a wide range of artwork from local and international artists, including paintings, sculptures, photography, and more.
9/1 – 3: Electric Zoo or EDM Festival. Held at Randall’s Island Park. The festival has become an unmissable attraction on the electronic-dance-music circuit, featuring a wide range of artists both top name and underground.
9/4: West Indian Day Parade in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.
9/2 – 3: The Hester Street Fair at the Seaport at Pier 17 (89 South Street). This outdoor market features handmade jewelry, candles, vintage clothing, and more.
9/ 7 – 13: New York Fashion Week
9/7: Bryant Park Picnic Performances American Symphony Orchestra with Leon Botstein.
9/8 – 10: The Armory Show annual art show that showcases contemporary and modern art.At The Jarvis Center. The exhibition features more than 270 galleries from all over the world.
9/8: Bryant Park Picnic Performances Romeo and Juliet 7pm
9/9: Bryant Park Picnic Performances Gaye Su Akyol (U.S. debut) 7pm
9/8 – 10: PHOTOFAIRS NEW YORK is all about contemporary art, mainly photo-based and digital artworks. This year, exhibitors from more than 20 cities around the world will present their art.
9/9: At 10am the Labor Day Parade. It steps off from Fifth Avenue and 44th Street.

Tribute in lights illuminate downtown in New York, NY on Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016. Photo by Jin Lee, 9/11 Memorial
9/11: A Tribute in Lights. This marks the 22nd anniversary of the September 11 attacks. Expect events, vigils, memorials, and tribute runs as well.
9/14: Bryant Park Picnic Performances 40th Anniversary Celebration of Harlem Stage 7pm
9/14: Celebrate Dinner in White/Le Dîner en Blanc. The exact location and date will only be announced shortly before the start.
9/14 – 17: Broadway Week. Discounted Broadway tickets means for every ticket you purchase, you get another one for FREE!
9/14: New York City’s largest festival of cuisine, culture and community is back for the third time! Uptown Night Market will take place in West Harlem.
Unique and tasty foods from around the globe are offered by numerous food vendors. This festival is a MUST for all food lovers!
9/14 – 24: The Feast of San Gennaro, held in Little Italy. Parades, live music and food, glorious food.
9/16: Annual German-American Steuben Parade Fifth Avenue to 86th Street.
9/17: Smithsonian Museum Day. Museum Day is a one-day event in which participating museums and cultural institutions across the country provide free entry to anyone presenting a Museum Day ticket. Participants are allowed to download one ticket per email address. The ticket provides free general admission on Saturday, September 17, 2022, for two people.
9/30: Morningside Lights awe-inspiring handmade lanterns. This year’s event, is titled “The Open Book,” with more than 50 community-built lanterns depicting great books. The route begins in Morningside Park at 116th Street and Morningside Avenue at 8pm, arriving on Columbia University campus around 8:45pm.
Dance
Artists Announced For PAC NYC Grand Opening

Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC NYC) Executive Director Khady Kamaraand Artistic Director Bill Rauch announced today additional opening events and performances to celebrate the September 19 grand opening of the new performing arts center at the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan.
Opening this fall is “Metropolis by Marcus Samuelsson,” a contemporary American restaurant at the core of this new cultural anchor of Lower Manhattan. Designed by Rockwell Group, Metropolis will offer a warm and welcoming dining and lounge experience, including a bar and outdoor terrace, throughout PAC NYC’s lobby level. The menu draws inspiration from the diversity of the five boroughs defined by generations of immigrants and honors the convergence of cultures throughout the great city of New York.
The PAC NYC opening will also include three free events for the community: Open House: Arts Community Day(Sept. 27), Open House: Neighborhood Day (Sept. 28) and Open House: Five Borough Family Day (Sept. 30).
Expanding on PAC NYC’s music program, a new series, Downtown Sessions, will present intimate concerts with Tony Award winning artists LaChanze (Oct 1), Ben Platt (Oct 7) and the previously announced Brian Stokes Mitchell (Oct. 5). Citicard members and PAC NYC members will have early access to tickets.
PAC NYC’s inaugural artistic season will begin with Refuge: A Concert Series to Welcome the World (Sept. 19-23), a five-evening, Pay-What-You-Wish event featuring a vibrant mix of acclaimed musicians from around the globe curated around the theme of refuge. Global star José Feliciano and Armo (both Sept 23) have recently joined the concert series that features artists such as Common, Laurie Anderson, Michelle Zauner, Shoshana Bean, Angélique Kidjo, Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra and many more.
On September 13, 2023, PAC NYC will inaugurate the building during a ribbon cutting and civic dedication ceremony with Mike Bloomberg, chair of the Perelman Performing Arts Center board of directors, PAC NYC leadership, elected officials, artists and other invited guests.
Family & Lobby Programming
Additional programming, including family performances, programming collaborations and free performances in the lobby on the Vartan and Clare Gregorian Stage, will be announced in the coming months.
Tickets & PAC NYC Individual Memberships
PAC NYC tickets beginning at $39 and memberships starting at $10 are available now at PACNYC.org or by calling 212.266.3000. For more information or to learn how to support PAC NYC, visit PACNYC.org.
Starting July 25, PAC NYC members and Citi cardmembers can purchase tickets to the Downtown Sessions concerts with LaChanze and Ben Platt, through an exclusive presale. Tickets go on sale to the general public on July 28.
All performances are located at PAC NYC at 251 Fulton Street.
The public can sign up for important updates from PAC NYC at PACNYC.org/sign-up.
Citi is the official card and a proud sponsor of PAC NYC.
PAC NYC is grateful for the support of Bloomberg Philanthropies
Accessibility
PAC NYC is committed to providing an enjoyable and inclusive experience for all patrons and ensuring that all audiences have access to our programs and performances. PAC NYC meets or exceeds the standards set by the Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA Entrance at PAC NYC is sponsored by Citi. For more information on accessibility, please visit PACNYC.org/accessibility.
PAC NYC
PAC NYC is a dynamic new home for the arts, serving audiences and the creative sector through flexible venues enabling the facility to embrace wide-ranging artistic programs. The inaugural year will feature commissions, world premieres, co-productions, and collaborative work across theater, dance, music, opera, film and more. The vision for PAC NYC began when then Mayor Mike Bloomberg and his team worked to ensure the plan for rebuilding the World Trade Center site included a performing arts center.
Named for businessman, philanthropist and benefactor Ronald O. Perelman, the Perelman Performing Arts Center is a 138-foot-tall, cube-shaped building with radically flexible capabilities designed by the architecture firm REX, led by founding principal Joshua Ramus. REX’s design, created in collaboration with executive architect Davis Brody Bond, theater consultant Charcoalblue and acoustician Threshold Acoustics, is conceived for an artistic program that will have vast and varied needs to serve New York’s extraordinarily diverse arts community. The building is wrapped in nearly 5,000 half-inch thick marble tiles which have been book matched to create a symmetrical pattern, that is identical on all four sides of the building. The marble façade allows light to radiate in during the day and glow out during the evening. David Rockwell and his architecture and design firm Rockwell Group designed the interior of the lobby and restaurant with a dynamic, glowing ceiling visible from the street to create an inviting entry experience. The lobby’s restaurant, Metropolis by Marcus Samuelsson, along with the bar and outdoor terrace, offers a new gathering space for the Lower Manhattan community.
Dance
The 42nd Annual Battery Dance Festival

Dance
Inside the United Ukrainian Ballet Premiere of Giselle

With Alexei Ratmansky’s West Coast premiere of a new Giselle, dance became political, as it was performed by the United Ukrainian Ballet at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, in Costa Mesa. “Hope is what the United Ukrainian Ballet is all about.’ declared the choreographer, “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine made these dancers refugees, but it also brought them together. They found strength to create something beautiful out of their pain. Tonight, you will feel their strength, their honesty, their pride, and their determination.”

COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 29: United Ukrainian Ballet dancers perform during United Ukrainian Ballet Ratmansky’s Giselle at Segerstrom Center For The Arts on June 29, 2023 in Costa Mesa, California. (Photo by Tiffany Rose/Getty Images for Segerstrom Center for the Arts)
The evening was a benefit for BlueCheck Ukraine; the organization created by Liev Schreiber, to vet, verify, and fund Ukrainian-led frontline organizations providing humanitarian aid to victims of the Russian invasion. The evening was made possible by Elizabeth Segerstrom, Ratmansky’s longtime friend and major supporter of his work at the American Ballet Theater and through the Henry T. and Elizabeth Segerstrom Foundation. Mrs. Segerstrom attended the evening surrounded by friends and hosted a reception following the opening night.
Born in Leningrad, Ratmansky’s father is Ukrainian and his mother Russian. He was raised in Kyiv, where much of his family still lives. So, for him, the conflict is personal.
Elizabeth Segerstrom offers these words, “Despite insurmountable obstacles, these dancers, who have all been displaced because of this tragic conflict, have remarkably come together to create a world-class company which demonstrates the transcendent power of the arts. This evening is dedicated not only to these dancers and their spirit but also to you, whose presence tonight demonstrates your commitment to the cause.”
A star-studded audience, including Cheryl Burke, Veronika Dash, Mario Lopez, Nigel Lythgoe, Gleb Savchenko, and Montana Tucker as well as Los Angeles Ballet’s Artistic Director Melissa Barak and Chair Jennifer Bellah Maguire, joined the Artistic Director and Founder of UUB, Igone de Jongh, who said, “Tonight is an historic occasion, made possible by the Henry T. and Elizabeth Segerstrom Foundation through her tremendous generosity and humanitarian spirit. Elizabeth has brought us here to this magnificent theater, to share with you the transformative power of the arts.”
ABT’s Christine Shevchenko starred the title role on opening night, with a cast that also included Alexis Tutunnique, Elizaveta Gogidze, Oleksii Kniazkov, Iryna Zhalovska, and Denys Nedak with the Pacific Symphony under the baton of Gavriel Heine. Ratmansky explained, “This Giselle is an interpretation of one of the greatest romantic ballets in the classical repertoire. The end is surprising. Traditionally, the hero is left alone with his pain. Our ending gives hope.”
After the final curtain for Giselle, and rounds of standing ovations, UUB returned to the stage with Ukrainian flags as Pacific Symphony played the Ukrainian National Anthem. When the curtain rose again, Ukrainian soldier Oleksander Budko Teren took the stage performing Airlift, choreographed by Emma Evelein. Both his legs have been amputated after a tragic war incident. Now fitted for prosthetics in the US (thanks to the Revived Soldiers Ukraine Foundation). UUB invited him to attend their performance in Washington and he fell in love with the company. UUB dancers surrounded Teren as the emotional crowd at Segerstrom Center for the Arts rose to their feet again when the curtain fell the final time.
-
Ken Fallin's Broadway2 days ago
Ken Fallin’s Broadway: Dracula: A Comedy Of Terrors
-
Out of Town2 days ago
The Innocence of Seduction Will Seduce You
-
Out of Town2 days ago
“speaking of sneaking” Spins It’s Queer Folktale Web Fascinatingly at Buddies In Bad Times Toronto
-
Events2 days ago
The Argyle Theatre Encore! Gala and You Are There
-
Events1 day ago
The Pepsi 125 Diner
-
Events13 hours ago
Recognizing Yom Kippur
-
Broadway5 days ago
Theatre News: Wicked, The Wiz, Hypnotique, Female Troubles and Love In The Time Of Crazy
-
Celebrity13 hours ago
The Glorious Corner