Seven Fun Things to Do in New York City for the Holidays in 2021
We are so happy that a lot of our favorite holiday traditions are back this year! Whether you are local, visiting for the first time or somewhere in between, New York City is the place to be during these festive months. So with that in mind, here are seven fun things to do in New York City for the holidays in 2021.
Check Out the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
P.C.: wikipedia, tweber1
Thanksgiving is November 25 this year and it is the time to be with family and have a huge Thanksgiving feast. But before that in the morning, there is the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Huge floats of some of the most iconic characters from cartoons and pop culture travel through the New York City streets. Nothing beats seeing this in person or watching it on TV with the family and every parade ends with Santa Claus signifying that Christmas is right around the corner!
See the Lighting of the World’s Largest Hanukkah Menorahs
P.C.: nyc.gov, Lubavitch Youth Organization
Did you know two huge menorahs in New York City rival as the largest ever? They are in Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn and Grand Army Plaza in Midtown. They are both about 32 feet high and weigh about 4,000 pounds. Hanukkah starts on November 28th and ends on the evening of December 6th.
Visit the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is a Christmas and New York City icon and seeing this giant tree in person is an absolute must. The tree will arrive on November 13th and the lightning ceremony will be on December 1st. This year’s tree is massive at 79 feet tall, 46 feet wide and weighs almost 12 tons. Plus it will be lit by almost 50,000 LED lights!
Swing by the Winter Village at Bryant Park
The Winter Village at Bryant Park is open already and it has all sorts of interesting holiday shops centered around one of the most famous ice skating rinks in New York City (the other is in Rockefeller Center). It is a winter tradition for us to take advantage of the ice skating rink (it is free if you bring your own skates), find something delicious at the holiday market for lunch and then do some Christmas shopping.
Get Tickets for the Christmas Shows in NYC
P.C.: wikipedia, Bob Jagendorf
Two of the most iconic Christmas shows in New York City are the Rockettes Radio City Christmas Spectacular and the Nutcracker performed by the New York City Ballet at the Lincoln Center. We missed these shows last year and we can’t wait to check them out again.
Take an Ahoy New York Food Tour or Give the Gift of an Ahoy New York Holiday Cookie Box
Ahoy New York will be offering food tours throughout the winter and the holiday season. They make great gifts and it is great for all ages. The winter is one of the most beautiful times to visit Chinatown, Little Italy and NOLITA. Our Taste Mulberry Street – A Culinary Journey is a great way to see what all the excitement is all about. Plus you get to taste some of the best dishes these diverse neighborhoods have to offer. Can’t make it to NYC this year? We are also offering a holiday cookie box this year too featuring chocolate wreaths from Aigner Chocolates, black & white cookies from Baz Bagel, almond sable cookies from Fay Da Bakery, tricolor rainbow cookies from Ferrara Bakery, jasmine green tea from Sun’s Organic Garden, a voucher for one of our tours or virtual cooking classes and more!
Get in the Holiday Spirit with the Holiday Lights, Window Displays and More
We love seeing New York City decorated for the holidays so another must for the holiday season is checking out the holiday lights and window displays throughout the city. We always look forward to what fun and festive things that Saks Fifth Avenue and Macy’s in Herald Square come up with every year. Similarly, we also like to visit the New York Botanical Gardens for their Holiday Train Show. All of these things get us into the festive holiday spirit!