101 Ideas for Holiday Family Fun in the Capital District - 2025
by Katie Beltramo
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Below are items that have been posted to our calendar. If you are affiliated with a business hosting a holiday event that should be on our calendar, we'd love to see it there... it's free to post! Click here for instructions about how to add your organization to our list and easily post your events to our calendar!
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Christmas Land
Have a Magical Holiday Experience at Christmas Land!A magical holiday experience for the whole family. Christmas Land is set on a gorgeous stretch of property overlooking the Helderberg Mountains in Altamont, NY. A quaint holiday experience featuring indoor and outdoor activities for the whole family. Sip hot cocoa by our firepit listening to the sounds of the season enjoying a homemade wood stove pizza or our famous ChristmasLand cutouts. We offer one of a kind gifts made exclusively by local artisans. Kids will love Frankie the Train and our outdoor play area. Families can meet Santa and have their picture taken. Take in the scenery on a horse and sleigh ride and don't forget to take a pic in our Ginorma Sleigh that holds the whole family and many more lighted surprises. Come feel the spirit of Christmas. Santa awaits you!!
101 Ideas for Holiday Family Fun in the Capital District - 2025
Santa Sightings
| Multiple dates starting Nov 28, 2025 | Santa Cookies & Cocoa! |
| Multiple dates starting Nov 28, 2025 | Santa's Magical Express |
| Multiple dates starting Nov 29, 2025 | Pictures with Santa at Rocking Horse Ranch |
| Dec 6, 2025 | Breakfast with Santa - Apex Entertainment |
| Dec 6 & 7, 2025 | Breakfast with Santa 2025 - Ioka Valley Farm |
| Dec 13, 2025 | A Princess Breakfast with Santa |
Christmas Community Events
| Nov 22, 2025 | 56th Annual Schenectady County Holiday Parade |
| Nov 22, 2025 | 13th Annual Holiday Lighted Tractor Parade |
| Nov 25 & 26, 2025 | CPKC Holiday Train |
| Dec 4, 2025 | Saratoga Victorian Streetwalk Weekend and Tree Lighting |
| Dec 5, 2025 | Night of Lights - Schenectady County Historical Society |
| Dec 5 - 7, 2025 | Adirondack Holiday Festival |
| Dec 6, 2025 | Elves Day Out Canajoharie |
| Dec 6, 2025 | Winter Walk in Hudson |
| Dec 6, 2025 | Christmas in Esperance 2025 |
| Dec 6, 2025 | Canajoharie Ugly Sweater 5K |
| Dec 7, 2025 | CANdlelight Walk at Mine Kill State Park |
| Dec 7, 2025 | Troy Victorian Stroll |
| Dec 17 - 20, 2025 | The Holiday Stockade Stroll |
Holiday Theater (or just fun-for-the-family theater) Performances
| Multiple dates starting Nov 28, 2025 | Murder for Two: Holiday Edition at Capital Repertory Theatre |
| Dec 2 - 7, 2025 | Dr Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical at Proctors |
| Multiple dates starting Dec 3, 2025 | A Christmas Story: The Musical at Cohoes Music Hall |
| Dec 6, 2025 | Sensory Friendly – Dr Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical at Proctors |
| Dec 6, 2025 | Together at Christmas: A Holiday Princess Show |
| Dec 7, 2025 | A Christmas Carol: Holiday Dinner Theater Tradition |
| Dec 9, 2025 | Cirque Musica Holiday Wonderland! |
| Dec 14, 2025 | Christmas Oratorio Tea at UPH |
| Dec 18 - 24, 2025 | CBS 6 Melodies of Christmas at Proctors |
| Dec 23, 2025 | Champions Of Magic: Holiday Spectacular |
Nutcrackers
| Multiple dates starting Nov 29, 2025 | The Nutcracker at Rocking Horse Ranch |
| Dec 3, 2025 | Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet! |
Holiday Concerts
| Dec 6, 2025 | Windborne Presents: Music of Midwinter at Old Songs |
| Dec 6, 2025 | Christmas Melodies - Immaculate Conception |
| Dec 6 & 7, 2025 | Schenectady-Saratoga Symphony Orchestra Poinsettia Pops |
| Dec 7, 2025 | Albany Symphony: Magic of the Season |
| Dec 8, 2025 | MARK209 Christmas Concert at First Baptist Church |
| Dec 9, 2025 | Jefferson McDonald: Great Jingle Balls of Fire |
| Dec 13, 2025 | Candlelight: Christmas Carols on Strings at The Venue |
| Dec 13, 2025 | John Kirk & Trish Miller — Holiday Concert at Old Songs |
| Dec 17, 2025 | Trans-Siberian Orchestra - The Ghosts of Christmas Eve |
| Dec 17, 2025 | Old Crow Medicine Show’s Holiday Hootenanny |
| Dec 18, 2025 | Jim Brickman: The Gift of Christmas |
| Dec 19, 2025 | It’s a Jazzy Christmas |
| Dec 20, 2025 | Ben Folds Tis The Season Tour |
| Dec 20, 2025 | Handel’s Messiah at First Presbyterian Church |
| Dec 21, 2025 | The Many Moods of Christmas - Troy Savings Bank Music Hall |
Christmas Tree Experience
| Starting Nov 16, 2025 | Cut Your Own Tree at Bob's Trees |
| Starting Nov 28, 2025 | Cut Your Own Tree at Ioka Valley Farm |
| Starting Nov 28, 2025 | Cut Your Own Tree at Ellms Family Farm |
| Starting Nov 28, 2025 | Cut Your Own Tree at Bailey's Trees |
| Multiple dates starting Dec 6, 2025 | Festival of Trees at Schenectady Historical Society |
Holiday Lights
| Multiple dates starting Nov 15, 2025 | Quick Response Santa's Playland Holiday Lights |
| Multiple dates starting Nov 21, 2025 | Festival of Trees: Barn To Be Wild - Hancock Shaker Village |
| Multiple dates starting Nov 22, 2025 | Glimmer Nights at Fenimore Farm & Country Village |
| Nov 28, 2025 | Amsterdam’s Tree Lighting Festival at the Mohawk Valley Gateway Overlook |
| Multiple dates starting Nov 28, 2025 | Holiday Lighted Nights: A Drive-Thru Holiday Light Experience at the Washington County Fairgrounds |
| Multiple dates starting Nov 28, 2025 | A Frosty Fest |
| Dec 3, 2025 | Troy Tree Lighting Ceremony |
| Dec 5, 2025 | 2025 City of Albany's Tree Lighting |
| Dec 6, 2025 | Guilderland Town Tree Lighting |
| Dec 7, 2025 | New York State Holiday Tree Lighting & Fireworks Festival presented by Highmark |
Crafty Christmas
Festive Flicks
| Dec 7, 2025 | White Christmas Movie at The Arlington Common |
| Dec 8, 2025 | The Muppet Christmas Carol at the Palace Theatre |
| Dec 15, 2025 | Elf at the Palace Theatre |
| Dec 19, 2025 | It's a Wonderful Life at the Palace Theatre |
Ice Skating (mostly indoor facilities and shows)
| Limited public skate weekly | Bethlehem YMCA |
| Limited public skate weekly | Capital Arena in Clifton Park |
| Opens Dec 5, 2025 | Empire State Plaza |
Chanukah
| Dec 14, 2025 | Chanukah on Jay |
| Dec 14, 2025 | CKIDS: Miracle Makers' Olive Press |
| Dec 19, 2025 | Community Hanukkah Dinner at Congregation Gates of Heaven |
| Dec 22, 2025 | CTEEN: Choco-lit Covered Chanukah |
Kwanzaa
| Dec 20, 2025 | Kwanzaa 2025 - Operation Unite NY |
| Dec 20, 2025 | Kemet the Time Traveler: Kwanzaa Youth Celebration |
| Dec 27, 2025 | Kwanzaa 2025: December Thinking and Doing Day |
An Old-Fashioned Christmas
| Multiple dates starting Nov 28, 2025 | A Gilded Age Christmas at Staatsburgh State Historic Site |
| Dec 6, 2025 | St. Nicholas Day at Crailo State Historic Site |
| Dec 13, 2025 | A Very Mabee Christmas |
| Dec 19 & 20, 2025 | Chocolate Haus: Holiday Edition |
| Multiple dates starting Nov 28, 2025 | Dickens Christmas at Skaneateles |
| Multiple dates starting Nov 29, 2025 | Christmas Land Season 10 |
| Jan 3, 2026 | Twelfth Night at Crailo State Historic Site and Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site |
Shopping & Craft Fairs
| Multiple dates starting Oct 8, 2025 | 2025 Shaker Holiday Market |
| Nov 8 & 9, 2025 | Holiday House and Shop at Old Austerlitz |
| Nov 15, 2025 | Holiday Extravaganza at St. Madeleine Sophie Church Parish Hall |
| Nov 22, 2025 | Shop, Hop, and Let the Holiday Magic Begin! |
| Multiple dates starting Nov 22, 2025 | Deck the Hall-bany Holiday Market & Festival |
| Nov 29, 2025 | Winter Wonderland Art Market - Saratoga Arts |
| Nov 29, 2025 | Saratoga Annual Holiday Craft Fair |
| Nov 29 & 30, 2025 | 6th Annual Makers Market - Samascott's Garden Market |
| Multiple dates starting Nov 29, 2025 | 25th Annual Artisan's Market at Brookside Museum |
| Dec 6, 2025 | YMCA Holiday Bazaar |
| Dec 7, 2025 | Holiday Craft Fair at Anderson Center for Autism |
| Dec 7, 2025 | LARAC Winter Arts Festival |
| Dec 12 - 14, 2025 | Christmas Craft & Holiday Market at HVCC |
| Dec 13, 2025 | Holiday Craft and Vendor Fair at Delanson Fire Company |
| Dec 13, 2025 | Christmas Gift Bazaar |
New Year's Eve
| Dec 13, 2025 | NYE Celebration Food - Capital Cooks |
| Dec 31, 2025 | Saratoga New Year’s Eve |
Miscellaneous
| Nov 27, 2025 | Our Towne Bethlehem Turkey Trot |
| Dec 5 & 6, 2025 | Holiday Princess Enchanted Overnight Experience in Lake George |
| Dec 6, 2025 | American Girl Holiday Tea Party |
| Dec 7, 2025 | Great Train Extravaganza at Empire State Plaza |
| Dec 7, 2025 | 2025 Jingle Bell Run - Capital Region |
| Dec 7, 2025 | Bethlehem's Premiere Christmas Caroling for our Seniors |
| Dec 13, 2025 | Toys for Tots Train in the Village of Delanson |
| Dec 14, 2025 | Christmas Themed Cookie Decorating Class at Reflective Harmony |
| Dec 19, 2025 | Holiday Cheer Sugar Cookie Decorating at The Gateway Diner |
| Dec 20, 2025 | OLANA Winter Solstice Celebration |
| Jan 3, 2026 | Salutations of the Season! Twelfth Night at Schuyler Mansion |
Below are even MORE holiday events that have been posted to our calendar by the hosting organizations. If you are affiliated with a business hosting a holiday event that should be on our calendar, we'd love to see it there...it's free to post! Click here for instructions about how to add your organization to our list and easily post your events to our calendar!
If we're missing an activity that should be on our list, please email Katie Beltramo, Communications Director of KidsOutAndAbout.com, at katie@kidsoutandabout.com. Please make sure to include a link to the event when you email. Thank you!
Christmas Tree Farms
Do you cut your own Christmas tree? Here's our big list of farms where you can cut your own Christmas tree in Albany.
Subscriptions Boxes: Gifts That Keep on Giving
Send thoughtful choices to the ones you love near and far, and plan some excellent expected surprises for your own family in the months to come. KidsOutAndAbout has put together of some of our favorite choices with a range for all different ages and interests.
