101 Ideas for Holiday Family Fun in the Capital District
by Katie Beltramo
KidsOutAndAbout is America's online guide to everything for kids, teens, and families!
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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Santa Sightings
| Multiple dates starting Nov 23, 2024 | Santa is at Colonie Center |
| Nov 27, 2024 | Pet Photos with Santa at Colonie Center |
| Multiple dates starting Nov 29, 2024 | Santa Cookies & Cocoa! |
| Multiple dates starting Nov 29, 2024 | Santa's Magical Express |
| Multiple dates starting Nov 30, 2024 | Pictures with Santa at Rocking Horse Ranch |
| Multiple dates starting Dec 1, 2024 | Sensitive Santa at Colonie Center |
| Dec 6, 2024 | Glenville Night With Santa at Glenville YMCA |
| Dec 7, 2024 | Breakfast with Santa 2024 |
| Dec 7, 2024 | Greene County Evening with Santa - Greene County YMCA |
| Dec 7, 2024 | St. Nicholas Day at Crailo State Historic Site |
| Dec 8, 2024 | Breakfast with Santa - Dave & Buster's at Crossgates |
| Dec 14, 2024 | Christmas in the Air at Empire State Aerosciences Museum |
| Dec 15, 2024 | Breakfast with Santa - Apex Entertainment |
Christmas Community Events
| Nov 23, 2024 | Annual Holiday Parade in Schenectady |
| Nov 23, 2024 | Holiday Lighted Tractor Parade in Greenwich |
| Nov 23, 2024 | Santa's Arrrival & Tree Lighting Ceremony at Colonie Center |
| Nov 25 & 26, 2024 | CPKC Holiday Train |
| Dec 5, 2024 | City of Albany Tree Lighting Ceremony and Open House |
| Dec 5, 2024 | Saratoga Victorian Streetwalk Weekend and Tree Lighting |
| Dec 6, 2024 | Merry Swift-mas: Taylor Swift Holiday Dance Party |
| Dec 6, 2024 | Night of Lights at Schenectady County Historical Society |
| Dec 6, 2024 | The Ballston Spa Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting |
| Dec 7, 2024 | Elves Day Out Canajoharie |
| Dec 7, 2024 | Winter Walk in Hudson |
| Dec 8, 2024 | Holiday on the Avenue in Scotia |
| Dec 8, 2024 | Troy Victorian Stroll |
| Dec 8, 2024 | Winterfest in Altamont |
| Dec 13, 2024 | Holiday Pop-Up Bookstore at Wolf Hollow Brewing Company |
| Dec 14, 2024 | Christmas in Esperance 2024 |
| Dec 14, 2024 | Holiday Vibes Toy Drive |
| Dec 18 - 21, 2024 | The Holiday Stockade Stroll |
Holiday Theater (or just fun-for-the-family theater) Performances
| Multiple dates starting Nov 22, 2024 | A Sherlock Carol at Capital Repertory Theatre |
| Nov 29, 2024 | The Egg & BenDeLaCreme Present: The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show |
| Multiple dates starting Dec 4, 2024 | A Christmas Story at Cohoes Music Hall |
| Dec 5, 2024 | Cirque Dreams Holidaze |
| Dec 6, 2024 | Snow Queen - Palace Theatre |
| Dec 7, 2024 | Holiday Princess Show: Together At Christmas |
| Dec 14, 2024 | The McKrells Christmas - The Egg |
| Dec 14 & 15, 2024 | Into the Light at the Rosendale Theatre |
| Dec 15, 2024 | Christmas Oratorio Tea at UPH |
| Dec 16, 2024 | A Christmas Carol at Capital Repertory Theatre |
| Dec 19 - 22, 2024 | CBS 6 Melodies of Christmas at Proctors |
Nutcrackers
| Multiple dates starting Nov 30, 2024 | The Nutcracker at Rocking Horse Ranch |
| Dec 3, 2024 | Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet! at the Palace Theatre |
| Dec 7, 2024 | The Nacre Dance Group Presents: The Nutcracker at The Egg |
| Dec 14 & 15, 2024 | Northeast Ballet's Nutcracker at Proctors |
| Dec 14 & 15, 2024 | Albany Berkshire Ballet's Nutcracker at The Egg |
| Dec 19 & 20, 2024 | The Grand Kyiv Ballet Presents: The Nutcracker |
Holiday Concerts
Christmas Tree Experience
| Order forms available online | Saratoga Children's Theatre Holiday Fundraiser Trees |
| Starting Nov 29, 2024 | Cut Your Own Tree at Ellms Family Farm |
| Starting Nov 29, 2024 | Cut Your Own Tree at Ioka Valley Farm |
| Starting Nov 29, 2024 | Cut Your Own Tree at Bailey's Trees |
| Starting Dec 1, 2024 | Cut Your Own Tree at Bob's Trees |
| Starting Dec 7, 2024 | Festival of Trees at Schenectady Historical Society |
Holiday Lights
| Multiple dates starting Nov 1, 2024 | Troy Glow Light Festival |
| Multiple dates starting Nov 22, 2024 | Magic of Lights at Altamont Fairgrounds |
| Multiple dates starting Nov 22, 2024 | Holiday Lighted Nights: A Drive-Thru Holiday Light Experience at the Washington County Fairgrounds |
| Multiple dates starting Nov 27, 2024 | Quick Response Santa's Playland Holiday Lights |
| Multiple dates starting Nov 29, 2024 | Season of Light - YWCA NorthEastern NY |
| Multiple dates starting Nov 29, 2024 | Glimmer Nights at The Farmers' Museum |
| Multiple dates starting Nov 29, 2024 | A Frosty Fest |
| Dec 6, 2024 | Luminary Walk at Grafton Lakes Park |
| Multiple dates starting Dec 7, 2024 | Radiant Nights – Holiday Spectacular at Hancock Shaker Village |
Crafty Christmas
| Nov 17, 2024 | Holiday Wood Tray Paint & Sip Event at Art in Mind |
| Multiple dates starting Nov 22, 2024 | Holiday Wreath Making Programs & Kits - Up Yonda Farm Environmental Education Center |
| Nov 29, 2024 | Starry Christmas Paint & Sip at Art in Mind |
| Nov 30, 2024 | Holiday Workshops for Kids! Snow Globes & Painting at Art in Mind |
| Dec 1, 2024 | Painting Your Own Holiday Card - Emma Treadwell Thacher Nature Center |
| Dec 1 & 11, 2024 | Wreath Decorating Workshop at Wolf Hollow Brewing Company |
| Dec 7, 2024 | Woven Ornaments Workshop at Hancock Shaker Village |
| Dec 7, 2024 | Holiday Wreath Making at CREATE Community Studios (Schenectady) |
| Dec 14 & 15, 2024 | Gingerbread House Making at Wolf Hollow Brewing Company |
| Dec 15, 2024 | Holiday Workshops for Kids! Gingerbread Ornament & Painting at Art in Mind |
| Dec 22, 2024 | Holiday Workshops for Kids! Santa’s Cookie Plate and Milk Mug at Art in Mind |
Festive Flicks
| Dec 9, 2024 | Home Alone at the Palace Theatre |
| Dec 16, 2024 | A Christmas Story at the Palace Theatre |
| Dec 20, 2024 | It's A Wonderful Life at the Palace Theatre |
Ice Skating (mostly indoor facilities and shows)
| Limited public skate weekly | Bethlehem YMCA |
| Public Skate every Saturday and Sunday from 3:45 pm - 5:35 pm | Capital Arena in Clifton Park |
| Multiple dates starting Dec 6, 2024 | Empire State Plaza |
Día de los Muertos
| Oct 19, 2024 | Fall Fiesta Mixer Fundraiser - Castle Island Bilingual Montessori |
| Nov 1, 2024 | Día de los Muertos - Las Margaritas Mexican Cantina |
| Nov 2, 2024 | Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) at Bancroft Library |
| Nov 9, 2024 | Masking Making and Music for Día de Muertos with the Villalobos Brothers |
| Nov 14, 2024 | Sugar Skull! A Día de los Muertos Musical Adventure |
Diwali
| Oct 19, 2024 | Diwali Festival of Light at Empire State Plaza |
| Nov 1, 2024 | Diwali Coloring Banner & Mandala Coasters at Albany Public Library (Delaware Branch) |
| Nov 9, 2024 | Diwali Festival of Lights at Guilderland YMCA |
Chanukah
| Nov 15, 2024 | CKids: Chanukah Block Party |
| Nov 24, 2024 | Chanukah Workshop at The Home Depot |
| Dec 22, 2024 | Chanukah Sky High! |
| Dec 26, 2024 | Community Chanukah Celebration in Clifton Park |
| Dec 27, 2024 | Hanukkah Family Dinner at Congregation Gates of Heaven Church |
| Dec 29, 2024 | Chanukah on Jay |
| Dec 30, 2024 | CTeen Chanukah Snow Tubing |
Kwanzaa
| Dec 4, 2024 | Kwanza Celebration by Newburgh & Poughkeepsie Healthy Black and Latinx Coalition |
| Dec 21, 2024 | Kwanzaa - Operation Unite NY in Hudson |
An Old-Fashioned Christmas
| Multiple dates starting Nov 29, 2024 | Dickens Christmas at Skaneateles |
| Multiple dates starting Nov 30, 2024 | Christmas Land Season 9 |
| Dec 14, 2024 | A Very Mabee Christmas |
| Dec 14 & 15, 2024 | Gilded Age Christmas |
Shopping & Craft Fairs
| Multiple dates starting Oct 9, 2024 | Shaker Holiday Market |
| Nov 9 & 10, 2024 | Holiday House and Shop at Old Austerlitz |
| Nov 22 - 24, 2024 | Country Folk Art Craft Show at HVCC |
| Nov 30, 2024 | Winter Wonderland Art Market - Saratoga Arts |
| Nov 30, 2024 | Saratoga Annual Holiday Craft Fair |
| Nov 30 & Dec 1, 2024 | Indoor Craft Fair at Samascott's Garden Market |
| Multiple dates starting Nov 30, 2024 | 2nd Annual Artisan's Market at Brookside Museum |
| Dec 7, 2024 | Holiday Market at The Kenmore Ballroom |
| Dec 7, 2024 | Holiday Craft and Vendor Fair at Delanson Fire Company |
| Dec 7, 2024 | Holiday Bazaar at Greene County YMCA |
| Dec 7 & 8, 2024 | Winter Bazaar - Emma Treadwell Thacher Nature Center |
New Year's Eve
| Dec 31, 2024 | Saratoga New Year’s Eve |
| Dec 31, 2024 | Ring in the New Year at Rocking Horse Ranch |
| Dec 31, 2024 | Opal Essence’s New Year’s Eve Dragtacular! at Capital Repertory Theatre |
Miscellaneous
| Nov 7, 2024 | TRY Christmas Music Kick Off at Crossgates |
| Nov 28, 2024 | 2024 Our Towne Bethlehem Turkey Trot-5k |
| Multiple dates starting Nov 29, 2024 | Model Train Show at miSci |
| Dec 6 & 7, 2024 | Holiday Princess Enchanted Overnight Experience in Lake George |
| Dec 7, 2024 | Merry Monster Madness! A Holiday Scavenger Hunt for Kids at Clermont |
| Dec 7, 2024 | Ugly Sweater 5K - Canajoharie |
| Dec 7 & 8, 2024 | Deck The Halls Holiday Show at Colonie Center |
| Dec 8, 2024 | Great Train Extravaganza at Empire State Plaza |
| Dec 8, 2024 | 2024 Jingle Bell Run - Capital Region, NY |
| Dec 13 & 14, 2024 | Chocolate Haus: Holiday Edition |
| Dec 14 & 15, 2024 | Rudolph's Runway Holiday Show at Colonie Center |
| Dec 14, 2024 | 'Tis the Season: Holiday Story Hour at Clermont |
| Dec 21, 2024 | OLANA Winter Solstice Celebration |
| Dec 21, 2024 | American Girl Holiday Tea Party |
| Dec 21, 2024 | Holiday Open House at Clermont |
| Jan 4, 2025 | Twelfth Night at Crailo State Historic Site |
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!
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