Happy November! I say this every month, but I truly can’t believe how fast time is going. We are so close to Thanksgiving, I can almost taste it! There are tons of exciting things going on in the city this month and as always, there will be a variety of activities to choose from so everyone can find something to do that they enjoy! What I’m the most excited for this month, is seeing the city decorated for the holidays. It’s such a special time of the year and I love how crisp the air is with the beautiful lights. It’s magical, there’s no better way to describe it! With the holidays quickly approaching, I feel like there’s more to do here, now more than ever. And I’m not just talking about getting your holiday shopping done.

While most of the things to do and see this month are holiday theme, there are a handful I found that aren’t. There are plenty of winter activities and new things to see here.

Hallmark Channel Holiday Suites

I can’t contain my excitement over this! Club Wyndham Hotels are doing the most magical collaboration ever with Hallmark Channel! It’s a Countdown to Christmas themed suite you can book for your family or friends! They completely decked out the hotel rooms to look like you are inside a Hallmark Christmas movie. Every single inch of the suite is festive. From the gingerbread cookie wrapped fridge to the Letters to Santa station to the Hallmark movies and books and back! They even have games and activities there to occupy your kids! There’s hot coacoa, snacks, books to read, movies to watch and so much more! You can stay at the Hallmark Channel Christmas suites in NYC, Country Christmas suites in Nashville or the Snowy Mountain Suites in Avon. I love that there are options all over the country, so they are available for those outside of NYC. You can book your stay for 2 or 3 nights starting from November 12-January 1st. This is a great family staycation or vacation option!

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

If you happen to be in the city for Thanksgiving, you have to go watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in person! It’s an amazing experience and is a great activity for kids! With all of the floats, music, balloons and performances, how could you say no? You can even print Thanksgiving coloring pages, cross words, sudoku and so many more entertaining activities off the parade website. They’re already in PDF form, so they’re ready to print and take with you- wherever you may be watching the parade this holiday!

The Winter Village at Bryant Park

This is such a festive yet casual activity to do once it starts to get chilly here! There are quite a few things to do at The Winter Village. You can start your day out by going ice skating, they have a great rink with free admission with nice rental skates. Then head on over to the Holiday Shops where you can find really cool gifts for loved ones this season. Finish your day by unwinding with the best hot chocolate from The Lodge by Prime Video. They also have cocktails and food options to offer at Bryant Park.

Nutcracker Ballet

Calling all ballet fans– or even if you don’t think you’re a fan, everyone should experience this beautiful show at least once in their lives! The Ballet opens on Friday, November 26th and runs through January 2nd, so you have some time to plan, but not too much time, as these tickets will sell quickly! For those of you who aren’t familiar with The Nutcrackers, it’s about a y0ung girl who dreams of a Nutcracker who becomes a prince and has to battle The Mouse King- and it’s all told through dance. It’s really quite beautiful. This is also a great show to take your family to, as an option for plans!

Ice Skating

What’s more of a hello to winter than ice skating?! This is such a fun seasonal activity and is great for day or night. You can go on a date there, bring your family and friends, the options are limitless! Several spots in the city are opening this month, including Rockefeller Plaza, which is an iconic ice skating spot. Starting November 6th, you can skate from 9AM- Midnight! Tickets are $20 for ages 6-adult. A few other options are the rink at Bryant Park, Chelsea Piers (which is indoors- year round) and Winterland at Pier 17. If you don’t know how to skate, maybe make this the year you learn!

Holiday Markets

Holiday Markets in the city are some of the most magical places! They’re great spots to find gifts for loved ones and you support local businesses by doing so! There’s jewelry, art, home goods and food- so there truly is something for everyone. Urbanspace puts on some great ones at Columbus Circle and in the Garment District. Even if you’re not looking for anything in particular, it’s a great activity to go and spend a few hours walking around them and checking out the holiday vendors.

See The Rockettes

The Rockettes are a classic NYC experience. Attending the show is an iconic bucket list item. They officially open back up this Friday, November 5th and tickets are flying off the shelves! The show has several performances, so it shouldn’t be too hard to grab a seat, as long as you plan ahead. Santa Claus may nor may not be making a special appearance in the show..If you’re looking for some extra razzle dazzle in your life, check out The Rockettes!

Fall Foliage Cruise

If you’re looking for some pretty sights on a delightful boat ride, check out the Fall Foliage Cruises! The cruises depart from Pier 36 and sail all the way up and down the Hudson River to complete the 2 hour and 45 minute experience. They run every Saturday and Sunday through the end of the month and it’s a great deal! Everything is on an e-pass so no need to print your tickets. They mostly have just snacks and drinks on board, so I would make sure to eat a meal beforehand. This makes a super cute date or fun day out with friends!

Botanical Garden Holiday Train Show

If you haven’t heard about the Botanical Garden Holiday Train Show, let me just tell you, it’s something you need to experience! It opens on Sunday, November 20th and runs through January 23rd. They have model trains that are displayed in over 175 landmarks, like The Statue of Liberty! This is an excellent option if you have kids, they will absolutely love this activity to check out! Tickets are on sale now and range from $18-$32. Check it out!

Broadway

Broadway is officially back and I couldn’t be happier about it! There’s just something so special about seeing live performances, especially after how tough the world has been lately. It’s really a great escape and form of entertainment. So many great shows are running now- both old and new. Some options include Aladdin, The Book of Mormon, Diana, Jagged Little Pill, Mrs. Doubtfire, Wicked and so much more! You can read about more shows here. Broadway is always a fun option for family and friends!

NYC Marathon

NYC is celebrating 50 years of the NYC Marathon! What an amazing thing to celebrate! If you aren’t participating, you can watch in person! Those who would like to watch from home, there are options! Local television coverage begins at 7AM and national coverage will air starting at 8:30AM. The Marathon takes place this Sunday, November 7th. If you’re a runner and aren’t participating, you can still register to run the Abbott Dash on the 6th!

Canstruction

Brookfield Place is hosting the 29th annual Canstruction NY Exhibit. November 4th-15th from 10AM-8PM, you can look at displays of art made completely out of unopened cans of food. Architects, engineers and contractors created these works of art and honestly, it’s super cool! And it’s free! All of the cans of food will be donated to local food banks after the exhibit closes. Since 1993, they have donated over 2 million pounds of food to local food banks and over 1.2 million pounds of food to City Harvest since 2006. The amazing sculptures all go to a fantastic cause, go support it and check it out!

LuminoCity Festival

LuminoCity is an unforgettable, immersive experience! Using light and imagination, a story is told. It’s timed and festive and seriously the perfect holiday experience to bring your family to this month! It’s located in Manhasset, NY and tickets start at $27. What’s better than an immersive light show with creations of art?! You’ve gotta see it!

Bronx Zoo Holiday Lights

The Holiday lights are back at the Bronx Zoo! From November 19th-January 9th, you can experience the wildlife amongst the holiday lights. There will be holiday decor, animal lanterns, arches, colored tunnels, tree lighting and so much more! This is the perfect event to bring your kids to, the zoo meets holiday festivity, how could it get any better?! Tickets are on sale now!

The Blue Man Group

The Blue Man Group is back and better than ever! This is an incredibly fun show to bring your kids to, by the way! There’s so much excitement, laughter and entertainment. It is like a giant party with tons of music and surprises. They are celebrating their 30 year anniversary this month on the 17th– can you believe it?! You’ll want to make sure you plan out your tickets because this is a popular show and they do go quickly!

Volunteer

There are so many volunteer opportunities in the city! I found a great one for this weekend- it’s a Garden Volunteer Session. Concrete Safari is sprucing up gardens and they would love your help! There will be planting, weeding, picking up trash and so much more. Bring shoes to work in and plenty of water. Check out their eventbrite for more info!

Big Apple Circus

The Circus is back in town. On November 11th, the Big Apple Circus will officially be up and running. How exciting is this?! They will be performing through the new year, so you have a little bit of time to plan, but not much because tickets are flying! This is a great show to bring your family to, as it’s incredibly kid friendly and so much fun to watch! They are following all health protocols, so it’s a safe show for everyone. Look into getting some tickets!

Van Gogh Exhibit

You don’t have to be an art whiz to enjoy the Van Gogh Exhibit! Actually, it’s not only super cool, but very educational. It’s a completely immersive exhibit, that showcases his art digitally on the walls. They used over 60 thousand frames worth videos to put this exhibit on and the animation is truly outstanding. Emmy and Tony- Award winning designer, David Korins had a huge part in this, so that makes sense why it is so amazing! This event has sold out time and time again in several cities- so this is something you can go to not only in NYC, but any of the cities that host, and there are quite a few! On November 13th, the exhibit will return to NYC at Pier 36, you’ll want to reserve some tickets now!

Black Friday Shopping

Alright, who doesn’t love some good Black Friday deals?? The best shopping day of the year is coming up and I want to know where everyone is planning on shopping! There are endless options when it comes to where to shop the day after Thanksgiving. You can shop for clothes, electronics, accessories, shoes and so much more! This is the perfect time to shop for holiday gifts at great prices! Macy’s, Saks, Bloomingdale’s and Apple are some great stores to start looking at. I’ll put out some great sales when the date gets closer, too!

Happy November!