Holidays in the Suburbs!
/This time of year is always very busy. No matter what holiday(s) you celebrate, there’s a lot of shopping, cooking, wrapping and decorating to do. Then there’s usually even more shopping after that.
In between all of your holiday chores this year, spend some time celebrating the season by checking out a few of these awesome holiday events happening locally in and around Westchester and Fairfield Counties. There’s so much to pick from, but these are my favorites.
IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY
Lumagica light show
Harvest Moon Farm and Orchard, North Salem, NY Daily through December 30, 2022
Guys! LUMAGICA at Harvest Moon is really stunning, beautiful, unique and festive. Last year was the first year this popular orchard played home to a holiday light park in partnership with LUMAGICA, renowned for their world-class light installations featured throughout Europe, and they really outdid themselves.
In LUMAGICA, guests walk on foot through a magical display of festive décor and animal structures illuminated by over 350,000 LED lights. It’s really a Must Do Event. Guests this year can expect a 20 ft reindeer, a soaring parrot, lots of new photo ops, light tunnels and a light to music show.
Winter Wonderland DRIVE THROUGH HOLIDAY LIGHT EXTRAVAGANZA
Kensico Dam, Valhalla, NY Select weeknights and all weekends through January 1, 2023
Westchester's Winter Wonderland is back as a drive-through event again this year. The 1.2 mile Drive Thru Holiday Light Extravaganza is happening select nights for five straight weeks straight at the Kensico Dam in Valhalla. Tickets are on sale now for a specific night and entry time. The entire experience is estimated to take about 20 minutes. New for 2022! Expect a new North Pole and live Santa display; breathtaking Kaleidoscope Alley; expanded Peace on Earth LED display with animated trumpets and angels; and more electrifying lights surrounding the largest holiday Christmas tree in Westchester! And for the grand finale, guests will be able to make their New Year’s wish upon a new thirty-foot glistening star that will be featured at the end of the interactive show, all right from the comfort of their car!
holiday on the hill train show
Lasdon Park, Katonah, NY Thursdays through Sundays, November 26, 2022 through December 31, 2022
This year’s Holiday on the Hill Train Show at Katonah’s Lasdon Park has been expanded to include more than 5,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor exhibit space. First, guests will stroll through whimsical holiday exhibits leading to the Conservatory. Once inside the Conservatory, guests can experience the many trains chugging along on nine multi-level tracks, over bridges, under tunnels, through quaint holiday scenes and colorful seasonal plants! Finally, children can meet Santa in his Holiday Cottage at scheduled times during each session.
Christmas Barn
Troy’s Garden Nurseries, Bedford, NY Ongoing
Each December, Troy’s family run garden and nursery converts its large gift area to a beautiful Christmas Barn filled with holiday décor and gifts. It’s an adorable spot to get holiday shopping done and to buy some festive décor for your own home, including, obviously, fresh wreaths and trees. Bring your kids for pictures with Santa each Sunday at the Christmas Barn. With Greenwich’s Sam Bridge (below) closed on Sundays, Troy’s just up the street in Bedford, makes for a great alternative.
Grand Holiday Illuminations
Untermyer Gardens, Yonkers, NY Daily, December 9, 2022 through January 1, 2023
Yonker’s truly stunning Untermyer Gardens will again be illuminated this holiday season. Grand Holiday Illumination is FREE and NO advance tickets are required! Come see the Walled Garden lit with more than 100,000 lights and listen to holiday music from many traditions. Holiday Illuminations will begin on Friday, December 9th and thereafter it will happen every evening from 4:30pm until 8pm.
WHITE PLAINS HOLIDAY MARKET
White Plains, NY Daily, December 9, 2022 through December 13, 2022
The City of White Plains, in partnership with 914PopUps, is BACK with another outdoor, open air holiday market for Holidays 2022. Expect over 50 local vendors, artisans and food and drink. And new for this year - an outdoor dining area and igloos! The Holiday Market will take place on Court Street in Downtown White Plains between Main Street and Martine Avenue. The market will be open from 11am to 7pm on weekdays and until 8pm on weekends.
SANTA’S VILLAGE AT AMERICAN CHRISTMAS
Mount Vernon, NY Daily through December 24, 2022
For the second year, American Christmas is presenting a magical 10,000 square foot holiday walkthrough in Mount Vernon called Santa’s Village at American Christmas. Stroll through a Dickens Village at Christmastime, have a seat on Santa’s thrown, and take your photo with a 25-foot illuminated reindeer! All of the ticket sales from this event will be donated to Mount Vernon non-profits including the Mount Vernon Youth Shelter Program and the Mount Vernon Boys and Girls Club.
FAIRFIELD COUNTY
THE HOLIDAY WISH
Stamford Town Center, Stamford, CT Daily through December 24, 2022
Brand New For 2022! The Holiday Wish is an interactive, light-filled event that has landed on the 5th Floor of the Stamford Town Center to entertain and inspire every member of the family. The enchanted design and illumination transport guests into a wonder-filled immersive experience. The luminous holiday feature areas beckon everyone to follow the magic of their wishes. The journey puts children on a quest to rekindle their love of the holidays by doing one thing: Believing.
Greenwich Reindeer Festival and santa’s WORKSHOP
Sam Bridge Nursery, Greenwich, CT Mondays through Saturdays, November 25, 2022 through December 24, 2022
Greenwich does up the holiday season BIG and non-residents are welcome and encouraged to join the fun. Each December, Sam Bridge Nursery and Greenhouse in Mid-Country Greenwich becomes Santa’s Workshop featuring Santa and his three LIVE reindeer! Visitors can have their photo taken with Santa, meet the reindeer and also enjoy the new Santa's Workshop, which provides more space for families while they wait in line for their photo with Santa.
FLURRY FEST
Arch in Bloom, Greenwich, CT December 3, 2022
Arch in Bloom is a truly stunning nursery and garden center located on the western side of Greenwich. It’s a beautiful spot to visit any day but Arch in Bloom REALLY comes alive during holidays, when owner Derek D’Andrea pulls out all the décor stops.
On December 3rd (rain date December 4th) Arch in Bloom will host its third annual Flurry Fest. There will be festive displays, a holiday market, delicious food and drink (including DIY smores and cozy hot cocoa) and tons of merriment. We attended their Halloween event in October and were blown away by how wonderful and community oriented it was.
The Holiday Stroll
Mill River Park, Stamford, CT Select days through December 24, 2022
Last December a brand new holiday walk through experience came to Mill River Park in Downtown Stamford! Grab your family and stroll through 60+ larger than life holiday displays at the Holiday Stroll. Tickets available now for pre-purchase and kids enter FREE! This year’s event also includes a few carnival rides!
After your stroll, put on your ice skates and enjoy the lovely Mill River Ice Rink. And then wash all that holiday spirit down with a beer or two from the Blind Rhino Winter Beer Garden. It’s all happening in Downtown Stamford this holiday season!
IN DUTCHESS COUNTY
A FROSTY FEST
Ulster Park, NY Weekends through December 23, 2022
We visited A Frosty Fest on a whim two years and it was so great we went back again last year. We will probably continue to visit it EVERY year. It’s that cute. Frosty Fest is an all outdoor, part walk through and part drive through holiday festival, A Frosty Fest is SO stinking cute. The event includes professional stage shows, a Candy Cane Lane, Frosty’s Animated Musical Light Show, a 3D walk through Frosty Magical Adventure, live performances from the actually quite talented “Jingle and Jangle” and more. Then head into your car to experience Frosty’s Enchanted Forest.
KEVIN MCCURDY’S HOLIDAY SPIRIT FESTIVAL
Wappinger Falls, NY Weekends through December 26, 2022
For 17 years, Kevin McCurdy has been bringing his family holiday event, the Holiday Spirit Festival, to the Hudson Valley. The Festival takes its guests back to the days of yesteryear, with holiday tunnels and twinkling light displays, and it adds new twists.
