It's the most wonderful time of the year in Albany County! The region shines with holiday magic, bringing joy to children and families throughout the season. Find festive, family-friendly fun throughout December with wintertime traditions, Santa meet-and-greets, shows, movies, performances, tree lightings, and light displays. Keep reading for our ultimate Albany County kid's guide to the holiday season!
Wintertime Traditions in Albany County
Empire State Plaza Ice Rink
Opening day December 5. Open through March. Tuesdays through Sundays, 10 AM to 6 PM. Free.
Skating the day away at Empire State Plaza is a favorite family winter activity in Albany! The free ice rink allows skaters of all skill levels to glide across the ice against a backdrop of the Plaza's iconic landmarks such as The Egg and New York State Capitol. The ice rink is an especially lovely sight during the holidays, with decorations and the Plaza's holiday tree on display. Enjoy refreshments, music, and free activities planned throughout the season.
Downtown Albany Hot Chocolate Stroll
December 6, 11 AM to 3 PM. $25 advance, $30 day-of (If available).
Warm up this season with the Downtown Albany BID's annual Hot Chocolate Stroll! A favorite festive drink for all ages, stroll through downtown Albany and stop by participating businesses to sip on samples of gourmet hot chocolates. Once you're done sampling each hot cocoa, make sure to vote for the best in town!
Deck the Hall-bany Holiday Market & Festival
December 6 and 13, 11 AM to 4 PM. Free
Deck the Hall-bany is downtown Albany's weekly holiday market and festival co-produced by ParkAlbany and the Downtown Albany Business Improvement District! Stay warm under heated tents as you shop gift ideas for everyone on your list, enjoy live music and entertainment, and free hot chocolate samples. Stop by the Discover Albany Visitors Center for crafts, letters to Santa, letters to the Daughters of Sarah and a drop-in cookie decorating program on December 13!
Mommy & Me at The Desmond, A Holiday Sleepover with your American Girl® Doll
December 13
Snuggle in for a magical holiday sleepover at The Desmond on December 13. Enjoy an overnight stay with early check-in, festive sleepover activities (cookie decorating, makeovers, photos, and a hot chocolate bar), holiday snacks, a spa and goodie bag, doll-sized pajamas, and breakfast for two the next morning.
Christmas Land in Altamont
Saturdays and Sundays, November 29 to December 21. 10 AM to 6 PM
Almost as magical as the North Pole itself, Christmas Land offers holiday cheer for the whole family! Bring Christmas wish lists and take photos with Santa, take a tour on a horse drawn carriage or train ride, marvel at light displays, enjoy tasty Christmas cookies by the fire pit, and craft some Christmas ornaments.
Festival of Lights: Dreidels & Storytime
December 14, 10 AM. Free
Celebrate the Festival of Lights with crafts, stories, and play at the New York State Museum! Families are invited to stop by Kids Cove to decorate dreidels, enjoy simple crafts, and learn about Hanukkah tales and traditions to celebrate the season!
Annual Capital Kwanzaa Celebration
December 26, 4 PM to 8 PM. Free
Join the New York State Museum for their yearly Kwanzaa celebration. Families can explore the African marketplace, enjoy live drumming, and join in activities for all ages including a candle-lighting ceremony and special workshops. All are welcome to bring fruit for the community fruit basket!
New Year's Mid-Day Celebration
December 31, 11 AM to 1 PM. Free
Little ones can cheer for New Year's at this mid-day NYE celebration at New York State Museum. Families are invited to take part in crafts and activities to welcome 2026.
Santa's Stops
A Visit from St. Nicholas - A Holiday Reading and Historic Treasure
December 21, 11 AM to 12 PM. Free
Tiny visitors to the New York State Museum can make sure their letters to Santa are sent on time at this festive family event. Join the museum for a special holiday story time, featuring a read-aloud of the beloved "'Twas the Night Before Christmas." Did you know this classic holiday tale was first published right here in the Capital-Saratoga region? To celebrate this piece of local history, the museum will display the original 202-year-old printing of the story. Come celebrate the season, hear and view the beloved holiday story, and stop by the festive letter-writing station before Santa visits your home on the 24th!
Colonie Center Mall
Daily through December 24, times vary. $20 deposit (includes time with Santa and $20 credit towards photo purchases)
Take a break from holiday shopping at Colonie Center and stop by Santa’s Workshop to take a photo. Santa will be visiting every day this season until Christmas Eve, but it is recommended if you visit on the 24th to come early for shorter wait times and to give St. Nick more time to gather all the gifts.
Reserved time-slots are also available on December 14 for a sensory-friendly Santa experience. Additionally, pet photos with Santa are open on December 3 and December 10.
Crossgates Mall
Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through December 24, 11 AM to 8 PM. Prices vary.
While perusing Crossgates Mall this holiday season, visit the special guest from the North Pole each weekend through Christmas Eve. Santa will be at Crossgates to hear Christmas wishes and take photos on the lower level across from Apex Entertainment. Plus, with any photo purchase children will receive a special gift from Apex Entertainment and 110 Grill.
Stuyvesant Plaza
Saturdays through December 13, 11 AM to 4 PM. $50
Stuyvesant Plaza is one of the merriest places to be each Saturday this holiday season. New this year, reserve your time to pay a visit to Santa in his Silver Sleigh, an intimate, beautifully curated holiday experience set inside a restored vintage Airstream on The Lawn. Enjoy a private, personalized meet & greet with St. Nick and leave with 3-5 professionally captured photos delivered digitally within one week of your booking.
Stuyvesant Plaza will also host Sensory Santa Sessions on December 20 at The Hot Yoga Spot. Each time slot for Sensory-Friendly Santa is $5 with proceeds benefitting the Autism Society Greater Hudson Region.
Pruyn House
December 6, 10 AM to 12:30 PM. Free
Sinterklaas is stopping by the Holiday Open House at the historic Pruyn House the first weekend in December! Stop by and take pictures with a historically dressed Santa at this event that nods to Albany's Dutch history. Enjoy tasty cookies, hot chocolate, and punch while admiring the historic home's 1800's-inspired festive decor.
Crailo State Historic Site
December 6, 11 AM to 3 PM. Free
Celebrate St. Nicholas Day at Crailo! This holiday brought to the Hudson River Valley from the Dutch was traditionally celebrated on December 6. Festivities at Crailo's celebration include 17th and 18th century treats, crafts, and of course a visit from St. Nicholas himself.
Ten Broeck Mansion
December 13, 11 AM to 12 PM. Free
Known to the Dutch as Sinterklaas, families can enjoy a story hour led by the visitor from the North Pole himself at the historic mansion's Children's Holiday Program. The mansion will also host ornament making for children to take home their own keepsake. Continue the holiday fun with a mansion walk-through tour and free children's activities & kits. Space is limited so make sure to register for the story hour and ornament making ahead of time!
Indian Ladder Farms
Varying dates and times throughout December
Spend some time with Santa during a special brunch at Indian Ladder Farms. Chat with St. Nick, snap some photos, enjoy a delicious brunch spread by DeFazio’s, and take a tour of the farm on a holiday hayride. Breakfast with Santa takes place on December 6, 13, and 21, but spots are booking up fast so be sure to register soon!
Santa will also be stopping by Indian Ladder Farm’s Paws with Claus on Sunday, December 7. Bring your pet in their holiday best, prizes will be given out for different categories and Santa will be onsite to take pictures with your four-legged friend.
Shows & Performances
Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet
December 3, 7 PM. Prices vary
Enter a Christmas dreamland with the Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet on December 3 at the Palace Theatre. Performed by an international cast, this holiday tradition features larger-than-life puppets, breathtaking acrobatics and dazzling costumes.
A Christmas Story: The Musical
December 3 to December 21, weekly excluding Mondays and Tuesdays. Times and prices vary.
Holiday fun awaits at Cohoes Music Hall, a historic music hall operated by Playhouse Stage Company. Families will love the Playhouse Stage Company's nostalgic production of A Christmas Story: The Musical.
Disney on Ice presents Road Trip Adventures
December 5 through December 8, times and prices vary
Fans of Disney, young and old, will want to head to the MVP Arena in the new year for Disney on Ice. This magical show features world-class skating, dazzling acrobatics, and surprising stunts from beloved Disney characters.
Cirque Musica Holiday Wonderland!
December 9, 7 PM. Prices vary
Visit The Palace for a show-stopping performance of Cirque Dreams Musica Holiday Wonderland. With breathtaking acrobatics, soaring aerial performances, and an all-new production for this year, Cirque Musica Holiday Wonderland delivers an unforgettable holiday experience for the whole family. Feel the holiday spirit come to life with heart-pounding feats and beloved seasonal melodies.
Holiday Movie Series
December 8, 15, 19 & 28. 7 PM (1 PM on the 28th). Free
Keep the kids entertained throughout the month with the Palace Theater's free movie series. Watch The Muppet Christmas Carol on December 8, Elf on December 15, and It's a Wonderful Life on December 19. As a post-Christmas treat, bring the family to a screening of A Minecraft Movie on December 28.
Muppet Christmas Carol Holiday Screening & Family Activities
December 20, 10:30 AM for Crafts | 11 AM Film Screening. Free
Bring the whole family to the New York State Museum for a festive celebration featuring a special screening of The Muppet Christmas Carol! Enjoy this beloved holiday classic on the big screen and continue the fun with a Muppet-themed scavenger hunt through the exhibits, hands-on seasonal crafts, and a Letters to Santa station to spark young imaginations. This joyful holiday program invites visitors of all ages to explore the Museum, create together, and make new traditions in a warm and welcoming setting.
Tree Lightings & Light Displays
2025 City of Albany Tree Lighting
December 5, 5 PM to 7 PM. Free
Albany is all spruced up for the holiday season! Academy Park, located across the street from City Hall, will be aglow with a glittering holiday tree and festive inflatables. Enjoy a holly and jolly tree lighting ceremony with special local performances. Warm up with hot drinks and free refreshments and enjoy some holiday crafts.
Winter Light Walk
Thursdays & Fridays for the month of December & December 23, 6 PM to 8 PM. $15 per person.
Join the Pine Hollow Arboretum for their annual holiday event. During this magical evening, wander around the arboretum which will be whimsically illuminated. Warm up in our Founder's historic mid-century home with a roaring wood fire, hot chocolate bar, craft for kids and hot vegetarian chili.
New York State Holiday Tree Lighting & Fireworks Festival
December 7, 12 PM to 8 PM. Free
Celebrate the season at the beautiful Empire State Plaza with free activities including the official ceremony and tree lighting, fireworks, demonstrations by the Hudson Mohawk Figure Skating Club, carvings by The Ice Farm, performances by Holiday Tubas, photo opportunities with Santa Claus at Cornerstone at the Plaza, and more!
Our Angels Remembered Holiday Trees at Westland Hills
Now through January 1, Free
Visit Westland Hills Baseball and Softball Park for a very special display of 108 brightly decorated Christmas trees that will remain on view through New Year's. Each tree is dedicated to a lost loved one, honoring them this holiday season.
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