Christmas in New York City: Best Events & Things to See

The Nutcracker at New York City Ballet

George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker is an age-old holiday treat complete with marching toy soldiers, a one-ton Christmas tree that grows before the audience’s eyes, and crystalline snowflakes. This special event features the entire company, plus 62 musicians, 40 stagehands, and more than 125 children from the School of American Ballet.

Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree

One of your first stops in NYC will inevitably be the tree on Rockefeller Plaza. Each year, the city drops the largest evergreen it can find right in the heart of Midtown Manhattan and lights it during a celebrity-studded, televised ceremony in November. The tree is usually lit from early December to mid-January. While you're at it, strap on a pair of skates and hit the ice rink at Rockefeller Center.