It's Not Christmas In New York Until You Do These 12 Enchanting Things
By Lea Monroe
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Published November 23, 2016
It seems hard to believe, but we’ve already managed to reach that point in the year where our next upcoming holiday is Christmas! Some of us may have already begun to see our neighbors putting up their seasonal decorations, with the holiday spirit quickly spreading throughout New York. While we all may have our own way of celebrating, Christmas just isn’t quite the same unless you cross off these enchanting things from your annual bucket list.
1. Whether you take a trip to Rockefeller Center or just stay local, there's nothing like celebrating the holidays with an annual tree lighting ceremony.
There are plenty of tree lighting ceremonies that take place in our cities and towns all over New York. But, it's our stunning tree in Rockefeller Center that continuously warms the heart of residents and out-of-town visitors each and every year. This year the tree lightning ceremony in New York City will take place on Wednesday November 30th!
2. It's not Christmas in New York unless it snows. Put that packed powdery goodness to work by creating your annual snowman!
It may happen, but waking up on Christmas morning to find that there's no snow outside is something that just feels wrong. Aside from unusually warm winters, every year we look forward to building a snowman outside that can be on our lawn to greet Santa once he finally arrives for the holiday.
3. Go caroling with family and friends or experience the Dickens' Stroll in Skaneateles!
There's something so perfectly nostalgic about getting out into the cold weather to sing our favorite Christmas carols. In the same hand, if have no interest in carrying a tune yourself and simply enjoy being taken back in time through the voices of others, there's amazing events like the
Dickens' Stroll
for you to enjoy.
4. Take a trip to one of our tree farms to cut down your very own Christmas tree!
There's nothing wrong with opting for a fake Christmas tree for the year or buying one from your local vendor, but there's something extra special about actually picking out your own tree to take home with you. For some of our residents, there's nothing better than walking into a field full of trees that smell like Christmas and cutting down one to take home with us.
5. Take advantage of this romantic season and enjoy an unbelievable sleigh ride through the snow.
Who needs Santa's sleigh when you have these undeniably dreamy sleigh rides through the snow in New York? To see some of our most charming rides you can take during this holiday season,
click here.
6. Grabbing warm blankets and loved ones to hop into your car with you to go see magical Christmas displays.
One of our favorite parts about the holiday season? Seeing our local towns and cities put together magical light displays that bring a smile to our face time and time again. To read about some of New York's most popular light displays,
click here.
7. Driving around your hometown at night to see who has the best Christmas decorations in the area.
There's nothing quite like seeing the finishing result of all of the hard work that goes into holiday festivals and light displays. But something that might just be better? Seeing your local residents bring their homes to life with holiday spirit and vibrant decorations. We all have that one house in our area that we highly anticipate seeing decorated each and every year!
8. Make a point to see Santa before Christmas or maybe even take an adventure up to North Pole, New York!
If you didn't already know, within the town of Wilmington there's the small hamlet of North Pole. Yes, you read that correctly! There's actually a place in our state named North Pole. It's here in this small town that you'll find
Santa's Workshop , a themed amusement park that will transport you into the most wonderful winter wonderland.
9. Warm up with hot cocoa and cookies while you take a ride on one of our many Polar Express trains.
We're more than lucky to have a handful of scenic train rides all across New York, with plenty of these railways offering their own Polar Express rides every year for Christmas. To read about one of our favorite Polar Express rides along the Saratoga & North Creek Railway,
click here.
10. Experience a Candlelight Evening at The Farmers' Museum in Cooperstown.
Taking place on December 10th, this favorite holiday tradition allows visitors to enjoy a horse drawn wagon ride through the museum's property while also enjoy other seasonal activities. To find out more information,
click here.
11. Get outside and watch your local Christmas parade make its way though town!
Pictured above is last year's Corning Parade of Lights, just one of the many holiday parades you can find taking place in New York.
12. Grab your ice skates or rent one of Buffalo's ice bikes at the Canalside rink!
One of the newer attractions, visitors can rent
Ice Bikes this year at Canalside. Although, if you're sticking with tradition and taking out your ice skates, there's nothing like kicking off the winter season with a good old fall on the ice!
Do you have a favorite way to bring in the holiday every year? Tell us all about your New York Christmas traditions! For more charming ways to keep yourself busy this season, take a trip to This One Inn In New York That Will Give You An Unforgettable Experience during the holidays!
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