17 Fun and Festive Events in the Hudson Valley This December

From holiday train rides to seasonal shows, there are so many festive to-dos around the Hudson Valley in December.

Peace, Love & Lights

Bethel

November 29–December 29

From the comfort of your car, follow the glow on a 1.7-mile route through the Bethel Woods campus to see illuminated and themed displays. If you’d rather walk, plan to go on a Monday night.

The Wonderland of Lights

Rhinebeck

December 1, 5–8, 12–29

Hundreds of festive displays will light up the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in this holiday drive-through experience. Purchase tickets online or at the gate.

The Polar Express Train Ride

Kingston

Weekends and select dates through December 29

All aboard the Catskill Mountain Railroad for a themed train ride set to the story of The Polar Express. Passengers will read along in the children’s book by Chris Van Allsburg while live entertainment performs scenes straight from the movie—such as dancing chefs serving hot chocolate. All dates and times can be found online.

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Snowflake Festival

Kingston

December 6

Stroll around the city’s historic Stockade District and find holiday-themed entertainment, from fire dancing to live music, presented by the Kingston Uptown Business Association. A full schedule of activities is available online.

Puss N Boots

Woodstock

December 6, 8 p.m.

Musicians Norah Jones, Sasha Dobson, and Catherine Popper join forces in Puss N Boots, an alternative country group set to take the stage at Bearsville Theater.

Ancram Winterfest
Photo courtesy of Ancram Winterfest

Winterfest

Ancram

December 7, 2-5 p.m.

This annual holiday event returns to Ancram’s Town Hall for the afternoon. Attendees can take part in a singalong, a cookie workshop for kids, a raffle, and peruse art and craft vendors while waiting for Santa’s arrival at 4:30 p.m. For the occasion, wine and spirits store Fulton & Forbes will host a happy hour. Visit Facebook for more information.

Tree Lighting

Pawling

December 7, 5 p.m.

Head to the Pawling Chamber of Commerce building for an evening full of wintery festivities. Watch the electric truck parade, listen to Christmas carolers, and enjoy food from Cousins Maine Lobster while you wait for Santa to arrive at 6 p.m. to light the village’s tree.

The Bardavon
Courtesy of The Bardavon

A Christmas Carol

Kingston

December 7-8

The Ulster Dance Company returns to Ulster Performing Arts Center in Midtown for a ballet adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic holiday novel.

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Holiday Fineries at the Wineries

Various locations

December 7–8 and 14–15, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Embark on a self-guided tasting tour of the wineries and cideries on the Shawangunk Wine Trail. Each tour will stop at three to four locations, where guests can enjoy a tasting flight surrounded by festive decorations. Tickets also include a souvenir tasting glass, a handmade grapevine wreath, and a special holiday ornament from each locale.

Victorian Holiday

Sloatsburg

December 8, 1–5 p.m.

The Friends of Harmony Hall present the annual Victorian Holiday celebration at the Jacob Sloat House. Enjoy live entertainment, peruse unique handmade crafts, sip hot cider, and visit with Santa from 1:30 to 2 p.m.

Nefesh Mountain
Courtesy of Caramoor

Nefesh Mountain: A Hanukkah Celebration

Katonah

December 12, 7:30 p.m.

Honor Jewish traditions at Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts with the husband-and-wife-led band Nefesh Mountain. Their performances fuse Jewish music with Americana and bluegrass, celebrating culture and faith through string instruments.

The Nutcracker at the Bardavon
Photo courtesy of The Bardavon

The Nutcracker

Poughkeepsie

December 12-13

Returning to the Bardavon for the 25th season, New Paltz Ballet Theatre presents the classic Tchaikovsky program with dancers from the New York City Ballet.

Annual Champagne Stroll

Pawling

December 14, 5:30-8 p.m.

At this popular 21+ event, attendants are invited to sip, shop, and stroll their way through the village. Pick up a champagne flute and map at the Chamber of Commerce before embarking on a self-guided tour of Pawling complete with food trucks and music from a DJ.

The Many Moods of Christmas

Troy

December 15, 3 p.m.

Albany Pro Musica returns to the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall to perform traditional carols backed by an orchestra from Robert Shaw and Robert Russell Bennett’s program “The Many Moods of Christmas.”

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Nut/Cracked

Tivoli

December 20-22

Experience The Nutcracker in a whole new way at Kaatsbaan Cultural Park. This response to the classic ballet from dance troupe The Bang Group features dances from all genres and mixes humor with artistry.

Olana Winter Solstice Celebration

Hudson

December 21, 1-5 p.m.

Head to the historic home of Hudson River School painter Frederic Church to ring in the season with family activities. The Mid Hudson Astronomical Association will lead sun-gazing activities with specially equipped telescopes; Constellation Catskill will offer astrological readings; and Olana staff will direct a variety of games and activities. Don’t miss a visit with Hank, a miniature donkey, back by popular demand.

Kwanzaa

Hudson

December 21, 5 p.m.

Join Operation Unite NY at Hudson Hall for a celebration of African-American culture complete with children’s arts and crafts, dancing, drumming, and a candle-lighting ceremony sharing Nguzo Saba, the seven principles of Kwanzaa.

Memorial Notes

Ossining High School
Photo courtesy of Ossining High School

A piece of the Hudson Valley will be in Honolulu this month, when the Ossining High School Marching Band joins the annual events commemorating the attack on Pearl Harbor that occurred on December 7, 1941. Fifty-three young musicians—along with their flutes, clarinets, saxophones, trumpets, trombones, sousaphones, and percussion instruments—will give several performances throughout the weekend-long tribute, including during the opening ceremony and in the official parade on Kalakaua Avenue, where they’ll play well-known patriotic tunes, from “God Bless America” and the “Armed Forces Salute” to “The Stars and Stripes Forever.” Award-winning and nationally recognized, the Ossining High School Marching Band is the only such ensemble selected from the state to participate. – Michelle Gillan Larkin

Drink Local

Drink the Catskills app
Adobe Stock / Cristian

An app that highlights the quality beverage makers in our region? Cheers to that! Launched in September by the nonprofit organization Craft Beverages of the Catskills, “Drink the Catskills” is a free mobile app that features a trail map of local wineries, breweries, distilleries, and cideries throughout the Catskill Mountains and surrounding area, along with promotions, event information, user reviews, and a rewards system. Both the map and app have been in the works since 2021, when State Senator Michelle Hinchey (D-Saugerties, 41st District) secured $100,000 in state agriculture funding to get the program up and running. As of press time, 31 businesses (in Delaware, Green, Ulster, Schoharie, and Sullivan counties) are pinned on the trail map.

Sharing the Bounty

AOOA
Photo by Danielle Caldwell

According to Hudson-based food rescue and harvesting organization FeedHV, it’s estimated that at least one in 10 individuals in the Hudson Valley suffers from food insecurity, meaning they do not have access to enough quality food to meet their needs. All One One All (AOOA), a nonprofit farm and education center in Goshen, is trying to fix this. In April 2023, AOOA created “Fresh Food for All,” an initiative that supplies organic produce and pasture-raised eggs to local food banks. In its first year, the program donated 1,300 pounds of produce and 250 dozen eggs to food banks across the Hudson Valley. AOOA aims to quadruple its giving in 2024, with a long term goal of eventually contributing 50 percent of the farm’s annual yield. Want to help? For more information and to donate to AOOA, visit its website. – Charlotte Del Vecchio

Related: Here’s What to Do in the Hudson Valley This Week

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