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See your favorite characters come to life at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon inflation. Photo by Eugene Gologursky/courtesy of Macy's.
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10/31/25 - By Drew Kristofik

November brings plenty of things to do in NYC as we gear up for holidays from Veterans Day to Thanksgiving and full steam ahead to Christmas. Don’t miss our favorite kid-friendly events and activities in NYC this month.

November ushers in the holiday season in NYC and now's the time to book tickets to our most anticipated holiday events. We're counting down the days to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day balloon inflation and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade at the month's end. But, there's plenty of fun for city kids before those giant balloons take flight.

Families can check out the annual Canstruction exhibition at Brookfield Place or run away to the Big Apple Circus. Sparkling holiday light shows brighten the evening sky, including the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's enchanting Lightscape. You can even get an early start on Christmas with a Passport to Santa!

These are just a few of our favorite things to do in New York City this November—we're adding more events to the New York City Family Event Calendar every day.

More Things To Do in NYC This November With Kids:

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

The Bronx Zoo's Holiday Lights include plenty of interactive installations to explore with kids in tow. Photo by Ally Noel
The Bronx Zoo's Holiday Lights include plenty of interactive installations to explore with kids in tow. Photo by Ally Noel

Top Things To Do in NYC with Kids this November

Inwood Pumpkin Pageant in Isham Park

Inwood – FREE
Saturday, November 1, 2025
The Inwood Pumpkin Pageant returns to Isham Park for another spooky display of Halloween artistry. Local residents bring their carved jack-o'-lanterns to the park the evening after Halloween for a grand community event. READ MORE

Día de los Muertos Celebration at the Brooklyn Children's Museum

Crown Heights, Brooklyn
Saturday, November 1, 2025
Experience Mexican folkloric dance, create Guatemalan giant kites, enjoy bilingual puppet shows, and share memories at the museum's community ofrenda. READ MORE

Snow White at the New Victory Theater

Midtown West
Weekends from Saturday, November 1-Sunday, November 9, 2025
Mirror, mirror on the wall, this Snow White has laughs for all. The well-trod tale of vanity and virtue is ripe for reinvention, now bristling with original songs from a band of six storytellers. READ MORE

Big Apple Circus at Lincoln Center

Upper West Side
Opens Friday, November 7, 2025
The magic of the Big Apple Circus returns to New York City — bolder, brighter, and more breathtaking than ever — with the comedic genius of Johnny Rico, the jaw-dropping trapeze artistry of the Flying Maluendas’ from Chile, and the high-energy acrobatics and human pyramids of Ukraine’s Bingo Troupe. READ MORE

Flip Circus in Forest Park

Woodhaven, Queens
Opens Friday, November 7, 2025
World-class clowns, acrobats, jugglers, and daredevils display their talents in a big top so intimate that no audience member is more than 50 feet from the ring. READ MORE

Laurie Berkner Band at Adler Hall

Upper West Side
Saturday, November 8, 2025
The Laurie Berkner Band returns to Ethical Culture for a family concert. Bring your dancing shoes and a stuffed animal (for your head)!  READ MORE

Brooklyn Children’s Book Fair at the Brooklyn Museum

Prospect Heights, Brooklyn – FREE
Sunday, November 9, 2025
The annual Brooklyn Children's Book Fair brings together nearly 50 Brooklyn authors and illustrators to share their latest books. Throughout the day, children and their companions can attend readings and presentations, learn about the creative process, get books signed, and have fun drawing and coloring. READ MORE

Yaniza: Family Concert at the Jewish Museum

Upper East Side
Sunday, November 9, 2025
Singer-songwriter Yaniza and friends perform joyful pop melodies, including original songs “Fly Away (Free Bird),” “Grateful,” and “Happiness,” that are full of life lessons based on her diverse background of being Dominican, Black, and Jewish.   READ MORE

33rd Annual Canstruction Competition at Brookfield Place

Battery Park City – FREE
Daily through Monday, November 10, 2025
This extraordinary annual design competition is the most unique food charity in the world, Canstruction challenges teams of architects, engineers, and contractors to build sculptures made entirely out of unopened cans of food.  READ MORE

Premiere of Coquilles at L'Alliance

Upper East Side
Saturday, November 15, 2025
Created for audiences as young as 1 year old, this rousing piece features a pair of dancers crafting a graceful, accessible story of contrasting physicality, shared language, and connection across differences.  READ MORE

New York Botanical Garden Holiday Train Show

Bronx Park, the Bronx
Opens Saturday, November 15, 2025
The New York Botanical Garden’s Holiday Train Show returns for its 34th year! Model trains zip through a miniature wonderland of nearly 200 New York landmark replicas, each re-created from natural materials such as leaves, seeds, twigs, bark, acorns, and cinnamon sticks. READ MORE

Omnium Circus at the Queens Theatre

Corona, Queens
Sunday, November 16, 2025
The visionary Omnium Circus returns to the Queens Theatre with I'm Possible II! Everyone is in on the action in a spirited, limit-defying, life-affirming spectacular that includes award-winning artistry, memorable music, a heartwarming story, and a beautiful mosaic of performers representing the differently-abled population. READ MORE

Impact: The End of the Age of Dinosaurs Opening Week at AMNH

Upper West Side
Opens Monday, November 17, 2025
Impact: The End of the Age of Dinosaurs explores the striking before-and-after story of the asteroid impact 66 million years ago that annihilated non-avian dinosaurs, along with 75 percent of the plant and animal species on the planet, and opened the door for new ecosystems and animals to evolve. READ MORE

Holiday Lights at the Bronx Zoo

Bronx Park, the Bronx
Opens Friday, November 21, 2025
Holiday Lights return to the Bronx Zoo, bigger, brighter, and greener than ever before. The beloved holiday tradition covers acres of the zoo, lighting the grounds with custom Asian lanterns, wildlife-themed LED displays, and animated light shows on the historic Astor Court. READ MORE

Lightscape at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Prospect Heights, Brooklyn
Opens Friday, November 21, 2025
Explore the Brooklyn Botanic Garden after dark during the illuminated spectacular, Lightscape, which celebrates the beauty of nature in winter on an enchanting trail animated by dazzling light, color, and sound. READ MORE

You'll See...at Lincoln Center's Clark Studio Theater

Upper West Side
Friday, November 21-Saturday, November 22, 2025
James Joyce’s epic story of one day in one city, Ulysses, is brought to life in this inventive show by Branar, combining live performance, intricate paper design, and an original score. READ MORE

Passport to Santa at Columbus Circle

Midtown West
Select dates from Saturday, November 22-Wednesday, December 24, 2025
Step into the North Pole and toss snowballs with Frosty, train with Rudolph, decorate cookies in Mrs. Claus’ Kitchen, strike toy soldier poses in Nutcracker Kingdom, write wishes with the Christmas Angel, and build sweet creations in Gingerbread Grounds. READ MORE

A Christmas Carol at The Perelman

Financial District
Opens Sunday, November 23, 2025
PAC NYC brings the acclaimed production of A Christmas Carol from London’s The Old Vic to New York in a uniquely intimate staging. READ MORE

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloon Inflation

Upper West Side – FREE
Wednesday, November 26, 2025
The Macy's balloon inflation returns. Watching the giant balloons expand is a tradition for many NYC families—almost as important as the Thanksgiving Day Parade proper.  READ MORE

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Midtown West – FREE
Thursday, November 27, 2025
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade marches down the streets of New York City for its 99th annual holiday celebration. READ MORE

A Charlie Brown Christmas at Kings Theatre

Flatbush, Brooklyn
Friday, November 28, 2025
Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus, and the rest of the Peanuts gang uncover the true meaning of Christmas and perform songs from the unforgettable musical score of legendary composer Vince Guaraldi.    READ MORE

Macy's Santaland

Midtown West – FREE
Opens Friday, November 28, 2025
Santa swoops back over to Macy's for visits with his littlest fans! Wander the rainbow road to his workshop, where you'll meet jolly old St. Nick. Share your wishlist before receiving a special gift and posing for a keepsake photo. READ MORE

George Balanchine's The Nutcracker at Lincoln Center

Upper West Side
Opens Friday, November 28, 2025
The New York City Ballet's annual confection returns, complete with the famous one-ton Christmas tree that grows from 12 to 40 feet, an onstage snowstorm, and hundreds of elaborate costumes, including one for Mother Ginger that measures nine feet wide and weighs 85 pounds! READ MORE

Disney's The Little Mermaid 92NY

Upper East Side
Opens Friday, November 28, 2025
With music by eight-time Academy Award winner, Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater, and a compelling book by Doug Wright, this fishy fable features irresistible songs, including "Under the Sea," "Kiss the Girl," and "Part of Your World." READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

Adler Hall @ NY Society For Ethical Culture
Perelman Performing Arts Center
David Koch Theater at Lincoln Theater

About the Author

Drew Kristofik
Drew Kristofik’s career took a twist from editing teen magazines to a seven-year stint at MacNeil/Lehrer, followed by a long run at Nickelodeon/Viacom as Director of Content for Nick Online and Editor-in-Chief of ParentsConnect.com. A founding member of the Webby Award-winning GoCityKids, she’s written for Family Fun, Vanity Fair, and New York. Her middle school novel, The Time Boat, is available on Amazon Kindle. Drew keeps the MommyPoppins New York Events calendar spot-on and can be reached at events@mommypoppins.com.
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