Free Highlights: Things to Do in NYC, December 2025
From high-kicking Rockettes to low-key meditation, an events list for the 2025 holiday season in New York City
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People do not all take vacations in the same way. There are, of course, many who simply don’t. The expense is too great or the time away too untenable. Among those who are lucky enough to have one once in a while, some are already out exploring by breakfast and others roll out of a hotel bed at noon, looking to sunbathe alongside a margarita.1 Some people seek out new foods, others arts and museums. Some seek wild parties, others quiet spaces.
I know where I fit among this (don’t wake me up too early), and some of my most successful vacations were with people who travel with similar goals in mind. But I respect all philosophies towards stepping away from the familiar for a little bit. In this highlights I lean into the reality that December is a heavy tourist month in this city and consider the full spectrum of what different tourists might want.
As usual, this is part of the more expansive December 2025 Blankman List, which includes many more things to do this December in NYC and without all this annoying commentary, to boot. To the people who have purchased a paid subscription, even for just a month, thank you. You are the reason that I am able to continue this project.
Disclaimer: Before going anywhere, please confirm the date, time, location, cost, and description using the listed website. Any event is at risk of being rescheduled, relocated, sold out, at capacity, or canceled. Costs are rounded to the nearest dollar and may change. I try to vet quality and describe accurately, but I may misjudge. All views are my own.
The Hallmark Movie
I learned early on that this list finds purpose among both residents and tourists, and December is—unsurprisingly—peak tourist season around here, during which this city welcomes over 3 million tourists every day. So for those of you among them, I begin with a short list of the traditional. If you’re visiting, please note that (1) the actual Rockefeller tree lighting is not open to the public (I think), (2) the Home Alone screening listed below is not in Manhattan, and (3) I absolutely do not recommend watching the ball drop live on New Year’s Eve, a famously insufferable experience. If you want to do that, here’s a link and godspeed.
After Wednesday, December 3: Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
Elaborately decorated 75-foot Christmas tree that is ceremoniously lit and broadcast on TV (Dec 3, 7–10 pm), then left on display through mid-January
Free
Rockefeller Center
30 Rockefeller Plaza (Midtown, Manhattan)
Friday, December 12: A Nostalgic Night with Macaulay Culkin: Home Alone 35th Anniversary
35th anniversary screening of the 1990 film Home Alone, followed by a moderated interview with actor Macaulay Culkin; 7:30 pm (6:30 pm doors)
$68–$314
Kings Theatre
1027 Flatbush Ave (Flatbush, Brooklyn)
Various days in December: George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker
New York City Ballet company performance of The Nutcracker with music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and choreography by George Balanchine; Nov 28–Jan 3
$90–$372
David H. Koch Theater
20 Lincoln Center Plaza (Lincoln Square, Manhattan)
Every day in December: Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes
Annual musical holiday stage show; multiple times each day, ranging from 9 am to 10 pm
$54–$500+
Radio City Music Hall
1260 6th Ave (Midtown, Manhattan)
Thespian Holidays
I realize not everyone cares much for theater (“yet,” I would cheekily add if you admitted this to me in person), but NYC is one of its premiere world destinations. Browse the r/Broadway subreddit, and you will find people around the world who travel here for only that. For those looking to see a Broadway show but don’t know where to start, my top recommendation is the impeccably designed B’way Rush website, which lists all shows playing in a Broadway theater, along with information about showtimes and discount options. From this list I call attention to the December premiere of Bug, a 1996 play about two people being driven insane by conspiracy theories. Proceed with caution, but Off- and Off-Off-Broadway always has excellent work getting produced, too. I feel confident the world would be a better place if everyone got to hear the “I Love You Song” trio from William Finn’s (1952–2025) zany The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (playing Off-Broadway right now) at least once in their lives.
Thursday, December 4–Sunday, December 21: Killing Mrs. Claus
One-act Off-Off-Broadway “ridiculously inappropriate” play written and directed by Peter Zachari; Thu, Fri & Sat at 8 pm; Sun at 3 pm
$20 general / $15 student/senior
Theater for the New City, Community Space
155 1st Ave (East Village, Manhattan)
Through Sunday, December 7: Practice
Nazareth Hassan’s new Off-Broadway play about power, surrender, and what it takes to be a genius
$64–$104
Playwrights Horizons, Judith O. Rubin Theater
416 W 42nd St (Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan)
Previews begin Tuesday, December 16: Bug
Broadway premiere of the psychological thriller Bug by playwright Tracy Letts about two people being driven insane by conspiracy theories
$99–$422
Samuel J. Friedman Theatre
261 W 47th St (Times Square, Manhattan)
Throughout December: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Off-Broadway revival of William Finn’s 2005 musical about six adolescents competing in a fictional spelling bee
$58–$194
New World Stages
340 W 50th St (Midtown, Manhattan)
Quiet Among the Chaos
Even during its quietest months, parts of New York City remain overwhelming. A cold, rainy March evening can still have you elbowing your way through giant Elmos on your way home from a Broadway show. Christmastime in Times Square specifically is perhaps better left to the movies. To the introverted, reflective, and shy among you: Quiet activities and low-key affairs are available in this city, too.
Wednesday, December 10: PAUSE Sound Bath with Sara Auster & Alex Falk
Guided meditative sound bath from practitioners Sara Auster and Alex Falk intended for reflection and renewal; 6:30 pm
$35
Tibet House US
22 W 15th St (Union Square, Manhattan)
Saturday, December 13: Poets House 30th Showcase Exhibition Opening
Opening with readings and reception for an exhibition of poetry publications from 2024 and 2025 that documented key changes in the art form; 4–6 pm
Free
Poets House
10 River Terrace (Battery Park City, Manhattan)
Saturday, December 13: Mindfulness in the Noguchi Museum Galleries
Guided meditation and mindfulness exercise in the Noguchi Museum before it’s open to the public; 10–11:30 am
$16 (includes museum admission)
The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum
9-01 33rd Rd (Long Island City, Queens)
Tuesday, December 16: Death Cafe
Informal, group-directed discussion of death with the purpose of increasing “awareness of death to help people make the most of their lives”; 6:30–8 pm
Free
Green-Wood Cemetery, Modern Chapel
500 25th St (Greenwood Heights, Brooklyn)
Off the Beaten Path
This is probably my favorite type of event type to discover: something away from Radio City Music Hall and Broadway and without celebrities or deep marketing budgets. Events like workshops, lectures, social meet-ups, the avant-garde. Events potentially far from where most tourists are staying. Learning about the full range of what NYC can offer is a big part of what makes the list so enjoyable for me to craft every month.
Monday, December 1: How to Have Better Conversations
Workshop taught by writer and journalist Keshia Hannam on how to read a room and ask better questions; 5:45–7:30 pm
$26–$41
Lifeshop
199 N 8th St (Williamsburg, Brooklyn)
Tuesday, December 2: Piano Master Class with Corey Hamm
Public piano performance master class given by Corey Hamm, “one of the world’s foremost champions of contemporary piano music”; 4 pm
Free
Manhattan School of Music, Greenfield Hall
130 Claremont Ave (Morningside Heights, Manhattan)
Sunday, December 7: Sylvie Courvoisier with Mary Halvorson and Wadada Leo Smith
Experimental classical pianist-composer Sylvie Courvoisier performs duos with guitarist Mary Halvorson and trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith; 8 pm (7 pm doors)
$25 advance / $30 doors / $20 student/senior
Roulette
509 Atlantic Ave (Boerum Hill, Brooklyn)
Tuesday, December 16: Collage Party: Holiday Card Edition
Social collage-making space with supplies available for participants to craft their own holiday cards; 7–10 pm; every third Tuesday
$5–$15 suggested donation
Footlight Presents
552 Grandview Ave (Ridgewood, Queens)
Les’ Fuggin’ Go!
I think many NYC residents would agree that the “city that never sleeps” seems to have gotten a bit more shuteye ever since Covid. Fewer places are open late, and parts of the city feel calmer. But hey, if you’re into loud music, late nights, and a little bit of chaos, this city’s still got you covered.2
Thursday, December 4: KONTUSION, Satanic Magick, Shatter, Heretic Bodyhammer
Concert featuring death metal band KONTUSION, NYC-based thrash metal band Satanic Magick, and others; 7 pm
$16
TV Eye, The Ballroom
1647 Weirfield St (Ridgewood, Queens)
Friday, December 12: Teksupport x Outworld: Klangkuenstler (All Night Long)
All-night techno rave from event collective Teksupport featuring German DJ Klangkuenstler; 10 pm–5 am
As of this writing, all remaining tickets are $91
Brooklyn Storehouse
Assembly Rd, Building 293 (Navy Yard, Brooklyn)
Saturday, December 13: Infinite Good Times’ Die Hard Holiday Spectacular
Die Hard-themed holiday party with film screening and DJ, with proceeds going to the NYC Resistor hacker space; 6:30 pm doors; 7:30 pm film
$15 suggested donation (includes open bar)
NYC Resistor
87 3rd Ave, 4th Floor (Gowanus, Brooklyn)
Saturday, December 27: Yaasssferatu by House of Yes
Gothic-themed late-night dance party “where vampiric glamour meets campy chaos”; 10 pm–4 am
$11–$16
House of Yes
2 Wyckoff Ave (Bushwick, Brooklyn)
Religious Traditions
Christmas is obviously the big one, but Hanukkah begins December 15, Kwanzaa begins December 26, and on the whole, this melting pot of a city has holidays and festivities throughout the month (or year, for that matter). In developing these lists each month, I often check the calendars of different religious spaces. I look primarily for events geared to people of all faiths, like talks, concerts, and art exhibitions. This month, along with a few other religiously-themed events, I call attention to a heavenly—in all senses of the word—Baroque music performance happening at the Church of St. Luke in the Fields in the West Village.
Thursday, December 4: A Baroque Christmas in Rome
Concert with Baroque period instruments that “might have been heard on Christmas Eve in the basilica,” with pre-concert lecture; 7:30 pm (6:30 pm lecture)
$45
Church of St. Luke in the Fields
487 Hudson St (West Village, Manhattan)
Monday, December 15: 54 Celebrates Hanukkah: A Festival of Writers
Fifth annual cabaret concert of new, original Hanukkah songs written by Jewish musical theater writers; 7 & 9:30 pm
$35–$74+, plus $25 food and beverage minimum
54 Below
254 W 54th St, Cellar (Midtown, Manhattan)
Tuesday, December 26–Saturday, December 30: Celebrate Kwanzaa at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum
Annual mix of repeating and unique programs designed for all ages that celebrate the traditions of Kwanzaa; 10 am–5 pm
$15
Brooklyn Children’s Museum
145 Brooklyn Ave (Crown Heights, Brooklyn)
Through Saturday, December 27: Jewish Worlds Illuminated: A Treasury of Hebrew Manuscripts
Exhibition of books and manuscripts from the Jewish Theological Seminary library showcasing the different lands in which Jews resided; 10 am–5 pm
Free
The Grolier Club
47 E 60th St (Upper East Side, Manhattan)
Holiday Feasts
Okay, one of these events is less a feast and more a, well, soy sauce sampling in a department store. But (1) it seemed absurd to only list things that require dressing up and dropping a few Benjamins, and (2) enjoying the food that NYC has to offer includes much more than indulgent multi-course meals. As a bonus list of sorts (this is the first time I’ve provided seven categories here!) here are a few ideas for eating your way through NYC in December.
Friday, December 12: Chef Rasika Venkatesa
Five-course tasting menu, each with a beverage pairing, from renowned South Indian chef Rasika Venkatesa; 7–10 pm
$195
The Brooklyn Point Chef’s Table
138 Willoughby St (Downtown Brooklyn)
Saturday, December 13: Heydoh’s Single Origin Soy Sauce Sampling
Free public sampling of Heydoh’s soy sauce from Taiwan in a Chinese American department store; 3–5 pm
Free
Pearl River Mart
452 Broadway (SoHo, Manhattan)
Wednesday, December 13: Rijsttafel Reimagined: An Indonesian Ceremonial Banquet
Multi-course traditional Indonesian meal from chef Cedric Vongerichten, with cocktail reception and wine or beverage pairings; 6:30 pm
$195–$250
Pier 57
25 11th Ave
Wednesday, December 24: Christmas Eve at Union Square Café
Special Christmas Eve four-course “Feast of the Seven Fishes” menu; reservation slots available 4–9:30 pm
$195
Union Square Café
101 E 19th St (Union Square, Manhattan)
And they marry each other.