30+ Holiday Events in Westchester 2024

The holiday season is officially here and Westchester is celebrating with a wave of performances, movie screenings and historic site tours throughout the county. To help readers navigate the holiday events, ArtsNews has rounded up a lineup of arts events to keep the cheer coming all month long. For readers who are still checking items off of their shopping lists, a round-up of holiday markets and boutiques can be found by clicking here.

Through December 22
Dickens’s ‘Christmas Carol’
Presented by Historic Hudson Valley
This Westchester holiday tradition enlivens the tale of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, bringing Christmas cheer to Sleepy Hollow. In the atmospheric setting of the historic Old Dutch Church, storyteller Jonathan Kruk will perform his adaptation of the beloved novel. The story will include musical accompaniment by Jim Keyes.

Through December 29
Glenview Holiday Tour
Presented by Hudson River Museum
Guests to Hudson River Museum can step back in time at its historic Glenview estate, an 1877 home designed by architect Charles W. Clinton. Along with exploring the home’s six full restore rooms, it will delve into the holiday traditions of the home’s former owners and give a look into how Gilded Age homes were decorated for the holidays – with Christmas trees, antique ornaments and toys, holiday tablescapes and more.

Through December 29
Holiday Classic & Illuminated Mansion Tours
Presented by Lyndhurst Mansion
Each Christmas season, the Lyndhurst mansion is decorated to match the period-specific rooms of the Gothic Revival style estate. The one-hour “Holiday Classic” tours of the main two floors of the mansion discuss history, architecture and art amongst dozens of Christmas trees and rarely-seen items that belonged to Lyndhurst’s former owners.

On December 13, 14, 20 & 21, a new series of “Illuminated” evening tours will be offered. These tours allow guests to explore the mansion’s first floor and kitchens illuminated by the glow of the decorated trees, led by guides who explain how and when many of our most cherished Christmas traditions became established.

Through January 4
Holiday Train Show in Chappaqua
Presented by New Castle Historical Society
New Castle Historical Society’s annual Great Holiday Train Show returns for its fourth year at the historical Horace Greeley House. The model train show boasts two new trains and two new train displays this year. Other highlights include a scavenger hunt and kids crafting activities.

December 7
123 Andrés Concert
Presented by Emelin Theatre
The GRAMMY Award-winning 123 Andrés will perform a family-friendly concert in Spanish and English complete with their trademark Latin rhythms. The concert, which is aimed at children aged 4-8, will include fan favorites and holiday hits. The band’s most recent album, We Grow Together Preschool Songs, was GRAMMY-nominated for Best Children’s Music album in 2024.

December 7 & 8
Messiah, Part I
Presented by The New Choral Society
One of the most recognizable and joyful holiday compositions, Handel’s Messiah, Part I has become synonymous with Christmas cheer. Led by conductor John T. King, The New Choral Society will present an afternoon performance of composition, concluding with the famous Hallelujah Chorus. At Hitchcock Presbyterian Church.

December 7, 8 & 14
Movie Screening: The Nightmare Before Christmas
Presented by Jacob Burns Film Center
Jacob Burns Film Center presents morning screenings of The Nightmare Before Christmas on December 7, 8 and 14 as part of its JBFC Kids! series. The PG movie follows Pumpkin King Jack Skellington, whose plans go sideways when he tries to bring Christmas to Halloweentown. Following the December 7 screening will be a free activity with Super Awesome Artland!. The December 8 screening will be sensory-friendly.

December 8
Santa Needs Your Help
Presented by Picture House Regional Film Center
This interactive holiday event returns to The Picture House’s Pelham location. During the event, children in the audience help Santa get ready for Christmas through games, songs, videos and more. Award-winning author Kevin Maher will sign copies of his book, Santa Doesn’t Need Your Help and will be joined by the book’s illustrator, Joe Dator. The event will also include a Q&A and photos with Santa.

December 8
God Bless Us, Everyone
Presented by Music at Asbury
For the fourth year, Asbury-Crestwood United Methodist Church presents its God Bless Us, Everyone holiday program. The show, part of the Music at Asbury series, is a staged reading of Charles Dickens’s beloved A Christmas Carol. The 75-minute show includes songs by Alan Menken and Lynn Ahrens, Alan Silvestri and Glen Ballard, and a selection of familiar Christmas carols with which the audience to sing along.

December 8
Hoff-Barthelson Music School’s Holiday Music Festival
Presented by Hoff-Barthelson Music School
This beloved annual event combines holiday cheer with musical performances, offering a festive experience for all. Attendees can enjoy student showcases, participate in a silent auction, and shop the holiday boutique. The festival creates a warm atmosphere of community celebration, perfect for embracing the spirit of the season.

December 8
28th Annual Concert for Peace
Presented by Songcatchers
For the 28th year, Songcatchers will present its Concert for Peace, featuring its intergenerational Songcatchers Choir, the Songcatchers Orchestra, and guest choir Sing Your Heart Out. The performance will include secular and interfaith carols, songs of peace, and multicultural songs of the season. Guests will be encouraged to sing along to spread peace and holiday cheer.

December 12
Nefesh Mountain: A Hanukkah Celebration
Presented by Caramoor
In celebration of Hanukkah, Nefesh Mountain performs a diverse arrangement of Jewish music enriched with bluegrass and Americana traditions. The group is led by the husband-and-wife team of Doni Zasloff and Eric Lindberg and features lyrics that are inspired by fall ‘24 and spring ‘25 Trio Medieval Jewish heritage and tradition.

December 12
Movie Screening: The Holiday
Presented by Jacob Burns Film Center
This modern-day romantic comedy stars Cameron Diaz as Los Angeles editor Amanda and Kate Winslet as London journalist Iris. Both are down on their luck in the romance department and decide to switch homes for two weeks during the holiday season for a change of pace. They each find love, which makes returning home a bit trickier than expected. Guests who arrive at this screening with an “ugly holiday sweater” will receive a free small popcorn.

December 12
Movie Screening: Bad Santa
Presented by Bedford Playhouse
The R-rated dark comedy follows Willie T. Stokes, played by Billy Bob Thornton, and his partner-in-crime, who dress as Santa and his elf to rob shopping malls every Christmas Eve. This year, however, things don’t go as planned.

December 13-22
Holiday Rosen House Tours
Presented by Caramoor
Caramoor is oft-known as the site of lush grounds and music performances, but for years it was also home to the Rosen family. This holiday, guests who take this 45-minute tour can experience the holiday season in the Rosen House just as its former family did. The house will be filled with art and period decorations inspired by the cherished Rosen family archive. Tours will take place daily (except 12/16).

December 13-29
Mr. Dickens Tells A Christmas Carol
Presented by M&M Performing Arts
M&M Performing Arts presents a recreation of Charles Dickens’s 1837 performance of his own classic novel, A Christmas Carol. In Mr. Dickens Tells A Christmas Carol, actor Michael Muldoon plays Dickens as he tells the beloved tale of Ebenezer Scrooge. The performances will take place in the historic period setting of Lyndhurst Mansion.

December 14
Laurie Berkner: A Live Holiday Concert
Presented by Tarrytown Music Hall
The Laurie Berkner Band returns to Tarrytown Music Hall for two holiday concerts at 11am and 3pm respectively. The band will perform well-known holiday hits like “Jingle Bells” and “Dreidel, Dreidel Dreidel,” as well as originals from the band’s hit albums, A Laurie Berkner Christmas and Another Laurie Berkner Christmas. One dollar from each ticket will benefit the nonprofit Green Chimneys.

December 14 & 15
Jessica Lynn: A Very Merry Classic Christmas
Presented by Paramount Hudson Valley Theater
Country singer Jessica Lynn, who hails from Pleasantville and ultimately rocketed to national fame, brings her annual holiday performance back to Westchester for two holiday events. Audiences at the Paramount Hudson Valley Theater can expect to hear classic holiday songs in an immersive show that includes dancers, marching bands, choirs and special effects. The shows will be raising money and collecting toys for Toys for Tots.

December 14
A Gilded Age Holiday: Live Opera in Glenview
Presented by The Hudson River Museum & Yonkers Chaminade Club
Acclaimed soprano Korliss Uecker and baritone and pianist James Rensink will be joined by Metropolitan Opera Orchestra principal cellist Jerry Grossman for a program of holiday favorites, popular period songs, and opera arias. Uecker and Rensick perform as Mr. and Mrs. Astor, whose real life is fictionalized in HBO’s award-winning The Gilded Age, on which both Glenview and the Metropolitan Opera appear.

December 15
New York Theatre Ballet Performs The Nutcracker
Presented by Tarrytown Music Hall
Tarrytown Music Hall presents a family-friendly production of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker created for younger audiences. This hour-long ballet will introduce children to the classic, getting the entire family in the holiday spirit and igniting the imaginations of both young and old.

December 15
Movie Screening: It’s a Wonderful Life
Presented by Bedford Playhouse
This classic Christmas movie follows George Bailey, who sets aside his own dreams to help out his family. Just when he has lost all hope, he is visited by an angel who shows him the value of his life. George gets a view of what life would be like for his loved ones had he never been born.

December 15-26, various dates
Nutcracker Dream
Presented by Ballet des Amériques
Ballet des Amériques presents Nutcracker Dream, a 90-minute adaptation of the classic The Nutcracker ballet with choreography by the company’s director, Carole Alexis. Professional dancers of Ballet des Amériques will perform the featured roles, with additional roles performed by young dancers selected through regional auditions. Performances will take place at Emelin Theatre.

December 17, 18 & 28
Family Holiday Storytimes
Presented by White Plains Public Library
White Plains Public Library has a lineup of holiday storytimes for young children. On December 17 (4:30pm), kids in grades K-2 will read about Hanukkah and then create a masking tape menorah. On December 18 (7pm), families can hear ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas along with other Christmas stories and songs. On December 28 (11am), children aged 3 and up will make a craft and hear songs and stories about Kwanzaa, Including The Nguzo Saba: The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa.

December 19 & 22
Movie Screening: It’s a Wonderful Life
Presented by Jacob Burns Film Center
Jacob Burns Film Center presents It’s a Wonderful Life. James Stewart stars in this classic Christmas story about desperate bank manager George Bailey who contemplates ending his life on Christmas Eve. After a visit from an angel, he discovers all that life is worth living for.

December 19
Adult Art Workshop: Holiday Cards
Presented by New Rochelle Public Library
Visitors can part in a holiday art workshop and make handmade cards using the monoprint technique. Inspired by the whimsical work of Yayoi Kusama, participants will design colorful cards to share the holiday spirit with friends and family. All supplies will be provided by the library.

December 19
Holiday Concert with Will Liverman & Judith Lynn Stillman
Presented by Manhattanville University
Opera singer Will Liverman and pianist Judith Lynn Stillman will join together to perform a holiday concert in the intimate setting of Manhattanville University’s O’Byrne Chapel. In this program, the two will collaborate on a program of art songs, arias, festive selections and original compositions.

December 20-22
The Rob Mathes Holiday Concert
Presented by Performing Arts Center at Purchase College
Continuing a thirty-year tradition, musician Rob Mathes will perform a series of holiday concerts at Performing Arts Center at Purchase College that combine rock, jazz and blues. Mathes is joined this year by vocalists and a string quartet.

December 21 & 28
Movie Screening: The Muppet Christmas Carol
Presented by Jacob Burns Film Center
Jacob Burns Film Center hosts back-to-back weekend showings of A Muppet Christmas Carol this December. This retelling of the Charles Dickens classic stars Michael Cane as Ebenezer Scrooge and features the muppets made famous by Jim Henson.

December 21
The Now Stories’ Rock ‘n’ Roll Christmas Party
Presented by Irvington Theater
The newly renovated Irvington Theater is ready to celebrate the holiday season with a concert by local band The New Stories. Just in time to bring holiday cheer, the band will play everything from little known Christmas songs to beloved classics, all with one common denominator – they rock.

December 21
Cherish the Ladies: A Celtic Christmas
Presented by Tarrytown Music Hall
Celebrating their 35th anniversary, Grammy Award-nominatedIrish-American supergroup Cherish the Ladies returns to Tarrytown Music Hall. This annual performance will share timeless Irish traditions and good cheer when they present their instrumental, vocal and step-dance talents with Tarrytown audiences.

December 21
It’s a Wonderful Life: Audio Radio Recreation
Co-presented by The Sandbox Theater, Larchmont Mamaroneck & Port Chester/Rye Brook Lions, Larchmont and Port Chester Libraries, Port Chester High School, the Westchester Council for the Blind, LMC Media and SPERDVAC
This live audio theater presentation is a recreation of the 1953 Lux Radio Theater version of It’s a Wonderful Life. The event, which features a remote audio welcome and talk from Karolyn Grimes, the actress who played ZuZu in the film, also includes an It’s a Wonderful Life video, and a quiz with prizes. The performance is accessible for blind, visually impaired and handicapped communities. At Port Chester-Rye Brook Public Library (12pm) and Larchmont Village Center (3pm).

December 21
Winter Ensemble 2024
Presented by Putnam Chorale
The Winter Ensemble of the Putnam Chorale is set to ring in its 40th performance year this month with historic and contemporary music at Lyndhurst Mansion. The concert features classic carols such as Here We Come a Wassailing, Gwyneth Walker’s arrangements of the French country song Bring a Torch, contemporary pieces by Norwegian composer Ola Gjeilo, and movements from Vivaldi’s Gloria.

December 22
Darlene Love: Love For The Holidays
Presented by Tarrytown Music Hall
Tarrytown Music Hall hosts a holiday concert featuring Grammy Award-winning artist Darlene Love. Love is a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee who contributed backing vocals for top songs like The Ronettes’ Be My Baby and The Righteous Brothers’ You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ and found success as a solo artist as well, with her biggest hit Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).

December 22-24
SAVE SANTA! A Holiday Mystery
Presented by Tarrytown Music Hall
Save Santa! A Holiday Mystery Adventure returns to Tarrytown Music Hall this month. Guests will have the opportunity to speak with folklore characters, including Krampus, La Befana, Olentzero and more throughout the mystery adventure.

December 23
On The Big Screen: It’s A Wonderful Life
Presented by Tarrytown Music Hall
The classic holiday film It’s A Wonderful Life comes to Tarrytown Music Hall. The film follows businessman George Bailey, who comes to wish he had never been born. An angel comes to earth to grant Bailey his wish, ultimately giving him a new outlook on life.

^{Holiday events photos: Nutcracker Dream (photo courtesy of Emelin Theatre); Lyndhurst Mansion (photo credit: LiflanderPhotography); Nefesh Mountain Band (photo courtesy of Caramoor); Laurie Berkner Band (photo courtesy of Laurie Berkner); New York Theatre Ballet Performs The Nutcracker (photo source New York Theatre Ballet); still from It’s a Wonferful Life; Rob Mathes (photo credit: Mark Most); Cherish the Ladies (photo source: Cherish the Ladies); Darlene Love (photo courtesy of Darlene Love)}