| Wallet-Friendly Family Events |
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| Written by Dja Horry | |
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If November is the second hectic holiday month then December would be the third in line. From dealing with picking out the gift, buying the christmas tree, planning the christmas dinner, and then decide whether you are going to the crazy but very eventful New Years Eve Party; there is just too much on your plate to deal with at once. But during these tough economic times; lavish gifts and extravagant vacations are being cut from the family plans so now is the time to think of interesting things to do with the family but not the cost. Timessquare.com has made a wallet-friendly guide so you can have fun with the family in the city.... Winter's Eve at Lincoln Square Monday, December 1, 2008 - 5:30pm Price: FREE!! Dante Park Broadway & 63rd Street 212-581-3774 winterseve.org 
On Monday, December 1, 2008 the Lincoln Square Business Improvement District and presenting sponsor Time Warner will host the Ninth Annual Winter's Eve at Lincoln Square - NYC's largest holiday festival!Winter's Eve features free entertainment, food tastings, in-store activities and shopping around and about this colorful and vibrant neighborhood. Stores, restaurants, cultural organizations and public spaces in the district will be buzzing with activities for both children and adults. At the same time, sidewalks along Broadway from Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle to 68th Street will be alive with performers, street musicians, jugglers, stilt-walkers and more, making for a festive fun-filled stroll through the streets of this dynamic Upper West Side neighborhood. Direction: Take the 1, A, B, C, or D train to 59th Street & Columbus Circle or the 1 train to 66th Street and Broadway 2008 Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting Ceremony Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008| 7pm - 9pm (tree is lit at 8:55pm) Rockefeller Center, Rockefeller Plaza West 48th Street to West 51st Street between 5th and 6th Avenues 212-632-3975 
The famous Rockefeller Center Christmas tree will be lit for the first time this holiday season on Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008. The lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree has become a star-studded holiday tradition that attracts thousands.The Today Show’s Al Rokerwill host the live holiday celebration of the 76th Tree Lighting Ceremony. The whole star-studded spectacle will be broadcast live on NBC from 8PM to 9PM and will feature performances by Beyonce, David Cook, Jonas Brothers, Faith Hill, Tony Bennett, Harry Connick Jr., and other stars. If you don't want to brave the crowds for the tree lighting ceremony, you can also see the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree from 5:30AM to 11:30PM daily from December 3rd, 2008 through January 9th, 2009 (and all day long on Christmas Day). Tips For Attending The Tree Lighting Ceremony At Rockefeller Center: First and foremost, leave your car at home. The annual tree lighting ceremony at Rockefeller Center creates traffic mayhem every year and is one of the city's offical Gridlock Alert Days. If you plan to attend, take public transportation and allow plenty of time for navigating through the crowds. Directions: Take the B,D,F,V to Rockefeller Center/47-50th Street station Take the N,R,W to 49th Street and Seventh Avenue Take the E to Fifth Avenue and 53rd Street Santaland & Puppet Theatre Friday, November 25 - Saturday, December 24, 2008 Admission: Santaland - Free / Puppet Theatre - $3 per person Macy's Herald Square 151 west 34th street (8th floor) 212-695-4400 macys.com 
Visit the real Santa Claus at Macy's Santaland located on the 8th floor of Macy's Herald Square in Manhattan. Open daily from 9 A.M. to 9 P.M., from Friday, November 25th through Saturday, December 24th. Santa will return to the North Pole promptly at 5:30 P.M. on December 24th so he can load up his sleigh!Admission to Macy's Santaland is free. Digital photographs of your child with Santa are available for purchase. For more information call our Holiday Hotline at 212-494-4495. --- 
What's a penguin to do when he's allergic to snow? Find out at the coolest show on the planet: Percy, The Poor Little Penguin. Our original holiday musical treat features Nicolo Coppola's Puppetworks and the vocal talents of Roger Bart, Liz Callaway, Mario Cantone, David Engel, Jonathan Freeman, Alix Korey, John McDonough, Anthony Rapp and Florence Henderson as The Narrator. Puppet Theater is located on the 9th floor of Macy’s Herald Square in Manhattan.Performance Times: 9:30am, 10:30am, 11:30am, 12:30pm, 2:15pm, 3:15pm, 4:15pm, 5:15pm 6:15pm (on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays only) Note: The last performance is December 24th at 3:15pm Reservations required for school groups at $2.00 per student. Please call 212-494-1917 from 1pm to 4pm Monday through Friday.  Toys r us Times Square1514 Broadway (at 44th street) 1-800-869-7787 toysrustimessquare.com Marquee Moment We'll not only take your picture but display it on a jumbo LED screen on Braodway! Select from a variety of messages that are perfect for holidays, marriage proposals, birthday wishes, or just "hello" from the Big Apple. Your Marquee Moment photo keepsake is the ultimate way to commemorate a trip to The Center of the Toy Universe! Located on Level One. No appointment necessary! Call 646-366-8863 for more informarion Barbie's DollHouse Feel right at home in a celebrity's house! It's two amazing floors of everything you'd except in a star's house. All The latest Barbie toys and fashions are all right here. Jurassic Park T-Rex Have a larger-than-life experience! A 5-ton, 20-feet high, 34 feet long animatronic T-Rex from Jurassic Park is sure to bring out the dinosaur lover in everyone. Filled with Love From dogs and cats to wild creatures, kids start from scratch to end up with a whimsical plush toy accompanied by an official birth certificate. Ferris Wheel Circle The Center of the Toy Universe! There is no grander store entrance anywhere! The amazing 60ft. tall, indoor ferris wheel signals the start of a truly magical visit. "R" Zone Its all Fun and Games! "R" Zone is 5,500-square feet of the latest electronic games, DVDs, CDs, and videos. Play your favorites on our huge plasma screens. It is non-stop fun. Bronx Zoo 2300 Southern Boulevard (on 183rd street) 718-220-5100 bronxzoo.com Time: 10 am - 4:30pm (daily) Admission: Adult: $15| Child (Ages 3-12): $11| Senior (65+): $13 Please note: Wednesday admission is a pay-what-you-wish donation. Suggested donation is $15 for adults, $11 for children, and $13 for seniors. Every dollar you give supports our work in caring for animals at the Bronx Zoo and around the world. Hess Presents the Bronx Zoo's Wild Winterland Dec. 6-7, 13-14, 20-21, 2008 & Dec. 22, 2008 - Jan, 4, 2009 Time: 11:30am - 3:30pm  Red panda; photo credit: Suzanna Bolduc This winter, the Bronx Zoo’s annual nighttime holiday event becomes a daytime extravaganza, as the Wildlife Conservation Society continues to lighten our energy output and provide great family traditions. Enjoy horse-drawn wagon rides, storytelling, ice-carving demonstrations, marshmallow roasting, and more! Daily Tiger Enrichment Sessions Open year round Time: 11:30am, 1:30pm, and 3:30pm  photo credit: Julie Larsen Maher Play with giant cat toys. Sniff the musky scent that makes tigers react like cats with catnip, and test your strength on a specially designed tiger pull-toy. See tigers jump; see tigers dive; see tigers do puzzles. Watch our tigers stalk a deer hide that hangs overhead, cool off in their swimming hole, or rotate a treat spinner to find hidden snacks. Be a field scientist. Take note of signs of a tiger’s presence. Listen to a big cat roar and record your own tracks in a camera trap. Bug Carousel Open Year round (inclosed during the cool weather) Fee: $2 Imagine bugs so big you can ride them! Enjoy a true flight of fancy aboard a long-legged praying mantis, a bright green grasshopper, or another of your favorite creepy-crawlies. A dung beetle chariot provides a more sedate—and silly—ride. The New York Botanical Garden 200th street and Kazimiroff Boulevard Events: 718-817-8777 Directions: 718-817-8779 nybg.org Hours: 10am - 6pm (Tuesday to Sunday) Admission: Adults: $6| Adult Bronx Residents: $5| Seniors: $3| Students (with vaild ID): $3| Children (2-12 years): $1| Children under 2: Free  Grand Central Terminal (1903-1913), 42nd street and Park Avenue, Manhattan Sunday, November 23, 2008–Sunday, January 11, 2009 Admission: Adult: $20| Child (ages 2-12): $10| Senior: $18| Student: $18 The holiday season is full of family traditions, and the Holiday Train Show is one of the most eagerly awaited. Wrapped in the glow of twinkling lights, model trains and trolleys zip along over bridges and on winding tracks past scaled replicas of New York landmarks made by award-winning designer Paul Busse. Orange slices, cinnamon sticks, poppy pods, pine cones, and other plant parts are used to create the more than 140 architectural reproductions. Gingerbread Adventures Tue–Fri| 1:30–5:30 p.m.; Sat–Sun| 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m. Location: Everett Children's Adventure Garden Smell, touch, and taste the spices and other plant parts that make up a classic gingerbread recipe. Discover where cinnamon and ginger root come from. Grind spices, plant wheat seeds to make a miniature head of growing wheat hair, decorate gingersnap cookies, and record it all in a festively decorated field notebook. See real gingerbread creations in a breathtakingly detailed and fantastically fragrant display by renowned bakers: Mark Tasker of Balthazar, Liv and Kaye Hansen of Riviera Bakehouse, Kate Sullivan of Lovin Sullivan, Jill Adams of The Cake Studio, and Mark Randazzo of Mark Joseph Cakes. The Little Engine That Could Puppet Show Saturday, December 6 - Sunday, December 21, 2008 Saturdays, Sundays: 1, 2, and 3 p.m. Location: Arthur and Janet Ross Lecture Hall This whimsical holiday puppet theater production is for the whole family. Directed by New York City's puppet master Ralph Lee, it is based on the classic book of the same title by Watty Piper. American Museum of Natural History Central Park West at 79th street 212-769-5100 amnh.org amnh.org/museum/welcome/ Admission: Adult: $15| Child (2-12): $8.50| Senior/Student with ID: $11 Hours: 10 am - 5:45 pm The Polar Rink 
Come enjoy the American Museum of Natural History's new state-of-the-art skating rink, now open through February 28, 2009. Located on the Arthur Ross Terrace on the Museum's north side, The Polar Rink offers magnificent views of the glowing Rose Center for Earth and Space and is surrounded by Theodore Roosevelt Park. Skaters will glide around a 17-foot-tall polar bear festooned with pine boughs and twinkling lights.Non-skaters will enjoy the splendor of The Polar Rink from surrounding benches on the Terrace under trees adorned with lights, or from the glassed-in North Galleria adjacent to the rink, where hot cocoa and snacks are served.  Just moments after the lighting of the origami tree; photo credit: Denis Finin November 24, 2008—January 1, 2009 Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Hall, first floor The Origami Holiday Tree has marked the start of the holiday season at the Museum for over 30 years. The theme of this year's tree is Folding the Museum, featuring colorful paper ornaments representing denizens of the habitat dioramas, permanent halls, and special exhibitions. The 13-foot tree will be decorated with hundreds of origami creatures, including a paper Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton and—to represent the trailblazing special exhibition The Horse, entering its final weeks before closing on January 4, 2009—horses. The volunteers begin folding in July to complete approximately 500 creations displayed on the tree. During the holiday season, volunteers will be on hand to teach visitors of all ages the art of origami folding.  One of the Muesum's two holiday brontosauruses; photo credit: Denis Finin November 24, 2008—January 1, 2009 The main entrance to the Museum on Central Park West The two Holiday Barosaurs, which greet visitors to the Museum on the front steps throughout the holiday season, are fabricated of openwork stainless steel and festooned with pine boughs and lights. Illuminated at night, the whimsical dinosaurs flank the John Russell Pope Central Park West staircase and echo the Barosaurus mount in the Roosevelt Rotunda. There are many more fun things to do at the American Museum of Natural History so please check the website for more information for other great and fun events to do together as a family. |
