Christmas Events for Kids in Brooklyn (2026)

Christmas Events for Kids
Written by Kelsey Cecil

Updated 4 min read

Rally the corgi has sniffed out the best Christmas events for kids in Brooklyn for 2026, and here is what he found: 6 family events, 2 of them free. The magic runs from November 14 (Nutcracker Sweets & The Steadfast Tin Soldier) through December 30, with Cookie Cutter Clay Ornaments at Michaels (November 15), Danish Christmas Fair (from November 21) and Fort Greene Tree Lighting (December 5) along the way. We check every date on the host’s own website, and each listing links straight there. For the rest of the state, see our New York Christmas events for kids guide.

What Rally found in Brooklyn

  • 6 Christmas events for kids in Brooklyn
  • 2 free events, including Cookie Cutter Clay Ornaments at Michaels and Holiday Junk Journal at Michaels
  • Meet Santa: Danish Christmas Fair (from November 21)
  • Parades and tree lightings: Fort Greene Tree Lighting (December 5)
  • Also on the list: 1 Christmas show, 1 Christmas market and 2 craft workshops
  • Season: November 14 (Nutcracker Sweets & The Steadfast Tin Soldier) to December 30 (Nutcracker Sweets & The Steadfast Tin Soldier)
  • Every date checked on the host’s own site on Nov 10

Free Christmas events for kids in Brooklyn

Rally’s Christmas research

Rally the corgi has 5 more Brooklyn events researched for you.

  • New events every week We research new events daily and send you one email a week with the new ones we find in Brooklyn.
  • Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Brooklyn before they fill up.
  • Unlock the filters Find Santa visits, free events and weekend plans in one tap.
  • Rally’s Christmas Eve Express and a free advent calendar Get early access to Rally the corgi’s Christmas Eve tracker, plus a free digital advent calendar to count down to Christmas.
  • One-tap add to calendar Save any event to your Google, Apple or Outlook calendar so you never miss it.

Coming up on this page

  • 2 Crafts
  • 2 Zoos and museums
  • 1 Santa
  • 1 Lights
  • 2 Free

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Holiday craftsFree

Holiday Junk Journal at Michaels

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This in-store session introduces junk journaling, a playful alternative to traditional scrapbooking, with a holiday theme. Michaels provides the basic supplies, and anyone who wants to personalize the pages with their own holiday memories can buy extra pieces in the store.

It takes place Sunday, December 13, 2026, from 1 to 3 p.m. The class listing describes the event as free, sets the age range at 13 and older and rates it for beginners. The listing is tied to the Michaels store at 252 Atlantic Avenue in Boerum Hill.

Parent tip: Only basic supplies are provided, so have your teen bring a few printed photos, ticket stubs or old holiday cards to work into the pages. Children under 13 cannot take part.

Host
Michaels (opens in a new tab)
Address
Michaels, Boerum Hill, 252 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11201 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Michaels (opens in a new tab)

New Brooklyn events every week

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Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Brooklyn

Admission, tickets or a fee apply. Where a host has not posted a price yet, the listing says so.

Holiday show

Nutcracker Sweets & The Steadfast Tin Soldier

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Marionettes dance through the Land of Sweets numbers from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker in a non-religious staging, then act out Andersen's tale of the Steadfast Tin Soldier, with Jack-a-Napes and a Dancing Doll joining the cast. Both pieces were adapted for marionettes by Nicolas Coppola, who founded Puppetworks in 1980. The whole program lasts 55 minutes.

Shows run Saturdays and Sundays at 12:30 and 2:30 p.m. from November 14 through December 30, 2026, on the second floor at 51 35th Street in Industry City, between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. Tickets are $11 for children and $12 for adults. Reserve by emailing puppetworksinfo@gmail.com, since walk-ins without a reservation are not guaranteed a seat.

Parent tip: Reservations are held only until 15 minutes before showtime, so arrive early, especially with a stroller, which has to be parked in the gallery at 33 35th Street (second floor, elevator access). At 55 minutes and suggested for ages 2 and up, it works as a first theater trip.

Host
Puppetworks (opens in a new tab)
Address
Puppetworks, Industry City (2nd floor), 51 35th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11232 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Puppetworks (opens in a new tab)

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Holiday market

Danish Christmas Fair

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The Danish Seamen's Church in Brooklyn Heights fills with Scandinavian design goods, knitwear, holiday ornaments, Danish candy and Christmas delicacies for a weekend of hygge. Children can greet Santa and have a photo taken with him. On Saturday a second site at Plymouth Church serves Danish food, including the puffed pancakes called æbleskiver, pork roast sandwiches, hot dogs with remoulade, pastries and the rice pudding dessert risalamande.

The fair is Saturday and Sunday, November 21 and 22, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the page lists no admission price. Shopping is at the church, 102 Willow Street, on both days, while the food is Saturday only at Plymouth Church, entered via 66 Hicks Street. Nearby subway stops are Clark Street on the 2 and 3, Borough Hall on the 4 and 5, Court Street on the R and High Street on the A and C.

Parent tip: Go on Saturday if the kids want æbleskiver, because the food at Plymouth Church is not offered on Sunday. The organizers warn that weekend parking in Brooklyn Heights is difficult, so take the subway to Clark Street if you can.

Host
Danish Seamen's Church in New York (Den Danske Sømandskirke) (opens in a new tab)
Address
Danish Seamen's Church, 102 Willow Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Danish Seamen's Church in New York (Den Danske Sømandskirke) (opens in a new tab)

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Tree lighting

Fort Greene Tree Lighting

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The Fort Greene Park Conservancy holds its 12th Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony together with the Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership. Neighbors gather at the park's Myrtle Avenue and St. Edwards Street entrance late in the afternoon, and the hour ends with the park lit up for the season.

The ceremony is Saturday, December 5, 2026, from 4 to 5 p.m. If the weather is bad, it moves to Sunday, December 6, at the same hour. The conservancy's page does not mention a charge or any sign-up.

Parent tip: The whole ceremony lasts one hour, so arrive by 4 p.m. to be settled before the lights go on. The meeting spot is on the Myrtle Avenue side of the park, and if the forecast looks wet, check whether it has moved to the Sunday rain date before you set out.

Host
Fort Greene Park Conservancy (opens in a new tab)
Address
Fort Greene Park, Myrtle Avenue and St. Edwards Street entrance, Myrtle Ave & St Edwards St, Brooklyn, NY 11205 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Fort Greene Park Conservancy (opens in a new tab)

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Holiday event

Holiday Pajama Party

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Play Kids Greenpoint hosts a drop-off Holiday Pajama Party as part of its Friday evening event nights for kids. Children arrive in their favorite pajamas or an ugly Christmas sweater for an evening of holiday cheer with the Play Kids team.

The party is Friday, December 11, 2026, starting at 5:30 p.m. It is a drop-off event, and families sign up through the venue's event nights page. The page shows neither a price nor an end time, so confirm both when you book.

Parent tip: Because it is drop-off, ask about pickup time and whether dinner is included when you sign up. The venue's Halloween night in the same series included dinner and was aimed at ages 4 to 8, so check the age range too.

Host
Play Kids Greenpoint (opens in a new tab)
Address
Play Kids Greenpoint, 33 Nassau Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11222 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Play Kids Greenpoint (opens in a new tab)

New Brooklyn events every week

Rally researches Christmas events in Brooklyn daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Brooklyn.

Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)

We check every event above on the host’s own page for the date, time and cost, plus the things parents ask about, like sign-ups and ages. Looking for a Santa train instead? Those are on our New York Christmas train rides page.

See every event on a December calendar

Plan your December

When each Brooklyn Christmas event for kids happens

The first is Nutcracker Sweets & The Steadfast Tin Soldier in Brooklyn on November 14; the last runs to December 30. Each bar spans an event’s dates, not every hour in them, so check the host’s page for times.

Looking further afield? Our New York Christmas events for kids guide lists every event we have found in the state, and we have city guides for New York City, Hewlett, Bronx and Mineola. The national search sorts every event by distance from your town.

A story for the drive home

A morning with Santa or an evening of holiday stories tends to end the same way: tired kids, a long drive and one more book before bed. Our picture book follows Rally the corgi on his first train ride to see his grand-paw-rents, and every page is painted by hand. If your family is spending December missing someone, it was written for that too. For the car, print our free corgi and train coloring pages.

Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

A bedtime story after seeing SantaRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi’s first ride on a California train, hand-painted in watercolor. $16.99 on Amazon, ages 0 to 8.

Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

2026 Christmas events are coming in late November

More Christmas events arrive in late November. We add them here as soon as we confirm them.

The story of Christmas in Brooklyn

On December 26, 1865, the Brooklyn Eagle remarked on something new along the Heights: families had dressed their windows with Christmas greens and left the blinds open for passersby. Brooklyn has been decorating for an audience ever since, most famously in Dyker Heights, where the house lights now draw more than 100,000 visitors a year.

How Brooklyn celebrates

Brooklyn's Christmas customs have deep roots. By 1879 Santa was making an annual visit to the Plymouth Church Sunday school in Brooklyn Heights, and by 1883 the shop windows of Fulton Street were a holiday attraction of their own. In 1892 Lena Sittig founded a Christmas Tree Club that gave poor children shows, a meal and presents on Christmas Day. The modern showpiece is Dyker Heights, where Lucy Spata began decorating her house in 1986 and neighbors followed. Neighborhood tree lightings fill early December, including Fort Greene Park's ceremony, now in its 12th year, and Grand Army Plaza hosts both a Diocese of Brooklyn tree and the borough's largest menorah.

Fun facts about Christmas in Brooklyn

At the Christmas Tree Club's 1899 dinner, more than 4,000 children filled the drill hall of the 13th Regiment Armory at Hanson Place and Flatbush Avenue, eating in sittings of 1,800. That same Christmas Eve, a riding master playing Santa at a Park Slope riding club had to finish his entrance on horseback after his four-horse sleigh broke down in the sand. In 1883 the toy annex of Loeser's on Fulton Street sold dolls priced from one cent to $75. In 1913 a tall tree with electric lights at the German Hospital in Bushwick stood out at a time when many homes still used gaslight.

Traditions today

  • Dyker Heights Christmas lights: Homeowners between 11th and 13th Avenues and 83rd and 86th Streets cover their houses in lights, a custom Brooklyn Paper traces to Lucy Spata's first display in 1986.
  • Fort Greene Park tree lighting: The Fort Greene Park Conservancy lights the park from the Myrtle Avenue and St. Edwards Street entrance each December, with the 12th annual ceremony set for 2026.
  • Grand Army Plaza tree and menorah: Grand Army Plaza hosts the Diocese of Brooklyn's Christmas tree lighting and the nightly Hanukkah lighting of what is billed as Brooklyn's largest menorah.
  • Dumbo holiday lighting: Dumbo lights its tree at Pearl and Water streets with a Santa visit, school cheerleaders and holiday projections, which in 2021 played across the Manhattan Bridge.
  • Danish Christmas Fair: The Danish Seamen's Church, a Danish institution in New York for nearly 150 years, holds a Christmas fair in Brooklyn Heights each November.
  • Sinterklaas at the Lott House: The historic Hendrick I. Lott House opened its 2024 season with a tree lighting with Sinterklaas, cookies, hot cocoa and horses from the NYC Parks Mounted Auxiliary Unit.

A fact for kids

At a Christmas party in 1901, Santa climbed out of a pretend chimney on the stage of the Orpheum Theater on Fulton Street in front of 2,500 children and parents. In 1930 a young reader from Fort Greene sent the Brooklyn Eagle a poem about Santa flying an airplane.

Questions about Christmas in Brooklyn

How did the Dyker Heights Christmas lights start?

Brooklyn Paper credits Lucy Spata, who began decorating her home in 1986 in memory of her mother's love of decorating, after which neighbors joined in. The Bowery Boys history site calls the origins hazy and says some families were putting up displays as far back as the 1940s.

Where exactly are the Dyker Heights lights?

Time Out places the displays along 11th to 13th Avenues between 83rd and 86th Streets in Dyker Heights. The Bowery Boys describe the heart of it as 84th Street between 10th and 13th Avenues, with decorated houses spilling over onto nearby blocks.

When is the best time to see the Dyker Heights lights?

According to Time Out, homeowners usually hang lights the weekend after Thanksgiving, and the best viewing runs from mid-December through New Year's Eve. Walk between dusk and 9 p.m., because most houses switch off after that. Decorations generally stay up through the first week of January.

How do families get to the Dyker Heights lights?

Time Out suggests the D train to 79th Street and New Utrecht Avenue, followed by a walk of about 15 minutes over somewhat hilly streets. Viewing is free. Traffic and parking are poor, and public bathrooms are hard to find because the area is residential, so plan ahead with children.

Who was Lena Sittig?

She was the wife of a wholesale grocer who founded the Brooklyn Christmas Tree Club in 1892 to give poor children a Christmas, moved by the death of one of her own children. Her husband Frank played Santa in 1899. She lived on Jefferson Avenue and died in 1913.

What was the 1899 children's Christmas dinner in Brooklyn?

On Christmas Day 1899, more than 4,000 children came to the 13th Regiment Armory at Hanson Place and Flatbush Avenue. They saw shows at the Grand Opera House and the Park Theater, ate a meal cooked by the Salvation Army, and went home with toys, clothing, an orange and candy.

What was Christmas shopping like in Brooklyn in the 1880s?

Fulton Street was the place to go. In 1883 the Brooklyn Eagle ran a full page on holiday goods and praised the street's window displays. Loeser's opened a toy annex full of French dolls, and Wechsler & Abraham, the forerunner of Abraham & Straus, was crowded from early morning.

What are some of the oldest Christmas customs recorded in Brooklyn?

The Brooklyn Eagle's archives note window greens along the Heights in 1865, Christmas Eve balls in 1876 including the letter carriers' annual ball at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and Santa's annual visit to the Plymouth Church Sunday school in 1879. In 1889 the paper fretted that Christmas cards were dying out.

How long has Fort Greene Park held a tree lighting?

Brooklyn Paper called the December 7, 2024, ceremony the 10th annual tree lighting in the park, with live music, free hot cocoa and a mailbox for letters to Santa. The Fort Greene Park Conservancy lists its 12th annual ceremony for Saturday, December 5, 2026, from 4 to 5 p.m.

What holiday lightings happen at Grand Army Plaza?

Two were listed for the 2024 season. The Diocese of Brooklyn lit its Christmas tree at Grand Army Plaza on December 13, and the tree stayed lit in red until January. Brooklyn's Largest Menorah was lit there on each night of Hanukkah, with music, hot latkes and gifts for children.

Where does Dumbo hold its holiday tree lighting?

At the Dumbo Archway and Plaza by Pearl and Water streets. In 2024 the 5:30 p.m. lighting came with live music, cheerleaders from P.S. 307 and Dock Street Middle School, a visit from Santa, holiday projections and free snacks. Visitors were asked to bring an unwrapped gift and non-perishable food.

Sources

  1. Christmas throughout the decades, as seen through the pages of the Eagle, Brooklyn Eagle
  2. Celebrating Christmas in 1899: A Tale of Two Brooklyns, Brownstoner
  3. Walkabout: Selling Christmas 1883, Brownstoner
  4. Glowing Dyker Heights Dazzles Visitors With Annual Christmas Lights Spectacle, Brownstoner / Brooklyn Paper
  5. Blinded by the lights of Dyker Heights, The Bowery Boys: New York City History
  6. Dyker Heights Christmas lights, Time Out New York
  7. Enjoy the Festive Sparkle of Holiday Lights in Brooklyn This Year, Brownstoner / Brooklyn Paper
  8. Brooklyn Christmas Tree Lightings and Other Holiday Festivities to Enjoy This Season, Brownstoner
  9. Fort Greene Tree Lighting, Fort Greene Park Conservancy
  10. Danish Christmas Fair 2026, Danish Seamen's Church in New York

Keep the Christmas magic going: track Rally the corgi on Christmas Eve, print free Christmas coloring pages, learn how to say Merry Christmas in 100+ languages, find train museums to visit with kids, or browse Christmas events in every New York city.

Brooklyn Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask

What are the best Christmas events for kids in Brooklyn to start with?

For little ones, start with Nutcracker Sweets & The Steadfast Tin Soldier at Puppetworks in Industry City, a 55-minute marionette show for ages 2 and up that plays weekends from November 14 through December 30, 2026. Then add the Fort Greene Tree Lighting on Saturday, December 5, from 4 to 5 p.m. at the park's Myrtle Avenue entrance.

Are there free Christmas events for kids in Brooklyn?

The two craft sessions at Michaels in Boerum Hill are listed as free: Cookie Cutter Clay Ornaments on November 15 and Holiday Junk Journal on December 13, both from 1 to 3 p.m. and both for ages 13 and up. The pages for the Fort Greene Tree Lighting and the Danish Christmas Fair mention no admission charge.

Where can kids meet Santa in Brooklyn?

Santa greets children and poses for photos at the Danish Christmas Fair on Saturday and Sunday, November 21 and 22, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The shopping and Santa are at the Danish Seamen's Church, 102 Willow Street in Brooklyn Heights. Saturday visitors can also eat Danish holiday food at nearby Plymouth Church.

Are there holiday shows or tree lightings for families in Brooklyn?

Yes. Puppetworks at 51 35th Street stages Nutcracker Sweets & The Steadfast Tin Soldier with marionettes on Saturdays and Sundays at 12:30 and 2:30 p.m. through December 30. The Fort Greene Park Conservancy holds its 12th annual tree lighting on December 5, 2026, from 4 to 5 p.m., with a rain date of December 6.

Which Brooklyn holiday events need tickets or sign-up?

Puppetworks asks families to reserve by email, holds reservations until 15 minutes before showtime and charges $11 for children and $12 for adults. The Holiday Pajama Party at Play Kids Greenpoint on December 11 is a drop-off event that requires sign-up. The Fort Greene Tree Lighting and Danish Christmas Fair pages mention no tickets.

What holiday activities are there for teens in Brooklyn?

Michaels at 252 Atlantic Avenue runs two free beginner craft sessions for ages 13 and up. On Sunday, November 15, 2026, teens make clay ornaments with cookie cutters, paint and foliage. On Sunday, December 13, they build a holiday junk journal from supplied materials. Both sessions run from 1 to 3 p.m.

Are there Christmas train rides for kids near Brooklyn?

Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s New York Christmas train rides guide. This Brooklyn guide covers Santa visits, story times, light shows and other events off the rails.

How do you confirm these events?

We list an event only after we find this season’s date on the host’s own website or an official city or tourism calendar. We last checked every listing on November 10, 2026. Hosts change details, so always confirm on the host’s page before you go.

Event names belong to their hosts. Rally Takes the Train is a family picture book and is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by any host listed here. Confirm dates, times and prices on each host’s own site before you go.

Kelsey Cecil
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