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Best of November: 21 Things To Do in Westchester and the Hudson Valley

Peace, Love & Lights comes to the former Woodstock site at Bethel Woods. Photo courtesy of Bethel Woods
Peace, Love & Lights comes to the former Woodstock site at Bethel Woods. Photo courtesy of Bethel Woods
10/30/22 - By Katherine Dhurandhar

November brings plenty of things to do as Westchester and the Hudson Valley gear up for holidays from Veterans Day to Thanksgiving and full steam ahead to Christmas. 

November kicks off the season of holiday celebrations with the opening of Christmas exhibitions and light shows. This year includes the return of Lumagica at Harvest Moon, the revamped and expanded American Christmas and Santa's Village, and a new Polar Express-themed train ride through the Catskills. For even more festive fun, don't miss the Diwali Celebration at the Westchester Children's Museum, the Holiday Kickoff at the Hudson River Museum, and the opening of the holiday train shows at Greenburgh Nature Center and Lasdon Park. 

Find more top November fun in our Fall Fun Guide, our roundup of fabulous fall hikes, and our Holiday Fun Guide.

We’re adding more events to our family Family Activity Calendar every day, so don’t forget to check it frequently.  

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Celebrate Diwali at the Westchester Children’s Museum. Photo courtesy of the museum
Celebrate Diwali at the Westchester Children’s Museum. Photo courtesy of the museum

Top Things to Do in Westchester and the Hudson Valley with Kids This November

American Christmas and Santa's Village

Mt Vernon
Opens Friday, November 4
American Christmas in Mount Vernon opens the doors to its 110,000-square-foot warehouse and showroom for the public this year for a one-of-a-kind spectacular Christmas experience. Stroll through a Dickensian Village at Christmastime, visit with Santa, and take photos with a 25-foot illuminated reindeer. READ MORE

Experience Diwali

Rye
Saturday, November 5
Celebrate Diwali at the Westchester Children’s Museum with a workshop and activities in the traditions of India, including pot painting, henna tattoos, and a Bharatanatyam classical Indian dance performance and workshop.  READ MORE

Animal Interactions

Katonah
Saturday, November 5
Get up close and personal with the animals at Muscoot Farm. In this program, children have the opportunity to enter one of the animal enclosures and see, touch, and learn more about an animal of the farmer’s choice. READ MORE

Colors in Nature with the Stamford Nature Museum

Pound Ridge–FREE
Saturday, November 12
The Pound Ridge Library teams up with educators from the Stamford Nature Center to allow children to meet live animals. Who uses camouflage to survive in the wild? Whose colors help to warn? Whose colors help them to stand out? READ MORE

Holiday Train Show

Greenburgh
Weekends from Saturday, November 12-Sunday, December 4
The Holiday Train Show returns to the Greenburgh Nature Center for four weekends, featuring a special 12-foot-by-18-foot display of model trains traveling through countryside scenes. READ MORE

Taste of Thanksgiving

Monroe
Saturday, November 12-Sunday, November 13
At Museum Village's living history museum, experience a 19th-century Thanksgiving feast cooked over an open hearth. Adding to the occasion are a turkey pardon and a pardoning pageant.  READ MORE

Children & Families at Storm King

New Windsor
Sunday, November 13
Explore Storm King Art Center, the gorgeous 500-acre outdoor museum, in this special workshop focusing on Alyson Shotz’s Mirror Fence. Participants will create a poem with the words and images generated from their observations.  READ MORE

Polar Express Train Ride

Kingston
Select dates from Friday, November 18-Wednesday, December 28
Set to the sounds of the motion picture, passengers will relive the classic story as they are whisked away on THE POLAR EXPRESS™ for a magical trip to the North Pole. Once on board, the Conductor will work their way through the coach and punch your golden ticket as you’re served hot chocolate and a cookie by dancing chefs. Passengers will read along with the classic children’s book, The Polar Express, by Chris Van Allsburg.  READ MORE

Lumagica at Harvest Moon

North Salem
Multiple dates from Friday, November 18-Friday, December 30
The Lumagica walk-through holiday light experience returns in 2022 to Harvest Moon Farm & Orchard, with even more lights and installations. Along the 3/4-mile trail, more than 750,000 LED lights are used to illuminate large light sculptures. At the end of the trail, participants are greeted by fire pits where hot food, cider donuts, and seasonal drinks are available for purchase.  READ MORE

Charlotte's Web Film Screening and Meet Real Spiders

Pleasantville
Saturday, November 19
Jacob Burns FIlm Center presents a live-action adaptation of Charlotte's Web, the classic story of loyalty, trust, and sacrifice. After the movie, head upstairs to the Jan Peck Gallery and see live spiders from the Greenburgh Nature Center.  READ MORE

Children's Art Workshop: Thanksgiving Celebration

Yonkers
Saturday, November 19
This free Children's Art Workshop is a special Thanksgiving Celebration with artist Christine de Jesus. Children with special needs are always welcome.  READ MORE

Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella

Yorktown
Select dates from Saturday, November 19-Sunday, November 27
Enjoy this stage adaptation of the classic movie Cinderella by the players at the Yorktown Stage.  READ MORE

Clay Holiday Market - Meet the Artists & Ornament Painting

Portchester–FREE
Saturdays, November 19 and December 17
Enjoy sweet treats & hot chocolate, and have your kids paint clay ornaments to take home and hang on the tree. Shop local and handmade gifts at the market, featuring the best in functional pottery and ceramic sculpture made by local and nationally recognized ceramic artists. READ MORE

Annual New Rochelle Thanksgiving Parade

New Rochelle–FREE
Thursday, November 24
The City of New Rochelle hosts its 58th annual Thanksgiving Day Parade, featuring bands, assorted marchers, and giant balloons. The eight giant parade balloons this year  include Mighty Mouse, Elmo, Peppa Pig, Popeye and My Little Pony Pinky Pie as well as floats, marching bands, vintage cars, the PAW Patrol, clowns, fire trucks, super heroes, and more. The parade is reportedly the largest parade in New York outside of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade in NYC.   READ MORE

Peace, Love & Lights

Bethel
Opens Friday, November 25
This drive-thru light experience on the site of the Woodstock Festival returns with even more lights, with themed displays depicting New York and holidays around the world. READ MORE

Westchester’s Winter Wonderland Drive-Thru Holiday Light Extravaganza

Valhalla
Opens Friday, November 25
This holiday lights extravaganza returns to Kensico Dam Plaza bigger and better than ever, with thousands more lights, magical holiday animations, and a live Santa. READ MORE

The Wonderland of Lights

Rhinebeck
Opens Friday, November 25
This spectacular drive-thru holiday light experience returns to the Dutchess County Fairgrounds. The attraction features dozens of illuminated exhibits along a mile-long route.  READ MORE

Holiday Kickoff

Yonkers
Friday, November 25-Sunday, November 27
Enjoy this weekend-long event at the Hudson River Museum, which celebrates both Thanksgiving and December holidays. View the night sky in a holiday-edition planetarium show, and tour Victorian Glenview, which is decked out in its holiday finery. The Thunderbird American Indian Dancers perform Friday. Family arts and science workshops are offered on all three days. READ MORE

World Ballet Series: The Nutcracker

Peekskill
Saturday, November 26
A part of the World Ballet Series, The Nutcracker is performed live by a multinational cast of 50 professional ballet dancers gathered to bring the most beloved holiday tradition to life.  A family-friendly experience accompanied by Tchaikovsky’s timeless score, more than 150 hand-sewn costumes, hand-crafted sets, and classic Marius Petipa choreography.  READ MORE

Holidays on the Hill Train Show

Somers
Opens Saturday, November 26
The annual holiday train show returns to Lasdon Park with more trains and more exhibits in 2022. Stroll through the outdoor exhibits, then watch the train show wend its way along indoor tracks. As space and time allows, meet with Santa! READ MORE

Frosty Day

Armonk–FREE
Sunday, November 27
The holiday song "Frosty the Snowman" is reportedly based on Armonk, and the town celebrates its claim to fame in a big way. This year's event features a rousing parade "down to the village," a tree-lighting ceremony, entertainers, train rides, a magician, clowns, crafts, cartoons, and more.  READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

Westbrook Lane Station (at the Kingston Plaza shopping center)
Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
Lasdon Park Arboretum and Veterans Memorial