'Tis the season to be jolly! Whether you are a visitor or a local, this season is a festive time of year to discover Albany. Scroll on for merry ways to celebrate the season including historic holiday celebrations, tree lightings, festive strolls and holiday crafting. Happy Holidays!

Historic Holiday Celebrations

St. Nicholas Day Celebration

Saturday, December 2
11 AM to 3:PM

Have you heard of St. Nicholas Day? Step back in time at Crailo State Historic Site to celebrate the medieval saint's day brought to the Hudson River Valley by the Dutch colonists. The entire museum will be open for the festive holiday event. Make sure to head down to Crailo's cellar kitchen to watch interpreters prepare traditional 17th and 18th century seasonal treats with the open-hearth fireplace. Plus, there will be live music, crafts and activities, and a visit from St. Nicholas himself. 

Ten Broeck Mansion Holiday House

Multiple dates in December

Ten Broeck Mansion is dressed in holiday style with sparkling lights, illuminated trees and bright garlands! Sign up for a Holiday House Tour to admire the historic mansion's halls and parlors trimmed with festive decorations. 30-minute walk-through tours are offered on Saturdays and Sundays and special 50-minute tours (exploring all 3 levels!) are on Fridays. Bring your little ones on Saturday, December 16 to meet Sinterklaas for story time and enjoy a Children's Tea Party. 

Holiday Open House at the Pruyn House

December 8 from 2 PM to 6 PM 
December 9 from 10 AM to 3 PM

Get in the holiday spirit amongst 1800's inspired holiday decorations at the historic Pruyn House during the second weekend in December. Enjoy cookies, hot chocolate, and punch and don't miss out on photos with Santa on Saturday!

Capitol Tours for the Holidays

Thursdays & Fridays, December 7 - December 22
5 PM & 6 PM

Explore the historic New York State Capitol on an evening tour this holiday season. The tour will guide visitors through this state landmark with a stop in the Governor's Reception Room to view the holiday tree featuring ornaments from all 62 New York counties, the Capitol Menorah and Kwanzaa Kinara. Stop by the Empire State Plaza's pop-up, holiday shop in the Capitol lobby for unique Albany and state-themed gifts including exclusive, limited-edition ornaments.

Twelfth Night Celebrations

Saturday, January 6
4 PM to 7 PM

The holiday merriment continues until January at Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site and Crailo State Historic Site. Salutations of the Season at Schuyler Mansion highlights the holiday season as it may have been celebrated by the Schuyler family in the 18th century. Enjoy festive old fashioned holiday fare, marvel at the decked-out mansion rooms, listen to live music, enjoy period re-enactors and warm up next to a bonfire. After you have had your fill of wassail, head across the river to Crailo State Historic Site for more festive fun including Yuletide decorations, hearthside cooking, live music, re-enactors and other festive 17th and 18th century traditions. These celebrations are a great way to wrap up your holiday season! 

Tree Lightings 

2023 City of Albany Tree Lighting 

December 1
5 PM to 7 PM

Albany is all spruced up for the holiday season! Academy Park, located across the street from City Hall, will be aglow with a glittering holiday tree and festive inflatables. Enjoy a holly and jolly tree lighting ceremony with performances by Albany High School's Albanettes and Troubadours. Warm up with hot drinks and free refreshments and enjoy some holiday crafts.

New York State Holiday Tree Lighting

*New Schedule due to weather conditions

Indoor Holiday Activities
December 3
1 PM to 5 PM

Official Tree Lighting Ceremony & Fireworks
December 4
5 PM to 7 PM

Enjoy a quintessential celebration of holiday cheer in Albany. New York State's Holiday Tree Lighting, presented by Highmark Blue Shield of Northeastern New York, is at the Empire State Plaza on December 3 and December 4. Due to weather conditions, the official tree lighting and fireworks have been postponed to December 4 from 5 PM to 7 PM. But there is still plenty of fun to be had indoors on Sunday including arts and crafts, performances by Erin Harkes Band, The Rusty Pipes, and Tuba Christmas and photo opportunities with Santa Claus.  Don't forget to pop into the Great Train Extravaganza at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center from 10 AM to 4 PM.

Pop back over on Monday night and enjoy the magic of the season with the official ceremony, special performance by the Hudson Mohawk Figure Skating Club, tree lighting and a spectacular fireworks display.

Library Lights Gazebo Lighting Ceremony 

December 8
6 PM

See the holidays come alight at the Altamont Village Gazebo in Orsini Park. Each light strung along the gazebo will honor the memory of a lost loved one. To dedicate a light, fill out this form. Each dedication costs $5, all proceeds benefit the Altamont Free Library. 

Our Angels Remembered Holiday Trees at Westland Hills 

Visit Westland Hills Baseball and Softball Park for a very special display of 108 brightly decorated Christmas trees that will remain on view through New Year's. Each tree is dedicated to a lost loved one, honoring them this holiday season. 

Bonus: City of Cohoes Holiday Tree, City of Watervliet Holiday Tree, Stuyvesant Plaza Holiday Tree

Several dazzling holiday trees are making Albany County merry and bright! Visit Silliman Park to marvel at a glittering holiday tree in the City of Cohoes. Venture to Veteran's Memorial Park in Watervliet to see their holiday tree already lit for the season. And take a trip to Stuyvesant Plaza to view the shopping plaza's shimmering holiday tree all season long. 

Festive Strolls

Downtown Albany Hot Chocolate Stroll

December 2
11 AM to 3 PM

Experience the hustle and bustle of the season during the fourth Downtown Albany Hot Chocolate Stroll. Presented by the Downtown Albany BID, purchase a ticket to receive a passport to sip and savor gourmet beverages from participating locations such as the Hilton Albany, Alias Coffee, The Skinny Pancake, The Kenmore Ballroom and more. Purchase tickets online in advance (each ticket purchase will also include an exclusive Downtown Albany x Upstate of Mind hot chocolate mug designed by CompasLife!)

Holiday Strolls at Stuyvesant Plaza

Sundays through December 17
1 PM to 4 PM

Celebrate the most wonderful time of the year with Holiday Strolls at Stuyvesant Plaza. The shopping plaza in Guilderland is brimming with "Main Street" holiday charm. Make a dent in your holiday shopping list while also taking advantage of the festive activities. Shoppers can travel from one end of the plaza to the other on a complimentary horse-drawn carriage*. Enjoy live music ringing throughout the shopping plaza and pose for photos with Santa Claus.  

*Due to forecasted weather on Sunday, December 10, horse-drawn carriage rides have been canceled. Carriage rides will resume on December 17.

7th Annual Chili Chowder Stroll

December 9
11 AM to 2 PM

Warm up along Lark Street at this stroll presented by the Lark Street BID sampling chili and chowders from local restaurants and vote for your favorite. Stick around for the 18th Annual Santa Speedo Sprint that kicks off at 2 PM.

Downtown Decorating Contest

24/7, through January 3

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in the capital city! Take a stroll throughout downtown Albany and admire the businesses decked out in festive displays. Place a vote online or in person at the Downtown Albany BID's office for your favorite to be entered in a drawing for a $50 Downtown Albany Gift Card.

Downtown ALB Ornament Scavenger Hunt 

Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays through December 22

While strolling through downtown Albany on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays be on the lookout for a limited edition "ALBtotheCore" ornament hid throughout businesses, parks, and public places by the Downtown Albany BID. When you find an ornament make sure to post a picture to social media, use the hashtag #AlbtotheCore and tag the Downtown Albany BID. Finding the ornament means you get to keep it as a souvenir and adorn your tree in a little Albany pride.

Holiday Crafting 

Painting Classes at Historic St. Agnes Cemetery

December 1, December 8, December 15
10 AM to 12 PM

Join in on one or more of the Historic St. Agnes Cemetery's Friday painting classes. Each class is open to painters of all levels and will help you learn new techniques and improve your skills as an artist. December's classes invite you to create beautiful works of art perfect to display at all your holiday gatherings. Themes include winter home on December 1, apples and holly on December 8, and green sleigh on December 15.

Family Crafting at Nelly's Treats

Nelly's Treats is hosting family baking classes all throughout the season! On December 1 attend Family Fun Night: Gingerbread Cookies. This class will teach even the tiniest of bakers to bake gingerbread cookies from scratch and dress them up for the holidays. Want to make a home for your gingerbread people? Sign-up for Family Fun Night: Gingerbread House on December 15. Decorate this edible home, listen to holiday music, sip on hot cocoa and find more family-friendly holiday fun. Then get ready for Santa to come to town during the bakery's Cookies for Santa class on December 23. Each family will leave with homemade cookies for Santa and even a treat for his reindeer. Tickets to each class cover one adult and one child.

As the holiday season comes to a close, celebrate 2023 and look forward to what 2024 has in store during Family Time: Vision Board. Lay out your goals and wishes for the year ahead while enjoying this time spent with family. Each ticket covers a 4-seat table and supplies. A charcuterie board can be added on by contacting the bakery.

Create Mini Works of Art at Albany Barn's Gifted Holiday Market

December 2
10 AM to 1 PM

Stop in for some crafting at day two of Albany Barn's Gifted Holiday Market. Purchase ornaments and create mini works of art alongside artists whose work will be on display throughout the gallery. 

Holiday Memory Journal Workshop

December 9
11 AM to 12:30 PM

Step back in time and capture your holiday memories using 19th-century paper techniques at the Ten Broeck Mansion. Learn how to capture verbal and visual memory prompts throughout the season to use for later inspiration. Open to those 18 or older, all supplies included.

Holiday Craft and Sips at Nine Pin

Enjoy a complimentary cider and some holiday crafting workshops at Nine Pin all December long! On December 7, learn how to make festive, winter Pom Pom Garlands to gift to love ones or use as decor all season long. On December 9, make a homemade candle as a gift for a loved-one or even yourself during Candle Making at Nine Pin. Or stop by on December 10 for an Ornament Paint and Sip. Assemble a team and compete for the title of best gingerbread house builders in Albany during the cidery's Great Gingerbread Build-Off.

Bonus: Nine Pin is hosting Gift Wrapping Day on December 18, a chance to get all your holiday gift wrapping done while enjoying a cider and using the expertise of the cidery's events coordinator. And be sure to stop by Nine Pin's Ugly Holiday Sweater Show-Off to enjoy $1 off pours all day long for all who don their holiday best.

Felted Gifts at the Honest Weight Food Co-Op

Make some gifts for loved ones or yourself through the art of felting at the Honest Weight Food Co-Op. On December 12, craft a decorative felted soap. Felted soap helps your soap last longer and creates an exfoliating surface, plus, they look lovely! On December 19, attend the Co-Op's class Felted Mushroom Ornaments to learn how to make a small, wooly mushroom to hang on your tree or gift to a friend.

Holiday Crafting at the Thacher Nature Center

On December 16 create beautiful, ice lanterns out of natural materials found at Thacher Park. Learn about native plants and use their greens, stems, and berries to create these holiday decorations to present on your front step or holiday table. Then, on December 17 attend the Needle Felt Applique class. Perfect for the gift-giving season this beginner class in needle felting will teach participants to use colored wool to embellish a bag for gift-giving or trinkets.