Browsing: Free Christmas Things to Do

Lights, trees, windows, markets, trains and carols: the best free ways to celebrate Christmas in New York in 2026.

The parade that kicks off Christmas in New York: route, viewing tips and timing for Thursday, November 26, 2026.

Watch the giant Macy’s balloons come to life on Thanksgiving Eve, November 25, 2026, on the Upper West Side.

Free lights, cheaper tickets, budget skating and money-saving tips for a New York Christmas.

Music-reactive lights on 34 trees along Broadway across from Lincoln Center, with a free kickoff celebration in early December.

Downtown tree lightings across North, Central and Shore New Jersey for the 2026 season.

New York State’s oldest lighthouse is outlined in holiday lights on Saturday, November 28, 2026.

Sag Harbor lights its Long Wharf lighthouse and tree on Friday, December 4, 2026.

Over 100 lit Christmas trees float on Lake Meone in Historic Smithville, free to watch nightly.

Two neighboring houses on Paterson Road, Fanwood, covered in about 30,000 lights for charity.