Cheap Chick NYC Christmas 2009 Guide

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night! Or good day, or something...anyway grab a candy cane for energy and your trusty metrocard to sample all of the holiday goodies the city has to offer. This year, I will also have a separate Hanukkah blog and a gift-buying blog, probably coming out next week. Watch for weekend picks with holiday flair coming up, but they may appear a bit later than usual since this took up some of my time. Hopefully these will keep you busy while you're dodging the mistletoe and waiting for weekend picks! Check back on this guide too, there may be some additions popping up, and feel free to send me a note with any holiday celebrations you'd like me to promote as well!

Ongoing:
Holiday Marts:
It's always free to browse the booths at the city's holiday marts. There are shops set up at Bryant Park, Columbus Circle, Union Square, and Grand Central Terminal.

See the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. http://www.rockefellercenter.com/index.php/section/5#/5/-1/-1/86/

Gawk at the holiday store windows at Macy’s, Saks Fifth Ave., Barney’s, Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdale’s, and Lord & Taylor. http://gonyc.about.com/od/christmassights/l/bl_xmaswindows.htm

See Christmas-related literary works at the New York Public Library. http://www.nypl.org/research/calendar/exhib/hssl/uelisthssl.cfm

The Winter Garden is alight with lights as well! http://worldfinancialcenter.com/

Check out the annual holiday train show at the New York Transit Museum and the holiday light show at Grand Central. http://grandcentralterminal.com/go/mallEvents.cfm?eventsonly=1

Travel back in time to holidays past at the Annual Christmas Tree and Neapolitan Baroque Crèche at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. http://www.metmuseum.org/special/se_event.asp?OccurrenceId=%7BDDAFAB34-F33A-4480-AE7B-102CC4C66205}

Get a little wild this holiday season with the origami tree at the American Museum of Natural History. http://www.amnh.org/news/2009/11/origami_holiday_tree/

Gingerbread Houses at the Parker Meridian Hotel. http://www.parkermeridien.com/gingerbread.php

Carriage rides, ice sculpting, and a toy and coat drive at the Bronx Zoo. http://www.bronxzoo.com/this-season-at-the-zoo/events-calendar.aspx

All aboard at the New York Botanical Garden’s train ride! http://www.nybg.org/hts09/#your_visit/hours

Ride a vintage train on Sundays through December 27, 2009. http://mta.info/mta/news/releases/?en=091203-NYCT195a

Learn about celebrating the New Year in old New York at the Merchant's House Museum (through Jan. 11, 2010.) http://www.merchantshouse.com/events/index.html

View "Winter and the Holidays" art exhibit at the Salmagundi Club. http://www.salmagundi.org/

Upcoming:
December 7-11, 2009
Enjoy bargains, free gifts, and the chance to save on holiday purchases and meals downtown! Check here for more info: http://www.downtownny.com/holiday/promo/?utm_source=Downtown+Alliance&utm_medium=email&utm_term=interactive+map&utm_content=writerbug%40hotmail.com&utm_campaign=Downtown+for+the+Holidays%3A+5+Days

December 8, 2009
Listen to live caroling as you shop at Housing Works bookstore. http://www.housingworks.org/events/detail/nyc-master-chorale/

Music, opera, and hot chocolate, oh my! At the Met Opera. http://www.metoperafamily.org//metopera/news/features/detail.aspx?id=10822

December 10-20, 2009
Don’t be a blockhead-go see a live performance of A Charlie Brown Christmas! http://www.brooklynlyceum.com/news/a-charlie-brown-christmas..-live-with-jazz-trio.-back-by-popular-demand-this-december.-runs-dec-10-20

December 11-13, 2009
Take in a performance of “Everybody Cries @ Christmas.” http://www.thetanknyc.org/theater

December 11 and 18, 2009
Caroling at the Morgan Library and Museum. http://www.themorgan.org/public/program.asp?id=237

December 13, 2009
Sweep the clouds away with BAM’s “A Special Sesame Street Christmas” Program. http://www.bam.org/view.aspx?pid=1790

December 12 and 19, 2009
Make your own holiday cookies at the Brooklyn Kitchen. http://www.thebrooklynkitchen.com/calendar-of-classes-and-events/

December 12, 2009
Get crafty at the 3rd Ward Holiday Craft Fair, http://www.3rdward.com/events/

December 14, 2009
Does Santa Claus really exist? Perhaps the Virginia of the Santa Claus letter fame will be there or Susan from Miracle on 34th Street…just kidding! http://www.petescandystore.com/home2.html#

December 17, 2009
Cheer on Mr. Scrooge at the Strand’s annual reading of the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol. Remember you can see the original at the New York Public Library. http://www.strandbooks.com/app/www/p/calendar/#1442

December 18 and 19, 2009
Candlelight Holiday tour and celebration at the Mount Vernon Museum. http://www.mvhm.org/pages/events/events.htm

December 19 and 20, 2009
Shop at the Brooklyn Lyceum’s Holiday Craft Market. http://www.bkcraftcentral.com/

December 19, 2009
The 92nd Street Y presents “Kevin’s Holiday Grab Bag” a weird, crazy holiday show. http://www.92y.org/shop/92Tri_event_detail.asp?category=92Tri+92YTribeca+Film888&productid=T-MM5FD18

December 20, 2009
Say Hi to Cookie Monster for me at the Bell House’s Holiday Cookie Takedown. http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&eventId=679505

December 24, 2009
Sing carols with your fellow New Yorkers at Washington Square Park. http://www.washingtonsquarenyc.org/index.htm