NYC in November With Kids: Rinks, Lights and the Parade
November is when New York swaps sneakers for skates. Here's what's on in 2026, week by week, with the famous dates and a few quieter ones most visitors miss.
The short answer
NYC in November with kids means cool weather (normal highs fall from 59°F to 49°F in Central Park), the Marathon on November 1, rinks open at Wollman and Bryant Park, the Rockefeller tree arriving November 7, and light shows from mid month. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is Thursday, November 26, 2026, and schools are closed November 11, 26 and 27.
Checked October 18, 2026. Every date and price below was read that day on the organizer's own page or the named source, and where a page didn't say (a ticket price not yet out, a time not yet set) we tell you so instead of guessing. November plans move, so open the link before you set off.
NYC in November with kids is the city changing costumes in public. It starts the month in sneakers with the Marathon rattling past, and by the end it's in a wool hat watching a 100th birthday parade go down Central Park West. In between, the rinks fill up, the tree arrives at Rockefeller Center, and the botanical gardens string up enough lights to be seen from a plane (probably; I haven't checked, and I'm not asking a pilot).
It's also a month of school days off for New York children, which matters whether you live here or are visiting and wondering why the Natural History Museum is suddenly full of seven-year-olds on a Tuesday. Below: the weather, the dates that shape the month, then the places, famous and less so, roughly in calendar order.
What is the weather like in NYC in November?
Cool, then cold. The National Weather Service's 1991 to 2020 normals for Central Park put a typical November 1 at a high of 59°F and a low of 46°F, sliding to 49°F and 38°F by November 30, with a monthly average of 48°F. Normal rainfall for the month is 3.58 inches and normal snowfall is half an inch, so snow is possible but not something to plan a trip around.
In practice that means layers. A fleece that works in the first week becomes a fleece under a proper coat by Thanksgiving, and the wind between the Midtown towers has opinions about your child's hat. The clocks go back an hour on Sunday, November 1 (daylight saving time ends that morning), so afternoons get dark early. Good news for light shows. Less good for the playground at 4:45pm.
November 2026 dates parents should know
- Sunday, November 1: the TCS New York City Marathon, and the clocks go back one hour.
- Tuesday, November 3: Election Day. NYC public school students learn remotely (school calendar), so expect families out in the afternoon.
- Saturday, November 7: the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree arrives (Time Out's report of the 2026 schedule).
- Wednesday, November 11: Veterans Day. NYC public schools are closed.
- Thursday, November 26 and Friday, November 27: Thanksgiving recess, schools closed. The Macy's parade is on the Thursday.
- Wednesday, December 2: the tree lighting, which is technically December but which half of November is spent talking about.
See also Where to stand at the Marathon with kids, by borough →
Early November: the tree, the Rockettes and a sculpture made of soup
Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
The tree arrives on Saturday, November 7, 2026, which Rockefeller Center calls Meet the Tree Day, and it's lit on Wednesday, December 2. November is the in-between month: the tree is up and wrapped in scaffolding while the crews decorate it, so what your children see is a very large spruce having a very long haircut.
That sounds like a reason to skip it. I'd argue the opposite for small children, because the plaza is calmer before the lighting than at any point in December, and the rink below has been open since October 10. You get the famous view of the skaters with room to stand. The lighting itself is televised on NBC, and with a six-year-old the sofa is a strong option.
Practical
- Subway
- B/D/F/M to 47-50 Sts-Rockefeller Ctr (accessible station); check the MTA's elevator status before relying on it
- Cost
- Free to look
- Time
- Twenty minutes, longer if you skate
- Check first
- Viewing rules and hours around the December 2 lighting
Radio City Christmas Spectacular
The show returns to Radio City Music Hall on November 4, 2026, with 230 performances, and the run time is 90 minutes with no intermission. That last fact is the one parents should care about: no intermission means no mid-show snack line, but it also means one restroom trip before the curtain, not after the second song.
The Rockettes' calendar page didn't show a lowest price when we checked, and offers come and go, so compare dates on the calendar. November weekday matinees are worth a look if your children can be out of school (Veterans Day, say).
Practical
- Subway
- B/D/F/M to 47-50 Sts-Rockefeller Ctr (accessible station)
- Cost
- Varies by date and seat; see the calendar
- Time
- 90 minutes, no intermission
- Check first
- The calendar for prices and showtimes, and the ticket rules for small children
Canstruction at Brookfield Place
Teams of architects, engineers and contractors build large sculptures out of unopened cans of food, and then the whole lot is donated to City Harvest. The exhibition runs from October 30 to November 9, 2026, daily from 10am to 7pm (6pm on the last night), all around Brookfield Place at 230 Vesey Street. Admission isn't listed on the page, and it's in a public shopping and office complex, so you can walk around it.
Why it's worth the detour: children who are bored by sculpture are suddenly very interested in a sculpture that might contain spaghetti hoops. Bring a can for the drop-off at the Information Table in the Winter Garden and you have a lesson about food banks that doesn't feel like one. Free educational tours need registering through Eventbrite, which opens October 19.
Practical
- Subway
- E to World Trade Center, R/W to Cortlandt St or 1 to WTC Cortlandt (all accessible stations); A/C at Chambers St is not
- Cost
- No admission listed; donations of cans welcome
- Time
- 30 to 45 minutes
- Check first
- Tour times if you want a guided walk
Election Day in Prospect Park
With NYC public schools learning remotely on Tuesday, November 3, the Prospect Park Alliance runs a school-holiday program from 10am to 5pm (the times vary by activity). Leaf art and a leaf-litter dig at the Audubon Center run 10am to 3pm, with a Fall Leaf Discovery citizen-science session from 2 to 3pm, all free. Lefferts Historic House is open free from noon to 4pm, and the carousel runs noon to 5pm at $3 a ride or $13 for five.
It's a good shape for a day: a free nature table, a historic house, and a carousel as the bribe at the end.
Practical
- Subway
- B/Q/S to Prospect Park (accessible station)
- Cost
- Free; carousel $3 a ride
- Time
- Two to three hours
- Check first
- Each activity's own hours on the event page
Fly Away Redbirds Nostalgia Ride
The New York Transit Museum runs Redbird subway cars, the old red trains, on Saturday, November 7. The afternoon ride (2 to 4pm) leaves from the Old South Ferry station, which has been closed to the public since 2017, and runs a round trip of about 90 to 100 minutes up to the Bronx and through a train yard. Tickets are $60 for adults and $40 for children, and children 2 and up need their own.
It's for the child who already knows every line color by heart. Two honest warnings from the museum's own listing: there are no restrooms on the train, and the old station isn't accessible, with a short staircase to the platform. Tickets went on sale in August, so check the museum's calendar for what's left.
Practical
- Subway
- 1 to South Ferry (accessible station); the ride itself leaves from the old station, reached by stairs
- Restrooms
- None on the train
- Cost
- $60 adults, $40 children 2 and up; non-refundable
- Time
- About two hours including boarding
- Check first
- Availability and the morning ride time on the museum's calendar
Pumpkin Smash at Queens Botanical Garden
On Sunday, November 1, from 11am to 3pm, bring your Halloween pumpkin, jack-o'-lantern or gourds to the garden's compost yard and the compost team turns them into soil for Queens. It's free with a pumpkin, there are refreshments and activities, registration is recommended (walk-ins welcome) and it runs rain or shine.
It is, and I mean this as a compliment, the most satisfying way to get rid of a sagging pumpkin. Children are allowed to destroy something for science. The garden is at 43-50 Main Street.
Practical
- Subway
- 7 to Flushing-Main St (accessible station), then walk south along Main Street
- Cost
- Free with a pumpkin
- Time
- An hour
- Check first
- RSVP on the event page
Mid November: rinks, chrysanthemums and the Train Show
Wollman Rink, Central Park
Wollman is open daily from October 24, 2026 to March 16, 2027. Hours are 10am to 2:30pm on Monday and Tuesday, 10am to 9pm Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, and 10am to 10pm Friday and Saturday. Adults (13 to 64) pay $16, $28 or $40 depending on whether the day is Off-Peak, Peak or Prime on the calendar; children 4 to 12 are $12 on any day, and 3 and under are free. Skate rental is $12 and lockers $8.
Each child ticket includes one free non-skating chaperone aged 21 or over, so one grown-up can hold the coats and the coffee (and the moral high ground). Children under 16 must be with a chaperone aged 21 or older. Thanksgiving Day is marked Prime.
Practical
- Subway
- N/R/W to 5 Av/59 St (not accessible); N/Q/R/W to 57 St-7 Av (accessible station), a longer walk
- Stroller
- Allowed
- Cost
- Adults $16 to $40; children 4 to 12 $12; 3 and under free; skates $12
- Time
- Ninety minutes on the ice is plenty
- Check first
- Which price tier your date is on the ticket calendar
Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
The rink and holiday shops open October 28, 2026; the rink runs to February 28, 2027 and the shops to January 3. Skating is free if you bring your own skates, but you still reserve a free ticket in advance. Rentals cost $18.72 to $64.48 including fees, with off-peak times cheaper, and helmets are free. The rink is open 8am to 10pm daily including holidays, stretching to midnight from November 19 to January 3.
Skate aids (the penguins and snowmen children push around the ice) cost $26 but are free before 10:30am when available, which is a strong reason to be an early family for once. Children under 14 must have an adult with them at all times.
Practical
- Subway
- B/D/F/M to 42 St-Bryant Pk and 7 to 5 Av are not accessible; Times Sq-42 St and Grand Central-42 St are accessible stations
- Cost
- Skating free with own skates; rentals $18.72 to $64.48
- Time
- An hour on the ice, longer at the shops
- Check first
- Holiday hours for the shops, which the park says may vary
Grand Central Holiday Fair
The fair runs from November 9 to December 24, 2026 inside Grand Central Terminal. Until December 16 it's open Monday to Saturday 10am to 7pm and Sunday 11am to 6pm, and it's closed on Thanksgiving Day. It's indoors, which in late November counts as a feature, and the terminal itself is a fine place to wait out a cold shower.
Practical
- Subway
- 4/5/6/7/S to Grand Central-42 St (accessible station)
- Cost
- Free to browse
- Time
- Thirty minutes, or as long as your wallet lasts
- Check first
- Closed Thanksgiving Day; longer hours in Christmas week
Kiku at the New York Botanical Garden
From October 31 to November 15, 2026, the Nolen Greenhouses fill with Japanese chrysanthemums trained for about 11 months into shapes, including the style sometimes called thousand bloom, where hundreds of flowers grow from a single stem. Hours are 10am to 4pm, and it's included in the All-Garden Pass. On the Kiku Highlight Weekend, November 7 and 8, from noon to 4pm, there's taiko drumming at 12:30 and 2:30pm and hands-on crafts.
Most visitors come to NYBG in November for the trains. Come a week earlier and you get the flowers and the drums with room to see them; taiko at close range is louder than any marching band, and children tend to love it.
Practical
- Subway
- B/D to Bedford Park Blvd (accessible station), then walk or bus east to the garden; the 4 at Bedford Park Blvd-Lehman College is not accessible
- Cost
- Included with the All-Garden Pass; see NYBG's admission page for prices
- Time
- Half an hour in the greenhouses, a morning with the garden
- Check first
- Ticket prices and the highlight weekend schedule
Holiday Train Show at NYBG
Model trains run through the garden's conservatory from November 14, 2026 to January 10, 2027. The conservatory stays open to 8pm (last entry 7pm) on selected nights, including November 27, 28 and 29. Sensory Friendly Mornings run on November 21, 2026 and January 9, 2027 from 9 to 11am, without videos or music, with the trains and waterfalls still running.
The event page we read didn't list prices or the timed-ticket rules, so check the tickets page before you go. If you can, book an early November date: the Thanksgiving weekend evenings are the ones everybody else is booking too.
Practical
- Subway
- B/D to Bedford Park Blvd (accessible station), then walk or bus east to the garden
- Cost
- See NYBG's tickets page
- Time
- An hour in the conservatory
- Check first
- Ticket prices, entry times and the evening dates
Hearth & Harvest Festival at Historic Richmond Town
On Saturday, November 21, 2026, from 11am to 4pm, the historic village holds Indigenous dance, storytelling and crafts at the 3rd County Courthouse and the Native Encampment, hearth-cooking demonstrations with 18th and 19th century recipes in the old kitchens, and vendors with handmade goods and Native American food. Tickets were listed as coming soon when we checked.
It's the weekend before Thanksgiving and the opposite of the parade: no barricades, wood smoke instead of exhaust, and a very good chance your children will ask what everyone did before ovens had dials.
Practical
- Subway
- 1 to South Ferry (accessible station) for the Staten Island Ferry, then a bus; check the site's directions
- Cost
- Not announced when we checked
- Time
- Two to three hours, plus the trip
- Check first
- Ticket prices
Late November: lights, the parade and Thanksgiving weekend
Lightscape at BBG
Brooklyn Botanic Garden's after-dark light trail runs from November 20, 2026 to January 3, 2027. Prices include fees and depend on the night: adults $29 on Value Nights, $39 Off-Peak and $44 Peak; children 3 to 11 are $15, $22 or $28; babies up to 2 are free. Entry times are staggered, and the garden closes at 3:30pm on event days to set up. The trail paths are wheelchair accessible.
The Value Nights are where the savings are, so check the calendar before you pick a date. Dress for standing still in the dark, because that's what looking at lights mostly is.
Practical
- Subway
- 2/3 to Eastern Pkwy-Brooklyn Museum or B/Q/S to Prospect Park (both accessible stations)
- Cost
- Adults $29 to $44; children 3 to 11 $15 to $28; 2 and under free
- Time
- About an hour on the trail
- Check first
- Which nights are Value Nights, and entry times
Bronx Zoo Holiday Lights
The 2026 to 2027 Holiday Lights open November 21 and 22, then run November 27 to 29 and on set dates through January 3. Ticket holders can enter from 1pm, the lights come on at 4:30pm, and final entry is 8pm. New this season, the zoo says: late access to the Children's Zoo farmyard, World of Darkness and World of Reptiles. Tickets must be reserved in advance; the announcement didn't list prices.
The 1pm entry is the clever bit for families with young children. You can see animals in daylight, have a snack, and still be at the lights when they switch on without anyone falling asleep in the stroller first. In theory.
Practical
- Subway
- 2/5 to Pelham Pkwy (accessible station) or West Farms Sq-E Tremont Av (not accessible); check the zoo's directions for the nearest gate
- Cost
- Advance tickets required; see the zoo's site for prices
- Time
- Two to three hours
- Check first
- Open nights (not every night) and prices
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Thursday, November 26, 2026, from Central Park West and West 77th Street down to Herald Square, ending with Santa. NYC Tourism lists a record 100 inflatables for the parade's 100th anniversary. The start time and the balloon inflation details for 2026 weren't on the pages we read on October 18, so check Macy's parade page in November.
We've written a whole guide on where to stand, where the restrooms are and what's open if the crowd isn't for you, so I won't repeat it here. The short version: decide on the restroom before you decide on the spot.
Practical
- Subway
- 1/2/3 to 72 St (accessible station); B/C to 72 St and 81 St-Museum of Natural History are not accessible
- Cost
- Free
- Time
- An hour at the curb is a good result with a five-year-old
- Check first
- 2026 start time, viewing rules and street closures
See also Our full guide to the Thanksgiving Day Parade with kids →
George Balanchine's The Nutcracker
New York City Ballet's Nutcracker opens on November 27, the day after Thanksgiving, and runs to January 2, 2027 at the David H. Koch Theater, 20 Lincoln Center Plaza. The ballet recommends it for ages 5 and up, everyone needs a ticket including children sitting on laps, and it runs about two hours. There's a sensory-friendly performance on January 3 at 1pm.
If your family is in town for Thanksgiving, the opening weekend is the November slot. The ballet's page didn't show a starting price when we checked, so compare dates.
Practical
- Subway
- 1 to 66 St-Lincoln Center (accessible station)
- Cost
- Varies by date and seat
- Time
- About two hours
- Check first
- Prices and performance times
Is November a good time to visit NYC with kids?
I think it's one of the best, with one condition: avoid Thanksgiving week unless the parade is the point. The first three weeks of November have the rinks and the early light shows with lighter crowds than December, prices that haven't yet hit Christmas-week levels at places with tiered tickets (Wollman, Lightscape and the Bryant Park rentals all charge less on quieter days), and weather that is cold but rarely bitter.
Thanksgiving weekend is the opposite. The parade, the Nutcracker opening, Train Show evenings and the zoo lights all land on the same four days, with schools off on the Thursday and Friday. Book anything ticketed early, and keep one plan in your pocket that needs no ticket at all, such as a long walk in a big park. Your legs, or more likely your children's legs, will thank you around 3pm on the Saturday.
A November rule we live by: one ticketed thing a day, maximum. Everything else is a park, a snack or a train ride, and nobody cries in the Rockefeller Center concourse.
What to pack for NYC in November with kids
- Layers rather than one huge coat, because museums and subway cars are warm and the avenues aren't.
- Hats and gloves from mid month, and spare gloves for the rink, where they get wet.
- Waterproof shoes: November normally brings over three and a half inches of rain.
- Snacks for the wait between the zoo opening at 1pm and the lights at 4:30pm.
- A note of each ticket's entry time. The light shows and the Train Show use timed or staggered entry.
See also Every rink in the city, with prices and hours →
See also This week's family events across the five boroughs in the Almanac →
One last practical note. Elevators at accessible subway stations go out of service, and November weekends bring planned service changes, so check the MTA's elevator status and weekend service notices before any trip with a stroller.
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Questions people ask
What is the weather like in NYC in November?
Cool to cold. National Weather Service normals for Central Park give a high of 59°F and low of 46°F on November 1, falling to 49°F and 38°F by November 30, with about 3.6 inches of rain and half an inch of snow in a typical month.
What is there to do in NYC in November with kids?
Ice skating at Wollman Rink and Bryant Park, the Rockefeller Center tree (arriving November 7), the Radio City Christmas Spectacular from November 4, NYBG's Holiday Train Show from November 14, Lightscape from November 20, the Bronx Zoo Holiday Lights from November 21 and the Macy's parade on November 26.
Is the Rockefeller Christmas tree up in November?
Yes, it arrives on Saturday, November 7, 2026, but it isn't lit until Wednesday, December 2, 2026. In November you'll see it being decorated.
When does the Thanksgiving parade start in 2026?
The parade is Thursday, November 26, 2026, from Central Park West and West 77th Street to Herald Square. The 2026 start time wasn't published on the pages we checked on October 18; check Macy's parade page in November.
Are NYC schools closed in November 2026?
Public schools are closed for Veterans Day on Wednesday, November 11 and for Thanksgiving recess on November 26 and 27. On Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, students learn remotely.
What should we wear in NYC in November?
Layers, a warm coat by mid month, hats and gloves, and waterproof shoes. Museums and the subway are warm inside, so it helps to be able to take a layer off.
Is November a good time to visit NYC with kids?
Yes, especially the first three weeks, when rinks and light shows are open and crowds are lighter than in December. Thanksgiving weekend is the busiest stretch, so book tickets early if you're coming then.
Sources and further reading
Facts checked against 20 pages on Sunday, October 18, 2026. Opening times and prices change, so confirm with the venue.
Show the sources
- National Weather Service: Central Park November almanac and normals
- NYC Public Schools: 2026-27 school year calendar
- Time Out New York: 2026 Rockefeller Center tree lighting announced
- Rockefeller Center: Christmas tree lighting
- Rockettes: Christmas Spectacular
- Rockettes: calendar
- Brookfield Place: Canstruction
- Prospect Park Alliance: Election Day School Holiday in Prospect Park
- New York Transit Museum: Fly Away Redbirds afternoon ride
- Queens Botanical Garden: Pumpkin Smash 2026
- Wollman Rink: plan your visit
- Bryant Park: Bank of America Winter Village
- Grand Central Terminal: 2026 Holiday Fair vendor information
- NYBG: Kiku
- NYBG: Holiday Train Show 2026
- Historic Richmond Town: Hearth & Harvest
- Brooklyn Botanic Garden: Lightscape
- WCS Newsroom: Bronx Zoo 2026-27 Holiday Lights
- NYC Tourism: Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
- New York City Ballet: George Balanchine's The Nutcracker
