Things to do in NYC in December 2021 depend on the progress of the COVID-19 Pandemic. We won’t know the situation on the ground until November.
The Month of December
December is holiday season. The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is important because it represents the icon of Mexican identity. Then we enjoy the Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, Christmas and Kwanzaa celebrations, and count down to New Year’s.
December is late fall weather in New York City. Average temperatures range from 42° to 54°F, so it is cool to cold. It’s the November-February dry season. The first snow usually comes around the first week of December.
These events run all December:
- The NY City Ballet’s Nutcracker 🎄🩰 is at the David H. Koch Theater in Lincoln Center through January 2, 2022.
- The Radio City Rockettes Christmas Spectacular 🎄👯♀️👯♀️👯♀️ is at Radio City Music Hall through January 2, 2022.
Things to do in NYC in December 2021 Week 48
November 29 – December 5, 2021
Wednesday, December 1
In 1955, when a White bus driver asked Rosa Parks to move to the back of the bus so White passengers could take her seat, Parks kept her cool and became the “Mother of the Freedom Movement” with these polite words, “I don’t think I should have to stand up.”
Things to do in NYC in December 2021 Week 49
December 6-12, 2021
Saturday, December 11
Watch the MLS Cup ⚽️ Major League Soccer championship.
Things to do in NYC in December 2021 Week 50
December 13-19, 2021
Things to Do in NYC in December 2021 Week 51
December 20-26, 2021
Things to Do in NYC in December 2021 Week 52
December 27, 2021 – January 2, 2022
New York City is in full holidays mode.
DECEMBER HOLIDAYS
- Christmas Day 🇮🇹 December 25 (Christmas Day is Saturday, so Christmas Eve is the day off)
- New Year’s Eve December 31 (New Year’s Day is Saturday so New Year’s Eve is the day off)
DECEMBER FESTIVALS
- Hanukkah ✡️ November 28 – December 6, 2021
- International Tango Day 🇫🇷🇦🇷🇺🇾 (December 11)
- Las Mañanitas de Guadalupe 🇲🇽😇 December 11
- Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe 🇲🇽😇 December 12
- La Parranda 🇵🇷🎄December 16-24
- La Posada 🇲🇽🎄 December 16-24
- La Novena 🇨🇴🇪🇨🇻🇪🎄 December 16-24
- Winter Solstice 🌄December 21, 2021
- Christmas Eve 🇮🇹🎄 December 24
- Christmas Day 🇮🇹🎄 December 25
- Kwanzaa 🇺🇸 December 26 – January 1
- New Year’s Eve 🥳 December 31
INDEPENDENCE DAYS & NATIONAL CELEBRATIONS
NATIONAL DAYS
- National Champagne Day 🇫🇷 (December 31)
CHRISTMAS WINDOWS
- Bergdorf Goodman
- Bloomingdales (Monday, November 23, 2020)
- Macy’s (Thursday, November 19, 2020)
- Saks Fifth Avenue (Monday, November 23, 2020)
DECEMBER FESTIVALS
- Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree (December 2, 2020) TBD
- Holiday Train Show TBD
- Winter’s Eve at Lincoln Square TBD
- Dyker Heights Christmas Lights TBD
- LuminoCity Festival on Randall’s Island TBD
- Hello Panda lantern festival TBD
CHRISTMAS MARKETS
- Bryant Park Winter Village 🎄(2020: October 31 – January 3) TBC
- Columbus Circle Holiday Market 🎄TBD
- Grand Central Terminal Holiday Fair 🎄TBD
- Union Square Holiday Market 🎄TBD
SKATING RINKS
- Central Park’s Wollman Rink ⛸ (late October to early April)
- Rockefeller Center ⛸ (November 21, 2020 through January 17, 2021)
DECEMBER INDEPENDENCE DAYS
- Portugal Restoration Day 🇵🇹 (from Spain) December 1, 1640
- Tanzanian Independence Day 🇹🇿(from UK) December 9, 1961
- Burkinabé Independence Day 🇧🇫 (from France) December 11, 1958
- South African Independence Day 🇿🇦 (from UK) December 11, 1931
- Kenyan Jamhuri Day 🇰🇪(from UK) December 12, 1963
- Libyan Independence Day 🇱🇾 (from Italy) December 24, 1951
DECEMBER ART
- Art Basel Miami 🎨🎪December 2-4, 2021
DECEMBER DANCE
- New York City Ballet George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker 🎄🩰
- Radio City Christmas Spectacular 👯♀️👯♀️👯♀️November 5, 2021 – January 2, 2022
DECEMBER MUSIC
- Paul Winter’s Winter Solstice Celebration 🌄🎄Saturday, December 20, 2021 TBC
- Chris Botti 🇮🇹🎄🎶 Blue Note Holiday Residency TBD
- Handel’s “Messiah” NY Philharmonic 🎄🎶TBD
- Handel’s “Messiah” Trinity Church 🎄🎶TBD
- “Magic Flute” 🎄🎶 Metropolitan Opera TBD
DECEMBER SPORTS
- The MLS Cup ⚽️ Major League Soccer championship, Saturday, December 11, 2021
DECEMBER THEATER
Broadway 🎭 TBD
DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS
- Machito 🇨🇺Latin jazz legend, December 3, 1909
- Carlos Gardel 🇫🇷🇦🇷 iconic tango singer, December 11, 1890
- Damaso Perez Prado 🇨🇺 Latin jazz legend, December 11, 1916
- Eddie Palmieri 🇵🇷 Latin jazz legend, December 15, 1936
- Alejandro Sanz 🇲🇽 flamenco pop star, December 18, 1968
- Wisin 🇵🇷 reggaeton star, December 19, 1978
- Jean-Michel Basquiat 🇭🇹🇵🇷 1980s art star, December 22, 1960
- Ricky Martin 🇵🇷 pop star, December 24, 1971
- Marco Antonio Solis 🇲🇽 regional Mexican star, December 29, 1959
- Miguel Zenon 🇵🇷 jazz saxophonist, December 30, 1976
- Junot Diaz 🇩🇴 Pulitzer Prize-winning author, December 31, 1968
DECEMBER NATURE
- New Moon 🌙 December 4, 2021 at 12:44am
- Cold Moon 🌝 full moon, December 18, 2021 at 11:36pm
- Winter Solstice December 21, 2021 at 11:58am