This holiday season, think beyond the staples and enter the tri-state’s slate of under-the-radar programming. Here are some holiday hits you haven’t thought of — yet.
Get in the swim
It’s off to Camden, NJ, we go! Bring your pint-size revelers to the Adventure Aquarium, all dressed up in holiday fin-ery, some 90 miles southwest from NYC. Christmas Underwater runs through Dec. 24 (from $31), featuring Scuba Santa diving with the sea turtles, sharks and stingrays galore.
Your winter wonder crew is also sure to be impressed by the world’s tallest underwater Christmas tree and festive touches like indoor snow flurries, twinkling lights and themed holiday photo ops.
1 Riverside Dr, Camden, NJ.
Ivy League lights
You may think of New Haven as a studious town, but it sure knows how to turn on the holiday spirit. Take a day trip (or make it an overnight one at chic and slightly quirky the Study at Yale, from $230 per night) for the Fantasy of Lights drive-thru display (from $10 per car; ticket proceeds benefiting Goodwill of Southern New England).
Celebrating its 30th year this holiday season, over the course of a 15-minute-or-so drive, gape at 100,000-plus lights and 60 animated LED displays along the shore of Lighthouse Point Park. The event runs through Dec. 31.
Lighthouse Point Park, 2 Lighthouse Road, New Haven, Conn.
Santa in the sand
Who said the North Pole’s most famous resident doesn’t appreciate a day at the beach? You might not think to venture to Rockaway Beach after Labor Day, but you’ll be glad you did with this delightful brunch in the Harbor Room on Dec. 6 and 21.
Gather your jolly crew — there’s a minimum of five per table — and head to this beachside party that includes a full brunch buffet, kids’ crafts and a cameo from Santa Claus himself. There’s even a live DJ and a cash bar for adults who need to defrost from holiday stress.
$50 per adult; $25 per child under 12. 108-10 Rockaway Beach Drive, Queens.
Sure to be a hit
Nashville’s very own Sinatra, Brett Eldredge, comes to town to the Beacon Theatre on his “Glow” tour for two nights this year, Dec. 12 and 13, with comedian Steven Rogers as the opening act. Playing a mix of classic Christmas carols and his own holiday album hits, Eldredge also enchants the audience with story time and that subtle hum reminding us we’re part of something bigger than ourselves. Don’t forget to dress up in your finest festive-season frocks.
From $75. The Beacon Theatre, 2124 Broadway.
Walk on the wild side
Don’t snooze on Westchester this Christmas. (All your friends moved there, anyway.) Lumina at Harvest Moon Farm and Orchard in North Salem is a sparkly extravaganza, roughly 55 miles northeast of midtown, that lets you and your little snowflake stroll through a paved trail of more than half a million holiday lights, studded with a music-synchronized Nutcracker display and a Gingerbread City. (Bring an all-terrain stroller as there are hills and some uneven surfaces.)
Welcoming guests until Dec. 30, warm up with a cup of hot cider or indulge in a sugar rush with freshly baked doughnuts or s’mores.
From $15. 130 Hardscrabble Road, North Salem, Westchester.
Light up the night
For something closer to the Big Apple, there’s also Westchester’s Winter Wonderland in Valhalla, about 30 miles from NYC. This is another drive-thru experience and showcases a 175-foot glowing tunnel, Rudolph’s Runway, with colorful light tours and a North Pole stop.
Operating dates are through Dec. 31, with tickets setting you back $35 per vehicle.
1 Bronx River Parkway, Valhalla, Westchester.
Magical mind benders
Suitable for ages 12 and up, bring your merry-minded teens to the iconic Lotte New York Palace for this little-known gem of a show.
The Chamber Magic show (from $125 per person) runs year-round on Fridays and Saturdays with master illusionist Steve Cohen, a k a the Millionaires’ Magician, at the helm.
Expect mind-reading and sleight-of-hand tricks, plus his blows-your-mind “Think-a-Drink” act, all in a chic, upscale parlor setting that evokes old New York. Plus, Lotte is dripping in seasonal decor for the holidays, and the people-watching at this 64-guest show is equally divine.
455 Madison Ave.
