Local! Katonah Village Stroll, Fri, 12/7: 10am-8pm: There’s carolers, refreshments from local retailers, and holiday lights at the Katonah Holiday Stroll. Better yet Katonah shops will have extended hours until 8pm for holiday shopping. Check our Best Places to Shop in Katonah to help with you holiday list. www.katonahchamber.org)
Local! ELF, Interactive, ChappPac: Sat, 12/8: 4pm: Embrace your inner elf at this screening of the 2003 Christmas fantasy comedy about one of Santa’s elves who discovers he’s a human and treks to NYC to find his biological father. Directed by Jon Favreau and starring Will Ferrell James Caan, Zooey Deschanel and Bob Newhart, Elf has become a holiday classic and inspired the hit 2010 Broadway musical, Elf: The Musical. (480 Bedford Road, Chappaqua; www.chapppac.org)
Colonial Nutcracker, ft. Dan Hogan, Paramount Hudson Valley, Sat, 12/8: 2pm: Dance Theatre in Westchester Artistic Director Rose Menes’ interpretation of The Nutcracker moves the action to colonial Yorktown during the Revolutionary War and features redcoat army mice. The full length show is designed for families with children ages 4 and up. The company has performed at the Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts. (1008 Brown St., Peekskill; www.paramounthudsonvalley.org)
Annual Lions Club of Bedford Village Pancake Breakfast, Historical Hall, Bedford Village, Sun, 12/9: 7:30am-12pm.
The Nutcracker, New York Theater Ballet, Tarrytown Music Hall, Sun, 12/9: 1, 4 & 7pm: This hour-long production of The Nutcracker, created for younger audiences, is sophisticated enough for adults! Founded in 1978 by artistic director Diana Byer, New York Theatre Ballet has earned national attention for its elegant revivals of masterworks by great choreographers. (13 Main St. Tarrytown; www.tarrytownmusichall.com)
Dickens’ Christmas Carol, Historic Hudson Valley, Sat-Sun, 12/8-9 & 15-16: 3:30, 4:45 & 6pm: Master storyteller Jonathan Kruk’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol at the historic Old Dutch Church in Tarrytown is a Historic Hudson Valley tradition. Kruk’s 60 minute performance of Ebenezer Scrooge’s night-long journey into Christmas past, present and future with the ghost of Jacob Marley is performed with musical accompaniment. (Old Dutch Church, 430 Broadway, Tarrytown; www.hudsonvalley.org)
Merry Christmas Darling: Carpenters’ Christmas, Paramount Hudson Valley, Sun, 12/9: 3pm: Michelle Berting Brett (and her Nashville band) shares anecdotes and recreates the sound of the 100 million-selling pop duo in this family holiday show. Michelle sings from The Carpenters’ top hits and from their two classic Christmas Albums and holiday tv specials, including their original “Merry Christmas Darling”, “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”, “We’ve Only Just Begun” and more.. (1008 Brown St., Peekskill; www.paramounthudsonvalley.org)
Local! It’s A Wonderful Life, Bedford Playhouse, Thurs, 12/13: 7pm: The Bedford Playhouse celebrates its first holiday season with this screening of Frank Capra’s holiday classic, It’s A Wonderful Life, starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed as George and Mary Bailey. With a little help from Clarence, George’s guardian angel, and a lot of friends, George and Mary save Bedford Falls and Bailey Savings & Loan from the evil tycoon Henry Potter. Despite being a relative loser at the box office, the film was nominated for 5 Academy Awards and has been recognized by the American Film Institute as one of the 100 best American films ever made. (633 Old Post Rd., Bedford;www.bedfordplayhouse.org)
Mr. Dickens Tells A Christmas Carol, Lyndhurst Mansion, Fri-Sun, 12/14-12/30: check dates & times: In this hour-long theatrical performance appropriate for all ages, actor Mikel Von Brodbeck recreates the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim from Charles Dickens’s scripts. The performance travels through the mansion meeting the story’s spirits and characters in different rooms along the way – a cool way to see this fabulous castle. (635 S. Broadway, Tarrytown; www.lyndhurst.org)
The Nutcracker, Ridgefield Conservatory of Dance, Ridgefield Playhouse, Fri-Sat, 12/14-15: 6pm & Sun, 12/16: 11am & 2pm: The Ridgefield Conservatory of Dance’s production of The Nutcracker at The Ridgefield Playhouse features Tchaikovsky’s score, graceful ballerinas, wooden soldiers who come to life and a larger than life Christmas tree. All for just $25 for adults and $20 for kids and seniors. (Ridgefield Playhouse, 80 E. Ridge, Ridgefield, CT; www.ridgefieldplayhouse.org)
The Nutcracker, Westchester Ballet Company, Westchester County Center, Fri, 12/14: 10am, Sat, 12/15: 12:30 & 4:30pm & Sun, 12/16: 2pm: For a fraction of the cost of the New York City Ballet you can take the kids to see the Westchester Ballet Company perform The Nutcracker at the County Center. At $29 per ticket ($23 for kids and seniors) it’s a great way to train next-gen culture vultures. We did. Choreographed by Beth Fritz Logrea and Jean Logrea. (198 Central Ave., White Plains; www.countycenter.biz)
The Nutcracker, Connecticut Ballet, Palace Theatre, Sat-Sun, 12/15-16: 1 & 5pm: Guest stars from the American Ballet Theatre including Lauren Lovett, Taylor Stanley, Devon Teuscher and Alexandre Hammoudi join the Connecticut Ballet in their traditional holiday production of The Nutcracker at Stamford’s Palace Theatre. There are four shows featuring fab costumes, falling snow, the giant tree, and a full corps de ballet. (61 Atlantic St., Stamford www.palacestamford.org)
Hot Ticket Alert! Santa Visits the Rosen House, Caramoor, Sun, 12/16: 12 & 3pm: Jolly Saint Nick comes to Caramoor to fill the Rosen House with holiday cheer. Kids play I Spy a Santa or Two in the Music Room followed by a 30-minute concert of holiday songs. And then Santa! Santa’s favorite snack, milk and cookies will be served in the Summer Dining Room. Bring your cameras! (149 Girdle Ridge Rd., Katonah: www.caramoor.org) (149 Girdle Ridge Rd., Katonah: www.caramoor.org)
Nutcracker Dream, World Premiere, Emelin Theatre, Sun, 12/16: 2 & 5pm & Sat, 12/22: 3 & 7pm: Choreographer Carole Alexis’ Ballet des Amériques presents the world premiere of this family-friendly adaptation of the classic ballet, inspired by the work of Marius Petipa and Rudolf Nureyev. Ballet des Amériques is a professional dance company whose work transcends established categories of classical, modern and contemporary dance. (153 Library Ln., Mamaroneck; www.emelin.org)
The Nutcracker, Bolshoi Ballet in HD, Ridgefield Playhouse, Sun, 12/23: 12:55pm: See a live performance of The Nutcracker by the Bolshoi Ballet onscreen in high definition. The Bolshoi’s version of The Nutcracker has a unique and beautiful sense of romance and philosophy, danced by the heroic Denis Rodkin as the courageous Prince and the magical Anna Nikulina as Marie. (Ridgefield Playhouse, 80 E. Ridge, Ridgefield, CT; www.ridgefieldplayhouse.org)
Bedford Village Lions Club Caroling on the Green: Mon, 12/24: 8pm: One last chance to do some caroling before Christmas Day.
Local! It’s a Wonderful Life, Jacob Burns, Mon-Tues, 12/24-15: 12pm: George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart) staves off financial ruin at the hands of the evil tycoon Henry Potter (Lionel Barrymore) in Frank Capra’s bittersweet holiday classic set in Bedford Falls during the Great Depression. With Donna Reed (“Oh, Buffalo gals won’t you come out to night”) and the original Bert and Ernie, the cop and the cab driver, played by Ward Bond and Frank Fallen. (Jacob Burns, 364 Manville Rd., Pleasantville; www.burnsfilmcenter.org)
Local! Ice Skating at The Harvey School, Thurs, 12/27: 12:45-2:45pm: In cooperation with The Harvey School, Jim Whiting and his staff at Bedford Recreation offers two hours of public skating for all ages at The Harvey School ice rink on the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas. There will be a DJ spinning fave tunes and requests. Admission is just $5 and you must provide your own skates and no hockey playing. (The Harvey School, 260 Jay St.,
