Thanksgiving 2026: Best Thanksgiving Weekend Activities Near NYC — Nov 27–29 Family Guide

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Thanksgiving weekend is the best long weekend of the fall for Bergen County families: the turkey is eaten, the relatives are still in town, and New Jersey flips the switch from fall to Christmas in a single weekend. From Victorian villages to train shows, tree lightings to drive-through lights, here is a family-friendly plan for Friday, November 27 through Sunday, November 29, 2026. Times and prices can change, so check the official listing before you go — especially for ticketed shows.

Family under Christmas lights



Friday, November 27: Lights On, Shows On. Start the weekend with a show the whole family already knows. A Charlie Brown Christmas: Live on Stage plays at the Mayo Performing Arts Center, 100 South Street, Morristown, on Friday, November 27, with performances at 2 PM and 5 PM (listed tickets $35–$79). It is an easy afternoon outing, and downtown Morristown has plenty of places for an early dinner afterward. If you want free and festive instead, head to the Rahway Holiday Tree Lighting in downtown Rahway, running Friday afternoon from 2 to 6:30 PM — a free, low-pressure way to welcome the season. Madison also holds its Christmas Parade and tree lighting on Friday, November 27, with the lighting on Waverly Place downtown. Closer to home, Santa and Mrs. Claus visit Abma's Farm, 700 Lawlins Road, Wyckoff, on November 27–28 in reserved time slots — book ahead, since farm Santa visits fill fast.


Saturday, November 28: Trains, Farms and Parades. Saturday is the busiest day of the weekend, so pick one big outing and one small one. Train-loving kids should head to Greenberg's Great Train and Toy Show at the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center in Edison, running November 28–29, with hundreds of tables of trains for sale, huge operating model train displays, free workshops, and a test track. Kids 11 and under are free. For a farm morning, Howell Living History Farm in Hopewell Township hosts Corn Picking and Thanksgiving Hayrides on Saturday, November 28, with festive hayrides, hands-on corn picking, and a chance to donate non-perishable food or new toys for Toys for Tots. Parade fans have two good choices on Saturday: the Newton Holiday Parade in downtown Newton (watch free from Spring Street or Moran Street, with free municipal parking that day) and the Collingswood Holiday Parade. In Stillwater, the Fairview Fest Holiday Market at Fairview Lake YMCA Camps, 1035 Fairview Lake Road, runs Saturday from 10 AM to 4 PM with local vendors, handcrafted gifts, and outdoor camp activities — free to browse.


All Weekend, November 27–29: Step Back in Time. Three Victorian-Christmas events run all three days. Colonial Christmas takes over the Jacobus Vanderveer House, 3055 River Road, Bedminster, with beautifully decorated rooms, live period music, Clydesdale wagon rides, and museum tours — Friday evening brings the annual Christmas tree lighting. Dickens' Days transforms Clinton into a Victorian village, with horse and carriage rides, carolers, and festive activities (children 6 and under typically free). And Victorian Christmas at Ringwood Manor, 1304 Sloatsburg Road, Ringwood, runs 10 AM to 4 PM each day (adults $10, seniors $8, children 6–12 $5, ages 5 and under free; cash or check only). For lights after dark, the Skylands Stadium Christmas Light Show in Augusta — a mile-long drive-through of more than two million lights — is open Thanksgiving weekend, November 27–29. Standard tickets are $29 per carload and must be bought online in advance, while the Christmas Village is free to walk in.


Toddler Tips for Thanksgiving Weekend: Book the ticketed things first: Charlie Brown Christmas, Abma's Santa slots, and Skylands carload tickets all sell ahead. Go early to the free parades and markets — parking fills first, patience second. Keep one indoor backup for every outdoor plan: a train show, a museum, or a cozy cafe if the weather turns. Pack snacks and a change of clothes for farm and parade mornings; November weather swings fast. Thanksgiving weekend works best when you do not try to do it all. Pick one show, one parade or market, and one lights outing, and the whole long weekend feels festive — without feeling frantic.

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