The holiday season has arrived and it’s time for giving, joy and festivities! There are tons of festivals and celebrations taking place just outside NYC this season. Spend a little extra quality time with your loved ones this year sipping cider and spirits, participating in icy competitions, shopping for local gifts, and more! Check out some of the featured events coming up in December and have yourself a merry little weekend getaway.
Taste fresh Wassail and learn how to create this festive holiday beverage that warms your home and soul at Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard‘s Wassailing Weekends. The Central New York celebrations will take place from 10am – 4pm most weekends in December (Dec. 2-3, 9-10, 16-17, & 23) leading up to Christmas! More on lodging here. No car? Grab an Amtrak up to Schenectady, NY and rent a car for a gorgeous 1.5 hour drive to the Mill. Or, book a ReachNOW and enjoy a road trip with family and friends!
Ithaca Ice Festival returns to the Ithaca Commons, December 7-9, 2017! Ice Fest is an annual tradition in Downtown Ithaca! What holiday season would be complete without a celebration of cold weather and cold weather sports…like ice carving. Witness the nation’s finest ice carvers as they compete during a breathtaking competition in Downtown Ithaca. The festival features impressive display sculptures, fire demonstrations, and the ever-popular Ice Bar: an outdoor bar made entirely of ice, serving beer, wine, and hot cocoa, and a tasty Chowder Cook-off. Road trip upstate via ReachNOW or book a seat on Amtrak to Syracuse, rent a car and meander around the gorgeous Finger Lakes! Spend the weekend exploring the chilly and festive outdoors in Ithaca, lodging info here.
Spend a festive holiday weekend in Dutchess County in the Hudson Valley, just a couple hours outside NYC. Head to Fishkill Farms for the 2017 Holiday Fair on Saturday, December 16th! Santa will be visiting and taking pictures on his John Deere tractor, there will be a Wreath Making Workshop, and an ornament craft for the kids. A number of local artisans will be there offering free samples of their products – it’s the perfect opportunity to buy and taste locally-crafted holiday gifts! Ugly sweaters are highly encouraged. Make a weekend out of it in the lively and festive town of Beacon — lodging info here. No car? Hop on Metro-North Railroad to Beacon and take a 20 minute cab ride to the farm.
Visit the Catskill Distilling Company in the breathtaking Sullivan Catskills on December 16th for a Holiday Pop-Up Sip & Shop! Sip local spirits, munch on artisanal bites and do some holiday shopping! Local artisans, farmers and producers will be there from 1:00 – 6:00 selling everything from fine art and jewelry to handmade soap to herbs and plants. You can check everyone off your list in one fell swoop…and enjoy a beverage or two while you’re at it, of course! Cozy up by the fire at a local B&B for the entire weekend, lodging info here. Take advantage of ReachNOW for a car-share road trip up there!
Listen to the Sounds of the Holidays in the Hudson Valley on December 17th. Enjoy a harmonious selection of the best holiday events in Westchester County‘s Tarrytown. Enjoy a tour of Lyndhurst Mansion all decked out for the holidays including a Holiday Concert in the Lyndhurst Carriage House, a performance of Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol” at the Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow, followed by a savory and soul-warming meal at the cozy Tarry Tavern. The tour includes drop-off and pick-up in Tarrytown and all transportation during the tour. Reservations required. No car? Hop on Metro-North Railroad to Tarrytown. Check out additional holiday events at Lyndhurst here. More on lodging here.
Hunker down in the Great Western Catskills of Delaware County for a New Years Eve celebration! Book a stay in one of the cozy inns nearby, and spend the final hours of 2017 sipping cider, dancing and eating delicious local cuisine at the Wayside Cider & Tap Room‘s New Years Even Grand Soiree. Dance off a year of craziness and ring in the start of a brand new year with old friends and new friends! Road trip up to the Catskills via ReachNOW and make a weekend out of it. More on lodging here.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS, ESCAPEMAKERS!
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