Every year, the Ulster Ballet Company (ulsterballet.org/christmas.html) in nearby Kingston, New York, performs "A Christmas Carol" several times in early December. This childhood favorite will entertain kids of all ages. It's advisable to buy your tickets early. The Toronto Dufflebag theatre group (dufflebag.com) from Toronto, Canada, sometimes makes its way down to the Catskill region to perform their humorous version of "A Christmas Carol." You'll want to check the group's website to confirm if there will be a Christmas performance this year.
Every year, the Coxsackie-Athens High School Student Council hosts a Christmas Parade at the Coxsackie Riverfront Park. The parade includes events such as the annual tree lighting at the gazebo and breakfast with Mr. and Mrs. Claus. In addition, there are food and craft vendors, face painting and Christmas music performances at local churches. Several stores along the riverfront also host holiday-related events. Check the Village of Coxsackie website for information about this year's holiday parade (villageofcoxsackie.com).
The town of Hunter hosts an annual Holiday Family Day. Most of the festivities are held at Hunter Village Square, and feature events and activities such as live performers, a performance of the Nutcracker, arts and crafts, story-tellers, music performances and more. Family Day is usually held in early December and is appropriate for kids 5 and older. You'll want to check the website for more specific information on upcoming family day events and activities.
If your kids enjoy the outdoors, the Catskill area offers plenty of family-friendly outdoor recreation activities right around the holiday season. Thanks to early and abundant snowfall, winter sports are in full swing by Christmas. So if you're thinking of taking a holiday trip with the entire family, consider heading to one of dozens of local ski resorts. With nearly 100 mountain peaks over 3,000 feet high, downhill skiing is a favorite winter activity in the area. Other winter sport activities include snowmobiling, snowshoeing, tubing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing and, for the truly adventurous, ice rock climbing. Of course, it's best to keep the ice rock climbing for older kids with lots of outdoor winter sport experience.
