Christmas trees and menorahs light up the city for the winter sparkle season; bring the family and join the fun.

Midtown West

Rockefeller Center Tree-Lighting
The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is a worldwide holiday icon. Decorated with more than 30,000 multi-colored, energy-efficient LED lights and crowned by a Swarovski star, this year’s tree will be lit for the first time on Wednesday, November 28, 2012 with live and taped performances before a crowd of thousands (many, many thousands). The tree will remain lit through January 7th, 2013.
Wednesday, November 28, 7–9 PM
Rockefeller Plaza, between West 48th and West 51st Streets and Fifth and Sixth Avenues.

Citi Pond at Bryant Park Tree Lighting
This Midtown park and ice-skating rink hosts an annual tree lighting made even more fun by performances from ice skating stars and live music followed by free skating.
November 27 at 6:30 PM
Bryant Park, 40th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues
FREE

Upper West Side

American Museum of Natural History Origami Holiday Tree
While no lights are involved, this 13-foot tree will be decorated with hundreds of origami creations inspired by the museum’s current and permanent collections. Volunteers will be on hand to teach the art of origami to visitors.
November 19 - January 6; see museum site for hours
American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street in the Grand Gallery
Suggested admission: $19 for adults, $10.50 for children ages 2-12

Upper East Side

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Christmas Tree and Neapolitan Baroque Crèche
The Met continues an annual holiday tradition that’s a favorite of New Yorkers and visitors from around the world. An eighteenth-century Neapolitan nativity scene adorns a candlelit spruce, while recorded music and lighting ceremonies add to the enjoyment of the holiday display.
November 20 - January 6; lightings occur Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday at 4:30pm; Friday and Saturday at 4:30, 5:30 and 6:30pm.
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street
Suggested admission: $25 for adults, free for children under 12.

Carl Schurz Park Tree Lighting and Caroling
Sing Christmas carols, enjoy cookies, candy canes and hot chocolate and watch the lighting of the tree (and the park’s giant menorah lighting on Sunday, December 9 at 6pm).
Sunday, December 2 at 5 PM; Sunday, December 9 at 6 PM
Carl Schurz Park, East End Avenue at 86th Street
FREE

World's Largest Hanukkah Menorah Lighting
Celebrate Hanukkah with the lighting of the world's largest menorah. Every holiday evening at 5:30pm, a candle in this 32-foot-high, gold-colored, 4,000-pound steel holiday icon will be lit, except on the Sabbath, during which the lighting will be at 3:30pm on Friday and 8:30pm on Saturday.
Grand Army Plaza (Manhattan), Fifth Avenue at 59th Street
December 8 - 16, Friday at 3:30pm, Saturday at 8:30pm and 5:30pm on all other days
FREE

Lincoln Square

Winter's Eve at Lincoln Square
A tree lighting at Dante Park kicks off a holiday neighborhood celebration with lots of free entertainment, in-store activities, shopping discounts, performances by Suzanne Vega and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, plus face painting and holiday arts and crafts, cast members from the Big Apple Circus, Broadway performances and ice sculptures by Okamoto Studio.
November 26, starting at 5 PM
Tree lighting is at Dante Park, Broadway and 63rd Street. Festival is at various locations throughout the Lincoln Square neighborhood.
Free; attendees are encouraged to drop off new or gently used coats as part of New York Cares coat drive.

Financial District

Holiday Lighting Extravaganza at the Winter Garden
The Winter Garden’s glass atrium is transformed into a winter wonderland with a magical 50,000 lights. After the lighting, the New York Theatre Ballet performs a one-hour rendition of The Nutcracker.
November 27 at 6 PM
World Financial Center, 200 Vesey Street near West Street
FREE

Flatiron District

Madison Square Park
This park hosted America's very first community holiday tree 100 years ago; that tradition continues this year with the lighting of a 35-foot-tall balsam fir, plus crafts, treats and concerts by the New York Life Singers and kindie rocker AudraRox.
Tuesday, December 4 3:30-5:30 PM
Northern Plaza of Madison Square Park, 25th Street and Fifth Avenue
FREE

Greenwich Village

Washington Square Park Christmas Tree Lighting
The Rob Susman Brass Quartet will be on hand for sing-along carols and holiday songs; Santa Claus has promised to pay a visit at the lighting of a 45-foot-tall Christmas tree under the Washington Square Arch.
The Arch, Fifth Avenue and Washington Square North
Wednesday, December 5 at 6 PM
FREE