40+ Things to Do in December

Family Friendly

B&O's Magical Holiday Express
December 1-31 | various times | B&O Railroad Museum
This annual tradition devoted to trains and your favorite holiday characters is sure to be a trainload of fun for the entire family! Depending on the date, Santa, Elsa, and Frosty the Snowman will make appearances.
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Disney Live! Mickey and Minnie’s Doorway to Magic
Dec. 8 and 9 | various times | Modell Performing Arts Center at the Lyric
Join Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy as 25 of your favorite Disney characters take the stage. See the Fairy Godmother transform Cinderella’s rags into a beautiful ball gown; the Toy Story gang defy the dimensions of Andy’s toy box; and the dazzling stage debut of Rapunzel and Flynn Rider as they rise amidst the floating lanterns.
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Zoo Snooze Family Overnight
Dec. 9-10 | begins at 6 p.m. | Maryland Zoo in Baltimore
Join other animal-loving families for an educational sleepover inside the Penguin Coast exhibit.
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12 Days of Science
Dec. 21-Jan. 1 | Maryland Science Center
Stop by the Maryland Science Center for drop-in workshops, live demonstrations, and hands-on building that center around a a different theme every.
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Winter Break Fun
Dec. 26-31 | 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Port Discovery Children’s Museum
The learning doesn’t have to stop over winter break! Stop by Port Discovery Children’s Museum for fun, hands-on programs that teach through play. There will also be special performances and winter-themed programs, science projects, and art activities.
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Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer 4-D Film
Through Jan. 1 | various times | National Aquarium
Rudolph and his friends come to life in this enchanting family favorite that combines a 3-D film with special sensory effects at the National Aquarium’s 4-D Immersion Theater.
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Gingerbread Lane
Through Jan. 7 | Maryland Science Center
Take a stroll around a Baltimore-themed gingerbread village hand crafted by chef Jon Lovitch. The art installation will be considered for a world record for largest installation of its kind! Free with paid admission to the Maryland Science Center.
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PANDORA® Ice Rink
Through Jan. 15 | Harborplace Amphitheater, Inner Harbor
Break the ice at the PANDORA Ice Rink at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, complete with a skate shack, rentals, concessions and entertainment, as well as special events like SkateFest, a learn-to-skate program and more. Visit with Santa every Saturday and Sunday in December until December 23rd!
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Holiday Fun

Little Italy Christmas Tree Lighting
Dec. 1 | 7p.m. | Little Italy
Help to decorate Little Italy’s enormous Christmas tree, sing carols with Baltimore Choral Arts Society, and enjoy complimentary refreshments, Italian cookies and roasted chestnuts. Santa will also make an appearance!
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Colonial Christmas Celebration
Dec. 2 | Mount Clare Museum House
Experience the holidays of years past at Mount Clare Museum House’s annual winter celebration. Special programs include self-guided tours, live musical performances and a demonstration. Purchase your fresh cut greens in the forecourt for holiday decorating.
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Artist Trunk Show
Dec. 2 | noon | Reginald F. Lewis Museum
Go holiday shopping for amazing fine art, crafts and jewelry created by regional craftsmen at this trunk show.
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Merry Mart 2017
Dec. 3 | 11 a.m.-5 p.m. | Creative Alliance
Merry Mart is an annual juried holiday craft market that showcases high-quality handmade arts and crafts, including clothing, handbags, accessories, ceramics, soaps, kids toys, mixed media, jewelry and great art! Bring your kids to our free drop-in arts workshop from noon to 5 p.m.
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45th Annual Mayor's Annual Christmas Parade
Dec. 3 | 1 p.m. | Hampden/Medfield
Grab a seat along this 2.5-miles route in Medfield and Hampden to watch floats, local TV and Radio personalities, motorcycles, marching bands and — of course — Santa roll by.
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Baltimore Parade of Lighted Boats
Dec. 3 | 6 p.m. | Inner Harbor and Fell’s Point
Baltimore's nautical spirit is all aglow for the annual Parade of Lighted Boats. More than 50 boats and pleasure crafts, bedecked and sparkling in their holiday finery, make their way from Baltimore's world famous Inner Harbor to Fell's Point.
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46th Annual Monument Lighting
Dec. 7 | 5-8 p.m. | Mount Vernon Place (600 block of Cathedral Street)
Illuminating the historic Washington Monument is a Baltimore tradition that includes caroling, food, a beer graden and good cheer. Fireworks cap the festive evening.
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Monument Lighting and After Party at the Marketplace
Dec. 7 | 6-11 p.m. | Mount Vernon Marketplace
The Marketplace kicks off the holidays with a special celebratio before, during, and after the Mounument Lighting. Vendors will have specials on food and drink all night, and a DJ Gray will play tunes from 6-10 p.m.
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33rd Annual Merry Tuba Christmas
Dec. 15 | 3:30-4:30 p.m. | Harborplace Amphitheater
More than 100 festively dressed tuba players with capture the spirit of the holidays as they blend their unique styles, rhythms, and progressions for all to enjoy.
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Ugly Sweater Day at PANDORA® Ice Rink
Through Jan. 15 | Harborplace Amphitheater, Inner Harbor
Don your finest ugly sweater as you skate around this ice rink in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Santa is scheduled to make an appearance, too! Share a photo with Waterfront Partnership on social media for a chance to win prizes.
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Holiday Heap
Dec. 16 | 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Space 2640
Shop local as you browse wares from more than 50 independent crafters at this annual event. Admission is free, but you can purchase an early bird ticket for first dibs on the goods, breakfast treats and coffee, and a swag bag.
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Kwanzaa Celebration
Dec. 30 | 3 p.m. | Reginald F. Lewis Museum
Celebrate Kwanzaa with African dance, storytelling, drumming performances, workshops and traditional crafts. Hear elder and quilter Joan Gaither discuss the African American histories documented in her story quilts from the exhibit Emancipation Quilt: Freedom’s Cross Stitch.
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Christmas Village in Baltimore
Through Dec. 24 (closed Dec. 5 and 12) | West Shore Park
Get in the holiday spirit – and start tackling your shopping list – by browsing the booths at this German Christmas market in the Inner Harbor. Ornaments, jewelry, arts and crafts, and other gifts will on sale, and you can taste traditional European food, sweets, and drinks.
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A Carroll's Christmas
Through Dec. 31 | 11 a.m.-4 p.m. | Mount Clare Museum House
See Baltimore’s oldest colonial house —Mount Clare, once home to the Carroll Family — decorated for the winter holiday in traditional 18th- and 19th-century style with greens and dried plant materials accented with fruits, nuts, feathers and pine cones.
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Miracle on 34th Street
Through Jan. 1 | after dark | 34th Street, Hampden
One block in Hampden bursts with light each holiday season as residents illuminate their row homes and mount quirky ornaments, from a giant snow globe to a Christmas tree made of hubcaps. It’s a holiday tradition like no other.
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Concerts & Shows

Mozart & Martinis: Concert & After-Party
Dec. 2 | 7-11 p.m. | Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Hear the BSO and the University of Maryland Concert Choir bring down the house with Mozart's Requiem led by Marin Alsop. Then join us after the concert in the Meyerhoff lobby for a Gothic-inspired after-party complete with live entertainment from DJ Landis Expandis.
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Disney's The Lion King
Dec. 2 | 8 p.m. | Hippodrome Theatre
More than 90 million people around the world have experienced the phenomenon of Disney’s THE LION KING, and now you can too, when Baltimore’s best-loved musical returns to the Hippodrome. Winner of six Tony Awards®, including Best Musical, this landmark musical event brings together one of the most imaginative creative teams on Broadway.
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Fantasia: Christmas After Midnight
Dec. 10 | 7:30 p.m. | Modell Performing Arts Center at the Lyric
See the season three winner of Fox’s American Idol belt out her chart-topping tunes.
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The United States Army Field Band
Dec. 16 | 3 p.m. | Modell Performing Arts Center at the Lyric
The 65-member Concert Band and 29-member Soldiers’ Chorus are the oldest and largest of The U.S. Army Field Band’s performing components. The joining of these two ensembles allows them to offer unparalleled versatility of programming, ranging from orchestral masterworks and operatic arias to Sousa marches, jazz classics, and Broadway musicals.
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Cirque de la Symphonie Holiday Spectacular
Dec. 22 and 23 | various times | Meyerhoff Symphony Hall
The jaw-dropping magic of Cirque comes to the concert hall as the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra musicians who dazzle you on stage are joined by acrobats, contortionists, jugglers, balancers, strongmen and high-flying aerialists from above.
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John Oliver
Dec. 31 | 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. | Hippodrome Theatre
Emmy and Writer’s Guild award-winning writer, comedian, and host of the HBO show Last Week Tonight with John Oliver performs stand up.
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Fitness, Yoga and Mindfullness

Yoga at the Zoo
Nov. 5 | 8-9:30 a.m.| Maryland Zoo in Baltimore
From downward dog to cobra, animals have been a core element of yoga poses for centuries. This hour-long Vinyasa-style yoga class takes place right next to the Penguin Coast exhibit (weather depending). Tickets include same-day admission to the zoo.
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5K Reindeer Run
Dec. 9 | 8:30 a.m. | West Shore Park
Round up your family, friends, coworkers, and fellow park enthusiasts to run or walk in this event hosted by Baltimore City Recreation & Parks. All proceeds from the race goes towards city-wide park programming.
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Ugly Sweater Fun Run with Charm City Run
Dec. 15 | 9 a.m. | starts at Thames and Caroline streets
Don your tackiest holiday swag and join Charm City Run for a 3-mile fun run.
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Food & Drink

Baltimore’s Feast of 7 Fishes
Dec. 4 | 6:30-9:30 p.m. | Mount Vernon Marketplace
Join Baltimore's own Chef Egg and Nick Schauman of The Local Oyster for a cooking class like no other! The chefs will show you how to prepare simple seafood recipes that are sure to impress your friends and family this holiday season. They will also teach you how to purchase and store seafood, as well as how to pair flavors and ingredients like a pro.
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Pig & Swig All Star BBQ, Bourbon, & Beer Festival
Dec. 9 | noon-4 p.m. | Power Plant Live!
Help yourself to unlimited craft beer and specialty bourbon samples while enjoy a pig roast — a Baltimroe tradition! Relicoustic will play live at Leinenkugel’s Beer Garden.
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On the Rocks: A Drinks Party
Dec. 9 | 7-10 p.m. | Walters Art Museum
Kick off the holiday season with a Russian twist on the popular event Rye Rocks at the Walters. Enjoy handcrafted cocktails mixed by Baltimore’s favorite bartenders while celebrating the fabulous new exhibition Fabergé and the Russian Crafts Tradition: An Empire’s Legacy.
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Baltimore Santa Crawl 2017
Dec. 16 | 1-9 p.m. | Fell’s Point
Join throngs of brightly clad bar crawlers for a jolly day of bar hopping through Fell’s Point. You’ll get a refillable Santa mug and exclusive all-day drink and food deals at participating bars.
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Mistletoe Mayhem
Dec. 16 | 8 p.m. | Power Plant Live!
Mingle and jingle at Baltimore’s biggest holiday bar crawl. Your ticket gets you access to every bar, drink specials, and a photo with Santa. There will be a costume contest and live music from Doc Marten and the Flannels.
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Holiday Karaoke Extravaganza
Dec. 20 | 7-11 p.m. | Mount Vernon Marketplace
Celebrate the holidays with the vendors at Mount Vernon Marketplace; belt out a tune, participate in their ugly sweater contest, and take part in a friendly competition for the best eggnog in the marketplace
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At the Museums

Dollar (Or Less) Days
Dec. 9 and 10 | various locations
In the spirit of the holiday season, many Baltimore attractions — including the American Visionary Art Museum, the Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum, Geppi’s Entertainment Museum, Historic Ships in Baltimore, the Jewish Museum of Maryland, the National Aquarium, and more — will open their doors and offer free or $1 admission.
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Celebrating the Holidays in Medieval Art
Dec. 13 | 12:30-1 p.m. | Walters Art Museum
For the holiday season, Christine Sciacca, associate curator of European art, 300–1400 CE, explores themes of gift-giving, feasting, and family in the Walters’ world-renowned collection of medieval art (museum members only).
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Crossing Borders: Mexican Modernist Prints
Through March 11 | Baltimore Museum of Art
For the first time, the Baltimore Museum of Art is highlighting its holdings of works by modern Mexican artists. Approximately 30 prints, drawings, and photographs will be on view.
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Fabergé and the Russian Crafts Tradition
Through May 27 | Walters Art Museum
Between 1885 and 1917, Peter Carl Fabergé’s workshop created exquisite jeweled and enameled Easter eggs for the Russian tsars. The exhibition includes over 70 stunning objects that highlight the extraordinary artistry of Russian jewelers and enamel-workers.
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Free Saturdays at the Jewish Museum
Saturdays | 11 a.m.-5:45 p.m. | Jewish Museum
During a Saturday visit to the Jewish Museum, admission is free. Prepaid and prix fixe Kosher brunches are also available (advance registration required).
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Free Family Sundays at the Baltimore Museum of Art
Sundays | 2-5 p.m. | Baltimore Museum of Art
Explore your creative side with hands-on art workshops in response to works on view at the Baltimore Museum of Art.
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Free Drop-in Classes
Saturdays and Sundays | 11 a.m.-4 p.m. | Walters Art Museum
Drop in, explore cool materials, and create a work of art to take home every Saturday and Sunday. Each weekend features a new project. No registration required.
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