The holiday season is almost here and while sipping hot cocoa on your couch and watching Hallmark movies sounds great, Charm City is full of festive events you won’t want to miss. Browse our list of Baltimore’s holiday happenings that are sure to put you in the holiday spirit.
Zoo Lights
Enjoy a dazzling display of colorful lights while supporting The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. Visitors can walk or drive through this experience and look for their favorite wildlife shapes constructed out of the twinkling lights. People who sign up for the walk-through event will be treated to snacks, hot cocoa and free carousel rides. The event kicks off on Friday, Nov. 20, and runs until Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021. The drive-through portion is held Wednesdays through Thursdays, 5 to 7 p.m., and Fridays and Sundays from 5 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $45 per vehicle. The walk-through experience is held Saturdays only from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 per person ages 2+ years. The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, One Safari Place | marylandzoo.org
Four Seasons Winter Village
The Four Seasons Hotel will once again transform its fifth-floor Harbor Terrace into a festive synthetic skating rink. Visitors can glide on the ice to holiday music while appreciating the beautiful views of the city skyline. Afterward, they can treat themselves to European-style hot cocoa with marshmallows, hot toddies and s’mores. The rink will open on Nov. 13 from 2 to 7 p.m. and will go until Jan. 1, 2021. Tickets: $30; children 5 and younger: free. Skate rentals, a snack and a beverage are included with the ticket. Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore, 200 International Drive | fourseasons.com/baltimore
B&O’s First Tree Lighting and Annual Breakfast with Santa and Reindeer Railway Train Ride
The B&O Railroad Museum will be holding its first-ever tree-lighting ceremony complete with a 35-foot Christmas tree and a visit from Santa and Frosty the Snowman. Guests will have a chance to peruse Santa’s Winter Village shops and the model train layouts from the museum’s Holiday Festival of Trains. Don’t miss your chance to get a picture with Jolly Old St. Nick at B&O’s annual Breakfast with Santa, followed by rides on the indoor carousel and Reindeer Railway. The Tree Lighting will be held Friday, Nov. 20, from 6 to 8 p.m. Tickets start at $10. Breakfast with Santa will be hosted on the following days and times: Saturdays, Nov. 28, Dec. 12 and Dec. 19, 8:15 a.m.; Sundays, Nov. 29, Dec. 6, Dec. 13 and Dec. 20, 9:15 a.m. General admission ticket prices are adults $40 and children ages 2-17 $34. B&O member tickets are available for adults at $34 and children ages 2-17 at $26. The B&O Railroad Museum, 901 W. Pratt St. | borail.org
Miracle on 34th Street, Hampden Christmas Street Holiday Show
Looking for some holiday cheer? This display is guaranteed to be merry and very, very bright. Dozens of neighbors in Hampden deck out their houses every year with lights and holiday décor for a spectacular showcase of the holiday spirit. The display features Christmas- and Hanukkah-themed decorations; animatronic holiday characters; a giant, festive Natty Boh; a house dedicated solely to flamingo lawn ornaments and Jim Pollock’s hubcap tree. The free attraction starts when the sun goes down and runs from Nov. 30 to Dec. 31. 700 block of W. 34th St., Hampden
Holiday Train Garden
All aboard! Check out the Fire Museum of Maryland’s festive train garden and have a socially distanced visit with Santa. The train garden will feature multiple O-scale trains chugging their way through 20th-century scenes as well as a scene with tiny firefighters putting out a fire in the scaled-down city. The train garden will open Nov. 28 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will be held every Saturday in December from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. including the holiday week of Dec. 28-31. Tickets can be purchased at the door. Fire Museum of Maryland, 1301 York Road, Lutherville | firemuseummd.org
Kennedy Krieger Institute’s 31st Annual (Virtual) Festival of Trees
Kennedy Krieger Institute’s three-day Festival of Trees will be going virtual this year so that you can stay safe while enjoying the beloved holiday event at home. This year’s festival will feature an online marketplace with a curated list of vendors, a virtual auction and tree and wreath sales with custom-decorated artificial trees. Families can also enjoy live entertainment and timed activities plus special surprises throughout each day. The event begins at 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 27, and goes until Sunday, Nov. 29. You can register online for free at festivaloftrees.kennedykrieger.org.
