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Best Family-Friendly Holiday Events In Baltimore

As the Holidays approach you may find yourself spending a superfluous amount of time with your children. Being that your children are out of school and it is the holidays, why not take advantage of this opportunity to take the whole family out to one of the many different Holiday activities that the Baltimore area has to offer? There are a multitude of Holiday events in Baltimore, but a few of them suggest themselves as fun that the entire family can enjoy - both kids and parents. Check out any of the events on this list for ideas.
A Swinging Nutcracker
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
1212 Cathedral St.
Baltimore, MD 21201
(410) 783-8000
www.bsomusic.org

Date: Dec. 9-11, 2016

The nutcracker is a perennial performance which is entertaining as a symphony, a ballet, a play or a children's story. This year, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra will be throwing some swing into the classic Russian composition, by literally jazzing it up while Step Afrika! provides the on-stage dance. Bring the whole family to be swept away in this timeless tale of magic, mystery, romance, nightmare and triumph – but with a distinctly urban feel that breathes new life into a beloved classic.

Christmas Villiage
Inner Harbor
501 Light St.
Baltimore, MD 21230
www.baltimore-christmas.com

Date: Through Dec. 24, 2016 at 11 a.m.

The more modern day version of Santa Claus was brought to America by the Dutch. Santa was a very popular Saint in the Germanic regions of Europe, and that is where many of our modern Christmas traditions originated. Fittingly, the Christmas Village, which rises up each December in the Inner Harbor, is an event steeped in German culture. Bring the family down to the heart of Baltimore this holiday season and get swept up in the music, food, drink, decorations and traditions of an authentic German Christmas. The fair is brimming with spectacle and entertainment, but has loads of merchandise for that last-minute Christmas gift.

B&O's Magical Holiday Express
B&O Railroad Museum
901 W. Pratt St.
Baltimore, MD 21223
(410) 752-2490
www.borail.org/December.aspx

Date: Dec. 3, 2016 - Jan. 2, 2017 at 10 a.m.

Few things say Christmas quite like trains. Every year, the B&O Railroad Museum goes all out to celebrate Christmas in a multitude of family-friendly events. Come down any time in December and enjoy train rides with Santa, live musical and dance performances, model train displays, indoor carousel rides and arts and craft activities for children – including a workshop to make and race your very own derby car!

Skip your local holiday train garden and hit an actual train museum for the best Holiday Party in town!

Related: Neighborhoods With The Best Holiday Lights In The Baltimore Area

A Monumental Occasion
Washington Monument And Mount Vernon Place
699 N. Charles St.
Baltimore, MD 21201
(410) 752-8632
www.promotionandarts.org

Date: Dec. 1, 2016 at 5 p.m.

Once a year, the Washington Monument in scenic Mt. Vernon Place is lit up for one of the biggest celebrations of the year. Head down there on December 1st to see the monument illuminated, first by thousands of LED lights, and later by an exciting fireworks display. The event truly does appeal to the entire family, including live music, food venders, a beer garden for the adults and a Kids Corner for the youngsters. Celebrate the father of our country in a holiday spectacular this December!

Mayor's Christmas Parade
Poly/Western High Schools
4600 Falls Road
Baltimore, MD 21209
(410) 366-0726
www.mayorschristmasparade.com

Date: Dec. 4, 2016 at 1 p.m.

For 43 years now, the mayor of Baltimore has gone all-out to throw the biggest and liveliest parade of the year, right during the holiday season. On December 4th, it starts again, and you and your family are invited to attend for free. Watch as music representing the diversity of the Holiday Season is played, while floats, dancers and other spectacles march the two and a half mile course between Cold Spring Lane and 37th Street. This year's parade is turning out to be a good one, and who doesn't love a good parade? Bring your kids down and get into the swing of things, this December.

Related: Best Holiday Markets In The Baltimore Area

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