STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — From candlelight tours and holiday markets to comedy nights and festive family activities, this weekend’s events bring seasonal magic to the borough.
Here’s your guide to what’s happening this weekend on Staten Island.
Multi-Day Events
Evergreen Walk | Dec. 11 and 13, 1-2:30 p.m.
Discover the beauty of winter at Snug Harbor with a guided tour showcasing broadleaf and needle leaf evergreens throughout the grounds. This seasonal walk takes visitors through the Pond Garden, Chinese Scholar’s Garden, Tuscan Garden, White Garden, and highlights specimen trees that remain vibrant during the colder months.
Cost: $10 general admission; Students/Seniors/Members receive 10% discount (tickets here)
Location: Visitor Info Booth at Snug Harbor on Chapel and Gazebo roads, Staten Island, NY 10301
Historic Richmond Town Candlelight Tours | Dec. 12-13, 5-8:30 p.m.
Step back through time to experience the holiday pleasures of centuries past. Evening tours illuminated by candlelight showcase more than three hundred years of yuletide on Staten Island, where culture and foodways from many countries combine to create something that is uniquely New York.
Cost: $40 (tickets here)
Location: 441 Clarke Ave., Staten Island, NY 10306
The 22nd Annual Christmas Show | Dates below
A grandmother shares a treasured holiday tale that takes audiences on a magical journey from the North Pole to Times Square, Clove Lake Park and The Rainbow Room, concluding with a stunning Living Nativity scene. This spectacular two-hour production showcases over 100 volunteer performers, including local talent and the Richmondettes dance ensemble, accompanied by a live orchestra. Special pre-show performances include Petrides High School Choir and Orchestra on Friday evening and Marsh Avenue School Chorus before Saturday’s matinee, information here. This cherished annual tradition serves as a fundraiser for the theatre’s ongoing restoration.
Cost: $15-$55 (Sunday special: $15-$35) (tickets here)
Location: St. George Theatre, 35 Hyatt St., Staten Island, NY 10301
Dates & Times (doors open one hour before showtime):
Dec. 12: Show starts at 7 p.m. Dec. 13 and 14: Shows start at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Killmeyer’s 2nd Annual German Christmas Market | Dec. 13-14, 1-5 p.m.
A two-day German-styled Christmas market event at the historic Killmeyer’s Beer Garden on Staten Island. Come shop local for the holidays! Wander through the vendor market, sip seasonal drinks and enjoy the charm of one of Staten Island’s most iconic spots, decked out for the holidays. From handcrafted gifts to German treats, there’s something for everyone.
Cost: Free to attend (register here)
Location: Killmeyer’s Old Bavaria Inn, 4254 Arthur Kill Road, Staten Island, NY 10309
Friday, Dec. 12
Film Screening: Die Hard (1988) | 2-4 p.m.
Watch the classic action film starring Bruce Willis as NYPD officer John McClane, who must stop terrorists at a Los Angeles office building during a Christmas party. Refreshments provided during the screening. Rated R.
Cost: Free
Location: St. George Library Center, 5 Central Ave., Staten Island, NY 10301
Swiftie BINGO & Craft Party! | 3:30-4:30 p.m.
Celebrate Taylor Swift’s birthday with themed BINGO, bookmark crafting, photo props, and cootie catcher making. Best for ages 5 and up with a parent/caregiver. Space is limited.
Cost: Free (register here)
Location: Richmondtown Library (Community Room), 200 Clarke Ave., Staten Island, NY 10306
Entre la Coca: Unrooted Forests: Ecology, Memory, and Reciprocity in Tatiana Arocha’s Practice | 4-6 p.m.
Join artist Tatiana Arocha and curator Juliana Steiner for an intimate conversation and exhibition walkthrough of “Entre la Coca y el Oro.” Over coca tea, they’ll discuss the exhibition’s themes of ecology, displacement, reciprocity, and care, exploring how ancestral knowledge intersects with extractive economies in Arocha’s work.
Cost: $5; Students/Seniors $4 (includes gallery admission) (tickets here)
Location: Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art, Building C, Main Hall Gallery at Snug Harbor, 1000 Richmond Terr., Staten Island, NY 10301
Vic DiBitetto – Comedy Night | 9-10:30 p.m.
Get ready for non-stop laughs as Vic DiBitetto returns to Max’s Es-Ca Pavilion for a night of unforgettable comedy. Known for his high-energy performances and viral rants, Vic brings his signature humor back to Staten Island.
Cost: $80 (tickets here)
Location: Max’s Es-Ca, 1559 Richmond Road, Staten Island, NY 10304
Saturday, Dec. 13
Birding: Christmas Bird Count | 10 a.m.-noon
Participate in this annual citizen science initiative with the Urban Park Rangers as you help identify and count bird species throughout the park. While walking woodland trails, you’ll learn to recognize birds by their plumage, songs and behaviors. All observations will be recorded and contributed to the Audubon Society’s yearly census.
Cost: Free
Location: Nevada Avenue Parking Lot, High Rock Park, 200 Nevada Ave., Staten Island 10314
Cookies, Crafts and Cocoa with Santa at McDonald Playground Field House | 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Celebrate the season with hot chocolate, cookie decorating with festive toppings and holiday craft-making activities. Families can create ornaments and other seasonal keepsakes while enjoying the cheerful atmosphere. Don’t forget your camera for photo opportunities with Santa Claus himself!
Cost: Free (register here)
Location: Austin J. McDonald Playground Fieldhouse, Myrtle Avenue & Broadway, Staten Island, NY 10310
Subtle Bodies: Self-Reflection Through Aura Photography – Special Year End Session | noon-2 p.m.
Join returning participants of the Subtle Bodies program for a special year-end gathering focused on personal reflection and growth. This session brings together the cohort to examine how their aura photographs have evolved over the past year and what these changes reveal about their personal journeys through 2025. The workshop includes a new creative writing exercise, group discussion about the meaning of colors in your portraits, and guided journaling time. Led by Alice Austen House educator Kristen Bartley, this quarterly series uses the AuraCam6000 system to create individualized portraits based on readings from your hands.
Cost: $30 (tickets here)
Location: Alice Austen House, 2 Hylan Blvd., Staten Island, NY 10305
Holiday Splendor | noon-3 p.m.
Join the Conference House for a festive celebration of the season with their annual Holiday Splendor event. Visitors can experience the historic mansion decorated in its seasonal finest while enjoying holiday-themed activities and tours. This special event offers a unique opportunity to see the historic site in its winter glory before the museum closes for its seasonal break.
Cost: Free to attend
Location: Conference House, 7455 Hylan Blvd., Staten Island, NY 10307
The Case of Antonio Meucci and the Telephone: Just the Facts | 2-4 p.m.
Join Professor Emerita Dr. Frances R. Curcio from Queens College, CUNY, as she discusses her latest publication examining the life and innovations of Antonio Meucci. This evidence-based presentation explores historical documents and testimonies surrounding the controversial question of who truly invented the telephone. Dr. Curcio, an award-winning educator and Italian American scholar, co-authored this compelling work with Dr. Myra Zarnowski. The afternoon will include insights into Meucci’s contributions to communication history and his rightful place in American innovation.
Cost: $5-$10 (tickets here)
Location: Garibaldi-Meucci Museum, 420 Tompkins Ave., Staten Island, NY 10305
“The Polar Express” (2004) | 2-4 p.m.
Cozy up for a screening of the holiday classic “The Polar Express.” Snacks provided and ornament-making activity included. For children and their parents/caregivers. Rated G.
Cost: Free
Location: Port Richmond Library, 75 Bennett St., Staten Island, NY 10302
Sunday, Dec. 14
Nature Exploration Hike | 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Take a peaceful walk through the William T Davis Wildlife Refuge trail with NYC’s Urban Park Rangers. This guided nature hike offers visitors a chance to learn about the diverse plant and animal species that inhabit this unique Staten Island ecosystem. Perfect for nature enthusiasts and families looking to explore the outdoors.
Cost: Free
Location: Park Drive North and Signs Road, Freshkills Park, Staten Island, NY 10314
‘A Nostalgic Christmas’ | 1-5 p.m.
Get ready to relive the golden era of music when the stage will be set for an unforgettable afternoon of timeless harmonies and sentimental rhythms. “A Nostalgic Christmas,” an upcoming holiday doo-wop oldies show, and hosted by J & R Productions, will harken back to the 1950s and 60s, a time when street corners echoed with a cappella sounds and simple, heartfelt lyrics that captured the spirit of the sacred season. The musical extravaganza, that also promises to include plenty of dancing, will promote the sounds of crooner, Carl Thomas, who’ll perform tunes made famous by Frank Sinatra, The New Xpressions, and Dean Martin and Marilyn Monroe tribute artists.
Cost: $100 (for reservations and questions, phone 732-598-1949 or 917-669-4640.)
Location: Historic Old Bermuda Inn, 301 Veterans Road West, Staten Island, NY 10309
Statue of Rev. Vincent Capodanno Unveiling | 2 p.m.
A statue of Father Vincent R. Capodanno sculpted by the late artist and philanthropist Gregory Perillo, has been installed and will be unveiled. Among the elected officials present will be Borough President Vito Fossella, who will serve as a guest speaker. Rev. Jack Soler, pastor of St. Michael-St. Clement R.C. Church, will bestow a blessing upon the statue.
Cost: Free
Location: Intersection of Seaview Avenue and Capodanno Boulevard in Ocean Breeze, Staten Island, NY 10305
A draft of this story was generated using AI. It was reviewed, edited and approved by Advance/SILive.com staff.