Celebrate the Holiday Season in Westchester County

December is the season for Christmas trees, caroling, ice skating and snow; a time for family celebrations, lights of assorted colors strung along houses and kitchens wafting with the smell of freshly baked sugar cookies.

To prepare for the holidays, Westchester County has scheduled the following seasonal events designed to evoke holiday cheer amongst children and adults alike. Take note if any of the events require pre-registration or advance ticket purchase.

• See the toe-tapping musical revue "That Time of the Year" at the White Plains Performing Arts Center from Dec. 9 - 19. "That Time of the Year" is a musical revue of 25 all-original Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year's songs. The musical numbers range from show tunes to rock, blues and jazz. Some are funny numbers highlighting the joys and anxieties of the holiday season, and other songs are beautiful, touching ballads about the meaning behind the holidays. 

• Take your children to the "Holiday Season Model Train Show" at the Greenburgh Nature Center. The event runs from Dec. 11 - 19. Partnered with the Westchester/Yonkers Model Railroad Club (WYMRC), this is the sixth consecutive year that the GNC is hosting this exhibit. The exhibit is designed for train lovers of all ages. It features a special 12- by 18-foot display of HO gauge model trains, which travel through countryside scenes of natural beauty, modeled on the terrain of upstate New York and New England.

• Your children will enjoy "A Fairy Tale Holiday" at the Lyndhurst in Tarrytown on Dec. 12, 18 and 19. Visit the mansion at night and celebrate the season with live music and hot mulled cider. See the rooms in the mansion lavishly decorated for the season. Reservations are required. Admission is $15 for adults, $6 for children ages 6-12 and free for children under six years old. For more information or reservations, call 914-631-4481, ext. 0.

• See "A Sleepy Hollow Christmas Carol" beginning Dec. 12 - 26 at the Westchester Broadway Theatre. Scrooge meets Washington Irving's characters in this enchanting musical set in the town of Sleepy Hollow, New York in 1900. The play gives a new twist to an old classic by telling the tale of a Sleepy Hollow businessman, Ebenezer Scrooge, who had no love in his heart for his fellow man — especially at Christmastime. Scrooge meets Washington Irving, who takes him on a redemptive adventure to his past, present and future. Along the way, Scrooge meets his boyhood self and  characters such as Ichabod Crane, Katrina Van Tassel, Jacob Marley, Tiny Tim and several other surprising encounters. Dinner and Show tickets range between $52 and $75. For reservations, call (914)-592-2222.

• Shop at the Handmade Holiday Exhibition and Sale from Dec. 13 - 18 at  ArtsWestchester's Arts Exchange in White Plains. Local artists and craftspeople will sell affordable artwork in all mediums including paintings, printmaking, paper arts, jewelry, ceramics, textiles, fiber arts and sculpture.

• The Greenville Community Theater's December Workshop (and its General Meeting) is an open mic night for holiday stories, poems or songs. The workshop is scheduled for Dec. 17 at 8 p.m. Sign up when you arrive. For more information, contact GCT Workshop Chairman Stewart Hanges by phone at (914) 428-6393 or by e-mail at epistrophy57@gmail.com

• No need to trek down into Manhattan to see the magical family holiday classic "The Nutcracker". The Westchester Ballet Company is performing the beloved story at the Westchester County Center on Dec. 17, 18 and 19. The Company promises a beautiful production with spectacular scenery and costumes, classic choreography and special stage effects at family affordable prices. Tickets are $18 for adults, $12 for children (ages two to 10) and seniors (60+) and $22 on the day of the performance.

• The Sleepy Hollow Performing Artists presents "Winter in NYC" on Dece. 17, 18 and 19. "Winter in NYC" is the story of a family who travels to New York City for a magical holiday season. This performance includes numerous dance and song styles. The show is expected to be "dynamic, entertaining and electrifying." Tickets are $18 for adults, $15 for seniors, and $12 for students.

• Experience a late 18th-century celebration of "Twelfth Night" during the Van Cortlandt Manor's Evening Candlelight Tours on Dec. 18 and 26. The manor is decorated with holiday greens, and fruit wreaths and garlands adorn windowsills and mantles. Enjoy live music performed in the parlor and 18th-century desserts set on Van Cortlandt family china.

• Visit Washington Irving's Sunnyside on Dec. 18 and 26 to hear excerpts from Irving's Christmas tales and family letters. The event promises candlelight tours bringing an 1850s Christmas to life. The cottage is decorated with holly, evergreens and real candles. Join in song with a costumed guide on the 1830s piano and enjoy hot cider served beside a roaring fire. Tickets are $14 for Adults, $6 for children ages five-17 years old and free for children under five years old.

• Listen to the "Festival of Carols for Christmas" at Grace Church's Downtown Music in White Plains on Dec. 19. The festival features the choirs of Grace Church and members of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Joined by Baritone soloist Thomas Jamerson, perform selections from Handel's Messiah, Gerald Finzi's "In Terra Pax" and other familiar carols. A reception follows the concert.

• Go ice-skating at the Playland Ice Casino in Rye. The rink offers special weekday times for Freestyle, Adult Skate and Child Puck Time. Skate with Santa on Dec. 19 from 1:30 - 5 p.m.

• See the top-ranked boys and girls from local and New York State basketball teams face off to showcase their talent in a competitive four-day tournament. The 12th Annual Slam Dunk High School Basketball Tournament takes place from Dec. 26 - 29 at the Westchester County Center. Tickets are $5 per day.

Keep warm, take pictures and have fun! If an event you know of is missing, share the details in the comment area or post it in the events section of the Patch site.