Celebrate The Holiday Season in Baltimore

I’m so excited that we’re headed out to the East Coast next year with Zoe’s career. I can’t announce exactly what we are doing yet but it’s going to be amazing. Because of that we’re sharing different travel opportunities close to us. This travel treat is in Baltimore.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year in Baltimore: the leaves have turned and the holidays are just around the corner. Baltimore will soon spread holiday cheer with ice skating in the Inner Harbor, live music under the stars and shopping with local vendors from Thanksgiving through the New Year. Celebrate the season in Baltimore with festive events for a romantic getaway, family-friendly fun, or a solo adventure! Visit www.baltimore.org for more festive events.

o PANDORA Ice Rink

Nov. 11-Jan. 16, 2016

Opening November 11, this seasonal sensation is located atop the Amphitheater between the Harborplace Pavilions, offering beautiful views of the Inner Harbor. Adults skate for just $10 with the option to rent skates for $4 or bring your own. Warm beverages and seasonal treats are just a few steps away at Harbor Place.

o Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer 4-D

Nov. 11, 2016- Jan. 2, 2017

The National Aquarium’s 4-D theater experience brings holiday magic to life in an unforgettable holiday adventure complete with 3-D film and sensory effects. Join Rudolph and his new friends at the National Aquarium for a holiday treat for the whole family.

o Authentic German Christmas Village

Nov. 24 – Dec. 24, 2016

Modeled after the famous Christkindl Market in Nuremberg, Germany, the Christmas Village in West Shore Park combines European culture with Baltimore charm. The indoor and outdoor market features traditional German-style wooden huts, thousands of festive lights and the big Holiday Tree. The Christmas Village will also feature holiday events- see the full schedule here.

o Miracle on 34^th Street

Nov. 26 through early January

One block in Hampden puts on a Christmas light display that is surely visible from space. Neighbors in this block of row houses string Christmas lights across 34th Street, inflatable snow globes, musical trains and blinking angels adorn homes – and a few even allow visitors to peek inside! The lights are on every night from Thanksgiving weekend to January 1, including all night on Christmas Eve.

o The Holly Jolly  Trolley

Starts Dec. 2, runs Thursday – Sunday at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

Step aboard the holiday trolley and enjoy the splendor of Baltimore’s holiday lights beginning in the Inner Harbor. The Holly Jolly Trolley will take you on a festive tour of Baltimore’s most decorated neighborhoods and attractions, such as Hamden to see the world famous 34th street annual Christmas Festival of Lights and the first monument to George Washington in Baltimore’s Mount Vernon neighborhood. This year’s tour is hosted by a live guide and will stop in historic Fell’s Point and Canton. Stop by the Royal Sonesta for a bite to eat either before or after the tour and get 15% off the entire check in the Explorer Lounge. Enjoy festive refreshments outside of the café on Light Street, where the fun begins before the ride.

o 50th Anniversary of Kwanzaa Celebration

Dec. 30, 3 pm

Bring out the family to celebrate the holiday’s 50th anniversary and the Kwanzaa principle Nia (“Purpose”) at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture, 830 E. Pratt Street. Enjoy storytelling, African dancing and drumming by Sankofa Dance Theater. Sallah Jenkins leads holiday craft-making. Travel with teaching artist Culture Queen through Culture Kingdom Kids’ Kwanzaaland to explore the seven Kwanzaa principles at workshop stations.

o Ring in the New Year in Baltimore!

Count down with local legends, Super Bueno and celebrate the first minutes of 2017 with a spectacular display of fireworks sparkling over the Inner Harbor at the New Year’s Eve Spectacular (Dec. 31, 9 pm – 12:30 am). Celebrate before bedtime at the Maryland Science Center’s Midnight Noon (Dec. 31, 10 am-2 pm) with live music and crafts or combine the New Year’s celebration with a family Hanukkah party at the Jewish Museum of Maryland (Dec. 31, 5 pm).