20 Things To Do In Beacon This December
The west end of Beacon’s Main Street last year.
With Thanksgiving barely in the rearview mirror, the Holiday season is about to hit its stride. December in Beacon opens the door to bustling markets, live theater and music, readings, Santa snapshots, and more. So, buckle up because the next few weeks will be fast and festive.
Here’s just some of the month’s highlights:
Beacon’s Christmas Tree Lighting
Christmas starts early this year with the eighth annual Christmas Tree Lighting in Memorial Park, on Saturday, November 29th between 4 PM and 6 PM.
Don’t miss this family-friendly start to the season which kicks off with performances from Yanarella School of Dance, Ballet Arts Studio, School of Rock, Grace Morea, John Espinosa, Molly Lyons, Beacon Performing Arts, and Scouts of Beacon. There’ll be free raffles, face painting, free cookie and hot chocolate kits and ornament kits, and music by DJ Donovan Royall. A traditional tree lighting will occur after sunset, followed by photos with Santa.
Holiday Markets and Shopping Events
The Howland Cultural Center, home to a Holiday Gift Show & festive events
Howland Cultural Center’s Holiday Gift Show & Sale (477 Main Street)—featuring more than 30 Hudson Valley artists and makers—began on Friday November 21st and runs until Tuesday December 23rd. Gifts range from incense, quilts, jewelry, ceramics, textiles, pottery, and more. You’ll also supporting the Howland Cultural Center which receives a small portion of sales when you buy from these vendors. The Gift Show is open most days from 12 PM to 5 PM. Admission is free.
Be sure to stop by the inaugural Shop Local Rock Local Holiday Market and Open House hosted by Beacon Music Factory, That Creative Space, Second Wave Supplies, and Common Ground Farm on Saturday, December 6th, 2PM to 6 PM at 333 Fishkill Avenue.
Expect live musical performances throughout the afternoon, and a Holiday makers market with 11 local artisan vendors. There’s also a musical “instrument petting zoo” where kids can try drums, guitars, keyboards, and lots of other kids’ craft activities.
If that isn’t enough, Beacon Music Factory will be hosting rock camps and music lessons for all ages, and That Creative Space will offer creative workshops for all ages. Admission is free. Reserve a spot in this link.
The incredibly popular Cirque du Creep’s Nightmare Before Christmas also takes place on Saturday, December 6 between 4 PM and 10 PM at The Yard (4 Hanna Lane). Join this unique night market for a spine-chilling Holiday celebration like no other. If you’re not too terrified, enjoy a unique photo opportunity with Art the Clown Santa, Evil Elves and Krampus, and shop small from more than 50 alt vendors. Bring home a tattoo from one of their 11 tattoo artists, or have your fortunes told by Tarot & Charm readers.
There’s also live music and sideshow fire performances by the bonfire. Be sure to dress for the weather because the event is happening come rain, snow, or shine. Pre-sale tickets are $12, and tickets on the day of the event are $15. Kids (15 and under) can get in free. Buy tickets here.
Finally, Vivash Med Spa is celebrating its third anniversary with a free in-person Holiday Glow-Up pampering Event (249 Main Street Beacon) on Saturday, December 6th. Expect complimentary champagne, bite-sized pastries, and the chance to explore special aesthetic treatment offers from Vivash in a relaxed, festive setting. The event will feature express Red Light Therapy facials, 15% off pre-purchased services, and raffle prizes including complimentary Forma sessions, IPL Photofacials, and Laser Hair Removal treatments.
Plus, ROC Pilates—who’ve just moved into their new location at 234 Main Street—will host mini-Pilates classes and offer demos. Their instructors will be available to chat with guests about health, beauty, and wellness while Cloth & Curate—a high-end women’s clothing and gift boutique from Croton-on-Hudson—and The Glow Up Aesthetic—a fitness and lifestyle brand offering stylish activewear and wellness gear—will be on-site with curated collections perfect for holiday shopping. You just need to register here.
A Pet Photo Opp With Santa
ARF Beacon’s Pet Photos With Santa.
Join Beacon’s Animal Rescue Foundation for Pet Photos With Santa on Saturday, December 6th between 12 PM and 3 PM at Happy Valley Arcade Bar (296 Main Street). Bring your furry family member and strike a pose for an adorable Holiday memento. Pets must be leashed or in carriers. Suggested donation $15 per photo. There’ll be a rain date on Sunday, December 7th.
A Plethora of Performance Art
New improv performance at Saint Rita’s Music Room, Beacon.
Seasoned improv producer, director, and performer Don Romaniello introduces a thought-provoking improv turned high-art performance called Tantalus to Saint Rita’s Music Room (85 Eliza Street), Beacon’s newest stage, on Saturday, December 6th. Tantalus features a cast of experienced improvisers including Jaime Fallon, Maya Gottfried, David Schwartz, Amalia Truglio, Halle Sarner, Jonathan Connolly, Alec Vanacore, Isabel Allegrucci, and, of course, Don Romaniello. Tickets available in the link.
Devotees of arthouse visionary David Lynch should make sure to experience The Completely Unauthorized David Lynch Christmas Carol at Industrial Arts Brewing Company on Thursday, December 11th and Friday, December 12th. The premise? What could possibly happen if the director of Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet, The Elephant Man, Wild at Heart had his way with Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol? Join Hit House Creative for an immersive evening during which audiences will be guided through different vignettes, scenes, films, art, musical numbers, and a brief fully-staged play. Described as “Sleep No More meets Cabaret meets A Christmas Carol meets The Black Lodge.” Book tickets here.
Be sure to catch Eli Walker’s solo performance—Kill The Buddha—at the Howland Cultural Center (477 Main Street) on Friday, December 12th and Saturday, December 13th. It promises to be a provocative and darkly comic dissection of the modern obsession with expertise, belonging, and the dangerous allure of spiritual authority. Part confessional memoir, part satirical takedown of wellness culture, "Kill the Buddha" follows Eli's journey from vulnerable acting student to viral entrepreneur to self-proclaimed "belonging expert." It charts the spectacular unraveling that forces her to confront the difference between performing wisdom and living authentically. Written and performed by Eli Walker. Directed by Molly Shayna Cohen. Buy tickets here.
Join Glen Heroy in a one-of-a-kind performance in I, Santa, Confessions From Behind The Beard at the Howland Cultural Center (477 Main Street) on Sunday, December 14th at 6 PM. This is an intimate evening of strange-but-true stories about Heroy’s time playing Saint Nick. His real-life anecdotes range from the humorous to the heartbreaking and they capture the best and worst of the holidays as seen from the photo-op throne of Santa Claus. Tickets in link.
And make time to catch one of the four performances of No Regrets, a one-woman play written and performed by Denise Bessette. No Regrets is based on the life and writings of the noted provocative and beloved French author, Colette, and it takes place at Savage Wonder Arts Center (139 Main Street) during December.
Plus, Die Nutcracker Harder is a co-production between Savage Wonder and fellow veteran performance company, Exit12 Dance in which A Christmas Carol, The Nutcracker, and Die Hard are mashed into one high-octane holiday show. Expect high energy and high jinks. There’s a lot going on at Savage Wonder this December, so explore their calendar and book tickets directly.
Finally, guaranteed to get you in the festive spirit is Beaconite Scott Ramsey and his annual reading of Truman Capote’s touching and much-loved “A Christmas Memory,” at Dennings Point Distillery (10 North Chestnut Street) on Sunday, December 7th at 6:30 PM.
A Vibrant Music Scene This December
Don’t miss the 27th Annual Sloan Wainwright Holiday Whiz-Bang at The Towne Crier on Saturday, December 6th at 8 PM. Sloan Wainwright, the songwriter, singer, performer, and member of a celebrated family of artists—which includes brother Loudon Wainwright, nephew Rufus Wainwright, and nieces Martha Wainwright and Lucy Wainwright Roche—has played the great concert halls, the most storied listening rooms, and top music festivals over the past three decades. As a teacher, coach and mentor, Sloan has taught at the nation’s leading music retreats, influencing and encouraging hundreds of students on their creative journeys.
Sloane’s annual holiday show—affectionately known by her fans as the big “Whiz-Bang Shindig.”—features special guests including Sloan’s own granddaughters along with the Sloan Wainwright Band and her posse of harmony-singing “Sloan Flakes”.
And if you’re up for celebrating almost every dimension of the Holiday season, head to the Howland Cultural Center (477 Main Street) to celebrate Christmas, Hannukah, and Kwanzaa with Goldee Green and Friends at the Annual Holiday Hoot on Sunday, December 7th. There’ll be music, Hannukah poetry, and a raffle prize.
Check out Barcelona-based project Grauwi + Marta Cascales and The Bird Yellow at The Yard (4 Hanna Lane) on Wednesday, December 10th. Singer Grauwi and pianist Marta Cascales Alimbau collaborated to release their debut album, Contradictions, in 2023 to outstanding reviews from the press and public in their country. The Bird Yellow is a New York-based singer-songwriter and producer who’s also from Barcelona. Doors open at 7 PM. Tickets in the link.
The Wynotte Sisters—comprised of Sara Milonovich, Daria Grace and Vibeke Saugestad—met in 2015 through the Beacon music scene and soon discovered a mutual love for three-part harmonies. They’ll be playing at Saint Rita’s Music Room (85 Eliza Street) on Thursday, December 11th. While the group started as a Christmas band, demand from the community and their love of singing together prompted the girls to also work up a swinging set of non-holiday material featuring songs they love and have made their own. Tickets available now.
There’s more music at The Yard in the form of Babehoven and Marem Ladson co-headlining on Saturday, December 13th. Babehoven is a band fronted by singer-songwriter Maya Bon and collaborator Ryan Albert who are based in Hudson, NY. Born and raised in the Galicia region of northwest Spain—a place of lush, rainy, and foggy landscapes—Marem turned to music in an environment that quietly shaped her introspective style. She taught herself guitar in her bedroom, and began writing songs at a young age, turning inward in search of belonging, understanding, and connection. Tickets in link.
Join trio Victor Vieira-Branco’s Bark Culture, which is led by vibraphonist Victor Vieira-Branco and features drummer, Joey Sullivan, and bassist, John Moran, for a night of melodically rich, experimental music. The show is at The Yard on Thursday, December 18th at 8 PM.
Catch This Show Before It Ends
Currently on view at Hudson Beach Glass (162 Main Street), Reframing the Constant is a photography and mixed media exhibition featuring work by Beacon artists, Denise deVore and Jennifer Sarah Blakeslee. The show brings together a collection of images that explore how we anchor ourselves—emotionally, visually, and conceptually—amid the shifting pace of everyday life. Each artist approaches “the constant” from a different angle, inviting viewers to pause, reconsider, and see the familiar with new clarity. The show runs until Sunday, December 7th so catch it while you can.
Finally, Holiday Party Open Houses
Stop by Hudson River Sloop Clearwater for a holiday celebration and open house at their Beacon office (724 Wolcott Avenue) on Friday, December 12th from 4 PM. It’s a chance to meet the team, chat about their 2025 highlights, and their plans for 2026. Light refreshments will be available, and they’re inviting attendees to bring holiday desserts or drinks to share. Register in the link.
Join the Beacon Historical Society on Sunday, December 14th from 2 PM to 4 PM for its open house Holiday party at Saint Rita’s Music Room (85 Eliza Street), the former band and choral classroom in the 1916 Beacon High School now also known as the KuBe Art Center. There will be guides on hand for tours of the building that closed as a high school more than 25 years ago.
If you’re reading this before December, be sure to visit Main Street for an abundance of Black Friday and Small Business Saturday offers. Plus, to whet your retail appetite we’ve partnered with some of Beacon’s awesome businesses for an equally awesome HOLIDAY GIVEWAY on Instagram. You can enter until Sunday, November 30th at noon.
For a complete guide to everything on in Beacon during December, bookmark our Events Guide since it’s updated almost daily this time of year! And to get an on-the-go view of what’s happening in Beacon follow The Beacon Beacon on WhatsApp. It goes without saying—but we’ll say it anyway—Beacon’s Main Street businesses take the stress out of Holiday shopping with creative, one-of-a-kind gifts and experiences for every giftee. Explore our Shop Directory for every store in Beacon and dig into our 2025 Holiday Gift Guide for some top-notch inspiration. And be sure to explore our Eat & Directory for every spot to enjoy in the city if you’re planning a festive gathering or meal (or several, we hope!).
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Until next time…
The Beacon Beacon🧡
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