Winter is typically not a season many of us look forward to. Shoveling snow off your driveway, scraping off ice from your windshields in the wee hours of the morning, hauling about five extra pounds of clothing around each day, and the worst, spending all your savings on holiday presents for people you barely know.
The funny thing about the chilly season we consider one of the least favorites is that it’s considered just the opposite for kids. It’s one of the most exciting times of the year for them: Santa bringing toys, sledding with friends and lots of snow days and snow angels to make.
Your opinion of the season can easily change by incorporating fun outings! And that’s so easy, thanks to the slew of great places on Long Island. Here are a few places to go to enjoy the winter weather.
Big River Barn in Old Westbury (bigriverbarn.com)
Winter horseback riding is all the rage this year and Big River Barn is even offering great gift certificates that make awesome holiday presents ($100 for a ride lasting at least 1 1/4 hours). It’s a fun, healthy gift that will lift the spirits. Share your love of horses, adventure, the outdoors, riding.
Long Island Aquarium in Riverhead (longislandaquarium.com).
Long Island Aquarium offers an array of aquatic animal activities from penguin encounters, allowing visitors to get up close to a penquin, to shark dives, allowing visitors to get up close (and behind a cage of course) to sharks. Additionally, Long Island Aquarium boasts an all new butterfly exhibit, that will showcase thousands of butterflies and birds set in an enchanted garden. While your there, don’t forget to check out the new beautiful banquet hall, that comes as an elegant take on the lost city of Atlantis!
Nassau Coliseum in Hempstead (nassaucoliseum.com)
Nassau Coliseum has long been the go-to place for families looking for a good show. For years, the place has provided visitors with the very best in entertainment. One upcoming show you don’t want to miss is Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour by Cirque du Soleil. The show is set to take place April 7 & 8. The amazing show comes as a fusion of visuals, dance, music and fantasy that immerses audiences in Michael’s creative. Through awesome performances, Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour underscores Michael’s global messages of love, peace and unity.
NYCB Theatre in Westbury (livenation.com)
NYCB Theatre at Westbury has long been providing the very best in concerts including David Archuleta, Psychic Medium John Edward and George Lopez. One of the most exciting acts to hit the Westbury stage in 2012 is Jack Hanna’s Into The Wild Live. He’ll be at Westbury January 15 at 1 p.m. Jack Hanna’s Into the Wild takes viewers on an exciting journey with footage of his adventures around the world. The live show also features many of his favorite exotic animal friends.
Dix Hills Performing Arts Center in Dix Hills (dhpac.org)
You can always count on The Dix Hills Performing Arts Center for a great musical performance. The place boasts a slew of amazing shows including Jazz Ensemble, Black Tie Affair Orchestra with Tom Manuel and The Magical Music of Stevie Wonder with Steve Briody sand Friends. Aside from music, Dix Hills Performing Arts Center also provides some great magic shows like Thaddeus’ Magic Emporium. Thaddeus’ Magic Emporium is set to take stage Sunday, January 22, 2:00 p.m. (costs $10), where Thaddeus takes viewers on a tour filled with adventure, mystery, and surprises in his Magical Emporium.
