The weather is getting cooler, the streets are getting busier and Starbucks is spewing out gingerbread lattes faster than the GOP candidates are making news. The only thing left to put you in the holiday spirit is indulging in the wonderful shows in New York City! Here's a few that will put you in the Christmas spirit.

The Nutcracker is always a New York favorite. This year's edition up at Lincoln Center, performed by the New York City Ballet, is terrific from the top of the Giant growing Christmas tree all the way down to the orchestra. This is the 57th year the Balanchine edition has been performed here in the city, and if you can't catch the show there will be a high definition production in movie theaters and PBS special. If that Nutcracker doesn't satisfy your needs, good thing there's another rendition! The American Ballet Theatre will also perform their version at the Brooklyn Academy of Music beginning December 14th.

The Christmas Spectacular Show at Radio City Music Hall is also well into their 79th year of performances. This year's edition has some clever changes in comparison to last year's show, which has been the same for more than a few years. While you might be surprised to put on those 3D glasses for parts of the show, iconic segments still remain very much intact, including the infamous parade of wooden soldiers.

Other productions include Thorton Wilder's "The Long Christmas", which will be performed at Holiday House, and the terrific comedian, Jackie Hoffman, will be back once again with "A Chanukah Carol" at New World Stages. The variety show "A Molly Jolly Christmas" will be at the Laurie Beecham for the holidays, and for something different, "Nightmare Before Christmas: The Experiment" will play at the Clemente Soto Velez Cultural Center downtown. If you don't like Christmas, this might  please you, but I warn you it may not.

If you combine this list with the many presentations around town of "A Christmas Carol" and dozen  editions of "Handel's Messiah", you should be able to be entertained right through the holidays.