Looking for all the Christmas, Hanukkah, and other holiday happenings in the Summit/SOMA area? You’ve come to the right place! We’ve been as busy as Santa’s elves here at the Macaroni Kid factory, wrapping up a list of winter season events just for you.
From longtime annual traditions like A Christmas Carol at Chatham Players to fun first-time events like Winter Walk Holiday Lights in Millburn's Taylor Park, we’re seeing Christmas and other holiday events popping up everywhere!
Our goal is to make sure you and your family don’t miss out on any holiday fun! So we’ve made our list, and we’ve checked it twice. Now, no matter if you’re naughty or nice, we’re ready to share it with you:
Winter and holiday events in Summit, Short Hills, South Orange, Maplewood, Millburn, Chatham, Berkeley Heights, New Providence, Westfield, Springfield, Mountainside, Watchung, Union, West Orange, Florham Park, East Hanover, Livingston.
Ongoing throughout the season:
- Santa's Mailbox, Cranford Post Office, November 24-December 18
- Santa's Mailbox, outside Mondo/Marigolds in Summit
- Polar Express Train Ride in Whippany
- Marketspace at Westfield (first three weekends in December)
- Gingerbread Wonderland & Craft Show
- Gingerbread House Competition (Maplewood) - register by 12/8, houses on display until 1/17
- Turtle Back Zoo Holiday Lights Spectacular
- Friday, Saturday, Sunday: November 16- 18, November 23-25, November 30- December 2
Every Night: December 7 – 31
Closed: December 24 & 25
5pm to 9pm
Free Admission *Celebrate the season of giving by bringing donations of non-perishable food items, new toys, and gently used coats. - Click for more info
- Friday, Saturday, Sunday: November 16- 18, November 23-25, November 30- December 2
- Dickens Village in Maplewood
Where to get Christmas Trees:
- Great Swamp
- Halls Garden Center Berkeley Heights
- Wyndemere Farm
- Dixiedale
- Magic Fountain (Summit)
- Zita's (New Providence)
Hanukkah Events:
- The Klezmatics "Happy Joyous Hanukkah, Lyrics by Woody Guthrie" (SOPAC)
- December 2, 5pm -- Westfield Menorah Lighting
- December 2, 5pm -- Springfield Menorah Lighting
- December 3, 4pm -- Musical Storytime: Hanukkah Edition
- December 3, 5:30pm -- Chanukah on the Green (Morristown)
- December 4, 6pm -- No Room For Hate Menorah Lighting (Summit)
- December 6, 4pm -- Hanukkah Lights Serendipity Club at Summit Library
- December 6, 7pm -- New Providence Menorah Lighting
- December 7, 6pm and 7:30pm (2 events) -- Rich Recht Chanukah Concerts at Temple Sinai (FREE)
- December 9, 9am -- FREE Chanukah puppet show at Temple Sinai
Santa Sightings:
- Turtle Back Zoo Holiday Lights Spectacular, select weekends
- Livingston Mall
- Short Hills Mall
- Madison Santa
- November 23, 5:30pm -- Madison Christmas Parade & Tree Lighting
- November 23, 4pm -- Cranford Christmas Tree Lighting and Festival
- November 23, 5pm -- New Providence Holiday Festival
- November 24-25, 1pm -- Photos with Santa at Lord & Taylor Westfield
- Marketspace at Westfield, free Santa photos first three weekends in December
- November 25, 5pm -- Santa's Arrival and Morristown Green Lighting
- November 25, 5:30pm -- Westfield Tree Lighting + Santa Visit
- December 1, 5pm -- Berkeley Heights Christmas Tree Lighting & Winter Walk
- December 8, 10am -- Cookies & Cocoa with Santa
- December 9, 9am -- Pancakes & Pajamas with Santa
- December 9, 9:30am -- Paint with Santa at Color Me Mine Summit
Holiday Performances and Theater:
- Elf the Musical (MPAC)
- The Wizards of Winter Concert (MPAC)
- A Charlie Brown Christmas: Live on Stage (MPAC)
- The Klezmatics "Happy Joyous Hanukkah, Lyrics by Woody Guthrie" (SOPAC)
- American Repertory Ballet's Nutcracker at SOPAC
- 98 Degrees at Christmas (MPAC)
- A Charlie Brown Christmas at Montclair Studio Players ($12 tickets)
- New Jersey Ballet's The Nutcracker at MPAC
- A Christmas Carol at Chatham Players
- Nightmare Before Christmas (NJPAC)
- The Hip Hop Nutcracker (NJPAC)
- The Nutcracker: National Ballet Theatre of Odessa (NJPAC)
Day Trips Worth the Drive:
- Skylands Christmas Light Show & Village - Augusta NJ, ongoing throughout November/December
- PNC Bank Arts Center Magic of Lights show - Holmdel NJ, ongoing throughout November/December
- New Hope and Ivyland Railroad North Pole Express and Santa's Steam Spectacular
November
- November 15, 6pm -- Elf on the Shelf Kids Night Out, Color Me Mine Summit
- November 15, 6pm -- Girls Night Out in Maplewood Village
- November 16 -- Holiday Light Spectacular at Turtle Back Zoo opens for November Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays
- November 17, 11am -- The Grinch Storytime at Indigo
- November 18, 3pm -- Brian Kirk and the Jirks free concert and food drive
- November 18, 7pm -- Elf the Musical at MPAC
- November 22, 8am -- South Orange 5K Turkey Trot
- November 22, 8am -- Chatham Turkey Trot
- November 22, 9am -- Free Thanksgiving Yoga Class
- November 23, 1pm -- Give Back Friday at Summit Library
- November 23, 4pm -- Cranford Christmas Tree Lighting and Festival
- November 23, 5pm -- New Providence Holiday Festival
- November 23, 5:30pm -- Madison Christmas Parade & Tree Lighting
- November 23, 6pm -- Bad Santa Pottymouth Pottery Party (Adults only!)
- November 24, 9am -- Make a Gingerbread Man Ornament at Home Depot
- November 24, 1pm -- Photos with Santa at Lord & Taylor Westfield
- November 24, 1pm -- Downtown Holiday Entertainment in Westfield
- November 24, 8pm -- The Wizards of Winter Concert (MPAC)
- November 25 -- A Charlie Brown Christmas: Live on Stage (MPAC)
- November 25, 1pm -- Photos with Santa at Lord & Taylor Westfield
- November 25, 5pm -- Santa's Arrival and Morristown Green Lighting
- November 25, 5:30pm -- Westfield Tree Lighting + Santa Visit
- November 29, 7:30pm -- The Klezmatics "Happy Joyous Hanukkah" (SOPAC)
- November 30, 5pm -- Celebrate in Summit: Music, Hot chocolate, Horse & Carriage Rides, and FREE babysitting
December
- December 1-23, 10am -- Marketspace in Westfield opens for 3 weekends in December (FREE SANTA PHOTOS)
- December 1, 5pm -- Berkeley Heights Christmas Tree Lighting & Winter Walk
- December 1, 5:30pm -- Santa's Holiday Party - Annual Summit Tree Lighting
- December 2, 5pm -- Westfield Menorah Lighting
- December 2, 5pm -- Springfield Menorah Lighting
- December 3, 4pm -- Musical Storytime: Hanukkah Edition
- December 3, 5:30pm -- Chanukah on the Green (Morristown)
- December 3, 5:30pm -- Christmas Tree Lighting at Seton Hall
- December 6, 4pm -- Hanukkah Lights Serendipity Club at Summit Library
- December 7-8 -- American Repertory Ballet's Nutcracker at SOPAC
- December 7, 8pm -- 98 Degrees at Christmas (MPAC)
- December 8, 9:30am -- Mistletoes Footprint Workshop at Color Me Mine Summit
- December 8, 10am -- Cookies & Cocoa with Santa
- December 8, 11am -- Winter Storytime at Summit Library
- December 8, 15, and 22 -- Summit Carriages and Carolers
- December 9, 9am -- Chanukkah Puppet Show (FREE)
- December 9, 9am -- Pancakes & Pajamas with Santa
- December 9, 9:30am -- Paint with Santa at Color Me Mine Summit
- December 11, 7pm -- Cookie Castle Engineering at Summit Library
- December 12, 4pm -- Kids Can Cook! Holiday Treats!
- .....
Please note: This list will be updated as info about more events comes in, so check back often to make sure you don't miss out on any family fun!
Don't see a family-friendly Christmas or holiday event in the area listed here that you know about? Drop me a line at juliel@macaronikid.com with the details!
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