Christmas 2023 Events In Newtown: Nutcrackers, Hope & Healing

NEWTOWN, CT — With Hanukkah starting at sundown Thursday, Christmas festivities in full swing and Kwanzaa at the end of the month, the problem may be deciding which events in Newtown to attend.

Schools, churches and synagogues, nonprofit groups and other organizations in Newtown have made sure of that.

First, here are key dates to remember:

• Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish “festival of lights,” celebrated with a nightly menorah lighting, special prayers and fried foods, begins at sundown Thursday and continues until sundown on Dec. 15. The dates vary every year.

• Christmas, of course, is always Dec. 25.

• Kwanzaa, a weeklong celebration primarily held in the United States to honor African heritage and African-American culture, is observed from Dec. 26-Jan. 1, culminating with gift giving and a lavish feast. The dates of this holiday do not change.

Here is a look at upcoming holiday events in and near Newtown from the Patch Events Calendar:

• Jolly Jingle Jam with Frosty (Ages Babies - 8 yrs), Newtown, Dec. 8
• Danbury Music Centre presents "The Nutcracker," Dec. 8, 9, 10
• Ridgefield Conservatory of Dance presents "The Nutcracker," Dec. 8, 9, 10
• Santa Breakfast, Bethel, Dec. 9
• Wreath Fest-Family Day, Ridgefield, Dec. 9
• Holiday Concert with Coastal Mix and Mad Hatter Choruses, Newtown, Dec. 9
• Camerata d'Amici Christmas Concert, Ridgefield, Dec. 10
• Hawleyville Tree Lighting, Newtown, Dec. 10
• Tibetan Craft Shop Open for the Holidays, Redding, Dec. 10, 17
• First Congregational Church’s Annual Christmas Concert, Ridgefield, Dec. 10
• Newtown Savings Bank Toy Drive, Newtown, Dec. 13
• "A Christmas Story" 40th Anniversary, Ridgefield Playhouse, Dec. 13
• Chanukah Menorah Lighting, Easton, Dec. 13
• Breakfast with Santa, Danbury, Dec. 16
• Windborne’s Music of Midwinter, Westport, Dec. 16
• Immaculate High School Winter Concert, Danbury, Dec. 17
• Christmas with the Celts, Ridgefield Playhouse, Dec. 20
• Longest Night Hope & Healing. Ridgefield, Dec. 21