Holiday Lights, Festivals In Anne Arundel County: See Calendar

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — With Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa festivities filling the December calendar, the problem may be deciding which events in Anne Arundel County to attend.

Outside these religious and cultural celebrations, there are plenty of holiday light shows, parades, fairs and festivals to attend in Anne Arundel County.

Consider these events in Annapolis:

• Lights On The Bay at Sandy Point State Park - Sunday, Nov. 23 through Thursday, Jan. 1.
• Watermark Jolly Express Cruise - Throughout November and December.
• Watermark Holiday Candlelight Stroll - Throughout November and December.
• Annapolis Town Center Tree Lighting - Thursday, Nov. 20, with festivities starting at 5:30 p.m.
• Great Annapolis Gingerbread Houses - Decorated Saturday, Nov. 22 at 10 a.m. On display at the Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County welcome center through Saturday, Dec. 20.
• Grand Illumination Tree Lighting - Sunday, Nov. 30, with festivities starting at 3 p.m.
• Midnight Madness - Thursdays, Dec. 4, 11 and 18, starting at 4 p.m. Runs until midnight the first two weeks. Runs until 11 p.m. on the last date.
• Midnight Madness West Street Holiday Artisan Market - Thursdays, Dec. 11 and 18 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• Annapolis Chocolate Binge Festival - Sun, Dec. 7 at 11 a.m.
• Santa Speedo Run - Saturday, Dec. 13, with festivities starting at 11 a.m.
• Eastport Yacht Club Lights Parade - Saturday, Dec. 13 at 6 p.m.
• Menorah Lighting and Car Parade - Sunday, Dec. 14 at 5:30 p.m.

Elsewhere in Anne Arundel County, check out these celebrations:

• North Pole Lights Walk (Severn's Willow Oak Flower & Herb Farm) - Friday, Nov. 28 through Sunday, Dec. 28.
• Waugh Chapel Towne Centre Tree Lighting (Gambrills) - Tuesday, Dec. 2.
• Glen Burnie Town Center Tree Lighting - Wednesday, Dec. 3 at 5:30 p.m.
• Odenton Tree Lighting (Hosted by the Odenton Heritage Society at the Odenton train station) - Saturday, Dec. 6 at 5 p.m.

As you plan your calendar, here are some key dates to consider:

• Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish “festival of lights,” celebrated with a nightly menorah lighting, special prayers and fried foods, begins at sundown on Dec. 14 and continues until sundown on Dec. 22. 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 through Jan. 1, culminating with gift-giving and a lavish feast. The dates of this holiday do not change.