Holiday Lights, Festivals And Celebrations Fill The Portsmouth Calendar

PORTSMOUTH, NH — With Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa festivities filling the December calendar, the problem may be deciding which events in Portsmouth to attend.

Outside these religious and cultural celebrations, there are holiday light shows, parades, fairs, and festivals to attend in Portsmouth.

At 5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6, the city will host its annual Holiday Tree Lighting and Illuminated Holiday Parade festivities. The tree lighting will be held at 5 p.m. After that, the holiday parade will be held.

The Fox family of Rye donated the city’s 35-foot-tall blue spruce. It is decorated with 560 feet of lights and 150 ornaments.

“Snowflakes & Sparkles” is the theme of this year’s Illuminated Holiday Parade. The parade route begins at Goodwin Park on Islington Street at 6 pm. It proceeds downtown via Congress Street, continuing through Market Square to Pleasant Street, and crossing State Street before concluding on Junkins Avenue.

Also on Saturday, the annual West End Holiday Shop Crawl, the Shop & Stroll Downtown Portsmouth festival, and the Port City Winter Makerspace market will be held. Safeway Storage Open Studios will also be held on Saturday, while a gallery walk is booked for Friday.

Strawbery Banke Museum hosts candlelight strolls on select dates.

There are also markets and fairs being held in Portsmouth and New Castle before the holiday.

Also, the city’s holiday lights contest is underway.

To sign up and see a map of participating homes, visit: portsnh.co/HolidayLights2025. The contest winners will be announced on Dec. 22.

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-Jan. 1, culminating with gift-giving and a lavish feast. The dates of this holiday do not change.

Also Read

• 2025 Concord Christmas Tree Lighting Highlights: Video
• 2025 Feztival Of Trees, At Bektash Temple In Concord, Runs Through Sunday: Video
• Large, Festive Turnout For 74th Annual Concord Christmas Parade On The Heights: Video

Editor's note: This post was scripted by another Patch staffer, not New Hampshire's editor, for publication on New Hampshire sites.