Christmas, Hanukkah Events In East Windsor: Tree Lightings & More

EAST WINDSOR, NJ — There is no shortage of things to do in the East Windsor area to get the winter holiday season off to a rollicking good start.

Christmas and Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish festival of lights, intersect this year, with Hanukkah running Dec. 18-26. Christmas, of course, is on Dec. 25, but you don’t have to wait to start taking in all the sights and sounds of the holidays.

Tree and menorah lightings in Princeton are:

• Princeton's annual tree lighting ceremony already took place on Nov. 25. So you can visit Palmer Square and see the spruce with 32,000 lights.
• The Jewish Center of Princeton will host the Annual Menorah Lighting on Dec. 20 at Palmer Square at 4 p.m. Expect great music and fun.

Apart from the tree and menorah lighting, there are a lot of Holiday events in Princeton. Morven Museum’s annual winter exhibition is a must-see holiday tradition. The museum’s galleries, mantels, and porches are artfully decorated for the holidays and the installation is open to the public during regular museum hours, Wednesdays through Sundays, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Walk up admission tickets and museum passes are subject to availability.

The Westminster Choir College of Rider University will be hosting their popular holiday concert with evenings of holiday music and readings, featuring performances by Chapel Choir, Symphonic Choir, Jubilee Singers, and the Westminster Choir. For tickets and more details, click here.

Visit Palmer Square Green on Christmas Eve to sing holiday tunes 4:30 p.m. The Christmas Eve Brass Band will lead the festivities, and Santa is expected to visit after caroling. Click here for more information.

Every Saturday and Sunday afternoon, beginning Nov. 26 to Dec. 18, between 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., enjoy some more holiday cheer, while you shop, dine or are just strolling around. Carolers will be singing acapella and will be Santa strolling from corner to corner. Click here for more information.

The Arts Council of Princeton’s Artist Chalet Winter Village is back for the holiday season. Buy directly from artists and makers and find unique, handmade gifts for everyone on your list. The Chalet Village is located on Hinds Plaza from Nov. 25, through Dec. 24. Click here for a list of vendors. Chalets are open for business from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Have Breakfast with Santa at Dragonfly Farms in Hamilton on Dec. 11. After breakfast, children will have a magical visit with Santa for pictures and to let him know their Christmas wish of course.

Christmas parades — often complete with Santa Claus, festively decorated floats and marching bands — are a holiday tradition, both nationally and locally.

Several big parades are taking place this year, including the Mayor’s Annual Christmas Parade in Baltimore City, Maryland; and the Christmas Boat Parade in Newport Beach, California.

Holiday lighting displays are another holiday favorite. Some to catch in New Jersey are:

• Winter Wonderlights, Cranbury Road, East Brunswick
• Martels Christmas Wonderland, Hamilton
• Winter Walk, Millburn

(Clarification: An earlier version of this story mentioned the defunct Target Holidazzle Parade in Minneapolis, which no longer takes place)