Holiday Lights, Festivals And Celebrations Fill The Manchester Calendar

MANCHESTER, NJ — With Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa festivities filling the December calendar, the problem may be deciding which events in Manchester to attend.

Outside these religious and cultural celebrations, there are plenty of holiday light shows, parades, fairs and festivals to attend in Manchester. Here are some to consider:

Dec. 6: Manchester Recreation is hosting Christmas in the Pines. The event is from 2 p.m.-7 p.m. at Harry Wright Lake Park. There will be food and craft vendors, firepits, smores, hot cocoa, and live Christmas entertainment from 2 p.m.-5 p.m. Santa Claus will be on site from 3 p.m.-5 p.m. and there will be lighted walking trails from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. Rain date is Sunday, Dec. 7.

Dec. 14: Hawk Holiday Craft and Vendor Market, Manchester Township High School, 101 Hawks Way, Manchester: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. There are 95 vendors and organizations, with crafts, baked goods, candles, jewelry, and more. There will be activities for the kids, a scavenger hunt, door prizes and more. Hosted by the National Honor Society. Proceeds go to Kevin's Kids gift drive and to Make-A-Wish of New Jersey.

Here are several light shows to check out:

Laser Holidays, Robert J. Novins Planetarium at Ocean County College, Toms River: Most Fridays and Saturdays in December. The 40-minute show features more than a dozen classic holiday songs, accompanied by a laser display. Tickets are $12 and are available online.

Magic of Lights, PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel: Through Jan. 3. The drive-through display is more than a mile long on the grounds of the arts center. There is a Holiday Village with ice skating, arts and crafts, a place to watch a holiday movie outdoors and you can see Santa.

Marlin Christmas Wonderland, 1326 Laurel Ave., Sea Girt: Through December. The massive Christmas display this year includes scenes from Christmas movies as part of the light show. Music synchronized to the lights can be heard on your radio at 88.9 FM.

Merry Mile of Lights, A. Casola Farms, 178 Route 34, Holmdel: Wednesdays-Sundays through Dec. 28. The light trail is a mile long and has millions of lights and festive displays. There are kids' crafts, free hot chocolate from the Winter Wonderland Super Store and on Fridays through Sundays photos with Santa.

Old-Fashioned Christmas on the Farm and Light Show, Allaire Community Farm, 1923 Baileys Corner Road, Wall: Fridays through Sundays until Dec. 28. The 25-acre farm is lit up for the season and its barn has been turned into a Christmas market. There is a model train, an interactive game area, wagon rides, and you can watch classic holiday movies. The Polar Express Train has returned.

U Pick Tulips: Winter Wonderland and Drone Show, Holland Ridge Farms, 108 Rues Road, Cream Ridge: Through Jan. 4. Who says tulips are limited to the spring? Check out the 50,000 lit-up tulips, the winter market, food trucks, illuminated seesaws and swing sets, pony rides, Santa’s Workshop, and holiday treats. The Drone Show is new and is set for 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Dec. 18, 19 and 20. There will be 200 drones synced to music, with festive animations and bright color changes.

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.