Be Dazzled By Holiday Lights In Mendham, Chester This Season

MENDHAM, NJ — There are some spectacular lights being illuminated throughout Mendham and Chester this holiday season, with some already glowing each night.

Here’s a roundup of some of the upcoming celebrations with lights in Mendham and Chester:

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Saturday, Dec. 4, Mendham Township Tree Lighting and Menorah Lighting - Beginning at 4:30 p.m. at the Mendham Town Hall on 2 West Main Street in Brookside, is a free and special event, with both the Tree and Menorah Lightings happening. After both lightings, attendees can enjoy hot chocolate together. Contact David Guida with questions about the lightings at dguida@mendhamtownship.org.

Saturday, Dec. 4, Mendham Borough’s “Holly Trail” - From scavenger hunts to a "Where’s Santa” contest, photos with Santa and more, the day begins at 11 a.m., with a tree lighting at 4:30 p.m. in Borough Park at 19 Mountain Avenue. See more details here.

Saturday, Dec. 4, Festival of Trees - Holiday trees set up through Dec. 11 for a special “winter wonderland” at The Barn at Highlands Ridge Park on 100 North Road, in Chester Township, as a fundraiser to support the Senior Resource Center. Enjoy “A Holly Jolly Christmas” at the event, with trees available for purchase and the gift shop open. Open Saturdays, 10 a.m. -6 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, 12 to 6 p.m. and Friday, 12 to 8 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 5, Chester Tree Lighting - At the Municipal Field Gazebo the tree will be illuminated at 6 p.m. Attendees are asked to bring non-perishable food items that will be donated for a food drive. This event is sponsored by Chester Borough Recreation, Chester Volunteer Fire Company and Chester First Aid Squad. Find out more details at www.chesterrecreationnj.org.

Friday, Dec. 17, Chester Holiday Light Tour - The Chester Holiday Light Tour starts, with a chance to see twinkling holiday lights throughout town. Sponsored by the Chester PTO and Chester Township, Chester Borough and Township residents can join in on the fun by registering on Community Pass at https://register.communitypass.net/chestertwp. The registration deadline is Dec. 15, with maps of participating homes available on Dec. 17 on www.chesterpto.com, www.chestertownship.org and www.chesterborough.org. Judging for the best decorated houses will happen on Dec. 18 and 19. Find out more information at www.chesterrecreationnj.org.

Sunday, Dec. 19, “Light Up Chester, Mendham” - Luminaries will be lit every night, beginning on this night, including along Chester’s Main Street. This is an event coordinated by the West Morris Junior Women’s Club to raise awareness and funds for the Chester Mendham Food Pantry. Find out how to give to the Junior Women’s Club fundraiser.

Check out some other light displays throughout the upper half of New Jersey at these drive-through, walk through or drive-by destinations; and click the links for more information about each below:

Turtleback Zoo’s Holiday Lights Spectacular - See more than 50 winter and animal characters throughout the Turtleback Zoo for a twinkling display of holiday lights. It’s free to get in, with donations gratefully appreciated and recommended of non-perishable, shelf-stable foods, new toys and gently used coats. On Friday, Dec. 3 through Sunday, Dec. 5, the displays will be illuminated between 5 and 9 p.m. It’s open nightly after that beginning Dec. 10 and running through Dec. 31, then closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Fanwood’s Famous “Christmas House” - A spectacular light display worth seeing on 83 Paterson Road in Fanwood. On Dec. 4 from 4:30 to 7 p.m., Santa plans to stop by with gifts for the kids, with refreshments courtesy of Fanwood PBA Local 123. Donations are gratefully accepted and are give to the NJ Institute for disabilities at www.njid.org.

Orchard of Lights - At Demarest Farms in Bergen County’s Hillsdale on 244 Wieremus Road through Jan. 9, tickets and reservations are required through the 32 acre light tour. Enjoy the lights, then shop the farm market, sit by the fire pit and sip on hot chocolate.

Martorana Christmas House - Visit the Christmas House in Wayne on 396 Fairfield Road, with lights and inflatables all day. The inflatables are up from 8 a.m. to midnight, with the lights on from 4 p.m. to midnight. The family has over 1,000 of the inflatables between Halloween and Christmas, with about 700 for the Christmas season.

Winter Wonderlights - Be dazzled by more than 1.5 million holiday lights in a drive-thru spectacular, choreographed to holiday music. On 655 Cranberry Road in East Brunswick, what started over 20 years ago with a display at one home, is now their family-run business at the Middlesex County Fairgrounds. Reservations are required for the show.

Mission Holiday Lights - On 265 Mission Road Hackettstown, Washington Township, this family does their light show each year and is in the process of transitioning from Veteran’s lights to holiday ones. Stay tuned to their Facebook Page for updates.

Stickles Pond Christmas - See the light show through Jan. 2, 2022 at 131 Stickles Pond Road in Andover Township, near Newton. View from the street at a private residence, coordinated to music, tune radios to 100.1 FM, while watching. Check out their information for contests on their Facebook Page. The family coordinating the light display also hosts a contest to guess how many lights are on their display, for a $35 ShopRite gift card. They ask those who drive by to “pay it forward” and donate to a charity of choice, including a local food pantry, this holiday season.

Skylands Stadium Lights Show - There’s more than two million lights at the Stadiums’ light show on 94 Championship Place in Augusta, which there’s a fee to drive through. Purchase tickets to to the light show in advance, through Jan. 9, 2022. The Christmas Village is free to enter with hot beverages, food, games and photos with Santa an extra fee.

Questions or comments about this story? Have a news tip? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.