Christmas, Hanukkah Events In The Port Jefferson Area

PORT JEFFERSON, NY — There is no shortage of things to do in the Port Jefferson 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 the Port Jefferson area are:

• Dec. 3 in Port Jefferson Station: Tree lighting
• Dec. 4 in Coram: Tree lighting
• Dec. 4 in Stony Brook: Tree lighting at the Warn Melville Heritage Organization's Holiday Festival
• Dec. 18 in Bellport, Patchogue, and Port Jefferson Station: Menorah lightings

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.

Parades in the Port Jeffer area may not be able to match those in size, but the heart behind them is just as big. Parades to catch here at home include:

• Nov. 26 in Patchogue: A showing of "The Polar Express, a visit with "Santa Claus," and the Christmas Parade will follow later in the evening.
• Nov. 27 in Port Jefferson: Santa Parade
• Dec. 3 & 4 in Port Jefferson: Pickwick Puppet Parade at the Dickens Festival
• Dec. 3 in Bellport: The annual Christmas parade
• Dec. 4 in Stony Brook: The Ward Melville Heritage Organization's Holiday Festival
• Dec. 11 in Setauket: Holiday Electric Parade

Correction: An earlier version of this story mentioned the Target Holidazzle Parade in Minneapolis, which is not a parade but rather a collection of holiday-themed events.