Holiday Lights, Festivals And Celebrations Fill The North Kingstown Calendar

NORTH KINGSTOWN, RI — With Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa festivities filling the December calendar, the problem may be deciding which events in YOURPATCH to attend.

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

40th Annual Wickford Festival of Lights

Dec. 4: Town Tree Lighting and appearance by Santa in Updike Park

Dec. 5: Santa arrives by boat at the town dock and horse-drawn hayrides around Wickford Park

Dec. 6 and 7: Santa again arrives by boat at the town dock and more horse-drawn hayrides around Wickford Park, as well as the Ladies of the Rolling Pin performing in Wickford Park.

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.