UPCOMING CHRISTMAS EVENTS IN NJ
TRI-STATE AREA

December 1st What: Boardwalk Holiday Giftacular Where: 1300 Ocean Avenue, Asbury Park, NJ  A different, unique and fun way to shop for the holidays! Enjoy isles and isles of unique gifts from independent merchants and businesses from Asbury Park and the surrounding areas. Also enjoy seasonal music, delicious cider and egg nog, a huge 30 ft tree decorated from the ground up and so much more! Stay after the Giftacular the the 3rd annual Ugly Sweater Party! Both events are free!

November 28th through January 6th What: Festival of Trees at Morven Museum Where:  Morven Museum & Garden in Princeton NJ Morven’s annual holiday event where festive trees, artfully decorated by local businesses and garden clubs, grace each of Morven’s elegant galleries. This is a must-see event for the holidays! Young and old alike will be in awe from all the beautiful trees and their decorations.

November 30th through December 9th What: "A Christmas Carol" the musical Where: Main Street Theater -  3018 Bordentown Ave. Parlin, NJ The perennial Christmas classic based on the book by Charles Dickens has been a holiday tradition for many years and a favorite for the holidays. This Christmas musical is one for all ages! Children and adults alike will love the singing and dancing, you'll probably begin to join in! Shows are every Friday at 8pm and Saturday and Sunday at 2pm and 8pm.

November 30th What: Downtown Toms River Tree Lighting Where: Washington Street, Toms River, NJ  Bring the whole family to the Town Hall Courtyard for the annual Tree Lighting and the arrival of Santa Clause! Ceremony runs from 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm. For more information please call 732-341-8738.

December 1st What: Candlelight Shopping in Mullica Hill Where: Main Street, Mullica Hill, NJ  Celebrate the holidays in Mullica Hill with an afternoon of candlelight shopping on Main Street. All the shops on Main Street will have refreshments and holiday specials, you'll even run into a few merry carolers on the street. The streets are decorated to Christmas perfection! There will also be Christmas stories, characters and carolers roaming the streets. Enjoy a day of merry holiday shopping!

December 7th What: Hereford Inlet Lighthouse Christmas Tree Lighting Where: Hereford Inlet Lighthouse Courtyard, 1st & Central Avenues, North Wildwood. Bring the whole family down to the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse Courtyard for their annual Tree Lighting Ceremony. See the beautiful tree light up the sky and enjoy an early visit from Santa Clause! This is a free event! Tree lighting begins at 5:30 pm and runs until 7:30 pm.

December 7th and 8th What: Family Holiday Celebration Where: Wildwoods Convention Center - Wildwood, NJ A family holiday tradition with an exciting holiday weekend filled with fun for the entire family! Attend Jaycee's Christmas Parade on Friday night, followed by a tree lighting ceremony and the business decorating and lighting contest winners at the Award Ceremony at the Wildwoods Convention Center. Come back to the Wildwoods Convention Center lobby on Saturday to enjoy an entire day of holiday activities! Some activities include pictures with Santa, free movies, arts and crafts, face painting, magicians and much more! Enjoy free admission! Holiday fun for the whole family!

November 23rd through December 2nd What: Festival of Trees Where: The Red Mill Museum - 56 Main Street, Clinton NJ Enjoy the annual Festival of Trees at the Red Mill Museum, a holiday delight for the entire family. See dozens of trees and wreaths decorated by local businesses, organizations and people from the town! Kick off the holiday season and get some tips on how to decorate your own tree. A silent auction will be held and you could bring home one of the gorgeous trees or wreaths on display!

November 24th through December 22nd What: Holiday Harmonies Where: Red Bank NJ Enjoy traditional carolers, choirs, brass bands, rock, folk, jazz & blues musicians bring holiday tunes to the sidewalks of Red Bank! The event takes place every Saturday from 12pm - 3pm in Red Bank's Business District.

November 23 through December 23rd What: The Christmas Express with Santa Claus Where: The NJ Museum of Transportation, Wall, NJ  Come out and enjoy a holiday tradition for over 30 years! Bring the whole family out for a Christmas train ride accompanied by Santa! See their beautifully decorated trains and towns the train runs through. Great for the whole family. The trains run every weekend on Saturday and Sunday from 11am - 4pm and starting on December 7th night train rides are available from 6pm - 8:30pm - all trains run every half hour.

November 30 through December 9th What: Gingerbread Wonderland and Craft Show Where: The Frelinghuysen Arboretum, Morris Township NJ Join Morris Township and The Frelinghuysen Arboretum for their 21st annual Gingerbread Wonderland and Craft show. Escape to a world that actually is made up of gum drops, candy canes and chocolate! Young and old alike will marvel over the sweet creations locals have made. Afterwards, make your way over to the Craft Show which features hundreds of hand-made crafts. You're sure to find something for everyone in your family! Come down to see the displays or enter in your own creative and delicious gingerbread house!

Find out where to cut your own Christmas Tree in New Jersey

November 30 through December 2nd What: Winterfest Where: Bayonet Farms, Holmdel Township NJ Bring the whole family out to Holmdel's first annual Winterfest. Bayonet Farms fully decorates the entire property with tens of thousands of lights! There will be live entertainment, delicious food and cider, games, rides, ice skating and of course a visit from Santa Claus! Bring out a present to donate to toys for tots, take a picture with Santa and see their beautifully decorated 14' tree! They have everything you need for a winter wonderland - you'll never want to leave!

November 30th through December 2nd  What: Christmas in Bay Head Where: Bay Head, NJ Celebrate the season in Bay Head NJ! Join local residents as they kick off the holiday season! This 30 year event is a hit for young and old alike. The weekend long festivities begin Friday with the Christmas Walk starting at 5:30pm and the tree lighting ceremony afterwards tour all the local shops until 9pm. Come back Saturday for breakfast with Santa, tours of the Historical Society museum and shopping at the local stores. Conclude the weekend at St. Paul's United Methodist Church for their annual "A Night in Bethlehem" a hands-on Holy-Land experience. Take a walk back in time with a huge display, reenactments, booths and demos. Don't miss a weekend of holiday family fun in Bay Head!

December 8th What: Wreath & Centerpiece Decorating Where: Cook College/Rutgers Univer. 130 Log Cabin Road, New Brunswick NJ  Looking for techniques on how to create the perfect Centerpiece and Wreath for the Holidays?  Look no further! The instructors will detail several different methods of designing a wreath and take you step by step through the techniques necessary to create your own holiday boxwood ‘centerpiece masterpiece’. DDecorate your home for the holidays with handmade wreaths and centerpieces. No previous experience required!

December 1, 8, 15th What: Brunch with Santa Where: Camden Children's Garden, Camden NJ Bring the little ones down to the Camden's Children Garden in Camden NJ for a holly, jolly brunch with Santa! Enjoy a delicious Tortilla Press buffet with Santa at the head of the table! Santa will be walking around, greeting all the children and feasting with them too. Two seatings are available: 11 - 11:45 or 12 - 12:45. Reserve your spot by calling 856-365-8733, you won't want to miss out on the merriest brunch in New Jersey!

December 12th What: Santa Train Rides Where: Westfield NJ The Jersey Central Chapter, in conjunction with Santa and Mrs. Claus, operates a Santa Claus Special for the kids. The train departs from Raritan at 8:30 AM and also from the eastbound platform (off South Avenue) of the Westfield Station in Westfield at 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM. There is no afternoon departure from Raritan. The trip features Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus along with a few of Santa's helpers. There are sing-a-longs, candy canes and coloring books for the kids. In addition, each car on the train features a drawing for a trainset; that's ten train sets per trip! The train operates west from Westfield to Highbridge, NJ and back, a two hour trip. Santa pays a visit to each car and is more than happy to pose for pictures with the kids.

November 17th through December 22nd What: Santa's Trolley Ride Where: The Physick Estate, Cape May NJ Meet Santa and Mrs. Clause at the Physick Estate in Cape May NJ for trolley rides around Cape May. Kids and parents alike will enjoy the beautifully decorated Victorian-style houses known to this area, sing-alongs of your favorite Christmas songs and Christmas stories read by Mrs. Clause. Santa and Mrs. Clause have prepared a sweet and special treat for all the kids! Trolleys run every Saturday and Sunday, see the times and dates to reserve your spot!