21 unique holiday events bringing Christmas magic to NJ this December
🎄 Discover 21 unique holiday festivals and events happening across all 21 New Jersey counties in December 2026.
🚂 From a Polar Express train ride and Christmas on the Farm to a German Christmas market and underwater Santa, there's something for everyone.
🎁 Find dates, locations, times and admission prices for festive family outings, holiday shopping and one-of-a-kind seasonal experiences.
December is such a fun time in New Jersey---holiday shopping, decorating, and baking, just to name a few.
It’s also a great month to check out the oodles and oodles of events and festivals happening in pretty much every single town in every county.
Since there are too many to list, let’s highlight one cool, unique event happening in each of the 21 New Jersey counties in December for holiday fun.
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Atlantic County
Noyes Holiday Market and Gingerbread Village
When: Saturday and Sunday, December 5 and 6
Where: Noyes Arts Garage of Stockton University, 2200 Fairmount Ave, Atlantic City
Time: 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Enjoy a holiday craft market with handmade gifts, live entertainment, and a gingerbread house competition. The theme this year is “favorite holiday movie.”
Bergen County
Be Fort Lee Holiday Night Market
When: Saturday, December 5
Where: Fort Lee Commons, 229 Main Street, Fort Lee
Time: 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Bundle up for this evening market filled with local vendors, holiday shopping, and cool seasonal activities. You’ll find great gifts like jewelry, fine art, fashion, kids' stuff, and more.
Burlington County
Burlington County Winterfest
When: Saturday, December 12
Where: Historic Smithville Park, Eastampton
Time: 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
If the Victorian era is your thing, then you’re going to love this festival. Enjoy wandering carolers, holiday activities for all ages, live entertainment, a wine and mulled cider tent, a holiday marketplace, ice skating, a snow fun zone, ice carvings, and of course, Victorian Santa. Snow is guaranteed to fall from noon to 5 p.m., too.
Vote for the best decorated tree, enjoy the holiday selfie station, and bring a new, unwrapped toy for the Burlington County Sheriff’s Office holiday toy drive. Don’t forget the tree lighting at 4:30 p.m.
Camden County
Deck the Heights
When: Saturday, December 5
Where: Downtown Haddon Heights
Time: 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Put on your earmuffs and mittens, and deck the halls, or the heights at this holiday cheer festival. Season vendors, musicians, food trucks and artisans will be on hand, plus plenty of shopping all over the downtown business district.
A few surprises are in store too, but you’ll have to show up to find out. Also, don’t miss pictures with Santa, free carriage rides, seasonal cocktails for adults, and lots of fun for the kids.
Cape May
Holiday Celebration at Historic Cold Spring Village
When: Saturday, December 12
Where: Historic Cold Spring Village, 735 Seashore Road, Cape May
Time: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Admission: $10/adults, $5/kids
Come celebrate the magic of the holiday season with a cup of cheer, seasonal activities, and plenty of Christmas spirit. There will be holiday vendors, Christmas carolers, gift wrapping, hot cocoa, a silent auction, a surprise visit from Elsa, and even breakfast with Santa (for an extra cost).
Cumberland County
Annual Holiday Studio Sale
When: Tuesday, December 1 – Sunday, December 6
Where: WheatonArts Event Center, 1501 Glasstown Road, Millville
Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Shop for unique handmade artwork, crafts, glass, ceramics, and gifts created by regional artists. There will be discounted prices on artisan glass and ceramic pieces, including mugs, teapots, planters, ornaments, and bowls. Enjoy glassmaking demos, trunk shows and a craft station to make custom gift tags.
Essex County
Essex County Holiday House Tour
When: Saturday, December 5 and Sunday December 6
Where: Montclair History Center, 110 Orange Road, Montclair
Time: 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Cost: $5 pp/children free
Explore the beautifully decorated 230-year-old home at your own pace, with festive period décor designed by the Garden Club of Montclair. Cozy up by the hearth and discover the flavors and traditions of holidays past. Don’t forget to stop by the Nathaniel Crane House for one-of-a-kind holiday gifts.
Gloucester County
Whitall House Candlelight Tours
When: Friday, December 4 – Sunday, December 6
Where: James and Ann Whitall House, Red Bank Battlefield, 100 Hessian Avenue, National Park
Time: Friday: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday: 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday: 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Come enjoy a good ol’ fashioned Colonial Christmas. Experience a candlelight tour of the 1748 historical home decorated for the holidays with the sights and sounds of an 18th-century “All-American Christmas.” Visit the on-site Christmas shops for unique, handmade seasonal gifts, too.
Hudson County
Happy Holiday Market
When: Weekends, December 5-6 and December 12-13
Where: Grove Street PATH Plaza and The Ashford, Jersey City
Time: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Get into the holiday season at this cool market in Jersey City. Enjoy handmade gifts, 130 local vendors, holiday entertainment, a photo booth, family activities, a rooftop brunch, and more.
Hunterdon County
Festival of the Trees
When: Weekends December 5 – 20
Where: Red Mill Museum Village, 56 Main Street, Clinton
Time: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Admission: Free for museum members/$10 for non-member adults
This beloved holiday tradition finds the museum’s historic buildings and grounds decked out for the holidays with trees decorated by individuals, families, organizations, and clubs.
Stroll the grounds, do some holiday shopping in the boutique shop, and check out live historic demos and activities. Don’t forget to take your picture with Santa.
Mercer County
Christmas on the Farm
When: Saturday, December 5
Where: Howell Living History Farm, 70 Woodens Lane, Hopewell Township
Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Santa is coming to Howell Farm on this Saturday, but not in a sleigh. On a steam tractor! Enjoy Christmas crafts, live music, farm animal visits, and an opportunity to stroll through a decorated historic farmhouse before Santa’s 12:30 p.m. arrival.
Play inside the barn, create a paper Victorian angel ornament, take selfies in the 1800s sleigh pulled by horses on snowy days, and visit the blacksmith working in the farm’s forge.
Stop at the visitor center for warm drinks, homemade cookies, lunch, and other light refreshments. Buy gifts like Howell Farm honey, handmade straps of sleigh bells, and more. Toys for Tots will be accepting donations of new, unwrapped toys, as well.
Middlesex County
New Brunswick Winter Wonderland Bazaar
When: Thursday, December 3
Where: Monument Square, 2 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick
Time: 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Downtown New Brunswick will transform into a festive evening of shopping, community, and holiday cheer. Hosted by New Brunswick City Center and Asbury Park Bazaar, this winter wonderland bazaar brings together a curated mix of local makers, artists, designers, vintage sellers, specialty food vendors, and small businesses for a lively holiday shopping experience---all in heated tents!
Check everyone off your holiday shopping list in one shopping spot with great vintage finds, home goods, jewelry, fashion, and more.
Monmouth County
The Christmas Light Show
When: Friday, December 18 and Saturday, December 19
Where: 704 Belmar Plaza, Belmar (just off Main Street between 8th and 9th Aves)
Time: 6 p.m. (Arrive 20 minutes early)
Cost: Free, but there’s a suggested donation of $15 pp or $25 per family for RallyCap Sports, which organizes sports programs for kids with disabilities)
Be sure to dress warm for this amazing computerized display combining thousands of lights, lasers, flamethrowers (real fire timed to the beat), fog (theatrical haze), and moving lights synchronized to a concert-sized sound system, with a special appearance by Santa and his elves. Think of it as a rock concert that happens to be a Christmas show.
Morris County
The Santa Expedition
When: Weekends all day, and after 3 p.m. weekdays through Dec. 23
Where: Hidden Pond Tree Farm, 4 West Field Rd., Mendham
Time: Varies
Cost: $25 to $27 per person (Advance ticket pre-purchase is required)
Enjoy a 30-to-40-minute holiday tractor-pulled train ride through twinkling lights and festive trails to Santa’s Secret Outpost. There will be a personal visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus, photo ops, bonfires, and hot chocolate.
Make an adventure out of it on the farm. Cut down your own Christmas tree on the farm. Visit the snack shack. Toast some marshmallows over the bonfire, take home a homemade wreath, and so much more.
Ocean County
Seas and Greetings
When: Dec. 11-12, 18, 20, 27-28
Where: Jenkinson’s Boardwalk, Point Pleasant Beach
Time: Fridays: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday, Sunday, and Monday: 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Make Seas and Greetings part of your family’s holiday tradition by diving into the magic of the season at Jenkinson’s Boardwalk. Make holiday memories with festive fun throughout the Aquarium, Fun House, Pavilion, Sweet Shop, and Pavilion Arcade.
Enjoy photos with Santa, catch the “big guy” diving beneath the water, meet holiday characters, and experience festive entertainment, magical surprises, and more.
Unwrap a new surprise each day.
Passaic County
Victorian Christmas at Ringwood Manor
When: Weekends: Dec. 4-6, 11-13, and 18-20
Where: Ringwood Manor, 1304 Sloatsburg Road, Ringwood
Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Cost: $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, $5 for kids ages 6-12
Experience a Victorian Christmas at the Ringwood Manor, where the first floor is beautifully decorated for the holidays by the Women’s Club of West Milford. Be transported back to the Victorian elegance.
The self-guided tour allows visitors to spend as much or as little time in each room as they wish. Brochures and interpretive signs, along with the site’s knowledgeable guides and volunteers will provide those interested, in the history of the historic home.
Enjoy the gorgeous furnishings, and maybe the décor will inspire visitors to create their own Victorian Christmas decorations.
Salem County
50th Anniversary of Woodstown by Candlelight
When: Friday, December 4
Where: Pilesgrove-Woodstown Historical Society, 42 N. Main St., Woodstown
Time: 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Cost: $10 in advance/$20 the night of the event
This longstanding community holiday tradition is celebrating its 50th anniversary, featuring historic settings, seasonal entertainment, and festive activities.
Self-guided walking and jitney tours of over a dozen pre-revolutionary and pre-Civil War homes all decorated for the holidays. Start the night with a Mummers String Band strut down South Main Street, accompanied by Civil War re-enactors, a town crier, and Santa Claus on an antique fire truck.
Enjoy the Christmas Market and Christmas Village, plus a floating tree lighting at Memorial Lake, life-sized Candy Land and Toyland, and of course, visits with Santa.
Somerset County
48th Festival of the Trees
When: Dec. 4 to Dec. 27 (closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day)
Where: Environmental Education Center, Basking Ridge
Time: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Cost: Suggested donation $5 pp
Get into the holiday spirit by visiting the Somerset County Park Commission EEC. The festival is an indoor exhibit of decorated trees by various community groups and individuals alike. Enjoy holiday music and relax while you take in the beautiful trees.
Donate new, unwrapped toys for Toys for Tots.
Sussex County
25th Annual German Christmas Market
When: Friday, December 4 – Sunday, December 6
Where: Sussex County Fairgrounds, 37 Plains Road, Augusta
Time: Friday and Saturday: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost: Adults $10, Seniors $7, and children 12 and under are free
Bring some cash and dress in your warmest lederhosen! It’s the 25th Annual German Christmas Market---one of the biggest holiday events in Sussex County. This is a good place to knock out a chunk of holiday shopping while supporting small makers.
This is a non-profit, volunteer-run event that donates all proceeds back to local Sussex County charities and community organizations.
Roughly 150 vendors offer hand-carved wood ornaments, European gifts, crafts, and specialty chocolates. Enjoy German food and drinks like bratwurst, potato pancakes, pretzels, goulash, sauerbraten, gingerbread, apple strudel, and warm mulled wine.
Check out the 1,600-square-foot model train display by the Pocono Mountain Garden Railway Society, live school choirs, musical performances, horse-drawn wagon rides, a Christmas tree lighting, and more.
Union County
Celebrate the Season
When: Sunday, December 6
Where: Warinanco Sports Center, 1 Park Drive, Roselle
Time: Session 1: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Session 2: 1:45 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. (Santa will be on the ice 2 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Pictures with Mr. and Mrs. Claus 2:45 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.) Session 3: 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Cost: $8 pp (includes a 2-hour session, ice skate rental, hot chocolate, and a cookie)
It’s not winter or Christmas, for that matter, without ice skating. Skate on the rink with Santa Claus, his elves, and family during this one-day adventure. Listen to holiday carols, warm up by the fire and just relax.
Warren County
The Polar Express
When: Weekends: December 4-6, 11-13 and 18-20
Where: Delaware River Railroad Excursions, 38 Market Street, Phillipsburg
Time: Friday: 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Saturday: 2,4,6,8 p.m.; Sunday: 2,4 and 6 p.m.
Cost: $38 per child and $48 per adult
Set to the sounds of the motion picture soundtrack, passengers will relive the magic of the classic story as they are whisked away on The Polar Express for a magical hour-and-a-half trip to meet Santa.
Once on board, your car hosts will work their way through the coach and punch your golden ticket before hot chocolate and cookies are served by dancing chefs.
There’s so much to do in the Garden State that is sure to fill your holiday dance card all season long.
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Significant or historical events in New Jersey for November (in chronological order)
Gallery Credit: Dan Alexander
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