Holiday Events In Tewksbury And Nearby: Tree Lighting, Parades

TEWKSBURY, MA — There is no shortage of things to do in Tewksbury 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

Tewksbury's annual Holiday Celebration and Tree Lighting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 2 at the Town Common, located at 1009 Main St.

The event is free and also will include activities for kids, entertainment, food and drink.

For the kids, there will be balloon animals, crafts and a chance to write letters to Santa. In fact, the jolly man himself is scheduled to visit with families in Town Hall right after the tree lighting.

Carolers will provide the entertainment, and there will be the staging of an ice sculpture, which is being donated by the Wilmington/Tewksbury Chamber of Commerce.

According to organizers, food and drink is expected to include: marshmallows roasting on open fires, hot chocolate, warm cider, roasted nuts and other treats.

Attendees also are asked to bring an unwrapped toy to donate to the local toy drive.

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; the Target Holidazzle Parade in Minneapolis; and the Christmas Boat Parade in Newport Beach, California.

Parades in the 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:

• North Andover Santa Parade, North Andover, Noon on Saturday
• City of Lights Parade, Lowell, 4:30 p.m. on Saturday
• Andover Santa Parade, Andover, 1 p.m. on Sunday
• The 2022 Santa Parade & Tree Lighting, Newburyport, 3 p.m. on Sunday
• Merrimac Santa Parade, Merrimac, 1 p.m. on Dec. 4