Seasonal & Holidays
Christmas, Hanukkah Events In Scotch Plains: Parades, Tree Lightings
From menorah lightings to Santa visits, there is lots to do around Scotch Plains this holiday season.
![Check out holiday events happening locally below.](https://patch.com/img/cdn20/users/25400487/20221125/010810/styles/patch_image/public/img-0593___25130741921.jpg)
SCOTCH PLAINS, NJ — There is no shortage of things to do in Scotch Plains 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 Scotch Plains are:
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- Scotch Plains will have its tree lighting on Sunday, Dec. 4 at the Alan M. Augustine Village Green at 5 p.m. The event will also include hot chocolate, food trucks, horse-drawn carriage rides, a petting zoo, a canned food drive and much more.
- Chabad of Union County will host a menorah lighting at the Alan M. Augustine Village on Sunday, Dec. 18 at 5 p.m.
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.
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Parades in Scotch Plains may not be able to match those in size, but the heart behind them is just as big. Parades to catch near home include:
Holiday lighting displays are another holiday favorite. Some to catch in New Jersey are:
- 'Festival Of Trees' Returns To Cranford This Holiday Season
- Winter Walk Among Thousands Of Lights In Essex County Through Jan. 15
Clarification: An earlier version of this story mentioned the defunct Target Holidazzle Parade in Minneapolis, which no longer takes place.
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