Giant Menorah To Be Lit Sunday On Fairfield's Sherman Green

FAIRFIELD, CT — Chabad of Fairfield will host the lighting of a giant Hanukkah menorah Sunday, the first night of the eight-day holiday.

The event will take place 4:30 p.m. at Sherman Green in downtown Fairfield and will be preceded at 3:45 p.m. by a Hanukkah story trail, which will be an audio-visual walking experience bringing the Hanukkah story to life.

The menorah-lighting will feature lively Hanukkah music and spirited Hasidic dancing, and traditional Hanukkah treats such as latkes and donuts. A highlight of the event will be the “gelt drop,” with scores of chocolate coins dropped from the basket of a Fairfield Fire Department truck. Attendance is open to all.

Chabad of Fairfield will also host a family menorah parade Thursday, which will thread its way through downtown Fairfield beginning 6 p.m. at Chabad of Fairfield, 452 Brookside Drive, and will be followed by a menorah lighting 6:30 p.m. at the Pequot Library, 720 Pequot Ave.

This year's family friendly Hanukkah events are being hosted with the recognition of the importance of community as Connecticut slowly emerges from the coronavirus pandemic.

“After the difficulties we have all experienced, the importance of community has never been more clear,” said Rabbi Shlame Landa, who co-directs Chabad of Fairfield with his wife, Miriam, in a news release. “We’re thrilled to be able to safely host this family friendly event, and it’s an incredible feeling to be part of such a visible celebration of Hanukkah.”

The menorah lighting is part of a worldwide Hanukkah campaign launched by the rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, in 1973. The campaign highlights the central theme of the holiday — publicizing the story of the Hanukkah miracle and the victory of light over darkness.

“The Rebbe emphasized that we should bring the light of Hanukkah to all of our fellow Jews,” Landa said in the news release. “That’s why Chabad of Fairfield is hosting this event: To ensure every Jewish person in the area is able to joyously celebrate Hanukkah this year.”

Throughout the state, Chabad will be organizing numerous giant menorah displays and public menorah lightings, parades and more. For more information, visit Chabad.org/Hanukkah.