Christmas, Hanukkah Events In Bowie: Tree Lightings, Festival Displays, More

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — There are plenty of things going on around Bowie and Prince George's County to celebrate the 2023 winter holidays.

Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish festival of lights, starts at sundown on Dec. 7, and ends at nightfall on Dec. 15. 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 season.

A menorah lighting near Prince George's County includes the National Menorah lighting Dec. 7 from 3 to 6 p.m. at The Ellipse, Farragut North Station, Washington, D.C.

Christmas parades, often complete with Santa Claus, festively decorated floats and marching bands, are a holiday tradition, both nationally and locally. Attending the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade is a bucket list item for many families. If you can’t be in New York City, the parade will be livestreamed on NBC and Peacock, the network’s streaming service, from 8:30 a.m. to noon Eastern Time.

Holiday lighting displays are another holiday favorite. Some to catch in Prince George's County include:

Zany Lights, a synchronized Christmas light show featuring around 10,000 color-changing lights synchronized to Christmas pop, hip-hop and movie sound tracks with funny jokes and puns mixed in.

MGM National Harbor's holiday Conservatory display open now through Jan. 20 features elements such as a 20-foot-tall toy snowman, a 15-foot-tall snow globe and snowy Christmas trees with 10,000 glittering ornaments. There also are nearly 1,800 poinsettias, a 7-foot-tall and 22-foot-long train, a 30-foot-tall soldier with a drum and more.

MGM National Harbor also will be bringing back Cirque Dreams Holidaze for five shows running from Dec. 15-17. Tickets for the event are available at mgmnationalharbor.com or ticketmaster.com.

The LIT light show now through Dec. 30 at Gaylord International includes thousands of dancing lights and tree lighting.

The 37th annual Winter Festival of Lights will offer three miles of holiday light displays with more than 2.5 million LED lights and a 54-foot LED musical tree. There also will be hayrides and horseback riding. The 2023 Winter Festival of Lights runs through Jan. 1 daily from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Preregistration is required for the hayrides, which are available Saturdays. Horseback riding is available to guests ages 12 and older; preregistration is required for this option, too. Winter Festival of Lights takes place at Watkins Regional Park in Upper Marlboro. Online registration for the event is encouraged and tickets can be bought in advance online. Guests are invited to bring a canned good to donate to local food banks.