Christmas, Hanukkah Events In Rockville: Parades, Tree Lightings, More

ROCKVILLE, MD — There is no shortage of things to do in Rockville 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 near Rockville include:

• Festival of Lights hosted by Washington D.C. Latter-day Saint Temple, Visitors Center, 9900 Stoneybrook Drive, Kensington, MD: Thursday, Dec. 1, 4:30 p.m.
• Garden of Lights, Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallen Ave., Wheaton-Glenmond: Sunday, Dec. 4, 5-9:30 p.m.
• Kensington Christmas Tree Lighting, Kensington Town Office, 3710 Mitchell St, Kensington: Sunday, Dec. 4, 12:30 p.m.
• Kensington’s Annual Menorah Lighting, Kensington Town Office, 3710 Mitchell St, Kensington: Sunday, Dec. 18, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Grand Menorah Lighting at Bethesda Row: Sunday, Dec. 18, 6:30 p.m.
• National Menorah Lighting, Ellipse, just across from the White House, Washington, D.C.: Sunday, Dec. 18, 3:15 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.

Holiday lighting displays are another holiday favorite. Some to catch near Rockville are:

• Zoo Lights at National Zoo, Washington, DC: Friday, Nov. 25 to Dec. 30.
• Enchant Christmas, Washington, DC: Friday, Nov. 25 to Jan. 1.

Other upcoming holiday events in and around Rockville include:

• First Annual Jingle Jubilee at Chevy Chase Lake, 8525 Chevy Chase Lake Terrace, Chevy Chase: Wednesday, Nov. 30, 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
• Bethesda Winter Wonderland, Norfolk Avenue Streetery, corner of Norfolk and St. Elmo Avenues, Bethesda: Saturday, Dec. 3, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Holiday Barket, Cabin John Regional Park, 7400 Tuckerman Lane, Bethesda: Saturday, Dec. 3, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m
• Trek Rockville Holiday Lights Ride, Rockville: Wednesday, Dec. 14, 6:30-8:30 p.m.