Competing Tree Lightings: Holiday Events Friday On Both Sides Of Town

While the Montclair Township is hosting its annual holiday tree lighting event on Friday, December 2, at 6 p.m. in Church Street Plaza—(more on this event Wednesday on Montclair Patch)—Upper Montclair will be hosting its own tree lighting ceremony.

Upper Montclair is calling its event "Holiday Stroll 2012," a celebration that begins at 4 p.m. and includes a "Holiday Read" at the Bellevue Avenue Library Branch from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Afterwards, the Upper Montclair Business Association is encouraging visitors to stroll up Bellevue Avenue to enjoy the neighborhood's many restaurants and stores.

The event culminates with a 6 p.m. holiday blessing and a lighting of a Christmas tree across from the movie theatre in the Bellevue Avenue parking lot.

As with the Township's celebration that continues with visits from Santa Claus on Saturday, December 3, the festivities in Upper Montclair also will continue on Saturday with musical entertainment provided by Mount Hebron Middle School and School of Rock Montclair between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Also, Santa Claus will be arriving on a firetruck at St. James at the corner of Bellevue Avenue and Valley Road in Upper Montclair to pass out gifts to children at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday.

is inviting parishioners to gather at noon on Saturday to form a Special Christmas Chorus, which will be singing a wide variety of secular Christmas songs on the front lawn. The choir plans to begin at 12:15 p.m. to welcome—with music—all those waiting for Santa.