Christmas Events In Ocean City: Parades, Tree Lightings, More

OCEAN CITY, NJ — There is no shortage of things to do in Ocean City 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.

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.

Parades in Ocean City may not be able to match those in size, but the heart behind them is just as big. Parades to catch here at home include:

The annual parade on Asbury Avenue is Dec. 2.

Holiday lighting displays are another holiday favorite. Some to catch in New Jersey are:

• Light Show on the Lake through Jan. 6 in Historic Smithville
• Christmas Fantasy With Lights at Storybook Land
• DiDonato’s Magical Holiday Express in Hammonton

Related

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Where To See Santa In Ocean City This Christmas Season

Clarification: An earlier version of this story mentioned the defunct Target Holidazzle Parade in Minneapolis, which no longer takes place.